Does anyone else get bad spots and is worried about progesterone making them worse with the Mirena Coil? Bad endo and bad acne.

I know that progesterone makes my spots worse. I'm not talking about simple zits but big (inch diameter) and full of (sorry) muck. I hope this isn't a case of 'too much information' below. I get spots that are so infected the local glands will swell painfully to try and help fight the infection. I'm on 1000mg of erythromycin a day to keep them under some kind of control. My Gynae wants me to have a mirena coil - even writing to my GP and saying I would be persuaded after I didn't express instant eagerness and tried to explain my acne problem. I like the idea bar for the fact that progesterone makes the spots so much worse. I couldn't take the BC pill because of them. They leave large lumps in my skin for years after - they distort my face. The only way to deal with that is to massage the lump and try to 're-awaken' the infection and hope it will clear. It's painful. The gynae said that it wouldn't make my spots worse as the progesterone will be in my uterus and not near my face. Eh? That doesn't sound right to me (won't it be in my blood stream?). Anyway, I get spots 'down there' as well. I have a terrible one at the moment and can't even get properly dressed due to the swelling - it's made my labia majora swell to twice it's normal size and it throbs painfully. Does anyone else have a similar problem or any advice? I don't want the pain of endo, obviously, but I also get a ridiculous amount of pain from large infected spots. I had a large one in my ear and it swelled the ear canal shut making me deaf temporarily. It's left that ear terribly itchy as it's left a nodule (made up of the old infection). Any advice appreciated. I know a lot of people don't like the mirena coil and a lot do.... so I really don't know what to do.....

[memyselfi]

Poor you, that sounds beyond painful

I was really, really worried about having the mirena because I have very severe but occasional migraines and I would do anything to avoid them, so I was very concerned the mirena would make them worse. This is also why I can't take the pill. But my endo was bad and there is no way they can insert the mirena without a ga, so I was persuaded to have one inserted during my last lap because they said it would stop the endo regrowing and it was my only opportunity.

Sadly, they were wrong/and or misleading me. It has stopped me having painful uterine periods/bleeding heavily but has not stopped my endo growing and bleeding internally and now they say that no one ever said it would help my endo because the progesterone does not travel outside the uterus.

It was difficult having the mirena for the first six months, as I felt I was getting sudden depressions out of nowhere but on balance now I am happy I have it. It isn't the magic cure I was told it would be, but it makes life a little more bearable and I think I am less tired. So, if you have painful exhausting periods and can't take the pill, I would try it. It is much easier to remove than insert, apparently so you can change your mind whenever you like and just pop down to your GP to get it taken out.

If your periods aren't too bad and your main reason is to slow the endo on your organs/bowel/Pouch of Douglas etc then I think you will be disappointed and it may not be worth doing.

I have acne too (not fair is it, I am 45 and feel my teenage years should really be behind me) and know what you mean about the subcutaneous lumps that are so incredibly painful.

Recently my acne has begun to improve. It could be my age, it could be the supplements I've been taking (agnus castus, evening primrose, vit b, magnesium) it could be because I am not losing so much blood every month so my body is less run down, it could be the face wash I have switched to (Good Things Stay Clear Mango and Blueberry) but I definitely haven't had an increase in spots of any sort. But, then I have a friend who doesn't have acne, who says she came out in lots of spots with the mirena, this was more surface spots though, pimples I suppose rather than the under the skin ones.

Hopefully other people will answer you with their experience. (oh, try olive oil for that itchy ear) and if you do decide to try the mirena, you might want to try agnus castus at the same time. I wish I had known about it earlier as it seems to be balancing out my hormones and my PMT has been much better recently too (yes, with the Mirena I am still very aware that I am ovulating etc and I know when I am having my period as the endo pain is still there even though I don't bleed externally).

Gosh that was a ridiculously long answer! Sorry! Might as well leave it for others to disagree/agree with anyway. Good luck

[Impatient]

I would say on balance mirena has cleared up a lot of my spots problem. I still get the occasional one or two, each month, but not in the places i used to get them and nothing like as angry as they used to get.

[Aquitaine]

I completely understand as I had the same worries (horrible acne, migraine etc) and progesterone pills were definitely tough.

I've found the mirena quite different - your GP is right, the amount of progesterone is tiny and it all seems to get used up in the uterus, so the side effects are generally not very noticeable. My spots are quite a lot better these days (I've also cut down on wheat and sugar, and this has also helped).

I've also found the mirena very effective in reducing my very painful periods, so overall it's been good for me.

Good luck in deciding what to do.

[Hidden]

Thanks everyone. With your replies and some research I've decided that, on balance, it's worth at least giving Mirena a good try. I'm 47 so agree that we should have left the teenage skin problems behind!! I really didn't expect spots AND wrinkles. Rather unfair. I have to be careful re supplements as I seem to be gradually growing physically intolerant to a great many things (one doctor has said that I'm getting more sensitive - huh, made me feel rather pathetic). Stopped wheat and variety of things as also have a hiatus hernia to manage which is proving rather difficult. Cruel world! Another thing I find frustrating is that my family has the menopause on the early side generally. All my sisters (3) had the menopause by 47 - even my younger sister, at 45, has had the menopause! Not fair. Have gynae appointment next week so shall be giving him the go ahead re Mirena (he plans a lap so shall have it done then as very aware of all the comments re pain!). Thanks very much all.

DD

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