[redding]

Thanks for the welcome! I’ve been surprised at how little cramping I’ve had since I got the Paragard last Wednesday. I had some pretty bad cramps for about 10-15 minutes within 10 minutes of getting it inserted, then I broke out in a cold sweat and felt nauseous… thankfully I was still at the doc’s office, and she had me come back to the room and lay down. She did an ultrasound and said it was in the perfect place! I had mild cramping the rest of the day, then barely noticeable cramping the next day, and since them I’ve had occasional cramps here and there, only a couple times where it was worth taking ibuprofen. And I’ve barely been spotting at all. I honestly expected the week after insertion would be much worse than this. Perhaps I’m jinxing myself here by going on about how not-crappy I feel right now. My main worry now is expulsion—and of course, my next few periods. I’m going to stock up on Aleve—and red panties, of course.

[raskel]

vera, the point obelix is making is that...while you might have had trouble for 1, 2, or 3 months with the mirena, those of us with the copper T are still going through "hell" 5, 6... 10 months into it.

[vera]

I went through utter hell getting the Mirena. My strings have gone inside and I get to be put to sleep to remove the IUD. I hated the strings and kept messing with them perhaps causing them to go inside (in case anyone wants to know how). I'm not sorry and am now having a good time looking forward to years of sex without him/I feeling strings. It just takes time.

[obelix]

Vera- the Copper T acts in the body VERY differently than the Mirena does. Sorry, I'm just a little tweaked about somebody telling us to "Calm down ladies". The Mirena has hormones in it and actually reduces cramps and PMS symptoms. Some of us can't handle hormones, so we have the Copper T. The Copper T increases cramps and lengthens the period, and it doesn't just get completely better after a few months.

Welcome, Redding! Stock up on Vitamin IB, break out the red skivvies, and good luck!

After a year with my Paraguard, I don't even have to take anything for my cramps. My biggest problem is that I spot for a few days before and after my period. AND- I get PMS on the first full day of bleeding now, instead of a few days before. So, I get to be cranky, moody, sweaty, AND bloody. Yay.

[maddy29]

smurfin that's so amazing you've only had one period since. my sister (who has had 2 kids) had the same thing, she never really bled after she got it, just a tad bit of spotting, now she doesn't even have that.

now i'm sad, cause maybe i wno't be in the lucky percent that has lighter periods...maybe it'll just take time.

my sister says her strings are softer now, so i dunno. i guess it's all so individual, it's hard to know what'll happen.

[redding]

I got my Paragard this afternoon. It hurt like hell going in, but now I feel fine, just very mild cramping. I'm a bit nervous about what my next few periods will be like, but I'll just have to wait and see. Fingers are crossed.

[smurfin]

I dunno about the strings getting softer. I've had my Mirena for 1.5 years now, and only one period since. So yes, I'm pretty happy. The only bad part (I think) is that my boyfriend reports hitting the strings in certain positions - including my favourite. So that's no longer a favourite for us, basically. But yes, 1.5 years along and the string hasn't changed. I think it's plastic anyway, so I couldn't imagine it getting much softer.

[raskel]

*mumbles* damn double posts...

[raskel]

I no longer get any side effects with the copper T (after 6 months). However, my periods are SOOOOOOO heavy still, and before the IUD my periods were very light and lasted only 3-5 days.

[maddy29]

I'm doing fine with my mirena, although I've had about 4 periods in the last 8 weeks. I'm just waiting to get past this part. Other than that, I don't notice side effects really.

I do get some different kinds of cramping than before, and sometimes I can just feel it up in there, which is creepy and I hate.

And, my boyfriend just told me that sometimes when he's in really deep he can feel it and it hurts a bit. I figure that the strings will get softer as time goes on, right?

Just waiting to stop bleeding. It's funny how excited I get when there are a few days in a row without blood. Hopefully just one more month, it's already been two.....

how's everyone else doing?

[vera]

Calm down ladies. I have a Mirena and yes, bled for weeks but not anymore. I love it. It's only been a few months now but don't worry guys it gets a lot BETTER.

[maddy29]

wow, october? i can see why you're thinking of taking it out.

There are tons of side effects with iuds, that are possible. i do'nt know much about the copper one, but i found a website full of women who'd had various iud's, and had major problems-tingling in legs, numbness, intense pain, etc, etc.

my sister has a mirena, like me, and she's had no problems with it at all. took a few months to straighten out her cycle, but tha'ts it. i hope i fall in that group....

sorry this is sucking so much for you

[freckleface2727]

maddy-
I got mine inserted back in October

I'm really starting to believe that, like my expirence w/ the depo provera shot, they need to be much more forthcoming as to "possible side affects for some women" bc this long after, I really never expected to Still be having problems.

[maddy29]

hey freckleface- how long has it been since your insertion?

i'm going a bit nuts with the bleeding, too. i stopped for two days and it was SOOO exciting!!! but now i'm spotting again, so who knows. i had a 2 week long period, then 2 days of nothing, now spotting. It's been just over a month for me.

I really hope it doesnt' take 2 more months for my cycle to settle down, gah.

i'm not really feeling side effects, at least i don't think so. can't feel the string during sex, no problems there.

[freckleface2727]

I think it is starting to slowly dawn on me, why I've gained ( partly so anyway) the weight over the last few months.

see, each month, I generally allow myself a few pounds lee-way to "play with" around my cycle.
not that I'm super skinny, but I recognize that my body is craving certain things at different times and that when it's over, I'll have balanced it all out again.

but sinse I got the copper t, EVERYTHING'S been screwed up. my cycle has gone on & on, w/ pms before, during and sometimes even alittle After.
basically, I crave something, I eat/binge.
few days later, more cravings, more binging.
crave/binge crave binge BUT NO END IN SIGHT.

so I don't know.

I just signed up to take part in a pms research project that I think might involve birth control. if they call me I will probly def do it to see if there is a connection.

the mr wants me to get the iud removed, bc it seems to be causing more problems than benefits.

gah. can I just hit menopause already and not have to worry anymore?

and my cycle stopped completely for a whole 36 hours this month.. long enough to trick me into thinking it was getting shorter and better, and started up fresh again right after.
I am not a fan of this anymore!!

[maddy29]

ack, i've had my period for like two weeks. I've kinda lost track. so i had about 5 days blood free after i got my iud, and other than that it's basically been three weeks of bleeding. blah i can't wait until it stops!!!!!

just complaining.

[raskel]

Well, I thought I started my period right on time..but now I'm just confused. I've had very light bleeding every night for 4 nights, but only at night, and it lasts a few hours. That's it. I haven't even been wearing a tampon or pad or anything during the day. Normal? Effect from the IUD? Now I'm worried because me getting my period every month is reassurance that the IUD is doing it's job, and it's not really happening.

[redding]

Yes, back before I started on the pill, my cramps were really terrible and I never took anything for it because I also don't like to take drugs. It sucked. But now, I just take an advil and it's just so much better I can't believe it. I won't hesitate to pop some ibuprofen when I get my IUD.

[raskel]

oh yea, I agree with obelix. I don't ever take any drugs normally. I kept thinking the cramps would pass, and would try to wait them out, and they'd just get far worse and I'd wind up taking way more aleve than I should have hoping it'd kick in faster.

[obelix]

Ibuprofen knocks my cramps out every time- I just have this weird thing about drugs, I hate taking them. My cramps the first month weren't constant. A few times a week, maybe. Just keep a better eye on yourself than I did- at the first twinge of pain, get on the drugs.