IUD Problems

I have had the same problems. I have the Para-guard IUD ( no hormones) and have only had it a month now but I cramp and I am still bleeding. Just when I think I am done it starts up again. I was told that this is very normal and could last 6 months or so. Dont give up, I feel the same way "Please just takeit out" Buti dont want any more kids right now. Maybe if you just have another mom to go through this with it will seem better. My name is S. and I am a mom of a 5 year old boy and 4 year old girl. You are not alone!!

I would just like to add that it took me about 7-8 months for my periods to "calm down." They are still heavier than when I was on the pill, but not so bad that it isn't worth it to have it.
Good luck

You have alot of responses to this but one more cant hurt right? I also have the Mirena IUD and bled for 8 months. It was really hard because I got it almost 2 months after my baby was born and had barely stopped bleeding from that!. the bleeding got lighter and I have had one period since it stopped and some irregular spotting. The good news is that most peopel who can wait out the first year (almost there) have little or no bleeding for the other 4 years. Since I was always a heavy 7 dayer before I am looking forward to that. FYI: My hubby and I found ways around the bleeding and were intimate in other sexually pleasing ways. It can be done, neither of you have to suffer! Oh, and remember that post partum bodies are out of sorts anyways and you probubly arent getting enough sleep. that is probubly adding to everything, including your sex drive which for me took a HUGE dip after my first born. Whatever you decide, good luck and congrats on your little one. Jen

Hi there. I had the same problem. My periods didnt go away and were longer and more frequent. It's almost been a year now with the Mirena in and my periods have quit coming so frequently but when I do get them they still last well over a week and I have MAJORE cramping (to where I almost cant walk) and headaches. I have no other option though... I tried the pill, cant remember, Nuva ring...Im too small, and the patch...you might as well give up sex cuz it falls off during. Have you heard of the nuva ring?? Maybe you could try that. Hope this helps. You're not alone!

I had the Mirena placed after the birth of my daughter also and it took the whole 6 months but I haven't even had a period since! I too was at my wits end and thought about having it removed but after getting pregnant on birth control pills that wasn't an option.
Hopefully things will work out for you too. Hope these words are some encouragement to you!
Kat

I have the IUD, if I remember correctly, I had bled for a while then it stopped for a few months then I would have another long period. I guess it varies. Some women still had a regular period and some have had none and then some in between. But if you are having pain though I would go in for a check up to make sure that it is in the right place. I think it also depends on when you had it put in....because if you had it done right after you had your daughter...I think it would be close to the six month mark cause in my thinking your body is dealing with so much getting itself back to normal and then there is still this thing in there. I waited until I was done breastfeeding (3 to 4 mos), and I didn't bleed for that long. Well, I hope this helps. Good luck.

Hi C.,
I read through the responses to your request before I began typing my own, the hard part is that everyones body will respond differently. I had my mirena IUD placed 6 weeks after my son was born. I bled pretty non stop for about 3 months, with great intensity to begin and it slowly died down. I went 3 months period free and then had a pretty regular one. I have now gone a year and 8 months without a period. I get occasional cramps about once every couple months and have some clear discharge that goes along with it. My doctor tells me thats my body having a "period." Needless to say, I Love My IUD. But thats me.
My advice...listen to your body. If its not working for you, try something else. There are so many options for women out there, don't feel tied down to just this one. Especially if you are having pain, I don't believe that is listed as a "common" side effect.
Good Luck!

I don't have any suggestions for you but wanted to let you know you aren't alone. I had mine placed at my 6 week check up and bled non-stop and HEAVY for 8 months. I finally had to have it removed. It ruined our sex life because of all the bleeding. It was horrible.

I have one and had bleeding/spotting for aprox 6-7 months after I got it. The good news is that after that, I had VERY light periods since October this year (I got it in August 2005), I have only had one period. I'd talk to the doctor and have him check for anemia. Perhaps you're having more bleeding because you got it right after birth? I'd say keep trying. I also used the Nuvaring but had trouble remembering when to replace it-and it has estrogen in it which will decrease your milk supply if you're still breastfeeding. Good luck!!!

Hi C., I had this I.U.D. put in and I loved it. I only bleed for a couple of days and that was it then I had it in for 3 1/2 yrs then took it out to have my next child then when she was born. I put one back in.and with my girlfriend she had the same one put in and she had the same problem as you she talked to her doc. and he said the same thing just give it more time.she said forget this and went to another obgyn to find out what was causing her to bleed so much and they found that the I.U.D, was not put in completly right and that is what was causing her so much bleeding. they corrected it with a new I.U.D.and now she has not had any problems at all and she to only bled for a couple of days. so you might want to get a new oppion.and have them check it.good luck ~L.~

I just started using nuva ring. i too hate taking pills and this is perfect. and you only get your period 3times a year! and it has a timer that it comes with to remind you once a month to put a new one in. i have tried the patch, all kinds of pills and the deppo shot, and this is by far the best one!

