Fed up of Copper coil and prolonged “periods”

[CrispyAubergine]

Does anyone else have the copper coil? If so I would like to hear others experiences if possible. I’ve had mine 3 years and I’m sick of it. Since having it in I’ve had a “period” for 10-14 days each month. It starts with v light brown spotting literally only when I wipe (sorry 😳) for about 4 days. Then comes the real period accompanied by severe cramps and clots (again sorry 😳) that probably lasts another 3-4 days. That tails off into brown spotting (again just when I wipe) that goes paler and paler then eventually disappears.

I have bad health anxiety so every month I worry 😔 . About a year after I had it put in I had a scan and swabs to make sure all was ok and they were clear. But I thought it would have settled by now as I’m sure the longer periods are meant to improve after the first 6 months to a year you have it

Has anyone else had this? I feel like just having it removed and trying the pill but then I don’t want to put unnecessary hormones in my body.... any advice / reassurance appreciated 😔😔

It made me anaemic due to the heavy periods, had to take iron supplements for it,

I have a copper one, due to have my third next year. Periods are a day or so longer but agree with the spotting, heavy, spotting type period and they seem to drag out. 7-8 days as opposed to 5-6

got it removed and is better. he has condoms now.

Oh and no, can't cope with hormones. Cerazette made me suicidal and an anxious wreck (didn't realise until I was having panic attacks, googled, came off it and panic resolved). Been on yasmin, microgynon, and minulet

I've had mine 10 years. About to get it replaced. No heavy periods at all and no pain. I was much much worse when taking the pill! Now i am perimenopausal i sometimes get a heavier one and a lighter one but for a decade it's done me proud, whereas i had decades of hormonal contraception that made me angry, sad, fat, depressed, and at one point psychotic. I will never go back to hormonal medication.

Thanks for posting this as I’ve been struggling with my copper coil. Well I presume it’s the coil, random spotting/bleeds, bloating and constant cramps throughout the month.
I’ve had mine in for roughly two years and symptoms are getting worse rather than better. I’ve booked to see GP in case it’s not the coil but I’m considering getting it removed.
Not sure what contraception to use as medically I can only use mini pill, copper coil or condoms and ideally I don’t fancy pill again so 🤷🏻‍♀️ Guess condoms it will be :(

I can't judge copper coil properly. I had mine fitted 7 weeks post partum, slight bleeding for 2 days straight away but nothing since.

I'm breastfeeding though, so I won't know how it'll truly affect my periods until baby is weaned.

I've had mine 5 years. Periods don't last as long actually BUT they are every 24 days! That's just too short. Not sure if that's to do with the coil though or just my natural cycle. It never used to be that short but I guess things change as you get older.

On a related note, how does one know when a copper coil needs replacing? Advice always seems to say 5-10 years? That's an awfully big window of time.

I think it depends on the one you have. My first was a five year one, I think because I hadn't been pregnant, so maybe needed a smaller one. I may have that wrong though. Now I have a ten year one.

Sounds like I need to check with my doctors which one I had! Although I was 33 and had had two babies by then so I presume they'd have gone with the 10 year one. Didn't realise there were two versions! Thanks

I had one before kids- fine; between kids- fine; then after DS, one that was just not right. Took an hour to fit properly (they thought it had perforated my uterus. A few months later a raging case of suspected PID, followed by increasingly heavy and long periods. I then had a period that lasted 6 weeks at which point I decided to get shot (DH had had the snip by this point). Turns out it was embedded in my uterus and rather than the usual cough and have it whipped out, it was half an hour of coaxing it out. I think it wasn’t inserted properly causing all the subsequent issues. So strange considering the other two id had were not problematic at all...

Thank you for posting this - Dr has been considering mirena copper or cerazette or awful perimenopausal periods but I’ve always reacted badly to hormones.
If the cure causes the symptoms I’m finding it impossible to live with - what’s the solution?
How can it can it affect so many women badly but no solution?

*for not or

I've got an appointment in 3 weeks for the Mirena and dreading it now 😩 started the POP and had a constant period and hate it - seriously considering cancelling it. If there was no bleeding it'd be ok but the contraceptive side is great - can't have sex anyway 🙄

Getting worried about my copper coil now as no one seems to have the same issues as me. Had it 6 months, first 3 months very heavy period with clots. Now periods are heavier than they were without the coil but no clots or pain so manageable.

However I bleed mid cycle every month. It’s more bloody mucuosy discharge than anything, usually brown old blood but this month bright red fresh blood. I think it coincided with ovulation this month so I’m going to see if there’s a pattern there. Lasted around 5 days, anyone else get this?

Just been reading through everyone's comments and stories with the copper coil and feel a bit concerned as nobody's situation is exactly the same as me. I had mine put in 2 weeks ago, although it was painful at the time and for a few hours after, the next day when I woke up I was fine (I naively thought I'd got off lightly and that this would be an absolute breeze), so me and my partner had sex which caused me to bleed a little bit. The light bleeding carried on for a couple of days and then the real pain started when my period came. It was super heavy, super painful and super long- I bled heavily for 10 days!! The bleeding has pretty much stopped now, although I am spotting a little bit, but the pains and cramps are still unbearable without pain killers (I've gone through several boxes of paracetamol and ibuprofen) which concerns me. The pains are what I'd imagine contractions to be like, they have woken me up in the night before with the sudden, sharp ones and then they relax. I'm concerned that somethings not right? And if it is, that I'll be taking painkillers forever!! I know I'm only 2 weeks in and I'm probably being really impatient, but any advice to put my mind at rest would be very appreciated.

@CrispyAubergine

Oooh I’ve been considering a moon cup cinerina a couple of friends rave about them

I’m glad I’m not the only one experiencing this on the copper coil! Makes me worry less.

I would be wary of using a mooncup in combination with a copper (or any) coil. Apparently the cup can interfere with the strings, I pulled mine out (coil that is) while removing a mooncup. It was f**king agony. The radiologist who discovered it told me I must have a really high pain threshold!

I didn't have any other problems with the coil. My periods have always been long and heavy and the coil didn't really change that much.

I can't do hormonal contraceptives, so just use condoms these days. Roll on menopause if you ask me.

I hated mine as well. I lasted 2.5 years and just had it removed a couple months ago. Really simple, I called and they booked me in at the sexual health clinic to have it out the next week. The doctor who removed it said she used to have one too and also hated it. I went on to the mini pill and it's been great. I'm really pleased with the decision. It truly isn't worth suffering.