Caan anyone here help me out a little with an IUD question?

[Lousli]

Okay, I'm having a weird cycle this month. I have had an IUD nearly a year, and not ever had one like this. I have taken a few pregnancy tests, just in case (all very negative). I have been having 3 days of cramping, but only the smallest imagineable amount of brown spotting. Typically I have no spotting, but ocassionally I do get it for a few hours or the day before my period. But never 3 full days of cramping and two full days of light, light spotting.

My strings are where they normally are, no pain, no pressure or weirdness. I'm bloated like I normally am the first few days of my menses. Could something be wrong with my IUD? Or is it more likely that I'm just stressed over selling my house and it might be making things wonky?

How long do I let this continue before I contact a care provider? Another couple of days? A week?

[stcelia]

What kind of IUD do you have? If it is a Mirena, then I wouldn't worry about it at all. Even if it is a Paragard, I'm still not sure I'd sweat it much. If you can feel your strings and they are the same length (more or less), and if you've had a negative pregnancy test, then I think both IUDs are so effective that I wouldn't worry about it. If you have the Mirena then it is pretty common for you to experience lighter bleeding over time.

[Lousli]

I have the paragard. So my bleeding has been pretty heavy (for me) since getting it.

So is there a possibility of my cycle being out of whack for another reason? Would I test + and would I know if I had an ectopic pregnancy (higher risk with an IUD)? This is a dumb question and I think I know the answer, but is it possible for my IUD to somehow block my cervix (if it was expelling or something)?

[zofranland]

pregnancy is pregnancy no matter where the ovum has implanted so the hcg levels would make the test positive

[Lousli]

I just did some reading on ectopic pregnancy and it seems that you are mostly right, but hcg levels can be lower than normal and rise slower, so early on test results may not be positive. I'm trying not to worry here, but 2 days of barely any spotting and as of right now, when I went to use the bathroom there is nothing on my pad and scarcely a tinge of pink when I wipe. My cramps have subsided. I am stressed. I'll take another HPT with FMU and see what it says.

[Alison Cole]

Signs of ectopic pregnancy going south (which all do eventually): Profuse vaginal bleeding, stabbing pain on one side, pain radiating out from the arm or shoulder, dizziness. These are "Call 911" symptoms, but you should usually have enough warning to get yourself to help if you are aware of what you're looking for.

That said, it's important to remember that when you're using an IUD, your risk of ectopic pregnancy is actually less than if you are not using a method of birth control, simply becuase your chances of getting pregnant with the IUD inplace are so dang low. IF you DO become pregnant (small chance, and it sounds like you're likely not), then there is a higher chance that the pregnancy might be ectopic than if you weren't using the IUD.

I say all of this just to help you put this in perspective, as it can be scary. If I were you'd, I'd continue paying attention to string placement, and definetly contact a care provider if the pain gets unbearable or you start feeling feverish. Good luck, and keep us posted.

[Lousli]

Thanks. Today still spotting so far, no bleeding. Negative test with FMU. But it is only 5 am, so I'm going back to sleep and hoping AF shows later today.