Mirena
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Category: General Chat
Forum Name: General Chat
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URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=33667
Printed Date: 27 July 2025 at 3:24pm
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Topic: Mirena
Posted By: MuppetsMama
Subject: Mirena
Date Posted: 26 May 2010 at 2:31pm
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Not sure where to put this...!
Has anyone had or got a Mirena? I am currently looking into it as an alternative to tubal, and wanted to hear about other's experiences... Thanks!! |
Replies:
Posted By: monikah
Date Posted: 26 May 2010 at 2:54pm
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i know alot of ppl that have had bad experiences with it. unplanned pregnancies, weight gain, mood swings etc... my sister had real nasty reactions to it as far as weight gain and depression (common side effects) but all ppl react with different contraceptions esp hormonal ones so the fact that she reacted really badly doesnt necessarily mean you will. there are plenty of ppl that would have used it with no probs ------------- 
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Posted By: minik8e
Date Posted: 26 May 2010 at 3:00pm
| I've had a Mirena since November, and haven't had any problems. I've had one AF which was really light and lasted about a week. According to DH, I am grumpier, although I wouldn't automatically attribute it to the Mirena... I haven't had any weight gain either, my weight has stayed the same (to my disgust, as I was going to the gym quite religiously!!). |
Posted By: lilfatty
Date Posted: 26 May 2010 at 3:12pm
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Kate - that may have been why you werent losing weight though!
Most women I know have had them removed as they couldnt lose any weight (these are people in training), then they take what we now call the "devil stick" out and they lose the weight! Go figure! ------------- Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months) I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year  http://www.femininefitness.co.nz/category/blog - LFs weight blog
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Posted By: minik8e
Date Posted: 26 May 2010 at 3:39pm
I know Julia, but I don't have many other options when it comes to contraception, so I don't have much of a choice  I am grateful I never put it on as well though!!
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Posted By: lilfatty
Date Posted: 26 May 2010 at 6:13pm
You could do what I do .. and then be too tired for sex .. thats a contraception in itself  ------------- Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months) I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year http://www.femininefitness.co.nz/category/blog - LFs weight blog
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Posted By: susieq
Date Posted: 26 May 2010 at 7:11pm
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My special needs daughter 24 TheKelly's sister has had a mirena and is in fact having it replaced under general anaesthetic this Friday.
stops her getting her periods which is great.two of her special needs friends have mirenas too ------------- susie |
Posted By: emz
Date Posted: 26 May 2010 at 8:08pm
| I have one, apart from not being able to lose weight easily its fab. Meets our needs perfectly for the next 4 1/2 years (got it in Oct) til we decide if Dh is having the snip. |
Posted By: princesspumpkin
Date Posted: 27 May 2010 at 7:48am
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I have one too, and I've had no worries with it (been in for just over a year), I don't really get AF, I did weightwatchers & lost 8kg in 8 weeks (so it didn't make it any harder to lose weight), and haven't had any unpleasant side effects. I had it put in about 8 weeks after DS was born, and much to the doctors surprise it didn't even hurt!! (I think once a baby squeezed out from that particular space, a little piece of plastic wasn't a big deal!).
I guess everyone reacts differently to all kinds of medications, but for me it's been great  . We'll be getting it out at the end of the year to TTC #2, hopefully my iron's low enough after number two is born to get another one for free!!
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Posted By: MuppetsMama
Date Posted: 27 May 2010 at 9:35am
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Thanks for all the feedback, it's really great.
I generally react well to progestrone, which is what i believe mirena is??? |
Posted By: minik8e
Date Posted: 27 May 2010 at 9:49am
| Yep, Mirena is low dose progesterone. |
Posted By: kiwi2
Date Posted: 27 May 2010 at 12:12pm
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Hey there
I am really interested in this thread as I am booked to get one in in July. However now I am worried. I had the depo shot a number of years ago and turned evil. To the point my placid DH (boyfriend at the time) told me to stop being a B$#%h and never to get that again. He has never spoken like that to me in the 10 years we have been married but I was strung out and knew I was being nasty. So is it the same hormone as the depo and will I be paying $360 just to have it out because I turn into a raving lunatic. |
Posted By: mummy_becks
Date Posted: 27 May 2010 at 1:53pm
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OMG it could be the reason I haven't lost any weight other than the stress weight I have just lost. I have one, iffy about it but it does its job. I am waiting till I turn 30 to have a hystorectomy. ------------- I was a puree feeder, forward facing, cot sleeping, pram pushing kind of Mum... and my kids survived! |
Posted By: minik8e
Date Posted: 27 May 2010 at 4:15pm
| kiwi2 - it's the same as Depo but in a much much lower dose, is what Family Planning told me. |
Posted By: kiwi2
Date Posted: 27 May 2010 at 9:50pm
| minikate-Thanks for that. At least you can get the mirena out if I do turn evil. I had to wait for the shot to get out of my system and although it says 3 months I was possessed for closer to 5 lol. Mind you I did throw a few extra tanties since I had the excuse and could blame it on the shot lol. |
Posted By: rorylex
Date Posted: 04 June 2010 at 4:46pm
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i have just had mine done yesterday, a heads up to ask questions about the threads b4 you get it done. the brochur and dr never said anything about problems some people have had with the threads.
