ladies--anyone have an IUD?---UPDATE

I'm thinking about switching from BCP to the copper IUD for health reasons, and i was wondering what others experiences were with it.

also, what is the cost, and how painful is insertion?

I don't have the copper one (I have Minera), but I can tell you that the insertion hurt a lot. I had pretty severe menstrual cramps for about a month afterwards and went back to the doctor. After being sure it was still in the correct position, the doctor told me that I was probably experiencing such bad cramps because my uterus knew something foreign was inside it and it was trying to get it out. She also told me that women who have never been pregnant are more likely to experience that and the cramps tend to go away within three months. I ultimately decided to keep trying to deal with the cramps (to make matters worse I was on blood thinners at the time and could not take anything except for tylenol for the pain).

As horrible as all that sounds, I am extremely happy I stuck with it. The cramps went away after a month or so. I've had it for about 6 months now and couldn't be happier.

You may not be interested in this but the reason I chose Mirena over the copper IUD is because my doctor told me the copper IUD leads to heavier, more crampy periods. I have a history of that and didn't want to deal with it again. With Mirena I have two days of spotting as my period.

I'm switching to the copper IUD because the hormones in BCP make me very depressed and anxious. i'm not looking forward to the heavier bleeding, but compared to how birth control makes me feel, its worth it to me. I also have weird spotting on the BC, even though i've been on it for over a year, and it gives me migraines.

i've heard initial insertion can be painful, which is what i'm nervous about. I have never been pregnant, so i'm expecting some problems, but i figure it'll be worth it in the long run.

thanks for your input.

no one else??

I have the Mirena IUS and love it.  It has reduced my painful periods to hardly having a period at all.  I didn't have to feel the insertion because I was already sedated for surgery.  It's the best thing I have done for my body.

I wonder if I could get sedated. I know they do local anesthesia if you ask. 

I'm thinking about the copper one too, because I don't like taking hormones. BCP has affected my libido, I'm hoping not permanently. Also I don't like the risk of clots. The only thing that I'm unsure of is I don't want my cramps to get worse, and heavier longer periods sounds pretty crappy too. I guess that's an advantage of the progesterone one - but I'm worried if it would have the same side effects as BCP?

I too have a mirena IUD. Insertion was a breeze with a little cramping for a couple of days.   It took about 6 months for everything to settle now its a life saver

I had a copper T for over 8 years.  The installation of the thing was a snap, took all of about 10 minutes.  Yeah, it wasn't pleasant and I did have some cramping that day, but then no biggie.  They said I'd have worse periods... never did!!  I loved having it and don't regret it for a moment!

Not sure if they still do, but they actually recommend inserting it during TTOM... then the cramping and and bleeding are just part of the deal.  I took some Motrin prior to the procedure and DONE!

I have a copper one.  The insertion was painful because I've never been pregnant, and I had some cramping for a few days, but I couldn't be happier with it.

vistar--

my biggest concern is that i have never had children, and so i may have more complications due to that. had you had any children prior to getting your copper T?

im glad that yours is working well for you, i was starting to brace myself for about 6 months of adjusting until i read your post.

thanks

cynthb, you answered my question...

again though, i'm glad for the positive feedback. any advise for preparing myself for insertion?

I have a Mirena. The insertion hurt a lot, but that's because they had forgotten to tell me to take 600 mg of ibuprofen an hour before the appointment.

The first 10 months or so were weird, with mood swings and spotting, but now it's lovely. I hardly ever bleed, like maybe one day every six weeks (but it's unpredictable when I do), and I love not having to remember pills, and the mood has stabilized.

I'm a fan.

I'm pretty sure that the cost of a copper one is quite low. Just be aware that while Mirena makes you bleed less, the copper ones make your period a bit heavier than it was before. On the other hand, the copper ones last longer (10 years instead of 5) and there should not be any mood symptoms (it's the hormones that cause the Mirena mood swings).

Hey I found this page of a couple experiences, link. To prepare yourself it seems like you should take some ibuprofen 1-2hrs before, one person on that page I linked said she was given a pill that softened the cervix and made it easy to put in. Also I think you can get local anesthetic, and getting it put in during TOM supposed to make it easier too.

I had been pregnant twice when I got mine, delivered once.  I know some people who haven't had children get them though, so it must be ok.  Honestly, I think that the copper one is a better option because there are no hormones involved.  Even the Mirena has some chemicals and no matter what they are, they cause me problems.

The part I always thought was funny was the dr who did my procedure telling me about.  He said, the Copper T is a great method.  It works REALLY well.  We don't know WHY... but it does!  LOL

If I can butt in with a question, did you ladies have to go in for two doc appointments in order to get it?

Original Post by vicereine:

I'm thinking about the copper one too, because I don't like taking hormones. BCP has affected my libido, I'm hoping not permanently. Also I don't like the risk of clots. The only thing that I'm unsure of is I don't want my cramps to get worse, and heavier longer periods sounds pretty crappy too. I guess that's an advantage of the progesterone one - but I'm worried if it would have the same side effects as BCP?

The risk of clots only comes from estrogen, not progesterone (which is what Minera is). The reason I switched from BCP to Minera is because I got blood clots in my lungs. After being in the hospital for it a number of doctors recommended Minera to me.

Original Post by vicereine:

If I can butt in with a question, did you ladies have to go in for two doc appointments in order to get it?

I thought I was going to have to go in for two, but I went into the first one and the doctor examed me then said everything looked fine. Then I had a pregnancy test and she put it in. I was shocked - but hey, it saved me a visit! (However, I almost think I would have prefered a second visit so I could have adequately prepped for the pain.)

I haven't really found any information on how soon after insertion i can have sex. I know my doctor will tell me, but i was just wondering now.

I know it works immediatly, but i wasn't sure if there was issues with pain or something after insertion that prevent intercourse.

Honestly, I wasn't 'in the mood' for a month.  I was have too much cramping.  However, my doctor told me it was effective immediately and I could have sex as soon as I wanted to.

sigh, well my boyfriend won't want to hear that. haha.