Here I am going to share my experience of the Mirena coil. In 2022 I started to get really heavy periods, they were also extremely painful. After 6 months I made an appointment with my GP. As I cried down the phone to her she reassured me we would get this sorted. Eventually it was discovered that I had endometrial polyps. On the 2nd January 2024 during a procedure to remove endometrial polyps I had the mirena coil put in. You can read more about this here. I’m sharing my experiences with you in case you are considering getting a coil put in. Quick spolier alert – I have not had my coil removed 18 months later. You can jump straight to that section here.
What is a mirena coil?
The full information about a coil is on the NHS website here. The Mirena coil, a small T-shaped device placed inside your womb, works as both a contraceptive and a treatment for heavy, painful periods.It can make periods lighter, or stop altogether. This was why I had it inserted. They can be effective for 3 to 5 years. The strings from the coil hang down slightly. This is for removal.
Mirena coils are usually inserted in a GP’s office or sexual health clinic, but mine was fitted in the hospital as I was having another procedure at the same time. They do not require general anaesthetic.
You should have a medical professional check the coil’s position 3-6 weeks after it’s inserted. They will check the position with the position of the strings. It is also advisable to feel for them yourself after each period to ensure it is in place.
Known side effects
The NHS website states most side effects last for the first few months, and many do not experience any after this time. My consultant advised me to wait at least 6 months to understand what it would be like for me.
- Period like pains
- Spotting
- Harmless cysts on your ovaries
Though some people report other side effects, the evidence is insufficient to confirm a link to the Mirena coil. These include:
- Headaches
- Acne
- Sore breasts
- Mood changes
My experience of 1 week with the mirena coil
While under general anesthetic for a hysteroscopy, I also had my Mirena coil put in. The doctors warned me that I might experience period-like cramping and some light spotting that could stop and start.
In the first week I have experienced hardly any cramping, and I have had light spotting. I haven’t had to take any painkillers. In fact I’m not even aware of it being there. In 5 weeks time I have an appointment with my practice nurse to check the strings.
My first period after having the coil inserted is due in a few weeks. It will be interesting to see what happens then.
2 weeks after having the mirena coil
So, today marks exactly 2 weeks since I had the coil fitted. For the first 2 weeks I have had some light spotting. There has been no pain, I have been constipated but not sure if that was to do with the coil. I finally went without a liner in my pants a few days ago, only to have to put it back in today!
My period is technically due next week but I am having quite bad cramping today. I have the feeling of pressure as I often do during my periods. At the moment I also have quite tender breasts which is new! I will keep you posted on any new developments!
6 weeks after having the mirena coil
It is recommended you have the position of the coil checked within the first 6 weeks.. I booked in with my practice nurse to get this done. The process was similar to having a cervical smear. I had to undress from the waist down, she used a speculum and checked the strings were visible. Luckily they were! It only took a few minutes and there it wasn’t painful at all.
My second period since the coil was inserted is heavier than the first. It is still not anywhere near as heavy as it was before the coil was fitted. There are 2 things I have noticed though, firstly my skin is really bad. I have always been prone to spots but, they are much worse recently. The second, is that I am the moodiest b*tch known to man 😂.
However, all that seems manageable compared to before I had the coil put in, so I will persevere and see how it goes.
10 weeks later
I am now 10 weeks into having the mirena coil put in at hospital. Overall, I would say my experience is still good. The constant bleeding has stopped, and I am having periods but they are very light.
One thing I have noticed is that I am MOOOOOODDDDDYYYY! I’m not sure whether it’s the coil, time of life, or generally feeling down in the dumps. I feel like I am not always a very nice person to be around at the moment. I don’t want to feel this way so I started to look at ways to be more positive. Hopefully this will help!
3 months later
So after thinking the constant bleeding had stopped, it started up again. There isn’t much, but I am having to use a liner or period pants most days just in case I bleed.
My mood hasn’t got any better. I have been trying to be more positive but with the Easter holidays this hasn’t been easy🤯. It is something I am going to continue to work on. I have thought about trying some natural relaxation meds to help with this too.
6 months on
It has now been 6 months since I had the mirena coil inserted. My mood is mostly better, but I am still taking the herbal tablets. I am also beginning to wonder if I may be peri-menopausal 😬
It feels as though things may be returning back to the way they were before. My periods are becoming heavier and more painful again. Having said that I have done nothing about the weight I was told to lose. So here begins my weight loss journey – again!
