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My insertion was pretty lovely (thanks retroverted uterus!) but was mercifully quick and I was good to go the next day (but I took the day off anyway because I had a lenient boss!)
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May 3, 2013 02:56
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ExpletiveDeleted posted:Phew, here I was starting to freak out because I Googled misoprostol used in conjunction with IUD insertion and then starting worrying that I'd misjudged my doctor and she actually had no idea what she was doing, but the scripts are just for naproxen and an antibiotic. I suppose this is a good lesson in reckless Google usage. Yeah, the worst part of it only took maybe a minute or less altogether. And it was divided up, like they did the sounding (big cramp) and then took a few seconds to get everything set which allowed my uterus to calm down, then did the insertion (bigger cramp). I think with Mirena, the sound and insertion tool are combined somehow so it might not even take as much time as mine. I also have a really tilted uterus for whatever it's worth.
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May 3, 2013 03:40
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Also, if they have Hurricaine spray, ask for that. It doesn't numb your uterus but at least you won't feel all the banging on your cervix.
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May 3, 2013 03:51
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Awesome and informative thread/OP. Has anyone had experience with the mini pill? I have never been on BC before, and the Implanon sounded like an awesome option until I discovered that it's unavailable in Canada  . It doesn't look like I've be able to get a combined pill considering I have migraines with aura and a family history of stroke/heart disease (pretty much everyone in immediate family has had these in some form) and I would like to decrease the probability of side effects anyway. What I'm worried most about is the effectiveness on the mini pill compared to a combined one. From the OP it looks like the effectiveness is pretty similar but I've been looking around at other places and there seems to be a rather large amount of people who have gotten pregnant on it. As long as I take it at the EXACT same time each day, I'd be fine, right? Or would continuing to use condoms (although I'd really rather not) be more effective overall? Edit: I should probably say that the migraines are very very rare, so I'm not sure if I should entirely rule out combination pills. Mladic fucked around with this message at 06:32 on May 3, 2013 |
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May 3, 2013 04:11
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ExpletiveDeleted posted:Phew, here I was starting to freak out because I Googled misoprostol used in conjunction with IUD insertion and then starting worrying that I'd misjudged my doctor and she actually had no idea what she was doing, but the scripts are just for naproxen and an antibiotic. I suppose this is a good lesson in reckless Google usage. My insertion was pretty lovely, but I still went to work a couple hours after. It's really annoying how very little time it does take, all the anticipation and anxiety for just a few minutes. However, I am getting increasingly moody and irritable. I'm also spacier than normal. It's like my body thinks it's pregnant now. (I am definitely not!) I think it's really weird that this is happening exactly a year after insertion, should I just buckle down for a bit longer and see if it passes, or call the gyno?
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May 3, 2013 04:54
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For the last two months, I've had random spotting around 2 weeks after my period has ended. It only lasts one night so it's not a huge deal. Anyone else with Paragard get this? I have only had it for 3-4 months, so maybe there's still some adjusting going on in there?
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May 3, 2013 08:20
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sexily posted:For the last two months, I've had random spotting around 2 weeks after my period has ended. It only lasts one night so it's not a huge deal. Anyone else with Paragard get this? I have only had it for 3-4 months, so maybe there's still some adjusting going on in there? If it's two weeks after your period and only lasts like a day or so, you might just be getting some spotting when you ovulate because that would be about the right timing (assuming you have a more or less 28 day cycle). It's normal and just one of those things some women get. I've noticed ovulating is kind of a different ballgame from what it used to be before my Paragard, I get lots of things I didn't before (cramps, mittelschmerz). So maybe this is how it's changing for you.
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May 3, 2013 13:38
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I hate mittelschmerz. I had it bad as a teen. It's come back some now with Mirena and it's not as bad as it was when I was younger, but it's still uncomfy.
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May 3, 2013 13:40
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I never had it before. Then the first month I had Paragard I got this horrible pain in my side for like a day. I was freaked out until I realized I was around the 14 day mark and ohhh that's where my ovary is. It's kind of sad, used to the only sign I got I was ovulating was getting incredibly horny.
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May 3, 2013 14:44
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Hah i'm one of the poor unlucky souls that also discovered that I get mittelshmerz. I'll trade a little pain and bloating for the sex drive and overall weight loss and happier moods.
