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Tshirt Ninja posted:My pills work pretty okay (Apri, a year now) but I'd like to take a month off just to see what it does to my body and my mood. Is there any reason I shouldn't do this if I know I'm not going to be sexually active in the next month or two? Is a month off long enough to see a difference? I just started my placebo week and am planning to just not start another pack. Just as it takes about 3 months to see if a pill works for you, it takes about that long (or longer) for your body to readjust to your natural cycle. You'll still ovulate while off the pill, but it takes a while for your body to adjust to being off hormones again. I'd advise against it. Don't stop birth control unless you're ready to stop it for good, because otherwise you're just putting yourself through hormonal adjustments for no reason. Further, pills do not yield the same side effects if you go off it and go back on it later. There's no guarantee that this pill will be just as good for you after a break.
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Mar 21, 2013 17:18
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Tshirt Ninja posted:My pills work pretty okay (Apri, a year now) but I'd like to take a month off just to see what it does to my body and my mood. Is there any reason I shouldn't do this if I know I'm not going to be sexually active in the next month or two? Is a month off long enough to see a difference? I just started my placebo week and am planning to just not start another pack. When I went off the pill, I was (mentally/emotionally) a basketcase because of my hormones being all over the place. Not to mention the physical side-effects like acne. I don't think I really felt close to normal again until about 3 weeks later, which in your case would be about the time you would start up the next pack after your break. I mean, I don't think it's going to hurt you or anything, but I honestly don't understand the point of doing it exactly.
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Mar 21, 2013 18:13
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It's officially been one year since I had my Nexplanon (Inplanon) inserted! I still couldn't be happier with a birth control. What really saddens me is how few women seem to know about the implant. Every time (without fail, EVERY time) I have been to a doctor's appointment in the past year, I have had to explain the implant to the medical assistant checking me in. Every time the medical assistant has been female and acted like it was the best thing they had heard about in their whole lives, and they're in the medical field. It usually ends up with me showing them where the implant is and letting them poke at it for fun. My friends still act a bit freaked out about it, I think because they're afraid the process involves cutting your whole arm open or something. My periods have disappeared for months at a time, until recently they have been around a normal 30 day cycle, but I don't mind because I also use the DivaCup. Let's just say my friends really don't understand the cup either. Oh well, at least my girly parts are as happy as can be!
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Mar 21, 2013 20:58
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Speaking of the cup, I purchased one recently but the insert says to consult my doctor prior to using if I have an IUD. Is it bad to use divacup with an IUD? I was all excited to not use tampons anymore.
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Mar 22, 2013 05:24
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Update on my wife's attempt to get sterilized at 27 without children - She went into Planned Parenthood for her pelvic exam yesterday, apparently it was all routine checkup stuff and she cannot move forward with the essure process until they get her pap smear results back. In the meantime they put her back on nuvaring, apparently the RN had a minor meltdown when it came out that my wife only has 6-8 periods per year (she always has, never thought much of it and this was her first pelvic exam) and she has to be on some form of hormonal birth control to regulate them. She can't remember the specifics but something about if the lining of the uterus builds up for too long it puts you at risk for cancer, however its not a problem if you're sterilized. She asked about the odds of getting denied for the procedure due to age and having over a decade of potential complication free years during which to have children, and added our genetic baggage we'd pass along, plus her visceral reaction at the thought of being pregnant and our general disinterest in having children. Apparently it all depends on the doctor doing the procedure - the RN said some would do it without batting an eye, others would give some resistance but said she didn't expect much of a fight because mainly my wife is in a stable long term relationship and I agree with her decision, and our reasons for not wanting children go beyond "I can't stand bratty kids." So I'm cautiously optimistic, I was fully expecting to be shot down on our first try.
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Mar 22, 2013 07:43
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sexily posted:Speaking of the cup, I purchased one recently but the insert says to consult my doctor prior to using if I have an IUD. Is it bad to use divacup with an IUD? I was all excited to not use tampons anymore. You just need to be careful not to accidentally get the cup caught on the strings and pull on them. You should probably also try to crack the seal before you pull the cup out, but when I used my cup with my IUD (my periods just decided to stop so I haven't needed it in a year and change) I would just slowly pull it out and everything felt okay.
