A mother-of-three claims the controversial contraceptive implant Essure has ruined her life.
Nadi Nour, 41, a sales consultant from Adelaide, Australia, says her life has turned into a ‘living hell’ ever since she had the sterilisation device implanted into her fallopian tubes in 2010.
In the eight years since, Ms Nour has gained 66lbs (30kg), as well as battling monthly bladder infections, incontinence, depression, migraines, chronic fatigue, cramps, a reduced libido and severe pain after sex.
Ms Nour, who has joined hundreds of women in Australia in taking legal action against Essure’s manufacturer Bayer, said: ‘It has ruined my life completely and I really regret ever having it done.
‘Each day has becoming a living hell because of these horrible side effects.’
Essure is a coil implant that triggers inflammation in the fallopian tubes, which results in a build-up of scar tissue that blocks both sperm from reaching an egg and eggs implanting in the uterus wall.
The implant has caused controversy globally, with Essure being pulled from the US, UK, Canada and South Africa, as well as throughout Europe and South America.
It has recently come under fire in Australia after hundreds of women complained of experiencing side effects since having the implant fitted. Bayer claims it discontinued the device in the country in July last year due to declining demand.
Mother-of-three Nadi Nour claims her contraceptive implant has ruined her life. Since having the coil fitted, Ms Nour has experienced ‘horrible side effects’, including incontinence, migraines and chronic fatigue, which she puts down to the sterilisation device
Ms Nour decided to have the implant fitted after the birth of her youngest daughter. She opted for the device over having a hysterectomy due to its supposedly faster recovery time. Pictured left to right are Ms Nour’s daughters Aiesha, 21, Yasmeen, 22, and Aaliyah 13
Ms Nour once enjoyed a healthy sex life with her husband Chris (pictured), 34, however, since having Essure fitted, she has been left with a low libido and severe pain after intercourse
‘It sounded perfect’
Speaking of her decision to have the implant fitted, Ms Nour said: ‘At the time, it seemed like the best option for me. I already had three beautiful girls and I didn’t want anymore.
‘I talked to a friend who had the implant too and she recommended it to me.
‘I decided to talk to my doctor. It seemed better than a hysterectomy because there was little to no recovery period.
‘It sounded perfect. They just said it was a titanium rod that would stop me from ever getting pregnant.’
Ms Nour claims to be in pain every day, adding that the coil affects every aspect of her life
She adds that she is desperate to ‘get her life back’ and want to ‘just go back to normal’
‘I want to have my life back’
Although the implantation of the device went to plan, Ms Nour began experiencing symptoms in the following months.
She said: ‘I began gaining loads of weight. My diet and activity level hadn’t changed, so I was really baffled.
‘In just three months I’d gained 22lbs (10kg), which went up to 66lbs in the 18 months following the procedure.
‘I was doing everything right and there was no reason for me to be piling on the weight. It was so depressing.
‘I’ve also become severely incontinent following the implant. Even after three kids, I never had problems with bladder control.’
Since having the implant fitted, Ms Nour has experienced leaking every time she laughs or sneezes. Her sex life has also been severely affected.
She said: ‘Sex has become a nightmare. I’ve lost my libido and it’s so painful for me now after sex. I was someone who used to really enjoy that aspect of my life. But now I feel like it’s been ruined for me.
‘I’m so fatigued all the time and get these debilitating migraines.
‘I wish I knew about this before getting it implanted inside of me. Now all I want is for it to be out.
‘I’m in pain every day and it’s affected every aspect of my life. I just want to get back to normal. I want to have my life back.’
Ms Nour thought Essure seemed ‘perfect’ after deciding her three ‘beautiful’ girls were enough. A friend recommended the coil, with doctors saying it would stop her ever conceiving
Ms Nour now describes sex as a ‘nightmare’, adding the coil has ‘totally ruined’ intercourse
Ms Nour is desperate to have her coil removed but faces a nine-month minimum waiting list
Bayer claims patient safety is the ‘utmost importance’
The Essure implant came under fire in recent months after the Australian law firm Slater and Gordon announced a proposed class action against Bayer in August, which follows similar lawsuits in the US, Canada and Scotland.
The action comes following an onslaught of complaints from hundreds of Australian women who say they have experienced adverse side effects since having the implant fitted.
A spokesperson for the pharma giant said: ‘Patient safety is of the utmost importance to Bayer and we are always saddened to hear of anyone experiencing an adverse event with any medical device.
‘Essure was developed by Conceptus Inc. and placed on the Australian market in compliance with the Therapeutic Goods Administration requirements.
‘While it was on the market Essure was maintained and updated in accordance with all Health Authority requirements to ensure the label reflected all current safety information and that information was distributed to healthcare professionals in a timely manner.
‘Bayer discontinued the distribution of Essure in Australia in August 2017 due to a low and declining trend in patient preference for this choice of permanent contraception.
The spokesperson added: ‘Essure is supported by an extensive body of research, including more than 40 published studies involving more than 200,000 patients worldwide over the past 20 years.
‘The company will continue to offer a range of long-acting reversible contraceptives and short-acting oral contraceptives in Australia.’