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Ladies: Mirena Coil Side Effects??

Ally T

Ally T

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 24, 2012
Messages
9,116
Hi all :wavey:

Following on from my very personal & stressful & vile termination last year, my Haem Professor suggested having a Mirena fitted. Mostly this is to lessen my heavy periods (Von Willebrands) but as a side, super reliable contraception (the Pill failed).

So I eventually had one fitted 3 weeks ago, and today when I washed my hair over the bath, I lost hair. I'm not talking about the general shedding of longer hairs, but really short, downy, pointy ended new growth. Lots of it, spinning down the plug hole when I rinsed. I have read that hair loss can be a side effect of Mirena, but some of you may know that I am very prone to hair loss due to hormones. I lost heaps after both girls were born, plus on 2 occasions I came off the Pill in the past I had a visible scalp 6 months later. All times I have seen recovery, although my hair has lost density on top. It has never been the same. I am almost 43 & show no signs of peri-menopause. All hormones levels are normal.

Has anybody experienced hair loss with Mirena? Was it temporary after fitting, or did you notice thinning over time? I have been heartbroken about this tonight. I know it's only hair, but I have battled to keep hold of it & the thought of it going again petrifies me. I have done a Google search & obviously get a billion horror stories of thin hair & even alopecia?!!! :errrr:

I am on the verge of calling the Gynaecologist in the morning to have it removed. I cannot face losing my hair for the sake of lighter periods, of which I have dealt with perfectly fine for 30 years :lol:
 
Alex, I know nothing about the Mirena coil. Years ago I had a thermal ablation which help my heavy periods immensely. Has your doctor discussed this option with you?
 
I have been very fortunate to have virtually no negative side effects with the Mirena, but I've also done well on other hormonal birth control methods.

It does sound like you are prone to hair loss due to hormonal changes. I think it would be a good idea to discuss with your doctor whether he or she feels this might be a temporary side effect or long term, before deciding whether to remove the Mirena.

Wishing you all the best. Kaekae
 
Alex, if it were me, I would remove it. Hair loss is not an option. I'd rather buy more Always and have a heavier period. Good luck!
 
I'm on my second one and no hair loss, no side effects to speak of..
 
I'm sorry this is happening to you. Not having hair loss with Mirena. Hopefully a temporary side effect? Definitely speak with your doctor. There is another one... the name escapes me... that stays in for less time (I think 3 years VS 5 ) & emits less hormones. You could ask about that too.
 
Alex I'm so sorry you're experiencing this and my recommendation is to stop the Mirena and speak with your doctors (first) and evaluate your other possible options. It doesn't really matter if other PSers are experiencing this side effect because you are and everyone reacts differently. I just googled Mirena and found this.

http://detoxscientific.com/mirena-and-hair-loss/


I don't know how well regarded this publication is but in any case I would speak with your doctor and stop using it. Not worth the hair loss (especially because you are prone to this with hormone fluctuations) if there are other options without hair loss as a side effect. We curly haired girls need to hold onto our hair! (((Hugs))). And good luck!
 
Thanks ladies & Missy - thanks for the link. I didn't come across that one when I had a search last night.

I have called the clinic twice today & left a message for them to phone back. As yet they haven't, but they are also a drop in clinic & were run off their feet. I saw how busy they were in that side when I went to my appointment, so I'll allow them grace for the moment.

If I haven't heard back tomorrow I will go to the drop in side myself first thing on Friday & ask for it to be removed. I will not be dictated to about the control of my own body.
 
Alex, I'm sorry my suggestion was strictly to reduce the bleeding significantly. It is not a form of birth control.
 
No worries Callie! :wavey:
 
After reading your post, I had a look on some UK sites, and found lots of women who are also having lots of problems with the Mirena coil. Pain, very heavy bleeding, migraines and hair loss, mood swings, all awful side effects.

I hope you can get it removed quickly.

I never thought I'd be looking forward to being menopausal, but after years of excruciating and debilitating periods, it's not so bad!
 
Now that I am nearing my one year anniversary with Mirena, I practically don't have any side effects. I know that first 3-6 months was hell with random bleeding/ weight gain. I read a lot on the internet about the terrible stories and was fortunate that both my friends and I never had anything lasting. Your clinic may not know much unless they install a lot of them
 
I've had fantastic results with Mirena, but know it is not right for everyone. I don't think I had any hair loss initially. Lost my period for 3 years, and it is starting to come back now (like a 1 day thing, still not a full period). So I'm probably going to chat with the doctor about other options soon.

I think discussing with your doctor is the best thing. Hugs though, hairloss is not an easy thing to go through!
 