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May 3, 2013 16:26
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Geolicious posted:My insertion was pretty lovely (thanks retroverted uterus!) but was mercifully quick and I was good to go the next day (but I took the day off anyway because I had a lenient boss!) FWIW I also have a retroverted uterus and it was painful but by no means traumatizing for me. Mladic posted:Awesome and informative thread/OP. I suspect if you find a lot of people getting pregnant on it it's due to timing fuckups... TYpical use rather than perfect use. It's worth a try. You need to have a backup plan with any birth control, as in, talk with your partner about what you would do in case of accidental pregnancy. Using condoms in addition would be more effective but it's not necessary. You should also look again for Implanon availability in Canada because it's now called Nexplanon and I would be surprised if it's not available.
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May 3, 2013 16:37
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Eggplant Wizard posted:FWIW I also have a retroverted uterus and it was painful but by no means traumatizing for me. Well, I'm certainly not traumatized. I will go get another one in 2017. It was just very painful. I think it would have been better if she had had a better feel for the angle before she went in, but maybe there's no real way to know that.
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May 3, 2013 17:28
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Tigntink posted:Hah i'm one of the poor unlucky souls that also discovered that I get mittelshmerz. I'll trade a little pain and bloating for the sex drive and overall weight loss and happier moods. I never had weight issues, but yes to actually having a sex drive! I'm also happy to trade in the debilitating migraines, which was what really pushed me to the end of my rope and got me over the "ick" feeling at the thought of having something put into my uterus. Geolicious posted:Well, I'm certainly not traumatized. I will go get another one in 2017. It was just very painful. I think it would have been better if she had had a better feel for the angle before she went in, but maybe there's no real way to know that. Maybe it depends on the practitioner or the type of tilt. I had no idea my uterus was tilted until right before the insertion when the doctor did a bimanual exam and was like "Oh, it's tilted really far forward!" (I'm in the anteverted club instead of retroverted  )Of course the weird part came later when I was on the phone with my mom and she said "Mine was like that too!"
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May 3, 2013 17:36
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When she first sounded me, I was a 2. And she was, like, "well I don't know if that's right... are you tilted?" And I told her I was strongly retroverted so she played around until she got the angle (I think this is what made it so much more painful, there were multiple attempts to get in so the sounder hit my insides several times) and finally found the angle and I was a 7. In 2017 I'm going to go in yelling "I AM WAY RETROVERTED Y'ALL"
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May 3, 2013 18:11
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7 cm here too.  Maybe retroverted is a harder angle to get than mine because it just went right in there no problem.
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May 3, 2013 20:32
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I survived the insertion process! Not really as bad as I was anticipating. (And since we're talking about it anyway, I was 6 cm, apparently.) I mean, it's certainly not something I'd just go and do for fun, but it was pretty quick and my doc was really nice and talked me through the whole thing, i.e. telling me when there was about to be some random stabbing feeling in my uterus. I felt such a weird sense of triumph when I deleted the daily alarm I have on my phone to remind me to take my birth control pills.
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May 3, 2013 22:00
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ExpletiveDeleted posted:
I never needed an alarm so I spent a solid two weeks going "OH poo poo I FORGOT MY PILL"
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May 3, 2013 22:35
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I had an alarm on my phone all set up and I still spent a week or two going "OH poo poo MY PILL FORGOT MY PILL!!  "
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May 3, 2013 22:51
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I was so adept at forgetting my pill that I could actually forget to take it within about thirty seconds of shutting off the alarm if I was not actively heading toward my purse to get the pack, so the constant feeling of having forgotten a pill will be nothing new to me. (It's a really good thing I decided to switch off pills, now that I think about it.)
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May 3, 2013 23:01
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I recently got a Nexplanon insert after killing two Implanons. Before that I did a three-year course of Depo. Due to some confusion, I thought I wouldn't be able to get the new implant and was actually kind of looking forward to seeing how my sex drive would change (since I've been on hormonal birth control for so long I don't remember what it's like without it), but ultimately I'm glad that I don't have to worry about getting pregnant yet.
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May 3, 2013 23:23
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fork bomb posted:I recently got a Nexplanon insert after killing two Implanons. Before that I did a three-year course of Depo. Due to some confusion, I thought I wouldn't be able to get the new implant and was actually kind of looking forward to seeing how my sex drive would change (since I've been on hormonal birth control for so long I don't remember what it's like without it), but ultimately I'm glad that I don't have to worry about getting pregnant yet. For me it was kind of weird because I didn't think I was having much of a libido problem with my last pill, until I stopped taking it and my natural sex drive hit a week or two later. It was also a big adjustment because I'd been on the pill for 4 years and lot of weird little things with my cycle had changed over time without me realizing it, along with completely forgetting what PMS/hormonal mood swings were like.
