Paraguard reviews - Mirena vs. Paragard IUD - Page 15

[postalgurl01]

Im 29 and people think I'm nuts for not wanting children. Some believe that I don't have the ability to get pregnant. I decided to get paragard when I was 24. The doctor was hesitant because I did not have children. The actual procedure was rather unpleasant and I thought I could feel the IUD when I was resting in bed, especially when I rolled from one side to the other. This went away in less than a month. I've tried almost all other hormone methods and they were not for me. Paragard is the best money I've spent. It pays for itself if you have it for a few years.

[Jennyanydots]

I read this whole thread with interest and have decided to add my bad mirena experience to the mix.

My mirena IUD was inserted early in the spring of 2009 and removed that same winter after less than a year.  Soon after insertion I began to have side effects; some came on more gradually than others and it too me several months to realize the mirena was the likely culprit. I developed acne for the first time since adolescence (I was about 30), gained weight around my midsection (I have always been slim and athletic, but I could not work this new weight off), grew a significant amount of downy facial hair (which horrified me), and worst, became extremely depressed and unstable.  I had been married to my second husband for about a year when I had it inserted, and our fighting became very bad during this time.  I had feelings of complete worthlessness that had nothing to do with my marriage, but felt intrinsic- I would just sit and cry for hours.  I had no libido and just felt so hopelessly depressed.  I began seeing a therapist for my suicidal thoughts, and my then husband (now XH) decided to end the marriage because our fights and my constant low mood had taken such a toll on him.  I thought about suicide daily (even before the split- which was, for many reasons, ultimately a blessing) and truly took no pleasure in life at all.  If it weren't for my 2 DD's I probably would have killed myself.  

I don't know what made me connect the dots, but I began researching reports of mirena side effects and what I found confirmed for me that I needed to have the thing removed right away.  After removal, my body seemed to go back to normal very quickly.  I lost the spare tire, facial hair, acne, and I just seemed younger and prettier again- I'd been sure I'd gone through some age related "change" that I had to accept, but it was just the hormones!  The emotional stuff took a while longer to balance out, but now I was going through a 2nd divorce.  I was glad to move on from a bad relationship, but no matter how you slice it, divorce with kids is hard.  The suicidal thoughts did go away almost immediately- it felt like a fog lifted.

Anyway, I felt extremely upset and mislead by my doctor, who gave me the whole "local only" line and insisted that my symptoms could not have been caused by the mirena.  I am absolutely certain that they were, and I think it was one of the worst and most self-destructive decisions I have ever made.

And for the record, I don't think mirena ruined my marriage.  That's a whole 'nother ball of wax.  However, adding hormonally induced emotional instability and depression into the mix didn't make things any easier.

[TracynAuburn]

I have had a Mirena for 5 years.  It is time to remove it.  I just got engaged over the holiday and my husband to be wants to have a baby.  I had no problems with the Mirena.  When it was first installed, I had an awful oder and heavy discharges for about 6 weeks.  After my second period of being on the Mirena, I had no more problems.  I love it!!!  After we have our baby, I'm definitely getting another one.  I was thinking about the Paraguard until I read these reviews.  Now I am determined to stick with what I know.  I just wish the Mirena had a longer expectant time than 5 years.

[Ann LaPage M]

Hello i would like to tell you that i have been on the murena for about a year an a half  iam 24 with one little girl, it was nice at first and i enjoyed not having to worrie about a pill. Soon after i began to gain waite, i didnt think mutch of it as i tend to gain and loose 5 to 6 lbs durring the winter. Although it never stoped and shortly after i reached the 10lb mark i started to get worried and made my already strickt diet even stricter. i am on an all gluten free diet , no beer not bred not noodles. no soda . I have gained 50lbs and i have never been more than 150 my whole life. iam 5'9 and vary active. iam now 205lbs and i can not loose it. iam convinced this is becouse of this iud. do not get one. i would have rather been pregnent then have this. i only gained about 20ls with my pregnency no stretch marks and lost it shortly after having my lil girl. was off birth control for a year then got the bright idea to take this junk, now i regret it big time. i have huge boobs whent up 2 cup sizes a belly that makes me look like iam 6month prego. and iam getting stretch marks, iam not even pregnent. o and i have to tell you this stuff will make your boobs heart alll the time.

