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Original poster

Experiences of copper coil

52 replies

xxxParisexxx · 16/03/2019 11:43

Hi all I have had my second baby recently and want a long term contraception as we are just using condoms atm.
I dont do well with hormones, used to be on the patch for a few years, bad mood swings.
Any experiences with the copper coil? My periods have always been light, regular and no pain

OP posts:

JaneEyre07 · 16/03/2019 19:38

I had one in for 3 months and bled heavily for every day of that. I was so anaemic that in the end, my GP insisted it came out.

I went onto a Mirena a few years later and have had them replaced one after another for nearly 16 years. Can't recommend them enough.

JoshLymanIsHotterThanSam · 16/03/2019 19:57

I’m on my second one. I love it, periods are no different to pre coil. I love not having hormones to control me.
Worst side effect is constipation-but cyclical alongside my monthly cycle which is odd

noTVandNObeer · 16/03/2019 20:05

Had mine in for nine years. Its the best contraception I've used. Although slightly worried about having it removed at the end of this year as it lasts ten years. But reading other comments have helped me feel a bit better.
My periods are a bit heavier but not painful.

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GroggyLegs · 16/03/2019 20:08

I've had mine for a year.

The first few months weren't the best - heavy periods and a funny coppery smell, but now it's all evened out & I don't even know it's there... I better check the strings actually.

SmallIslandLass · 16/03/2019 20:10

I love mine going on 9 months now for the first month I had almost constant bleeding then till around 6 months I was incredibly heavy think bleeding through a super plus tampon in under 2 hours for 3 days straight

The last three are now getting easier and easier my hormones are back to normal iv lost weight and I dont need to think about contraception for 9 more years I do get nasty period pains though like a flash back to my teens

Both my kids were emcs and insertion hurt like hell but as I never dilated past 2cm I dont know if having had a baby vaginaly would maybe make it easier

ILOVEALLCAKES · 16/03/2019 20:14

I had a copper coil as tried many oral contraceptive pills which all made me suffer terribly with PMT.
My periods were normal prior to having it but terrible after, to the point I rang in sick from work one day as my bleeding was so heavy.
I was reluctant to have hormones but tried a Mirena, now on my 3rd one. Best invention ever - no periods for years and years!

SausageSimon · 16/03/2019 20:17

Had mine for around 4 years now and I've had no problems what so ever, I'd recommend it!

RupertStJohnPoo · 16/03/2019 20:19

Periods extremely heavy and painful. Ended up anaemic and very unwell from all the blood loss. Am still on iron tablets now, 8 months after removal and will be for many more months. I was unlucky and should have gone to GP earlier but just thought heavy periods were an ok side effect.

whycantIthinkofadecentusername · 16/03/2019 20:27

Had mine for two years now. Had the mirena before that. Love it and prefer it to the mirena. Had no issues with it, dropped the mirena weight and my skin has improved

Original poster

xxxParisexxx · 16/03/2019 20:40

Some scary stories too! Oh gosh it's a hard decision xx

OP posts:

RunningFeisty · 16/03/2019 21:35

I've never checked the threads of mine, is that bad?

MajesticWhine · 16/03/2019 21:52

I have had mine for about 8 years. Absolutely love it. No problems and awesome natural sex drive.
Insertion was a bastard, needed a second visit due to my weird retroverted uterus.

happypotamus · 16/03/2019 22:53

I had mine in September. It is great not to have to worry about contraception. DH and I didn't like condoms and felt the pill was reducing my sex drive. Having it put in wasn't the most fun ever, but I reasoned it hurt a lot less than labour which could have been the alternative if we weren't careful. My periods are heavier and longer but not unmanagable. The positives outweigh the negatives so far.

RunningFeisty · 07/04/2019 09:38

Having mine removed at the end of this month, just shy of a year I've had it. Periods really heavy and painful which I could just about cope with but the smell is obscene. I clean myself and wash regularly but I've never known such a disgusting smell and is not what I usually get on my period without a coil.