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May 3, 2013 23:51
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Anyone who's switched from hormonal BC to a copper IUD: What were your side effects like? How heavy/irregular was your bleeding, did you start breaking out, any weight or mood changes?
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May 5, 2013 19:23
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Tshirt Ninja posted:Anyone who's switched from hormonal BC to a copper IUD: What were your side effects like? How heavy/irregular was your bleeding, did you start breaking out, any weight or mood changes? I definitely had some mood swings and acne breakouts for a week or two after quitting the pill. Everything evened out pretty quickly and some of it was regular old PMS too, since I had the IUD inserted during the previous period so PMS hit around week 3. My sex drive also came back with a vengeance somewhere around 1-2 weeks out.  Now my moods are fine, my skin is clear apart from the occasional pimple and a little more body acne (which has always been an issue for me personally). My sex drive is better than it's been in years.I've had no weight changes at all one way or the other, but then my weight didn't change much with the pill either. I didn't have any irregular bleeding at all. Like I said I had it inserted at the beginning of my period, so I had bleeding/random cramps the week after insertion and that was it. The bleeding was definitely heavier than what I was used to but it wasn't as bad as what I was expecting and may have seemed worse because I was coming off the pill. I never really had any trouble with spotting or my cycle regulating - I had no bleeding at all until the next period which came right on schedule. They've been regular ever since (I got my IUD in January) and I've only had one instance of spotting around ovulation. New things for me since the IUD: I get some cramping/aches around ovulation now. I get a little more back pain with my period than I used to. The first few periods with the IUD were kind of rough and weird. Usually the way it goes for me is I'll have 1-2 days of bad cramping and heavy, heavy bleeding then the rest of my period will be fairly cramp-free and normal flow. Honestly, at first it kind of feels like it did when you were a teenager trying to figure out how to handle your periods while you adjust to the "new normal", but it's gotten better for me every month. My advice would be to stock up on ibuprofen, get a heating pad (as those will both help keep the bleeding/cramps under control), and maybe invest in a few pairs of dark underwear. If you have to be up and about during your period, ibuprofen and Thermacare are your best friends. I also take vitamin E supplements that are supposed to help, no idea if it makes a difference though.I feel like that was kind of a rambling post, so hopefully it helped you! If you have any specific questions I'm happy to try and answer them for you. 
Kimmalah fucked around with this message at 21:26 on May 5, 2013 |
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May 5, 2013 21:21
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Tshirt Ninja posted:Anyone who's switched from hormonal BC to a copper IUD: What were your side effects like? How heavy/irregular was your bleeding, did you start breaking out, any weight or mood changes? I initially went from a single hormone pill (orthonovum I think?) to nuvaring and then finally to the copper IUD over a period of about 8 years. My side effects were honestly really non typical. My bleeding actually went down. My first couple of periods were stupid long, like two weeks but like barely bleeding anyway. After about 6 months everything was running like clock work and my periods dropped to 5 days and pretty much never filling my diva cup through the day. My break outs went down and I was finally able to lose weight. Also my sex drive reappeared. I honestly didn't know I had one due to being on BC since the age of 14. What i'm saying is if I could marry the copper IUD, I would.
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May 5, 2013 21:36
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Kimmalah posted:If it's two weeks after your period and only lasts like a day or so, you might just be getting some spotting when you ovulate because that would be about the right timing (assuming you have a more or less 28 day cycle). It's normal and just one of those things some women get. Good to know. Thanks.
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May 5, 2013 23:22
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Does anyone know if the insurance change to make contraceptives free includes IUD's as well? I am thinking about jumping ship from the pill to a copper IUD but I have one fear that is holding me back from dumping the pill for good. I can only orgasm from penetration and not at all from external stimulation and I am afraid that an IUD will make sex painful or sensitive and change how sex feels and mess with my ability to orgasm. I am one of those weird ladies who sometimes enjoys a good cervix bashing. IUD ladies, how did it change how sex felt if at all?
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May 5, 2013 23:38
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Tigntink posted:
Yeah, even with some of the crappy periods, this is my sentiment exactly. Ring of Light posted:Does anyone know if the insurance change to make contraceptives free includes IUD's as well? I haven't really noticed much of a difference in how sex feels with the IUD. My cervix does seem a little more sensitive, but it's not really painful. If anything, it actually feels better now because before I really couldn't feel much of anything with really deep penetration before and now I can. No difference in orgasms at all really, either through external stimulation or penetration. And as I mentioned earlier, my sex drive kind of went through the roof without hormones, so that's been pretty fun too. I don't have insurance, so I can't help much there. I know my state's Medicaid program for birth control covers it though, so I'd imagine the healthcare law will as well.
