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My insertion hurt like a biiiiiiitch. But, it didn't hurt for long and I was OK the next day with no more cramping that a period, maybe less. It's been TOTALLY worth it for me and I am reupping in 2017 fo' sho'. Ask for some Hurricaine spray for your cervix, tell your gyno if your uterus is tipped in any way (if you know and s/he doesn't; my insertion would have been way better if I had thought to tell her I was retroverted, we found out the hard way), take a bunch of ibu an hour before, have some heating pads and comfy resting place of your choice ready. Cuddling cats optional, though I recommend.
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May 7, 2014 13:27
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Kimmalah posted:Yeah, I understand the worry. Especially if you've done any googling about it. As for possibly having a weird uterus, don't worry if you don't know. My doctor did a palpation to figure out what kind of configuration I had going on there (didn't tell me the result but whatever), so yours should be able to work it out. My Mirena experience so far has been absolutely textbook perfect and I'm really happy with it. Good luck to you, Sharks Below! Oh yeah, I also have never had a kid and had actually never even had a gyno examination before so I was a total complete newbie  (Decided to combine the insertion with my first NHS-mandated pap smear for extra efficiency)
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May 7, 2014 15:32
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Apparently mine is tipped really far forward, which I only found out once they did the palpation thing and said something. But it didn't seem to cause any major problems.
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May 7, 2014 15:59
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I wanted to ask you alls opinion of the gyno I just saw. I have insurance for the first time in years (THANKS OBAMA), and I have previously been going to planned parenthood for self-pay annuals without a pap. Blue cross doesn't include PP as one of their providers, so I can't go there any more. I looked up a few gyros on Blue Cross' website and then called their offices up to ask about their IUD experience. Their receptionist told me that this woman is very experienced with IUDs and she does a lot of insertions. I get there, they don't do any first time medical history, just the when was your last period, are you allergic to anything questions. I tell the doctor that I'm interested in an IUD and she tells me that she doesn't put them in women without kids because the 2 times she's done it, they've passed out during insertion. I asked her about Mirena and Skyla, she doesn't know what Skyla is, she's never heard of it, and she doesn't do Mirenas because she ordered one and it expired without using it. She also said that Paraguard is good for 5 years instead of 10. I kind of wore her down and after she did the pap, she said that she would put it in but I needed to get in writing from my insurance that they would cover everything. But now I'm concerned about her knowledge and experience- do I really want her doing the procedure when she skipped stuff like sexual history, a full medical history, and didn't even know about the existence of a not-that-new IUD? On the other hand, going somewhere else would be a non-covered visit to a new doctor who might give me the same run around.
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May 7, 2014 19:29
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Sharks Below posted:I know this has been asked a billion times in this thread but it's not really a question, more of a whinge. I'm getting Mirena inserted tomorrow and I'm really scared about the pain I just got my IUD inserted a week ago (and have been posting about it nonstop :P) and while everyone reacts differently, the sounding and insertion were incredibly weird feelings and made me really uncomfortable, but nothing felt any worse than the worst cramps I've ever had. I was kind of focusing more on how everything felt actually inside my uterus and that helped because it was such a new feeling. Plus the NP was chatty and great at keeping me distracted. I took an Aleve before my appointment and they didn't use any numbing agents. Kimmalah posted:Apparently mine is tipped really far forward, which I only found out once they did the palpation thing and said something. But it didn't seem to cause any major problems. Mine is small, which is brand new information to me. It was almost too small to insert the device, according to the NP. She said mine was "4" and they like it to be at least "5 1/2 or 6". I'm assuming she meant centimeters, but I have no idea and didn't think to ask. That was probably the most nerve wracking part of my whole experience, I was internally crying because of all the effort and time and money spent on getting to that point, only to have my uterus be too small. But she made it work. ilysespieces fucked around with this message at 19:54 on May 7, 2014 |
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May 7, 2014 19:51
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Hutla posted:Gyno trouble I would keep looking around for a covered doc. I would not let that lady put an IUD in me.
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May 7, 2014 20:01
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Hutla posted:...she doesn't do Mirenas because she ordered one and it expired without using it. She also said that Paraguard is good for 5 years instead of 10. Ages ago I asked about IUDs at my student health center and I seem to remember being told that they could insert one but they wouldn't order one. Not sure why. I was told I could get a prescription for it, pick it up at a pharmacy (I'd be responsible for the cost since I didn't have insurance) and bring it in. Or I could go to the state clinic (I did that, it was free). My point, if insurance covers the device, you could probably bring it in. Wasn't Paragard recently approved for 12 (?) years?