i didnt realise they were so long and they arnt exactly blunt, i decided to google it as i dont have the option of ringing the dr that did it. i tried ringing the people that supply it to ask a few ? about the threads. i havent a problem with the actual device itself just the threads attached to it. im actually quite put off doing anything with dh becoz of them. ------------- Mummy to 4 boys Samuel - 18.6.05 Rory - 15.7.06 Mason - 13.06.08 Emmett - 24.01.10 Baby #5 - cooking |
Posted By: minik8e
Date Posted: 04 June 2010 at 8:48pm
rory - they tend to "tuck up" and don't become an issue. DH has felt them at times, but not on the business end of his parts, if that makes sense 
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Posted By: rorylex
Date Posted: 06 June 2010 at 3:57pm
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thanks minik8e. ------------- Mummy to 4 boys Samuel - 18.6.05 Rory - 15.7.06 Mason - 13.06.08 Emmett - 24.01.10 Baby #5 - cooking |
Posted By: fadeless
Date Posted: 06 June 2010 at 4:51pm
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If they do get too annoying you can go back and ask them to cut them. I had a copper one put in and the lady who did it cut the strings after she inserted it. ------------- DD 9 ~ DD 8 ~ DS 7 ~ DS 5 ~ DS 2 ~ DS 14mths ~ DD 3mths |
Posted By: ALittleLoopy
Date Posted: 06 June 2010 at 5:21pm
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iv heard nothing but good things from friends with them that have kids and ones that dont...although it costs about $500 if you dont have a medical reason to have it like endo etc
If you havnt had kids it can be very painful to insert and will usually do it under GA which is why i chose the pill before TTCing with Dh but will get the mirena afterwards... its slow release and lasts up to five years and flushes out of your system with a few days so is far less invasive chemical wise as well they both stopped getting their periods after the first 6 months and dont have to worry about taking pils, i think its a wonderful idea lol I havnt heard anything on the weight side as the pill is supposed to do things like that but never made me gain weight, i think its more to do with the individual than the product. This is what my pamphlet referred me to: http://www.medsafe.govt.nz/Consumers/cmi/m/Mirena.htm - liny dinky -------------    CHEM 6/12+ |
Posted By: minik8e
Date Posted: 06 June 2010 at 9:04pm
| You can't necessarily get it free if you have endo - the reason you get it free is that your iron levels are low due to the heavy periods that endo can cause. I think it's ferritin under 20 and haemoglobin under 120 which is the limit? |
Posted By: susieq
Date Posted: 06 June 2010 at 9:11pm
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TheKellys sister got hers free being special needs, and for us it works to stop periods, which it does, ------------- susie |
Posted By: ALittleLoopy
Date Posted: 06 June 2010 at 9:26pm
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minik8 - my gyno told me after my LAP that i would get it free and i wouldnt say my periods are that heavy considering my endo and my iron levels are pretty normal.
It is a way for me to by pass the debilitating pain each month (was already running pill packets together three months at a time under instruction) as they tried me on strong pain killers and 5 different pills but none worked in the slightest, this was when the mirena was suggested to me ------------- CHEM 6/12+ |
Posted By: mummy_becks
Date Posted: 06 June 2010 at 9:44pm
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If you ahve heavy periods you can get it paid for by your insurance company - that is how I got mine. If I didn't have insurance I would of had to of paid for it myself as I did not meet the requirements that the health system has in place for them (iron and feritine levels). Just because a gyne says you will get it doesn't mean you will. I had one gyne say yes I could get it and the insurance company and shering (the ones who make it) turned down my request for funding for it in 2005. The gyne I saw last year wrote a different letter my my insurance company who said they would pay for it going by what he recomends (pretty much told them pay for that or a hystorectomy lol). Just don't count your chicken before they hatch with what gynes say with them. ------------- I was a puree feeder, forward facing, cot sleeping, pram pushing kind of Mum... and my kids survived! |
Posted By: MuppetsMama
Date Posted: 07 June 2010 at 9:49am
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This is all really helpful, thanks everyone. I think I will probably go for it...I like that fact that you can take it out if it is not working for you
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Posted By: .Mel
Date Posted: 07 June 2010 at 1:47pm
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Another option is to wait until the implant becomes available. It's inserted surgically into your arm and can be taken out at any time. I saw on the news that Pharmac are going to fund it soon.
