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If it makes you feel better, my periods are sometimes like that. This is with Paragard though, so I'm sure hormonal weirdness could also be a factor in your case.
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Jan 5, 2015 19:36
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Ok so I went to get a Paragard a couple of days ago and i's going well so far, but I went to check the strings and I can't even find my uterus. Like, I bring my knees up to my chin and insert my fingers but my cabal just keeps going and going. Am I doing this wrong? =/
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Jan 5, 2015 22:18
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Bad Sneakers posted:Ok so I went to get a Paragard a couple of days ago and i's going well so far, but I went to check the strings and I can't even find my uterus. Like, I bring my knees up to my chin and insert my fingers but my cabal just keeps going and going. Am I doing this wrong? =/ Cervix, dude, you're looking for your cervix. You'll never find your uterus. There's no need to get in a fancy position, just reach in while you're sitting on the toilet and bear down (push with your vag muscles or pretend you're taking a dump if you don't know which muscles those are specifically). And yes it's possible that your fingers aren't long enough.
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Jan 6, 2015 02:32
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I made an appointment for Friday morning to get the Mirena. I've been taking levonorgestrel/ethinyl estradiol (generic Jolessa I think) since June and it's been okay; it comes with one placebo week for every three months so you're supposed to only have 4 periods a year but I was having a lot of random spotting. Then last month I went to get a 2nd refill but my insurance was like "lol nope mail order only" so I got a different pill prescribed for a month while I waited and that threw things completely out of whack - I've been having a period for over a month now, so I'm just fed up. Hoping I won't get any bad Mirena side effects. My boobs did grow on the pill though, so I will miss that. 24, never had a kid, not looking forward to insertion but I'm planning to take the whole day off work.
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Jan 6, 2015 19:53
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Scudworth posted:Cervix, dude, you're looking for your cervix. You'll never find your uterus. I have felt my strings a total of twice since getting my IUD back in April, even though I try every few showers. For me it's a time of the month thing, most of the time it sits high up/my fingers are stubby and short (though not as short as my friend with baby fingers). I tried to ask my fiance if he could check for me but I got a less than positive response and also he has short and stubby fingers too, so while he could get a much better angle, he probably wouldn't be able to reach them either. Bearing down is totally the way to go, it's the only way I've managed to find them.
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Jan 6, 2015 22:52
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Pianist On Strike posted:I made an appointment for Friday morning to get the Mirena. I've been taking levonorgestrel/ethinyl estradiol (generic Jolessa I think) since June and it's been okay; it comes with one placebo week for every three months so you're supposed to only have 4 periods a year but I was having a lot of random spotting. Then last month I went to get a 2nd refill but my insurance was like "lol nope mail order only" so I got a different pill prescribed for a month while I waited and that threw things completely out of whack - I've been having a period for over a month now, so I'm just fed up. Hoping I won't get any bad Mirena side effects. My boobs did grow on the pill though, so I will miss that. Spotting and irregular bleeding are pretty common with Mirena as well, but from what I hear they tend to get better or even go away completely with time. IUDs seem to have a period of settling in where you might get some weirdness like spotting, cramps, etc. but if you can stick it out eventually you'll forget it's in there at all. I took two days off work for my insertion (one for the appointment and another after), but I felt fine enough that I could have worked the second day if I had to. Ibuprofen, a heat pad and something like pads or pantiliners are all good things to stock up on now so you'll be all set when you get home. They also make stick on heat pads that are great if you have cramps when you have to go back to work. As for strings, I've always been able to reach mine but I honestly rarely ever check them anymore. I personally found that checking the strings a lot after insertion tended to just make me more anxious because it's really hard to judge if your strings are still the same length/has anything moved and so on.
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Jan 7, 2015 12:10
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Kimmalah posted:As for strings, I've always been able to reach mine but I honestly rarely ever check them anymore. I personally found that checking the strings a lot after insertion tended to just make me more anxious because it's really hard to judge if your strings are still the same length/has anything moved and so on. Has any IUD been expelled from you/moved? How common is that?