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May 7, 2014 21:10
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GoodBee posted:Ages ago I asked about IUDs at my student health center and I seem to remember being told that they could insert one but they wouldn't order one. Not sure why. I was told I could get a prescription for it, pick it up at a pharmacy (I'd be responsible for the cost since I didn't have insurance) and bring it in. Or I could go to the state clinic (I did that, it was free). My point, if insurance covers the device, you could probably bring it in. When I first asked about Paragard over a year ago, the doctor told me it was already officially approved for 12 years of use and that it would probably get upped to 15 in the near future. I know insurance is kind of a limiting factor, but personally I would look for a new doctor. They seem kind of out of date on their knowledge and more than a little weird about the whole thing. If you can't find anyone to your liking, you could still go to Planned Parenthood. If cost is an issue going through PP, you could ask them about getting a Mirena through the ARCH Foundation.
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May 7, 2014 22:10
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Trip report! It was fine. Yes it hurt, but the doctor was super explanatory and that helped a lot. I took some Buscopan since that is recommended by a lot of people (anti-spasmodic, prob called other things outside Australia) and some nurofen+ (ibuprofen + small amt of codeine), and the pain still sucked but I don't think I had a cervical spasm which is what causes the terrible pain some people get. Cramping p bad now, got my hot water bottle and my fluffy dog so I'm good to go  In thanks for your help, pls see below picture of aforementioned fluffy dog as evidence 
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May 8, 2014 03:55
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Pain relievers like ibuprofen will also help with the cramping (but I'm guessing you know that  ). If it's like mine, the cramps should calm down a lot in the next day or two. Maybe not entirely, but better so hang in there!Unfortunately, Buscopan is not available in the U.S. (for anyone looking for it) nor ibuprofen with codeine OTC, so we just have to make due with regular ibuprofen and whatever the doctor offers.
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May 8, 2014 04:18
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From my travels in the states (and having an American fiance) I knew about codeine but no buscopan?! It's not addictive at all .. wtf..
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May 8, 2014 04:25
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Sharks Below posted:From my travels in the states (and having an American fiance) I knew about codeine but no buscopan?! It's not addictive at all .. wtf.. Well it's kind of hard to find any concrete info outside of like Yahoo! Answers stuff. But their official site just redirects me to Zantac's site when I click on the U.S. version and that's not the same thing so I don't know. I know I've never heard of or seen it in stores and with a stomach like mine I probably would have by now. 
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May 8, 2014 04:31
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Wiki says "It is marketed under the trade name Buscopan.[2] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, a list of the most important medication needed in a basic health system." Get on it USA, jeez! Anyway thanks again guys, your reassurances were super helpful
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May 8, 2014 04:37
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Ibuprofen with codeine? BRB moving to Australia.
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May 8, 2014 13:22
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Geolicious posted:Ibuprofen with codeine? Yeah not gonna lie it rules. It's the only thing that kills the headaches that the pill was giving me. It's also great to dose up on before getting tattooed.
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May 8, 2014 14:00
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Nice to find so many IUD folks hanging around in this thread. I got Mirena put in about a month ago. I've had spotting nearly every day since, and cramping for a few days afterward, but that's not such a big deal. Nobody told me that I should periodically check the strings until I was looking around online and found out that this was apparently routine practice. I checked, and...can't feel anything. I've used menstrual cups for years (not since I got the IUD though), so it's not like I'm averse to feeling around up in there. Maybe they just trimmed the strings really short? I'm calling my doctor on Monday, but my question about expulsion is: wouldn't I have noticed? I mean, look at the photos, the drat thing isn't exactly a microchip. Wouldn't I have felt it, or seen it in my underwear, or something? I'm also worried about insurance. The OBGYN practice (which my GP referred me to) said that they checked with my insurer, and that the whole thing (including the followup visit) should be covered 100% thanks to the ACA. Then I got a letter from my insurer a couple weeks later saying that I'd used an out-of-network provider and none of it was covered. WTF? Then how come they covered my initial visit to the same office, when I got the pap smear and exam?  I'm waiting to hear from the actual practice, but if insurance won't cover any of it, looks like I'll be singing to the tune of about $1700  Which makes me hope extra hard that nothing's wrong, because no way I'll be able to afford to fix it.
