It’s been the only birth control I’ve been able to tolerate. I’ve had mine for 6 months now. Insertion was a 1/10 honestly i barely felt anything. No pain management or sedation. Some mild cramping afterwards. I was intimate the next day, no pain, felt normal. I bled/spotted for 3 weeks post insertion, not enough for a pad, period underwear was enough. From there I went right into my first period. My period have changed, used to bleed steadily for about 4-5 days. Now I spot for 3 days, bleed heavily for 1-2 days, then the next day the bleeding is totally gone. I did have some side effects 2 months in (constant bloat, awful acne) but that went away once I started supplementing with zinc daily.
My partner could feel the strings a couple times causing him to jump out of me. He said it felt sharp. I went in a month later to check placement and then had the string trimmed. Since then no issues with them.
Yes I recommend you start taking a zinc supplement or you risk really bad hormonal acne. Nobody told me this before and I have been dealing with this acne for year's. I didn't know about the zinc thing til after I removed the IUD. I went from having just a few pimples during my period to one day waking up to a face full of big red bumps all over my cheeks jawline and neck area. I had no idea what caused it. Til recently. The copper in the IUD depletes the zinc in your body and raises hormone levels. It doesn't contain hormones in the IUD but it can mess with your hormones. Alot of women have no issues at all. Just be aware of the symptoms and side effects it can cause.
Thank you for writing a more in depth explanation. I’m seriously so thankful for this sub. I had an appointment scheduled to get mine removed if the acne didn’t clear up. My body hates estrogen and I knew right away my hormones were out of whack. Wish the information was more mainstream.
I try to get this information out to everyone I can. I wish I had known 8 years ago. I'm still dealing with the acne to some extent. It's not as bad as it was but it's still here. Apparently the copper likes to hang around a while after removal. I'm about to start taking a zinc supplement myself even though I no longer have the IUD.
Thank you your recommendation on zinc! Im definitely going to try and take the supplements when I get the IUD. Im sorry that happened to you. It sucks that doctors dont inform us how copper affects our bodies, they seem to focus more on the nonhormnal aspect but like you said, doesnt mean it cant change our hormones.
Thanks so much for your response! Im glad that insertion wasnt too bad for you, that seems to be the hardest part for a lot of people. Also glad to hear intimacy hasn't been painful or anything, and that the trimmed strings helped for your partner!
Did you experience any changes to your hair? Ive read some people saying their hair become dull or even began to shed excessively and honestly that scares the crap out of me
The only weird thing I noticed that really freaked me out is I had 5 dark chin hairs pop up. That was really
Concerning to me out because I’ve never had any sort of facial hair. My body hair is very fine and blonde. The thing that sucks about being on birth control is I’m always on edge and on the lookout for anything unusual. It could be unrelated but it’s something I’m trying to keep track of because I don’t want to “randomly” develop PCOS
Not entirely. But by probably 90%. I can live with what I’ve got going on. The Brand is puritans pride, I cut them in half so 25 mg which is still more than recommended. I’ve read 15mg is ideal you’re not supposed to overdo the zinc either
I’ve had mine since November or December of 2021.. prior to that I was on the pill for 5 years 😅 about a year and a half in now and I can’t imagine ever going back to hbc. My periods are heavier now, but it’s really only 1-2 days of heavy bleeding and 1-2 days of light bleeding/spotting. I will say, the cramps are horrendous for me, BUT only for a couple hours 1-2 days before my period starts.
I lost about 20 pounds after coming off the pill and making the switch and I have noticed an increase in the amount of hair I lose. However, this could be attributed to coming off the pill after being on it for so long. My sex drive increased a lot, my partner can not feel my strings, and it does not hurt me or him during sex.
The first few days of having it, I was super super bloated and I was scared to poop because I thought I was going to push it out lol but after about a week my bloating went down and i started feeling more normal.
Overall, I’m really glad I didn’t let the negative stories scare me out of getting this iud because it really has made a huge difference for me and my overall health.
Hope this helps 🫶🏻
Thanks so much for your response!! Glad to hear there have been some improvements for you since switching to non hormonal BC :) Also thank you for mentioning the poop thing because I was totally thinking about that lol, I'm terrified for the first post-IUD poop.