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Jan 8, 2015 02:27
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Violet_Sky posted:Has any IUD been expelled from you/moved? How common is that? No, I've never had that happen. I was just super nervous about it at first, so checking the strings always kind of freaked me out because I was always trying to judge if anything was different day to day. I'm kind of a worrier by nature. I'm coming up on 2 years in a few days.  As for how common it is, I think in the first year it's somewhere around 1 or 2%.
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Jan 8, 2015 03:05
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Mirena insertion trip report: was supposed to happen last Friday but they rescheduled at the last minute so I had it done this morning. I was on the pill previously (jolessa, actually loved it until I had a period for over a month, then switched to orsythia for a month when there were some refill issues), on the placebo week atm, and had a "real" period from about Wednesday to Sunday. Insertion wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. I had a small sandwich for breakfast just so I wouldn't be nauseous, and took three advil about 45 minutes before I went. I got a pap smear beforehand and didn't feel a thing. Insertion was really like moderate cramps (though I've been very lucky with periods prior to any birth control and never had the terrible cramps I've heard some women talk about) with a couple bad pinches but nothing unbearable. I guess I have a decent pain tolerance, but I'm a total weenie and get really anxious and it still wasn't bad. It hasn't even been two hours so who knows what will happen but so far so good. I'm 24 and never had a kid.
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Jan 13, 2015 16:11
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I felt kind of like I had a crampy period the rest of the day, which may have been aggravated because like you I had finished my pill pack a few days before. The next day I felt completely normal except for the occasional random cramp and the fact that I had a cold on top of it.
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Jan 13, 2015 16:28
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Kimmalah posted:I felt kind of like I had a crampy period the rest of the day, which may have been aggravated because like you I had finished my pill pack a few days before. The next day I felt completely normal except for the occasional random cramp and the fact that I had a cold on top of it. Yeah I went straight to work afterwards. Would've been nice to have the day off and chill but I feel fine so whatever.
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Jan 13, 2015 16:42
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Can anyone with IUD experience or knowledge fill me in on copper iud vs other kinds? A big reason I'm looking to switch is my gums and tongue get super inflamed and painful, likely because my body is making too much progesterone according to my dentist as well as the nurse at the health unit. I'm hoping switching from the pill will help with some of the annoying poo poo my body puts me through every month. I was supposed to go get the IUD put in December 17th but it got cancelled morning of because the doctor who was taking my family doctors place was gone. My family doctor was back but she doesn't do those and was leaving the practice so I'd have to wait until January 14th to talk to her new new replacement and get referred out of the office entirely.  I was so upset when it got cancelled. I just feel like the pill isn't even helping with everything I need it to other than preventing pregnancy, if that's even possible. Okay sorry that's my rant. My right leg has been hurting on and off for a few weeks and I keep switching between "didn't stretch enough" and "prepare for blood clot death".
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Jan 14, 2015 04:41
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Toriori posted:Can anyone with IUD experience or knowledge fill me in on copper iud vs other kinds? You can check my post history for my raving about the copper IUD. I think I was lucky and had an optimal insertion, but there are so many horror stories that I feel like I have to share how awesome it is, when it works for you. I absolutely love that I'm protected for the next 9+ years, though I'll probably be taking it out early sometime after we get married and decide it's family time, but you can bet your rear end I'm getting one stuck right back in there as soon as we succeed.
