In 2004 I told my ob/gyn I wanted tubal litigation. He handed me a pamphlet on Essure; said it was a superior form of permanent birth control. I read the pamphlet and researched the product on the internet. The product, however, was so new there were no adverse stories on the web at that time.
I felt bad immediately after the procedure and was unable to return to work the next day as the literature suggested. I had tremendous abdominal swelling for weeks and I didn’t feel right. I also noticed an immediate reduction in my libido. I called my ob/gyn to discuss what I perceived to be adverse effects of Essure, and he assured me that the symptoms I complained of were not related to Essure. The symptoms did diminish, somewhat, after a few months and I disregarded my instincts.
Within a year I began to experience adverse reactions to all medications and a lot of foods, mostly processed ones. I also began to suffer from chronic fatigue and depression. I continued to suffer from periodic bloating that was significant at times. I also began to experience pain, which I saw my ob/gyn’s nurse practitioner about. My stomach was so tender I nearly screamed when I was examined. My ob/gyn’s office eventually ordered an abdominal ct can, which showed an inflamed kidney.
From that point on – five years total – I consulted with 10 medical doctors about a plethora of peculiar symptoms, which didn’t seem to be related. Fatigue, allergies, chemical sensitivities, depression, rashes, pain and an overall feeling of toxicity. Nobody could determine why I was sick. Some doctors were kind; others were insulting and condescending. I also spent thousands of dollars on co-pays. The last doctor that I saw, an allergist, ordered a metal allergy test (at my request). The test results did not indicate a metal allergy, but my symptoms got severely worse during the two days I had the metal buttons taped to my back. Additionally, my SED rate was 28, which indicated I was suffering from a good bit of inflammation.
I decided to have Essure removed in 2009. I met with my ob/gyn who had inserted Essure. He said he would try to pull them out (which I knew was absurd based on my own research) but I would likely need a hysterectomy. I didn’t want to have a hysterectomy because, at that point, I didn’t know for certain Essure was making me sick. Instead, I had Dr. Greene at Lakeshore Surgical Center perform a reversal.
I felt better immediately after removal of Essure and have recovered about 90%. However, I do still suffer from chemical sensitivities. I believe the Essure coating re-wired my immune system permanently. Four months after removal my SED rate was a 10. Even my ob/gyn, who didn’t believe Essure was making me sick, said that the before/after SED rates were a good indication that I was, in fact, suffering from an adverse reaction to Essure.
I believe it is the coating on the metal coils that is making women sick. I called the manufacturer of Essure in August of 2009 was given the following list of materials that are used to make the coating:
acrylonitrile butadiene scyrene; flurorinated ethylene propylene; polyvinyl; pyrrolidone hyerophillic coating; pet fibers (polyethylene); terephthalate polyimide
The chemical concoction used for the coating is designed to create mass inflammation, which causes the scar tissue to grow at an accelerated rate to ultimately block the tubes. Science tells us inflammation is unhealthy, even deadly, so it doesn’t make sense to me for this product to be on the market. It’s also disconcerting to me that the literature on Essure does not explain that the coating is designed to produce mass inflammation. My understanding, prior to getting Essure, was the that scar tissue grows naturally in response to the foreign object. The literature is, at best, misleading.
I’m grateful to God I had the means to get the devices removed, but I will regret getting Essure for the rest of my life.