Infants? In MY Vagina? Birth Control Megathread: Now w/ free BC for all! THANKS OBAMA

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Infants? In MY Vagina? Birth Control Megathread: Now w/ free BC for all! THANKS OBAMA

Aceofblue: Feb 26, 2009

Tulip Candy posted:

I've heard that getting the strings cut shorter sometimes end up making it pokyer because it can't move around as much and just sticks out besides making removal of the Mirena way harder.

The strings do soften up and some people do notice a different after some time, but my guy could still at least feel them whenever we had sex even over a year later. It wasn't too uncomfortable to him since I didn't hear him complain, it was more of a slight mood-killer.

My doctor cut the strings very short initially (on accident), so that it takes me a lot of effort to feel them, if I even can. That being said, depending on the angle and intensity of sex, my boyfriend can occasionally feel the strings. He says that when it happens, it's a little uncomfortable, but not a mood killer. I assume that even though my strings have softened up over the course of a year, they're just nowhere for them to go since they can't curl up and around. I'm a little nervous about this for the removal in 4 years, but nothing to be done about that now. :shrug:

# ¿ Aug 7, 2011 22:57

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# ¿ May 15, 2024 10:43

Aceofblue: Feb 26, 2009

oliven posted:

I'm wondering if you guys have any suggestions for any other options, because I'm pretty much out of ideas. It seems that anything hormonal just doesn't agree with my body. Condoms are fine and all but it would be nice to not have to worry about them breaking etc. To put it stupidly, is there some sort of magical BC I can be on and still feel like myself?

I can't praise my IUD enough. I've had the Mirena IUD for about a year now, and it improved a lot of things for me. I'm much less moody or randomly irritable, and I found that my sex drive increased- could have been going from the high to low hormone dose or the fact that it was BC that I didn't need to think about on a constant basis, or both. My body is much happier in general with the low hormone dose, as well - my blood pressure decreased and I stopped having horrible cramping/migraines. Plus, it's nice to rarely ever bleed, and when it does happen, it's never enough to have to use tampons.

I would definitely suggest looking into it and talking to your doctor if you've been dissatisfied with other methods of BC. If any and all hormones are an issue, the copper IUD doesn't have any, but it does have its various side effects that I'm not very well acquainted with.

Edit: I should mention that a lot of other women have had very happy experiences with their IUDs, and it's not just me.

It seems like the number of women getting IUDs is increasing as well, based on the number of success stories in this thread alone.

Aceofblue fucked around with this message at 15:07 on Aug 22, 2011

# ¿ Aug 22, 2011 15:03

Aceofblue: Feb 26, 2009

Soul Reaver posted:

So I was wondering what options are available for my wife and I regarding birth control...

We're married and monogamous and have been together for years now, so we're not really worried about most diseases. The thing we're trying to avoid is the worst, most life-destroying disease of all: babies.

At the moment we're using condoms and I've never had any problems or scares with them, but I don't really like how they make spontaneous sex very difficult and we wanted to look into other options. Plus I'd love to try condom-less sex for once.

She's been on the pill before (amusingly, before we started having actual intercourse) and it sucked. It was like she was permanently in a pre-period state: acne, weight gain, sore breasts, the works. Plus her libido dropped to almost zero and she had little natural lubrication, which basically made the whole thing an exercise in futility. She changed to a different pill later and got the same result (maybe marginally better, but not much). Overall she really hated it, and I did too. This has made us both very skeptical about using hormonal birth control.

Some other factors to consider: she has a history of fairly irregular periods (recently she's had very few - I suspect stress might be to blame), tends to get heavy ones when she does get them, and has quite sensitive skin. We don't have any children, but don't want to rule out the possibility of having them in the future.

One option I can see is a copper IUD since it's non-hormonal, long lasting, effective and reversible. On the other hand, I've heard that the copper IUD can cause increased bleeding and worse cramps, and is only recommended for women who have already had children(?).

What I'm after is some perspective on how good an option the copper IUD is, other people's experiences with it, as well as if anyone can suggest any other options that might be good for our situation. Or if we should just resign ourselves to the fact that the only time we'll ever have condom-less sex is when we finally go mad and start trying for a baby.