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Jan 14, 2015 04:47
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Toriori posted:My right leg has been hurting on and off for a few weeks and I keep switching between "didn't stretch enough" and "prepare for blood clot death". You're soooo not alone on this  
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Jan 14, 2015 04:58
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Toriori posted:Can anyone with IUD experience or knowledge fill me in on copper iud vs other kinds? A big reason I'm looking to switch is my gums and tongue get super inflamed and painful, likely because my body is making too much progesterone according to my dentist as well as the nurse at the health unit. I'm hoping switching from the pill will help with some of the annoying poo poo my body puts me through every month. I was supposed to go get the IUD put in December 17th but it got cancelled morning of because the doctor who was taking my family doctors place was gone. My family doctor was back but she doesn't do those and was leaving the practice so I'd have to wait until January 14th to talk to her new new replacement and get referred out of the office entirely. I can't really help with comparing it to other kinds of IUDs since I've only had one, but if you have questions about the copper one ask away! What I can say is I'm also one of those people who gets lots of annoying stuff going on with the pill (yeast infections, migraines, libido not so great) and of course it's been a big help with that. Your periods will be different for a while, but otherwise you're pretty much like however you normally are off hormones (since you are).
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Jan 14, 2015 09:59
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^^I find I've been retaining hella water and constantly feel bloated, and I remember reading about being on the pull can cause weight gain, but I wasn't sure if changing from one method to the other would help that even. Also, I saw that the IUDs that are not copper are progestin releasing, and I worry that will make the swelling in my mouth worse when it comes moon time. Thanks everyone, I'll definitely be doing some reading on break time to see others experiences. Scudworth posted:You're soooo not alone on this My old boss's daughter was hospitalized because of a blood clot from the pill, she almost died! It's one of those things you always hear about but never really know someone who it happens to so now I just get so paranoid. I will ask my doctor today when I go in.
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Jan 14, 2015 12:55
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Toriori posted:I just get so paranoid. I will ask my doctor today when I go in. It's took 4 separate conversations with my doc reassuring me (especially since I'm 34 and only quit smoking last year) before I worked up the nerve to start on birth control. I still spent the whole first month convinced it was going to kill me. Now it's more like... every three days? It's ridiculous. My doctor is a patient patient man. I don't know what this panic obsession is with blood clots. No drug is 100% safe, we all know it. Tylenol can kill you for fucks sake but I never think of that like a crazy person. 
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Jan 14, 2015 13:53
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hormonal IUD's do release progestin, but in the lowest available dose and localised within the uterus, so side effects elsewhere in the body that you might get from pills are minimised I got a Mirena installed just under a year ago and while it was a little painful and I was crampier than usual for a couple of months, by now I basically don't have periods any more and I don't even notice it, it's totally great! still, if you're worried about even a very very low progestin dose, the copper IUD is definitely the way to go it is known to make periods heavier and more painful, but if you haven't found them to be a problem before then you probably don't have anything to worry about! (also don't put too much stock in horror stories you might see around the web about IUDs, there is a lot of bad information out there and iirc a lot of US-based aversion to them can be traced back to an old horribly-designed model that was discontinued a very very long time ago)
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Jan 14, 2015 13:55
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Toriori posted:^^I find I've been retaining hella water and constantly feel bloated, and I remember reading about being on the pull can cause weight gain, but I wasn't sure if changing from one method to the other would help that even. Also, I saw that the IUDs that are not copper are progestin releasing, and I worry that will make the swelling in my mouth worse when it comes moon time. Like the previous person mentioned, be careful about where you look online because there are tons of horror stories from people blaming pretty much every single health problem under the sun on their IUDs that might scare you. This thread is pretty level-headed about it. The doctor is good too, since they might be able to give you more specific advice related to the problems you've been having.
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Jan 14, 2015 18:44
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A bit of a blanket question, but I thought I'd ask it anyway... I'm 32 and my girlfriend is 43. She is the oldest I've ever dated, however she is in immaculate health. We've been together six months and we always use condoms. At this point she is considering just using birth control pills. Neither of us have any kids, and I'd like to keep it that way. I've pretty much always used condoms 100% of the time all the time. How likely is it she could get pregnant at 43 while on birth control? Some websites say it is a 2% or 3% possibility. Other people say it would be pretty hard to purposely get her pregnant even off birth control. Which makes me wonder. I guess I am just trying to estimate the statistical probability, or if I should be paranoid and just stick to condoms?