[themrs08]

\Hi. I have tried it all from the pill to nuvaring.I jus heard bout the paraguard via tv. I have the Mirena and its coming up on two years in april. I really like the freedom of not having to worry bout if i took my pill or the nasty discharge you get from the ring. I havent had a real period since i been on it. I have spotted a couple of times. Lately i have been spotting off and on for bout 2 weeks which is not cool. Only other side effect i have is cysts. This is mostly due to my genetics not really the IUD. I really like not having a period but i like the fact paraguard can last10 years. But actually having the mirena i knw how my body response to it. JUST TO BRIGHTEN YOU GURLS DAY IT GETS BETTER WITH TIME!!! Like i said i have had it for 2 years mostly what i read a lot of you have only had it less then 6 months. Your body is still getting use to it. Everybody is different but over all the Mirena is the best thing i did and i am happy with it. Good luck keep on posting with updates. God Bless!!

[Katie8681]

I had the Mirena for a year, before I had ever been pregnant. The insertion was awful, and I cramped and had other hormonal side effects for months. I spotted for a good 6-9 months and then my period stopped completely, which I liked. I got the paraguard 3 months PP, 3 months ago. I barely noticed the insertion and have had no cramping or any other side effects. I'm breastfeeding and still experiencing LAM, though, so I don't know if this will change once I'm cycling again. I LOVE having this IUD.

[Brandi Winfrey]

I had the mirena I was on for a yr I had bad cramps a lot of bleeding and it gave me a cyst:(

[Brandi Winfrey]

I had the mirena I was on for a yr I had bad cramps a lot of bleeding and it gave me a cyst:(

[gina1369]

I figured I would chime back in after my Paragard insertion.  Somehow my last post was deleted or lost.  Anyway, insertion was painful, but my cervix didn't cooperate so that is why it was a few minutes longer than expected.  I was slightly crampy for the first 24 hours and bled for 3-4 days; nothing more than a light period.  Now the only thing I am experiencing is bloating.  I feel full in the belly and was very gassy for 2 days after the procedure.  It may be from the antibiotic though, which is finished tomorrow.

All in all, I am happy with the results so far.  Being off the pill my blood pressure is going down and no migraine this month!  YAY!

[gina1369]

I figured I would chime back in after my Paragard insertion.  Somehow my last post was deleted or lost.  Anyway, insertion was painful, but my cervix didn't cooperate so that is why it was a few minutes longer than expected.  I was slightly crampy for the first 24 hours and bled for 3-4 days; nothing more than a light period.  Now the only thing I am experiencing is bloating.  I feel full in the belly and was very gassy for 2 days after the procedure.  It may be from the antibiotic though, which is finished tomorrow.

All in all, I am happy with the results so far.  Being off the pill my blood pressure is going down and no migraine this month!  YAY!

[aunaturelle]

Hi Im 25 ive had the copper coil in since jun2008 and its taken me this long to realise how much of a mistake i made. Im having a cervical smear in a couple of weeks and i am going to get it removed then. I CANT WAIT. Im not going to blame the coil for everything thats gone wrong in my life but i do believe that it has contributed i have suffered from depression, anxiety, fatigue, bv and thrush near enough every month after my period,(which caused a lot of problems in my relationship as i couldnt have sex) aches and pains in joints, back pains, serious PMS, 10 day long periods with sever cramping.and the main reason im here HAIR LOSS. I have been losing hair mainly at the frontal and crown area slowly but noticably - i cant remember exaclty when it started, however its got to a stage now where you can see my scalp through my hair. its embarrassing. Ive had blood tests, and my iron a vit d came back low so ive been taking supplements with no joy. A couple of weeks ago it really scared me and ive been on the internet every moment i get the chance researching the reasons for my hair loss. Anyway, i finally came across hundreds of forums discussing the iud and its side effects, and so many women in the same position. Have a look at copper toxicity sydrome caused by the copper iud. However i personally think that the mirena coil and the copper coil are equally as bad for you.

I am so annoyed and i find it disgusting and quite scary that doctors are so quick to put in in without warning us.

I have been to the doctors concerning all my side effects and not once have they made the link between them and my iud. So once i have this removed i will only use condoms....... no hormones, no foreign things in my uterus.

SPREAD THE WORD LADIES i dont think theres enough information on this out there otherwise it wouldnt have taken me almost 4 years to find it. Ill be sure to post back when ive had it removed and let you know if the side effects stop.

