Question about IUD's

[zibazinski]

Okay back in the Stone Age when I used birth control IUD was only for women who already had a child and weren't considered all that safe or effective. I understand things have changed because DD is considering one. Has anyone here had experience with one?

[haapai]

I kicked around the idea of getting one a decade ago.  Nobody gave a fig that I'd never had a kid.  I was only interested in copper, for duration. 

[taz157]

There are several on the kid thread that have one but I also thought justme had one too. justme doesn't have any kids.

[zibazinski]

There's a kid thread? This isn't it?

[taz157]

The kid thread is in WIR, but you had started a new thread in WIR.

[justme]

Nov 14, 2016 8:54:29 GMT -5 taz157 said:

There are several on the kid thread that have one but I also thought justme had one too. justme doesn't have any kids.

Correct. No kids but I've had mirena for I think three years? Maybe this was four?

[zibazinski]

Is Mirena an IUD?

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Mirena is an IUD and contains a small amount of progesterone.  It is good four five years before it needs replaced.

Paraguard is an IUD but contains no hormones and is good for 10 years.

I have the Mirena because I like having no periods or if I do extremely light ones lasting about 24-48 hours.   If I was done with having periods I would have chosen hte paraguard.

[taz157]

Nov 14, 2016 9:15:24 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

Is Mirena an IUD?

Yes. It used to be you had to have had a kid to get it but they changed the rules. There are several on the kid thread that have it had Minera. I can remember 1 (Sam_2.0 I think) who didn't like it. Many others on the thread have or had it and like it.

[zibazinski]

Nov 14, 2016 9:20:36 GMT -5 taz157 said:

Nov 14, 2016 9:15:24 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

Is Mirena an IUD?

Yes. It used to be you had to have had a kid to get it but they changed the rules. There are several on the kid thread that have it had Minera. I can remember 1 (Sam_2.0 I think) who didn't like it. Many others on the thread have or had it and like it.

Yes, but isn't she pregnant? Not effective if she was on it and that happened. 

[WholeLottaNothin]

She didn't keep it. She wasn't on it when she got pregnant.

[WholeLottaNothin]

I have one, Mirena. It took some getting used to not having a period, but I've had it for a year and a half now with no problems.

[Deleted]

I had Mirena for a couple years.  It's used for young people with no kids all the time now.

I lost a ton of hair within a couple months have having it put in.  I have no clue if that's what caused it but it wasn't coming back and it freaked me out enough to have it taken out early.   My hair has gotten better since...not great by any means, but at least not showing scalp all over like it was.  I also still haven't gotten my period back a year later, so maybe getting Mirena pushed me into early menopause, or maybe I was headed that way already.  I have no idea.  While on it was great.  No periods, no more back pains or cramps every month.  I still wouldn't get it again.  I wonder too much about the hair issues.

[WholeLottaNothin]

I lose hair because of my thyroid issues, so I don't know if the Mirena has really made it worse or not. That is an interesting thought though.

[zibazinski]

Nov 14, 2016 9:28:12 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

I had Mirena for a couple years.  It's used for young people with no kids all the time now.

I lost a ton of hair within a couple months have having it put in.  I have no clue if that's what caused it but it wasn't coming back and it freaked me out enough to have it taken out early.   My hair has gotten better since...not great by any means, but at least not showing scalp all over like it was.  I also still haven't gotten my period back a year later, so maybe getting Mirena pushed me into early menopause, or maybe I was headed that way already.  I have no idea.  While on it was great.  No periods, no more back pains or cramps every month.  I still wouldn't get it again.  I wonder too much about the hair issues.

Oh geez, DD would croak over losing hair.

[WholeLottaNothin]

I've had worse acne since getting it.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Sam hasn't an IUD for quite awhile.

The risk of getting pregnant with an IUD placed properly is 99.99999999% or something like that give or take a few nines.  The mirena can be affected by certain medications so it's wise to abstain or use secondary birth control methods if you are taking anti biotics.   The paragaurd doesn't have that issue since it contains no hormones.

[taz157]

Nov 14, 2016 9:23:18 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

Nov 14, 2016 9:20:36 GMT -5 taz157 said:

Yes. It used to be you had to have had a kid to get it but they changed the rules. There are several on the kid thread that have it had Minera. I can remember 1 (Sam_2.0 I think) who didn't like it. Many others on the thread have or had it and like it.

Yes, but isn't she pregnant? Not effective if she was on it and that happened. 

Sam_2.0 had it taken out before she was pregnant. When she had it, she didn't like it.

