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fork bomb posted:Holy crap, you're definitely (hopefully) the exception to all the IUD loving crew. Tell me more about how it "poked itself out" and how you knew something was wrong. Also, please explain why you chose to get an IUD without insurance. Well, I mean, I'm still in love with the IUD idea. I really, really wish it had worked for me. It was overall a relatively painless process from all sides, except financially when it didn't work out. They tell you to check the strings when you leave, so I dutifully checked the strings for about two weeks. After that, I'd check them once a week. One week, it seemed like the string had gotten longer, so I checked it again the next day and could feel something harder than string. I made an appointment, went in to have it checked, and they said that my uterus had pushed the pointy end through my cervix. It was never painful or anything, we were just incompatible, my IUD and I. As for why I chose to get the IUD without insurance, it was ultimately cheaper than continuing to forget my birth control pills which I have never taken reliably in my life. I hadn't yet found the NuvaRing, but I think it would have been cheaper than 5 years of NuvaRing anyway. Works out to $240/year. Now that we have two children, my husband has had a vasectomy, so I don't have to worry about any of this anymore. Hooray! Edit: For what it's worth, I've also tried Depo at two separate times in my life. Both times, for whatever reason logical or placebo-cal, I've felt more depressed and gained more weight than at any time in my life. Chib fucked around with this message at 12:54 on Oct 4, 2011 |
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Oct 4, 2011 12:43
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IIRC Schroedinger was the lifter who did a ton of research, but I can't remember what the conclusions were. Totally anecdotal evidence: I started on Implanon after working out for awhile and it didn't seem to have any noticeable effect. I was working out for weight loss, not qualifying for the Olympic team or anything, so although I think the average woman can do fine with it, at very serious levels, who knows.
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Oct 4, 2011 13:07
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i like nice words
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Geolicious posted:I don't know her reasons, but I am trying to save up for one, too. As previously discussed, my insurance won't cover IUDs, so I'd have to pony up. I'm so tired of worrying about the pill failing because of my weight (whether that's a valid worry or not is another story). Geo, have you looked into Implanon? It's fantastic! (I'm on #2)
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Oct 4, 2011 13:08
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Anne Whateley posted:IIRC Schroedinger was the lifter who did a ton of research, but I can't remember what the conclusions were. Anne, I saw some of your before/after pics posted in W&W and you are a complete inspiration. I'm glad to hear that you have experience with Implanon, that gives me one less excuse when I actually try. :3
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Oct 4, 2011 13:10
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This has probably been asked a million times before, so could somebody point me to the link that compares/contrasts the Mirena and Paraguard? I haven't had kids and my husband and I don't plan on having them for at least the next 5 years. I've been on birth control pills since I was 17 (now 26) and kinda want to chill out on the hormones for a while.
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Oct 4, 2011 13:26
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fork bomb posted:Geo, have you looked into Implanon? It's fantastic! (I'm on #2) I have. I don't feel I would be in the lucky few to have stopped periods and I am not willing to go back to (possibly) heavy and irregular period land. One of the many things I love about the pill is the ability to know about and control my period. I know what day and what time it's coming. And it's light and usually cramp free these days.
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Oct 4, 2011 15:08
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Ms. Happiness posted:This has probably been asked a million times before, so could somebody point me to the link that compares/contrasts the Mirena and Paraguard? I haven't had kids and my husband and I don't plan on having them for at least the next 5 years. I've been on birth control pills since I was 17 (now 26) and kinda want to chill out on the hormones for a while. No link but I can give you the main highlights off the top of my head. Mirena is plastic, Paraguard is copper. Unless you are allergic to copper, this doesn't matter really. Mirena has small hormone dose, Paraguard has none. Mirena is known to stop periods, Paraguard makes them worse for a varying amount of time, but can eventually even out. Both effective at no babies.
