Mirena Replacement

It's been a little over a year since my last visit. From what I've seen scanning the topics on the forum, it sounds like lots of people are trying the Mirena and it's working for some.

During the last year, my bleeding level gradually decreased until my period finally went away completely for several months—hurray! Then in December I had one day of bleeding, and this month, three days. It has been over 4 years since insertion of the IUD and I suspect it is just about tuckered out. They are supposed to last for 5 years but that is as a contraceptive. I guess it will prevent pregnancy even when it stops completely preventing bleeding.

It has been such a huge relief to have no period! I didn't realize how spoiled I had gotten by no longer expecting flooding and clots and all that jazz until I started to bleed again. After having increased bleeding this month, I sent an email to my gyn saying that I was worried the Mirena was losing its effectiveness and asking if I could have it replaced now, or did I have to wait until the five years were up? Fortunately she says I do not have to wait, and I plan to make an appointment for replacement in the near future. She says the old one can come out and a new one be put in the same day, which I am pleased about because it took several years before I got the full effect and I don't want to have any gap that would allow Aunt Flo to get back into her old bad habits.

The problem is that I am really nervous about getting the one that's in there taken out. I did not have a lot of pain when it was inserted, and was pretty much recovered by the same evening. But the string went up inside my uterus, IIRC sometime during the first year after insertion, and I have no idea how the doctor is going to find it and get it out. I am imagining all sorts of crazy things. What if it's stuck to the inside of my uterus? Is the doctor going to have to poke around and hunt for it? It's not like she can see inside the uterus just looking up a speculum after all.

So my question is, has anybody had a Mirena removed and replaced after it had been in for years, especially if your string had disappeared?

Hi,
I just recently had the Merina taken out and it did not hurt at all. However, I only had mine about 4 months. I had horrible side effects and I wanted it taken out badly. But as far as it hurting, it did not hurt me at all.
Wendy

Hello all,
Just a quick progress report. I had my Mirena replaced yesterday. I was *very* nervous about this, because the string was up inside my uterus and the doctor was going to have to poke around to find the IUD. Well, she did have to poke around, but it was nowhere near as bad as I'd feared. It was painful, but only to a "bite your lip & squeeze the nurse's hands real hard" level, not agonizing. Once my gyn found the IUD, the actual removal was not painful at all, and putting the new one in was not bad either. Doctor said she would leave a longer string this time. As with the original insertion, I had some cramps, but they were pretty much gone by that evening. The nurse gave me a couple of ibuprofens before removal of the old IUD, and that was all the pain reliever I needed.

So, now I have my new Mirena. Hopefully that will keep "Aunt Flo" under control until she decides to pack her bags and move out permanently. I'm 53 now, and the Mirena is good for about five years, so I imagine this one will last me until menopause. But even if I need to get another one, I now know it isn't bad having it replaced.

Happy Birthday to me, and a quick progress report. The new Mirena is working well—no Aunt Flo for several months now. I can't tell if it's the Mirena or menopause that has sent her packing, and frankly, I don't much care which it is, as long as she stays gone.

I don't know that I'll have anything else to report, but if I'm not back again, best wishes to all Hyster Sisters!

If your problem is heavy bleeding from fibroids, ask your gyn whether a Mirena might help. It has worked for me.