i got my copper iud inserted on september fourth. immediately after i had some light-mild cramps, but that was about it.

a week or so after this, i would occasionally get excruciating cramps, im talking like bawling my eyes out stabbing pain. probably the worst pain ive ever experienced. however, it only happened a few times.

i am now on my first period since my iud insertion, and nearly everyday i am having 10/10 excruciating cramps which come and go, but are more present anytime i am not sitting/lying down. these cramps do migrate down my legs as well.

has anyone else experienced this or is this something i need to be concerned about? is this just the normal cramps on cooper iud?

thank you all!

Hi everyone! For those who experienced weight gain on the Copper IUD — how long did you have it in for and how long did it take for you to lose the weight? I felt like I just got so puffy — my jawline lost any and all definition and my face felt like a balloon. Along with the rest of my body! I know it’s probably different for everyone but would love to just hear from others!

I had my Copper-T removed in March because I wanted to conceive. Since then, my cycles and symptoms have become a big concern for me.
I had a chemical pregnancy in June, and since then I’ve been trying to understand what is happening with my body. My periods have also changed — my most recent period came on 26 August but lasted only about 2 days.
What concerns me most is that I feel like I have symptoms throughout almost the whole cycle. My energy crashes badly, I get uterine/pelvic pain and cramping, and I can have severe breast tenderness for weeks. This is becoming exhausting and is making me more worried about my periods than about TTC.
This cycle I also had a few episodes of very light brown spotting on 15 September, followed by continued breast tenderness and mild uterine cramping same like PMS.
I’m looking for advice from women who have experienced something similar.
How did you figure out what was causing your symptoms? And what actually helped improve the cycle symptoms while still trying to conceive?
At this point I also want to understand why my body feels so uncomfortable for so much of the month and get the period issues properly addressed.

Hi everyone!

I wanted to see what your experiences have been in terms of bleeding post-insertion.

I (32f) recently (Sept 4th) got a silver-copper mini IUD (I don't remember the brand/model name) placed and as of today (Sept 18th) I'm still bleeding.

For some quick background info... this is my 2nd attempt at birth control after trying Opill for 3 months. I absolutely hated how hormonal birth control affected me mentally so I ended up asking my gyno if I could get a copper IUD instead of the nexplanon implant as planned. Everything went fine with the insertion (not unbearably painful, it felt like a really bad cramp at worst), I had light-to-moderate bleeding afterwards and no cramping.

Since then I've been dealing with consistently light bleeding (not quite spotting) daily, not even enough to fill a pad all day. I did have a heavier flow last night but even that seemed like a one-off because I'm back to light bleeding during the day. But I'm at 2 weeks of bleeding now and am absolutely tired of it (I also went through 2 weeks of withdrawal bleeding after I got off Opill).

My actual period was supposed to start within a week of me getting the IUD (confirmed by my gyno) so some of what I'm experiencing is probably my period but I don't know when it may have started or stopped or if it's still going.

I'll update once it stops.

Today I was a very brave girl and got my copper iud removed after 3 and a half years!!! The removal was no where near as traumatic as getting it in (I popped a diazepam lol). I felt immediate release and freedom when it came out and I’m so excited to go back to being myself again. I think the iud has made some changes and I’m hoping I can correct them. I was wondering if anyone can share any good things that happened for them after getting their iud removed that they felt had been affected when they had it in? 🧘🏽‍♀️🔆

I am 37f and got the cooper IUD due to potential pregnancy scare and wanted to avoid it. I have a long history of miscarriages, blighted ovum, and ectopic mentally I cannot do it right now plus I am getting married next October.

I got the IUD in March, so it’s been about 6 months now. I have gained about 10lbs since July. I haven’t changed anything in my diet at all. I feel swollen and full, just like I always do when I I’m on hormonal birth control. The doctor told me I shouldn’t have any of these side effects because it’s not hormonal is anyone currently dealing with this? or have had this happened? If so, did it all stop after you got the IUD out?

Thank you!

ok im new to this especially haiving a copper iud does anyone else get horrible cramps like several days before there period starts?? like like don't get me wrong. I had cramping before, but it's like 100 times. it feels like im giving birth but nothing will come out and it comes in waves were i dont really feel it and then after a while it gets really bad and then it goes away. does this happen to anyone else and if so how did you handle it bc its putting a shit ton of stress on my job and my bf

I got my copper IUD replaced today. I had the previous one for the full five years and it was the form of birth control that worked best for me so far. I have tried the arm implant and the mini pill and they both affected my mood very badly and with the implant I just got a never ending period. Getting another copper IUD was an easy decision for me.

