Vaginal ring vs Hormonal coil (IUS)

I really loved using the ring, compared to the pill the side effects were minimal and absolutely no bother in remembering it. Unfortunately my doctor just made me come off it as my blood pressure has steadily gone up over 3 years of using it. I did experience loss of sex drive, and vaginal dryness which led to thrush infections. But no changes in mood or skin!

Love the Nuvaring. Hardly have to think about changing it. I can get the odd bit of breakthrough bleeding if I don't take my 7 day break. Overall, I'm a big fan!

Things started out really well. No side effects and I didn't take ring breaks so no periods. My skin got less greasy so I got fewer spots, and I had 3 months blissfully free of painful period diarrhoea. Sadly after 3 months I started to get breakthrough bleeding every day and minor versions of my old period symptoms like back pain, cramps, and digestive upsets started to flare up. I tried removing my ring but that just made it worse and within 4 hours I was having a bad time on the loo and put a new ring in just to make it stop. The new ring helped, but now I feel kind of trapped having a constant mini period all the time with no alternative since the only pill that worked for me in the past has been discontinued, and progesterone only contraceptives have never agreed with me, so nothing else seems as convenient as the ring. All in all, bit of a mixed bag.

My experience with Mirena wasn’t fully bad. I started using Mirena back in 2022. The insertion wasn’t all that bad because my doctor didn’t use the Pozzi clamp (or tenaculum). I had 3 insertions already so I’ve gotten to realize that the worst part is the pozzi clamp. The first 2-3 months, my body adjusted to the IUD and therefore I had cramps here and there but nothing more than usual period cramping. The bleeding started to elongate though. Prior to Mirena, I had Kyleena and Jaydess and my main issue with those. was the constant spotting. It was always around my period but it lasted 10-20 days. With the Mirena it stayed at about 10 days every month. So I was fine with it. Other side effects I noticed but didn’t bother me were more body hair, my breast got smaller and most of my pms symptoms were gone. After about 1.5 Years, the bleeding started to get worse (25 days a month, I was lucky if I even got a week free). So that’s when I decided to change. My overall experience wasn’t bad, I just wished the spotting wasn’t there. I will now be switching to gynefix (copper IUD without arms).

I’ve been using this method for 11 months now upon recommendation of a nurse as I suffer from heavy periods, and the mini pill gives me more trouble than it’s worth. I’ve had cramps before, but nothing like I have experienced with the Mirena coil. I am currently waiting on a hospital appointment for surgery to get it removed as it has gone missing. I was told it was so rare to experience this that it shouldn’t even be of any concern to me, and yet here we are! I have been waiting a month just to be seen to be told it’s missing, always listen to your body ladies!

When first inserted 3 months ago the cramps lasted for about 2-3 weeks inconsistently and occasionally get random ones between cycles, I still get occasional spotting for 1-2 days and periods now last longer than before (originally 3-4 days, now about 4-6 days, sometimes they stop then start again over two weeks). The most frustrating thing is not being able to predict when your period will start, they are getting lighter, but I had hoped they would stop. Also a note on insertion, I know this is all recommended beforehand but make sure you take the pain killers, only local anaesthetic is applied which seemed like it made no difference. You will likely have cramps for at least two weeks or longer whilst it settles down.

I haven't noticed any side effects, and its been a good form of contraception, which is why I have remained on it for 8+ years. The only downside is the painful insertion and removal process.

The experience is very good in terms of contraception. However I have had quite irregular periods which can be heavy alongside bad cramps.

Only hormonal contraception that hasn’t caused mental health issues ! I feel myself and my moods are actually better than when I had the copper IUD and my periods are way lighter. I have PCOS and I haven’t noticed an increase in dark excess hairs and I haven’t had any problems with acne but I have taken accutane in the past which often fixes acne permanently.

I had the Mirena coil for about a year and a half to manage menorrhagia and for contraception. The insertion procedure was better than I expected; while I had been warned it could be very painful by others, I found it more uncomfortable than painful. I do have a high pain tolerance, so that might have helped. However, the next seven months were horrendous. I experienced intense cramps and back pain, worse than anything I'd ever felt. Some days, I couldn't get out of bed, and even walking made me faint and dizzy. I relied heavily on pain medication and even resorted to using weed to cope. During this time, I became incredibly depressed, but my doctor advised me to give it six months. My periods, although lighter and lasting about five days, were followed by weeks of spotting, necessitating the use of pads or liners. They were also extremely irregular, they never were before. This constant bleeding made me less confident and significantly reduced my libido as I had issues getting aroused which made me 'dry', making sex both unappealing and painful, especially in the first few months. While the Mirena coil did make my periods lighter, the prolonged bleeding was a significant downside. Additionally, I could sometimes feel the coil, which was uncomfortable as it seemed to scratch my cervix and vagina. I eventually had it removed because my doctor suspected that the issues might be related to the hormone. I honestly should've removed it a couple of months in, and I regret that I didn't, as it clearly was not for me. I have now started the combined pill and feel much happier. Overall, although the Mirena is great for some, it was a horrendous experience for me, but I'd recommend people to give it a go regardless, as its effects seem to be case-dependent and it may be brilliant for some!!

The merina coil was not for me. I chose the merina for the benefits of inserting and forgetting and that the hormones released were localised, therefore less side effects on the rest of the body (in theory). What I was underprepared for was the discomfort and pain in the insertion and the intense cramps following, lasting for around 1 year. I had considered having it removed after around 6 months which is when they say the cramps should have stopped. However, where I was living (abroad) it had cost me a lot of money to have the procedure, it also gradually did decrease in frequency and intensity after the 1 year mark. I decided to keep using it for a further 2 years (3 in total) until we talked about having children. Since having it removed the cramps have completely gone which is a huge relief. I definitely recommend getting a wide range of views and stories, not to put you off but so you’re fully prepared. I feel that the leaflets supplied describe generally how most people feel but don’t give the whole picture of how it can affect different people. I will say the removal was incredibly easy (if the stings are visible) and so can be tried and removed if not working.

Had the coil recommended by a gynaecologist to combat my estrogen dominance which was causing me very irregular but really heavy periods. I haven’t had any negative side effects thus far and my skin has got much better, however I did have constant, light bleeding for 3 months after insertion.

The insertion wasn't as bad as I expected, it was very quick and the pain was manageable. I got it about 5 months ago and my periods are now very light but last around two weeks but I understand that they should shorten. I came off the combined pill (on which I took no pill breaks) just before I got the coil so am unsure which side effects (mood swings, migraines) are due to the coil or just because I now have a natural cycle.