Mirena info for people who have not had it done

Girls and Ladies, I recently got the Mirena inserted and I want to share my experience so others can be better informed than I was.
Firstly, do your own research - don't rely on the booklet from the manufacturer like I did, after my doctor said "Read this, it has all the answers to your questions".  

The booklet is misleading in a couple of places: it says that over half the women who have this done feel little or no pain, and that those who have not had children may find it "uncomfortable".  After my experience I think that the half of women who feel no pain must be women who had children and have a wider cervix.

Also, the booklet only tells you to "talk to your doctor" about painkillers.
My doctor had told me to have 2 paracetamol and 1 ibuprofen beforehand.  I took a heavy dose anti-inflammatory the night before, and 2 paracetamol before the insertion, thinking that I had overdone the medication.  I was wrong!

After the procedure I did some online research and found people being administered local anaesthetic, some taking 600mg of ibuprofen, another comment that said paracetamol is ineffective.  Now we all know that not everything you read online is true, but if you add up the pain I felt, potentially incorrect advice from the doctor, and the complacent attitude of the booklet, you could be in for a shock. 

The measuring of the cervix took about 30 seconds and was very painful, while the insertion took a little longer and was also painful.  I gasped in shock each time, and during the procedure the doctor was asking me not to move and to please not remember this pain for next time.   
Luckily, as soon as the tube was out there was no more pain.   
Unfortunately, this procedure was the most painful thing I've ever felt.   I cannot see how this could only be "uncomfortable" for people who have not had kids and that I am in a small minority. 

If  I had known it would be that painful, I would have asked for something strong or to be numbed down there.  I've had a better time at the dentist!! 

Now, please note that truly my intention is not designed to stop anyone using Mirena,  because the benefits of it are numerous.  I just want you to make sure you take the right type and amount of painkillers or see if the doctor will give you something strong enough so that it IS only "uncomfortable".   

Since my experience I have enrolled at a different practice as I really feel something was wrong with what happened to me.  When I go to my new doctor for my first checkup I'll be discussing this with her and I'll post back here with anything interesting or relevant.

I have had this procedure done due to heavy mensis. My doctor performed this as she specializes in this field. I was skeptical for a long time due to what was on the internet and I honestly wish I had it done sooner. I was advised to take an anti-inflammatory beforehand but chose to take codeine, she also monitored my heartbeat. I was lucky I guess as I felt no pain whatsoever though my doctor did comment that most women are sore or experience some discomfort and would think about advising her patients to take codeine. When I was home I felt a bit sore but didn't last long fortunately. I have children so this may have helped? My iron levels are back to normal and my quality of life has vastly improved due to having the Mirena. I would recommend codeine if you can take it.

I have codeine at home, I didn't even think of it.

I didn't have any pain afterwards. My abdomen felt just a little achey kind of like having a period, but I felt normal enough to go for a long brisk walk afterwards. I'm now 4 days in and up to yesterday I was having light bleeding and spotting but today almost nothing. I hope it stops soon because I'm wearing big comfy undies and pads but they are too hot in this weather haha!

I hope others will share their stories too

It took several months for mine to settle down but did decrease each time, but the time would be an individual thing, all the best I hope you have success too :-)

I've got a Mirena, and I'm on my second one ... and yes, the replacement was very painful.  Those nerve pain contractions are no joke, and at times it felt like my uterus was being pulled out piece by piece with a pair of tweezers! But the way I see it, half and hour of pain and a few days of cramping are a small sacrifice that I paid to not have to worry about daily contraceptive pills, further damage to my skin (from years of being on the Pill), and to be period free.

I've kept a Mirena blog over the years as the internet was only full of negative stuff when I had my first one put in.  It's full of the good, the bad and the ugly that comes with having a Mirena.  It may be too TMI for some people (so don't read it if you're squeamish and easily offended), but if you want an honest view of what living with a Mirena is like, here's the link.

