Copper coil giving me abdominal pain

[K1896]

Hello,

I’ve had my IUD in for just over 1 year. I found this really painful when I got it inserted and had the worst stabbing pains in my abdominals. I pushed through the pain as I knew the first few months would hurt. A year on and the abdominal pain has been getting worse.

I first thought it was because I was going to be on my period but the past week it’s been continuous with no sign of my period I’ve booked in for an appointment but they have a 3 week waiting list...

Has anyone had this? Can you give me advise on what to do?

[Hidden]

Hi. I had my coil fitted in Nov 17, 4 months ago and have had pretty bad abdominal pains from mine since it was fitted. I had one for 5 years previously with no problems at all but it ran out and was changed to a different brand, a 10 yr one, TT380.

I went for a 6 week check, the nurse checked the strings and did swabs for infection, all clear. I had a smear, all clear. I went back to my GP at the end of Feb and he sent me for an ultrasound to check it was positioned correctly, which it is so I am now unsure what the next step is. The GP seemed to think they should be fine after a few months settling in.

I believe from reading up on them they can take 6 months to settle so I may need to give mine a little longer. All i would suggest is to go to your GP and explain the problem, they may refer you for a scan to check its position. My GP said he would refer me back to the Family Planning clinic who fitted it though if I was still having issues to have it removed and replaced but i don't see how that will change anything if everything is fine with this one but its causing me discomfort!

[AmbK in reply to Hidden]

Are you on any other medication? Was there really an infection when the nurse cleaned the area... did they inform anything of that sort? If there's a repetitive infection or inflammation then the Dr recommends removal of the IUDs... that's the most common case. But there are other situations when the Dr can advise removal of the IUD.

[Hidden in reply to AmbK]

i take naproxen for a dodgy hip but took that with my previous coil no problem. Since my ultrasound i've been back to the gynae consultant. He said sometimes they just take a while to settle upto 6 - 12 months. Sometimes they feel like a constant niggle. you have to weigh up whether the pain is worth the effectiveness and if it affects your quality of life.

i've done some research on the brand i've been fitted with, the TT380 and discovered this is slightly larger than the last IUD i had fitted. Women who haven't had children sometimes encounter problems (upto 40% of women who haven't had a child have the TT380 removed within a year). The Nova T380 which i had no problems with for 5 years previously was recommended for women who hadn't had children as it is slightly smaller. I've been told to wait a little longer and if it doesn't improve i can have it removed and replaced with the same one i had previously as that didn't cause me issues. If an IUD no longer works for me I am not sure what my options are, I'm almost 35 so combined pill may not be an option, i didn't get on with the implant so highly unlikely to agree with the mini pill, steralisation is a bit final and my hubby won't have anything done!

[AmbK in reply to Hidden]

Great, seems you've figured it out already! Yes, it takes a while to settle in... which vary depending on the brand as well as from person to person. If it's already too much trouble and has been over 6 months then it's best you get it replaced with the Nova T380 that you've had before and with 0 complaints or discomfort. I'm on the other side of the coin as of now and trying desperately to get pregnant. I don't know much about mini-pill as it's progesterone only and I have been on the combined pill for about a year before we started TTC and it's not a very pleasant experience. My appetite decreased too much and I was always feeling like I'd throw up no matter what I eat or drink for the first 7 days of every pack. Sterilisation is the end of all niggles... but a vasectomy is simpler and more effective than tubectomy as far as the information online goes. So you don't have a choice I guess unless your DH gives his precious consent for the sterilisation.

[AmbK]

Usually, there is a slight pain in the beginning when you get an IUD... especially during the time of intercourse or activities that might just involve pressure in your lower abdomen area. This takes 3-6 months to settle, the pain and discomfort will have a fading pattern all the while. Though I haven't had an IUD myself ever... but if it's already been a year and there's no sign of the ordeal ending any soon you better contact your GP and ask for a check on the IUD. Sometimes it just get's infected or maybe you're allergic to it... the clinic can fix it. In some cases, the pain and discomfort remains unexplained. If you've endured it so far, i don't see an alternative that to bear with the 3 week waiting period as well. However, if the excruciating pain persists it's best to get it checked and to remove it if your body seems to be in a constant tug of war with the IUD. Hope this information helps!

[K1896 in reply to AmbK]

Hello,

Thank you for replying :)! The more I’m reading about it the more I think it’s an infection, which is unfortunate. But hey, I have my appointment soon so hopefully they’ll be able to get to the route of the problem and/or replace it with something slightly more comfortable!

Thanks,

K

[AmbK in reply to K1896]

There's a possibility that it's indeed an infection. Trust me that's pretty common when you put those implants inside your uterus... a lot of women get that. All it needs is some swabs and a dose or two of antibiotics and you'll be fine. In case the cleaning doesn't help and they don't arrive at a conclusion either so as what have been causing all the discomfort and trouble they will eventually have to get it replaced with some other brand. Just emca mentioned, different brands have a different impact on a person ... so chances are one of them will suit you too. Now it's upto you clinic to analyse all the symptoms and your take on the pain to decide which one will be a better replacement. However, even after a change expect the 3-6 months of settling time for the symptoms of discomfort to fade away. Get an appointment ASAP... so that you don't have to wait any further than 3 weeks.

[K1896 in reply to AmbK]

Okay, thank you so much for your advice! It’s been truly helpful, especially as it’s so hard to know what’s going on inside the body.