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Mar 22, 2013 10:14
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Geoj posted:Update on my wife's attempt to get sterilized at 27 without children - She might have been freaking out because only having sporadic periods throughout the year could point to some bigger hormonal problem. But beyond that, there's really no medical reason you have to have periods at all so I'm not sure what that was about. Hell, they have birth control pills that are specifically tailored for allowing women to skip most or all of their periods. And then there's other stuff like Mirena that can have that as a side-effect. I'm kind of surprised the nurse didn't freak out more about your wife having her first pelvic exam at 27. Not to come off holier-than-thou about it, but she really should have been getting regular pap smears/check-ups before that. Anyway, I'm glad to hear you're having a good response to it so far. It gives me some hope as a woman who'd really like to get sterilized someday.
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Mar 22, 2013 17:00
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sexily posted:Speaking of the cup, I purchased one recently but the insert says to consult my doctor prior to using if I have an IUD. Is it bad to use divacup with an IUD? I was all excited to not use tampons anymore. Been using the cup with my paragard for over 2 years now. Just crack the seal and make sure you're not grabbing the string. Eventually your string will curl up around your cervix and you won't be able to accidently grab it anyway.
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Mar 22, 2013 17:51
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I just got three months worth of Microgestin from Planned Parenthood. This will be my first time taking BC, and I'm wondering, when is the best time to start taking my pills - should I just start them now, or wait until the first day of my next period? The paperwork that came with my pills pretty much said it didn't matter either way, but my friend who has been taking BC for several years now recommended that I start when my period starts. I wont be having sex for at least another month as it is, seeing as my boyfriend is recovering from a broken hip (car accident - no fun  ) but I want to get a head start and see how the BC is going to effect me, regardless. I'm a little concerned about the possibility of gaining weight. I'm very small and I prefer to keep it that way - how common is weight gain while on BC? Is there anything I can do to minimize the possibility? One more - I'm not on any medication, but I like to take Advil for back pain and cramps. Will that affect the BC at all?
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Mar 23, 2013 01:10
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Take it whenever is convenient for you. Weight gain PURELY from taking birth control is quite uncommon. It's usually from, well, the usual causes of weight gain. Even if it does, you can just stop taking it. I've never personally heard of any OTC drug affecting birth control. Ibuprofen is definitely not one.
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Mar 23, 2013 02:50
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Kimmalah posted:She might have been freaking out because only having sporadic periods throughout the year could point to some bigger hormonal problem. But beyond that, there's really no medical reason you have to have periods at all so I'm not sure what that was about. Hell, they have birth control pills that are specifically tailored for allowing women to skip most or all of their periods. And then there's other stuff like Mirena that can have that as a side-effect. We suspect her irregular periods are/were a symptom of her hypothyroidism, which is also being taken care of. We weren't able to get her on an insurance plan because of it (well, at least what was available to me before I started my new job working for one of the top 10 employers in the US) and her father's cardiologist offered to read her blood screens and write her prescriptions for free and we recently heard from him that she's finally in normal thyroid range. As far as not having an exam before...its something I pestered her about when we first met and she was she was still on her parents' insurance, she never got around to it/never had time and then got booted off when she turned 23. As far as the cancer risk, apparently the issue isn't so much from just not having periods but because the lining in her uterus keeps building up until she has a period, to the point of it being the equivalent of having two in a row when she does have one - there have been times in the past when they'd linger for over a week.
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Mar 23, 2013 03:07
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Azrael Alexander posted:I just got three months worth of Microgestin from Planned Parenthood. This will be my first time taking BC, and I'm wondering, when is the best time to start taking my pills - should I just start them now, or wait until the first day of my next period? The paperwork that came with my pills pretty much said it didn't matter either way, but my friend who has been taking BC for several years now recommended that I start when my period starts. I wont be having sex for at least another month as it is, seeing as my boyfriend is recovering from a broken hip (car accident - no fun I always did what they call a "Sunday start" which is basically starting the pill the first Sunday after your period starts. I did it mostly because I found it a little easier to keep track when each new week of pills started on the first day of the actual week. But I don't think it really affects how they work, just what day you set the little dial (or whatever system your pills use) whenever you start a new pack. A lot of people swear that BC made them gain weight, but as far as I know the only studies done about it showed it's mostly just lifestyle related stuff like eating too much and then maybe stuff like water weight. But there's no way to tell how it will affect you until you take it - for instance, I actually lose about 5 pounds every time I take the pill. But then it also tends to increase my appetite so I eat everything in sight and gain weight later. Minimizing the possibility is the same as minimizing weight gain any other time, exercise and eat healthy. Advil won't affect your birth control's effectiveness. I haven't really heard of any over-the-counter drugs that cause any problems (or I was on the pill almost 4 years and never ran into any). The big ones will be certain antibiotics and I think some seizure medications, but it doesn't sound like those are a concern for you.