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Oct 4, 2011 20:14
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fork bomb posted:Anne, I saw some of your before/after pics posted in W&W and you are a complete inspiration. I'm glad to hear that you have experience with Implanon, that gives me one less excuse when I actually try. :3 
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Oct 5, 2011 01:52
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bobula posted:So I had a Mirena put in about a month ago and all of my residual emotional upset is gone, but the spotting remains. I seem to have slowed down with that though, and now when I go to empty my cup it instead contains clear liquid of some sort. I never had this much clear discharge so I'm not sure what it is. It's really watery and just looks kind of like water tinged with a tiny bit of blood. I wonder what it is? Didn't see this answered: I had slightly weird discharge early on with my Mirena, too. Nothing to worry about. Mine was more like mucus than water, at least according to what I wrote at the time (I'd totally forgotten about it, but if you click the ? under my name & go to my posts in January, you can read what I had and peoples' answers when I asked about it.).
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Oct 5, 2011 01:55
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Kerfuffle posted:Mirena is plastic, Paraguard is copper. NaturalLow posted:the copper IUD is made of plastic too. The copper part is wire wrapped around it. Is paraguard copper around plastic? I hope this isn't a dumb question because I thought copper IUD's were.. entirely made of copper. I feel so dumb about birth control 
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Oct 5, 2011 02:00
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2508084 posted:Is paraguard copper around plastic? I hope this isn't a dumb question because I thought copper IUD's were.. entirely made of copper. I feel so dumb about birth control It's copper around plastic, yea. I guess the plastic is more flexible for insertion/removal? Or maybe it's just cheaper that way, I don't know.
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Oct 5, 2011 02:06
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2508084 posted:Is paraguard copper around plastic? I hope this isn't a dumb question because I thought copper IUD's were.. entirely made of copper. I feel so dumb about birth control It's copper wrapped around plastic. Don't feel too bad, I always assumed it was solid copper too until probably a few months ago when I looked at the Wikipedia article about it. There's a picture of it with the article that might be helpful too.
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Oct 5, 2011 02:59
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2508084 posted:Is paraguard copper around plastic? I hope this isn't a dumb question because I thought copper IUD's were.. entirely made of copper. I feel so dumb about birth control I thought this too! I learned something new as well it seems. But I guess the main point still stands that Mirena lacks copper. 
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Oct 5, 2011 03:08
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One more thing. I use a Divacup for periods and have heard it mentioned that you can't use menstrual cups with IUDs. Is there any truth in that?
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Oct 6, 2011 04:35
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Ms. Happiness posted:One more thing. I use a Divacup for periods and have heard it mentioned that you can't use menstrual cups with IUDs. Is there any truth in that? I don't really know, but this thread might be another good place to ask.
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Oct 6, 2011 06:44
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So, I just finished a pill pack yesterday (lo loestrin Fe) and I had my normal barely there period with some slight cramps. But about ten minutes ago I went to the bathroom and well, this small blob of grayish tissue came out with some of my menstrual blood... Something I need to see a doctor about? Or does this happen with bc pills and light periods?
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Oct 6, 2011 13:14
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Ms. Happiness posted:One more thing. I use a Divacup for periods and have heard it mentioned that you can't use menstrual cups with IUDs. Is there any truth in that? There is an idea that theoretically the suction of the cup could pull out the IUD. I'm not sure if that's ever actually happened to anyone. At any rate, I use a Diva with my Mirena, and I just make sure to break the seal with my finger before I yank it out. AbandonShip: Was it a lot like mucus? Because if so, it was just mucus.
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Oct 6, 2011 14:26
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Eggplant Wizard posted:There is an idea that theoretically the suction of the cup could pull out the IUD. I'm not sure if that's ever actually happened to anyone. At any rate, I use a Diva with my Mirena, and I just make sure to break the seal with my finger before I yank it out. A fairly recent study done on IUDs found that menstrual cup users didn't have an increased risk of expulsion than pad or tampon users (within the first two months after insertion, which is the critical period). (link) It's exciting because it's the only study to be done on IUDs and menstrual cups. 