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Jan 16, 2015 07:59
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The Cleaner posted:A bit of a blanket question, but I thought I'd ask it anyway... I don't know why paranoia would cause you to stick with condoms, considering hormonal birth control is much more effective and much harder to mess up than just condoms...
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Jan 16, 2015 08:16
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more than twice as many women over 40 have surprise pregnancies than younger women in their teens and 20s I wouldn't consider age as a factor here. Lots of people do only use the pill, but if you aren't comfortable with that in relationships with younger women, I wouldn't be in this relationship. The biggest concern with stopping condoms is STDs. . . .
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Jan 16, 2015 08:22
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i like nice words
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Scudworth posted:I don't know why paranoia would cause you to stick with condoms, considering hormonal birth control is much more effective and much harder to mess up than just condoms... Maybe he means using condoms in addition to hormonal birth control as "insurance?" As for how effective it is, with the pill a lot of it comes down to how good you are at using it. If she takes it every day as directed, doesn't have anything else interacting with it (other medications mostly) and doesn't puke it back up or anything the chances are pretty remote. That's why you see birth control methods with both a "perfect use" and "typical use" stats - perfect is how likely it is if you're using it correctly in every way, typical is taking stuff like human error into account. Here's a nice table comparing methods (it's a PDF so be warned) With the pill you're looking at .3% perfect use, 9% typical use (percent as in how many people using the method get pregnant in one year of use). With condoms it's 2% perfect use, 18% typical use. I can also offer anecdotal experience if it makes you feel better. I've been in a monogamous relationship for a while, on the pill for almost 4 years and now using a copper IUD for 2 years. We basically haven't used a condom since early 2009 and haven't consistently been doing anything else like pulling out or anything like that. I've never had a pregnancy or even a "scare." Both in our late 20s if it matters.
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Jan 16, 2015 11:08
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Kimmalah posted:I can also offer anecdotal experience if it makes you feel better. I've been in a monogamous relationship for a while, on the pill for almost 4 years and now using a copper IUD for 2 years. We basically haven't used a condom since early 2009 and haven't consistently been doing anything else like pulling out or anything like that. I've never had a pregnancy or even a "scare." Both in our late 20s if it matters. MY anecdotal experience (which contributes to my paranoia) are all my friends and co-workers with kids whom, when asked, often say "Kid survived the pill! Guess it was our destiny to be parents. So be it." I mean, I hear that ALOT. I'd bet that yeah a few are lying, or didn't use the pill correctly. Either way, I hear it so much it's really dissuaded me from that form of bc. Though I understand the statistics and such, and it's probably mostly people using it incorrectly. Also my issue is that my gf believes because she is over 40 that she cannot get pregnant at all. I mean, all this in conjunction sounds like a recipe for surprise pregnancy. The Cleaner fucked around with this message at 19:53 on Jan 16, 2015 |
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Jan 16, 2015 19:50
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The Cleaner posted:Also my issue is that my gf believes because she is over 40 that she cannot get pregnant at all.  Have you considered vasectomy?
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Jan 16, 2015 20:10
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LOL. 40 isn't some magic age where you can't get pregnant anymore. My great grandmother was 50 when she had her last (8th!) kid. It's all about when menopause starts and even then it's not an overnight shut down. See: Change of Life Baby I used the pill exclusively for nearly 10 years and only had one actual scare that was probably related to stress since I wasn't actually pregnant. The pill works. There's a reason it's so ubiquitous. It works. I mean you have to take it correctly and nothing is 100%, but it's a pretty good form of BC. Seconding the "have you thought about a vasectomy" question.