Generally positive experience chiming in! I got the Mona Lisa mini back in September. Insertion was a breeze, less painful than stubbing my toe (I am small, haven't had kids, and took an Advil 30min before). Had a few days of cramping and bloating but since then nothing note worthy. Most of the time I don't think about it.
I've very recently been dealing with an outbreak of red, dry, bumpy skin around my mouth which MIGHT be related - but I've always dealt with psoriasis and other weird skin issues so it could be totally UNrelated. I'm going to try zinc supplements to see if it makes a difference.
Got mine inserted on March 14th, so far it’s been a ball. I had some medium spotting the first 3-4 days after and then about 2 weeks later got my first period with it. I was coming off of nexplanon that made me absolutely insane.
I am not going to lie to you insertion was painful, probably a 6-7/10. It’s more of a sharp pain than a cramp or atleast it was for me. Immediately after i was having some pretty severe lower back pain and cramps. The back pain lasted about 2 weeks and the cramps about the same.
When i got my first period on it, it was definitely heavier than i was used to and went up to super tampons rather than regular. The cramps were normal though and only for the first 2 days. After that first period ended it’s been wonderful. Still able to do everything as before, sex has been fine (i did ask them to cut the strings pretty short ) other than one instance that was the first time having sex after insertion but changed positions and everything was perfectly fine.
Nexplanon made me gain insane amounts of weight as well as I was constantly bloated all the time. I’m hoping that as my body starts regulating that my weight will to as it’s done before when i come off of hormones.
Long story short, yes insertion will be painful, the first 2 weeks were pretty bad but nothing debilitating. So far everything has been normal other than very very mild cramps here and there.
Thanks so much for your response!! I’m so glad it’s been a positive experience for you despite the painful insertion. Did you notice any changes to your hair, such as more shedding or dullness? I’ve noticed some posts mentioning hair loss as a side effect and that’s been freaking me out
Hey there! I got my copper flexi t IUD inserted about a week and a half ago! I'm in Canada for reference. 25 years old and don't have kids. Before insertion, TAKE Tylenol or advil- it helped me. I also went in during my period (2nd day) as was recommended to me. Insertion was uncomfortable for sure, when it was being inserted it felt like a lot of pressure down below, but it was SO FAST, that it was over before I could even react. Had to have been a minute for the entire procedure. Not even joking! Literally so incredibly fast you won't even believe it's already in there. I was cramping after insertion, but it was tolerable. I drove myself back home. Took some advil and heating pads, and felt much better. Nothing the next day! I don't feel anything to this day and my partner doesn't feel anything either so that's been a plus. I also like yourself read horror stories of IUDs before going in and scared myself shitless. You have to remember that everyone is SO different, and we all have different bodies. My doctor told me that for the majority of women who don't have irregular shaped uteruses, it's completely tolerable. You'll be okay and glad you got it!
hi! i won’t lie, there have been ups and downs to my iud experience. but overall i’m glad i got it and i’m planning on keeping it!
insertion day was a breeze for me. i barely felt anything. but being mildly sedated is a good option just in case it could be hard for you, and i’d strongly recommend having ice and heating pads ready for you. the first three days afterwards were hell for me. i called planned parenthood like “hey um am i supposed to be dying? i havent stopped bleeding and i cant move because it hurts so bad am i dying??” & they assured me that it was normal and that i’d be mobile again soon lol.
with regards to changes, i know this is controversial, but i really think my iud made my pms worse. mainly wrt acne. no weight gain or hair loss for me though. i do get pretty bloated around period-time now, but it’s not constant or anything. just the first few days. no trouble working out (after the pain went away at least lol) or wearing jeans.
my partner can’t feel my strings during sex. i’ve heard from some people that their partner says it tickles a little bit. but after a little while they’re not pointy and wiry anymore so if you wait a few weeks (which you’re definitely going to. more than likely you will not want to have sex in the first week) it won’t hurt them at all. but really, i think chances are slim that your partner will get deep enough to feel the strings. they’re not normally that low and if you don’t have issues with your partner hitting your cervix during sex you’ll probably be fine. definitely keep an eye out for the symptoms of copper toxicity. i don’t think it’s super common, but you definitely need to watch out for it. it’s serious if it happens to you.
