IUD/COIL (plastic)

[Ladyv76]

Got the plastic IUD coil fitted in May this year. Been bleeding on and off ever since and it's now been 5 months. The last one i had fitted i had no issues with. Should i go see my gp or local clinic as its worrying me and totally ruining my relationship & sex life.

[StripySpoonie]

Hi, I had a Mirena after having my daughter and they warned it could take six months to settle. I had a sheet to diary it all down (before phone apps!) and it was frequent light bleeding with no pattern for six months and then it was as if someone turned off a tap. I had the odd day of spotting if I was run down but no bleeding. When it was removed and the replacement put in immediately just a little cramping. I was unsure if there's a gap between the two you've had? If there wasn't I'd say go back and check. If there was a gap and it's like starting again then I'd say persevere for another month if you can and then go back if it's not changed. I know it changed my life for the better but for other health reasons I didn't have a third and every month I wish I had it back! x

[Ladyv76 in reply to StripySpoonie]

Thanks for your reply it was really helpful. There is an 18 month gap between my first fitting and the new one I got in May.

[StripySpoonie in reply to Ladyv76]

I'll keep my fingers crossed then that the hormones settle in the next month and you get the bleeding under control. If it worked for you previously it would seem strange if your body doesn't settle with this one but I do remember well that first six months thinking how the heck is this an improvement? Good luck x

[Ladyv76 in reply to StripySpoonie]

This is my 6th month now. Lets keep all our fingers crossed. Hell, I will keep all my toes crossed if I have to. x

[Gcookie123 in reply to StripySpoonie]

Definatly fingers crossed i will say its tken just over a year for my hormones to work properly

[dawnydoll]

I had a IUD copper coil fitted 3 months ago and it’s caused me no end of problems. My periods have become much more heavier and painful. My depression has worsened and I feel low mood sometimes. I’ve also started having sleep problems since having it fitted and now having to take sleeping medication to help me sleep. I also know a number of other women who have had the similar problems. I feel I’m suffering because of insomnia because before when I didn’t have the copper coil in I had no problems sleeping. It’s crazy that the GP’s and sexual health clinics don’t tell you about the full side effects of this. Even though it’s hormone free it’s side effects are a nightmare. I would strongly advise anyone who is or who has decided to have this fitted that they query this first with their sexual health clinics. Not enough health professionals are detailed about the problems it causes.

[yyryna in reply to dawnydoll]

I had one fitted in March and now.. After6 months... I still have very heavy periods, long periods(10 days), pain before or between periods.. bleeding between periods, headaches, feeling low all the time, problems sleeping.. And yes.. My mood is low most of the time.. They didn't tell me about this.. Another symptom is heavy discharge..I feel like I need to take a shower few times a day. Never had this problem before. The doctors said I'm all good but.. I'm not feeling good. I didn't want a hormone Iud thinking I will feel better with a copper one.. But...Actually it's bad. What should I do?

[dawnydoll in reply to yyryna]

Hiya thanks for replying to my post, yes I’m having exactly the same problems that you said. It’s not easy to cope with on a daily basis, I’ve had mine in for about 4 months now, and it’s caused me no end of problems. I went back to the GP about it and they said to try and persevere with it and apparently it settles down after 12 months. I’ve been feeling so krap and I haven’t been sleeping very well so my doctor has had to give me sleeping tablets so I can rest properly. I’m going to give it another few months and if I’m still feeling like this I’m going to have it taken out. I’m sorry to hear that you have been experiencing problems aswell, I really do understand what it’s like and how it feels which isn’t very nice. That’s why I thought I’d share my experience and reach out to other women who are going through the same experience so they are fully aware of the true effects of this Copper IUD. You can message me whenever you like and I really hope things resolve themselves for you. Thanks again for the reply

[Kezza101 in reply to yyryna]

I am in the same position as you both ! I had the copper coil fitted 6 months ago and went from having 3-4 day very light periods to 9-10 day incredibly heavy and incredibly painful periods.I have labour-like contractions for 2 days of my period , and cramps all throughout the month. This is absurd to me and quite frankly if men went through this pain and suffering, all of this would have been sorted out decades ago.

