Hi Divas!!!!

I got my Mirena inserted in early November while on my period and I finished my monthly course at first I then had an extended period of spotting followed by some soreness and then everything was going great. I had a bit of spotting when I was supposed to get my next period and thought that was it but I was wrong.. A couple days later my period came full force and has been here ever since-cramping, pmsy and all. its now been 2 weeks and I am starting to get a bit frustrated as since I have inserted it I have only not been bleeding for about a week and a half and the cramping has been bad and the bleeding heavy. I am sure many of you have experienced this before and just was wondering when I should start to see things calm down and go back to normal ( I know people say about 3 months but living like this for 3 months would be very tough). When I used to be on HBC like Seasonal where you skip your period I had to go off of it since I experienced too much breakthrough bleeding and always had my period so it didnt end up working out too well. I am looking for some support of others who had the same experience in letting me know that this will pass soon and I can get though this. Thanks Divas :)

Hi all,

I'm looking for some guidance/experience beyond what my doctor has advised.  I've had a Paragard for 3 years.  Love love love it.  Unfortunately, I recently became pregnant.  A few weeks into the pregnancy, I had a miscarriage.  Phew.  After miscarriage, my doctor ordered an ultrasound to check the position of the IUD.  The ultrasound showed that my IUD is still perfectly in place.  My doctor then advised that I could continue using my IUD for contraception.

Doc said "I've never seen anything like this before, and I think its very unlikely that a pregnancy would occur again".

But, being that I'm the one that's going to have to have the abortion if this thing fails again, I'm finding myself a bit apprehensive about using the IUD as my only method of birth control.  On the other hand, I had my paragard inserted after trying hormonal BC, diaphram, spermacide, condoms...everything.  All have been terrible except the Paragard.  So what else to do?

Has anyone else had a similar experience where they had a pregnancy, but kept the IUD, and found that it worked from there on out?  I've searched far and wide for scientific articles or websites that have studied pregnancy and then continued use with the same IUD, but haven't found anything helpful to my situation.

Thanks!

 Greetings!

Just wanted to post a six month update. I'm 30 np, was on the pill for 10 years before this past year. I had my paragard inserted at the end of June. Insertion was a breeze (much less eventful than my mirena insertion, which had to be removed 6 weeks later), no cramping. I did have heavy periods for the first two months. The first month I also had a period every two weeks. By the two month point I was getting a period every 25 days. It is now every 28 days, with only one heavy day, and my period lasts about 5 days, just what it was pre-pill. I may get a few cramps but nothing to worry about. My DH has never felt the strings either. I'm very pleased with Paragard and would recommend it to anyone! Just need to get through the first few months while your body adjusts to the change. It's worth it!

Cheers! 

hey divas!!
im 20. np and I got my copper iud inserted on the 1st july this year.
for the 1st couple months it wasnt very good. i had awful pains, really heavy periods and just felt like crap. i also got anaemic. =(

Now, nearly 6 months down the track, i still get spotting, but its bearable.
I also now, never ever ever have any pains with my period!! HORRAYYY!!
and my sex drive, is unbelievable!!! amazing!! Now condoms dont ruin the moment! lol. and i actually WANT TO HAVE SEX! (ALOT) As before, being on the pill for years.. i had no sex drive what so ever.

my bf has never felt the strings while having sex, and havent had a preg scare - touchwood.
Mentally, i feel honestly like a new woman. no more horrible hormones to make me feel awful.

If i could rate this iud out of 10, i ould give it 1000000000!
its amazing and i recommend this to anyone. even with a history of heavy periods, like me!

i will post again after a year, but its truly an amazing contraceptive!

goodluck to you all!!!
and if your not having a very good time with your iud. wait it out. its worth it!

xxx

I've been following this community for probably about 2 years or longer, wanting to get an IUD of my own. A doctor at Planned Parenthood attempted an insertion a couple years ago, but was basically prodding at me for almost an hour, unable to get it in because we cervix was too tilted.
This time, however, I took Cytotec to help dilate my cervix a bit and went to a private practice doctor. The insertion (3 days ago) was a little more painful than I anticipated, but it didn't last long. I only had cramps for the first day, and they really weren't too bad. I've been spotting since then, and I hope I won't have to deal with this for too long, but it's not that big of a deal.