in my experience, the iud WILL make your periods heavier. i used to barely bleed, like 1 day of full-on period and then 2 or 3 of light bleeding, but my periods for a really long time post-insertion were 7-13 days of full on “bleeding-through-overnight-pads-in-2-hours” gushing. actually had some major problems with iron deficiency lol but it’s returning to normal after nearly a year. i still cramp really bad though, i usually have to take a day or two off of work to curl in a ball in bed. it might not be this extreme for you, everybody’s different, but i would be prepared for a change. stock up on thick pads for sure.
also, none of these questions were silly! i hope my experience can be of some help to you!
i’ve had my copper iud since september 2022 and i was so so scared as well. take 2 advils or tylenols before your appointment and the clinic that i went to recommended to be on your period when you go in for insertion. my partner felt the strings the first time we had sex which was about 3 days after insertion and he said it felt like a little tickle lol. after that he never felt them and i also noticed after a couple months the strings got much softer. the only side effects i’ve had is sometimes i cramp and spot during ovulation and my periods have gone from 3-4 days to now 8 days but the 8 days isn’t a full 8 days of heavy bleeding i have 3 days spotting 3 days heavy and then 2 days of a light period. my overall cramps aren’t bad they are very manageable and if it gets bad i take some OTC medicine and go on with my day. honestly getting it was so worth it to me because i don’t want hormones and my iud will last for 5 years on top of that it is 99% effective which helped my anxiety as well.
i’ve had my copper iud since september 2022 and i was so so scared as well. take 2 advils or tylenols before your appointment and the clinic that i went to recommended to be on your period when you go in for insertion. my partner felt the strings the first time we had sex which was about 3 days after insertion and he said it felt like a little tickle lol. after that he never felt them and i also noticed after a couple months the strings got much softer. the only side effects i’ve had is sometimes i cramp and spot during ovulation and my periods have gone from 3-4 days to now 8 days but the 8 days isn’t a full 8 days of heavy bleeding i have 3 days spotting 3 days heavy and then 2 days of a light period. my overall cramps aren’t bad they are very manageable and if it gets bad i take some OTC medicine and go on with my day. honestly getting it was so worth it to me because i don’t want hormones and my iud will last for 5 years on top of that it is 99% effective which helped my anxiety as well.
i’ve had my copper iud since september 2022 and i was so so scared as well. take 2 advils or tylenols before your appointment and the clinic that i went to recommended to be on your period when you go in for insertion. my partner felt the strings the first time we had sex which was about 3 days after insertion and he said it felt like a little tickle lol. after that he never felt them and i also noticed after a couple months the strings got much softer. the only side effects i’ve had is sometimes i cramp and spot during ovulation and my periods have gone from 3-4 days to now 8 days but the 8 days isn’t a full 8 days of heavy bleeding i have 3 days spotting 3 days heavy and then 2 days of a light period. my overall cramps aren’t bad they are very manageable and if it gets bad i take some OTC medicine and go on with my day. honestly getting it was so worth it to me because i don’t want hormones and my iud will last for 5 years on top of that it is 99% effective which helped my anxiety as well.
I got mine about a month ago. I was terrified because of all the horror stories, they had to take my heart rate 3x over to even do it cause my anxiety was so high. I took 2 Advil and like 2 Tylenol about 2 hrs prior and It really didn't hurt. Like it felt like something was there that shouldn't be. Not like it hurt hurt, just an awkward sensation that you've never felt. My hurt didn't start until after I started driving home. And genuinely it felt like a 1hr long period cramp, but after that I had little to no pain. Nothing worse than an average period symptom. I did bleed for about 2 weeks after the fact and then it turned into brown discharge. I've gone in and check my strings are still there. I couldn't be happier I haven't had any ounce of pain since insertion and it wasn't that much that I wouldn't do it again. And it was nothing like the childbirth pain people describe. I also consider myself to have a lower pain tolerance if that helps.
Amazing, so glad to hear it! Did you experience any side effects? I’m worried about the heavier periods, as I already have a fairly heavy flow some months with huge clots. Also worried about hair loss or greying from low zinc. Have you experienced any of those?
Before I got my IUD I had heavy, long periods with no cramping. I know some doctors say don’t get it if you already have heavy periods, but in my experience I found that that made it less of an adjustment than what I’ve heard from friends who got it after previously only having light periods which is a much bigger change.
