Recently sterilized, having some issues

[kellyz_craic]

Hiya

I was sterilized a couple of months ago, had keyhole surgery and clips put on my tubes. Because I'm still young and fertile, the surgeon also fitted me with a Mirena coil that emits hormones. Apparently the possibility of failure with both those things in place is 1 in 40,000, which are odds I can live with!

Anyway, my husband and I ditched the condoms and about 3 weeks after my operation we had some gentle sex without any issues. I've recovered fine and so we haven't looked back.

I keep getting really bad vaginal itching, usually after sex but at a low level all the time. There's no discharge but there's slight pain when I pee. I also can't masturbate at the moment because my clit is way too sensitive. I'm also not producing as much lubricant during sex and so I've bought a bottle of lube for the first time. It's water based and says it's hypo-allergenic so I don't think it could be that.

I got through my first period post op ok and although it was very painful, there wasn't much bleeding, which I was told is normal because of the coil I have. I was kind of hoping the issues we're having with sex would resolve themselves after I'd had a period and my body had kind of cleaned itself out or whatever.

Anway, if anyone has any advice I'd be really grateful.

 

[SweetErika]

You need to go check with your doctor (or seek out another if this one brushes off your concerns), but it sounds to me like it's the hormones in the IUD that are wreaking havoc with your system. I had a lot of those symptoms on even the lowest dose of the pill, and Mirena is notorious for serious side effects.

 

[kellyz_craic]

Mirena is notorious for serious side effects.

Great. Did not know this.

I'll have a google around but at the same time, I don't want to scare the crap out of myself.

I'm actually really fucked off now, because one of the main reasons I had the sterilization was because I got such terrible side effects from the pill. My surgeon told me the Mirena gave a much smaller and localised dose, which meant I should tolerate it fine.

Humph.

 

[SweetErika]

Great. Did not know this.

I'll have a google around but at the same time, I don't want to scare the crap out of myself.

I'm actually really fucked off now, because one of the main reasons I had the sterilization was because I got such terrible side effects from the pill. My surgeon told me the Mirena gave a much smaller and localised dose, which meant I should tolerate it fine.

Humph.

I've done some other research, but even just from the threads here alone, the reviews of Mirena are overwhelmingly negative. Same goes for DepoProvera, and the other longer-term methods of hormonal birth control.

Why not just have the IUD removed, since you're sterilized? If you're still within the 3 month post-op period, use condoms. Your chance of getting pregnant with the tubal ligation alone (after the initial 3-month post-op period) is about 5 in 1000 after one year, and 13 in 1000 after 5 years. Unless simply getting pregnant will put your life at risk, the odds are in your favor with just the tubal ligation.

 

[Eilan]

Why not just have the IUD removed, since you're sterilized? If you're still within the 3 month post-op period, use condoms. Your chance of getting pregnant with the tubal ligation alone (after the initial 3-month post-op period) is about 5 in 1000 after one year, and 13 in 1000 after 5 years. Unless simply getting pregnant will put your life at risk, the odds are in your favor with just the tubal ligation.

I agree. I had a tubal at 30, BTW, and I have to admit that I've never heard of combining a tubal and an IUD.

 

[beths-virtue]

He should have used a regular copper IUD without the hormones if he knew you were hypersensitive.. sorry that youre having issues

 

[mattastic100]

peeing

................

 

[kellyz_craic]

I've done some other research, but even just from the threads here alone, the reviews of Mirena are overwhelmingly negative. Same goes for DepoProvera, and the other longer-term methods of hormonal birth control.

That's disheartening but at the same time, nobody's going to make a thread about contraception they're having no issues with.

Why not just have the IUD removed, since you're sterilized? If you're still within the 3 month post-op period, use condoms. Your chance of getting pregnant with the tubal ligation alone (after the initial 3-month post-op period) is about 5 in 1000 after one year, and 13 in 1000 after 5 years. Unless simply getting pregnant will put your life at risk, the odds are in your favor with just the tubal ligation.