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May 10, 2014 02:00
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I never been able to feel my strings, and lord knows I have tried. I just assume since my periods are still gone, it's still up in there.
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May 10, 2014 02:43
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Blue Scream posted:
Write a letter and appeal their decision. I had to do that when I got my Implanon, I was told it was covered by the insurance company and then they denied everything but the visit and insertion (not the device or tests or anything). If they still deny it, the practice may be able to work out a payment plan. I had to pay out of pocket for my IUD but since it was self pay at PP it wasn't nearly that much. Also, never trust the Dr's office when it comes to what's covered, only the insurance company will be able to tell you anything that matters. I learned my lesson with my Implanon ordeal, always get a name of the person and a reference number for any future appeal letters.
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May 10, 2014 03:48
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Blue Scream posted:Nice to find so many IUD folks hanging around in this thread. I got Mirena put in about a month ago. I've had spotting nearly every day since, and cramping for a few days afterward, but that's not such a big deal. Nobody told me that I should periodically check the strings until I was looking around online and found out that this was apparently routine practice. I checked, and...can't feel anything. I've used menstrual cups for years (not since I got the IUD though), so it's not like I'm averse to feeling around up in there. Maybe they just trimmed the strings really short? I'm sorry they're hitting you up for money. Def contest irl like the other poster said. I don't have an IUD but from reading this thread I know it's not uncommon to never feel your strings. I also know that the uterus moves around (hysterically) so sometimes you can feel it and sometimes you can't.
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May 10, 2014 07:49
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I'm into my 4th month and 5th period with my Paragard (cycle lengths of 23, 25, 31, and 25 days) and I'm pretty happy with it. My hair regrowth from the Mirena balding is two adorable fluffy inches long and it likes to stick straight out from my head but I can't complain because at least it's growing back  Periods with this thing still totally suck, especially my new tendency to break out like a pizza-faced 13 year old the week before, but being off hormones feels like I'm much more in tune with my body -- there is absolutely no question of where in my cycle I am or when I'm going to bleed, my body just lets me know. The bleeding itself does seem to be getting better month over month. I still miss my Mirena terribly, except for the whole, y'know, losing half my hair thing.
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May 10, 2014 19:49
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I know everybody says it, but the 6th month mark was really when things turned for me (for the better). I'm almost a year and half out now and my periods are pretty much normal hormone-free periods. The cramps are still a little stronger than before, but I only get them during the first day and after that they're gone. I do definitely get break outs before my period, but that's just my natural hormones and stupid skin interacting. I also pretty much always know when I ovulate now, since I get a few cramps during that for some reason.Still love it!
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May 10, 2014 20:29
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I know that Mirena still has a locally released hormone but I'm quite excited about having a non systemic hormone life. Wheeeee
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May 11, 2014 02:31
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Same sentiment as Kimmalah for me. 6 months after my Merina insertion was like flipping a switch. Everything went from "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH" all over the place to "oh this is it??? awesome". The one thing I do miss being on the combo pill was having almost no acne. Now when it's period time my entire face explodes but it seems to be getting better with time. Since hitting the 6 month mark my periods have shortened to 4-6 days (instead 7+) and I barely bleed enough for a pantyliner through the day. Best decision ever 
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May 11, 2014 02:57
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Tshirt Ninja posted:I'm into my 4th month and 5th period with my Paragard (cycle lengths of 23, 25, 31, and 25 days) and I'm pretty happy with it. My hair regrowth from the Mirena balding is two adorable fluffy inches long and it likes to stick straight out from my head but I can't complain because at least it's growing back Hey, do you mind if I ask you a few questions about the hair loss thing? I suspect I'm dealing with the same issue. You don't have PMs, so maybe could you shoot me an email at sarobokitty@gmail.com? Thanks!
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May 12, 2014 01:58
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I'm getting my Implanon out and a brand shiny new Mirena inserted on 23rd May! I'm excited and also apprehensive. But after reading some of you ladies' horror stories, I figure as long as my experience isn't worse, I'm good! Plus one of my coworkers has one and she went to a lady who's been putting them in for years, and her insertion was the worst one she's ever seen. Coworker still says she'd get another one in a heart beat. That's a heck of a recommendation! I've never had kids and I do have insurance, so I'm hoping it'll all work out. I'm also hoping my husband will be able to drive me back from it, just in case I'm hurting.  I'll be gearing up for battle before I go in, taking my 800mg of ibuprofen. Let's do this! 
