I'm using the Mirena coil - don't feel great on it - anybody else have any problems?

[oceanauk]

I had the Mirena coil fitted about a month ago and have had uncomfortable abdominal cramps since plus feeling very hormonal and hungry!!! Now I have sharp pains in my left breast too. I have just been back to my FP Clinic where they gave me a pregnancy test and checked everything was ok and that the coil was in the right place which it was. However, even though I've been told there is nothing wrong I still don't feel right and I know it's only been a month. I'm terrified of putting on weight since I have been quite large since having my son 6 years ago and have never really regained my figure. I feel quite dizzy sometimes too and had I not had a pregnancy test I would say I felt pregnant. I've read up on this coil and now feel quite worried about all the things I've read. I can't get on with the pill at all and don't know what other options I would have for contraceptive. Shall I give it a little while longer? I'm not in any huge pain or anything but don't feel great either. Any comments please ladies? Many thanks. Oh I'm 36 with one child. Ta.

[honey130779]

i have had that coil for years, but i had mine changed, and feel like crap, i have stuck with it, and am feeling a little better, however i have put on some weight, i am in the same boat, and am considering having it removed,x

[lounurse]

I am 37 with two children and had the coil after my second child who is now 9. I had awful trouble and never felt right at all, heavy bleeding, dizziness, sickness you name it. Last year I had to have the second coil out for an operation and I have never looked back, no dizziness, no sickness, no heavy bleeding its been brilliant. Never ever again!

[TillyNilly]

Hi all......I had the mirena coil fitted nearly 3 years ago and now realise my symptoms started at the same time......Reading your comments has made me wonder if my dizziness, loss of balance and nausea are to do with the coil...Some days I feel very unwell ...Does anyone else lose their balance?....And what other symptoms do you have?....thanks...

[meglet]

I've had mine nearly two years now and up until a couple of months ago had no trouble at all. The past couple of months I have had some cramps and some light bleeding but got it checked out at the FPC and all was fine. I also had that breast pain thing and didn't connect it all to0 the coil so you've answered one question for me!!! If I was you I'd give it a little longer, your body takes a while to get used to things.

[shirleywurly]

hi
i also had the mirena coil fitted in nov 06 and have had nothing but problems with it as in sore breasts ,period pains ,spots and most of all weight gain . prior to gettin the mirena coil fitted i had a copper coil in for 4 years and never had a days bother with it so i do suggest the coil but make sure its the copper coil . shirley x

[oceanauk]

Wow thanks ladies. That's all very interesting. I definately have the loss of balance with the dizziness. I will give it a few more months but if it carries on will definately have it removed. Just goes to show that it's not natural to do something like this to your body!!! Thanks for all your comments!!!!

[TillyNilly]

oceanauk...Thanks for your interesting post....Certainly enlightened me as to the cause of my symptoms.

shirleywurly....Don't you find your periods are heavy with the copper coil...One thing I am truely grateful about, is that my perids, have stopped with this coil....

Thanks again oceanauk....

[oceanauk]

Your welcome TillyNilly - good luck everybody with future contraception!!! Bring on the safe male version!!! Like that'll happen LOL!!!!

[sleepyfairy]

can anyone tell me if it will hurt as much to have this mirena coil taken out as it did to have it put in, or will it just be like a sort of mini contraction,
I have had this since Oct06, but have decided it has not changed things much, the bleeding flow is less, but since having it have only had 1 full week of no discharge at all, am finding that no sooner does the slight bleeding stop, if I make love then it starts again, is causing havoc to our relationship, what would you all do in this situation, carry on or get rid?

[TillyNilly]

oceanauk..'safe male version'...yes..bring it on...NOW!!..lol

sleepyfairy....I'm not looking forward to mine being removed either...I'm gonna take stronger painkillers than paracetamol...Friends I know with this coil have been fine when its removed though....

[oceanauk]

That's a good point too sleepfairy - find that when I make love the bleeding starts again. Don't even want to think about how much it'll hurt to have removed - the pain having it put in was horrendous!!! I had to be given some pain killing gel in the end because I had such bad contractions!!! I knew something was wrong when nurse came in just to hold my hand!!! Blimey wouldn't want to do it again!!! Still once it's out that's it eh? Good luck!!