It is definitely not right for everyone; my friend had hers removed.

I guess I have had one about 7 years now.
 
Thanks all. A quick update: my Dr removed it this morning, which wasn't without incident. She said hair loss is a very real side effect but most women don't notice until 2 or 3 years down the line, when they suddenly realise their pony tail is skinny.

Anyway, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise as it had dislodged & she couldn't get the strings. It ended up taking 2 of them, a lot of pain & some bleeding. It could have embedded if left like this, which is why it's important they tell you to feel for your strings monthly.

So ladies, CHECK YOUR STRINGS! :wavey:
 
So glad it's out, although it sounds rather distressing. I had a coil many years ago, and found out 6 months later it'd dislodged, I was glad to see the back of it.
 
I'm so glad you listed to intuition and it removed!! Yes, removal is painful anyway... sorry to hear yours was an ordeal on top of it.
 
Glad you had it removed. It's scary it had re positioned itself without you knowing! I tired Mirena years ago after the birth of my last child. It actually expelled itself. My doctor suggested waiting a few months and try again. The second time it also expelled itself. Both times within a week. Reading about the hair loss potential, I'm glad. Like you, I am very prone to hormonal hair thinning. I'm glad you are OK and caught it before it caused you problems because of the re positioning.
 
Hi sorry to hear of your predicament your probably experiencing hair loss has your IUS coil contains a “testosterone-like” progestin such as Medroxyprogesterone, Norgestrel, Etonogestrel or Levonorgestrel at various strengths.

Ask your doctor about one with either a lower dose or instead ask about a IUD this is a Coil containing Copper (you can get various levels of Copper content) with no Progestins your hair should grow back. Good luck.
 
Sphene said:
Hi sorry to hear of your predicament your probably experiencing hair loss has your IUS coil contains a “testosterone-like” progestin such as Medroxyprogesterone, Norgestrel, Etonogestrel or Levonorgestrel at various strengths.

Ask your doctor about one with either a lower dose or instead ask about a IUD this is a Coil containing Copper (you can get various levels of Copper content) with no Progestins your hair should grow back. Good luck.
Click to expand...

Thanks Sphene. The Mirena was actually the preferred choice of my Heamatologist. The copper coil isn't an option sadly, as although it is without hormones, it can exasperate periods. This obviously goes against my Von Willebrands & the need to control my periods in the first place. It's all a bit of a minefield & I am at the point of requesting to have my uterus removed when I see him in July :knockout:
 
Alex T - Glad you got it removed and hope that the hair gross back quickly. I know it's not an option for you but sharing my experience in case other ladies are reading the thread. Good luck on finding something that works for your body!

I'm on my second Mirena so I would guess that it's been about 8 years. I've never tried birth control pills and went straight to an IUD. I haven't had affects of hair loss and haven't had my period in years. The first year I recall some "spotting" and light bleeding. Possibly the other side effect for me (perhaps this is mental though) is lowered sex drive. Curious if other people have experienced this though.
 
@Alex T I used to have horrendous periods, the gynaecologist wanted me to have a hysterectomy when I was 30, I said no. I don't know anything about your condition, but the thing that really changed things for me was completely changing my diet. I was very sceptical, but desperate enough to try anything. I eliminated anything that was obviously acidic, (e.g. citrus fruits, cheese, tomatoes), no caffeine, just drank water and organic decaf tea, and the difference was immediate. It made sense to me that what I was eating and drinking was having a direct effect on my health.
 
Austina said:
@Alex T I used to have horrendous periods, the gynaecologist wanted me to have a hysterectomy when I was 30, I said no. I don't know anything about your condition, but the thing that really changed things for me was completely changing my diet. I was very sceptical, but desperate enough to try anything. I eliminated anything that was obviously acidic, (e.g. citrus fruits, cheese, tomatoes), no caffeine, just drank water and organic decaf tea, and the difference was immediate. It made sense to me that what I was eating and drinking was having a direct effect on my health.
Click to expand...

Hi Austina. Sorry you had to go through all of that - it sounds time consuming & depressing to have to adjust your diet to that degree. But yay that it worked for you! Mine unfortunately cannot be cured, as it is a genetic condition where there is a lack of Clotting Factor 8. This means I don't scab properly & I will bleed heavily in response to trauma. I did have several clotting infusions many years ago until they found one that worked, which is DDAVP / Desmopressin, which I have prior to any planned surgeries to give me "normal" clotting for 24 hours. This is also the job of the Tranexamic Acid that I take to control my periods & I wouldn't be without it. My periods are manageable with this, but pretty stressful & leaky without. Such is life!
 
That's awful Alex, I hope you can find a method that works for you xxx
 
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