Hormonal coil (IUS) vs Vaginal ring

I had the Mirena Coil put in for endometriosis. The actual insertion went well because I spoke to my gyno and asked for it to be done in the hospital, meaning that i had the option for general anaesthetic, local anaesthetic or gas and air. I went for the local and gas and air as I had had such a terrible experience having a copper coil put in 5 years prior. The gas and air distracted me and the previous coil removal and new coil insertion wasn’t much bother (i deliriously thanked the team in the room for not giving me as much trauma as the clinic i went to for my copper). The pain after insertion was significant but if you just prepare to have a day or two sat on the sofa taking regular painkillers it’s ok. After the insertion i almost instantly noticed a massive surge of hormones which my gynae had warned me about (she said i might feel ‘weepy’ for up to 6 months as if that isn’t a significant side effect lol). In the end I had major mood swings for around 4 months and was very irritable and all over the place. It did really damage my relationship as it was like i was having PMS every day. I wasn’t depressed or anxious, I just felt like i wasn’t in control of my emotions and i honestly felt like a hormonal teenager who is happy one minute and then angry and upset at something the next. (i also got a bit spotty in the first month or two after insertion - but this cleared up) Eventually after 4 months the mood swings stopped and I can honestly say Mirena is SO WORTH IT if you suffer from endometriosis. It’s completely stopped my endo pain to the point where i don’t even notice my periods anymore. Honestly Mirena gave me my life back within weeks of insertion. After suffering from daily pain for 5 years I now have so much more energy, my chronic fatigue is gone because the pain is completely gone and feel like i’m finally living again. I can make plans, hang out with friends and go into the office regularly - it’s helped me thrive again. It makes me sad that i wasted so many years in pain when this was an option and i would 100% recommend it!! I was initially hesitant to get Mirena because i was worried about the hormones affecting my mood and skin etc as im so susceptible and felt like a different person on the pill. But the important thing is that after the initial hormone “surge” you feel normal again - you just have to wait it out and hope that people around you will be patient with the crazy mood swings for a a few months. If you suffer from endo you will hopefully (everyone’s different) have the silver lining that you’re not in pain anymore so you gain a lot of energy that counters the mood swings. If you have endometriosis or even suspect you might have endometriosis I would really encourage you to get Mirena put in as a first port of call to try and treat it. In terms of my periods they’re SO light - literally just like brown spotting which i barely need a panty liner for which is amazing. sometimes they’re a bit irregular and can last a long time but honestly they’re so light i forget my period exists and Ill confidently wear white trousers whilst menstruating (it’s THAT light) The only reason i’m not giving 5 stars is because several months of feeling absolutely mental is not ideal BUT the level of freedom, energy gained instantly, lightness of period and now lightness of mood now i’m out of the surge period made it all worth it

I generally had an okay time with it but i kept getting spotting/or a light period every couple of weeks. much lighter than a normal period would be and without the usual pain i would get but definitely more frequently - which i found frustrating, and was often very bloated because i was so regularly getting a short period, it was quite annoying, so i stopped. I also thought it was making my hair shed. it was always pretty uncomfortable putting it in

This coil gave me really dreadful mood swings from ovulation time through to the start of my period. I felt really low and anxious, irritable with family, almost irrational about certain things, constantly crying, and passively suicidal. This persisted for around 8 months including months where I didn't have anything difficult/stressful going on personally. It clearly correlated with my cycle, and within a week of having it removed I felt like myself again. I know the hormonal coils work really well for some people - I have lots of friends who use them with no issues. But for whatever reason I am generally quite sensitive to medications and really noticed an effect from this coil. I've gone back to the copper coil which does make periods heavier, but I will take that over the mood destabilisation

I tried it once,,had fewer mood swings and lighter periods,I prefer something I can start and stop if I want to ,is a short method of birth control and I like it

Have used the ring for a year. In terms of admin it’s an absolute dream. Put it in and set a reminder on my phone to replace in a few weeks. Been absolutely fine for my moods and body and skin, no obvious changes. I take it back to back and have a breakthrough bleed every 3 months. However after about a year on it I’ve developed hormonal post nasal drip, which is driving me absolutely nuts because it’s constant. It’s like I’ve got hayfever. So I’m going to try stopping and see if this resolves. I’m gutted as it was such an easy contraception otherwise.