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May 13, 2014 12:26
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Seriously even though mine hurt, I'd do it again, it's not unmanageable and it's SO brief. You'll be fine. You got this!
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May 13, 2014 13:32
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Hey everyone, I've been lurking this thread but haven't done a full read through, and I had a question about Depo Provera usage. Has anyone ever heard of it causing a lowered immune system? Looking around on Google showed a lot of Natural News and Homeopathy style websites, so I thought I'd ask the knowledgable people in this thread instead. I started taking the shot in February (my first try at birth control, I'm notoriously bad at taking pills so it sounded appealing) and I just had my second shot two weeks ago. I haven't had any of the standard severe side effects, aside from some increase in hunger and mild soreness after the injection. However, I've been sick nearly continuously since February with 8 colds and strep throat. The symptoms change slightly between each cold and I can tell the source for almost each one (family, friends, college) and they appear, rise in symptoms, then disappear between each one so I'm nearly positive these are colds and not something more severe or chronic, at least on the surface. Starting the shot was the only thing I can think of that changed around the time this started. I'm normally a very healthy person who rarely ever gets sick, last year I only had one cold and the year before that I had none. And now it feels like if I stand in a room with a sick person for more than a minute I catch what they had. And constantly being sick is ruining my sex life, which was the whole point getting the shot in the first place. Has anyone heard anything like this before, or am I just being paranoid and I'm either unlucky or there's something else that's possibly the cause that lined up with me starting the shot?
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May 13, 2014 13:37
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Being paranoid imo, probably what is causing your immune system deficiency is fatigue (of the system itself), because you've been sick repeatedly. I just don't see in any way how it can be Depo related. I was on it for 10 years and got sick the regular amount (not much, maybe a winter cold here and there).
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May 13, 2014 23:46
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Silver Falcon posted:I'm getting my Implanon out and a brand shiny new Mirena inserted on 23rd May! I'm excited and also apprehensive. But after reading some of you ladies' horror stories, I figure as long as my experience isn't worse, I'm good! Like everyone said, the painful part is over in just a matter of seconds so you'll be fine as long as go in there with some courage. I chickened out once and almost did the last time, but I'd do it again. As for the Depo/immunity thing, I've never heard of anything like that before. Not saying it's completely impossible, just that I've never experienced it or heard of anyone else. The closest I've heard is stuff like an increase in yeast infections, but that area of the body is a little more directly influenced by hormones. It's possible that maybe some of your habits have changed without you realizing it, like maybe you're forgetting to wash your hands often, you're stressed or you're just around sick people more than usual. For instance when I first started the pill, I broke out in hives like crazy and was convinced it was the birth control. But actually I just ate something I turned out to be allergic to and didn't realize it until a while later.
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May 14, 2014 00:36
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This is more of a general question, but have any of you suffered from horrible mood-swingy PMS? Because I'm off Depo and I'm getting horrid PMS. I'm on Setraline for depression, but that has only reduced it a tiny bit. I don't feel like jumping off cliffs once a month anymore. The sudden mood-changes still keep happening. At this point, I'm willing to try anything to get rid of the mood-swings because I don't want to feel emotionally lovely every month.
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May 14, 2014 17:08
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Can illness cause BC periods to be late? I'm assuming so. I got a severe throat infection (and fever among other symptoms) starting saturday and getting really bad sunday. My non-active BC days are sunday through wednesday, and usually I start having my period around tuesday noon. It's now wednesday and there's no sign of anything, but I'm still sick, and I was awake for literally over two days because I couldn't get ANY sleep, and I'm guessing all of this combined has probably thrown my body off a bit?
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May 14, 2014 19:36
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Violet_Sky posted:This is more of a general question, but have any of you suffered from horrible mood-swingy PMS? Because I'm off Depo and I'm getting horrid PMS. I'm on Setraline for depression, but that has only reduced it a tiny bit. I don't feel like jumping off cliffs once a month anymore. The sudden mood-changes still keep happening. At this point, I'm willing to try anything to get rid of the mood-swings because I don't want to feel emotionally lovely every month. I get pretty bad PMS whenever I'm off birth control. Not to the point of being suicidal or anything, but just a really short temper/no patience for anything/sometimes weepy a few days out of the month. It disappeared completely when I was on the pill (Ortho TriCyclen in my case) but I guess that depends a lot on how your body works with a particular hormone dose and formulation. I don't know if that answer helps you at all or not.  Clocks posted:Can illness cause BC periods to be late? I'm assuming so. I got a severe throat infection (and fever among other symptoms) starting saturday and getting really bad sunday. My non-active BC days are sunday through wednesday, and usually I start having my period around tuesday noon. It's now wednesday and there's no sign of anything, but I'm still sick, and I was awake for literally over two days because I couldn't get ANY sleep, and I'm guessing all of this combined has probably thrown my body off a bit? I'm sure it definitely could be something like that. When I was on the pill, sometimes my period would just "decide" to start a day or two later than usual even if I wasn't stressed.