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May 5, 2013 23:58
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Ring of Light posted:Does anyone know if the insurance change to make contraceptives free includes IUD's as well? It's only strings coming out of your cervix. Once it all settles in you shouldn't have excessive sensitivity. It can be painful if I get hit in the cervix accidentally (like most people, probably) but then if I'm at the right point in my cycle it feels pretty good. It hasn't changed since I had the IUD in. I come from penetration no problem, and I actually didn't start that until after I had the IUD put in.
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May 6, 2013 04:31
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Hey just wanted to thank everyone who said they had eternaspotting with implanon and that it would eventually go away. It gave me some hope and now, 7 weeks after starting and like loving five boxes of tampons or something stupid like that, it finally seems to be tapering off. Another bonus is that the only other bad side effect was this ridiculous tendency to get choked up at anything even remotely sweet or sad ("Amputee Afghanistan War vets visit victims of Boston bombings who lost limbs", "orphan gets present of private trip to zoo", sad commercials, etc.), and that seems to be going away too. My morning commute is much better for that. Meanwhile, the good side effects of no real periods, clearer skin and no babies seem to be holding strong. God bless birth control.
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May 6, 2013 07:06
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Does anyone know anything about the Progestogen-only pill? I've been researching it but I can't seem to get a clear indication of the risk of pregnancy. It seems to range from 92% to 99%, however I can't work out if that is 92% risk if you don't take it at the same time every day. As I know how to set an alarm, I'm sure that would dramatically effect if the POP was suitable or not. I also can't find if that is research based or not. Some sources even indicate a 99% rate if taken properly, which would be perfect. Does anyone have any experience with using the POP, or any research based knowledge? I'll keep looking myself, but it's hard to find anything, and I was hoping someone here might point me in the right direction. The doctor we went to was very apprehensive about scripting it saying the risk was too high, and that it's only for breastfeeding women, but on the other hand I've met a lot of GPs that don't know poo poo about certain research/medicine. In the end, I know a gyno would be the best, but I wanted to at least look for some facts based on lab research first.
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May 6, 2013 08:55
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For the mini-pill 99% effectiveness is strictly "perfect use". But it absolutely isn't "only for breastfeeding women". So you're right in you're thinking that you're set if you take it exactly at the same time everyday. I imagine doctors don't like recommending it straight away because the much higher failure rate through "typical" use. I'm pretty sure it's also why doctors will advise women to take birth control pills for a full month along with a back up method (when it only takes a week for the hormones to set in) just so they can get in the habit of taking it.
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May 6, 2013 11:33
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Is it a big deal to miss a month of your pills....? Like, I understand we won't be protected, and I'll have to build up again, but is it a big deal other than that? Like, hormonally or otherwise? We just moved, and I can't for the life of me find this month's pills--despite some extensive searching. I'm moving into my finals this week, so I don't want to gently caress around too much doing outside activities, and it would take me 20-30 mins of driving one way to get another set of pills for this month (plus, all the "your insurance won't pay for this, blah blah blah" I'm bound to get from the people at the pharmacy). I'm already a week behind, so I figured I'd just sit this month out and get back on target next month, provided that's not a terrible plan.... Is it?
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May 6, 2013 14:30
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Niemat posted:Is it a big deal to miss a month of your pills....? Like, I understand we won't be protected, and I'll have to build up again, but is it a big deal other than that? Like, hormonally or otherwise? We just moved, and I can't for the life of me find this month's pills--despite some extensive searching. I'm moving into my finals this week, so I don't want to gently caress around too much doing outside activities, and it would take me 20-30 mins of driving one way to get another set of pills for this month (plus, all the "your insurance won't pay for this, blah blah blah" I'm bound to get from the people at the pharmacy). I'm already a week behind, so I figured I'd just sit this month out and get back on target next month, provided that's not a terrible plan.... It isn't bad for your body but be prepared to go through any of the same onboarding symptoms you went through when you first got on that pill. (If you were nauseated when you initially started them you will be nauseated again)
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May 6, 2013 14:45
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Tigntink posted:It isn't bad for your body but be prepared to go through any of the same onboarding symptoms you went through when you first got on that pill. (If you were nauseated when you initially started them you will be nauseated again) Probably a stupid question, but does that include the weight gain? 
