Decisions to be made...

[Catastrophic]

So I have had my review after the Mirena...

Apart from stopping pregnancy it's not agreeing with my body.

The doctors have said that I am just really sensitive to medication.

So, after the month long bleeding after I got it in, it was going good. But now, periods are every month and last 12 days. Heavy, painful, and down right annoying, and I am still getting bad headaches and migraines (which they thought being on the Mirena might help)

So the options are:

Keep it in deal with bleeding and migraines - Blugh!!!

Take it out and have a baby - not quite ready for this!!!

Take it out and just use condoms - this just isn't a good idea, I don't have that self control.

Take it out and try a low dose pill - that might cause same problems and be less effective

Take it out and try the bar - but that can cause same problems and more

Take it out and try the nova ring - but might still have same problems...

Take it out, see if things get better, and if I want it back in I will have to go back under....

Gotta go home to think bout it and then go back...

I don't know what I should do...

I don't want a baby just yet, and I am worried that some of those suggestions won't protect me as good as the Mirena

I have always had migraines so not to sure if this should play into it. They haven't got worse like when I was on the pill so that's a good thing...

And I don't want to have heavy bleeding and pain for 12 days either.

Thoughts ladies?

[Lilly-Pilly]

I am extremely sensitive to medications and hormones and had a terrible time with the pill.
3 different docs said I should get the implanon, but after hearing so any horror stories I was terrified.
My doc said try it for 3 months and if it doesn't agree with you we will take it out.
Well it was so wonderful for me that I ended up having it replaced after 3 years with a second one and had it in for 6 years all together.
I got very few symptoms and only had a period every 4-6 months.
It was brilliant for me
My only negative was that it have me
Terrible pimples for the first
Month. I asked the doc for a medicated face wash and that cleared it up and it was never an issue again

[MrsFabuloso]

I haven't been in the situation where contraception made me ill, but I have chosen to stop putting those hormones/chemicals into my body. But if contraception was actually making me feel bad and giving me life altering illnesses (like migraines, pain and very heavy bleeding) I would absolutely stop putting that into my body. Clearly your body doesn't agree with it.
If eventually having more children isn't off the cards, could you maybe use the rhythm method (timing your cycle and having sex only when you're not ovulating) and then use condoms only those few days that you're fertile?
Otherwise, I would try some other sort of hormonal cont. and see how it reacts with your body, the reactive hormones or doses are all different, and you might react better with something else.

[RainbowRiver]

After the Mirena, my dr put me on to the Nuva ring... Best move ever!! Expensive but worked wonders. I used to get insanely bad migraines on every contraception (minus condoms) and rarely had them with the ring. They also regulated my period to exactly 28 days, 3-4 days long.

[PumpkinZulu]

After the Mirena, my dr put me on to the Nuva ring... Best move ever!! Expensive but worked wonders. I used to get insanely bad migraines on every contraception (minus condoms) and rarely had them with the ring. They also regulated my period to exactly 28 days, 3-4 days long.

The Nuva ring has been linked to deaths in the US, I'd look into it and maybe try something else tbh

I have implanon, and it's fine. A little weight gain, a bit of moodiness, but it does it's job. I got it at 12 months pp, and I hadn't had AF back. I still haven't gotten AF so that's a plus.

[RainbowRiver]

The Nuva ring has been linked to deaths in the US, I'd look into it and maybe try something else tbh

I have implanon, and it's fine. A little weight gain, a bit of moodiness, but it does it's job. I got it at 12 months pp, and I hadn't had AF back. I still haven't gotten AF so that's a plus.

I don't use anything now, in the past it's what I used. Like anything though, all have risks

[Saffy]

I really liked the Nuva ring too.

I agree, all hormonal contraception has some risk esp if you smoke in regards to blood clots etc.

The good thing about the Nuva ring is you can trial it and remove it easily if you don't like it

[~clover~]

Is depo an option? Other than some weight gain, that I've put down to finally using it consistently for over 2 years, I haven't had any issues on it. I've been using it since DD1 was 12 months old.

I could get the implanon, I think it's the same hormone, so would probably have the same affect, but the idea of it makes me queasy. I personally won't take the risk of no BC at the moment. I'm not seeing anyone, but its not worth the risk! I need to start thinking more permanent options.

[e_p]

maybe the copper IUD is worth looking into? Or a diaphragm? both non-hormonal options.

[Floweryfields]

Do people still use diaphragms these days?

[e_p]

yep, they do. Several of my girlfriends who don't want to use hormonal contraception use a diaphragm. They all ended up having to go to a family planning/sexual health clinic to get them because they couldn't find a Dr who would fit one.

[Tegam]

I was going to suggest iud? If condoms are a no go then a diaphragm, wouldn't help

[*beannaithe*]

After doing so much ivf, I was reluctant to put any more synthetic hormones into my body and my gp suggested an iud. I onlt had it put in a few weeks ago so am still waiting for my first period which apparently may be a bit heavier than before but so far, so good. Interestingly, I was talking to my mum about it and she said that my dad, who was a pharmacist, didn't like her being on the pill for any extended length of time because of the hormonal side of things, obviously back then things would've been less sophisticated but still . .

[Catastrophic]

I was advised against the copper iud