BC, mirena coil removal

Ask our Nurses your questions
1

Hi, I have 28 mm grade 3 invasive ductal carcinoma.

ER 6/8, PR 8/8 and HER2 positive.

Had the mirena coil put in this year due to multiple Gynae issues (pcos and enduro) and following recent diagnosis of BC had it removed over a week ago and sorry for tmi it’s horrendous, loss, clots etc and no sign of easing off. I’ve previously had to take tramacamic acid and zapain but hospital advised just zapain for now.

I’m seeing oncology on Monday to start Neo - adjuvant chemo, targeted biological therapy & herceptin followed by wide local excision and sentinel lymph node biopsy.
Radiotherapy. Hormone therapy (endocrine). Ongoing herceptin and zometa. 6 monthly infusion- bisphosphonates for 3 years.

Anyone else has similar Gynae issues as well as the BC please? Will they automatically look to address both issues? Or at least stop the loss somehow? I need this bleeding to stop and get on with everything else x

2

Hi Polly, i had a mirena for gynae issues too, which had to be removed, and despite being 49 my periods came back right away. Ive been put on monthly zoladex injections as part of my treatment. No periods since as i understand that the zoladex basically shuts my ovaries down.
At this age, i dont mind being thrown into full menopause, as i wasnt too far off it anyway! However if you are younger there might be different recommendations, but i thought it was worth me mentioning this in case it helps any conversations you might be having with your health professionals.
Take care, julie xx

3

Thank you so much Julie I will pop this on my list to ask. I’m 43 Monday and have had issues for 30 years now :frowning: . Have been blessed with 2 miracle babies aged 18 and 4. Having BC is more than enough to deal with without this on top. Thank you and best wishes x

1 Like
4

Hi Polly,
I had the mirena coil fitted as heavy periods and nose bleeds were making me anaemic. I had it removed in January 2020 when I was diagnosed with breast cancer from my first ever mammogram aged 51. I had a lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy in March, radiotherapy and started tamoxifen in June 2020.
After the coil removal I had heavy bleeding which lasted 6 weeks with massive clots and became anaemic again. I was referred to gynaecologist who found a benign cyst on my ovary. Prescribed tranexamic acid which stopped bleeding. Next bleed was November 2020 which is also the last period I had since starting tamoxifen. I am now 55 and presume I have now gone through the menopause.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions and make notes at all consultations. Take care Helen x

5

Thank you Helen for sharing your experience. I’ve just had a look and it appears endocrine therapy is Tamoxifen but I will certainly ask :slight_smile: All of the medical terminology confuses me and I’m getting mighty concerned about the potential cocktails of different medication and the side effects but will need to entrust them to do what’s best, thank you xx

6

Dear polly3

Thank you for your post. It sounds like you’re having a difficult time. It’s understandable that you want to know if anyone else has had similar gynaecological issues with a diagnosis of breast cancer, and how this was managed.

As @HCP says, having removal of the mirena coil can cause bleeding and this can sometimes be severe. I wonder if your treatment team is aware there has not been any improvement in your symptoms. You mention you are seeing your oncology team today. I imagine you will be letting them know about how severe your symptoms have been since the mirena coil was removed.

As @NorthernJay says, the type of breast cancer someone has will determine the type of treatment you might have, and some treatments can affect the hormones. You mention your breast cancer is ER 6/8, PR 8/8 and HER2 positive and you are due to have neo-adjuvant chemotherapy followed by a targeted (biological) therapy and Herceptin, then surgery with radiotherapy, hormone therapy and zometa.

The hormone treatment may help with the symptoms you are experiencing; however, your treatment team may want to speak with the gynaecology team about your symptoms and how they can best be managed. I wonder if you are still under a gynaecology specialist. If not, you could talk to your breast treatment team about your concerns with the gynaecological symptoms you’re experiencing and about referring you to a gynaecologist.

We offer a range of free supportive services for anyone who has had a diagnosis of breast cancer which you may be interested in. They include face to face and online courses and events.

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Best wishes

Teresa

Breast Care Nurse

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