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Oct 6, 2011 17:43
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Chib posted:I had a copper IUD. Saved up for a year to pay the $1200 for it and then it poked itself out two months later. Luckily not through the uterine wall. Despite being a parous woman, they said my uterus was too small to accommodate one. Most expensive two months of birth control ever. For what it's worth, perforation of the uterus (according to my gyno) happens almost exclusively on insertion, and it's not going to happen by itself without some kind of serious external trauma. So yeah, IUDs do have that risk, and it does happen, and it can affect fertility, but it's not like you're gonna be laying down and flip onto your stomach some day and oops perforated uterus! It's the scariest-sounding risk when no one explains what the risk actually is.
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Oct 7, 2011 20:12
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Nicol Bolas posted:For what it's worth, perforation of the uterus (according to my gyno) happens almost exclusively on insertion, and it's not going to happen by itself without some kind of serious external trauma. So yeah, IUDs do have that risk, and it does happen, and it can affect fertility, but it's not like you're gonna be laying down and flip onto your stomach some day and oops perforated uterus! It's the scariest-sounding risk when no one explains what the risk actually is. Thanks for posting this. Thats one thing I was very nervous about since no one told me how common this is. Naturally my brain went to the scenerio where I'm on the bus and I just feel my uterus tear and then I die on public transit. I went in for my mirena today. No needle in my vagina, they used an anesthetic gel (unless I didn't see OR feel a needle). It was all fine and dandy until insertion. Mild cramping, my rear end. It wasn't super horrible and I would have been fine, however she said they needed to try 'one more time.' The shot of pain in my abdomen sent me into a panic attack where  my body felt like it was attempting to poo poo out all of my internal organs, from the unexpected pain/stress. She said she got it in all the way so I had my boyfriend basically carry me home (he stayed out in the lobby, thank god) and smoked enough  to make james franco blush.Provided nothing goes wrong and all is well, I'd do it again.
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Oct 8, 2011 00:15
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I finally scheduled an appointment for the Mirena in November, when I should have my period. That's the best time to get it inserted, right? I should be on about my second day then. Everything about it sounds great from what I've been reading, and from what you all told me back in the summer, but I am a big baby when it comes to pain. I know I should take some painkillers about an hour or so before the appointment, but what's a good amount? I want to minimize the pain as much as I can. And how long does the initial pain usually last? Will I have to take the next day off from work? Any other stuff I should know about? To remind everyone again I'm in my mid 20s and have never had children.
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Oct 8, 2011 04:24
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2508084 posted:Thanks for posting this. Thats one thing I was very nervous about since no one told me how common this is. Naturally my brain went to the scenerio where I'm on the bus and I just feel my uterus tear and then I die on public transit. Oh good! Glad I could be helpful. And even if you did perforate, yeah, poo poo would be lovely, but you're not gonna die superfast on a bus even if you spontaneously perforated. DEATH is not a side effect of an IUD. As far as I know, anyway. IUDs have a bad rep in this country due to Dalkon Shield fuckery but that thing has been out of production for decades. And just a tiny, tiny note from the last page: yeah, you and your family probably shouldn't take 1000mg of ibuprofin regularly. 800mg is the max safe dosage for any one time. 400mg generally covers normal aches and pains.
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Oct 8, 2011 04:52
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Sorry for the double post but this is a totally different question! SO! I have a friend with PCOS who is interested in IUDs. Obviously Paragard / copper is a no-go for her because it will only make her already-lovely period symptoms shittier. But I know nothing of PCOS, and she's a nomad so she doesn't really have a gyno / endriconologist who knows her or PCOS. So, are there any PCOS ladies in this thread who can shed some light on this? Have any of you had Miriena and PCOS? Another fun twist: her mom lives in the Netherlands, so that's where she sees a doctor. I have no idea what the hell is available for Dutch uteruses.