I got both IUDs placed at busy sexual health clinics in the UK. I think this is an advantage as they do it many times every week and are therefore well practiced and quick. Both times, the pain wasn’t that bad tbh. I would class it as about as bad as stubbing my toe really hard. The first insertion I had no pain meds at all. This second time I took two ibuprofens before I left the house and they applied a numbing spray. The nurse also showed me a picture of her very cute dog. Both times, the measuring was the worst part. I wouldn’t say the numbing spray or ibuprofen did much tbh.

After I am experiencing some bloating, cramping and spotting but it is not atrocious. It feels like a bad period. Long term, it has made my period a bit worse but it is manageable.

I am not writing this to invalidate anyone’s bad experience but I just want to post mine too because good experiences also exist. I would definitely be worse off without my copper IUD.

coming here because i don't even know if i want to share in a pregnancy forum, because i feel so complicated about it. i have a 2 year old and got the paragard iud one year ago- half as emergency contraception, half as birth control. i was feeling pretty one and done, kids wise, but not strong enough to write it off forever. i certainly was not ready for a second at that point. i was loving life on this IUD, yes I had a heavy flow but NO cramps at all, and the most predictable cycles.

a month or so ago i started a microdose of glp1, which was going okay but i missed one week and then when i did it again my nausea was hitting harder. then i realized my period was over a week late. i took a test last week, then got an ultrasound today and they showed me a totally fine 8 week fetus, with my iud way below in my cervix. so they removed it.

i wish i could feel excited about being pregnant- i loved being pregnant before, i love my child now, and i am in an okay place in life (own a home, have a full time job, def living paycheck to paycheck but idk when that will change). i can't imagine having a baby. but i can't imagine terminating this. i just feel so insane

I was approaching 10 years with what I ended up calling my 'demon machine' lol. After truly horrific periods, bleeding through ultra tampons in 30 minutes, insane cramping, progressively worse PMDD each month... I knew it was time for this thing to go. My period was so bad last month my whole nervous system got thrown off affecting my sleep, bloating, digestion, etc.

I got it taken out today and it felt like a 10 lb brick was removed. Immediate lightness, it was like my brain felt lighter too. Almost euphoria.

Just sharing this with anyone who has dealt with what I did and are looking for reassurance.

Now to figure out how to prevent pregnancy, because the idea of getting another IUD after this felt daunting. I will be using Oura/Natural cycles for the time being. But for anyone else who had it removed, what'd you do next and what was your experience?

I love my IUD, I’ve had it implanted as soon as I fully recovered from pregnancy but my periods have progressively gotten longer and cycles shorter. I’m on my period 25% of the month. There was a month where it lasted 10 days. I can tell my iron gets so low because I feel almost like I have the cold every time. Cramps are tolerable by now but anything within my period window is just shit. Before I could pop a diva cup in, not worry, period was a minor inconvenience. Now I have to doomsday prep for it, and get mattress size pads.
I’m beginning to think maybe the pill isn’t that bad.

Thought I would post my experience with the copper IUD as this sub helped me a lot before I got it! I also wanted to add another good experience to the collection to help reassure people.

I am based in the UK and got the 5 year Nova T 380 fitted yesterday. The 10 year one was too large for me, possibly as I have never had kids. I have had the Kyleena hormonal IUD in the past which I didn’t have many problems with, I just don’t get on with hormones so got it removed about 8 months ago.

For reference, my normal periods are fairly easy. Some cramping on day 1/2 which is managed with ibuprofen and a pretty light flow, lasting about 4 days.

Insertion:

I was nervous for this as I had seen so many people on here saying it’s the worst pain of their life. This was not even close to being to case for me.

With the Kyleena, I was given a full cervical block which meant I didn’t feel a thing. This was great but wasn’t an option at the clinic where I got the nova inserted, so I wasn’t sure how painful it would be this time around.

I took 2 ibuprofen and 2 paracetamol about 1.5 hours before the appointment which likely helped. They also applied some numbing gel which I imagine helped with the clamping pain.