[sleepyfairy]

well I am making an appointment for this week, not looking forward to it all, she will probably tell me to carry on with it, but I think i will see if having it out is going to ease things for a while. Hope it does not cause too much pain, although I do get cramps with it sometimes, i have a gut feeling that getting it out will not be as uncomfortable as it is on a bad day or definately as bad as it was putting it in.
will keep you posted

[TillyNilly]

sleepyfairy.....good luck and do let us know how it goes...I'm such a coward though.....I wish it would just fall out!...lol

oceanauk....My blood pressure dropped when I had it inserted...and the abdo pain and cramps after..What we have to go through eh?
You mentioned loss of balance...Have you actually fallen.?..What are you like if you close your eyes or try to walk in the dark? ...I'm not sure if my lack of balance is related to this though...
Tilly x

[sleepyfairy]

well I nearly got drastic today, I tried to make an appointment, but was told i would have to call again, then i was told my i would need to make an appointment with the nurse for the coil to be removed and had I discussed it with my dr. i would not be able to see a dr till next week.
Then nearly came the drastic action, as i have been having a few cramps today I sat there and thought about pulling it out myself!!!
I did get hold of the wire managed to pull it till the end of the wire was outside of me, but then the wire slipped out of my fingers, I lost my bottle and put it back where it was, if I had been able to keep hold of it I was sure I could have got it out. i think the pain will be like mild contractions judging by what i felt today.

[TillyNilly]

sleepyfairy...Nooooooooo.....I can't believe you said that.....I wanted to do exactly the same.....A few days after I had this coil inserted I wanted to just pull it out because I felt so ill and in pain ....But I'm such a coward....and bottled it....Only cos I thought it would hurt....

[porfavour]

Hi oceanauk,

Along with all your other answers I had similar symptoms. It was originally fitted to reduce heavy periods. It hurt like hell having it put in.

Six months later I accidentally pulled mine out as I thought it was a tampon!
It didn't hurt, just made me feel a bit woosy as I'm squeamish.

I had to have a new one fitted and again it hurt like hell. However my bleeding was getting worse so I went to a different doctor, who sent me for an ultrasound scan. It revealed a huge fibroid (equivalent to a 5 month pregnancy), which explained my weight gain. I had to have a hysterectomy.

Please, all you girls that have answered this thread, check why you are on this particular coil and look for alternatives.

Big thank you to oceanauk for asking this question, and to all the honest answers. You have all helped me to understand why my symptoms were overlooked.

[oceanauk]

Oh wow porfavour - you poor thing!!! Now I'm horrified - think this coil will have to go. If this is the reaction on this site from just a few ladies - wonder what the overall stats are on this coil? Has no proper research been done - this cannot be a conincidence! I have just (finally) finished my awful period on this coil, my first one, and now feel much better. Dizzy spells have gone but keep getting stomach cramps. Still not sure whether I feel pregnant and I'm going to get another test done. Was the fibroid due to the coil? Can't believe you had to have full hysterectomy. Can I ask your age? My weight is creeping up too. Have noticed weight gain quite quickly - not good!! Wonder if we can take on the manufacturers!??? LOL!! Let's sue!! LOL!!

[porfavour]

Hi again oceanauk,

When the second coil was fitted I also started taking steroids as I was suffering ulcerative colitis. I assumed they were the cause of my weight gain. When I stopped taking them I just couldn't shift the weight (gym 3 times a week, 1000 cals a day). Also my periods had started to get heavier, so I visited the second (clever, female) doctor. She tested me for pregnancy......I really hoped that was not the case at the time,.....bitter irony eh!
I was 39 at the time but still thought I was of childbearing age (Cherie Blaire had just given birth at 43 - my age now!)

The fibroid was far to big for a myomectomy (when they just remove the growth) so had to remove my whole womb. They left my ovaries, as they were still functioning and has saved me taking HRT for a few years.

Oceanauk, your thread shocked me to the core!

I had always blamed the steroids for masking the problem, and blamed the stress that caused the colitis for my hysterectomy. Reading all your posts has made me think the coil could have been the instigator, I never really looked into it at the time.

I hope sharing my bitter experience has helped you, I'm not a medic, but I've now decided that Mirena is bad
Please go and get rid of it - I cant believe so many of us have had such similar side-effects.

Luckily, also like you, I have one child. I would have liked more......

[porfavour]

PS Tried to share my common sense with someone else, but apparantly I'm an idiot...Body & Soul
lip piercing - take a look, what do you think?
Didn't bother telling her my brother's a tattoo artist and would have said the same. lol