Reviews

Mirena coil reviews

3.5

508 reviews

The mirena coil has an average rating of 3.5 out of 5 from a total of 508 reviews when used as a contraceptive. 43% of reviewers reported no impact on mood. 45% reported no impact on sex drive. 46% reported it stopped their bleeding.

Every 8 years

Frequency

Over 99%

Effectiveness

None

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Mirena coil

Mirena coil benefits

Some of the benefits that are recognised in scientific research or guidelines for this contraceptive

Adenomyosis

Endometriosis

Heavy periods

Menopause

Period pain

Mirena coil ingredients

Main hormones in Mirena coil

Androgenic progestogen

Mirena coil alternatives

Contraceptives that work in similar ways, or brands that have close or exactly the same hormonal ingredients


Mirena coil FAQs

No FAQs at this moment

Reviews

3.5

508 reviews

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Community reviews

Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
22 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

  •  Stopped using

Do not recommend! The procedure was traumatic to say the least, the aftermath even worse, plus the serious weight gain was unimaginable. Only benefit was no periods and forgot it was even there after a while. I wasn't fully aware of what the procedure entailed - I wished I did my research/ the doctors should be more informative. My recommendation is it should not be your first choice of contraception. The procedure itself was very painful, quick, but very painful - I passed out. The procedural pain is a forgettable pain tbh but the aftermath pain I will never forget. I was told I will get "period like cramps" afterwards. The cramps started immediately after the procedure and it was the worst "period cramps" I had ever experienced. I felt like my uterus was being ripped apart, the nausea, the dizziness, I was shaking from shock. I had to crawl out the surgery back to my car - thankfully wasn't driving as the pain just progressively got worse. The "period cramps" were more like labour pains and went on for 2 hours afterwards. The next day I was fine - small cramping continued for weeks after but then eventually went away. All the pain would of been worth it if I didn't gain the amount of weight I did. Within 6 months I went from a UK size 8 to a UK size 14. The weight was rapid - I have the stretch marks all over my lower half to prove it. I go to intense exercise classes twice a week and have a personal trainer and the weight will not shift! I did research (little late) and apparently the Mirena coil typically doesn't affect your weight but yet when I speak to other women most claimed they gained a serious amount of weight because of it. Overall I'm getting it taken out in a week and I'll be glad to see it gone. Hopefully the weight can be lost. And for those thinking about it - DO YOUR RESEARCH and don't be scared to ask your doctor a million questions - I wish I did.

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Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 5 - 8 yr
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

  •  Still using

I now have my second mirena coil. I have no periods, but I can still track my monthly cycle through variations in my mood, hunger and energy levels. I have had no periods or bleeding since the first insertion, have now no pain and don't have to think about contraception at all, which for me is ideal. For me the insertions weren't easy - both inserted without any anaesthetic or pain relief (the places I went didn't offer it even when asked) other than paracetemol and ibuprofen. Insertion for me was painful, leaving me light headed and feeling quite sick following which I had stabbing pains and cramps for about a week each time. However, other than the week after insertion both times, I have no pain, bleeding or unpredictable hormonal fluctuations.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 12 - 18 mo
29 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 weeks ago

  •  Stopped using

I moved to the mirena coil after my doctor would no longer prescribe me the pill i was on and it was the worst decision I ever made. My sex drive was non existent & sex was v painful (my partner could also feel it.), my skin went crazy and I had acne all over my chin and back, I gained weight suddenly and my mood was v unpredictable.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 6 - 12 mo
26 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 month ago

  •  Still using

I suffer from low moods very often and definitely have not felt like myself for a long while and it has correlated with since I had this coil put in.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 3 - 5 yr
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 month ago

  •  Still using

For the most part, I love the mirena and of contraceptives I have tried, it’s my favourite by far. I like that you don’t have to think about it too much aside from checking the strings. It doesn’t have an impact on my mood like others did. The only drawback is random cramping I get with it that feels quite unexplained and not tied to my cycle. It can be quite sore and after reading other women’s reviews online, it seems quite common but like a lot of contraception symptoms, unexplained.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 3 - 6 mo
68 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  8th Feb 24

  •  Stopped using

I had the coil inserted when I was 40 years of age and this was due to having extremely heavy periods after having my 4th child. The periods were extremely painful after I stopped breastfeeding and I was unable to work , or carry out most of my daily living activities. I always felt very tired and weak and lack of energy. I was already diagnosed a few years prior to becoming pregnant again with fibroids. And I was experiencing heavy periods prior which then I was given the nirestorone pill to stop my periods. When I starting taking this pill it stopped my periods but I was advice to use this pill as a normally contraceptive to have a break period. When I stopped it after 3 weeks, my period came back with vengeance and I just continued to bleed everyday and it just wouldn’t stop. I was then advice to continue taking the norestorine pill without any breaks. As my periods was affecting my iron levels , which was dangerously low at times and resulted in hospital admissions and black outs, I was advice to either have a hysterectomy or use the merina coil. I opted for the merina coil and had it in for 1- 3 months, I went to have my follow up for internal scans and ultrasounds and the coil couldn’t be found. They couldn’t see anything via the X-rays. This was extremely frightening but the doctors think this induced early menopause as I didn’t have a period after.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 6 - 12 mo
25 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  7th Feb 24

  •  Still using

I got the Mirena coil fitted back in august before this I was natural and not on any form of contraception for a long time. Since I’ve had the coil fitted I’ve had constant BV (bacterial vaginosis) even the antibiotics isn’t working now, I know it’s from the coil as I didn’t have any issues until this has been fitted. I am sick of it and I’m in quite a lot of discomfort because of the infection that I’ve had for weeks, I have booked in to get this removed. After doing some further research I found that you’re at risk of getting bv when you have the hormonal coil so I guess I’m just one of the unlucky ones.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 1 - 3 mo
43 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  4th Feb 24

  •  Stopped using

Horrific. Gynacologist suggested Mirena coil for heavy periods and bad PMS as couldn't take Pill due to hormone sensitivity. Coil fine at fitting, very strong stomach pain which was to be expected. However it felt like my kidneys had been punched due to pain. The back pain was so severe it went all the way down my legs and I couldn't sit/ stnd or lie down without wincing. After 7 days I had coil removed, I was told it had dropped down. Three months later I am still recieving physio to alleviate back pain cause muscule trauma from the coil.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 3 - 5 yr
38 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  31st Jan 24

  •  Still using

I am really satisfied with the coil as I am terrible at remembering to take tablets and so I can forget about them. No periods are great too. I am at a point though where I want to see how my body works and not have any hormonal synthetic substances and when I went to have it removed they couldn't get it out as the strings had moved up to my uterus. So after a year of several referrals and appointments and a scan, I have to have a hysteroscopy to have it removed with someone using a camera. I hadn't expected this and so it was something I wanted to share as part of the review, as I think the benefits of having the coil are great, however if I was wanting to try for a baby and had to wait over a year to have it removed (NHS) then this would have been very distressing. I hadn't realised this was a possibility and in hindsight I may have not chosen to have it for this reason. I am not sure how many people have this issue, although when I spoke to my GP they said it was fairly common. They could have just been saying this to me to make me feel better though!


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 6 - 12 mo
38 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  21st Jan 24

  •  Stopped using

The insertion was not as bad as I expected, I was really optimistic afterwards. However within 4 weeks of having it fitted I had gained 14lbs and all periods had stopped which threw me off a little.


Top side effects not reported

1 helpful

0 comments

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