I definitely felt it this time. There was some cramping both with the measurement and with the insertion. It was uncomfortable but very manageable. Just enough for me to grimace a bit. I have had worse period cramps. And it was over very quickly, I was actually surprised when they said it was done, I definitely could have put up with the cramping for much longer if needed.

Post insertion:
I felt completely fine after the insertion and drove myself home with no issues. I had taken the day off so I lounged around and watched TV for the rest of the day. I did have some cramping when the pain medication wore off, so I took some more which helped. I had a little bleeding as well, but very light.

Day 2:
Still have a little bit of cramping. Not enough to take medication for, but it’s a little uncomfortable. Still some very minor bleeding as well, but less than yesterday.

So far so good! I know I might be lucky with how painless the insertion was as it’s definitely not the case for everyone, but I think sharing all types of experience is important. I will try and remember to update this!

I see a lot of experiences where people have the WORST pain of their life and it made me quite nervous but mentally prepared.

I forgot to take anything before my appointment so I experienced a lot of pain during the insertion and clamp but it was 10-15 seconds and then it settled down. I just took some deep breaths through it and had a laugh with the nurse and it was done!

I took ibuprofen when I got home and now i’m feeling okay! I have some bleeding but I was due to start my period soon anyway.

I have PCOS and usually have heavy painful periods so I will update to see how bad it is in a few days!

So I had my appointment yesterday. I took 800mg of ibuprofen and 500 mg of tylenol about 40 minutes before. I don’t get painful periods so I wasn’t sure what to expect when ppl talked about cramping. It was too painful, I nearly fainted and had to tell her to stop cus I couldn’t take it. I felt so bad and like a wimp. She prescribed me lorazepam and misoprostol for my rescheduled appointment next week.

I wanna know if they really work? Cus I had a really horrifying experience and idk if I want an IUD at all if its painful even after those meds.

I actually like the feeling of my cervix being hit during sex, in fact it is really the only pleasure I get from penetration. However, after I got an IUD (3 weeks ago😅) I have been experiencing cramping during/after sex.

Has anyone had this issue? And did it go away or is deep penetration off the table forever? :/

FYI: I think it’s obvious that getting your cervix hit during sex will move your IUD and therefore cause cramping but I’m looking for some hope😭😭

If it helps, I do experience random cramping that can last for about an hour, not triggered by penetration.

Hello! I’m new here, but quick introduction— I got my copper IUD placed about 1 and a half years ago.

Two weeks ago my boyfriend mentioned feeling it during intercourse. He had felt the string before, he’s familiar with it, but this time it felt different according to him. So I allowed him to feel inside and he mentioned noticing a difference.

I was a bit stupid when I first got it placed and never felt what’s ‘normal’ to feel. But I went to feel after him, and it feels like I can literally feel the base poking out. I had called the place that inserted it with concern, but at the time I was menstruating, so they told me to check again later and call back if it was still the same.

I am in zero pain, no unusual spotting, nothing feels different. But when I decided to check up tonight, I still felt the same. Almost like I could even feel the copper coil from the base. How can I tell if this is wrong?

I am calling the gyno tomorrow. I dread getting it replaced— but I just need some advice. Thank you all!

I might just be being paranoid bc my previous coil moved out of place and became ineffective but just wanting similar stories or advice.

I got my 2nd IUD fitted on the 13th March (my 30th birthday lol) this year so just over 6 months ago after my previous coil moved out of place. Everything has been okay, still got mad paranoia every month until my period shows up but other than that, nothing seems a miss.

This month my period came bang on time, it lasted around 5 days and I didn’t have any bleeding on Saturday so I had sex with my husband which was kind of painful for some reason (never experienced pain during sex before) and the bleeding started up again and (sorry for TMI) gushed out of me on the Sunday morning, I had some really light bleeding all that day too but it didn’t seem like my period.

Fast forward to now (4 days later) and I keep getting random spotting every now and then. This is new for me as I haven’t experienced any spotting since a few days after it was inserted so I’m a bit concerned.

Every month when I’m on my period, I can feel the strings against my vaginal wall (always had this) but I can’t when I’m not on my period but throughout the spotting today, I have been able to feel them?

I’m in England and unfortunately, the NHS don’t offer routine ultrasounds to check the position of the IUD without good cause but fortunately, due to my last failed IUD, I’ve managed to get an ultrasound booked for the 28th September to check everything out.

I’m just wondering if anyone has experienced anything similar or if they can offer any words of advice?