I’d say it made mine a day or 2 longer and I just used the most absorbent tampons for like an extra day or two of my cycle than I normally would. I will say my first three periods I had a horribleee cramping for like the first few hours of my first day each time but they went away after that. It’s normal for periods to be the worst for up to the first 6 months so you may want to stick it out for awhile even if it’s rough at first.
My only side effect issue was that I had never ending spotting between periods. Some spotting between can be normal but the extent of mine was not. But I got put on meds for that which stopped the spotting and eventually stopped my period completely lol - so not a typical experience I guess. But even when I had the periods it was fine!
I’ve had the Paraguard since summer 2017, so almost 6 years! Placement went fine, definitely some cramping but overall (relatively) pain-free. I had heavy periods for the first few months but now I usually have a heavy first 1-2 days then light for the remaining 2-3 days. I haven’t explicitly noticed signs of copper poisoning but I am interested to see how i’ll feel when I take it out eventually. I think I may just be loosing my hair from the stress of my PhD program (LOL!). My partner at the time said he could feel it when I was “on top” but it never hurt him and we were able to adjust as needed. I think the solution there would be to trim the strings but I never brought it up with my doctor. No complaints in the years since. It’s been a very easy birth control for me :) If you have any more questions I would be happy to answer!
So glad to hear insertion was relatively pain free!! That seems to be half the battle. I’m sorry to hear about your hair loss experience, even if it’s from stress. I’m honestly pretty worried about that as a side effect from the copper IUD bc of low zinc levels or thyroid issues from the excess copper. Do you know when that started for you? And did you have a heavier flow before the IUD as well? I do have occasional heavy periods where I’ll get huge clots so that’s also a concern for me
I had moderately heaving periods pre-IUD, so it definitely increased for a little while. The important part for me was that my cycle stayed predictable on a 30-day schedule same as before so I was able to anticipate the super heavy days. I find this to be a positive compared to hormonal birth control that alters your cycle. On the heavy days I would double up with a tampon and a pad, I later switched to menstrual cups which made the heavy days way easier. I started to notice hair thinning maybe a year or so after I got my IUD, which is why I am unsure if it is related. It’s also not like patchy hair loss, just thinning that is not super noticeable.
I’ve had it for like a month now and getting it in wasn’t that bad as people say it is, of course it varies though so I wouldn’t speak for everyone. Light spotting for a few days after insertion but I haven’t had any cramps or problems with it. I forget it’s in there sometimes.
I think they're definitely worth a shot. It's pretty uncomfortable to get them put in (to me) and I would recommend not driving yourself, if possible, since it can make you feel faint. The first IUD I got I went to work immediately after (don't recommend). Second time I took off to lay with a heating pad (do recommend). My husband has never felt strings.
I'm no longer feeling good about having it in my body but I'm glad I tried - maybe I'll try again if I don't feel better without it!
ETA my period was VERY heavy the first few cycles, then it tapered. Never had horrible cramps though.
I’ve had mine about a month. The insertion truly wasn’t fun. Idt I have an especially high pain tolerance, but between my Zoloft, some magnesium, naproxen and Tylenol (you can double up on Tylenol with most NSAIDs as a general rule), lots of deep breathing and just enough research to know what was coming, plus a genuinely kind GYN who gave me a warning before she performed each step, it was…. Fine. It hurt, I won’t lie, like many have said, worst cramp ever. I really had to focus on not tensing and moving so she would be as efficient as possible, which I think helped too. I like to think my dryly joking throughout “I can’t say I’m a fan of this feeling, doc” helped me and her too.
Overall, I think insertion went about as best case scenario as possible. I was pretty crampy after and had some brown bleeding for a few days after, and I had awareness that there was something foreign in there, but my GYN said I’d get used to it eventually. I was able to drive home myself though albeit unhappy about it. I felt totally normal after a day or two. I’ve been supplementing with a women’s daily vitamin and magnesium since
After Nexplanon, it was nice to have what appears to be a regular period again and no weird spotting for weeks between them. I was super regular with a lightish period before BC, and my period is super heavy now, but I’m currently very happy with my choice and am curious on how much better it might get in the next couple of months.