Your blog is very interesting. I've read parts of it and our experience has been different and the same.
Mine and all smears for the past few years were done laying on side as if spooning. Thats a kinder position and allows access to the passage without having to navigate the pubic bone.
My pain felt like someone boring into me, I did not feel the pain as contractions. How curious!

You were so lucky to have it done under anaesthetic the first time. I don't know why NZ practice is to make us tough it out. Cultural or ignorance?  My next doctor comes from the US so I'll be interested to know her views.

Wow Silvene, that is comprehensive, I wish I had come across that earlier it is definitely a must read for any woman looking into this topic, it's so well written :-)

@AboutFace, thank you so much.  My GP at the time actually asked me to do that blog as everything on the internet at the time was very negative.  She wanted a first-hand honest perspective from one of her patients that she could then use as a source of info for future patients who were keen on getting one but not sure on what to expect. I just happened to be the first of her patients to have a Mirena inserted.

@Sophia, My first insertion was definitely not the norm. It was only done under general anaesthetic because I had to have a lesion removed by my gynae at the time, and he suggested inserting the Mirena while I was under since I hadn't had children.  I'm very grateful to him for doing that.  (Thankfully the lesion was benign and not cancer.)

Thank you for sharing . I've been using Mirena for 10 years now . It's been really good . I have my next appointment it october . 

Some really great info here ladies!

Thanks for this post, it dosent have any impact on my life as I had to have a hysterectomy 16 years ago but it is so informative and helpful to ladies who are considering this form of contraception. 

@Sophia I'm so sorry you had such a bad and painful experience. I haven't had a Mirena or similar. The idea always scared me, and then I went through IVF and had my egg collection without any drugs or anaesthetic - 18 eggs collected over 10minutes, and imagine in some ways it's similar pain and discomfort, given the invasiveness... I know after we were through the intense part of IVF that my husband had great respect for all women go deal with on a regular basis with their reproductive system....

Thanks for all the comments.
any more stories?
How much pain or discomfort have you traditional birth ladies had? 

Is it one that releases hormones? Must be if it stops the red devil coming - i am looking for alternatives to the pill cos the pill turns me into a rage machine and I've had quite enough of that

Just to side track the convo sorry!

You're definitely not sidetracking the convo :) ... yup, it's a "plastic" (not copper) IUD that releases very small amounts of levonorgestrel directly into your uterus and not into your blood stream, so it doesn't affect your natural hormone levels like the Pill does.

It helps to thin out your uterine lining (which means less flow) and creates a hostile environment (less lining or eventually no lining = no padding for an embryo to implant in) which is one of the ways that it acts as a contraceptive.  I won't mention the other ways on here, as it may be TMI for 'sensitive' readers, but it's all covered in my blog - see link in one of the previous posts if you want to know more. 

If you have any other questions about the Mirena, I'm happy to answer them (if I can), or message me via IG if you don't want them in the public forum. 

Oooh... i might have to chat with my dr about it then i think, or rather other options cos yeah  im no good to anyone if im a small colorful ball of rage haha

It's a good idea to chat to your doctor about your options. I know I tried three different types of the Pill before going on the Mirena (it was the only option I had left). They wouldn't perform a hysterectomy because I was 33 at the time and hadn't had any children yet, even though I didn't plan on having any in the future, and the copper IUD wasn't an option for me as it increases bleeding / makes periods heavier. 

Evening Primrose Oil supplements can help stabilise monthly mood swings (my doctor recommended that too). After a few years, that didn't work so well any more, so I switched to NuWoman 30Plus, which was great for about three years.  Around age 36 I began with early perimenopausal symptoms, and after a few more years the 30Plus supplements weren't helping much anymore, so I switched to Harmony Menopause supplements.  

Touch wood, so far so good.  The Harmony Menopause seem to be keeping those perimenopausal symptoms under control (I still get the odd night sweat or hot flush, but not nearly as bad as before).  When these stop working, they have a "Max" version of the supplement to step up to. 

Maybe chat to your doctor about supplements at the same time as you have the Pill vs Mirena chat, as some supplements can't be taken with the Pill (or if you're breastfeeding), and try see if you and your doctor can find a combination of the two that'll work for you. 