The odds are in my favour but pregnancy is just out of the question for me and will indeed put my life at risk. I was told by my surgeon that the odds of failure with the tube clips alone was 1 in 200 and that the mirena alone had a fail rate of 1 in 300.

I'll talk to my GP about having the coil removed. I'll just have to keep everything crossed... except my legs.

He should have used a regular copper IUD without the hormones if he knew you were hypersensitive.. sorry that youre having issues

Yeah, I did ask him about that but he told me the dose was very low because it's localised and that I shouldn't have any problems with it.

the water based lubracant can get into your urethra and will cause burning.

you have to remember what ever gets on the mans penis, soap, detergant still left in clothing, lint or toilet paper prior to sex can mix with what ever lubracant and make its way to the urethra and cause buring in a man or a woman.

I am aware of this and we do generally have sex after we've showered etc to minimise the risk of any infection. He needs a shower as soon as he gets in from work anyway.

Basically I had my son 12 years ago. He was breach and overdue and I couldn't get to the hospital for an emergency c section. The labour was just terrifyingly quick. I gave birth in a caravan with a couple of relatives as midwives. He caused me damage on the way out. I lost a lot of blood and was in intensive care after they did surgery to repair everything. They did consider a hysterectomy but instead did a patch-up job, with my (now ex) husband's consent. Then 5 years ago I had an abnormal smear and they had to laser my cervix. Since then I have annual smear tests.

I'm on medication that makes the pill less affective so they put me on a huge dose of the stuff and it basically gave me huge emotional side-effects that nearly ended my (2nd... do keep up!) marriage. It was only when I ran out of the tablets and realised what a totally different woman I was that I understood how much they were effecting me. I was bad tempered, aggressive and depressed to the point of considering suicide. I was a horrible mother and wife. As soon as I stopped taking the pill, all my psych issues vanished. I came off anti-depressants without any problem and my outlook has just been SO much better.

So I vowed never to take another hormonal pill. My GP tried to fit me with a mirena but the insertion didn't work, whether because of the surgery I had or the lasering to my cervix I don't know but it just wasn't going to happen. I took a load of painkillers beforehand and it was still agony. He referred me for sterilization after I spent years asking him and relying on condoms. He just didn't think they would consider it with someone as young as me and the NHS is all about cutbacks these days. Sterilization isn't often considered a medical necessity.

So that's where I'm at. Thanks for all the advice you've given, it has helped me get some perspective.

 

[SweetErika]

That's disheartening but at the same time, nobody's going to make a thread about contraception they're having no issues with.

The threads I'm thinking of are along the lines of "Has anyone tried Mirena?" and asking for others' experiences with IUDs and other BC options. Some have reported no problems with Mirena, but the overwhelming response here and elsewhere is that it comes with A LOT of side effects for many women.

The odds are in my favour but pregnancy is just out of the question for me and will indeed put my life at risk. I was told by my surgeon that the odds of failure with the tube clips alone was 1 in 200 and that the mirena alone had a fail rate of 1 in 300.

That's fucked up, and it sounds like you had the wrong surgery. If just getting pregnant would put your life at risk and/or you aren't willing to terminate a pregnancy for your own health, then they should have snipped and filled, rather than put clips on, your fallopian tubes. To go through surgery just to have the odds decreased a bit over non-surgical methods of birth control is pretty ridiculous.

There IS another option for you: your husband could have a vasectomy. Between that and the tubal, you should be good to go.

I'm not sure how NHS works exactly, but if I were you, I'd go seek the opinions of other doctors. This sounds like a big clusterfuck, and both your GP and surgeon are responsible for a good part of it. You're responsible for the other part because it sounds like you didn't research your options properly and take charge of your own health on this - valuable lesson learned for the future, eh?

