I am sorry if this has been posted or discussed before but I couldn't find anything.
For those of you that have read my recent posts, you will know that I have had the copper coil fitted about a month ago now, all seems to be ok but also in a couple weeks time, I have two operations looming as my gp and gynae think I may have one or both of two conditions- endometriosis and interstitial cystitis, due to a pelvic pain I have been getting for over the past year or more now which other tests have come out normal, so this is really the last road for me to go down.
Because of this possibility and as a result of long, heavy and painful periods (particularly so after having my copper coil which I must admit I knew was to be expected but never imagined they'd be as bad as they have been compared to before), they also recommended to me that whilst I'm out cold on the operating table that I may want to consider them removing my copper coil and replacing it with the mirena coil, and this should help with my periods and if they find any endo and may settle my pelvic pain and during intercourse and tenderness around my pelvic area afterwards. I am beginning to think that mirena would've been a better choice over the copper coil anyway even before all this hopsital business, but after coming off the pill 6/7 months ago, I wanted to experience my body hormone contraceptive free.
I just wanted to know any of your experiences, I have read up on it loads with the information contrasting and contradicting even on professional and medical websites and lots of horror stories online also. Having written posts on LH before, I feel that the majority of you all on here have been quite open and honest, even if frank at times when it comes to giving advice.
Some of those threads may help, but I have a mirena and it's been brilliant for me, light spotting once it was inserted, not enough to really speak of and since then nothing, and have had it in nearly 2years.... I absolutely love it, no PMT, no periods, no contraception worries, for me it's great, but I know equally there are others that will have had bad experiences with it as with all contraception.
If you have any specific questions, happy to help if I can x
Nothing at all.... I'm not a slim thing anyway tho, about a size 16 but that's not changed, no acne at all, and def no cramps at all..... For me it's perfect, I have had the odd panic when not been able to find the strings but wriggling about has the desired effect and they're always there, haha!
i've had that issue with my copper coil, I couldn't find them so I rushed to the gp and he said it was fine and still where it should be. I know the strings were cut to 2cm long but I tried ever which way position and still couldn't find the strings, apparently it they had curled themselves around the left hand side of the outside of my cervix. Great, so how am I meant to feel them or the mirena when I get it?
I'm a bit worried as they said expulsion is more common with mirean than the iud as it is bigger? I'm worried it'll come out, I've had no problems as far as I'm aware with my iud though?
i've had that issue with my copper coil, I couldn't find them so I rushed to the gp and he said it was fine and still where it should be. I know the strings were cut to 2cm long but I tried ever which way position and still couldn't find the strings, apparently it they had curled themselves around the left hand side of the outside of my cervix. Great, so how am I meant to feel them or the mirena when I get it?
I'm a bit worried as they said expulsion is more common with mirean than the iud as it is bigger? I'm worried it'll come out, I've had no problems as far as I'm aware with my iud though?
xx
I had the same scare as you! Mine had coiled themselves round and I couldn't feel them at all. I have relaxed now with it, I have had it in for a year and a half and had no problems. I do check my every week or so just to make sure.
Without wishing to gross anyone out, I found the best position to feel for them is sitting on the loo.... It seems to put your cervix in the right place, and you just kinda run your fingers across and you can feel em, it is a bit of a stretch for the fingers, but do-able. I check once a month only and annually with the GP, you go 6 weeks after it's put in and then annually.
I tried that too MTC, and still nothing. I've tried sitting, squatting, one leg up/down, from behind, laying down, legs together like you would in the gynaes office,lol, but it's still there as my gp said so and my gynae when I saw her a couple wks ago.
I have had a mirena coil fitted now for the last 4 years and i love it. The dreaded heavy periods stopped completely after the first month, light spotting the next month and that's it. I could never go back to how i was. To be honest i never check for the strings but it must still be there! I have no issues with putting on weight, cramps or acne. To be honest it's the best thing I ever did, I know we are all different,so if you decide to go ahead hope it has the same effect for you x
See I had a pretty bad experience with mine and had every possible side effect going as I am overly sensitive to hormone increases, including pregnancy boy/girl twins sent me wacco for the 33 weeks I carried them.
I had mine to deal with very heavy periods, in the the 9 months I had it the spotting did not stop but once removed the dreaded heavy flooding was gone and even now (1 1/2 years later) it still is.
I hope the Merins coil works for you as I really wish it had for me. If the hormones dont bother you then you should get along fine (fingers crossed) with it. xxx
To be honest i never check for the strings but it must still be there! I have no issues with putting on weight, cramps or acne. To be honest it's the best thing I ever did, I know we are all different,so if you decide to go ahead hope it has the same effect for you x
I agree with sassy, I have had mine for 3 years now after trying almost every other contraceptive possible, including the copper coil which just didnt work at all for me (it gave me horrifically heavy periods). I did have some spotting for a few weeks after the Mirena was fitted but since then I have had absolutely no problems with it at all. I know, as the others have quite rightly said, that things dont work the same for everyone but my advice would be if the Docs recommend it then why not give it a try, you can always have it removed if its not right for you.
Did anyone experience bad cramping in the first few weeks/months of having mirena fitted? I am wondering if it is that as I have only had it about a week, and also had laparoscopic surgery to remove endometriosis also, so don't know if it could be that instead or as well? My gynae also gave me norethisterone to help with it all and to stop my bleeding, I am not on my period now as the tablets have stopped it but am still getting the odd occasional bad cramping.
I had bad cramps for about 2 days after mine was fitted but I seem to remember getting really bad cramps when I took Norethisterone once to delay a period (that was before I had the Mirena) so maybe it could just be a reaction to that. If you have had surgery recently too I would guess that might leave things a bit tender as well, but if you are worried you could always give NHS Direct a call, they are usually pretty helpful.
I was on delay pills once as well, about 9 years ago, so dont ask me what the name was but I got cramps as well. I blamed it on the pill interfiering with the natural circle. It had to stop the monthly circle and I blamed the cramps as side effect.
Also after the removal of apendix I got cramps. And generally abdonment surgery can interfier with female balance as well. It is a "blow" to the body, even if its just laparoscopy. I also had delayed period after the laparoscopy and I was told that it was very frequent body reaction and unless it takes very long I should not worry.
So there can be many reasons for the cramps, unfortunately.
I don't know if it's the current heat of the hot weather we have been getting, or a side effect of my mirena coil as it is a side effect, but I've been getting the odd random headache, coincidence that they've been happening since I got it a week ago, but that's also the time the weather started getting warmer.
Does anyone know how long these side effects could last? I don't want this for 5 years!
I have the Mirena coil, I got bad cramps when it was fitted and for a couple of hours after - but I haven't had anything since. My periods have totally stopped, and I love it. I would recommend it 100%.
I never experienced cramps during or after fitting as I had mine done during my laparoscopy op under general anaestetic. It's just recently now after about a week, could be the norethisterone tablets im on also?
It feels so much more confortable than the copper IUD I had before, I was convinced that was digging into the side of my womb somewhere, with this mirena I can barely feel it at all, it's great.