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Oct 8, 2011 05:08
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Ceridwen posted:Pretty much echoing what MM said. Most docs prefer that it be during your period. Your cervix is slightly open at two times in your cycle: when you ovulate (which you won't be on the pill) and during your period. This makes insertion a bit easier. You ideally to schedule it for a day when your period will be relatively heavy, rather than a day when its nearly over or just getting started. Requoting this from when I first asked about Mirena last summer, since I have my appointment coming up in a month and I need to have as much information as I can so I can be totally prepared for that day and recovery. I also remember this post being the most informative to me. So let's see if I've done/will do everything correctly: I've scheduled the appointment to be on the second day of my period, but that was the only day during then that my doctor would be available. I have no idea if she will prescribe anything to give me the night before (or something to numb the cervix the day of. Using a needle up there just sounds ), but I guess every doctor is different. Hopefully I won't get nauseous or feverish or whatever during the insertion. I have no problems when getting blood drawn, and pap smears and STD tests feel more like an annoying poke. Slightly uncomfortable, but otherwise I've felt worse. I do plan on taking as many painkillers as possible without ODing about an hour before my appointment, and good idea about the portable heating pads. I will also be getting a ride to and from my appointment. I really do want to take the next day off from work, but I'm uncomfortable explaining my reason to my supervisors. Especially since I'll most likely need a doctor's note and I don't want them thinking the wrong things.Now, my job requires me to do some minor lifting, and I work out about four times a week at the gym. Obviously I should take it as easy as possible at work but what about the gym? Just stick with cardio for the following week? Is a week even a good recovery time or would I have to abstain from lifting longer than that? And finally, yes, my insurance does cover the Mirena, and I'll only have to pay a copay during insertion. I have no idea how much the copay will be, but Google tells me it's not terribly expensive, which is good. Now a couple more questions that you all may be able to answer: Speaking of insurance, mine will expire next year, and the odds of me getting a new plan immediately afterward seem very low now. Since an IUD is 5 years worth of protection and I'll only be paying a copay the day of insertion, is this a smart move? And say something does happen after my insurance expires, I can always just go to the local Planned Parenthood and someone can look at me there, correct? Lastly, my parents, who know about my wanting/getting an IUD, think it's a bad idea. Mainly because they have heard about it perforating the uterus or falling out, and are worried about my safety. I have explained to them several times that modern IUDs are much safer than earlier models, and if it perforates it's almost always done at insertion by a bad doctor. I've also explained to them how pharmaceutical companies have to report every single side effect experienced by their test group, no matter how uncommon or rare. They too are also worried about the "but what happens after you're uninsured?" bit from above, which I also explained to them. Anything else I can do to convince them IUDs are perfectly safe? By the way, I have done some more reading elsewhere about the side effects, and I suspect that the reviewers who complained about things like hair loss or acne have never been on hormonal birth control before. I've been on the pill for over five years and the worst I've experienced was some weight gain, and since the Mirena is the same formula as my pills but at a lower dose, I'll probably be fine, if not better. I also trust that my doctor will do a flawless insertion, therefore I will be safe, right? BigGayLogan fucked around with this message at 05:07 on Oct 9, 2011 |
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Oct 9, 2011 05:04
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Yep, you sound like you're in good shape. As for losing your insurance, bear in mind that the highest risk period for IUD complications is the 2-3 months immediately after insertion. It sounds like you will have insurance long enough to take care of that, should anything happen (which is rare.). If you're in the U.S., are you aware of the thing where you can stay on your parents' insurance till you're 26? (I am guessing actually that's what you're doing, but just in case.)