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Mar 23, 2013 03:09
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Thanks for the insight, guys!  I think I'm going to start taking it when I start back to work on Monday. It will be easier for me to remember while I'm in the midst of a routine. This is all much less of a big deal than I thought it would be.
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Mar 23, 2013 03:41
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sexily posted:Speaking of the cup, I purchased one recently but the insert says to consult my doctor prior to using if I have an IUD. Is it bad to use divacup with an IUD? I was all excited to not use tampons anymore. Heeyyyy so um. I have been using my divacup with an IUD for 2+ years. Just now, welp, I didn't break the seal and suddenly there was a plastic rod poking out of my cervix. I pushed it back in (  I know) as much as possible. Is this a "see a doctor tomorrow" thing or a "see a doctor on Monday" thing? I'm out of town right now and it's the weekend so I'd have to go to urgent care instead of the lady I usually see back in my state. (e: I guess "emergency room" is an option too but that seems like overkill and I don't think anyone's going to respond that soon)So yeah that can actually happen, ladies! E again: I'm kinda freaking myself out so I'm thinking tomorrow... Eggplant Wizard fucked around with this message at 05:42 on Mar 23, 2013 |
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Mar 23, 2013 04:43
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My doctor at Planned Parenthood told me that expulsion (which I guess is pretty close in your case) wasn't really worth an emergency room visit, but more a "come in to the clinic at the first opportunity" thing. Of course I didn't have complicating factors like being out of town. I'm sorry this happened. Your situation is one reason why I personally don't feel comfortable using cups, because I know I'm too absent-minded to remember to break the seal every single time.
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Mar 23, 2013 06:00
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Eggplant Wizard posted:Heeyyyy so um. I have been using my divacup with an IUD for 2+ years. Just now, welp, I didn't break the seal and suddenly there was a plastic rod poking out of my cervix. I pushed it back in ( Can you call the urgent care facility near you to ask about this sort of thing? They may still say "come in now please", but it's possible they'll just tell you to go to your GP on Monday. When I either didn't break the seal or pinched my strings (they were really long), I pulled my Paragard clean out. While that sounds really awful, it was just a cramp and then there it was. I kept an eye on things for the next couple of days and didn't bother going into my GYN for another month or so. Try to relax and probably switch to pads for the rest of this cycle.
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Mar 23, 2013 15:22
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Oh my god, I do not want to use the cup now. I actually just came in here to ask something else about it because I tried it out last night but gently caress this thing. THE HORROR.
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Mar 23, 2013 23:10
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FWIW, I believe E.W. has been using a cup for a while now and had nothing but good things to say about it in conjunction with an IUD. Expulsion is an extreme possibility, not the norm. Eggplant Wizard, are you in pain right now? I always imagined that expulsion would be an "OH MY GOD, GET ME TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM RIGHT NOW" sort of situation. I really hope that is not the case and that you get everything sorted right away. 