Could she possibly consider the Mirena IUD (the non-copper one)? It's not hormone free, but it only contains a low dose of progestin - no estrogen. I went from a two-hormone pill to the Mirena a while ago, and I love it! It took about 13 months, but I've been completely period free for some months now. I've been much happier and have lost the crazy mood swings and reduced libido caused by the pill. Being on BC with estrogen also pumped up my blood pressure (unfortunately, high BP runs in the women of my family, even though I'm healthy and normal weight, ect). No estrogen means my BP is well within normal ranges again. Plus, if the slightest potential of wanting kids exists in your future, the Mirena is removable at any time and doesn't inhibit fertility.

I do know that other people have had negative side effects, so take my positive results with a grain of salt.

# ¿ Sep 16, 2011 01:19

Aceofblue: Feb 26, 2009

Geolicious posted:

I want to know this, too.

Wouldn't IUDs (or other longer term methods) be insanely cheaper in the long run compared to pills, patches, rings, and insuring a child?

When I calculated out the total cost of my IUD (had I not had insurance) and the total cost of my pill prescription for 5 years, the IUD came out *way* ahead.

Out of pocket IUD cost: ~$550
Office visit, misc fees: ~$100
Total uninsured IUD cost: $650

Birth control pills: $20/mo, $240/yr, $1200/5 yr

Yeah, guess who's the winner there.

And that's only for ~~spawn~~ baby prevention! I can't even fathom the total cost of raising a child.

# ¿ Oct 13, 2011 04:20

Aceofblue: Feb 26, 2009

I feel like I should know this, but in the two years I've had my Mirena, I've never had to take antibiotics so this is a first. Do antibiotics decrease the effectiveness of the Mirena? The NP I saw today wasn't sure, so I was going to ask the pharmacist. I just wanted to get a pre-answer! I'll be taking a 4-day z-pack, if that helps.

# ¿ Jan 25, 2012 21:35

Aceofblue: Feb 26, 2009

Eggplant Wizard posted:

I had to be on antibiotics for 10 days and they didn't say anything about interactions to me. Honestly, half of the way your Mirena works is physical: it's a thang in your uterus saying "no babies allowed because I'm living here."* You should be fine. I didn't even spot or anything (which I did last time I was on BC and antibiotics, but that was Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo which is quite different in composition etc.).

*okay this is vastly oversimplifying a mode of function that I believe isn't even entirely understood scientifically, but whatever. It works.

That's what I thought, especially since most of the literature says that even if a pregnancy were to occur, it would never keep due to the physical barrier. My fiance made sure to still ask the pharmacist though, since he's just as anti-baby as I am. :3:

Pharmacist told us that the Z-pack isn't one that they even warn pill-takers about and said we shouldn't worry.

# ¿ Jan 26, 2012 00:43

Aceofblue: Feb 26, 2009

Shnooks posted:

I'm getting my tax return soon and I think I'm going to make the trek down to NJ to get an IUD finally.

My biggest fear is using it with a menstrual cup. I know plenty of you ladies do that. I use a Keeper Mooncup US and I am very reluctant to give it up. I always break the suction first before pulling it out, but one place said you have to be careful not to pull the strings and pull your whole IUD out at the same time. This...seems kind of crazy to me. How hard do you have to yank to pull the whole thing out?

I'd have to assume really hard. Or at least I hope so. :ohdear:

I feel as though you'd know something was wrong before you yanked it out though- if a big plastic bit has to poke against your cervix to get out, I'd imagine there would be pain. I remember reading something about waiting a couple of weeks after insertion to start using a menstrual cup again, but I could be wrong.

However, it may not be an issue. My period became either just light spotting or non-existent from about 5 months after I got my IUD, and I know a lot of other women have reported similar things.

# ¿ Feb 3, 2012 06:56

Aceofblue: Feb 26, 2009

Skywriter posted:

I'm starting my second month of NuvaRing, and I'm in the "holy god I have the worst headache of my life right before and after my period" club. Apparently this is common? I looked on messageboards where dozens of other women were saying the same thing - a horrible headache, similar to a tension/migraine hybrid, but without an aura, no light sensitivity, and tylenol/advil/etc does not do a thing to make it better.

Any ideas? I do have a history of migraines with aura, but my doctor is letting me try Nuvaring kind of as an experiment. She thinks the lower dosage and the method of dosage might be okay...but it's not looking good, I guess. =(

Are there any pills you can recommend that either taper into the placebo week or skip the placebo week altogether? The lower the dose, the better. This is my last hope. =(

Have you thought about an IUD? The Mirena has a low, progestin-only hormone dose, and the copper IUD has no hormones at all. I love my Mirena! I don't have much of a period at all anymore, and pms/period symptoms are very minimal.