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Oct 9, 2011 14:24
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BigGayLogan posted:Requoting this from when I first asked about Mirena last summer, since I have my appointment coming up in a month and I need to have as much information as I can so I can be totally prepared for that day and recovery. I also remember this post being the most informative to me. quote:Now, my job requires me to do some minor lifting, and I work out about four times a week at the gym. Obviously I should take it as easy as possible at work but what about the gym? Just stick with cardio for the following week? Is a week even a good recovery time or would I have to abstain from lifting longer than that?  I got my Mirena put in Friday, I felt fine to do my job on Saturday and I'll be lifting tomorrow morning. Save for the really light spotting I still have going, I can't even tell the Mirena is in me. All the cramping is gone completely. quote:And say something does happen after my insurance expires, I can always just go to the local Planned Parenthood and someone can look at me there, correct? quote:and I suspect that the reviewers who complained about things like hair loss or acne have never been on hormonal birth control before. I've been on the pill for over five years and the worst I've experienced was some weight gain, and since the Mirena is the same formula as my pills but at a lower dose, I'll probably be fine, if not better. I also trust that my doctor will do a flawless insertion, therefore I will be safe, right?
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Oct 9, 2011 14:31
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Thanks, Eggplant Wizard and 2508084. I am in the US, and well aware of the staying on parent's insurance until I'm 26. That's what's going on right now. I turn 25 in December and a year from then, welp, unless a full-time position opens up at my job or I find somewhere better to work, I'm hosed. As for trying to get out of work, once the time gets closer I do plan to ask my supervisor if I can get atleast a morning shift the day of my appointment, since the insertion will be later that afternoon, and take the next day off. The first day is easy, just say I have a doctor's appointment, which is true. But why the extra day off? And when they see the doctor's note they'll probably notice it's signed by a gynocologist. I don't want them thinking I had an abortion or something like that, but telling them I got an IUD put in is just too personal for me to reveal. Blah, I'm overthinking things anyway. Another IUD question. Obviously I expect to have spotting for a while after it's put in. But what about after and predicting next periods (even though I also hope to never get them again)? The pill was great since I knew exactly the day I would get my period. Never late, never early. What about with an IUD? Just count 28 days from the last one? Prior to starting the pill, in addition to horrible cramps my cycle was also very irregular. But since the Mirena has hormones in it it should still keep things in line, right?
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Oct 9, 2011 17:23
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Estrogen is the hormone that helps to regulate your period and it isn't present in Mirena. You can expect your period to be pretty irregular for a while until you either don't get them anymore, or just get light spotting every once in a while.
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Oct 9, 2011 17:54
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Just tell them you are having minor outpatient surgery and need a day to recuperate. Or ask your gyno if they can write you an excuse with the Doctor's name but not their specialty.
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Oct 9, 2011 18:10
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How many days did y'all need to recoop after getting your IUD in? I should definitely not work the next day, right?
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Oct 9, 2011 18:17
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I went and volunteered the next day (mostly standing around talking to people, not much lifting) and I was fine.
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Oct 9, 2011 19:22
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I didn't take any days off from work for my IUD. I ran errands after getting it in. That's not to say it didn't hurt like hell to insert, but the pain subsided pretty quickly. By the time the nurse finished trimming the strings, I felt sore and crampy but otherwise fine.
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Oct 9, 2011 19:44
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I took the day off for the doctors appointment then went back to work the next day. I took it easy though.
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Oct 10, 2011 14:45
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The day I had my IUD insertion was the same day I had was scheduled to work an evening shift. The doctor inserted my ParaGuard around lunchtime and I had to work at 5:00PM. They didn't use any numbing agents and all I took beforehand was 3 ibuprofen. Of course I felt sore, but not sore enough that I needed to stay at home. The soreness went away in about a day and a half.
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Oct 10, 2011 21:30
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This thread has been very enlightening. I recently found a PP clinic that I am very comfortable with and they discussed some BC options with me. The pill is not ideal due to the fact that I have had gastric bypass and have had some malabsorption problems (I was on IV iron for a year because I couldn't get enough iron from food or pills). I was also forewarned that one of the medications I am on has a history of making BC pills less effective. The options that they said were most ideal for my situation were either Implanon or an IUD. I am hesitant to move forward with an IUD for what might be a silly reason. I tense up so much at the gynecologist during regular exams and worry that it would make insertion difficult. On the other hand, the idea of not worrying about pregnancy for the next five years would be nice. Take a deep breath and deal with it or go for the less invasive Implanon? The last few pages of painful IUD stories are freaking me out a little.