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Mar 24, 2013 00:57
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I just started reading this thread, but I wanted to share my experience with the Essure permanent birth control procedure that I got on 19 March 2013. Some background, I'm 32, recently married (we've known each other for several years now), husband is 38 and has 2 children from a previous marriage, I have no children and have never wanted them and hubby doesn't want any more either. I've used the Depo Provera shot in the past and have now taken birth control pills for several years and I just wanted something permanent so I wouldn't have to worry about forgetting a pill or anything like that, plus I don't want to take the pills anymore because I think they are having an effect on my libido along with my anxiety meds. Plus, why keep taking a pill when I can get something permanent that will have the same effect. I'm in the military so I can't comment on procedure costs, but the doc did question my motives about wanting the procedure, "Do you have a partner outside of marriage?"...wtf! Uh, no, I just don't like children, the thought of being pregnant/giving birth scares the crap out of me, I like my life how it is, etc etc, but I guess I can understand why they ask that question. My husband came in the room later on and the doc made sure we both knew it was not reversible, etc. I got scheduled for it a couple weeks later. Other than being a bit apprehensive on any pain that might occur, I was really looking forward to the procedure. So the day comes and I go to the lab to take a pregnancy test in the morning as required just to make sure I'm not pregnant. I go to my appointment in the afternoon and the nurse takes me back and we go through the paperwork, I sign the consent form and then she says to take my medications. I got 2 Xanax and 2 Percocet. I ask 'Do I take all of these?' since it just seemed like a lot and I didn't want to be drooling on myself or anything dumb like that. She said that it depends on my pain and drug tolerance so I just decide to take them all. She gives me a shot in the butt of liquid Motrin (to help with cramping) and she asks why I'm there today. It kind of confused me, but it was just to make sure she had verbal confirmation that I knew I was getting the procedure done and all that. So then I went to the waiting room for about 30 minutes for the meds to kick in. After 30 minutes I really wasn't feeling anything from the meds so I was kinda nervous about that since I didn't want to feel anything. She takes me back to the room and there's a chair with the stirrups with this plastic bag/pouch thing hanging off of it and flat blue absorbent pads on the floor. Now, I did some research on the procedure before this day so I know they are going to put some fluid up there so the camera and tubes and stuff can move around or something so I figured it was to catch all the stuff that was going to drip out (ew). Anyway, I take my pants and underwear off and get in the chair and put my legs in the stirrups. The doc was really nice and everything, but it's always so weird to be spread eagle in front of strangers so I'm just trying to relax and look at the ceiling. Again, I get asked why I'm there today and it's just to confirm again that I know it's a permanent procedure. So he puts the speculum in and starts to numb my cervix or something and it feels like little needles poking, but it wasn't too painful, just weird and unpleasant. Now I'm not watching what he's doing so it's just feeling uncomfortable cramping and poking, but it's nothing too bad. Then all of a sudden I feel a flash of pain and grip the arm rests; next thing I know I have no idea where I am. Turns out I passed out! I was out for a minute or so and when I finally come to and get my bearings the doc asks me if I have a history of seizures! That was kinda freaky, but I guess when people pass out they shake a little bit or something so he was just making sure. Anyway, after they make sure I'm ok and check my blood pressure they continue on. Again, just strong cramping; nothing fun, that's for sure, but I'm sure compared to having a baby it was a walk in the park. As soon as he was done and took everything out, the cramping stopped and I felt like normal. I was still a little lightheaded so the nurse took it slow having me sit up and all. My husband came in the room and by that time I'm feeling the effects of the meds a lot more, so I'm not super loopy or anything, but I was definitely feeling it. My mouth was really dry so the nurse got me some water and gave me this little card with the lot number of the tubal implants incase they have a recall on them (boy I hope that doesn't happen) and tells us that I might have a little light bleeding and some light cramping, but that should be it and to come back if it's more than that. All in all the procedure itself took about 20 minutes. So I go home and pretty much sleep the rest of the day, but I didn't feel any cramping at all. There was (and still is) very very light bleeding (just a bit of blood on a light tampon after 12 hours), but it's tapering off more and more each day. I was back to work the next day and even had sex the day after that. Apparently a lot of people take the next day off of work to recover, but honestly, the procedure itself was the most 'painful' part and I have felt fine since then. 3 months from now I have to make a follow up appointment where they (somehow) put dye in my uterus to see if it moves up into the Fallopian tubes. If everything is all blocked up, then I can stop taking the birth control pills and be on my merry way. This post is pretty long, but I wanted everyone to know how it was (at least for me) if they were interested in the procedure. I hadn't heard about Essure until I made the initial appointment asking about permanent birth control and this seemed like the best option since it didn't involve cutting or surgery. The passing out was kinda weird, but I don't know if that was from the medication or just a fluke thing or what. I can post about the 3 month follow up if anyone is interested, but I hope this helped! BULLETKISS fucked around with this message at 05:02 on Mar 24, 2013 |
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Mar 24, 2013 04:59
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fork bomb posted:FWIW, I believe E.W. has been using a cup for a while now and had nothing but good things to say about it in conjunction with an IUD. Expulsion is an extreme possibility, not the norm. From what I've heard, there has not been enough/any research/study on cups with IUDs so no one can make a qualified statement on how much a cup can effect expulsion. My doctor told me to go ahead and go the ER if mine was expelling. I'm still going to keep using a cup with my Paragard. 
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Mar 24, 2013 10:08
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GoodBee posted:From what I've heard, there has not been enough/any research/study on cups with IUDs so no one can make a qualified statement on how much a cup can effect expulsion. I actually started using a cup a year after I got my Paragard, so I've been using them together a year and a half now. I haven't had any worries, but the way I take it out pretty much ensures the seal breaks (and that I get blood all over my hand if it's full, but it's a price I'll pay). poo poo can happen, but that's true of anything.