[Sam_2.0]

No, I had my IUD (Mirena) for three months after J was born. I got it removed because I was one of the odd ones who never stopped bleeding. The doctor told me that happens sometimes and could take up to 6 months to settle. I got it removed and went on BCP instead (mini-pill) and had no periods/super light periods on that. Went off BC in July and got pregnant in September, so nothing to do with the IUD or BC at all.

[Wisconsin Beth]

My obgyn and i discussed them during one of my pregnacies. Due to my hormonal issues, a copper one with no additional hormonal load would be better for me.

She really needs to talk frankly with her doctor and determine which one is better for her.

[zibazinski]

Hopefully she did. She's on a thyroid medication already. She doesn't need anything messing with that. I just want to make sure it's safe and effective. I don't care that she has more medical knowledge than I do, I'm still MOM.

[Wisconsin Beth]

Nov 14, 2016 9:49:21 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

Hopefully she did. She's on a thyroid medication already. She doesn't need anything messing with that. I just want to make sure it's safe and effective. I don't care that she has more medical knowledge than I do, I'm still MOM.

ok. For most women they are safe and have limited side effects. And unless she has it removed, it will be good for 5-10 years, depending on which type she opts for.

[justme]

I didn't get the copper because most of the reason I'm on bc is to stop the backaches and cramps with my period. I will say that all this time later I will randomly get cramps that are way worse than no bc, but the decrease in frequency and not having to remember the pill is worth it.

It is a bit of a pain in the ass to randomly and unpredictably bleed, but in the years I've had it it's mostly spotting.

I plan to get one again when this one expires.

[Cookies Galore]

I've had my Mirena for two years, never had kids and never will have kids. I will absolutely get another one in three years. I had a lot of cramping after getting it inserted but after that it was fine. I did have to up my spironolactone dosage a little after getting off BCP and getting Mirena but that's not a big deal to me.
I did make a mistake in scheduling my appointment to get the Mirena. I should have went when I was on my period and didn't. Holy ouch!

[midjd]

I have a copper one. Love it. 

Had the first for almost 8 years, took it out and got pregnant within 3 months. Have had the second for going on 3 years now. Zero complaints. 

[swasat]

Nov 14, 2016 9:49:21 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

Hopefully she did. She's on a thyroid medication already. She doesn't need anything messing with that. I just want to make sure it's safe and effective. I don't care that she has more medical knowledge than I do, I'm still MOM.

I am on Thyroid medication. I also had the Paragard (the copper IUD) while on the medication. I had the Paragard for 8 years with no issues at all. My periods were only slightly heavier, my face actually cleared up and there were no side effects. I got it removed earlier this year because DH got snipped. Removal was a 2 min process with no issues whatsoever.

IUD is one of those things that one has to try before figuring out what works and what doesn't. Every body is different, hence the reactions to IUD are going to be different too.

[haapai]

Yeah, that's just about the only other thing that I remember from flirting with an IUD.  It is best to get it inserted while you are menstruating.  While that might sound like piling cramps on cramps, that's what I was told and I'll take their word for it. 

Obviously, this can complicate scheduling if your period is absent or unpredictable. 

Insertions are usually scheduled for fridays, for the same reason that wisdom teeth are usually extracted on fridays. 

[justme]

Nov 14, 2016 10:28:13 GMT -5 Cookies Galore said:

I've had my Mirena for two years, never had kids and never will have kids. I will absolutely get another one in three years. I had a lot of cramping after getting it inserted but after that it was fine. I did have to up my spironolactone dosage a little after getting off BCP and getting Mirena but that's not a big deal to me.
I did make a mistake in scheduling my appointment to get the Mirena. I should have went when I was on my period and didn't. Holy ouch!

Mine was on my period and still hurt.

Interesting on the spirolactone. My face has broken out like hell in the last month. Haven't ever been like this in the four years I've been on it. Wondering what's going, though I'm crossing my fingers that it seems to be dying down.

[zibazinski]

Well, hers is today so I don't know if she's on her period or not but she did get Mirena.

[flamingo]

I have no kids and have a Mirena. I love it. I don't have a period while on it, though once in awhile do have PMS type symptoms. I did NOT get it inserted while on my period and really, it wasn't that bad. I don't remember any actual pain with the insertion, though I did have a few hours of annoying cramps afterwards. By the next day, I was fine and no more cramps. 

It's really an individual thing as to how well someone tolerates it/likes it. But I for sure will get another one in a few years when it's time.