# ¿ Feb 15, 2012 07:23

Aceofblue: Feb 26, 2009

Sexual Panda posted:

Regarding pharmacies, does anyone know how to get a pharmacy to refill a prescription earlier than "exactly 4 weeks from the date you pick it up"? I get my prescriptions from CVS because it's the only place nearby, and if I try to call in the prescription early, they just tell me it's too soon and I have to wait until the 4 weeks are up. This means I can never have a backup pack because it auto-refills halfway through the placebo week.

I'm worried that if I ever have to leave the city, or something else happens, I won't be able to get my next pack in time. Or, I can never experiment with skipping a week to miss a period. Yet they insist that there's some protocol issue with me getting a pack at the end of the pills-week. With my lovely insurance I'm only eligible for a pack a month, not three, so maybe I'm just out of luck :/

Oddly enough, they do the same thing with my prolactinoma medicine. I'm really thinking they don't like my uterus as much as I do

When I used to be on the pill, my insurance changed from allowing me to pick up 3 months worth at a time to one pack at a time. When that happened, if I had to pick up a pack early, I had to call my insurance, who then had to call my pharmacy and tell them that it was okay to fill it early. That was only for vacation type-things though, and I couldn't use it to just skip the placebo and start the next pack right away since then you'd get two weeks out of cycle. It's a really awful setup.

(Good thing about having an IUD means you don't need to deal with that!)

# ¿ Feb 17, 2012 03:57

Aceofblue: Feb 26, 2009

uberwekkness posted:

Started having sex again. Was anyone else who went from the pill to an IUD really really paranoid about pregnancy for a while? Did those feelings eventually go away?

I'm just worried it'll shift out of place or something and I won't notice until it's too late, if I check with the recommended frequency.

We weren't paranoid about pregnancy, but we were worried about poking things out of place and so we took it slow for the first several weeks. The first time I tried to feel for my strings (this was after my doctor told me that she had cut them really short, which may cause problems later), I couldn't feel them, and had a near panic attack. :v:

My fiance and I did the whole "Ohmygod do we need to get plan-b? Is it still in there? Ohgodohogod." And then I was educated on how the IUD can and will shift around in your uterus, and how you would definitely know if it came out, even if you couldn't feel strings.

# ¿ Feb 21, 2012 17:22

Aceofblue: Feb 26, 2009

eggrolled posted:

Any ladies with Mirena ever get PMS symptoms but no period?

I got my Mirena earlier this year and spotted for almost 2 months, but that finally stopped and I'm getting a lot of PMS type symptoms. No spotting or anything yet though. When taking other birth control my periods typically got super light or almost non-existent but I never really got a lot of PMS symptoms that way.

uberwekkness posted:

I kind of am. No second period yet (should have started like a week ago), but I was feeling crampy and bloated for a few days, and now I've been getting the kinds of moods and emotions that usually come with PMS for me. I'd assume with Mirena we're still getting cycles and everything, there's just no blood involved now. But I dunno. I've only had it for a few months. vv

Same types of things with me. I haven't had a real period in about a year, but I'll lightly spot every few months. I still get some of the PMS symptoms though, just not nearly as bad as they used to be.

# ¿ Mar 25, 2012 03:34

Aceofblue: Feb 26, 2009

Anyone taking birth control pills containing drospirenone (Yaz or its generic variants) might want to be aware of this! The FDA just made an announcement stating that drospirenone-containing pills have a greatly increased risk of blood clots than do other progesterone-only pills. Some studies are reporting a three-fold increased risk. If clots are of concern to you, it might be time to talk to your doctor.

FDA Safety Alert

# ¿ Apr 13, 2012 03:09

Aceofblue: Feb 26, 2009

Hey ladies,

Any tips on when to take a pregnancy test when I've had a IUD (Mirena) for so long that I don't get periods anymore? I'm totally okay with taking one a week for a month just to be sure, but I'd prefer to not have to spend all of that money. I have literally zero idea of when my body should have a period.

The only reason I'm worried about this is that I've had a string of oddities all in close proximity to each other. Two weeks ago I got a yeast infection, which is odd in and of itself because I've only had one once before and nobody in my family is prone to them. I don't believe that I had any reason to get an infection in the first place, since I do the typical preventative measures. After that cleared up, I started to have breast tenderness and increased mucus production, which are two symptoms that I really haven't seen together since before I got my IUD. I know that my real risk factor for pregnancy is something insignificant because my IUD is definitely still in place.