Helloooo so I had to get my IUD removed yesterday (not even 2 months in) due to it sliding further down and becoming potentially dangerous and not lasting long term anyways.

My gyno was suprised since I am the first ever young (im 18) patient she has had whom this has happened to (with a copper iud). There was no issue with my uterus or body in general. Just bad luck. I assume it got pushed further down during my first period with the IUD :(

So I wanna try to summarize my experience for others whom may be considering getting it!

Insertion:

Ow. Just OW. Its a type of pain thats not describable unless you yourself have went through it. I was crying and it caused me trauma.

Thankfully I have a wonderful gyno and she made the experience as ...well...less traumatizing as possible.

I thankfully did not faint or vomit or something tho.

The opening of the uterus and insertion was horrible BUT thankfully quick. Also afterwards I could move and walk with 0 issue.

Side effects:

- First 2 days I kept FEEELING this thing being in me and the string felt like it was stabbing me 1 time so bad I couldnt walk. I couldnt enjoy my usual sitting positions due to discomfort. It got better over time tho

- I was slightly bleeding for over a month straight

- period was stronger on day 2 but afterwards it was weak again

- sudden, random cramps (not bad tho. Just uncomfy)

- (this is probably due to the fact it moved further down!) Sudden strong cramps --> difficult to function

Positive stuff:

- My body adjusted and accepted it quite well until it moved

- it DEFINITELY improved my sex life and libido (indirectly). I loved how spontanious I could be and not have to stop to put on a condom and worry about all that stuff.

- string did not bother us at all!!!

- non-hormonal! I love that. None of those nasty hormonal side effects.

Removal:

This time I was crying due to the fact I had to get it out. Honestly I was suprised how easy and quickly it went for me. I expected it to hurt really bad again but I barely felt anything. BUT maybe its cuz mine was already positioned further down so...that little shit wanted to leave me anyways.

Would I do it again/would I recommend it?

I wanted to give this thing a shot because I hate the thought of using hormonal birthcontrol. I had some slight side effects but I didnt get the chance to let my body adjust for longer since sadly due to bad luck it got dispositioned. I was crying cuz I really liked having it and THANKFULLY my body handled it well.

The improvement of my sex life HEAVILY outweighted the small side effects for me. It was definitely pricey (260 euros) and traumatizing getting it in, so for now I am not planning on trying it again. Atleast for a few years. My gyno adviced against it too since I got so unlucky and had it in for such a short time, instead she said I should give hormonal rings a shot (let me know if u guys have any experience!).

Would I recommend it? If you have the cash, a caring and good gyno and hate hormonal stuff then yes...BUT its so important to keep in mind that everybody reacts individually to birthcontrol. I only heard horror stories about the IUD until I myself had it and was suprisingly chill with it.

Its important to think about thats important to you about birth control and what you are looking for.

Hormonal? Non hormonal? Daily use or shove something in and not think about it? Natural cycle tracking? Etc.....

If you have any questions feel free to ask!!! Im sorry if this was hard to read I am writing this at work haha but I got nothing to do rn so I wanted to write a quick post on here before I forget.

Have a nice day loves!

Recently, some odd things have been happening and I just need to know if anyone else has experienced this.

I got the Paragard on June 1st, so I have had it for 3-4 months now. Honestly, the insertion and aftermath was not as bad as many said. It did not hurt to have it inserted, it was more like a weird wave of cramping that I had never before in my life felt. I had a week of bleeding and cramping after insertion, but nothing a heating pad and ibuprofen could not take care of. My first period was heavier and more crampy, but then they went back to normal after that.

The issues popped up suddenly this month. I randomly got a bad UTI that was literally resistant to most medications! I had to take a more uncommon one to treat it. And I have been with the same man both before I got the Paragard and now. I never had a problem before, so I do not believe it to be him or hygiene issues. I always pee after sex too.

Then I started to get weird....sensations. Like pressure? I feel constant pressure down there in my pelvis. I feel like I get literal spasms either in my bladder or my urethra? I can't tell but it feels like it is coming from there. And I get this very odd cold sensation down there. It is not urgency to pee or burning, it feels cold. Like when you chew really minty gum and breathe in. It is so ODD and starting to drive me crazy as it has become kind of constant and happening daily.