I had my first child, a baby girl, in April. I thought an IUD would be the best form of birth control for me to. I was also very scared of getting pregnant again so soon. So I had my IUD inserted 7 weeks after having my daughter. And from the time I got it to the time I had it removed (about 5 months) I had break through bleeding, bloating, cramping. I was miserable. I also did a little more research once I started having problems. And I found out that the IUD along with some other types of BC don't necessarily prevent the egg from getting fertilized, but the back up method is to prevent the egg from implanting, therefore causing a miscarriage. So with all of this in mind, I had my IUD removed. And talked to my doctor and discussed other non-hormonal ways to prevent pregnancy. Hopefully this will help you with your decision.

I got pregnant within a week of having the IUD put in. My body ended up rejecting it and luckily it didn't bother the new fetus that was now growing inside of me.
I have never heard of prolonged bleeding though. I don't even remember bleeding after the procedure.
Have you been bleeding since the baby was born or since the IUD was put in?

Hi C.!

After my second child, who I got pregnant with on the pill I had the Mirena put in and for six months bled nonstop. I got so tired of it and the way it was affecting my life so they took it out and put the copper IUD in instead. I have had it in for a year now and everything is fine. I bled for about two weeks and first and now it comes once a month on the same day every month. The only downside to this one for me is that I have really heavy, long periods(like 7 days) but at least im not bleeding nonstop anymore and I havent gotten pregnant. Both of my children are pill babies, lol! I hope this helps you and good luck!

I have had mine in almost a year and a half, I loved it the first year but the last 6 months I have spotted and bled more. I have been bleeding for a month or so now and need to make an apt with my OB. So it must depend on each persons body. Good luck, let me know if you can if you find anything out.

Hello C..
I had the same issues you are having with the same IUD. There was light at the end of the tunnel for me, evenually (after like 8 months) I stopped spotting nonstop & now have light periods once not even once a month. My midwife told me that the spotting can occur for up to a year! I didn't read the fine print on that one...good luck.

A

My girl friend had the same IUD and she gained a bunch of weight and had NO period so she got it removed after 11 months and decided on the diaphram. She never thought she would be happy to have her period back. I have heard of other bad experiences on this web site too. I hope everything works out.

Well I had thought about using an IUD, but since I have never had children I decided against it. So what I have chosen to do, is use the Nuvo Ring. It is a really easy way to use birthcontrol. You don't have to worry about it other than once a month when you change it out. I haven't had many problems with it other than adjusting to the hormones the first day. After that things were good. Plus it helps out in the "love making" department. I can get my man to be like my obgyn, so he can help me insert and take out the ring. It makes it a little more fun. good luck with everything. and get a second opinion soon!!

Don't get too discouraged. Every woman has it different when they get an IUD. I don't really have any advice but I just wanted to share my experience with you. I continuosly bled for about 2 months and during my first month I had really bad cramps... worse than I have ever had. but after those two months, I haven't bled a drop and it's been great!! I don't have to worry about any pills or anything. So try to wait it out a little longer and chances are you could be period free for five years. My son is now almost 8 months, so it's been about 5 months period free.

Good luck

Hi, C.. I had an IUD placed last fall, and had nothing but trouble, too. On top of the bleeding, I had horrible early-labor type cramps (remember those?) :) that gave me the shakes and made me want to throw up. The doctor kept telling me wait it out, it will get better but after three months of nonstop bleeding and ongoing cramps I had it taken out. I feel 100% better now! I went back to my old BC method before my pregnancy, Depo-Provera. You just get a progesterone shot every three months (it can just be a nurse visit, so you don't have to submit to a full exam at a doctor's office!) You might want to consider that option, as it sounds like you are not the best candidate for the IUD. You might even be slightly anemic from all the blood loss, so you might want to request a hematocrit if you decide to go back and have your IUD out. Best of luck to you, whatever you decide!!!

I would definitely talk to my doctor if I were you. I also had the Mirena IUD placed in several weeks after the birth of my first child. I have had no problems or unusual bleeding with it; in fact, after my postpartum bleeding, some heavy bleeding the first few days after it was put in, and a few spotty days after that, I have not had any periods or bleeding at all.

I hear mixed responses with this type of birth control. Some (like me) absolutely love it. It hasn't affected by sex drive, my weight, or anything else in a negative manner. I don't even notice that it's there. Others absolutely hate it. They have excessive bleeding and other bad side effects.

It seems to me that if it isn't working out for you yet, it isn't likely to in the future. I guess some bodies just aren't made for it. Good luck!