[msmgrand]

I prev had Mirena, I still had periods. Awful side effects w/ the hormones, moody, bad acne, weight gain, etc. I spotted here and there in addition to times w/ periods for a couple months then regulated out. I had it removed after 3 years because bf had vasectomy and the strings/wires jabbed and poked him bad. After it was removed, I went through 2 weeks of hormonal hell, cry at the drop of a hat, angry if someone glanced my way, it was horrible. Then I went a year with nothing when that relationship ended, Went on the pill for 2 months while trying to get paraguard, EEEK, MOODY like you would NOT believe. Now, I just got the paragard yesterday, surprisingly less painful getting it put in the the Mirena, not bad at all. slight spotting for now. No cramping whatsoever. I hope it works out well. I've heard that if you've had kids you have less side effects. I just couldn't handle the hormone side effects of the pill or Mirena. My periods were not lighter with Mirena as promised to me. I will try to post more another time, but so far I'm happy with it and relieved to prevent pregnancy. My youngest is 12, oldest will be 18 in 2 months, I do NOT want more kids.

[msmgrand]

the hormones make you gain the weight, NOT the IUD. Mirena has hormones, Paraguard doesn't. I also got the "hormone headaches" EVERY month for nearly a week straight, which ONLY started after the Mirena was put in. They got slightly better after it was out, but my body has never been the same. Hormones just screw you up. Also, in response to the copper issue...unless you are allergic to copper, copper doesn't hurt you. It is natural mineral that our bodies can actually benefit from. However, if you are sensitive to copper, or allergic, don't get the IUD. Mirena was painful to put in the Paraguard, didn't hurt, one quick second of a slight pain, but not bad at all. And I'm a wimp. I'm just so glad to be RID of the hormones that made me a monster.

[Camille Huey]

I've been reading this thread and I have to say, I'm happy I went with ParaGuard. The only decision I had to make was hormones, or no hormones. I didn't want them. I had my son in Sept of '09. This was our first child, he was unplanned, and I know it is real easy to get pregnant after you've given birth. I'm not one of those women that wants a big family. I come from a big family, and it's just not for me. So, my husband an I didn't have sex until I got the IUD put in, 6 weeks after Jackson Rayne was born. I do not regret my decision at all. The only BC I had taken previously was the pill. I never had problems with it, I just couldn't remember to take it. I was going to be busy with a new baby, so I wanted BC that I didn't have to think about. The procedure took all of ten minutes. Maybe 30 seconds for the actual insertion. Consisted of very little pain, especially after experiencing contractions for the first time.....

A first, cramps were a little rough after the procedure, mild pain killers took care of that. I bleed for a month straight, then I would bleed every two weeks. Spotted inbetween. My husband said he could feel the strings, but only when in certain positions, and it didn't hurt or bother him.

I have now had ParaGuard for 2 years 5 months.(I got the 10 year) I forget the darned thing is even there!! It's almost like I'm not even on BC. No weight gain (I actually have problem gaining weight), no increased acne, no mood swings/depression. My cycle is normal. I still spot a little every once in a while, but if you have rough sex, it could happen more often. I get a little bitchy when it's my time of the month, just as I did before BC. I get mild to medium cramps a day or two before I start, as I normally did. Like I said, it's almost like I'm not on anything. I FEEL LIKE ME!!

And that's why I'm glad I went with non-hormonal. I wanted to still be me!!!

Ultimately, you know your body better than anyone else. Do some research and make an educated decision.

I hope this helps someone. 

                                            

[LynnDa]

Hello. I've had Paragard for almost 5 years. I refused to take anything with hormones because I didn't want to gain weight or get pimples and so on...Anyways, I do forget I have it. I like that I don't have to worry about it. However, every single menstrual cycle is h*ll! I get horrible cramps (never had before IUD), heavy bleeding and I've also noticed it totally lowered my sexual desire. I thought it was just my imagination but I read into it, did my research and found out I'm not the only one. I've been married for 10 years, had a healthy sexual relationship for about 5, then stopped feeling any desire for it since I've had Paragard inserted. Keep that in mind if you're considering Paragard and do your research. I'm about to have it taken out (can't take any more of the monthly cramps that keep me in bed all day), and just use condoms. I know its a hassle but I don't want to deal with any side effects any more.

[peaches2130]

I have had the Mirena for over a year an i haven had any problem but a little acid!

[pixie6800]

I just wanted to say....I had my paraguard for 12 yrs. The first year was the worst, but the longer you have it the better it gets. Towards the end my periods were 4 days and super lite. Mild cramps. I love it and plan to have another one installed. However my mom had one too and hers imbedded. So I really think its based on a person to person case. My mom had only had hers like 3 yrs. e. Btw the removal was quite painless and very quick. Insertion was way worse. I had also had 3 kids before I got it. Also if your man is rather endowed, sometimes it can hurt. Also it can poke him. So being careful to how deep it goes.

