Copper IUD - my experience

[ShadowWeaver]

Hi, I thought I'd write a bit about my experience with the copper coil. I had it inserted on Thursday (3 days ago) and here's what happened. I have quite light periods (1 day heavy the 3-4 days light) so am hoping the copper coil will not make them unbearable.
So firstly I had an appointment with a nurse at the local family planning clinic. She took my blood pressure/weight and asked me questions about my health, past pregnancies etc. She showed me what the coil looks like and told me the pros/cons of them both. Once we were both happy with the choice I booked in for an appointment to have the coil inserted in about a weeks time (just after my period finished)

On Thursday I went in to my appointment (I had taken 2 paracetamol an hour before) and was introduced to the doctor and nurse. I was asked a couple of questions then told to take my pants off and lie on the table, ankles together knees apart. The doctor took one look and asked me to put my fists under my bum as I have a tilted uterus (I was going to tell her but she beat me to it!).
Then came the painful bit, and I have to say I think it might have been worse as she was not talking me through it. When I've had smears in the past the nurse will tell me what she is doing so I'm ready for it, but this doctor just kinda went for it. There was some pain, felt like v painful cramping then 30 seconds relief while she got the IUD then more pain (bit worse) but it was over in like 60-90 seconds. I felt fine afterwards and got ready (put on a pad for the spotting) and left. My brother who I had taken with me to drive incase I had a bad reaction joked about whether they had used a catapult I was in and out that quickly! Lol.
So the rest of the day saw mild cramping with the odd more painful twinge and a bit of spotting, nothing too bad.
Next day cramping had pretty much gone but spotting continued. It had turned into a red watery discharge. A panty liner was enough though.
This morning I woke up with slightly more spotting, but that might just be because I'd been lying down so it's accumulated? Not sure. No cramping.
I'll try to keep this updated as time goes on for anyone who is thinking of getting an IUD put in, as there wasn't many real life experiences online from beginning to end when I was researching.

So had my coil inserted today (totally inspired by this thread to just do it!) Wasn’t painful, more uncomfortable and weird sensation. Reminded me of getting a sweep, which also though was more pressure than pain.

Am hoping it settles down well and I can forget about it, as I’m in my 40s if it does I am fine until menopause (fingers crossed!)

Hi everyone,
Had my copper iud inserted 3days ago under general as I haven’t had any children and the doctors thought it might be more comfortable.
Just wondering how long people had cramps for? I have mild aching every day and then it will suddenly intensify so much!!
Appetite has been mostly non existent also.
Just wanting to know if others have had similar experiences and how long it lasted?
Thanks :)

I didn’t have any cramps but I bled for a week and I am still spotting - my period is due in the next few days so am waiting to see how horrible that’s going to be ...

Hi ladies, it's been 4 months since I had mine inserted and this is the 1st time I've not had much cramping beforehand-just enough to know it's on its way. Just started today so will see if it's still as heavy, though it's not been unmanageable.
Pp I'm glad you bit the bullet, give it a few months to settle down :)

Hi ShadowWeaver I’m so pleased you started and have updated this thread.

I had my first baby on 4th Jan and have been thinking about contraception. The pill messed with me too much and I’d never go back to that. DH doesn’t like condoms (that’s a thread for another day) and last night the coil popped into my head. Thank you for sharing your experience as I didn’t really know much about it.

So, do I just go to my GP and ask for one or do I have to go to somewhere specific? Should I wait for my six week check or not? I sound like an ill-informed teenager!

I’ve had the copper coil for 7 years now, and I love that I don’t have to think about it! Hated taking contraception with hormones in it so this was a good choice for me.. yes periods are slightly heavier as is the cramping but I love how well it works.
When I had mine fitted it was unpleasant and did hurt more than I was expecting, maybe it was worse as I’ve got a tilted cervix.. no idea but it is quick!
My only worry is when I need it replaced at 10 years as I’ve heard it can get quite imbedded?!any one had one removed after a long period of time?

Sorry to wade in late here, but did you find your sex drive improved? Mine appears to have completely disappeared on the pill and I suspect the pill is making me depressed/anxious too. I'm quite tempted to go for a copper coil. I'm 42 and one should see me through to the menopause

Paap mine has, I hated the pill and all the side effects , I have a natural cycle and no hormones interfering with moods/ labido when before I could of easily not bothered!! 😂

Hoping someone can help. I had a copper coil inserted 2weeks ago . I bled for a few days the first week then it stopped but noe have a very tender pelvic area and lower abdomen. Now have a uncomfortable niggling pain most of the days and feelibg very bloated. Its not awful.just niggling all.the time...is this normal? Has anyone else experienced this? Thanks

Also I seems to have alot of spots now on my jaw line ..anyone else experienced that?thanks

Hi jellybeans, I’m going on my 7th year with one.. but do remember cramping on and off for first couple of weeks after..but yours sounds different, the bloating and tenderness I’d get checked out just to make sure you haven’t got an infection from when they inserted it, good luck .. hope it’s all fine .

Thanks for your advice ill do that

Friombigcitytotinyvillage how are you finding it? ive not had a period yet but after reading and really concerned now about the amount of pain and bleeding during my period. Hope i ng its managable.

