Anyone here have an IUD? I've been on birth control for the past 20 years, and have had lots of trouble with bleeding - up to 3 weeks each month lately - past 5 years or so. I have PCOS too - on metformin and currently on yasmin birth control to try to control it, but not a lot of luck. Anyway, after a recent visit to a brand new gynecologist (new and very very young!) she thinks I should get off the pill and try the IUD - will help, I guess, with all the bleeding. A last ditch effort before talking about a hysterectomy. I'm a little nervous about the pain from the insertion......anyone have any comments on this? I'd appreciate it!

Amy

I have a Mirena and LOVE it. It only hurts slightly more than an annual to have it inserted. You might also be crampy for a few days afterward, but then you forget all about it. AF is WAY lighter after a few months. It is SO convenient. I wouldn't trade mine for the world.

An IUD will work for birth control but will be LESS effective than the pill in controlling your bleeding. I would definitely get a second opinion if your GYN is telling you an IUD will have any positive effect on bleeding.

Amy--

I am a PA....but don't do tons of women's health...have never had an IUD....I didn't think IUD's did much for anything but prevention of pregnancy.....but here's what I got when I googled "IUD":

Health Risks:

Getting any vaginal infection while using an IUD can increase the risk of developing a serious pelvic infection. This can result in a loss of fertility. For this reason, women need to assess their own risk for infection. If you have multiple partners or if your partner has multiple partners, your chance of infection is much higher.

Piercing or perforation of the uterine wall may occur during insertion of the IUD. Over time, an IUD may become imbedded in the uterine wall. An Imbedded IUD is still effective, but it can be painful and may need to be removed. There is a risk of surgery and/or sterility if an IUD becomes imbedded.

If a woman becomes pregnant while using an IUD, it is highly recommended that she have the IUD removed, whether or not she wants to carry the pregnancy to term. An IUD increases the risk of having a miscarriage or premature birth.

A woman who becomes pregnant while using an IUD is also more likely to have an ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg attaches and grows outside the uterus. This can be very dangerous and requires emergency medical attention.

Side Effects

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Both the ParaGard and the Mirena IUDs can cause longer, heavier, and more painful menstrual periods, but this is much less common with the Mirena. The increased blood flow may cause anemia. Spotting may occur without serious cause or as a sign of infection.

The Mirena IUD can cause ovarian cysts. Some women using the Mirena stop bleeding altogether. Usually their menstrual periods return when the IUD is removed. Mirena can cause weight gain, headaches, increased blood pressure, acne, depression, and decrease in sex drive.

HOpefully, this helps....Personally would ask more questions.....

GOd Bless,

Melody

Banded 3/20/06 -47lbs

I had an IUD inserted 6 weeks after my first son and it was pretty much painless. I had a bit of mild cramping but nothing serious. I had the IUD for 2 years and then had it removed to try to get pregnant. It was the best BC option for me! I would have had another one if I wouldn't have had my tubes tied!

Hope this helps!

I have had my IUD for two and a half years. My periods are almost non-existent! I read on the crimp that this is normal for at least 10% of women.

Insertion wasn't exactly fun, but a small price to pay for 5 years of no fuss birth control. I have had no other side effects. If I had it to do over, I would have taken Tylenol before the appointment to help with the hour or so of cramping after insertion.

My periods used to be very heavy with severe cramping lasting more than a week. Now I have trace amounts of bleeding for three days or so every other month. The money I have saved on feminine hygiene products have paid for my IUD twice over already.

I am contemplating removal in the near future becasue we are talking about another baby. I will definitely get another IUD.

Is this not lapbandtalk.com or am I on the wrong website?

From what I read above, this is a Lapband Talk Lounge, described as:

Lap-Band Talk Lounge Forum for general conversation, share interests, have a laugh or discuss anything not specifically related to banding or the Lap-Band.

The IUD is "not specifically related to banding" --- which is why I chose the Lounge to post my question on.

Amy

Angie; the "lounge" section of LBT is for other questions. Besides, we have alot of the same types of issues, even if they aren't related to the band....

I've never had an IUD, but most of them don't have hormones, so I don't know how they'd help with bleeding. Of course, there's a good number of people here who've used it and had good success it seems.

Do you still want to have kids in the future? If not, there's a procedure galled an oblation (that is probably not spelled right), where they kind of burn out the inner lining of the uterus, but you get to keep all the parts. You are supposed to have very light periods after this.

I have the IUD also - I have the 5 year Mirenia. I am almost on year 4 and loving it - periods are no where to be found and so are pre-period moods . Yes, it did smartz for a few moments upon insertion - and did have bleeding for a few days after BUT it is a great thing - esp since I can not take the pill because of high blood pressure! I believe there is a 10 year IUD also. All I know is I want another one after my 5 years are up!!

Tracy

Wow - thanks for the replies everyone! I do not want children, so that's not an issue. Sarah, I think my doctor was referring to the Mirena, which DOES have hormones, from what little I understand, lol. I am such a weenie about pain. Didn't stop me from getting the band, knowing I'd have a needle in the belly on a regular basis - but I'm terrified of that "female" kind of pain. Just had an endometrial biopsy - that was NOT fun. Just a little curious about the pain with the insertion of the IUD. Thanks, all. Your replies are much appreciated.

Amy

Sorry, my mistake I was on the wrong forum. Please accept my apology

My OB Gyn used a smooth narrow pincer/tweezer thing to open the cervix, then slipped the little bugger in. The cervix didn't care for all the sudden attention. It pinched and burned a bit, she kept telling me to relax. The whole thing took about two minutes. On the whole it was only slightly worse than an annual Pap.

On the girlie pain-o-meter it would rank about a three/four during the actual insertion; 10 seconds later, a one.

The Mirena DOES have hormones that are released locally rather than systemically. It does decrease bleeding in the majority of women. I went from flooding red blood with huge clots b4 IUD to a mild brown discharge that barely warrants a panty liner post IUD. Now the copper IUD will make you bleed more. I wouldn't get one of those. Mirenas are the ones that rock.

I have the copper to prevent weight gain and it was very painful - but ive never had children

I have had my IUD for 7yrs now. Mine is a 10 year. I have to say that when I first had it inserted I thought that maybe I had made the wrong choice. I had a lot of cramping for a couple of days and my periods were awful. I was put on the pill for a few months, just to get my periods under contral. But after that, what a blessing it has been. I love not having to worry @ taking a pill or changing a patch. It has been very reliable. I have had no problems. I get my period like every 3-5 months and when I do get it, it last like 2-3 days.

Good luck with your decision.

maria75