Mirena coil vs Kyleena coil

I had the worst time on Mirena. I had a bad experience from day one at insertion - I found the whole experience so much more painful than I imagined that it would be - no one really prepares you for this. From the first day I started experiencing cramps and everyone said that they would ease up within no time however they did not. Month after month I experienced endless painful cramps and times where I would be doubled over in two on dates with my boyfriend - never have I had anything like that. As a girl, we very much always shut up and put up and I always felt like I could just push through it but there were times when it was really bad and I almost got it out, but you’d forget about it the next day as it’s such a good feeling to not have to Take a pill etc and it is very convenient. But it’s also crazy I actually had it in for as long as I did. I have never really had that bad periods and my bleeding was longer, the cramping much more intense and honestly just a whole lot worse than it was when I was off it. I didn’t really notice anything kind of sexually or from a weight or ski. perspective but I know that the cramping and the bleeding was enough for me to never touch this thing again. The Doctors kept telling me to hold out and just wait to see if it would change and it just never did. I would really recommend if you are having these symptoms any time past two months they are not going to get better and you’ll just continue to suffer. At the eight month mark I went and got it out and honestly it was the best thing I ever did. As soon as it was out, I felt like I could actually breathe again and havent suffered another cramp like it ever since (thank god!). I have gone back onto the mini pill now which I’m much more happy with - it does have some side-effects but nothing like that cramping!

I feel like myself, which I cannot say for other forms of BC I’ve used. The weight gain may have more to do with some lifestyle changes, but I enjoy the way my body look regardless. I was able to collaborate with my doctor to find suppositories to help with the dryness during sex and that in turn has helped with my libido. I cannot imagine using another form of birth control.

I've not had any significant side effects...so far. But the one thing I don't like is that I struggle to track my period. I don't bleed it bleed very little. Some periods are just spotting. In theory this is great, but the rest of my body is still experiencing a cycle and without the bleeding it can be hard to track. I still try to, but I'm about ready to give up. If you are like me and spent 10 years on the pill, this can feel a bit jarring. I'm on a hormonal rollercoaster that is normal but I'm not really use to it. My cramping is normal compared to before I had coil. I've had acne rosacea crop up and after a year of it I strongly thing it's linked to hormones but not sure how much the coil plays a part (though I did NOT have this before coil, I am also 40 and may be perimenopauseal). Insertion recovery was totally fine. Very little discomfort. However I was undergoing a minor gyno procedure at the same time and as a result got a general! Highly recommend should it be available. Won't lie, not sure I would have the coil again after this one....I'm still not sold in all honesty. It just emotionally felt evasive as a method of BC.

So I’ve had the kyleena put in just over 2 years ago. For the first 18 months it was great, there was no side effects and my periods were getting lighter and less painful! After that, I started noticing quite a bit of hair loss during showers and brushing, visibly making my hair look thinner. I’ve always had thick hair so this was quite upsetting and I put it down to the stress I had during college. Now I’m in a new job that I’m loving, the hair loss hasn’t subsided. It’s still falling a lot everyday so I’m deciding to get the kyleena removed in a months time. I’ve been to the GP and got bloods done in which everything came back fine. So hopefully once I’ve the kyleena removed my hair will slowly start growing back :(

Overall this was a good option for me. The insertion was painful but momentary, and was nice not to have to worry about taking pills. The spotting occurred more at the end of the coil’s lifespan (I’m having it taken out this week after 5 years). I did notice vaginal dryness (most noticeable when aroused, needing lube etc). Ultimately I am coming off this contraception because of this. I have vaginismus and the dryness hinders my ability to get/feel aroused. I know this is because of the coil because I have felt the effects wear off as the coil gets to the end of its lifespan (in the last 6 months of my 5 year stint)

I had a Kyleena coil inserted, after 6 months I was still having week long breakthrough bleeds between periods. I had the coil checked and it was in position, no problems according to the doctor. A month later I was pregnant, with the coil still in the correct place. Unfortunately the Kyleena coil didn't work to protect me from pregnancy, caused me to have breakthrough bleeds and have recurrent episodes of thrush.