I've been reading on various forums around the interwebs about boyfriends/husbands complaining of being stabbed by the string. Some people say that the solution to this is to cut the string shorter, and some say it's much better to leave it longer so that the string curls up and rests against your cervix. I read that cutting the string too short makes it inevitably pokey, as there is no way for it to curl up anymore. What are your guys' experiences with this? Did your SO complain of being stabbed? How long did the string take to soften? I haven't had sex since the insertion, and think I'll try waiting another few days.

Anyways, thanks. :) I love my Mirena already! And I'm grateful to this community for providing so much valuable information.

It has been 12 months since I had my Paraguard inserted, and I have to say that I have no regrets.
The first 3 months were as awful as I'd been warned - heavy periods that lasted weeks in duration, severe cramps that made not only my uterus hurt, but also my pubic area, my hipbones, and my tailbone, anemia from all the bleeding. At 3 months, I was about ready to have it removed.
But almost magically, by 4 months, my periods calmed down. By 6 months, they were almost as long/heavy/crampy as they'd been before I started birth control. The weight I'd gained after a year on Depo Provera started to slowly come off.
And now it's 12 months. I have few to no cramps, rarely do I have a super-heavy period, my libido is back to where it was at previously (thank you Jesus!) and I've lost all the weight.
If all goes well, this is what I can expect for the next 10 years or more. How fabulous is that? I'm so glad that I had a doctor that encouraged me to try an IUD and get off the hormones, a loving partner who rubbed my back and held me when it felt like I was bleeding to death, and a community of like-minded women who answer questions and provide support. Yay!

I am pleased to report that I had a very successful, and uneventful, Paragard insertion today.  This was my very first IUD insertion.   My fiancee was very supportive - he took the afternoon off with me to go to the appointment (although he was not able to come into the room with me).  I was very excited to be taking steps to alleviate myself of my monthly migraines caused by the pill.

I waited for about 30 minutes in the room, pantless and cold covered only with the paper sheet. I was pretty nervous, not knowing what kind of pain to expect. I had taken 800mg of Motrin before I want to the appointment.  The RN didn't really explain what was going on during the insertion - I was grateful to have read about other people's insertion experiences. (Thank you IUD Divas!) 

She inserted the speculum, no big deal as I am used to that from regular exams.  She swabbed me with a solution of peroxide and saline (I am allergic to iodine, so betadine was out of the question).  She inserted the sounding device, which caused me to cramp up immediately.  I jumped a little and apologized.  That was really the worst of the pain.  I took a breath and relaxed so she could continue.  The insertion of the Paragard itself was painless - a few cramps, and before I knew it I was asking the RN's assistant if it was done already.  She shook her head 'yes' I exclaimed 'that's it!'  I was expecting so much worse.  After a little trim of the strings and the removal of the speculum I was all done.

I did immediately start to bleed a little, and experienced some strong cramps for the first hour or so.  I am continuing to take Motrin, but after a few hours the cramping and bleeding have lessened significantly.  

The only issue I had with the whole experience was with the attitude from the RN who did the insertion. I am not familiar with this RN - I was referred to her by my midwife, who was not able to do it because of an insurance billing issue.  This particular RN is, for whatever reason, very eager to push the Mirena but not as willing to recommend the Paragard.  As I posted previously - I cannot have the hormone that is in the Mirena because it could cause complications with my blood sugar (I am pre-diabetic).  Even though I had this verified by my endocrinologist, the RN was still somewhat  combative about me wanting the Paragard.  She very much believes I am still going to have migraines (which is possible, but doubtful) and that I'm going to want it out because I'm going to bleed more (which I am prepared to deal with).  Personally, I think that she made some judgment of me because I was referred by our local midwife center, as if she is more qualified in gynecological care.  In fact, the RN did not suggest a follow-up visit, so I will be going back to my midwife on my own for a checkup in a month or so.

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I just wanted to update! I just finished up my 3rd Paragard period and wanted to share because it was actually pretty boring and I think nobody ever posts when things are boring! =)

It started exactly a month after my last period so that was good! I didn't get any PMS or pre spotting which I was super happy about! All in all it wasn't too bad of a period....5 days. Cramps got pretty bad on day 2. They came and went throughout the day. Flow was heaviest on day 2 and 3. Day 4 I was able to have sex with no mess, cramps or feeling of any stings on his part. Day 5 it was pretty much just spotting and over by the evening.

I'm super super happy with my Paragard. I recommend it to anyone who asks about it!

