I’ve tried the implant, the mini pill and the combined pill so far. I was forced to be taken off the combined pill due to health issues and that seemed to be the best one for me so I’m trying to find a method that also works for me. The implant made me bleed constantly for 6 months and the mini pill seems to be fine with me but it’s annoying to have to take every single day. So I am thinking about getting the merina IUD/the hormonal IUD. If you have ever had this method, what did you think about it and how did it react to your body? Also has yours ever fell out or something similar? That’s the main thing stopping me from wanting to get one incase it just randomly falls out.
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Hiya @sharbur
I was having horrendous periods…think blood transfusions…they were lasting weeks. I got really ill and hospitalised with severe anemia…due to my age (I was 46) I couldn’t have any of the contraceptive pills which I had had in the past for my periods. Like you the combined pill on and off throughout my life was the best contraception for me…(one of the ones was microgynon 30) I was offered an hysterectomy or to try the mirena. I knew I didn’t want surgery but being honest the thought of a foreign object in my body kinda freaked me out too.
Anyways…
I opted (obviously) for the mirena.
I won’t lie it took 12 months to settle in…blood loss every day…nothing major…but it was there.
Then after that I had a light monthly bleed for two years…then the occasional smear and then nothing at all. It was great to be rid of those periods which since they started had ruled my life…except in pregnancy obviously.
My first mirena my boyfriend could “feel” occasionally and when I got it changed for another after 5 years I mentioned it so they made the strings shorter which has been great.
I have never had any issues with it moving at all @sharbur in all the time I’ve had it.
At first I was paranoid checking it was still there feeling the strings as yes I’d read the horror stories too about them moving too etc.
Knowing a few women in the 70’s and overhearing them talk about their terrible experiences with the Dalkon Shield…which was an IUD had put me off them for life…but a hysterectomy also seemed a drastic solution for periods which were hopefully going to stop due to the menopause in the not too distant future.
Then I forgot I had it at all…no weight changes or skin changes…I have my cervical screening with it in place and again no problems there. Sex is spontaneous with no concerns about contraception…boyfriend can’t feel it… it’s had no effect on my sex drive…if anything it made me want more because my periods were no longer ruling me.
I’m so glad I persevered with it because after the initial settling in period it’s been the best thing for me…no more horrendous bleeding…which knocked my confidence…no more periods which ruled my clothing choices…ruined my sex life…holidays…and cost a fortune in sanitary products…not to mention the pain…and mattresses…I could go on.
Do your research…ask questions…and remember people tend to post negatives more than the positives.
Good Luck
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Had a Mirena fitted primarily as a contraceptive after I had my son 22 years ago . Had no problems at all with it . No bleeding , no weight gain ( I am a curvy lady however !) . Latterly it’s been multi purpose as I’m
Now going through menopause so the hormonal side of it helps . I’ve had 4 fitted ( changed every 5 years) best thing ever for me ! I do have to have them fitted at the gynae dept at hospital as my cervix is tilted so it’s a legs up in stirrups job !!!
Not me personally, but I know someone who had a mirena coil fitted and had a horrendous time, not with the coil itself but with the fitting procedure. To the point the poor thing needed gas and air just to see it through.
Remembering to take the pill can be annoying, but I make it a part of my nightly routine, which can really help. I keep mine in the bathroom so I can pop it when I wash before bed. I hope that idea helps 
I had the Mirena coil fitted when I was 39 as treatment for endometriosis. It was life changing for me.
I went from having heavy, painful periods as well as period pain for 3 weeks out of 4, pain during sex to no periods since and very little pain.
I’m on my 3rd coil and it’s now part of my HRT and I intend to keeping having it replaced. No side effects ever.
I found the swapping out of the old one for a new utterly hideous and exceptionally painful. Next one I’m going to research how I can have it done with pain relief or even under GA.
I wish I’d had mine put in a lot sooner.
I have one, I had it primarily for period control (thanks PCOS!) because my periods had never been regular so couldn’t plan anything and would also be heavy enough I’d wear a pair of shorts under trousers constantly as an extra layer of protection.
It’s been amazing. I had a little bit of spotting for a month or two and then nothing at all.
In a freak thing, the kind of stuff that only happens to me, my first one came out during my smear test! The nurse had never seen that happen before. (If something odd medically is going to happen, it’ll happen to me, always.)
It’s uncomfortable to have put in, and for a day or so afterwards, but then I forget about it. I think a lot of that is down to the person putting it in and your individual anatomy - my 2nd was more painful than the 1st.
Whatever you decide to do, I hope it works out for you 
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I got the copper one fitted last year. My main reason for the copper was that it contains no hormones whatsoever and I wouldn’t even know it’s in (neither would my partner). Before that I had tried the injection and contraceptive pills for many years.
I do get quite bad periods on it but that’s common for copper. I think some people’s periods stop on the merina!
Good luck
I made a thread about year and half ago in regards to this, IUS (Hormone Coil) my experience was not nice.
A Mirena works for me. I’m on my third now. Stopped my periods dead after a couple of months. No issues with it coming out. I had problems with a copper coil and with pills, so it was a big relief for this to work.
I’m soon to be on my 3rd mirena.
For me it’s been amazing and thanks to an attentive doctor even the first the installation was fine! This was because she told me to wait and phone again when I was on my period so that they could schedule it for the end of my period - this would make it easier I was told!
(For comparison I have had friends who said their experience was horrendously painful and when I questioned it they had no idea about the period thing)
The initial installation was a bit uncomfortable, a sharp pinch and a day of cramps - but that was it? I did have some random bleeding over the first few months - an almost constant (light) period but eventually that stopped and now I rarely get any period at all.
Symptom-wise I still have a monthly cycle, bad mood, some cramping that varies in intensity and the general feeling of “I’m coming on” - but in practice that only lasts a day or 2 at most and I have no need for tampons anymore - pads or my personal choice period panties are enough as I rarely get any and certainly never more than 1 day of actual bleeding and even that is light.
Towards the end of my 1st one I found my periods began to be more “normal” so I took that as a sign that the hormone part was wearing out and needed changing
I was also pleased that after having it replaced I didn’t have to go through the settling in period again - the 2nd one just followed my usual monthly schedule from the start.
And I don’t think the hormones are causing me any particular side effects; I would say that I’ve always felt low mood/depressed before contraception but I’m no worse now - whereas when I was on the mini pill I was totally off the walls waking up screaming and crying for no reason and violent outbursts daily.
Ultimately I wouldn’t hesitate to keep this method of contraception for the rest of my life