This has been one of the worst experiences of my life. It killed my mood completely, I never felt worse about myself and had worse mood swings. Low libido, feeling ugly, body pain... overall, never again.

I had a terrible reaction to this unfortunately, despite my optimism. Main symptoms were intense nausea that caused me to not eat for several days, insane anxiety with some panic attacks (especially as I slept) and some depressive thoughts. I took sick days from work believing it was the flu. I thought there is no way birth control could cause these side effects. After a call with my GP, we suspected it could be the ring. I tried to stick with it but on only day 14, awake at 5am due to recurrent panic attacks, I took it out. The next days were perfect. I ate all the food I could and was so grateful for a restful night's sleep. The difference in how I feel is night and day. I understand that this reaction is probably rare but this is what happened to me.

I suffer with PMDD, making my periods a very awful time for me due to how depressed I feel. I was on the combined pill before, but found this was worsening my emotions and making me feel horrendous. The ring was an idea my GP suggested, thinking that because the ring is a gradual release, that stays in your body for the duration you don’t wish to bleed, it would affect me less. This is absolutely what’s happened and I’m much happier on the ring. I’ve never had any problems with feeling it, I’ve noticed a few reviews stating they bleed through when taking it back to back and from my experience this is the case with most contraception. I wouldn’t recommend if you want to take back to back as you do bleed through.

I was recommended the ring after suffering with irregular and heavy periods. I would describe myself as suffering PMDD before and now my moods are so much better. It's easy to insert, I never feel it, and easy to keep in (or briefly take out) when having sex. The ring is great and I recommend to everyone I meet.

The first few months weren’t awful, had regular side effects like nausea, anxiety & tiredness. The main function of the ring for me was to skip my periods & for the first 3 months it worked great. On my 4th ring a few days later I started to feel incredibly nauseous (I didn’t vomit) & the day after I started bleeding, I spotted every day for over a month & still spot every other day, I also had had a large sack of my uterus wall come out which is apparently a side effect when your hormones are unstable. My hips, pelvis, back and legs were aching to the point I struggled to walk. I removed the ring & had instant relief. The nuvaring has made it so I physically can’t have sex as it feels like my vagina is on fire as soon as anything’s inserted, when I took the ring out for a few days this went away & came back the second I reinserted it (it’s also irritated my partners penis). I don’t know if I’m just very sensitive down there or my body doesn’t agree with having a foreign body inside but this just simply hasn’t worked for me. It’s also difficult to get in the right position. My boobs have gotten bigger tho atleast but so has my tummy from the awful bloating!! Swapping to the patch today & hoping it works.

I have had the Nuva-ring for years. It's brilliant, no side effects, it gives the hormone dose at the point in my body I need it so I know less hormone is swirling around my body and going through my liver. Surely that's a good thing. I don't think GPs prescribe it here in the UK nearly enough as possibly more expensive than the pill? I was living in Europe after the birth of my second child, initially I was put on the mini-pill and immediately fell into a very low mood which I hadn't felt the weeks after the birth so knew it was the mini-pill that had effected me. I was taken off it straight away and it was suggested I avoid progesterone-only contraceptive as I am probably progesterone-intolerant (beware anyone on the Merina-coil - so many don't realise progesterone can give you depression). I was then given the Nuvaring which I have been on ever since. Oestrogen and me are happy bed fellows. I am also now on HRT which I can take with the ring. When my oestrogen levels dipped as I hit 50 yo the oestorgen in HRT once again lifted my mood. It's all trial and error but only we know what works and what doesn't.

NuvaRing greatly affected my mood, at one point I thought I had depression and got prescribed antidepressants by incompetent doctors. The second I stopped using NuvaRing (based on INTERNET RECOMMENDATIONS), all my mental problems went away

I used the NuvaRing/Syreni ring for over a year without any apparent issues until I began experiencing severe stomach cramps. The pain was so intense that it often woke me up at night, leaving me unable to move or sleep for hours. Despite multiple doctor appointments, my concerns were repeatedly dismissed, and I was left feeling anxious and on edge, uncertain about the cause of my pain. Frustrated with the lack of answers, I decided to take matters into my own hands and removed the ring myself. Remarkably, after five months of excruciating cramps, they stopped immediately upon removal of the ring. It's been five weeks now, and I remain cramp-free. While I cannot say with absolute certainty that the vaginal ring was the cause, the timing feels far too coincidental to ignore.