Hormonal coil (IUS) reviews

Prior to having the mirena coil I had the most horrific periods literally to the point of passing out. I can say I have had my coil in for nearly 6 years and not had a period since and now I feel like I have my life back! It has been one of the decisions I have ever made and also hardly had any hormonal side effects.

I loved the mirena but over 3 different coils, shortly after insertion I would get kidney infections that didn’t respond to antibiotics. The link was only made on the third despite me asking the gyno about it. Such a shame because I loved it otherwise. Kidney infections mostly skipped the uti stage and went straight to them but bacteria wouldn’t grow in pee. If this sounds like you remove it!

Had it inserted at birth during a c section so no pain for insertion. Periods for lighter every month with significantly less pain than before and have virtually stopped after 8 months - just a small amount of spotting.

occasional cramps and sore boobs but I'll take that for no periods and no babies!

I got the Benilexa IUS to treat painful periods and PMS. However, within under two months, it severely exacerbated my PMS, causing sleep deprivation, frequent panic attacks, bouts of crying, and increased suicidal thoughts. This was also experienced during my period. Most importantly, it has completely disrupted my Psoriatic Arthritis management. Despite being on a biologic (adalimumab), the IUD has triggered a massive flare in my right foot that has now progressed to my left foot and ankle. I went from rarely needing NSAIDs to relying on daily ibuprofen. Regarding my psoriasis, I noticed a slight change in dryness/thickness in scales but not much else. My periods were even more awful than before and I had to call sick into work which l've never had to do. I further experienced fluctuating pelvic and ovary pain, with some days better than others. I expected side effects, but not to this extreme, system-wide level. I understand for some women the IUS is life changing in a positive way and a great treatment for endometriosis, etc. However, for other women, it may not be suitable for our body, especially if you have pre-existing conditions like myself. Whether that's due to the small amount of hormones released into the blood stream or the body reacting to a foreign object to the body. Or even both. Please do your research and consult with professionals if you have specific conditions or autoimmune diseases. Because most of the time, they won’t or care to understand your concerns. I've thankfully had it taken out today and was told by the GP it would take a few weeks to see a positive adjustment, flare reduction, and difference to body/mind, to my joints especially. You know your body best, any triggers and what helps. If you have a terrible experience like mine, don't let anyone tell you to put up with the lUS a few more months just to see if it "settles", etc. Advocate for yourself and try all avenues. I’m lucky my threads today were visible as they were not at the last GP appt. And I’m very grateful I had a caring and understanding GP who listened, affirmed my concerns (such as assessing my joints), and believed me.

Super convenient; few side effects though not negligible.

Sex drive plummeted on this, plus I think it made doggy uncomfortable and even painful, never had that issue before! I also had breakthrough bleeding whenever I did have sex, although this was the only time I would bleed. I had more intense period cramps and sore breasts on this than I had on any other contraception (implant, combined pill and mini pill), and I'm so glad to have it gone! Absolutely horrific experience getting it in, and ended up getting it out by myself at home when the sexual health nurse didn't want to remove it. Thankfully it was barely even uncomfortable to remove (would still recommend going to a health professional to remove though just in case!).

I've had the mirena coil for four months, I'm still bleeding irregularly (period every 8 days) and lots of spotting. I've been dizzy for months, I'm feeling very low, I have water retention and a lot of lower back pain that feels like a pinched nerve so I'm battling to concentrate on work. I really want to have it removed but I'm terrified of going back to the alternative of extreme heavy periods that made me anemic.

I had Kyleena for 5 years. For the first 6 months I had painful cramps, but my cycle became very light. I have noticed that I have had increasingly more acne, especially back acne, so be prepared for your skin to be very itchy. Towards the end of having it, I had constant light bleeding through the month and there was no regularity to it (probably because the hormones were wearing off). I have had incredibly bad bloating, water retention, and generic weight gain. I'm a very light build so this weight would normally have been easy to lose. Finally, I had to undergo investigations for ovarian cysts as I was getting all the symptoms for them, and after a bit of research it turns out that Kyleena can be a contributor to the formation of cysts. Overall, I have really liked the Kyleena. The side effects have been fairly insignificant compared to other methods. But just take into account the potential insidious side effects like cysts etc that can happen. I've now switched over to the copper IUD because of these side effects, and I'd prefer to be hormone free.

I've had great success with a Mirena for treating jawline acne, after getting it to prep for going onto Roaccutane it actually cleared my acne up amazingly and now I just get the odd spot every month when I'm due on. I get irregular, yet light periods, and occasionally some spotting, and overall my period cramps have been lessened. My sex drive is not what it is when off hormonal contraception, but as I've been on hormonal contraception my whole adult life, bar a couple of years here and there, this hasn't been an issue overall. I have put weight on gradually, but I've also aged (now 34), so its more likely to be metabolic changes rather than a side effect. The only thing I would say is that the coil itself has moved twice, resulting in removal and replacement (I'm waiting for another removal, and will likely explore pill options again as its just too painful getting it replaced every 2 years!). It should last 8 years, but for whatever reason, maybe my anatomy, mine moves to be too low, and then the long process of getting it checked, ultrasounds, appt waiting times for removal, and everything else, means its not something I want to continue using at the moment. Overall though, it has been a really good method for me, and just because mine hasn't stayed where it should be, doesn't mean someone else won't have a good experience, its probably down to my anatomy only!