Basically I had my son 12 years ago. He was breach and overdue and I couldn't get to the hospital for an emergency c section. The labour was just terrifyingly quick. I gave birth in a caravan with a couple of relatives as midwives. He caused me damage on the way out. I lost a lot of blood and was in intensive care after they did surgery to repair everything. They did consider a hysterectomy but instead did a patch-up job, with my (now ex) husband's consent. Then 5 years ago I had an abnormal smear and they had to laser my cervix. Since then I have annual smear tests.

The damage from your son's birth shouldn't have anything to do with your abnormal cervical cells.

I suppose another option for you could be a partial hysterectomy. If you just have your uterus removed, you won't go into premature menopause, have to worry about cervical (or uterine) cancer and the pregnancy issue will be off the table entirely. If you need to have your sterilization surgery redone (in a far more effective way) because you can't tolerate the hormonal birth control, then a partial hysterectomy is something you should seriously look at and probably push for, since it'll kill multiple birds with one stone.

 

[butterfly_flip]

I had the mirena coil fitted in an attempt to combat the very painful side effects of endomitriosis, and have to say that, for the most part, it's been a real benefit to me. However, there are alot of negative stories about the coil, mirena in particular, so if you think it's giving you hell, then ask for it to be removed.

Sorry you've had/are having such a rough time.

 

[bailadora]

There IS another option for you: your husband could have a vasectomy.

That's what I was thinking. I'm sure the guys reading this are cringing and cupping their nuts, but this is the route we went after we knew we were finis with having kids. And I have to say between not having to worry about unwanted pregnancy and crazy side BC side effects, I'm loving life and sex more than ever!

The fact that tubal ligation is considered major surgery vs an in office procedure for the snip was huge point in my favor. The other was that I'd already been through three live births, two miscarriages and two D & C's. When I pointed this out and suggested that it was time for him to take one for the team, he didn't have a leg to stand on!

 

[SweetErika]

That's what I was thinking. I'm sure the guys reading this are cringing and cupping their nuts, but this is the route we went after we knew we were finis with having kids. And I have to say between not having to worry about unwanted pregnancy and crazy side BC side effects, I'm loving life and sex more than ever!

The fact that tubal ligation is considered major surgery vs an in office procedure for the snip was huge point in my favor. The other was that I'd already been through three live births, two miscarriages and two D & C's. When I pointed this out and suggested that it was time for him to take one for the team, he didn't have a leg to stand on!

Yep, there's no question a vasectomy will be the route we will take, and I'm glad my husband doesn't have any problem with it. Geez, now they even have a "no needles, no scalpel" procedure for the needle-phobic that pretty much allows the recipient to be back in full action within a day! Even the more traditional methods are a piece of cake compared to pregnancy and childbirth, though! I suppose I might consider a tubal if I had another c-section or something, but I'm certainly not going to go get one for the hell of it.

We've decided to just not use birth control for the next few years, then it'll be vasectomy time for Hubby. If we decide one isn't enough and/or want another child after I'm 35, there are far, far too many kids in the foster care system and up for adoption who need good homes, and honestly, I feel better about going that route than having more of our own in a lot of ways.

 

[Lord Pmann]

I suppose a guy commenting here is pretty weird, but I will anyway. My wife had the Mirena and while it did work, she didn't like the side effects. We don't have kids and we didn't want kids so we asked about a vasectomy. I was only about 25 at the time so the docs didn't want to snip me just yet because they though I may change my mind. So they gave my wife the Mirena.

My wife didn't like the hormone side effects. For one, it made her dry. It slightly curbed her sex drive. Not terrible, but she wasn't as horny. She also said it just made her feel a bit numb.

Finally we decided We just were not going to have kids, so when I was about 27 I decided to get snipped. I paid extra for them to put me under because I couldn't handle being awake for that. It was a lot more expensive, but money well spent. It felt like a donkey kicked me in the balls for about a month. But realistically, it's exactly the best option for us. I will second what the other women said and ask your husband to get snipped.

My wife has been much Hornier, happier and wetter since the removal.