I'm really not all that worried, since this could very well all be due to stress - I'm a grad student and it's finals time. I'm also probably overly sensitive to any changes, since I did just have that yeast infection. My fiance and I just would really like to make sure I don't have something crazy like an ectopic pregnancy.

Edit: I'm also due up for a general checkup at the woman's clinic on campus, so I was going to make a visit there anyways after finals are over.

Aceofblue fucked around with this message at 03:42 on Apr 20, 2012

# ¿ Apr 20, 2012 03:40

Aceofblue: Feb 26, 2009

lou reed posted:

If you were to be pregnant (with the odds being that you're not) the test would be positive even before showing any symptoms, right? You should just buy the test and take it to clear your mind. In my experience all it takes is one $15 test to get your body back on track regardless of what's going on.

.. Oh. That is a great point that I didn't even think about. :downs:

I know a lot more about preventing offspring than I do about what happens once they're in there, apparently. Thanks!

Aceofblue fucked around with this message at 04:35 on Apr 20, 2012

# ¿ Apr 20, 2012 04:32

Aceofblue: Feb 26, 2009

When I first got my Mirena, I definitely had the whole "oh god what if it's out of place or missing, since I can't feel the strings?!" scare, but really, it will be okay.

If it were way out of place, poking through your cervix, or missing entirely, you would definitely notice. It's not going to fall out or move improperly in your sleep. In fact, it can and will move around in your uterus at different times during the month, even if you stop having a period, so your strings may move and disappear with it.

# ¿ Jun 8, 2012 21:19

Aceofblue: Feb 26, 2009

When I got mine inserted 2 years ago, my doctor told me that it was effective immediately. It could possibly take a few days for the hormones to kick in (I don't know), but the device itself is a physical barrier to implantation. If you get it inserted during your period, you're not ovulating anyways. Of course, the day I got it I was in no mood for sexy fun times, and I think we waited 5 days for things to be comfortable.

Aceofblue fucked around with this message at 23:12 on Jun 20, 2012

# ¿ Jun 20, 2012 23:09

Aceofblue: Feb 26, 2009

Geolicious posted:

I did not die.

But lord did I want to. I had psyched my self up about the pain quite a bit and was surprised that it hurt much worse than I had expected and I have a very high pain tolerance. When the sounder hit the top of my uterus (I measured a 7!) I thought I was going to pass out. And then when the little arms deployed I got quite dizzy.

But my doc did a great job of talking me through. She had some trouble with my retroverted uterus, but once she got the angle right, we were up and running.

But, on the bright side it was mercifully quick. I did hyperventilate some. But god did it hurt.

My friend drove me home and I am really glad she came. I needed someone to drive me for sure. I was way shaky on the way out.

Right now, I am just super crampy, but nothing worse than my worst period as a teen.

Here's to 5 years of worry free BC!

Congrats and glad you made it through! :glomp:

The worry-free bit is a good feeling.

# ¿ Jun 21, 2012 01:48

Aceofblue: Feb 26, 2009

mau posted:

So, has anyone found a way to control acne as a side effect of hormonal IUDs?

I've had my Mirena for 3 years, and I also experienced increased acne breakouts. Only negative side effect to this wonderful thing.

I have *super* sensitive skin, and most products I tried tended to cause awful breakouts or rashes. I've been using Neutrogena Naturals Acne Cream Cleanser for 3 weeks or so now after not finding anything for a long time that my face could handle, and have seen significant improvements! It's only got 1% salicylic acid, but apparently that's enough for me to get some cleansing in without destroying my face further. I still have to use a moisturizer to stop my face from completely drying out (Neutrogena oil-free, sensitive skin), but I'm really starting to feel better about it all.

Kimmalah posted:

I think I've asked about it once before, but I was wondering if anyone in the thread had any experience with heavy lifting and having an IUD? I'm considering applying for a warehouse job where I might be lifting some pretty heavy stuff on occasion (job description says anywhere from 20-something up to maybe 60 pounds on occasion) and I'm kind of paranoid that it might shift out of place or something. I asked my doctor once and they didn't seem to concerned, but she seemed like she was kind of in a hurry that day too.

I know others have answered this one already too, but gently caress yeah, heavy lifting! I weightlift with an IUD and have never had any problems, and like others have said, it's pretty tucked up there. If you're interested in weightlifting outside of work, there's a YLLS post on women's weightlifting!