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Mar 24, 2013 15:38
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fork bomb posted:FWIW, I believe E.W. has been using a cup for a while now and had nothing but good things to say about it in conjunction with an IUD. Expulsion is an extreme possibility, not the norm. Yeah, this is definitely true. I just didn't break the seal because lazy, and historically I've also been pretty bad at actually getting a good seal so both of those things contribute. I have not been to the doctor yet. I called my insurance's nurseline and she basically read me the package instructions on when to see a doctor (using more than 1 pad in 2 hours or something, odors, fever, etc.) but it reassured me enough that I think it'll be okay through tomorrow. I am not in pain except see below under the spoiler. Here's how it was: I went to pull my cup out, got that "oh gently caress punched in the cervix" feeling you can get from certain sexual positions maybe. If you don't know what I'm talking about, it's not a lasting pain so much as a "oh sonofabitch oh okay well I'd like to not do that again." Pushing it back in ( ??) definitely hurt more and continued to hurt for a while. That night it hurt but um a lot of that had to do with the fact that (Spoilered for toilet talk. Not really NMS at all, but a lady doesn't talk about these things in public.) I'm rather gassy so there was limited space all up in there and it was under pressure. Taking ibuprofen and farting (the human body is a beautiful thing) helped. Since then it's only hurt when gassy or making any kind of serious bowel movement. It's still not quite in the right place and I can feel that sometimes when I move. I can also tell it's still sitting in my cervix a bit. Tomorrow I will definitely be going to the health center and probably have it taken out. I'll post about that when it happens.(If you had a bad insertion and were in a lot of pain then, then probably this would suck a lot more for you. I apparently have a pretty  cervix.)For right now, I am thinking I'll probably not get another IUD. I really really have had a good Mirena experience overall and I do suggest people consider it seriously. This experience doesn't change my overall positive opinion of Mirena & the IUD generally at all. It does change my opinion of my own capacity to hurt myself through laziness/stupidity/inattention, however. If I have to choose between the cup and an IUD, I choose the cup because gently caress pads forever gently caress them I hate them (I've been wearing them since obviously >:[) and tampons aren't much better. I will probably talk to my doctor about Implanon instead. Kimmalah posted:My doctor at Planned Parenthood told me that expulsion (which I guess is pretty close in your case) wasn't really worth an emergency room visit, but more a "come in to the clinic at the first opportunity" thing. Of course I didn't have complicating factors like being out of town. Thank you for this. It made me feel better  fine-tune posted:Can you call the urgent care facility near you to ask about this sort of thing? They may still say "come in now please", but it's possible they'll just tell you to go to your GP on Monday. When I either didn't break the seal or pinched my strings (they were really long), I pulled my Paragard clean out. While that sounds really awful, it was just a cramp and then there it was. I kept an eye on things for the next couple of days and didn't bother going into my GYN for another month or so. Try to relax and probably switch to pads for the rest of this cycle. Thanks to you too. I didn't see this until now. Yeah, if I hadn't pushed it back in I could probably have pulled it out. I was considering it. BULLETKISS posted:I just started reading this thread, but I wanted to share my experience with the Essure permanent birth control procedure that I got on 19 March 2013. Aaaand thanks for this. I'm going to link it in the OP if that's okay
Eggplant Wizard fucked around with this message at 15:58 on Mar 24, 2013 |
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Mar 24, 2013 15:52
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fork bomb posted:FWIW, I believe E.W. has been using a cup for a while now and had nothing but good things to say about it in conjunction with an IUD. Expulsion is an extreme possibility, not the norm. Most of the expulsion stories I've heard from people have been more like "I went to check my strings like I always do and I felt the IUD." It's painful for some people, but it seems like it's entirely possible for it to happen without you really noticing. And like I said before, when I asked what I should do in the case of an expulsion my doctor told me to just come in when I could and that it wasn't really ER-worthy (unless I was bleeding really bad or something I guess). Eggplant Wizard posted:
Yeah I wasn't sure if I should post it since you've already done it, but when I was looking up stuff about expulsion they pretty much all said "don't try to push it back in." And if your doctor doesn't bring it up, you might want to ask about prophylactic antibiotics since it's technically been down in the vaginal canal and was basically reinserted without any kind of sterile technique. Not to scare you, I'm sure you'll be fine until Monday. Just something you might want to get their opinion on if they don't bring it up first. And once again, I'm sorry this happened. It sucks that you're basically having to choose between two really awesome things like Mirena and the cup.