[Brandi1234]

I use to have the paraguard i loved it for the simple fact that it was a 10yr lasting birthcontrol. But i had it removed. I was fine with my period for the first 2months than after that it got outof control. It got to the point that myob hadto perscribe me a hormonal bc pills to slow down the bleeding it didnt work very well. i was havy bleeding non stop for 6months stright now im havin issues with my new bc implanon. i dont think my body can handle bc due to something always goes wrong the first time i was onjust the regular pill i lost 20lbs in 2 weeks due to me gettin very sick. i dont know what to do 

[Beeeew]

Well I have defiantly loved the mirena. I have been on it for almost 5 years. Here is my experience. I started when I was 26 years old and I went to my Dr. to get on a new type of BC. She recommended mirena bc I was with 1 partner and had already tried the pill, the deprovera shot, the nuva ring and I did not like any of those. So as far as pain it felt like bad cramps when it was inserted. After that my period was irregular, I spotted and had some cramps. See I think most people don't try it long enough for their body to get used to it. I realized that over time I continued to have super tiny regular periods and besides the fact that my periods were small everything else was the same as being on no BC. I still have some cramps when I am on my tiny period and tender breast. But my period lasts 2 or 3 days and there is little blood. I love how easy it is. The plastic string has been bent up inside of me over the years but that does not cause any problems andi have had 3 boyfriends over that time. The only boyfriend who was able to feel the string during sex was the one who was very well endowed and It never bothered him if anything it gave him comfort bc he knew he could have safe sex with me and not get me pregnant bc he was not ready for kids yet.. As far as side effects i felt like the hormones gave me a slight different smell but i also used to never let my boyfriend cum in me on a regular basis which my Dr. said can cause a slight smell.... so i feel that affected the slight smell change. I did gain 7 lbs on my tummy/butt area but that's it over 5 years and probably due to the fact I was getting older and slowed down my exercising. I have zero depression and I have a huge sex drive. If anything I felt my sex drive increase probably bc I felt free for the first time I really trusted my bc to do it's job which it did and made me feel awesome!! Honestly I don't wanna take it out but I have to bc it's a 5 year birth control and my 5 yes r about up. I was curious about paraguard bc I had such great results with this 5 yr iud I wanted to try the 10yr iud with out hormones and see if that gets rid of the slight smell and the 7lbs I gained. My gf has been on that paraguard and loves her iud. Both of us r examples of people who tried iuds and have never had kids! I hope this helps someone and I hope that u all r taking into count every variable in ur life. Don't be so quick to void it out. Try it for at least a year or 2 and really analyze ur "side effects" after. Bc I wanted to get off it with in the first 6 months bc of my 7lbs and my irregular spotting then my Dr. Said i was being to quick to judge and she was right my body regulated itself and I ended up loving it. The only thing I found that worked better was my ex boyfriend 8 years ago had a vasectomy and I was not on any birth control. That was total sexual freedom. :-)

[LovingLife44]

Seemed to have delete/not post my original posting. Boo! 

Anyway, hello all! Thanks so much for this awesome thread. Read all the responses here when researching options. Really helped me to feel more comfortable with my BC decision - opted for Paragard. Had it inserted 2 days ago. I really hope it works for me! 

I'm 25. Never pregnant. 

Here's my personal experience thus far: 

Insertion - Took 800mg ibuprofen prior. It was uncomfortable, but not "painful" .... worst was getting my uterus measured! Afterward, I felt quite sore/tender, but was totally able to drive myself home. I did not experience horrendous cramping as others have, but did feel unfamiliar sensations in my uterus/area. Spent the day cozied up in bed with tea. Light spotting. 

Day 2 - More light spotting and tenderness. Also took it easy. Went to a chill yoga class. 

Day 3 (today) - More (light) spotting. Feeling much less tender. Felt the strings today (weeeird!!) Went to a pretty fast-paced yoga class, but I eased away from intense abdominal strengtheners & twisting poses - as I'm still feeling a bit tender from the insertion/uterus adaption to new inhabitant.

Yoga is definitely one of my biggest concerns. I maintain a very regular, fairly intensive practice. I experienced very little disturbance to my practice today (other than noted tenderness), and I was actually quite surprised to be able to be "back on the mat" 2 days after insertion with no cramping or contraction sensations! 

Second concern: intensity of flow & spotting .... which, only time will tell how the Paragard will effect. Sounds like it takes awhile for one's body to adjust. My periods typically last 4-5 days, are quite light, with no cramps. I've been free of hormonal BC for ~3 yrs. 

Third concern: sex (of course) :D

Thanks ladies for all of your valuable input! I'm looking forward to contributing my experiences to this thread after more time has passed.