Hormonal IUDs such as the mirena coil are different from other forms of hormonal birth control such as the pill in that they do not always prevent ovulation. This means that they can sometimes allow natural cycling to occur. Doctors often prescribe them to reduce heavy periods, as well as alleviate pain and other symptoms associated with endometriosis.
The Advantages of hormonal IUDs:
Hormonal IUDs have several advantages over other types of hormonal birth control. They do not always completely suppress ovulation which is important because ovulation is necessary for women to produce hormones. According to one study, the Mirena coil, a type of hormonal IUD, suppresses ovulation in 85 percent of cycles during the first year. This study says that after that the percentage is lower. But what we see in clinic is a higher percentage of women don’t ovulate on the Mirena.
The Disadvantages of the hormonal IUD:
Hormonal intrauterine devices (IUDs) let out a contraceptive drug called levonorgestrel, which is not progesterone and can affect the entire body, not just the uterus, according to recent research. Levonorgestrel can cause several side effects and the ones we see in clinic include acne, hair loss, hirsutism, depression, anxiety, headaches, yeast infections, weight gain, and breast changes.
While hormonal IUDs can suppress ovulation at times, they may also cause irregular bleeding and spotting during the first few months of use but can be much longer. Because the Mirena coil contains a synthetic progestin it will not support your own natural progesterone in Perimenopause. In fact because I’d usually suppresses ovulation we tend to see low or no progesterone on Dutch test results. This is why women often feel anxious and experience poor sleep when using the Mirena coil.
Hormonal IUDs can suppress bleeding which doctors say is not needed. However, women do need to ovulate monthly because it is how they produce hormones to get their period. So is suppressing ovulation the answer?
Heavy or painful periods are often due to hormonal imbalances such as oestrogen dominance or low progesterone. So it’s worth looking into the root cause.
If you are experiencing heavy bleeding or painful periods and would like to consider a more natural approach you can book an initial consultation or Dutch test here.