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Jan 16, 2015 20:42
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The Cleaner posted:MY anecdotal experience (which contributes to my paranoia) are all my friends and co-workers with kids whom, when asked, often say "Kid survived the pill! Guess it was our destiny to be parents. So be it." I personally know at least two babies conceived by people using condoms  - a lot for me since most of my friends don't have kids yet and aren't trying. You can find stories like that for every single method of birth control in existence because no method is perfect and people LOVE to share horror stories. Like you mention, every person I've known who got pregnant on the pill came right out and told me that there was some kind of mistake with taking it on time or not taking medication interactions seriously , etc. If you're using it correctly ANY hormonal method (including the pill) is undeniably more reliable than condoms alone, so either you know a lot of unlucky people or you know a lot of forgetful people. And yes if she's still having menstrual cycles (even irregular peri-menopausal ones) she can still get pregnant. But her being over 40 isn't going make birth control any more or less effective either.I think the bigger issue here is it sounds like you don't entirely trust her to use birth control correctly or take the possibility of accidental pregnancy seriously. Which honestly doesn't sound like someone you should be having sex with at all. Ultimately you've gotta do what you're most comfortable with and it kind of sounds like you've made up your mind about that already regardless of the stats/experience we post. Kimmalah fucked around with this message at 21:39 on Jan 16, 2015 |
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Jan 16, 2015 21:36
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Actually this is all great advice which I needed to hear. Thanks. And yes I have been reading the vasectomy thread... but an operation like that brings on a whole other form of paranoia. Because your right, people love to share horror stories.
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Jan 17, 2015 07:36
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The Cleaner posted:Actually this is all great advice which I needed to hear. Thanks. Sorry if I sounded like an rear end in a top hat there, it's just statistics and experiences are kind of all we have so if that's not enough to make you comfortable I'm not sure what we can do. If you really don't feel like she can take something like the pill correctly/consistently enough for it to work your options are pretty much protecting yourself which will be stuff like condoms or vasectomy. Or if she's willing (which some women are, some aren't), there are long-acting birth control methods that don't require her to remember them like IUDs, Implanon/Nexplanon. Also the Depo shot (which would require her to keep up the shots every few months) and NuvaRing which works on a weekly schedule instead of everyday like the pill.
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Jan 17, 2015 17:27
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Yeah dude, most failures from the pill come from it having to be taken perfectly every day, and we're far beyond that now. There's options that only need attention once a week or once a month all the way to once every 5 years. But if you're sure you don't want kids, go get a vasectomy. Stop reading horror stories. Being sterile owns in ways I can barely describe.
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Jan 17, 2015 18:46
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Scudworth posted:Yeah dude, most failures from the pill come from it having to be taken perfectly every day, and we're far beyond that now. There's options that only need attention once a week or once a month all the way to once every 5 years. The copper IUD is good for 12 years and possibly 15 (my doctor said they were still researching that I think) which also owns. 
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Jan 17, 2015 20:02
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Kimmalah posted:The copper IUD is good for 12 years and possibly 15 (my doctor said they were still researching that I think) which also owns. Yeah, the approved length of use for the copper IUD has gone up from 10 years to 12 years in the time I've had one. I imagine they just need to collect more data to exactly how long you can and should keep the same one in place. Also, I could share my anecdotal evidence about using the pill as my sole form of BC for over 10 years and never getting pregnant or even having a scare, but it would mean jack poo poo. Having never been pregnant, who knows if I'm actually able to get pregnant.
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Jan 17, 2015 23:12
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GoodBee posted:
After my son was born, 13 years ago, I got the Mirena IUD. I liked not having to worry about taking a pill every day. But quickly learned that I hated not having a period at all. Every month, I'd be terrified that it somehow didn't work and I was pregnant (my periods lightened and spread out further apart after about 6 months). So I went back on the pill. After I'd been on it a month or two, we used the pill as the sole form of birth control. Had one scare in that time and that ended up being stress related. After this little guy is born (we are 6 months pregnant with a planned hoodlum), I'm going back on the pill, no doubt about it.
