Birth Control Options (Essure, Mirena, NuvaRing, etc)

[disneychrista]

The cost of the device was high. Tubal is cheaper.

That just seems crazy that a surgical procedure would be cheaper then an office procedure.

 

[STLDisney_Freak]

My doctor offered it to me because I'm done having children, but I declined to get it done because while I'm done having children it is just too permanent for me. I instead opted to just get another paraguard IUD. You might want to look into that...

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I did the paraguard IUD and one of the side effects is heavier and longer periods. I don't know if that's a good choice for you OP. I had it for 3 years and had it removed because I was tired of the longer periods. They weren't as heavy after the first year but still lasted 7-9 days with 2-3 days of spotting before the period.

A friend did the Essure procedure and she has no regrets.

 

[camreesmom]

I've had both the Paraguard and the Mirena. The only issue with the Paraguard was that I had horrible cramps when it was that time of the month. I'm now on my 3rd Mirena and I tell everyone that it is the greatest thing since sliced bread! I can't take the BC pill because they make my migraines more frequent and intense. I have absolutely no complaints about the Mirena and I love not having a monthly cycle.

 

[minnie1012]

My friend had Essure done last summer with horrible side effects. For months afterward, she was in a lot pain, severe bloating and a host of other symptoms. Her body apparently looked at it as a foreign object and rejected it. She had it in for maybe 4 or 5 months and wound up having to get a partial hysterectomy. to remove it. When she started having the symptoms she did research and apparently a lot of people had severe side effects. So you might want to look up some of those reports. I know she would not recommend it to anyone.

 

[disneychrista]

My friend had Essure done last summer with horrible side effects. For months afterward, she was in a lot pain, severe bloating and a host of other symptoms. Her body apparently looked at it as a foreign object and rejected it. She had it in for maybe 4 or 5 months and wound up having to get a partial hysterectomy. to remove it. When she started having the symptoms she did research and apparently a lot of people had severe side effects. So you might want to look up some of those reports. I know she would not recommend it to anyone.

Thank you for sharing your friends story.

I am now leaning toward the Mirena IUD but of course will see what the doctor says about it and if it is right for me.

 

[Grmnshplvr]

I have had mirena since last November, no period since January. Overall I really like it but I have noticed some hair loss, and my hair is super thin to begin with so I'm not sure how much longer I'll stay on it. other than that I do love it, I dont get headaches like I did with the pill.

 

[dennis99ss]

I have looked at many pharmaceutical litigation opportunities, with Essure being one of them. Did not opt to become involved, but, that decision was from the viability of the litigation, in that the claims may have a good chance of being pre-empted. If the decision would have been based purely on the issues which have been reported with Essure, we would have joined in. However, during the review of the information I saw, I would be very cautious of Essure. Do a lot of research before you go that route. Personally, I wouldn't want my spouse, or friends, etc., going in that direction.

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

Mirena is localized to just your uterus so the hormones don't go into the blood stream. I'm on my third one (btwn babies and 5 year replacement) and won't ever use anything else!

Mirena can 100% effect your hormones! I had it and it caused a ton of problems for me. Never again would I use it again.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I am very interested in reducing / eliminating heavy periods. Mine have decreased in the number of days over the past 5 years but are really bad for a 24 - 36 hour stretch, including the over night time frame. I wish a doctor would have mentioned this to me before when discussing heavy periods as the reason for having severe iron deficiency.

You said you have an annual coming up, but is that with your primary care doc, or a GYN? The GYN will need to put in the Mirena. Heavy periods at your age can be hormonal, and may require a GYN work up first. (Like an ultrasound, and possibly an endometrial biopsy.) I had that issue and the Mirena didn't work for me, I was hoping it would. I wound up with a hysterectomy. But maybe it will work for you. (If I recall it secretes progesterone, which slows the bleeding.) Don't wait too long to get going.

 

[Jennasis]

The Mirena was the worst thing I ever did. EVER. I couldn't wait for that worthless piece of junk to be removed. My period had no rhyme or reason to it for 2 years. Here for 2 weeks....gone for a week...back for 4 days....gone for two weeks....back for a week....and in the end I had it FIVE MONTHS STRAIGHT with no break. Intermingled in there were periods that were so horrendous I found myself going through pads every 1/2 hour. Clothing and bedding ruined. Me crying in a public restroom desperately trying to clean up a mess that looked like a crime scene.

Finally got me hysterectomy! Best move ever.

 

[disneychrista]

You said you have an annual coming up, but is that with your primary care doc, or a GYN?

It is with a GYN. I will be discussing everything with her. I have been putting off making an appointment for longer that I want to admit to. The need for birth control pushed me to do it.