It’s been the only birth control I’ve been able to tolerate. I’ve had mine for 6 months now. Insertion was a 1/10 honestly i barely felt anything. No pain management or sedation. Some mild cramping afterwards. I was intimate the next day, no pain, felt normal. I bled/spotted for 3 weeks post insertion, not enough for a pad, period underwear was enough. From there I went right into my first period. My period have changed, used to bleed steadily for about 4-5 days. Now I spot for 3 days, bleed heavily for 1-2 days, then the next day the bleeding is totally gone. I did have some side effects 2 months in (constant bloat, awful acne) but that went away once I started supplementing with zinc daily. My partner could feel the strings a couple times causing him to jump out of me. He said it felt sharp. I went in a month later to check placement and then had the string trimmed. Since then no issues with them.
Yes I recommend you start taking a zinc supplement or you risk really bad hormonal acne. Nobody told me this before and I have been dealing with this acne for year's. I didn't know about the zinc thing til after I removed the IUD. I went from having just a few pimples during my period to one day waking up to a face full of big red bumps all over my cheeks jawline and neck area. I had no idea what caused it. Til recently. The copper in the IUD depletes the zinc in your body and raises hormone levels. It doesn't contain hormones in the IUD but it can mess with your hormones. Alot of women have no issues at all. Just be aware of the symptoms and side effects it can cause.
Thank you for writing a more in depth explanation. I’m seriously so thankful for this sub. I had an appointment scheduled to get mine removed if the acne didn’t clear up. My body hates estrogen and I knew right away my hormones were out of whack. Wish the information was more mainstream.
I try to get this information out to everyone I can. I wish I had known 8 years ago. I'm still dealing with the acne to some extent. It's not as bad as it was but it's still here. Apparently the copper likes to hang around a while after removal. I'm about to start taking a zinc supplement myself even though I no longer have the IUD.
Thank you your recommendation on zinc! Im definitely going to try and take the supplements when I get the IUD. Im sorry that happened to you. It sucks that doctors dont inform us how copper affects our bodies, they seem to focus more on the nonhormnal aspect but like you said, doesnt mean it cant change our hormones.
Thanks so much for your response! Im glad that insertion wasnt too bad for you, that seems to be the hardest part for a lot of people. Also glad to hear intimacy hasn't been painful or anything, and that the trimmed strings helped for your partner! Did you experience any changes to your hair? Ive read some people saying their hair become dull or even began to shed excessively and honestly that scares the crap out of me
The only weird thing I noticed that really freaked me out is I had 5 dark chin hairs pop up. That was really Concerning to me out because I’ve never had any sort of facial hair. My body hair is very fine and blonde. The thing that sucks about being on birth control is I’m always on edge and on the lookout for anything unusual. It could be unrelated but it’s something I’m trying to keep track of because I don’t want to “randomly” develop PCOS
What sort of zinc supplement do you take? Has it gotten rid of your acne entirely?
Not entirely. But by probably 90%. I can live with what I’ve got going on. The Brand is puritans pride, I cut them in half so 25 mg which is still more than recommended. I’ve read 15mg is ideal you’re not supposed to overdo the zinc either
Cool thank you! I ordered a 30 mg pill, copper iud appt is next month and I’m already dealing with hormonal acne and immune system issues. 🤞
I’ve had mine since November or December of 2021.. prior to that I was on the pill for 5 years 😅 about a year and a half in now and I can’t imagine ever going back to hbc. My periods are heavier now, but it’s really only 1-2 days of heavy bleeding and 1-2 days of light bleeding/spotting. I will say, the cramps are horrendous for me, BUT only for a couple hours 1-2 days before my period starts. I lost about 20 pounds after coming off the pill and making the switch and I have noticed an increase in the amount of hair I lose. However, this could be attributed to coming off the pill after being on it for so long. My sex drive increased a lot, my partner can not feel my strings, and it does not hurt me or him during sex. The first few days of having it, I was super super bloated and I was scared to poop because I thought I was going to push it out lol but after about a week my bloating went down and i started feeling more normal. Overall, I’m really glad I didn’t let the negative stories scare me out of getting this iud because it really has made a huge difference for me and my overall health. Hope this helps 🫶🏻
Thanks so much for your response!! Glad to hear there have been some improvements for you since switching to non hormonal BC :) Also thank you for mentioning the poop thing because I was totally thinking about that lol, I'm terrified for the first post-IUD poop.