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Mar 24, 2013 17:09
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BULLETKISS posted:
Thank you for this post. I have 2 children, ages 16 and 11, and I don't want any more. I've been on the pill forever (after trying the Mirena but had it removed after 3 years due to the excessive cramping) but want something permanent. I didn't want tubal ligation as I've heard so many horror stories from family members and friends (mainly about after-sterilization periods from hell). I've been interested in Essure since I've heard about it. Unfortunately my current doctor works for an OSF Catholic hospital and is leery of even discussing it. I'd wanted to wait until I'd heard more about it from people who have had it done anyway. I planned on getting sterilized (one way or another) on my 35th birthday, as that is my "scary age" that I'd panic at the thought of getting pregnant accidentally at that age or older. I've got 7 months until then. So please post about your followup and any other tidbits of info that you are willing to share. You definitely have a willing to listen audience with me! Absolute Evil fucked around with this message at 17:40 on Mar 24, 2013 |
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Mar 24, 2013 17:37
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Yeah thanks for posting that! I feel like when the time comes I'll be able to make a more informed decision with stories like that. Honestly, I'm still kind of leaning towards the tubal ligation myself, unless I can find a doctor who be willing to sedate me for Essure (not like general anesthesia but more like the "twilight sleep" thing they do). It wasn't a bad experience, but after having the IUD put in I just don't like the idea of being awake while someone puts stuff in my uterus/fallopian tubes. But hey, as long as the Paragard sticks around I got 12 years to think about it! 
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Mar 24, 2013 18:21
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Eggplant Wizard posted:
Sure, link away! Glad some people got use out of my experience. I'll definitely post when I have my 3 month followup and share how that goes. An update. My bleeding has increased, but I think I'm just getting my period. I don't take the placebo birth control pills so I don't get regular periods, only 1 every 2 or 3 months. It's been about that long so I think that's what's going on since my back was hurting yesterday and that's usually involved with my time of the month. Even though I'm looking forward to getting off the birth control pills, I'm curious as to how my periods are going to be once I get back to a normal cycle. I remember them being pretty heavy when I was in high school, but I don't know if that was just because I was young or what. So I'm not really looking forward to Aunt Flo each month, but I'm willing to take that trade off and not be dependent on a pill all the time. Maybe I'll try a Diva Cup and see how that works too. BULLETKISS fucked around with this message at 18:47 on Mar 24, 2013 |
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Mar 24, 2013 18:39
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Kimmalah posted:Yeah I wasn't sure if I should post it since you've already done it, but when I was looking up stuff about expulsion they pretty much all said "don't try to push it back in." And if your doctor doesn't bring it up, you might want to ask about prophylactic antibiotics since it's technically been down in the vaginal canal and was basically reinserted without any kind of sterile technique. Oh yeah, I realized that fairly quickly afterward. 
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Mar 24, 2013 21:05
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Thought I'd throw in my experience with Essure also. This thread helped me out when we had a condom break and I needed emergency contraception for the first time in my life and yes we're still together even after he saw me go to a comedy website for birth control information. So thanks for the thread EPW and everyone who contributes. First thing is I'm old (43) so all the doctor did was emphasize that Essure is permanent and I said yup I know and that was it. I had it done at Planned Parenthood in Chicago. There was an initial exam to make sure my uterus wasn't tilted or otherwise wacky, took about 5 seconds. After that the gynecologist gave me a couple of doses of some hormone to induce a period before the surgery so everything would be nice and cleared out so they could see to put the inserts in. The doctor who performed the procedure said that was unusual but didn't make a big deal about it. On the day of the procedure I got a pregnancy test and they put in an IV for sedation. They shot me up and the nurse said "it's time to go to sleep". About a second later she said "it's time to wake up". Seriously, I remember absolutely nothing. I went home and took some codeine for cramps and watched tv with my friend and napped a little. I bled for about 2 days. The follow up was a huge pain in the rear end. The procedure is called a hysterosalpingogram or HSG test. PP doesn't do it and there are very few places that do. You have to wait 90 days and then schedule it 10 days after your period starts. For me that started running into the holidays and it was tough getting an appointment. I ended up going to a Catholic hospital of all places. I didn't get any pain meds for the HSG and really wished I had. Another pregnancy test was done. I waited an hour for the results then went into the stirrups under a fluoroscope. They put a little tube in through the cervix and then injected dye into it to make sure both Fallopian tubes were blocked. I guess he really tried to force it in because it hurt like a motherfucker. They said it looked pretty good. I oozed grey muck and blood for a day or two then called PP to see if they got the results. They hadn't but they called and had the records sent over and called me back pretty quickly. 100% occluded.  Epilogue: Still adjusting to how messy sex is without condoms. The original gyno mentioned my period might change. Not better or worse but just different and it did. It's shorter now but I get ridiculous hormone headaches afterward which is new. The cost for everything was around $8000 of which I paid around $1100. I think it was worth the cost and hassle and would totally recommend it.