I must say that I wish I would have found this site a lot sooner. There is so much helpful information and I am so glad to see everyones posts because I can relate to a lot of you.

About six years ago ( I was 18 at the time )I was hospitalized for almost a month because of a collapsed lung. This was do to the patch that I was on at the time. I developed a blood clot and didn't know it and it broke lose from my leg and went to my lung. So for the past few years I have had to hope that I wouldn't get pregnant since I couldn't take any form of birth control. I did good with not getting pregnant up until this year. I got pregnant I would say around the end of June and had a miscarriage in the beginning of August. It was reallly rough but at the same time kind of a good thing. I found out afterwards that I would have a really rough pregnancy and it would cost a lot of money even with my insurance. So after that my OB brought up the Paragard. Being that this is my only option I decided to give it a shot.

And I must say WOW I didn't think it would be like this. I have had a really rough past few months. I got it put in Nov 20. I forgot to take the Ibuprofin like they told me and I was in a lot of pain while she put it in. I thought I was going to pass out. Well all the night at work I was having really bad pains even worse then I do with my period (I also have endemetiosis so my cramps are pretty bad). And all through the weekend the pains continued. Come to find out the reason was because my body was getting rid of the IUD. So I went back Monday had it taken out and got another one put in (I took the Ibuprofin this time). Since then I have gotten an ultrasound and its in place which is good. After that I bled and had cramps for about 2 weeks. Not to mention I was getting a really sharp pain off and on for a few days. I stopped for about a week and then started again. This time I am assuming it was my period (it was around the time I should have gotten it). Again it lasted like two weeks and was very heavy. I kept calling the Dr because I was worried something was wrong and they said no everything was fine that my body was just tying to get used to it.

Finally this week I was able to have sex for the first time in several months. I stopped bleeding however I am still having cramps. I guess its still normal but it sucks that I have to keep taking medicine to help the cramps. I am glad that I got it put in I am just waiting for my body to get back to normal.

Sorry for such the long post but I don't really have anyone to talk to that understands how I feel right now. My BF wanted me to get it out seeing how much pain I was in but I wanted this to work. I don't want to have a child right now. I am just not ready to deal with all the things I have to go through. Thanks for listening.

Hello again! I posted last night asking about IUDs since I had surgery today and my doc wanted to insert one while I was out. Mods, I apologize if this post is too soon after my last, and if you'd prefer, I'll be happy to cut and paste this into that post and then delete this one.

I had a laparoscopy, hymenotomy, and IUD insertion this morning at 9. The goal was to find out if I had endometriosis, which I do. My doc said that on a scale of 1-10 my endo is at an 8, it's so bad. I'm 19, NP, and only been with one guy - for almost 4 years. It's a little depressing, but I figured I had it all these years, and this confirmed it. Being that this is my first surgery, I was so proud of myself for not being nervous! I was only nervous about the IV, but it was fine. I really enjoyed getting knocked out, and being out of it. Lol! I found out I may have an irregular heartbeat when they checked my pulse/blood pressure/etc, so they did an EKG while I was out. I don't know the results and probably won't until January 7th, my next appointment.

At first, I asked my doctor to insert the IUD only if I did have endo, and if I didn't, then to not insert it. I finally settled with inserting it no matter what, because even if I didn't have endo, I'd still have cramps. So I am now a proud diva! :) She put in a Mirena. I'm not sure what to name it yet. So far, no problems other than minor cramps and a small amount of bleeding, but I was prescribed Tylenol 3, which is amazing.

Anyway, I wanted to thank those who commented. I read the posts I hadn't replied to after the surgery, but I wanted you to know I did indeed read them, and appreciated every post. :) Your advice really helped and I feel better than I thought I would!

Also, I have pics of my insides affected by endo, so if anybody would like to see them and/or hear my surgery story, feel free to ask and I'll update this entry with it. It went swell and took an hour and a half for everything, and it was overall a very pleasant experience! I had no problems whatsoever and would do it again. If any of you live in the Sacramento area, I would highly, highly recommend my doctor, Bethelen Johnson. She works at Sutter in Davis and knows her stuff about endo and IUDs, and was the one who recommended the IUD to me initially. :)

EDIT 12/19: Photos and details! I'll cut it in sections so you don't have to read the entire story if you don't want to. I figured writing it in detail would help those who are nervous about surgery. Also, there are some things repeated, because this was cut+pasted from my LJ. Apologies.