Struggled to fit the Mirena & so fitted the Kyleena instead - potentially leading to an insufficient amount of progesterone as i continued to have irregular bleeding. After about 12 months this settled down and month on month this has lessened and my cycle continued. However, I experienced consistent cramping like I'd never had before and from 15 months onwards severe & debilitating pain about a week before my period. This is why I had it removed.

I've always had painful periods and the month before I got my coil, my period hurt so much I actually threw up and that's when I decided I would do something about it. I've been on the pill before (rigevidon/microgynon) but it negatively affected my mood, I had terrible anxiety and generally felt horrible all the time so I stopped. When I got the coil, the sexual health clinic I went to used spray anaesthesia, but it still really hurt. The thing is, it only hurt for about a couple seconds, where it basically felt like your insides are being crushed and you're having the worst possible cramps ever (x10). Afterwards, I had normal (period-like) cramping for the rest of the day but they gave me a heat pack which really helped. I had spotting for about 3 months afterwards (yes, every single day) but it was fine and after a while I got used to just wearing a pantyliner every day. I'm really glad my periods are very light now (I've missed it once only) but it's still there. I don't know whether it will disappear or not, but one of the reasons I chose kyleena over mirena is in hopes my periods won't completely disappear, just for peace of mind that I'm not pregnant lol. I have terrible breast tenderness sometimes, like it hurts to even touch, I can't tell if it's before I get my period or during ovulation, but it definitely appears once every month or so. My breasts didn't grow though so that's a bit of a disappointment compared to the pill.... All in all, I haven't noticed any mood changes, I'm still definitely very attracted to my partner, and he doesn't feel it during sex. There were a few times early on when he thought he did, but I got it checked and it was all good, I think he just had it in his head.

The lack of periods has been nice. But I experiences a dramatic decrease in sex drive from the moment it was put it and it takes a lot to turn me on. 12 months in, I noticed a lot of hairs drop happening and now my hair is notably thinner with a lot of breaks - I'm considering whipping it out.

I had the Kyleena twice. It worked very well for me in regulating and making my heavy periods lighter. It probably masked my symptoms of endometriosis for years, which was diagnosed after removing the coil and going hormone free for a while. A few months after having replaced the first IUD for the second one as it had nearly been five years, my relationship broke down and I no longer needed contraception. When I went to have the coil removed, my doctor saw that it had been dislodged, had moved downwards, and would have not protected against pregnancy. I had heavy cramps at the time which I did not link to the IUD until I learned about this. Due to endometriosis and not being able to take the pill anymore, I have recently gone for the Mirena. I hope that without period cup use this will stay in place. In terms of side effects, the Kyleena gave me adult acne but this was managed with prescription cremes. I also had hair loss for about a year with the onset of this side effect around month seven after insertion. While I lost a few kilograms following the insertion I also gained them back so I cannot judge whether it affected my overall weight. Other than that this method worked very well for me. While I feel slightly ambivalent after having dislodged a coil, I really hope that the Mirena will work just as well for me as the first Kyleena did.

I started getting very painful periods so was suggested to start Kyleena. It’s massively helped with that, my periods don’t disrupt my life any longer. I have started noticing a lot more vaginal dryness, which never used to be a problem for me but now is.

In the beginning for the first few months I had breakthrough bleeding. Then it’s settled and my periods became regular. I kept Kyleena in for the full 5 years and found this method of contraception easy as didn’t involve remembering to take anything. My periods were between 5-6 days long - I still had cramps which I managed with heat and painkillers. This method gives you the peace of mind that you are protected against falling pregnant. I would recommend.

Really good contraception however I feel my breasts are sore 3 weeks out of 4.