# ¿ Jul 2, 2013 15:33

Aceofblue: Feb 26, 2009

Ugh, I'm spotting for the first time in a year and a half, and it's weirding me out. I've had my Mirena for 3 years, and haven't had a full-blown period since about the 8th month in. I know random spotting is normal, it just feels weird that it hasn't happened in so long. Hopefully this doesn't keep up since I don't even keep any period-related goodies in the house anymore, and I'm way poor since my stipend won't be distributed until September 1. :ohdear:

# ¿ Jul 9, 2013 17:16

Aceofblue: Feb 26, 2009

Chicken Doodle posted:

I'm looking into getting an IUD as an option instead of continuing birth control pills - I'm 28 and not interested in having children. Currently I take Tricyclene as others I tried in the past (cannot remember the names now) were giving me terrible depression and mood swings. If I'm on that BC, would one recommend Minerva or a copper IUD? I do not believe I am allergic to copper but I could always ask for a sample to test.

I read the FAQ but I couldn't really discern an answer there myself, sorry.

I'm on my second Mirena, and I have never had a birth control as good as this. While everyone is different, progesterone-only BC works really well for me and I don't have any terrible side effects. Outside of some random spotting, I haven't had a real period for 5 or so years (which is loving super).

I also don't want children AND I was admittedly terrible at remembering to take a pill at the same time every day, and so having an IUD that I can just forget about has been a lifesaver. The no-period (after a couple months or so, YMMV) is enough for me to recommend the Mirena to anyone who doesn't mind still taking hormones, but the Paraguard still definitely fulfills a lot of the same goals too.

# ¿ Mar 21, 2016 08:53

Aceofblue: Feb 26, 2009

MockTurtle posted:

They have special tool to use when they can't just yank it by the string. It will probably be uncomfortable when they go in to hook it on with the tool but as far as actually having it removed, you don't feel much. There is some pressure when they pull but as soon as it is out you have relief. If for some reason they can't get it out this way they send you for surgery.

Yup. When I had my first Mirena removed my doctor couldn't feel the strings, even looking through a scope. She told me that if she wasn't able to hook it out, they would send me for an ultrasound to look at its position and then try again; if they still couldn't get it they send you in for outpatient surgery and knock you out to open up your cervix a bit more. She was magically able to hook it on the first try with that little tool though, for which I was very grateful!

# ¿ Apr 12, 2016 23:33

Aceofblue: Feb 26, 2009

Kimmalah posted:

I would randomly spot all the time with my IUD and the thing never moved the whole time I had it, if that makes you feel any better. But if you can there's nothing wrong with getting it checked if it will give you some peace of mind. I used to ask about the placement pretty much every time I had a pelvic for whatever reason, just because it made me feel better.

That's good advice; I always ask about the positioning of my Mirena too, just in case anything is different.

cash crab posted:

Hello, pals. So, I've had my IUD since August. I have been spotting like crazy for the last week or so, usually right after sex.

I also will spot after sex, often times. My best explanation is that I've always had sensitive skin everywhere, and when things are getting all jostled around I think it causes some tears that bleed. I've ran that by my doctor and she seems to think it's a likely explanation.

# ¿ Jun 15, 2016 06:32

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# ¿ May 15, 2024 10:43

Aceofblue: Feb 26, 2009

Canadian Bakin posted:

I did it. Two years after posting in this thread, I finally did it.
I went into the clinic today and, after a surprise anxiety attack, told my doctor that I wanted to get a tubal. She was very supportive, told me that she's been having more women ask/talk about it and as long as I was sure, she was more than happy to help. She was writing up a referral letter for me this afternoon and now I'm just waiting on a phone call from the gynecologist's office.
I had to call my husband and babble at him to keep from bursting into confused tears on the walk home. Yay for having issues!
I have to thank the thread for being one of the voices of reason for me as I worked up the confidence to even ask about this. So yeah. Thanks thread! Wish me luck.

Good luck! I'm beginning the (multi-year..) process of working myself up to ask my doctor about a tubal. I'm a year in on my second Mirena, though, so I'll probably ride this one out another 3 or 4 years. I will probably have your same reaction!

# ¿ Aug 10, 2016 23:59

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Infants? In MY Vagina? Birth Control Megathread: Now w/ free BC for all! THANKS OBAMA