Just another idea.. ------------- Mr Mellow (16) Miss Attitude (8) Destructa Kid (3) 
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Posted By: Daizy
Date Posted: 07 June 2010 at 3:08pm
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I have been meaning to get the Mirena (or something!) for quite a while now, I just keep putting it off, something about it just scares me (I have never been on any contraception other than condoms)
For me its because I have always had issues with low iron levels and around the time of the month I am pretty much stuck in bed for a couple of days because I have no energy. ------------- 
 
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Posted By: Mucky_Tiger
Date Posted: 07 June 2010 at 8:46pm
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i had mine put in last monday under a GA while having surgery.
and OMFG talk about painful. my uterus has not stopped cramping and stabbing me to death from the inside out  im still taking naprogesic (sp) and panadol 6hourly just so i can function during the day.
but apart from that i dont have sore boobs like i would by now had i started another pill packet. i got mine funded thru the District Health Board thru the public hospital gynae dept, they decided no pill they out me on, or depo was going to stop my heavy irregular periods so the mirena was the only effective option for me. i dont qualify for the normal funding as even after 12 days of heavy AF my iron is still 'high' yet when they test it mid cycle it is extremly high so it does get low, just not low enough. and the length and irregularity of my AF on its own isnt enough to qualify 
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Posted By: mummy_becks
Date Posted: 07 June 2010 at 9:49pm
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CCCC it does get better, I was so ready to get mine taken out after I got it put in and even a few months after I got it put in I wanted it out. So glad I rode those few months out at now it is wonderful. I was a irregular and long bleeder as well till I got it put in. ------------- I was a puree feeder, forward facing, cot sleeping, pram pushing kind of Mum... and my kids survived! |
Posted By: Mucky_Tiger
Date Posted: 09 June 2010 at 10:51am
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mummy becks - its getting better already.
after another chat with the DR half of my cramping/tummy pain is actually the pulling from my stitches in my fru-fru that are holding my pelvic floor together after having a cyst removed. im only taking panadol periodically now when it gets bad enough. |
Posted By: rorylex
Date Posted: 09 June 2010 at 6:04pm
i had mine done last thursday and so far all iv had is some af like cramps but not enough to put me off it. the wires are a little anoying where dh is concerned, but as far as im concerned iv had 4 babies in 4.5yrs, and there was alot of sudden sharp pain in that area for me too(espec when dtd) so its just karma
i had mine funded as i am too young for sterlisiton, but am very fertile. and i am concidered anemic while pregnant which i think is the main reason it got funded. mw refered me when ds4 was 2wks and i went on a waiting list that was suppose to be 3mths but ended up being longer but i got the depo just to bridge the gap. ------------- Mummy to 4 boys Samuel - 18.6.05 Rory - 15.7.06 Mason - 13.06.08 Emmett - 24.01.10 Baby #5 - cooking |
Posted By: Mucky_Tiger
Date Posted: 05 October 2010 at 4:13pm
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Mine has been in for 4 months now and it was perfect. i had AF for 3 days of spotting after 6 weeks of insertion. then got AF for 5 days of light after another 6 weeks.
then now for the last 3 weeks ive had spotting and light/med AF constant. and oh my god the cramping. it hasnt been this bad since i had the actual surgery and got it put in. But cos i had a D and C to clean out my uterus when i got it inserted my cervix was dialated extra and as a result my 6 week checkup showed i have no strings. so i cant get it removed till im 100% sure im ready to take it out as it may damage my cervix, or they will have to use the gel they use for induction/late abortions to dialate me so they can find the strings easily.
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Posted By: SquishysMum
Date Posted: 05 October 2010 at 5:42pm
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Oh, I hear you on the lost strings! I just went to have mine out yesterday (normal IUD), and voila, no strings. They were there last month, too! Now have to pay $$$ to scan and see where it is, and more $$$$$$ to get it taken out, or face waiting 18 months in the public system.
Oh the things you don't think about with IUD's... |
Posted By: Mucky_Tiger
Date Posted: 05 October 2010 at 6:20pm
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ive had the scan to confirm its all in place nicely but i just have no strings.
thankfully for me my health insurance who paid for my surgery (but not the actual IUD as the DHB funded that) agreed to pay for the scan as the gyno wrote on the referral to check cyst is 100% gone and not returning. and to check mirena position within the uterine cavity. cos she put it in that order Southern Cross felt like they had to pay. and thank god ($170 for a private scan here in dunedin) |