Copper IUD - Any health tips for me?

sofiachohdary
sofiachohdary Posts: 74
in Health and Weight Loss
Good news - I've just reached my goal and I'm at a normal BMI range. I'm 163 cm tall, 65.4 kg. All parts of me look great and I feel healthy. I intend to keep using MFP for maintenance (and maybe lose a few more kg), keep exercising, keep eating healthy.

Bad news - I have to put a copper IUD again. Anything that has hormones makes me severely unhealthy, I don't want my hubby to use condoms and I don't want anything permanent yet. So copper IUD is the only option for me I think.

Warning - TMI ahead:
Last time I tried copper IUD (I only lasted with it for 5-6 months before having it urgently removed), my stomach was heavily bloated, vaginal discharge was at its peak, my menses were extremely heavy (I'm already into 8-day heavy menstrual cycle, but IUD made it a lot worse, sometimes at 10-12 days and heavier). They were so heavy, that even though I was eating good, exercising, and taking iron supplements, I got anemic and B12 deficient as well. My hands and tongue (scary!) would become numb, and PMS / irritability were getting worse and worse.

I am hoping now that I'm more advanced into healthy eating / exercise, and also I'm not overweight anymore, that at least some of the side-effects will not be so bad, or at least not gain all the weight back from all the bloating. Anyone can help me out with any tips on how to cope with it?

Thank you in advance.

Replies

  • PrizePopple
    PrizePopple Posts: 3,133 Member
    I removed my Mirena in 2008 and am still not anywhere near normal cycle wise. Between Mirena, using the pill a few times, and a pregnancy I've been out of whack for almost 8 years (my youngest is now 7) and my doctor is now trying to figure out why. I've had a full lab panel for things like PCOS, diabetes, and thyroid problems. I also recently had an MRI of my pituitary gland to rule out a tumor. I had my tubes tied almost a year ago, so there is no pregnancy risk for me anymore.

    Having had lots of problems myself I know I would not do something that puts me at more risk for problems. Why are you doing the same if the side effects you had were so bad? I mean frankly using a condom sounds WAY better than being anemic (which I've been before, that's one of my signature moves during pregnancy). That really drags you down and makes you feel like total *kitten*. And it's no joke either, that can do some serious damage to your body. It just doesn't seem worth the risk to me.
  • sofiachohdary
    sofiachohdary Posts: 74
    How is the tubal ligation like? Any side effects from that?
  • PrizePopple
    PrizePopple Posts: 3,133 Member
    I had it done laparoscopically, and was home in a few hours. It took a few days to heal, and since I'm no spring chicken it took a little more to bounce back from than my prior laparoscopic surgery 7 years prior. I have had zero problems with it, and any problems I do have are unrelated to my tubal. The upside to having it done was that my OBGYN was able to do an external examination of my ovaries and uterus ruling out anything wrong externally.
  • csec6pak
    csec6pak Posts: 54 Member
    I've had two copper IUD's. I had them removed to get pregnant (two different times). I had a tubal ligation during the delivery of my second child.

    I loved the IUD. It did make me bleed more heavily; this is a normal side effect and typically it gets somewhat better after the first few months. I think if you can make it past the 6 month point, things may get better. But they may not. If you are naturally a heavy bleeder, this may not be the right choice for you.

    My tubal ligation has been fine. No side effects (nor would I expect any). I can't speak to the recovery since I was recovering from a c-section at the same time.
  • ChristenSchwiegerath
    ChristenSchwiegerath Posts: 10 Member
    Look into a tubal essure
  • sofiachohdary
    sofiachohdary Posts: 74
    I've had two copper IUD's. I had them removed to get pregnant (two different times). I had a tubal ligation during the delivery of my second child.

    I loved the IUD. It did make me bleed more heavily; this is a normal side effect and typically it gets somewhat better after the first few months. I think if you can make it past the 6 month point, things may get better. But they may not. If you are naturally a heavy bleeder, this may not be the right choice for you.

    My tubal ligation has been fine. No side effects (nor would I expect any). I can't speak to the recovery since I was recovering from a c-section at the same time.

    I had it for almost 7 months, and bleeding kept getting worse and worse. Since I'm a heavy bleeder, I'm gonna have Mirena inserted today. If I see that both IUDs are causing me issues, I will take Mirena off and look into the tubal ligation option.
  • Ashantih87
    Ashantih87 Posts: 6 Member
    I had that IUD a year and for me or was horrible. I had dropped half my pregnancy weight and it came back after having the IUD inserted. My periods were horrible. I stated having bad cramps (never used to get cramps) bled heavily and by the time I had it removed, I was bleeding for two weeks. Within a month of getting it out, I dropped 5 pounds without changing anything. I lost another 8 pounds shrinking my portions and came back to MFP to get rid of the rest. I use Nuvaring now and I've been doing way better with that.
  • bunbunzee44
    bunbunzee44 Posts: 592 Member
    ..well for me my first period was really heavy and lasted longer. after that... I hardly get anything. o_o I only get cramps and cravings etc but otherwise I wouldn't know I have periods. Never had IUD before, I switched from the pills to this..

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