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May 14, 2014 20:47
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I've always had bad acne, but my chin is breaking out like nothing else. Stupid no-hormones, it's kind if driving me crazy. I'm also back to being a sobbing mess at stupid poo poo, hopefully that stops real soon because it's getting annoying. But I couldn't be happier with my IUD (well, I could, if I wasn't a crying pizza face, but still).
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May 14, 2014 20:51
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ilysespieces posted:I've always had bad acne, but my chin is breaking out like nothing else. Stupid no-hormones, it's kind if driving me crazy. I'm also back to being a sobbing mess at stupid poo poo, hopefully that stops real soon because it's getting annoying. Aww, yeah I was a huge pizza face for probably the first month after stopping hormonal BC. Even when I wasn't breaking out, it was like my face was just constantly nothing but GREASE, it was amazing.  Also definitely got the mood swings, though mine tended to be angry crying over stupid poo poo that would make me mad. I've heard stuff like Implanon is worse for the acne/weepies so that might be part of too.I still get a few zits a few days before my period, but I manage it with stepping up my skincare now. It's a neat little period warning system since I don't have a pill pack schedule anymore.
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May 14, 2014 21:33
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There's a study showing that if you have acne when you go on Implanon, it tends to improve, but if you have clear skin when you start, you might get breakouts. I definitely had the crying thing when I started. I wasn't more upset than I was before; it was just a much lower bar for water to start coming out of my eyes. I think that's gone now, but I'm not sure if I adapted to it or what. I do feel like I'm more even-tempered and steady on it than I am dealing with natural fluctuations. (e: uhhhh in retrospect this may be because my natural hormones were ages ~13-20 and Implanon has been 20-27  )My new Nexplanon has been super good, btw! I did wind up buying an ace bandage and keeping it on for a few days, and I'm glad I did instead of just sticking with the gauze. Also, I'm not sure why, but I bruised a ton less than I did for my first two insertions. The implant is also a lot deeper -- like, hard to feel; it's a little scary -- so maybe that contributed. Anne Whateley fucked around with this message at 03:20 on May 15, 2014 |
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May 14, 2014 21:48
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Anne Whateley posted:There's a study showing that if you have acne when you go on Implanon, it tends to improve, but if you have clear skin when you start, you might get breakouts. That poster is going off Implanon rather than starting it. But I think pretty much anytime you start messing with hormones there's always a good chance of bad skin and crying. 
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May 14, 2014 22:50
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Kimmalah posted:That poster is going off Implanon rather than starting it. But I think pretty much anytime you start messing with hormones there's always a good chance of bad skin and crying. Yup, when I started Implanon I was also a sobbing mess but my skin cleared up slightly (still had break outs but not nearly as bad/often, though I attributed that to being an adult). It's not terrible, I'm sure that's part of getting older, but still frustrating because it's embarrassing. Plus crying at everything and all that.
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May 14, 2014 23:21
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Nexplanon has totally stopped all the weepy melancholy I went through every month on no BC. Like Anne Whateley said, I feel more steady and even-tempered. Really cool and it weirds me out how much influence natural hormones have had on everything in the past 
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May 14, 2014 23:43
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Yes I have moments of "I'm 28 years old and really feel like I shouldn't have to deal with this poo poo." I realize it can hit at any age, but man I hate still having teenager problems.
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May 14, 2014 23:44
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Kimmalah posted:Yes I have moments of "I'm 28 years old and really feel like I shouldn't have to deal with this poo poo." I realize it can hit at any age, but man I hate still having teenager problems. Yup, tantrums over the blanket being twisted and waking up to find a giant red pimple on my chin were things I had hoped to leave behind. Hopefully this evens itself out soon, I'm so happy otherwise. I guess it's time to actually care about makeup to stop being so embarrassed about my skin. But I'm lazy and 
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May 15, 2014 00:01
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