Having the copper coil put in was an incredibly traumatising experience for me - The NHS gave me no pain killers or anaesthetic despite me being very young and never having given birth. I was literally held down by one nurse whilst the other did it. The 'mild period cramps' the NHS describe after getting it fitted , for me and my friend who had it fitted essentially felt like labour contractions.

The contractions hit every 3-5 minutes for about 6-8 hours following getting the coil fitted. I was vomiting and sweating. My friend fainted. I find it utterly negligent that young girls such as myself are subjected to this. I spoke to a nurse recently about the bleeding in between periods and period cramps throughout the month that then turn into contractions during my period, and she said indeed the NHS do 'play-down' the pain women endure. She also had had a copper IUD fitted, and also had given birth three times ; She said the cramps after were very similar to MID (not mild) labour pains !!

I need to change it for the Mirena, as I am a training corporate solicitor and do not have the time to be rushing to the bathroom every half hour -45 mins to be sorting out the bleeding. But I am petrified of having another one put in, and also hear on the Mirena you bleed very irregularly and sometimes almost constantly !

[alzzz in reply to Kezza101]

Oh dear.. I’m also in the same boat! Random cramping throughout the day, daily light bleeding for the last 6-7 months. Sore lower back. Tender lower abs that look swollen. It randomly stopped for a few weeks and started again. It’s sometimes manageable but the whole point of having this copper IUD was not having to worry about taking anything or having hormones pumped into me! Half of me wants to keep going and see if it stops, other half really wants it out as I don’t think my body will agree to it

[DawnSc in reply to Kezza101]

I had a Mirena fitted 5yrs ago my periods stopped within a couple of months and I was period free for 4yrs. Tomorrow I'm having it removed and a new one fitted (it lasts 5yrs). I have had a really good experience with it. Having it put in was a little painful and afterwards I had really bad stomach cramps for a couple of hours but once they went I was fine

[Bon-Bons in reply to Kezza101]

This is literally like the story of my life ever since having my Kyleena fitted. I had it December, before my birthday, because they said it's painless. They even had banners saying how convenient it is to insert and blah blah blah. It's all a BIG LIE. I am a nurse, I have a really high pain tolerance, so when I was offered by the GP to take paracetamol, or have the local anesthetic, I refused. I was thinking, why are they offering this if they say it's painless. So I lied down, and it was like having something literally shoved inside you. I thought I was going to poop on the table. The contractions immediately started. It was like I'm about to give birth. I've never been pregnant, I'm a young woman, and I did tell the GP that I had painful periods because of my endometriosis. I did not want to keep using pills because of acne problems and weight gain, so I decided to have the coil with hormone. On my way home from the clinic I was holding on to the hand slots of the car, got home and went straight to the toilet. I feel like I lived in the toilet for 2 weeks after it was inserted. I had no more to poop, but it's still contracting, every time I move I can feel it inside, it's how you imagine it, having a piece of plastic inside your uterus, a three point plastic. Went to the A&E because the GP said, I can get a scan to see if it's in the right place if I'm having issues. In the A&E however, they just wanted to take it out, no scans, no nothing. So I refused, because I have already endured 2 weeks of pain. So I said I'll give it at chance maybe it will settle down. They gave me stronger pain killers, because the codeine and neurofen I took weren't helping. I had to keep using a warm compress on my lower abdomen all of the time. I had no appetite, because whenever I eat and my tummy has something in it, it presses my lower abdomen, the contractions will start again. In the A&E they said it's rejection, and that my uterus is pushing out the foreign object. They said give it another week, if the labour like pain does not stop, get it removed. It did, the cramping is not as bad anymore, however the bleeding started and has not stopped for almost a month now. I never knew about the sleeping problems until I read the posts here. As I was typing this it is 6am and I haven't slept. These past weeks I'm absolutely withdrawn, my partner says I'm depressed. I told him I'm miserable and just want to be alone, I stay in bed most of the time, but struggle sleeping at night. It's only been a month, I don't want to give up yet, but it worries me that there are side effects which weren't discussed but are obviously being experienced by a lot of coil users. I don't want to be on sleeping tablets or antidepressants, but if it gets worse, the coil is not probably the best contraceptive method for me. I won't ever forget about the banners saying it's painless, they should be honest about how painful it can be, even if it's not what others experience.