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Mar 25, 2013 02:32
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Bok Bok posted:Essure assurance Thank you for this too! You both have made me decide that I really want Essure as my form of permanent birth control.
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Mar 25, 2013 03:16
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This is going to seem kind of weird, but I can't seem to find the right search terms to ask and I'm not sure if I'm worried over nothing. I have the Mirena IUD, and it stopped my periods. Yay, awesome. Except it seemed to have come back somewhat about ten days ago. I wasn't too worried about it, really, since it didn't seem aggressive and I figured that things like that come and go. However, I did a bit of manual investigation, and the threads don't seem to be coming out of my cervix like they used to, they seem to be coming out substantially to the side. And I'm not sure if this is menstrual bleeding any more, because now it hurts in there when it didn't before. Is this some sort of menstrual cervix soreness combined with totally normal bleeding, or have the strings passed through flesh they shouldn't have? I intend to call in tomorrow, I suppose, but it'd be nice to know if anyone has any experience with this.
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Mar 29, 2013 04:13
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I've had a Mirena for about a year now following the birth of my son. Recently, I spot every time I work out. I have my annual in three weeks, but I'm not sure if this is something I should call about now. The last time I complained about spotting, my midwife just told me to take a high dose of ibuprofen until it stopped, but I would rather not do that every time I work out. Has anyone else had this happen?
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Mar 29, 2013 04:45
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Pick posted:This is going to seem kind of weird, but I can't seem to find the right search terms to ask and I'm not sure if I'm worried over nothing. I have the Mirena IUD, and it stopped my periods. Yay, awesome. Except it seemed to have come back somewhat about ten days ago. I wasn't too worried about it, really, since it didn't seem aggressive and I figured that things like that come and go. However, I did a bit of manual investigation, and the threads don't seem to be coming out of my cervix like they used to, they seem to be coming out substantially to the side. And I'm not sure if this is menstrual bleeding any more, because now it hurts in there when it didn't before. Is this some sort of menstrual cervix soreness combined with totally normal bleeding, or have the strings passed through flesh they shouldn't have? I intend to call in tomorrow, I suppose, but it'd be nice to know if anyone has any experience with this. Are they still coming out of the cervix hole, or like, out of the side of it? If just the actual hole but to the side a bit, it's probably fine. Your cervix moves around throughout the month like a tiny space asteroid worm in Star Wars, so the position of the strings is going to change too. I also had lighter periods for a long time with my Mirena, but they started to be more normal about a year and a half in. Still lighter than before, but more like real periods. I think it varies. Did your cervix hurt before you went poking at it? skeetied posted:I've had a Mirena for about a year now following the birth of my son. Recently, I spot every time I work out. I have my annual in three weeks, but I'm not sure if this is something I should call about now. The last time I complained about spotting, my midwife just told me to take a high dose of ibuprofen until it stopped, but I would rather not do that every time I work out. Has anyone else had this happen? That sucks but probably it's just one of those things. Are you getting periods otherwise? At your annual tell your doctor about it but for now unfortunately I'd just wear a cup or pad while you work out. Trip report I should probably post the results of my saga~ So on Monday I was  enough that I decided to go to the Emergency Room. Three hours, a pelvic exam, and an ultrasound later, it turns out I managed to push my IUD back up where it belonged. "A little low" but actually not an abnormal placement. Wednesday I had my for reals doctor appointment and she had a look and a feel and said basically that (a) it's still effective as an IUD, (b) if I'm not having any tenderness or infection symptoms then I probably don't need to worry about that for now, (c) the only thing about a low one is that it's more likely to expel, and (d) she didn't see any reason to pull it unless I wanted to. So I'm keeping it and I'll try to be aware of any pain or fever or whatever would indicate infection, and I need to be on guard for expulsion more than before. My doctor was pretty surprised I managed to push it back up where it belonged (still not the recommended course of action), and was sort of bemused because she'd just had someone asking about Divacup + Mirena. I told her about the study that says cups don't increase expulsion risk and emphasized that if you break the seal it's a-okay, soooo yeah. Throughout this whole thing I have felt like a real nerd/kinda smug because the only BC fact I didn't know of all the stuff I've been told was that the difference between Nexplanon and Implanon is that the former is visible on x-rays.