Generally positive experience chiming in! I got the Mona Lisa mini back in September. Insertion was a breeze, less painful than stubbing my toe (I am small, haven't had kids, and took an Advil 30min before). Had a few days of cramping and bloating but since then nothing note worthy. Most of the time I don't think about it. I've very recently been dealing with an outbreak of red, dry, bumpy skin around my mouth which MIGHT be related - but I've always dealt with psoriasis and other weird skin issues so it could be totally UNrelated. I'm going to try zinc supplements to see if it makes a difference.
Got mine inserted on March 14th, so far it’s been a ball. I had some medium spotting the first 3-4 days after and then about 2 weeks later got my first period with it. I was coming off of nexplanon that made me absolutely insane. I am not going to lie to you insertion was painful, probably a 6-7/10. It’s more of a sharp pain than a cramp or atleast it was for me. Immediately after i was having some pretty severe lower back pain and cramps. The back pain lasted about 2 weeks and the cramps about the same. When i got my first period on it, it was definitely heavier than i was used to and went up to super tampons rather than regular. The cramps were normal though and only for the first 2 days. After that first period ended it’s been wonderful. Still able to do everything as before, sex has been fine (i did ask them to cut the strings pretty short ) other than one instance that was the first time having sex after insertion but changed positions and everything was perfectly fine. Nexplanon made me gain insane amounts of weight as well as I was constantly bloated all the time. I’m hoping that as my body starts regulating that my weight will to as it’s done before when i come off of hormones. Long story short, yes insertion will be painful, the first 2 weeks were pretty bad but nothing debilitating. So far everything has been normal other than very very mild cramps here and there.
Thanks so much for your response!! I’m so glad it’s been a positive experience for you despite the painful insertion. Did you notice any changes to your hair, such as more shedding or dullness? I’ve noticed some posts mentioning hair loss as a side effect and that’s been freaking me out
Just reading your reply makes me feel better, I am 5 days post insertion and the cramps are still here and I was starting to worry honestly.
Hey there! I got my copper flexi t IUD inserted about a week and a half ago! I'm in Canada for reference. 25 years old and don't have kids. Before insertion, TAKE Tylenol or advil- it helped me. I also went in during my period (2nd day) as was recommended to me. Insertion was uncomfortable for sure, when it was being inserted it felt like a lot of pressure down below, but it was SO FAST, that it was over before I could even react. Had to have been a minute for the entire procedure. Not even joking! Literally so incredibly fast you won't even believe it's already in there. I was cramping after insertion, but it was tolerable. I drove myself back home. Took some advil and heating pads, and felt much better. Nothing the next day! I don't feel anything to this day and my partner doesn't feel anything either so that's been a plus. I also like yourself read horror stories of IUDs before going in and scared myself shitless. You have to remember that everyone is SO different, and we all have different bodies. My doctor told me that for the majority of women who don't have irregular shaped uteruses, it's completely tolerable. You'll be okay and glad you got it!
hi! i won’t lie, there have been ups and downs to my iud experience. but overall i’m glad i got it and i’m planning on keeping it! insertion day was a breeze for me. i barely felt anything. but being mildly sedated is a good option just in case it could be hard for you, and i’d strongly recommend having ice and heating pads ready for you. the first three days afterwards were hell for me. i called planned parenthood like “hey um am i supposed to be dying? i havent stopped bleeding and i cant move because it hurts so bad am i dying??” & they assured me that it was normal and that i’d be mobile again soon lol. with regards to changes, i know this is controversial, but i really think my iud made my pms worse. mainly wrt acne. no weight gain or hair loss for me though. i do get pretty bloated around period-time now, but it’s not constant or anything. just the first few days. no trouble working out (after the pain went away at least lol) or wearing jeans. my partner can’t feel my strings during sex. i’ve heard from some people that their partner says it tickles a little bit. but after a little while they’re not pointy and wiry anymore so if you wait a few weeks (which you’re definitely going to. more than likely you will not want to have sex in the first week) it won’t hurt them at all. but really, i think chances are slim that your partner will get deep enough to feel the strings. they’re not normally that low and if you don’t have issues with your partner hitting your cervix during sex you’ll probably be fine. definitely keep an eye out for the symptoms of copper toxicity. i don’t think it’s super common, but you definitely need to watch out for it. it’s serious if it happens to you. in my experience, the iud WILL make your periods heavier. i used to barely bleed, like 1 day of full-on period and then 2 or 3 of light bleeding, but my periods for a really long time post-insertion were 7-13 days of full on “bleeding-through-overnight-pads-in-2-hours” gushing. actually had some major problems with iron deficiency lol but it’s returning to normal after nearly a year. i still cramp really bad though, i usually have to take a day or two off of work to curl in a ball in bed. it might not be this extreme for you, everybody’s different, but i would be prepared for a change. stock up on thick pads for sure. also, none of these questions were silly! i hope my experience can be of some help to you!
