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Mirena question
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I have had two Mirenas in the last ten years, going for my third in a couple weeks. The brown spotting is normal, mine comes and goes but I would not panic 🙂
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Thanks for the update Sensual. As I've now had a (massive) blood clot in my groin/thigh/leg, I can't be on the regular pill anymore. The main reason for being on it was to control/know when (pretty much to the hour!) my periods were to happen, and if inconvient timing, I could skip them for a month or two. Basically, my only option now is an IUD (mirena).. but if it's causing spotting/bleeding anyway.. I don't want to risk that. I have a.. ahh.. huge issue/psychological thing with periods.. i.e. I find them shameful, hugely.
I tried a pill that didn't have estrogen in it, and I would have one week of period, then one week not, then one week of period, etc. So, that wasn't a keeper. (Even typing this is hard!!)
Also, I've not had children… and I'm ok with pain (Aren't all polers!?) but I'm worried that it's perhaps not a great idea for me. Argh. Freaking lady problems!! 😐 -
I am on my second mirena, have not had children and used to have heavy bleeding for about 2-3 days and then tapering off. My second day was horrible to the point of being rolled up into a ball and not able to move when it came to cramping. My first Mirena I had spotting for about 6 months before I finally had nothing. Every once in a blue moon I will get a little spotting…and I mean little. I am on my second Mirena and really have not had a period for about 7 years.
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Everyone is different, but the mirena is supposed to make your periods lighter, which is has for me. My periods amount a pink tint on toilet paper in the bathroom. I can wear one pantyliner a day and be fine. I think I have one instance of red blood, then back to pink. The brown clots are the thing that are weird (they aren't huge clots though.)
I haven't had ANY spotting so far. Just my light periods that are a little longer than usual.
The insertion pain wasn't fun, but it's not unbearable either. My nurse gave me the cervical numbing shot, which surprisingly didn't hurt very much. I didn't even feel when she was measuring my uterus. The only thing that sucked was the cervical clamp and the actual insertion.
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Cervical clamp?!?! *Obscenity* https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_eek.gif
I'll be looking into it in the next month or so. Thank you so much for your help ladies! -
Yeah, it's what keeps your cervix open for the insertion. I didn't feel it at first (from the number), but as she was prepping the mirena to insert, I started feeling it and in my head was going "wow that isn't fun at all."
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Not sure how much different the Mirena is from the Nova T (or Paragard is the equivalent in the US, but it is slightly different in shape)–i know it's slightly thicker in the hormone wrapping, but not that much. Anyway, I have the Nova T, which is the copper threaded IUD (can't have hormones, so the Mirena was out for me). Supposedly, the copper one gives you more painful and heavier periods, but I haven't really experienced either. Insertion was kind of a bit**, but it just felt like one giant cramp when the sound (the instrument that measures how deep your uterus is) went in through the cervical canal, but it passed as soon as the sound was removed. I had the same cramping sensation with the IUD plunger (the Nova-T comes preassembled), which didn't really pass as the IUD was inside my uterus. Had fairly strong cramps that first day, but was ok the next. Anyway, I never had any type of cervical clamp, so not sure about that one… (never had kids either)–although that first day was pretty crampy, on and off, I didn't feel it was THAT bad (the cramps were bad enough to freeze me in position) to deal with, considering the payoff in the end. I really can't recall how long they lastes, as it's been so long, but it wasn't anything horrible. I'm on my second one now (I do need to get it changed again), but I've been on it for about 7-8 years, so I'm very happy with it.
TMI alert: I do get a bit of spotting a few days before my period, but then again, the copper IUD isn't meant to reduce flow though, and, in most cases, makes them heavier and much more painful (I guess I just got lucky with body chemistry).
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Ha, I just realized my post was slightly confusing. I meant the cramping didn't pass after removal of the IUD plunger, as the IUD was in my uterus (this was with my first one). I also meant, when I said I've had it for 7-8 years that I've been using it as birth control for 7-8 years, not that I had the same one (the Nova T has a "suggested" insertion time of 2.5 years… however, my MD had said it was fine to leave it in longer for me, until I basically wanted it changed, which was about 3.5 years after the first one, as I started to get more spotting, which went back to normal after my second one was inserted, which was same appt that hte first was removed). Hope this clears up any confusion from the previous post.
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yes im also not sure how similar paragard is to mirena but i hav paragard the copper iud and i didnt hav any cramping at all, ive had mine almost 3 yrs, (its good for 10) and i love it, best part its hormone free!
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If I recall correctly, in shape, the mirena and the nova t are practically identical–both T’s with curved upper arms (like eyebrows), except the nova t has copper wound around the upright part of the T while the mirena has a hormone coating, which is a bit thicker. Neither have anything on the upper arms. In contrast, the paragard is a T with straight upper arms, perpendicular to the base (exactly like an uppercase “T”), again with copper around the base and possibly the arms as well, I don’t remember. (it’s the one in the US while the nova T is the one in Canada–mirena is available in both).
Even though the mirena is a bit thicker, the issue isn’t the IUD, but the thickness of the plunger (a plastic tube, essentially), as that needs to be able to pass through the cervical canal; however, the sound itself is thicker than the plunger, so my MD had said if that didn’t go in, then I wouldn’t be able to have the IUD inserted.
On a side note, I actually cannot check for the strings on mine, as I am unable to reach my cervix. On my last physical, they were not dangliNg out of my cervix, so I had to go and have an ultrasound done, which showed the IUD was still perfectly in place, so I was told it wouldn’t be too bad for removal, as they have a little hook instrument they could use to fish out the strings.
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In Europe they are testing IUD's without the top t portion. I am hoping htey will be out here in the U.S. when I am ready to get a new IUD.
This one is already on the market (just not in the U.S.):
http://www.contrel.be/ABOUT/RESEARCH%20user.htm
This one is in the trial pheses still, but it is like a frameless mirena:
Pictures of the Fibroplant are at the bottom of this page:
http://www.contrel.be/Articles%20and%20videos/9%20Treatment%20of%20menorrhagia.pdf
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If some politicians get their way all of these will be illegal in the US.
I have not heard or seen these frameless ones.
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I highly doubt those crazy amendments will pass. Certainly not in my area.
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Also, I'm hoping that those amendment proposals will stop once the November election is over with…but you never know…
The frameless ones are in Europe. It seems the U.S. is frequently behind in medicine advances. There is another version of the depo shot out in Europe that doesn't have the calcium loss warning.
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Good lord. Just checked ballotpedia. There is a personhood amendment on there that is still in the process of getting sugnatures. It specifically singles out "certain birth controls" in it…but I still don't think it would pass int his state even if it made it to the ballot.
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