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[SEU666]

Ive just turned 49 and I've had my Mirena since May 2017 and on Estrodogen (patch now gel) since September 2017.
Started with peri when I was 40, slowly got worse from aged 43 and finally had Mirena fitted as tried a number of mini pills, and was having heavy, longer, big clotted periods.
Vaginal discomfort started may 2018, Ovestin works well for me, on the whole all good there.

Had what I take for a 'period' back around Christmas 2019, but I've had none since!
Last year I had 8 periods (not full blown bleeding but very slight beige like discharge, V dryness, tearfulness) for 4-10 days.
I've had no real signs of a 'period' since Christmas but I'm having some soreness down below (have been using Ovestin most days for about 8 days now) sleeping badly and fatigue is constant but no PMT that I normally have with an approaching period. Been nearly 100 days since last 'period'.

Question is (sorry I do waffle a bit)....ladies that have a Mirena have your periods just stopped completely?
I understand regards to bleeding that a Mirena masks all the heaviness, which I'm thankful for, and can stop periods but do your other 'period' symptoms stop? No PMT, cramps, sore boobs etc?
Could the 'last period' have happened?

I'm on 3-4 pumps estrogel, the flushes stopped after I started low dose patch back in 2017 (25mcg then 50mcg) but GP has increased dose to help my mood and sleep. Mood is good (just bought a house and moving from London to Somerset) and Not feeling stressed, YET!! No sore boobs for about six months or more, and they feel very soft and squidgy now.

Gained a lot of weight recently and wondering how much estrogen I actually need?
It certainly doesn't seem to help my sleep, no night sweats anymore which i was getting before a 'period', the odd bad day of tearfulness (think more from over tiredness though) but nothing like before.

Any advise would be helpful as wondering about slowly reducing estrogel and seeing what happens. Could I need less now I'm older?
Is it worth just staying at this dose, especially as moving soon, or worth playing with dose and seeing what happens?
All so confusing!
Thank you everyone

X

[BobbingAlong]

I would imagine this is your periods beginning to stop "naturally" as it were rather than the Mirena supressing/hiding them? Especially if throughout your time on the mirena over the last 2 years you've always been quite clearly aware of your natural cycle by indicators of PMT, breast tenderness etc and then a light bleed or spotting, followed by the cessation of PMT symptoms.
Some women have no bleed from the get go with Mirena and I have a couple of friends who have no idea where they are in their cycle or even if one is still happening whilst on mirena. However my experience has been that Im very much able to track mine with still rather bad PMT symptoms and a super light bleed/spotting(which is one blessing! But boy could I do without the pmt,!)
I'm not at the stage of skipping periods yet (age 51, coil also inserted in 2017) so can't personally say "oh yes, you are at the next stage, almost at meno and it's not mirena causing the lack of a noticeable cycle. But with how you've described the absence of your usual pmt symptoms and light bleed, it does sound like it.
Can't advise re upping or lowering the oestrogel dose and it maybe best to leave it for now if you have a big stressful move approaching? Only you can decide . My personal indicator of oestrogel being too high tends to be denser, painful breasts and even sometimes a few more flushes(complicated with peaks & troughs of peri cycle still going on). However when it's too low I get a lot more flushes, bad anxiety and worse ibs.
I'll be watching with interest to see if any mirena ladies who've had one are around and can share wether they could tell if periods had "stopped" because they'd got to next stage! I'm imagining that I will be able to, because they are so obvious to me at moment!?! 😁

[Taz2]

I have a few friends/work colleagues who have no periods at all while using the mirena. Hope this helps.

Taz x 

[SEU666]

Thank you BobbingAlong and Taz2 for your replies.
I think I will see how the next couple of weeks go and have another think re the estrogel dose.
Had about 4 hours sleep last night, will add some extra gel tonight and see if that helps.
Really frustrating not knowing how to help myself but know I'm not alone and have had an easier time than some of the lovely ladies on here.
X

[BobbingAlong]

Frustrating isn't it it? I feel like I'm constantly telling myself, right let's see how the next few weeks go, looking for patterns, wondering if to lower or increase my dose etc. The uncertainty of this late reproductive/early peri phase and ever changing cycle lengths and symptoms is frustrating me no end. I thought/hoped I might be on to the next stage by now after almost 10 years of quite challenging symptoms. But no. And maybe thats's tempting fate, to hope that menopause will be better than peri. But I just have to hope that I'll be able to better manage a more consistent, low level of hormones than all these crazy ups and downs??
Anyway, do let me know how you get on as it sounds like you are further along than me and will be interested to hear how you get along with adjusting your dose as your periods become less frequent..... or maybe even have reached the end. Especially as you are someone, like myself who still had periods with pmt whilst on Mirena + transdermal oestrogen combo.
Good luck with the move too! Tis lovely in the southwest!

[Paz23]

Hi,
I had merina fitted (I'm on my 2nd) and had nothing for 7 years, no bleeding, no pms, no breast tenderness and thought it was great. Then a year ago my peri symptoms started (I've a list of them a mile long) and I started with periods again, albeit light enough not to need sanitary protection. In Nov I had 2 with a week between then nothing in Dec, then all I've had is 2 days of pink spotting since then.
So I've no idea what's going on. How do I know if my periods are getting more eratic because of hormone fluctuations in peri or its just the merina messing it all up?

[BobbingAlong]

Hi Paz,
I had a look at a couple of of your other posts and from what you report of symptoms and the fact that your mum had an early menopause it does seem like this is peri. Many women(not all) can go thru a stage of flooding periods and maybe that could be what's been going on for you? And so although the mirena used to eliminate all signs of a cycle in the past for you, the fluctuations are such that now you are seeing some bleeds & symptoms. Be interesting for you to ask your mother if she had heavy bleeds at this stage, although she may have been on HRT by then? Although may only be an indication as there's no guarantee your experience will be same as hers.
My mother had a 'flooding' stage at around the age I'd already started mirena as part of my HRT and I wonder if that's what was going on for me the first 18 months I was on it it as I had constant spotting, as well as bleeds when it was actual period.  So the mirena probably saved me from that aspect of it all!
The positive for yourself is that you've got on OK with Mirena for last 7 years, and I would suggest continuing with it for the progesterone part of your HRT. (apologies if I'm wrong in assuming that u are considering HRT). Then you can add in a transdermal oestrogen using patch or gel. Many ladies (myself included) have a terrible time finding a progesterone that suits them and so if you've got something your body can tolerate, I'd stick with it.
I'm sure you are reading lots here, so you can get informed and go ready to GP with an idea of what you want to ask for.
Oh, and keeping a symptom diary has been very helpful. There's some great apps out there. I use womanlog Pro which has every symptom u could every imagine listed. Hope that helps. X

[Paz23]

Thanks that was really helpful. Sorry that I've ambushed the original person's post.

[Paz23]

The thing is when the shelf life of this one is up I'm not having another one fitted. I?ll not say why - don't want to put anyone off trying it, but then I?ll have to try something new anyway.
Considering having coil removed and make my husband have the snip so I can see exactly what my body is doing.