I had one for a almost a year (literally -3 days to the day) and on that day I found out I was pregnant. Now have a 4yr old DS! Until that point it really was great. Obviously I don't trust them now.

Jellybean321 I’ve found it really good, completely forget its even there! But I do have slightly heavier periods but for me personally find that this negative doesn’t outway the positives as I hated the pill !how are you feeling today.. any better?
Overthemountain42 bet that was a shock! Was the coil still in the right place when you got pregnant? Did they have to remove it or leave it in ? That’s always made me nervous but had it for 7 years now so do trust it, but have had a friend also fall pregnant on it with twins!! But I suppose it’s like all contraception, none of its 100 .

What's it like having them taken out? I need mine removing but am scared after the pain of it going in!

Thats good to hear frombigcity but worried now with stories of pregnancy on it! In the same today so trying t get gp appointment

Pinkhorse this scares me too! I’ve heard different stories of it being painless and quick to painful as it can get a bit embedded! I’ve got 3 years left in this one and I’m already worrying 😂
Jellybean321 let us know how it goes! I’m sure you will be fine but better to check these things to put your mind at rest!

Thanks I will do x

Hi jellybean321 did you manage to see the doctor? Have your symptoms calmed down now?

Another quick update, on my 6th period although still heavier than pre-coil, it was shorter and (slightly) lighter than previous month's. Period 7 the same, so seems to have settled down into a nice routine. Of course I know everyone has different experiences this is just mine.

Hi frombigcitytotinyvillage yes it settled down.and had check which was fine thanks. Im really getting quite alot of spots mow though..anyone else get that on the copper coil and how did you control them?thanks

Im.back! 2wees after last period ive had annoying pain now gor last 4'days. Back to tenderness and pressure feeling and bloating again.it does settle with paracetamol but dont really want t keep having to take them so often. Do u think its normal and something ill have t put up with or maybe in time will improve? Anyone else experience this?x

I just got my copper iud inserted today. Reading your guys' experiences helped assure me that this is what I wanted to do. I decided to make the switch because I like the idea of a non hormonal birth control. It seems more natural and more true to myself. I never had severe side effects with hormonal birth control but, looking back, I believe it may have caused some depression and there was also a definite lack of sex drive (what's the point of birth control if you don't even want to have sex while on it??). I loved reading about other women's experiences to prep myself so I thought I would post a step by step of my own experience.
I went to the doc last week to talk about the IUD. I mentioned how nervous I was for the pain so she suggested I come back when I was on my period so that my uterus would be slightly more dilated than normal and would therefore lessen the pain of insertion. Btw, the pain is supposed to be way worse for women who have not had children yet, which I have not. I have never even had a pap smear before! Most women who haven't have kids yet go with the Mirena because it is smaller and supposedly less painful. The nurse who checked me in was even surprised I had chosen the copper which kinda freaked me out haha
Anyways, so I came back today. It's about my third day bleeding; medium to light flow. I took three ibuprofens (as instructed) for a total of 600mg about 45 mins before insertion. The nurses took my vitals and did a pregnancy test as per protocol. Then I went into one of the exam rooms and waited for the doc. It was actually a nurse practitioner who did the whole thing. She was AMAZING. Talked me through everything and didn't try to sugarcoat the pain. She was straightforward, honest, and yet encouraging.
She put me in the stir ups and did a manual exam with her fingers to get "the lay of the land," aka see if I had a tilted uterus or anything like that. All was normal and she then inserted the speculum. This was somewhat uncomfortable but not quite painful yet. She then did some swabbing of my cervix; first for STI check and again to clean my cervix with iodide. It felt kind of weird, like when you put a tampon applicator too high (idk if I'm the only one who's felt that, but if you have then you know what I mean lol) but not necessarily painful. She then started to dilate my cervix. This is where it got painful. She inserted a sort of green stick that caused some moderate cramping but it still was no worse than period cramps I have felt before (and I do not cramp much at all). She then grabbed the IUD, prepared it for insertion, plopped it in me, and we were done! I hardly even felt the IUD going in at all. The only painful part was that green stick thing lol. I straight up asked the nurses "I'm done? Really? That was it?" Doc then took everything out. It felt very relieving for her to take the speculum out. She had me continue to lay down for a few minutes though because she said some women get light headed. She then talked to me a little bit about how my body might change (irregular spotting, more cramping, longer periods, everything I already knew from my prior research) and we scheduled a 6 week check which I actually had to change to 7 weeks because of summer plans. That visit will be to check placement and see if the strings are too long for my body.
Afterwards, I experienced some mild cramping but again nothing major. Just like normal period cramps, not even a bad period. I still have them a little bit, off and on, and my insertion was about 6 hrs ago. The most noticeable side effect was my shaking right after. I had freaked myself out so much before, there was still a ton of adrenaline pumping through my body! I was preparing for this to feel like childbirth but I'm sure it is only a small small fraction of that pain. I was pleasantly surprised
My advice: relax. breathe. it's nothing a woman can't handle.
We'll see how this works out for me in the next few months! Thank you for reading my long spiel

I've just had mine put in (tyesday) and I'm worried about checking the threads in case I dislodge something or pull it.... any help?