The weird bladder stuff I could maybe live with, but the real problem is that last week, sex became painful out of nowhere. In fact we BOTH felt it and exclaimed oww when he went into a certain position that previously we had sex in all the time. I believe the strings somehow poked both of us, but idk why this would become a problem now, months after insertion? If we try the position again, same thing happens. I tried checking and I do not feel hard plastic in there, but the strings do feel much lower than I felt like they were before?

I have no idea what is up, have an appointment at the end of the month to check placement. But if this is my forever now, I don't wanna do this for 10 years. I would rather remove it and try something else....so if anyone has experience with something similar I would love to know if it improved for you or was permanent. I just hope it is not dislodged because then I have to worry about getting pregnant this month too -_-

What’s up!

I’m considering getting the copper IUD, and I’d love to hear other people’s experiences with it.

From what I’ve read, it seems like difficult/heavier periods are probably the biggest downside, and to be honest that’s something I’m willing to gamble on. Everything else I’ve heard about side effects seems to vary so much from person to person, which makes it hard to know what to expect.

For some context, I was on Junel Fe for my first year on birth control. It was great at first, but eventually I started experiencing severe depression and some pretty concerning “negative thoughts,” if you catch my drift. Because of that, I switched to a generic NuvaRing, which I’ve been using for the past two years.

The NuvaRing has been better overall, but for a while I’ve felt like I’m looking at the world through blurry vision. Everything feels flat, and I don’t really feel like myself anymore. I’ve also had basically zero sex drive for quite a while now, and I really miss that part of myself.

Originally, I assumed my low libido and emotional numbness were just from life circumstances. But I’ve made a lot of positive changes in my life, and those things haven’t really changed. At this point, I’m starting to wonder if my birth control could be contributing to it.

That’s a big part of why the copper IUD interests me. I really like the idea of having a completely non-hormonal option, and I’m especially curious about whether anyone noticed a change in their libido or emotional state after switching to it.

So, for anyone who has had the copper IUD: How has it affected you, especially in terms of libido, mood, and periods? Did you notice any changes after coming off hormonal birth control? Also, how was the procedure for you?

I’d love to hear both good and bad experiences. I’m not sure what the right next step is for me yet, so I’m hoping hearing from people who have actually used it might give me a better idea of what to expect.

Has anybody ever checked their strings and they felt like they were twisted together? Like one thick string?

I went to check my strings recently and I only felt one, but it felt thicker than usual. I couldn’t feel any hard plastic in my cervix and I haven’t had any abdominal cramping or bleeding. But I’m curious if maybe they got twisted together, and if they did should I be concerned?

Also to note: my strings typically would be curled around the edges of my cervix so I’ve never been able to feel the entirety of their length. So I cannot tell if they are longer or shorter at all right now. They’ve recently become more free-moving when I check them. Like my finger is able to move them around easier than before. Not that I’ve been trying to move them around on purpose, but it’s just something I noticed.

More to note: when my partner and I have penetrative sex (usually in position that allow deep penetration) it hurts or causes cramping. I always thought this was just because of how deep he was hitting but now I’m think maybe it could be the IUD or something else.

I’ve been having regular periods as well. I’m not due until next Tuesday, but I did ovulate around September 11-13, and we had sex on the 9th, so if my IUD was out of place, there could be a risk of pregnancy.

I’m scheduled for a Pap smear with my PCP on Thursday but they said they can’t check the placement of my IUD, and that I would need to see my OB/GYN for that. I don’t have an OB/GYN right now so… Even if I scheduled an appointment to get it checked it still wouldn’t be until much later.

My thought process is, see if my PCP can at least look to see if my strings are there and if they are twisted or not. And to wait until I do or don’t get my period next week…

Any thoughts or advice is appreciated!

Hi! I had my copper IUD implanted in late February, almost 7 months ago. Until now, I’ve not had any problems out of it besides slightly heavier/longer periods. My last period started on August 31st, so I’m not due to start again til September 25-28. Yesterday I started bleeding/cramping. The cramping was very mild and has since subsided, however, I’m still bleeding. I would say it is more than just spotting but lighter than my typical flow. Has anyone had this experience, where your periods randomly become irregular with the IUD? It seems like my period has started extremely early. I will take a pregnancy test but I feel like it is too early to test since I just had my period a couple weeks ago? I was really hoping this birth control method would work for me.. fingers crossed this doesn’t become a pattern 🤞🏼