Coil and Endo

[Emjay24]

Hi everyone!

I have been on the Mini Pill (progesterone only pill) for years. Roughly 4 years. I have also tried up to 11 pills, an implant and the Depo shots! I have been diagnosed with Endo for almost 8 years. Recently, the pill hasn’t been doing me any favours with constant pain and constant bleeding lasting up to 3 weeks! (Back in 2018 I was bleeding for 9 weeks!)

I have spoken to my consultant and they suggested trying out the Mirena Coil to help with the hormones and bleeding! I would like to know about the pros and cons such as does this affect?

- Weight (again or loss if so is it significant?)

- Contraception (is it effective?)

- Hormones (can this help with my hormone imbalance?)

- Endo (how is it beneficial?)

- Bleeding (do you bleed?)

[Linley]

Hi!

I am sure you will get many responses both positive and negative re the coil, which I am not a fan of. It is a reliable contraceptive as long as it does not slip, your Gynae/GP should explain how to check. It has side effects but once fitted the medical profession like it to stay insitu for 6 months before considering removal. Endo can still return whatever course of treatment, sorry to be negative on this point.

I wish you well and hope that you will receive some positive posts🤞

[annatonina]

I've had 2 Mirena coils after I came off the mini-pill because of mood swings. The first one didn't make any difference to my pain, nausea or fatigue but it did lessen the bleeding to the point where I only needed a panty liner for the spotting. After I'd had it in for about a year my pain started getting gradually worse until I saw a gynae, got my endo diagnosis and was booked in for a laparoscopy- I asked to have the coil taken out in the lap just in case it had had any effect on the pain, it was so bad by that point I wanted rid of anything that could be causing it.

About a year post-lap I saw a gynae again because my pain was returning and she pretty much bullied me into getting another coil (it was a pretty nightmarish appointment all around) and because I thought it hadn't made me any worse and it was convenient birth control I got another one. I'm getting it out tomorrow, 6 months to the day nearly since I had it implanted, because I've been in absolute agony nearly every day with it in but haven't been able to do much because of COVID. I won't be getting another!

I did gain weight on both coils but I'd chalked that up to other circumstances both times, this time I think it's more likely to be eating rubbish in lockdown than the coil.

My mother-in-law in the other hand has had 3 Mirenas and will keep using it until she clears menopause because it's been an absolute miracle cure for her endo. So everyone is different! Mirena is the bc they recommend as being most helpful for endo symptoms so it could be worth a try.