My period had no rhyme or reason to it for 2 years. Here for 2 weeks....gone for a week...back for 4 days....gone for two weeks....back for a week....and in the end I had it FIVE MONTHS STRAIGHT with no break.

Did you have any issues before you got the Mirena? Why did you end up with a hysterectomy was that due to the Mirena or other issues you had not related to it?

 

[eeyoreandtink]

In the past 2 years two close friends have had to have mirena surgically removed because it eroded into their uterine wall. There is a current class action for patients with this complication because they underreported the risk. I was seriously considering one as I am done having kids, but after reading on the subject opted to stay on low dose pills.

 

[disneychrista]

In the past 2 years two close friends have had to have mirena surgically removed because it eroded into their uterine wall.

That is scary. And of course now I am just as confused about what to do as I was when I first asked about the Essure.

 

[VandVsmama]

Some patients have had very severe reactions to Essure...bad enough that there's a class action lawsuit about it. And by "severe reactions," I mean the Essure device had punctured through some women's fallopian tube and was embedded in the abdominal wall, or had perforated the intestine and made them very very sick.

No way would I want that thing in me.

I got my tubes tied. And at the same time, I had an endometrial ablation performed. A gynecologist won't perform an endometrial ablation on you if you think that you might want more children because it permanently reduces the thickness of your endometrial lining. You also cannot have it done if you have uterine fibroids. But I've got to say that the ablation procedure has been a Godsend. I don't have periods anymore. I still ovulate and all that. But no periods. It's been wonderful. I would totally do it all over again.

 

[lovin'fl]

I had an IUD about 10-12 years ago due to heavy periods. Not sure what brand but was told it was non or low hormonal which I preferred due to problems with adult acne. It was comfortable to have, had no issues. Didn't worsen my acne. And my periods got super light. But I gained a bunch of weight which my GYN said was odd due to no or low hormones with the IUD. I was sure the weight gain was because of it so I had it removed after about two years. My weight gain turned out to be a steady climb and likely just due to age...still having problems keeping from gaining weight. After the IUD was removed my periods went back to heavy. The GYN wanted to do ablation but said I would not be able to have anymore kids. Now, I had three older kids and a hubby with a vasectomy but the thought of doing something permanent just didn't thrill me. So I suffered for a while longer and moved to another state where my new GYN wanted to do a D&C. Had that done about 3-4 years ago and have had light periods since.

 

[disneychrista]

Mini-update:
The doctor does not do the Essure procedure at all, so it is good thing that I had already decided against it.

The doctor suggested the NuvaRing to start with. It also should help lighten up my periods. If it ends up not working we will revisit the IUD. I do like that with the NuvaRing if I have side effects I can simply take it out and discontinue use.

 

[bigbabyblues]

I got my tubes tied. And at the same time, I had an endometrial ablation performed. A gynecologist won't perform an endometrial ablation on you if you think that you might want more children because it permanently reduces the thickness of your endometrial lining. You also cannot have it done if you have uterine fibroids. But I've got to say that the ablation procedure has been a Godsend. I don't have periods anymore. I still ovulate and all that. But no periods. It's been wonderful. I would totally do it all over again.

I had an endometrial ablation in 2013, and that was the best thing I've ever done for myself. Haven't had a period since, and I was having horrible ones for a few years before that. My hubby had a vasectomy, so I didn't have to have a tubal.

 

[Hikergirl]

I've had the Mirena for a little over a year and I'm thinking of having it removed. It has helped with heavy periods, but I still do get them and they are irregular. I also have cramping and discomfort that I didn't have before it. (I had cramping but this is different), I think I developed an ovarian cyst but won't know that until my appt in a few weeks.

 

[fab1976]

The Mirena was the worst thing I ever did. EVER. I couldn't wait for that worthless piece of junk to be removed. My period had no rhyme or reason to it for 2 years. Here for 2 weeks....gone for a week...back for 4 days....gone for two weeks....back for a week....and in the end I had it FIVE MONTHS STRAIGHT with no break. Intermingled in there were periods that were so horrendous I found myself going through pads every 1/2 hour. Clothing and bedding ruined. Me crying in a public restroom desperately trying to clean up a mess that looked like a crime scene.

Finally got me hysterectomy! Best move ever.

It's good to know I'm not alone! I'm not loving the Mirena and it's been 2 years now. I still get PMS, pretty bad, and very irregular periods. So many others love it and have no period, it's discouraging that my body hasn't settled like the majority of others have had happen. My doctor says it could be weight related, or because of PCOS. I'm not at the point of having it removed because I need the birth control aspect still, but a hysterectomy sounds like a better option at this point....