Mirena Coil - Yes or No? Advice needed please ladies - surgery coming up and i need help !!:(

[Amy23]

I'm new to the site and have joined because im so unsure whether the coil is the best thing for me.

I was diagnosed officially with endo last June after under going Laparoscopy surgery. Before i was put in for the surgery, the nurse wanted to try me on a different pill to see if that helped with all the pain i was experiencing. ( I was on Cerezette* unsure of the spelling - for around 7 years prior to this) I am now on and have been for about 1.5 years, one of the pills you would have a break at the end of x1 packet. I was advised to take 3 months back to back and then break - when i am taking the pill, the pain is MUCH more manageable and very rarely affects me day to day. When i have a break, it is the worst 5/7 days of my life. I am off work, doubled over in pain. HOWEVER - its only 5/7 days every 3/4 months...

I have to go back in for day surgery to have Cystoscopy with Hydrodistention (ICA) and they want to fit the coil at the same time. I am EXTREMELY unsure of whether this is going to benefit me anymore than the pill i take already does. The surgeon also advised me to carry on taking my pill?? Is this normal? I dont want double the hormones pumped into me.

Im also very worried that il have the coil fitted and then my cycle will be all over the place and i'll have all these side effects and possibly even heavier, worse periods and more pain for the next few months whilst my body adjusts.

So really i would love any advice. Is it really worth potentially causing myself more problems when i am happy with the pill i am on?

I haven't had my appointment letter for the surgery date yet - so plenty of time to really do my research. xx

[Fabbird]

Hi, my understanding is that the Mirena gives you about 1/7 of the progesterone that you get from the mini pill (such as Cerazette). It delivers it right where you need it, so the advantage is that you don't have to take as much. I think that's why it's so often recommended. Also, it's continuous, so you wouldn't have that awful week of break through bleeding. In fact most women hardly get a period at all. Of course some do have problems with it, but if those occur you can have it removed at the GP.

As for doubling the dose, I've been looking this up recently as I'm in the opposite situation. I've been relying on the Mirena for years and it's now not enough. My GP is prepared to consider both at once short term. There seem to be other women out there taking both. The dose from the Mirena is so much lower, it's not exactly doubling. But there are of course some risks and they can be related to age. So I'd want to discuss this carefully with the prescriber.

Good luck.

[Keke123]

I had the coil fitted whilst I had a lap done and it worked amazing for about 8-12 months. After that, I was so much worse than before. The pain and my periods came back with a vengeance. I had a new one fitted but no luck. I think my body got used to it. I still have it in but im on Zoladex which is my personal life saver.

[GrittyReads]

The Mirena was brilliant for me. I'd had a lap about 2-3 years before, which had been okay for about a year, then things got worse and worse, again - in fact worse as I'd been told I couldn't take the pill anymore as I was over 50 (the pill had kept the pain at bay for much of my life).

The Mirena reduced the pain and actual period with a month or two, and by 6 months I was utterly pain-free. With no periods! I was pre-menopausal then, so things might have got easier over the years, but I was pain-free for 6 years, until I was post-menopause, when my GP removed it and I've been fine since .

I think it's worth trying, I had it inserted under anaesthetic, as I've got a very tilted uterus and I've never had children. Give it a go, if it doesn't work your GP can probably take it out: mine did, and we were dubious 'cos of the uterus, but I trusted her implicitly. She did it in a double appt, when a nurse was free in case I needed painkiller or fainted anything NB fainting it common, not 'cos of pain, but because it's the cervix's response if it is over-stimulated.

[Baxter79]

I have just had the mirena coil removed surgically at the hospital as it was embedded in my uterus, I have had the worse experience with it as my endometriosis pain got worse not better, the only think it did for me was stop the horrendous heavy bleeding but personally I would rather put up with that side of things than the constant pain, obviously it did not help the fact it was not inserted properly, I am now awaiting to have a hysterectomy as a last resort, which is daunting as I am only 37, they tried me on Hrt in march and the problems I had with that where awful, especially the hot flushes, I feel like it's never bloody ending, I am coming back as a man in the next life... 😇😇😇

[Amy23 in reply to Baxter79]

Oh my goodness, sounds like you've had a right time with it! The general vibe i'm getting is everyone is different and you wont know if you don't try.... Could be a god send, could be the worst decision i make haha!

Thank you for sharing your experience - good luck with your op! I think i will join you as a man in the next life. Tom Hardy perhaps...

[Baxter79 in reply to Amy23]

You are right in the fact that everyone is different and have there own experience with the mirena, the way I see it is that if does not work for you it's not a permanent feature and can be removed, Tom Hardy is a good choice, right with you in that! 😂😂😂😂

[rachel239]

My coil was inserted a year ago during my diagnostic lap. My cycle has stayed on track and my periods are lighter. I've had no mood swings and it's a VERY convenient form of contraceptive. The problem is that I still ovulate and it hasn't really helped my pain. In fact, I think it's made my pelvic pain more frequent but it's hard to know if that's actually the coil or just my endo getting worse. It's all pros and cons really - choosing to deal with lighter pains and safe sex and just putting up with the pain by taking strong pain killers for now.

Hope this was helpful. Good luck!

[Amy23 in reply to rachel239]

Thanks for your reply Rach. It really is helpful reading everyones opinions and different experiences with the coil. I have a couple of other questions if you dont mind answering..

Can you feel it when its in? I've read that you should be able to feel 2 little string bits (this sounds strange :|)

Can you feel the coil during sex and will my partner be able to feel it during anything intimate?

I was supposed to have it put in during my lap last year but the message wasnt passed along to the nurses i dont think so it never was. I would only want it whilst being under as im a big baby so having it put in during my next op and seeing how i get on with it would be the only other time!

Thank you in advance x

[Fabbird in reply to Amy23]

Hi, you can't feel it except if you go to the trouble of feeling inside for the threads. Some doctors leave them quite long which I know can cause an issue for your other half. My current ones are short and I get no complaints. However it seems to be a matter of physique and preference. It's fairly easy for a practice nurse to cut them shorter later on, if needed.

[rachel239 in reply to Amy23]

You should be able to feel the strings if you go looking (I actually check for mine in the shower ever now and then just to make sure it's till there haha). I'm also assured by my boyfriend that he's blissfully unaware of anything during sex, even when it's unprotected.

I'd say give it a shot if that's the only thing they're recommending. It seems to be all trial and error with endo.

Any other questions? Xx