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Mar 29, 2013 14:51
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Eggplant Wizard posted:Are they still coming out of the cervix hole, or like, out of the side of it? If just the actual hole but to the side a bit, it's probably fine. Your cervix moves around throughout the month like a tiny space asteroid worm in Star Wars, so the position of the strings is going to change too. I also had lighter periods for a long time with my Mirena, but they started to be more normal about a year and a half in. Still lighter than before, but more like real periods. I think it varies. No, it doesn't seem to be coming out of the cervix hole, and the blood looks pretty fresh, so I have an appointment to get it checked out on Monday. quote:Did your cervix hurt before you went poking at it?
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Mar 29, 2013 16:50
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Pick posted:No, it doesn't seem to be coming out of the cervix hole, and the blood looks pretty fresh, so I have an appointment to get it checked out on Monday. Honestly I never have cervix pain to the touch unless it gets hit during sex or something (even during my period). Is that a recent development? I don't know maybe I just have a really tough cervix and didn't know it, but it doesn't seem like it should be painful. I suppose it's kind of a moot point though if you're getting it checked out by a doctor. Good luck!
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Mar 29, 2013 17:49
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Pick posted:No, it doesn't seem to be coming out of the cervix hole, and the blood looks pretty fresh, so I have an appointment to get it checked out on Monday. Yeah that's definitely not normal. If possible see if you can get in to see your doctor today. I'm sure you'll be fine until Monday, but personally I wouldn't want to sit around with a bleeding, possibly pierced cervix. 
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Mar 29, 2013 18:04
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A little off topic, but I forgot to say it earlier: I'm glad everything worked out so well for you Eggplant Wizard! I was really wondering how everything had worked out for you after your previous posts. And although it's not recommended, it's also kind of neat. You can go around saying "I inserted my IUD myself! Don't try it at home."
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Mar 29, 2013 19:29
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EW, glad you're such a badass that you totally owned your IUD and that there's no addition problems. Pick, that sounds super worrisome and I hope everything is okay. If your pain/blood flow increases, please go to the ER. If you stick it out till your appt on Monday, ask them how the hell this could have happened because I'm totally curious. My content: I had an appt for March 27th to get a pap, have my Implanon pulled (3 years were up), and to ask for a new implant, which was cancelled by the doctors office. After playing phone tag for several days, I finally got a hold of someone in the office and scheduled a new appt for the second week of April. I asked about getting a new implant since I had previously been told (in a voicemail) that I would need a consult first, presumably since this would be my third consecutive Implanon. Lady I spoke to sounded very matter-of-fact when she said it would be no problem. I'm going to ask for the Nexplanon if the have it because I do like the idea of it showing up on x-ray, especially if I'm unconscious.
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Mar 29, 2013 21:59
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fork bomb posted:I'm going to ask for the Nexplanon if the have it because I do like the idea of it showing up on x-ray, especially if I'm unconscious. If it's like the ER I was just at (always tuck your fingers in when chopping veggies!), someone will still need to explain it to them. Everyone in the ER I spoke with had never heard of it. Granted, they were all men and I was at a Catholic hospital, so maybe it was a fluke.
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Mar 30, 2013 01:14
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I got a card that stated I had an Implanon and how to find it to put in my wallet. They even specifically told me to keep it on me at all times, for emergencies. It was really nice too, like a credit card, not some laminated paper bs. Did you guys not get one too? I wonder if I still have it somewhere..
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Mar 30, 2013 02:23
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Reformed Tomboy posted:I got a card that stated I had an Implanon and how to find it to put in my wallet. They even specifically told me to keep it on me at all times, for emergencies. It was really nice too, like a credit card, not some laminated paper bs. Did you guys not get one too? I wonder if I still have it somewhere.. Nope, no one at my Dr's office mentioned anything like that. I wish I could get one, though I really don't know how much longer I'm going to keep this thing around. All this IUD talk is making me research my options more seriously.
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Mar 30, 2013 04:32
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