On that basis, I would not recommend it at all.

pinkskys · 07/04/2019 12:11

I've had mine in just over a year. Whilst I do love it and being off hormones is a god send as I really don't get on with hormonal contraception, It turned my extremely light 3-4 day periods to a 6 day blood bath. The cramps are so bad with it and the first 2 days are so heavy (going through a super tampon in 30 minutes) that I have to book those days off work.

I've also found it's caused recurring bv which is a pain but I'ts worth it just to be hormone free.

Insertion was uncomfortable but they offered me a numbing gel to go on you cervix as I haven't had children and it can be more painful then. I would advise taking up the offer! Straight after I was fine although like a PP nurse did collapse on the way home.

troppibambini · 07/04/2019 12:38

I did like it because I liked the hormone free aspect of it but my god the periods were bad. I had it for three years and just struggled through. I was chatting to a friend who's a gp about it and she told me that the amount of hormones in a mirena were so minimal it might be worth considering swapping over, I also spoke to a nurse practitioner who was very much in favour of taking it out and trying a mirena.
So I did.
After 30 years of painful heavy periods and the last three years being particularly bad my life has literally been transformed!
No periods, no side effects, no cramps, no PMT it's been amazing.
Obviously I know this isn't the case for everyone but for me it's been great.

blankiesandunicorns · 07/04/2019 12:42

There will be the horror stories OP, worth knowing about but I'm hoping are few and far between.

I'm like you, always had light, regular periods. Had the coil for 3 months and and periods slightly heavier but totally manageable. I don't like hormones either so I feel it works for me so far

64sNewName · 07/04/2019 12:50

This thread had sort of died off, but as it’s popped up again ... I am taken aback by the post above about a bad smell. I honestly don’t think that is a usual side effect of the copper coil - fwiw it’s not something I came across during all the reading and research I did before getting one. Not denying the pp’s experience, but I wouldn’t necessarily assume that it means copper coils will routinely affect how you smell.

bonzo77 · 07/04/2019 12:53

Really long, heavy, painful periods. Spotting both ends of periods. Mine moved (really don’t use it with moon cup, whatever anyone says), caused a massive infection, sepsis. GP fobbed me off for months (despite me saying the strings felt odd, have horrible discharge, and other symptoms) so much worse than it should have been.

jackparlabane · 07/04/2019 13:08

7 years now, second coil, love it. Went from erratic very painful heavy periods to average, regular, almost pain-free periods.

Tealtights · 09/04/2019 13:09

Well I'm pregnant so hasn't worked too well for me, was happy with it prior (5 years) I'm not sure if I have a 5 or 10 year coil, I don't remember being told, I always assumed 10 years but as this has failed at the 5 year point the consultant wonders if it's that. So my moral: check the expiration!!

Unicorntractor · 09/04/2019 19:40

Everyone has mentioned about periods. I had mine put in in January, had 2 lighter periods close together, then a normal one and this month I've been bed ridden so those haven't been great. Also insertion I didn't have a problem with.
BUT
The thing I've found though is that I seem to be suffering from a lot of other side effects such as dizziness, hair loss, dry skin, cold feet, headaches, exhaustion and general brain fog. I thought at first maybe I was just a bit run down as I have a baby and it's normal to lose a bit of hair but this hasn't gone away and I now go to bed at 9pm and don't get up until 8am. Has anyone else had this or anything similar?
I'm now looking to get mine removed as I've only had any of this since I had this inserted so I can't see how it can be anything else...

64sNewName · 09/04/2019 20:11

Could a copper coil really cause those symptoms though, @unicorntractor? I’m not sure how it would actually trigger all that.

I really sympathise though. It sounds grim. They actually sound like hypothyroid symptoms to me. But if it will put your mind at ease, I can totally see why you might want to take the coil out.

Unicorntractor · 09/04/2019 20:34

Well...I did the dangerous googling of symptoms. Apparently the copper can affect the thyroid which is why you can get hormonal responses...some people seem to get depression/anxiety from the copper coil. Different people get different responses to the levels of copper in the body so can suffer from copper toxicity.

Wallywobbles · 09/04/2019 20:58

Yup happy user here. I've lost a couple though so I have a super spiky version.

Fairly heavy periods but good for the rest.

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