charliegirl - I had the Mirena for 4 years post meno and found it fine. There are a number of side effects one can get e.g. the initial early boost of progesterone can make one feel a bit sedated and occasional tummy cramps are common but generally the advantages can be good. After the first few weeks, that may bring some bleeding and spotting, most some women end up with no bleeds at all. Minimal progesterone is absorbed systemically so problems such as PMT type symptoms, fibroids, excessive bleeding etc. that can emerge with other forms of HRT(particularly in the peri stage) can be controlled. The mirena is very popular now with many gynaes because it will often help or reduce problems relating to heavy bleeding and also provide contraceptive protection in the peri meno stage.
Like so many things, the horror stories relating to the Mirena do end up on the internet and I think many of us are not keen on having something permanently inside us. I think on the the top benefits is the fact you can add as much oestrogen as you want to control flushes, night sweats etc without having to adjust the progesterone.
Fro those who are really progesterone intolerant the Mirena will still give problems though.
BTW - if you do decide to give the Mirena a try - and don't forget if you don't like it, it's easy to remove - I wouldn't take oestrogen in pill form, go for patch or gel as this is far better for absorption and less likely to upset the stomach. DG x