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May 6, 2013 15:02
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Lascivious Sloth posted:Does anyone know anything about the Progestogen-only pill? I've been researching it but I can't seem to get a clear indication of the risk of pregnancy. It seems to range from 92% to 99%, however I can't work out if that is 92% risk if you don't take it at the same time every day. As I know how to set an alarm, I'm sure that would dramatically effect if the POP was suitable or not. I also can't find if that is research based or not. Some sources even indicate a 99% rate if taken properly, which would be perfect. Does anyone have any experience with using the POP, or any research based knowledge? I'll keep looking myself, but it's hard to find anything, and I was hoping someone here might point me in the right direction. The doctor we went to was very apprehensive about scripting it saying the risk was too high, and that it's only for breastfeeding women, but on the other hand I've met a lot of GPs that don't know poo poo about certain research/medicine. In the end, I know a gyno would be the best, but I wanted to at least look for some facts based on lab research first. I think the main reason for the failure is like you mentioned, the "margin of error" with taking your pill. With combined pills, you can be off your timing by up to 12 hours and still be fine, while progestogen-only is more like 3 hours. The lower dose pills also don't consistently inhibit ovulation (sometimes they do, sometimes they don't) and mostly rely on keeping the cervical mucus so thick that sperm have a hard time getting through. And possibly by interfering with implantation if an egg is fertilized. I found this, which is kind of short but explains the connection to breast feeding anyway: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/421497_10 Niemat posted:Probably a stupid question, but does that include the weight gain? I never had problems with weight gain on the pill, but I remember whenever I went off my pills for more than maybe a week and then started them up again I would get weird side-effects. For me that meant mostly headaches, acne and my hair falling out a lot more than usual for a little while (might be different for you though and no I didn't go bald. )
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May 6, 2013 15:26
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Tigntink posted:It isn't bad for your body but be prepared to go through any of the same onboarding symptoms you went through when you first got on that pill. (If you were nauseated when you initially started them you will be nauseated again) To add to this, be prepared for symptoms you didn't have before as well. Going on, off, and back on a pill means it may not affect you the same anymore, which is why I generally advise people in this thread not to go off bc until they're done with it for good. It's not bad for you per se, but it's a hormonal roller coaster you know?
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May 6, 2013 16:35
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Is it possible to get IUD strings cut so short they are pretty much gone? I think I would need my strings cut so short that the ends get sucked back into my cervix for my partner to be happy. I'm aware removal could be pretty brutal but isn't it going to be unpleasant anyway? We had a terrible experience getting the Mirena placed at Planned Parenthood and when he feels the strings it reminds him of that. Even if we could get over the bad experience, the strings are pokey and leave him with abrasions. This really sucks because I'm loving being emotionally stable and not having periods!
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May 6, 2013 16:53
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Reformed Tomboy posted:To add to this, be prepared for symptoms you didn't have before as well. Going on, off, and back on a pill means it may not affect you the same anymore, which is why I generally advise people in this thread not to go off bc until they're done with it for good. It's not bad for you per se, but it's a hormonal roller coaster you know? Faaaantastic! Will I be as highly affected if I pick up pills today so I'm only a week behind?
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May 6, 2013 17:04
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ekoh posted:Is it possible to get IUD strings cut so short they are pretty much gone? I think I would need my strings cut so short that the ends get sucked back into my cervix for my partner to be happy. I'm aware removal could be pretty brutal but isn't it going to be unpleasant anyway? We had a terrible experience getting the Mirena placed at Planned Parenthood and when he feels the strings it reminds him of that. Even if we could get over the bad experience, the strings are pokey and leave him with abrasions. This really sucks because I'm loving being emotionally stable and not having periods! I don't have an IUD but just from reading this thread I know this is a bad idea. The strings are there for a reason; you do not want them to disappear up into your cervix. Other posters have said that the strings will soften over time. Maybe practice positions that give shallower penetration for a while? TBH I don't know why he would be emotionally traumatised over your insertion, especially if it's obvious that it's benefitting you in a positive way.
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May 6, 2013 17:18
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Niemat posted:Faaaantastic! Will I be as highly affected if I pick up pills today so I'm only a week behind? I really don't know. I've experienced new side effects twice, but both times I swapped to a new type and then back on to the old one (a three month gap). I just like to throw it out there as a warning, but I don't know what causes it or how fast (so to speak) that sort of thing will occur.
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May 6, 2013 17:37
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