Mirena coil

[LushHill]

I just got a coil for my endometriosis... Just wondering how long did people bleed for after getting it inserted?

[1Poppy1234]

I had could for years and bleed with them all the first one just for three days a period it seemed to go up and up. Where as some people I know don't bleed at all. Hope it stops.

[LushHill in reply to 1Poppy1234]

Thanks! Yeah I don't know how to interpret three weeks of bleeding ....

[IvyMayM]

Hi, it is 6 and a half weeks since getting the mirena and I am still bleeding every day. I had a few days off bleeding after my first cycle with the coil in late January.

I saw the women’s health GP at my practice this week (after I insisted) and she said she wasn’t concerned. However, I did push for a scan and a blood test for anaemia anyway, just in case. She also offered to prescribe me tranexamic acid (which is usually for excessive bleeding) if I wanted it. So far, I would rather not take more medication so I am mulling this over.

The GP thought I should persevere with the mirena and that it should settle down within 3 months but she also told me I am unusual (🙄). I also have a follow up call with my gynae in 2 weeks (also had to insist about this as apparently they don’t normally offer appointments until it’s been 3 months).

I hope that helps x

[LushHill in reply to IvyMayM]

Thank you so much! It does help. I got mine inserted on the 31st of January and I think I have been bleeding every day too. So it's now been 3 weeks... I also cannot tell whether this is spotting or just a reduced period flow. It's been hard to manage cause I have been feeling so much more fatigued than usual and I feel like when I knew I was on my period I felt like I could attribute it to that.

I am sorry to hear you had to go through so many people. What did the blood test for anaemia say?

[IvyMayM in reply to LushHill]

I’m really sorry to hear you’re feeling fatigued. Me too, which is why I asked for the blood test for anaemia. I get the results in 3-5 working days. I’ll try and remember to post on here!

I have also had a lot of pain and I agree it’s much harder to manage because I don’t know when it’s going to hit. At least when it came with my cycle I was able to prepare a bit. Some days I am ok on just paracetamol, others I have to hit it with everything I have: paracetamol, codeine, tens machine, hot water bottle and rest, and it’s still really bad (I sadly can’t take NSAIDs because after years of taking them my stomach can no longer handle them).

So far I haven’t seen any benefits and it’s been a rough start to the year but I am going to try and hold out a bit longer. GP suggested I should try and hold out until at least the scan date (likely in about 3 weeks).

In case it helps to know, I went to a local Endometriosis UK support group the day before I had my mirena fitted and I was encouraged that about two thirds of the women in the room had a mirena and had found that it had helped. I was really skeptical before this because I tried it once before, but speaking to the other women made me feel like it was worth a try and made me more hopeful.

Good luck. I really hope things get better for us both 🤞🏻😊❤️

[LushHill in reply to IvyMayM]

Can I ask how come you reached that stage with NSAIDs? was that something advised by doctors? Would you say that I should be a little careful with them? x

[IvyMayM in reply to LushHill]

The short (ish!) answer is yes, just be mindful that if you’re taking a lot of NSAIDs, they can eventually cause gut issues. If you ever feel nausea or discomfort with them, go to your GP and ask for Omeprazole or its equivalent (I had to try 2 types before I found one that suited my body). This will cut down on excess stomach acid and help protect your stomach lining when taking NSAIDs. If you’re like I was, you’re probably having to take NSAIDs A LOT for pain. I struggled for years with nausea and a feeling huge discomfort at the top of my stomach, but it wasn’t until it was too late that a new GP told me these are classic symptoms of gastritis (when the stomach lining becomes inflamed). By this point, I had developed chronic gastritis, which means I’ve had to cut out all triggers: NSAIDs, alcohol, spicey food, caffeine, too much fatty or sweet food - basically, all the good stuff 😅😭

Hope that helps. X

[LushHill in reply to IvyMayM]

Also that is really encouraging to hear about the number of women who had the coil, honeslty, I was holding off for 5 YEARS, thinking I could just will myself through the pain, but it really was unmanageable. And I think I couldn't suppress it anymore. I am still getting what feels like endo pain honeslty, but I think it's just a patience game at this point. Btw, how do I find out about the in person events?

[IvyMayM in reply to LushHill]

I went to an online event but I think March is in person. Here is the link to find out about meetings in your area:

endometriosis-uk.org/suppor...

There is also an upcoming webinar:

endometriosis-uk.org/upcomi...

X

[IvyMayM in reply to LushHill]

Really sorry to hear how much you’ve been suffering. It’s awful. I hope it gets better ❤️

[IvyMayM]

Also, when I asked my GP how I would know when I had my period she said that I won’t know, because I now have the mirena. Not very helpful! 🤦🏻‍♀️

[Greenspecs]

Hi, I actually bled for 3/4 months after my mirena was first inserted and the pain was quite intense in that early period too. However i'm 3 years in now and have only had a handle of occasions where i've had spotting, otherwise no bleeding at all! Listen to your body though, you know it best, and good luck!

[LushHill in reply to Greenspecs]

Okay that is good to know that it can last that long! Glad to hear that it's a pretty common expereince ..

[Siyanatm24]

Great question (which I am asking myself). Got the coil during 2nd laparoscopy on 7th on Dec, I am still bleeding to this day. Some days are worse than others

[LushHill in reply to Siyanatm24]

Gosh that is a long time ...

[Lilac_10]

Hi,

I bled for about 6 weeks after my mirena was inserted. Not to be graphic but this started as red bleeding and then over time changed to more brown. I also had intense pain on and off during this time. This then turned to persistent spotting. I’ve had the mirena about 5 months now and am still struggling with the spotting aspect so I’m considering having it removed, however the pain has now really settled.

For me the first 2 months were really mentally challenging because of the constant bleeding and pain. I knew I could get bleeding etc but I wasn’t really prepared for how challenging that period of time would be. However, I’ve persisted as much as possible and things do seem to be settling now.

It’s difficult because everyone’s body seems to respond differently. I hope yours begins to settle. Take care.

[Isky72]

Hi I had my coil inserted on 28th Sep 24, spotted for about a week, was clear for around 2 weeks then spotted, sometimes light, sometimes heavy, often full bleed which could last 10 days or more up until 19th Feb then it just stopped. Fingers crossed still not seen anything.

Pain was bad for about 3 months then it settled. This is my second coil - my body rejected the first one!

I was told to persevere for 6 months which I was really struggling with but so far so good.

Best of luck to you!

[Leanne102]

I've had mine for 2 years now and I spot 3-4/7 days a week, only noticeable when going to the toilet and wiping though. I have also been on Medroxyprogesterone to try and stop the extra bleeding, but that hasn't been very successful for me either. There is a lot of difference between everyone it seems. Hope it eases up for you!