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Jan 18, 2015 01:28
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Absolute Evil posted:After my son was born, 13 years ago, I got the Mirena IUD. I liked not having to worry about taking a pill every day. But quickly learned that I hated not having a period at all. Every month, I'd be terrified that it somehow didn't work and I was pregnant (my periods lightened and spread out further apart after about 6 months). So I went back on the pill. After I'd been on it a month or two, we used the pill as the sole form of birth control. Had one scare in that time and that ended up being stress related. After this little guy is born (we are 6 months pregnant with a planned hoodlum), I'm going back on the pill, no doubt about it. This is why I'm happy with the pill, I'd get too paranoid on the types that make your period go away entirely. The pill really isn't that hard, just set an alarm on your phone or something if you think you'll forget to take it at the same time every day. Plus if any undesirable side effects pop up I can just stop taking it, I don't need to make an appointment to get it removed (IUD/Implanon) or ride it out till it wears off (depo). It's all personal preference though.
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Jan 18, 2015 02:26
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I spent the first few periodless months of my Mirena panicking about it. Kept some cheap pee sticks on hand and peed on them a lot and eventually calmed down. I was able to convince myself my period was gone because my uterus was now a barren wasteland, uninhabitable by any life.
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Jan 18, 2015 04:55
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Geolicious posted:I spent the first few periodless months of my Mirena panicking about it. Kept some cheap pee sticks on hand and peed on them a lot and eventually calmed down. I was able to convince myself my period was gone because my uterus was now a barren wasteland, uninhabitable by any life. I never got to that point. Realistically, I knew my period didn't show up because the birth control was doing its drat job. I never "thought" I was feeling pregnancy symptoms or anything like that, just dealing with a missing period bothered me. I just had to remember to remind myself. Remembering to take the pill each day was never a problem. I always take it with supper, which is pretty much always at the same time every day. I just felt more comfortable with even a light period. The pill I was last on for the past year and a half lightened my periods but I still got them. When it came time that we decided to try to get pregnant, I was worried it would take forever with my age (35) and the fact that I'd been on the pill for so long. I quit taking the pill in mid June and by the end of August, we were knocked up. So in my case, the pill (Trinessa) served its purpose and served it well.
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Jan 18, 2015 14:59
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I totally get needing to see a period. Honestly, I was surprised I was able to calm down about it (and well I don't have sex anymore so that probably helps). I have never had a good physical or psychological relationship with my period so I've been really happy to see it go.
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Jan 18, 2015 16:15
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Just getting home from the Mirena insertion. First of all, the gyno I saw was really great, he made me feel very comfortable. His nurse was even better for reasons I will shortly explain. Wow, that hurt. I expected 'minor discomfort' as per what I read online, not "getting fish hooked in the uterus". I cried out in pain and surprise mentioning that it really hurt, the doctor and nurse both comforted me, she took my hand as well, and what more could you ask for when you feel that kind of vulnerable. She kept saying "I know, it's hard to describe" and told me I could lay down after the pain passed but I was worried about getting a ticket since it all took longer than anticipated (dumb). As I waited for the elevator I felt myself getting really hot and slightly nauseous, and the sweat began to bead on my forehead as I tugged at my scarf to try and cool down. I repeated my "please don't barf" mantra in my head until I got to my car and was able to sit down. Treated myself to a mocha and laying in bed now with a heating pad. There's my story for future goonettes getting Mirena. So my question now, is it a good idea to pop a Tylenol or something in the morning if the cramps are still bad? 54 40 or fuck fucked around with this message at 22:16 on Jan 21, 2015 |
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Jan 21, 2015 22:13
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Toriori posted:So my question now, is it a good idea to pop a Tylenol or something in the morning if the cramps are still bad? Um totally. Whatever drug helps your cramps best. Ibu is my poison.
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Jan 22, 2015 00:28
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Toriori posted:
Ibuprofen, and I'd start taking it now if you really want to stop things.
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Jan 22, 2015 00:48
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