Thoughts and experiences with IUDs?

[RustyCrayon]

My doctor has recommended that I get an IUD. I only know a couple of people who have had them, and neither had anything positive to say. Mostly they found them to be uncomfortable and ended up having their IUDs removed after several months. Of course doing a Google search has mostly turned up horror stories. But I'm assuming that more people post their complaints than positive reviews. (I realize that Google isn't always the best place to look that sort of thing up.)

I'm hoping to get some other opinions?

[WeatherWoman]

It was a suggestion to manage horrific cramps and heavy periods. Because one of them has added hormones and my sensitivity to hormones I refused.

Why is your doctor recommending it? Birth Control? Period management?

[JLives]

I had a copper IUD for 6 years in between kids. It worked great. It was a little more crampy than normal and I experienced some spotting but other than that it worked great. All birth control has it's downsides but it wasn't that bad. I had it removed when we were ready to have another baby and conceived 3 days later so it didn't do any damage. If I hadn't gotten my tubes tied I would have used that method again.

[gman313]

Here is a fun one. My wife has had two iuds (one after each kid).

When we were ready to have a second one she went to the GP to have it removed. Out it comes.

Months of trying nothing. Has regular check in apt with gyno. He says to her, so you say you got your IUD out right? Yep.

Pulls it out - well here is your problem, still there.

What the hell did the GP take out? freaky

[Nomaster]

I had a copper 7 for about 6 yrs. No problem until one morning I was showering and felt a wirey thing come out of me.

I had to have the rest of the Copper 7 removed in a minor D&C type surgery.

[gman313]

I had a copper 7 for about 6 yrs. No problem until one morning I was showering and felt a wirey thing come out of me.

I had to have the rest of the Copper 7 removed in a minor D&C type surgery.

thanks for telling us 4 times

[ferri]

i fixed it.
i fixed it.
i fixed it.

[RustyCrayon]

It was a suggestion to manage horrific cramps and heavy periods. Because one of them has added hormones and my sensitivity to hormones I refused.

Why is your doctor recommending it? Birth Control? Period management?

My doctor is recommending the Mirena IUD to help control heavy periods, cramps and fibroids.

I was on the birth control pill for over 20 years. The doctor took me off them for a few months to do some testing. Suddenly all of these side effects, that I thought were normal were gone. I had been living like that for so many years, not knowing it was all from the hormones in the pill. I refuse to go back on the pill now. The doctor has assured me that the hormones in the Mirena won't cause the same side effects because it's only releasing a very small amount of progestin (my BCP had both progestin and estrogen)

I'm concerned about the hormones, as well as the discomfort that some seem to have with IUDs.

An interesting side note about the copper IUDs: My mother had one. It didn't work.

[Lady tehMa]

If you have fibroids, consider a hysterectomy. My friend had it done because of massive fibroids and a family history - she said it was the best decision she has ever made. Though, she had grapefruit to cantelope sized fibroids.

[WeatherWoman]

There is other options.

I had an Endometrial Ablation in Feb 2013 that greatly reduced my flow. However my cramps only got worse. This isn't the norm for the procedure though. Recovery was quick...just a few days.

In August 2016 I had a Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE) to hopeful reduce my cramps. I had a rough recovery but was back to work in a week. Normally patients are back in a few days but I have much scar tissue from many previous surgery's and my parts might not be in the right places so I found this very painful. It takes about 6 months for the effects to fully come in place and at 4 months my cramps are already very reduced. This month they were mild and I didn't even need to take any pain meds.

[RustyCrayon]

There is other options.

I had an Endometrial Ablation in Feb 2013 that greatly reduced my flow. However my cramps only got worse. This isn't the norm for the procedure though. Recovery was quick...just a few days.

In August 2016 I had a Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE) to hopeful reduce my cramps. I had a rough recovery but was back to work in a week. Normally patients are back in a few days but I have much scar tissue from many previous surgery's and my parts might not be in the right places so I found this very painful. It takes about 6 months for the effects to fully come in place and at 4 months my cramps are already very reduced. This month they were mild and I didn't even need to take any pain meds.

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and experiences! I don't have many female friends to turn to for this sort of thing. My husband just sort of cringes when I describe this stuff to him.

I've heard good things about the Endometrial Ablation. I'm sorry to hear that your cramps got worse afterwards though. I wonder if I would end up with similar results? My doctor had suggested Endometrial Ablation as an option, but wants to do a D&C before. He said he could put the IUD in at the same time and then I could see how that goes. If I didn't like it, then I could go with the EA. He really seems to think IUDs are great. Maybe I should ask him if he has had one?

Speaking of D&Cs...has anyone had any experience with that at all? The doctor said I would be put under for the procedure, or be awake. I suspect being put under might be the way to go?

[WeatherWoman]

Due to anxiety my doctor was great. He put me out did a D&C, then an EA and a pap. the only thing is that your had to take this hormone a month before your EA and it cost me $400 for this drug. It stops your period for the procedure.