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Oct 11, 2011 15:33
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MsJoelBoxer posted:This thread has been very enlightening. Implanon gives you 3 years if protection, so if that extra 2 years isn't a big deal it might be best. But one of the side effects is unpredictable bleeding, which sucks when I get my ?period? every other weekend for two months and then not get it for a month and a half. It's difficult to keep track of and has led to an embarrassing situation or two. I just hope I'm one of the lucky ones who lose it in the next few months.
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Oct 11, 2011 16:45
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I had my Implanon removed in the middle of August (yay birth control, boo horrendous side effects), and I decided to wait until my cycle fixed itself to get Paragard. Well, that period didn't show up, so I decided to go for it anyway. Insertion (this past Thursday) was pretty much painless, though there was a little bleeding that afternoon. Two days later, cramps and NIAGARA FALLS! ...which has tapered off into normal, period-like bleeding. So, a few questions. For anyone who had Implanon removed, about how long did it take for your cycle to go back to normal? I'm definitely not pregnant--peeing in a cup proved that. I've heard horror stories of women who didn't go back to normal for over a year, but I'm guessing those are worst-case scenarios. And for anyone who has Paragard, any input on the bleeding? I'm pretty sure my period just decided to come back (which I'll know in a day or three, I guess), but the timing is making it hard to gauge.
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Oct 11, 2011 22:13
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I had the evening off after my first IUD insertion, and I went home and stayed in bed after running a quick errand. I was totally fine the next day. After the second one, I went out shopping, and after the most recent, I went back to work for the rest of the day. There's no predicting how any one person is going to react, but it seems like most people don't need days off work or weeks off from the gym.MsJoelBoxer posted:The options that they said were most ideal for my situation were either Implanon or an IUD. I am hesitant to move forward with an IUD for what might be a silly reason. I tense up so much at the gynecologist during regular exams and worry that it would make insertion difficult. On the other hand, the idea of not worrying about pregnancy for the next five years would be nice. Take a deep breath and deal with it or go for the less invasive Implanon? Less invasive is iffy - IUDs do go in a natural body cavity, and while the thought can be skeezy, it shouldn't be more physically traumatic than having a hole put in your arm. It seems like removal is usually easier, too. So really, it's probably a wash from that end, and you should go with whatever makes the most sense for your lifestyle and future plans.
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Oct 12, 2011 02:02
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MsJoelBoxer posted:This thread has been very enlightening. I'm on my second Implanon. I'm skeeved out by the thought of an IUD as well (though I realize it is pretty ridiculous). Insertion and removal of Implanon is really easy but expect your arm to bruise and be sore for a while afterwards. And the day after I got my first Implanon I experienced a general malaise (mild flu-like symptoms of body aches and just bleh). I have had irregular bleeding but that's nothing compared to 3 years of protection so I say go for it!
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Oct 12, 2011 04:52
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My girlfriend is about 4 days late, and she just tested positive on some dollar store pregnancy test (getting an EPT or whatever is the best after work). She was taking loestrin fe every day at about the same time, so I'm really at a loss as to how this can happen, especially considering she's been on some form of birth control for 8 years without being pregnant. I told her to call her doctor as soon as she told me, and she won't be able to get in to see him until a week from Monday. She also was told to stop taking her medicine. I'm in disbelief right now, I'm 24 years old. I've always heard that a false negative is typical, but that false positives aren't. I'm trying to wait to freak out until after she sees the doctor, but that's a long time from now. Is there a reasonable chance that it's a false positive, or am I going to be a dad?
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Oct 12, 2011 20:46
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