16 months on
I thought I should check in again further down the line and let you know my experience of the mirena coil now more time has passed. I have now had it in place for 16 months, so I feel it has had time to settle and my experiences are a balanced reflection.
Firstly, my periods are MUCH lighter than they were before, and also much less painful. However, it is hard to know whether this is because of the coil or because my polyps were removed. Either way not having to worry about flooding through my pad and underwear is lovely. The thing with my periods though is that they do last longer, I would say I bleed for 10-14 days at a time. I often have a day or 2 in the middle when it stops and then it starts again. They also aren’t regular and because of this I find I have to wear liners every day as I never know when it might strike!
Before the coil my periods would be very painful, and the pressure I would feel would almost be unbearable. Now the pain is very minimal and doesn’t affect my day to day life at all. I don’t ever need painkillers or hot water bottles to ease the pain any more.
Side effects
The main problem is my moods, which haven’t improved at all. I can be truly vile sometimes, and I hate that I can’t stop it. The Nytease tablets do help a bit, but not enough to hide my pre-period mood swings from my family. I get extremely snappy and have no patience with the kids. Mark, bless him, bears the worst of it, but thankfully he has his van to escape to when I get too much! It makes me feel so unhappy, and it’s pushed me to look into self-care and grounding techniques to help me manage it.
My moods have gotten so bad that I’ve even thought about having my coil removed, concerned that it’s too much for Mark to handle. I’ve also wondered if my periods might be better now that the polyps are gone. Still, I haven’t lost any weight—despite signing up for Weight Watchers again—so I’m worried about the polyps coming back. For now, I’m going to keep the coil in, hoping the pros outweigh the cons. I’m not sure I can face the return of heavy, painful periods if I get it taken out. The position of my cervix means replacing the coil is a hospital procedure, I don’t want to risk removal and then need it again down the road. So, for now, I’ll just push through.
The removal of my mirena coil
A while after updating my post my mood dropped significantly. I realised I wasn’t happy, I know that sounds like a really silly thing to say. Most of the time I was feeling unhappy rather than happy, I lost my spark. I was struggling to feel motivated, I lost focus. My libido was also non-existent and I felt really uncomfortable in my own skin. After a lot of thought I decided it would be best to get the mirena coil removed.
Once I made the decision I put in a request to speak to a doctor. I waited a couple of weeks for an appointment. The consultation was done over the telephone and she agreed it sounded like it would be a good idea to get the coil removed. She said they usually try to remove it at the practice but that sometimes it needed to be done at the hospital. I managed to get this booked in for a couple of weeks time.
At the appointment
At my appointment, I explained my side effects to the doctor. She wasn’t the same one I’d spoken to on the phone and she explained that the Mirena coil isn’t a systemic hormonal treatment and that most people don’t get side effects. I told her what I’d been experiencing, and we talked about the possibility of peri-menopause. I had used a home test a few weeks earlier that came back negative, but we both agreed the best thing to do was remove the coil so I could start monitoring my periods to see if my menopause journey had started.
After signing a consent form, I got undressed and hopped onto the examination table. The doctor was really kind and talked me through everything. She asked if I wanted to chat to distract myself or stay quiet. We ended up doing a bit of both—it’s hard to hold a conversation with your legs akimbo! She put in the speculum, just like for a smear test, which was fine. The tricky part was when she couldn’t hold the speculum and get her equipment at the same time, so I had to hold it for her for a second. When she pulled the coil out by the strings, there was a sharp pain, but it was over in seconds.
She asked me to wait in the waiting room for about 15 minutes afterward. My blood pressure was good, and I only had some mild cramping. I drove myself home and carried on with my day as normal. It’s now been two weeks since the removal. I bled for about a week, then it tapered off to spotting. By the end of the second week, I didn’t even need liners. Best of all, my mood seems to be much better. I’m definitely starting to feel like myself again.
Would I recommend the mirena coil?
Every person is different and I have heard good and bad stories about the coil. Despite having had mine removed I do think it is something I would recommend. It definitely helped with my periods and made them much more manageable. If being used as a contraceptive it is much easier than having to remember to take a pill. Please do your research and see what you think would be best for you. If you have any questions, I am always happy to answer the best I can.
Sophie x
