I would like to inform #MedTwitter about a problem regarding #Essure coils, the women suffering because of them, the mistrust of doctors its caused and more importantly the spread of pseudoscience among #Esisters.

A thread.

I am not a healthcare professional, I have been harmed by Essure. I had Essure implanted in Sept. 2008 just 3 months after birthing my second child. I had Essure removed in 2016 via total hysterectomy and bilateral Salpingectomy. This thread isn't about me though.

You may have heard about the Facebook group "Essure Problems". A group created by a woman suffering many ailments she claims were caused by Essure. I joined in 2016 shortly after I was informed my coils may have migrated. I learned alot about women suffering with Essure and

Many symptoms I shared with them. But I need to stay on topic, the problem now and over the past couple of years is that their have been a dramatic increase in pseudoscience "cures" and treatments being pushed in the group. Everything from Heavy metal detox, vaginally steams,

milk on tampons inserted for a few hours, boric acid vaginal suppositories, cleanses, essential oils, expensive and useless supplements, minerals and herbs. It is the whats what of every "natural remedy" thats available.

Essure had a peculiar FDA pre market approval despite not being a life saving device and very poor clinical studies. Out of less than 800 participants only 197 were followed up with for 24 months. Only 34 for 36 months. You can see why women are not trusting the FDA rn.

During the approval panel one of the FDA panelists voiced concern over the use of nickel rather than steel to make the coils. Since she herself was allergic to nickel she rightly saw the problems that could and did occur. Conceptus (now owned by Bayer) recommended allergy test b4

insertion. Something many doctors (including my own) did not know or do. Many women became very sick due to allergy to nickel or develop sensitivity and many go unreported by the negligent doctors. See? More reasons to mistrust doctors. Women associate having Nickel/metal in

their bodies with "heavy metal" poisoning. I see it everyday in E problems, women asking or prescribing methods for "heavy metal detox". There is no mechanism as far as I know for the nickel to seep into the bloodstream the problem is caused by allergy not poisoning.

Here is how I understand the common fatigue, and aches caused by Essure. The coils are inserted to the fal tubes and cause an immune response, i.e. triggers scar tissue to grow around the coils blocking the tubes and end result is eggs cannot be fertilized. But the body doesn't

just stop it's immune response because the scar tissue has grown, tubes are blocked, objective complete. The immune system continues to fight the foreign objects triggering autoimmune responses and systems. We get headaches, joint aches, flu like symptoms, extreme fatigue, rash,

I and others developed sun allergies (I'm allergic to the fkn sun now, guys!!), hair loss, even tooth decay and loss. Many of us were tested for Lupus, RA, Gillian Barre, or were given fibromyalgia diagnosis. These symptoms are or were never connected to Essure and were not

reported to either Conceptus/Bayer or the FDA. Many doctors still don't know or believe its caused by Essure. This leaves the door wide open for naturopaths, homeopaths, chiropractors and other quacks. Fatigue, headache, and general achiness are some of their favorite symptoms

to "treat". So, thats whats happening, women suffering from Essure related symptoms are leaving the science based medicine behind in favor of "natural" remedies and practitioners. This is dangerous for other reasons too. #MedTwitter listen to me, please! Women are blaming e

everything on Essure that likely had nothing to do with it. Everything from deodorant not working to cancer. They are asking for diagnosis of symptoms from a Facebook group rather than calling their doctors. Many women are more than willing to give their miracle cures, detoxes,

and other garbage regimens as advice. It's crazy! 100 different supplements, herbs, oils and potions are given for things the person just seriously needs to see a doctor for. There are no studies and research to define what problems Essure may be responsible for so for many women

everything is Essures fault. Again Doctors do not report it. Next I will make a thread on the gynecologic symptoms women commonly experience with #Essure these are underreported and often not linked too. I hope you will listen, record and report the women you see with Essure.

It would be nice to at least have compiled symptoms and data for educational purposes but also to help women feel heard and relevant.