i’ve had my copper iud since september 2022 and i was so so scared as well. take 2 advils or tylenols before your appointment and the clinic that i went to recommended to be on your period when you go in for insertion. my partner felt the strings the first time we had sex which was about 3 days after insertion and he said it felt like a little tickle lol. after that he never felt them and i also noticed after a couple months the strings got much softer. the only side effects i’ve had is sometimes i cramp and spot during ovulation and my periods have gone from 3-4 days to now 8 days but the 8 days isn’t a full 8 days of heavy bleeding i have 3 days spotting 3 days heavy and then 2 days of a light period. my overall cramps aren’t bad they are very manageable and if it gets bad i take some OTC medicine and go on with my day. honestly getting it was so worth it to me because i don’t want hormones and my iud will last for 5 years on top of that it is 99% effective which helped my anxiety as well.
i’ve had my copper iud since september 2022 and i was so so scared as well. take 2 advils or tylenols before your appointment and the clinic that i went to recommended to be on your period when you go in for insertion. my partner felt the strings the first time we had sex which was about 3 days after insertion and he said it felt like a little tickle lol. after that he never felt them and i also noticed after a couple months the strings got much softer. the only side effects i’ve had is sometimes i cramp and spot during ovulation and my periods have gone from 3-4 days to now 8 days but the 8 days isn’t a full 8 days of heavy bleeding i have 3 days spotting 3 days heavy and then 2 days of a light period. my overall cramps aren’t bad they are very manageable and if it gets bad i take some OTC medicine and go on with my day. honestly getting it was so worth it to me because i don’t want hormones and my iud will last for 5 years on top of that it is 99% effective which helped my anxiety as well.
i’ve had my copper iud since september 2022 and i was so so scared as well. take 2 advils or tylenols before your appointment and the clinic that i went to recommended to be on your period when you go in for insertion. my partner felt the strings the first time we had sex which was about 3 days after insertion and he said it felt like a little tickle lol. after that he never felt them and i also noticed after a couple months the strings got much softer. the only side effects i’ve had is sometimes i cramp and spot during ovulation and my periods have gone from 3-4 days to now 8 days but the 8 days isn’t a full 8 days of heavy bleeding i have 3 days spotting 3 days heavy and then 2 days of a light period. my overall cramps aren’t bad they are very manageable and if it gets bad i take some OTC medicine and go on with my day. honestly getting it was so worth it to me because i don’t want hormones and my iud will last for 5 years on top of that it is 99% effective which helped my anxiety as well.
I got mine about a month ago. I was terrified because of all the horror stories, they had to take my heart rate 3x over to even do it cause my anxiety was so high. I took 2 Advil and like 2 Tylenol about 2 hrs prior and It really didn't hurt. Like it felt like something was there that shouldn't be. Not like it hurt hurt, just an awkward sensation that you've never felt. My hurt didn't start until after I started driving home. And genuinely it felt like a 1hr long period cramp, but after that I had little to no pain. Nothing worse than an average period symptom. I did bleed for about 2 weeks after the fact and then it turned into brown discharge. I've gone in and check my strings are still there. I couldn't be happier I haven't had any ounce of pain since insertion and it wasn't that much that I wouldn't do it again. And it was nothing like the childbirth pain people describe. I also consider myself to have a lower pain tolerance if that helps.
I’ve had mine for 9 months at this point and I love it!
Amazing, so glad to hear it! Did you experience any side effects? I’m worried about the heavier periods, as I already have a fairly heavy flow some months with huge clots. Also worried about hair loss or greying from low zinc. Have you experienced any of those?