 

Yeah Shaz, grill your doctor. Just make sure to challenge any generalisations you may hear ,because everyone is different.

Well, I'm just past 2 weeks with mine and I'm still getting spotting. I had virtually nothing for months on the pill so this is frustrating, and I hope it clears up soon. 

On the upside, I got a zit of the kind I associate with hormones and it cleared up quicker than usual, and sometimes I have a feeling of wellbeing that I haven't had before. As if there is nothing giving me anxiety from inside myself. I still get stressed from external sources of course, and the feeling isn't there all the time. Also it didn't stop me mouthing off during an argument with my husband haha ain't no stopping that lol
 

@MissDilly
I've just read about collecting eggs, that sounds terrible! Was it your choice not to be sedated? 

Nooooo it wasn't a choice. I had assumed I'd get sedation, based on reading blogs and talking to others on the journey, but I hadn't explicitly asked either, just assumed there'd be good drugs waiting - and it wasn't my specialist that did the procedure, so lessons learnt but it was definitely not a pleasant experience. But with infertility issues there's no limits to what you'll endure and we were blessed with our little girl from it all - when many have a far greater struggle and endure so much more 

See, that adds to my theory that there is a culture in healthcare in this country that wants us to just put up with pain relating to women's bodies.
What happened to you is in no way acceptable. If this country allowed doctors to be sued, I think the outcomes would be very different. 
Even when I had steroid injections into my knee, the formula contains anaesthetic. That was painful, but a shorter procedure.  How come they administer pain relief for something basic like that, but not for making the cervix open in ways it isn't designed to, or for sticking a needle into your ovaries. The only other thing I've seen which should have been more pleasant, was a male getting a catheter inserted when he was not under sedation. There was some numbing gel applied, but judging the screams of the man, it wasn't doing anything useful. 
I can understand fast and painful needing to be done in a first aid emergency, but not in these planned or non-emergency scenarios.

Thanks for all the info! I have just seen the doctor about getting one of these so have a wee bit to think about, but I think I will go ahead.

Quick update.
after my experience, I changed doctors and clinic completely.
After lockdown I was able to get an appt with my new doctor to get my first Mirena checkup. We discussed what happened and my new doctor confirmed that in NZ it is usual practice NOT to give local anaesthetic or heavier painkillers. Interestingly, this doctor had herself had Mirena inserted, said that she hadn't had kids either, that it was EXCRUCIATING pain, and was now using Jaydel. (Jaydel being little rods inserted into your upper arm). So that's another option I was not informed about, and hadn't heard about either. 
My next course of action is to send a letter to MedSafe about the situation because it's high time NZ got out of the dark ages and started promoting women's contraception equitably and fairly. We need better painkillers for this procedure, plain and simple. If anyone else feels strongly about this, it would be great if you did the same.

That's terrible, even though it's supposedly not the way it is meant to be done surely the doctors could make a suggestion for types of painkillers when they know it can be a painful procedure. My doctor gave me a sheet on the procedure and recommendations on painkillers, though she does also work at a hospital too so whether that had anything to do with it I don't know.

Yes please, I would love to hear about it  :o)

Is Jadelle just for contraception? Or for heavy periods as well?

I had the exam previous to getting one inserted and even have the enormous box to prove it! It's quite shocking and comical about the size of the box. My GP warned me and told me it's tiny so don't get freaked out! Unfortunately when I next got my period lockdown had just started so I still have the enormous box and probably have to have another exam to check things before having it done. Thanks so much for the info though. I have a read through the blog too Silvene. Thank you!

Oh yes haha the box is massive. I made the pharmacist put a bag over each end so I could discreetly leave the shop!!

I'm not sure if jadelle is for heavy periods too, still haven't looked into it.

Anyway, just for info, I wore panty liners from mid Feb to Mid/end April, and then the spotting stopped. Since then I've had one instance of very light red spots, otherwise nothing.