( Getting to the hospital, papers, pre-surgery, IV )

( right before surgery, talking to Dr, wheeled into operating room )

( getting knocked out with anesthesia )

( after surgery )

( Pictures of endometriosis )

 Hi, this is my first time to this site; I have been looking for something like this for days. I am 21, have never been pregnant and had paragard inserted on October 6th.  I had been on the pill for about 3 years before I switched to paragard.  I had my first period on November 9th and everything was normal.  My last one was due on December 6th (if you count by 28 days) and no signs of it yet.  I haven't had any cramping or spotting this month.  I know everyone is different but I was wondering if its normal or anyone else has had irregular/late periods on paragard.  Thanks for any help!

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I have been pouring over everything ever written in this group. Thank you very much to everyone who has shared their story - it has really helped me to make a decision to get an IUD. I haven't read about anyone who has my particular health problems - so I wanted to share my story in case it might help anyone.

My history:  I am 31, engaged to be married in a year, never been pregnant. I have been on the generic version of OrthoNovum 7/7/7 for more than 8 years. I have experienced some side-effects (20+ lbs of weight gain, decrease in libido, moodiness, etc). But I haven't had any significant problems with it until this past year - I have begun to have 5-7-day long migraine headaches during my period. They start like clockwork on the first day of the placebo pills and last often until the end of my period. The headaches are often excruciating, to the point where I have experienced nausea and have had to call off work. 

I am also insulin resistant (and have been since well before I ever began taking BCP). My condition is also often called metabolic syndrome - which is a fancy way of saying "pre-diabetic." Without diet and drug management of my insulin levels I experience hypoglycemic symptoms which include severe swings in blood sugar, moodiness, sleep problems, trouble focusing, shakiness, etc. It is treated with Glucophage/Metformin, which helps to regulate the way the liver processes sugars.

During my research, I saw that Mirena comes with a warning that it may cause blood sugar problems. It seems that the levonorgestrel can affect metabolism and can cause some to have hypoglycemic symptoms.  So I feel like the only birth control option for me is Paragard.

I had a first consultation with RN on Thursday of this week regarding IUD's. She of course recommended Mirena to help manage my headaches, but my endocrinologist doesn't recommend I try anything with the levonorgestrel. So I have an appointment on Monday afternoon to have a Paragard "installed". I'm a little nervous about withdrawal from quitting the BCP, and about the cramping/heavy periods from the Paragard. But considering the alternative (being rendered useless for 7 days because of headaches) I think I can stick it out.

After numerous tries, I finally have a paragard.  I wanted a paragard because the list of potentional side effects is way shorter, and I desperately need to lose some weight.

I went out to karaoke last night, so this morning I looked and felt my best. But honestly it was no where near as bad as I had it in my head.  I was in and out of the office in 30 minutes.

There was sort of a constant dull pain as the doctor was working on me which got more intense when he was putting things in.  I just made sure to breathe and attempted to talk about innocuous matters in order to calm down.  Not the worst pain in my life, but definitely unpleasant.  He said I would spot for the next couple of days from the stuff he put on my cervix. 

I would describe the cramping afterwords as like a bad period.  After about 4 hours they're mostly gone. Every so often I've been getting a particularly strong one but the frequency has decreased.  My boyfriend spooned with me for a while.  Also this might be TMI but every so often he would kiss my ear and play with my breasts which I actually found kind of helpful. It was really nice to feel something pleasurable, and it seemed to lessen the cramps. I've taken a lot of ibuprofen, used a heating pad, and drank some tea.  

I'll report back on the sex issue and my Diva cup when events arise.  Thanks all!  The info from this community has been amazing.

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Well after 5 years with my IUD, I got it removed and re-inserted. It HURT like hell. I fainted afterwards and felt like I'd been kicked by a horse.

However, the strings are in a much better place, they haven't hurt my husband once as opposed to 5 years of being stabbed during intercourse.

Want the fabulous news? Because my body was used to one and I only occasionally spotted, I bled heavily for 2 days and spotted for a week. That's it! I was worried I'd go back to a year of constant spotting like I had with the first one.

Very pleased. I had posted earlier about the time frame for a vasectomy to be considered safe and to be 100% it is a full 12 months post surgery to ensure it hasn't grown back. The husband is getting one in a few days.