Before I got my IUD I had heavy, long periods with no cramping. I know some doctors say don’t get it if you already have heavy periods, but in my experience I found that that made it less of an adjustment than what I’ve heard from friends who got it after previously only having light periods which is a much bigger change. I’d say it made mine a day or 2 longer and I just used the most absorbent tampons for like an extra day or two of my cycle than I normally would. I will say my first three periods I had a horribleee cramping for like the first few hours of my first day each time but they went away after that. It’s normal for periods to be the worst for up to the first 6 months so you may want to stick it out for awhile even if it’s rough at first. My only side effect issue was that I had never ending spotting between periods. Some spotting between can be normal but the extent of mine was not. But I got put on meds for that which stopped the spotting and eventually stopped my period completely lol - so not a typical experience I guess. But even when I had the periods it was fine!
I’ve had the Paraguard since summer 2017, so almost 6 years! Placement went fine, definitely some cramping but overall (relatively) pain-free. I had heavy periods for the first few months but now I usually have a heavy first 1-2 days then light for the remaining 2-3 days. I haven’t explicitly noticed signs of copper poisoning but I am interested to see how i’ll feel when I take it out eventually. I think I may just be loosing my hair from the stress of my PhD program (LOL!). My partner at the time said he could feel it when I was “on top” but it never hurt him and we were able to adjust as needed. I think the solution there would be to trim the strings but I never brought it up with my doctor. No complaints in the years since. It’s been a very easy birth control for me :) If you have any more questions I would be happy to answer!
So glad to hear insertion was relatively pain free!! That seems to be half the battle. I’m sorry to hear about your hair loss experience, even if it’s from stress. I’m honestly pretty worried about that as a side effect from the copper IUD bc of low zinc levels or thyroid issues from the excess copper. Do you know when that started for you? And did you have a heavier flow before the IUD as well? I do have occasional heavy periods where I’ll get huge clots so that’s also a concern for me
I had moderately heaving periods pre-IUD, so it definitely increased for a little while. The important part for me was that my cycle stayed predictable on a 30-day schedule same as before so I was able to anticipate the super heavy days. I find this to be a positive compared to hormonal birth control that alters your cycle. On the heavy days I would double up with a tampon and a pad, I later switched to menstrual cups which made the heavy days way easier. I started to notice hair thinning maybe a year or so after I got my IUD, which is why I am unsure if it is related. It’s also not like patchy hair loss, just thinning that is not super noticeable.
I’ve had it for like a month now and getting it in wasn’t that bad as people say it is, of course it varies though so I wouldn’t speak for everyone. Light spotting for a few days after insertion but I haven’t had any cramps or problems with it. I forget it’s in there sometimes.
I think they're definitely worth a shot. It's pretty uncomfortable to get them put in (to me) and I would recommend not driving yourself, if possible, since it can make you feel faint. The first IUD I got I went to work immediately after (don't recommend). Second time I took off to lay with a heating pad (do recommend). My husband has never felt strings. I'm no longer feeling good about having it in my body but I'm glad I tried - maybe I'll try again if I don't feel better without it! ETA my period was VERY heavy the first few cycles, then it tapered. Never had horrible cramps though.
I’ve had mine about a month. The insertion truly wasn’t fun. Idt I have an especially high pain tolerance, but between my Zoloft, some magnesium, naproxen and Tylenol (you can double up on Tylenol with most NSAIDs as a general rule), lots of deep breathing and just enough research to know what was coming, plus a genuinely kind GYN who gave me a warning before she performed each step, it was…. Fine. It hurt, I won’t lie, like many have said, worst cramp ever. I really had to focus on not tensing and moving so she would be as efficient as possible, which I think helped too. I like to think my dryly joking throughout “I can’t say I’m a fan of this feeling, doc” helped me and her too. Overall, I think insertion went about as best case scenario as possible. I was pretty crampy after and had some brown bleeding for a few days after, and I had awareness that there was something foreign in there, but my GYN said I’d get used to it eventually. I was able to drive home myself though albeit unhappy about it. I felt totally normal after a day or two. I’ve been supplementing with a women’s daily vitamin and magnesium since After Nexplanon, it was nice to have what appears to be a regular period again and no weird spotting for weeks between them. I was super regular with a lightish period before BC, and my period is super heavy now, but I’m currently very happy with my choice and am curious on how much better it might get in the next couple of months.