Copper IUD - Please ladies, I need your help!!

[littlewingza]

Hi there!

If there are any ladies out there who are willing to share their IUD insight or experiences, I'd be forever grateful! :)

Being just 21 and in my first long-term relationship, I'm not ready to join the Mum Ranks just yet... and after battling with birth control pills for years, I finally opted for the Copper IUD (Nova-T 380, 10 year model, which is standard government edition here in South Africa).

It all started out okay, but has SERIOUSLY gone downhill from there. I've now had the IUD for about three and a half months, and I'm really battling! I've had:

• Constant nausea for no good reason... at any and every time of the day!
• Terrible breakouts, especially on my lower back
• Anxiety attacks
• Constant spotting throughout the months, but only one actual period so far, which was quite heavy and painful
• One uterine infection, which I've since treated with antibiotics, and candidiasis (yeast infections) too
• Constant cramping, general pain down there, and a tummy that's tender to the touch
• Extra hair growth - especially my moustache and on my chin :(
• Headaches
• And scary discharge that is often quite dark in colour, like old blood, but other times simply off-colour which I imagine is from the copper (sorry about the TMI!)

I am currently over a month late for my period (so far, it's a 55 day cycle!). I've taken two home pregnancy tests, both of which are very clear negatives. I'm at my wits end with the pain and spotting - but my doctor insists that my missing periods and other symptoms have nothing to do with the IUD, even although I had perfectly regular 31-day cycles and no anxiety, cramps or breakouts before it was inserted. She even suggested PCOS, which can't possibly have suddenly popped up in the past three months... could it have?? :|

Has anyone had a similar experience with the Copper IUD and could maybe provide some guidance? I'm so lost - and I simply can't take the pill because I react so badly to hormones, so this was sort of Custer's Last Stand for me! :(

Much love, and thanks in advance! ❤️️
J

I'd go back to the doctor then. If they say it's not the IUD thats causing all these symptoms, they need to investigate the cause. FWIW I had a copper IUD, got pregnant on it, miscarried (still with it in), realised I was having serious issues (major joint pain to the extent that I couldn't walk properly), & pulled it out after my doctor refused to even check it was still in ok. Not something I recommend you do, BTW...

Thanks LegoCaltrops, and I'm sorry to hear about your experience! :( I do plan to go to a new doctor in the next few weeks... it's difficult to find a good South African doctor who takes this sort of thing seriously, so it's been a matter of trial and error for me. Truly, I'm just looking for some kinda confirmation from other IUD users that this isn't all in my head! I definitely won't pull it out myself - although I did think about it very briefly ;) once again, thank you SO much for responding!

Are you allergic to copper by any chance? Your symptoms sound like a copper allergy

Hey, Shelvesoutofbooks... Not that I know of. I've always been able to wear copper jewellery without an issue, although I'm not sure if that's much of an indicator. However, my doctor did say that it seems as though my body may be rejecting the T... although she couldn't be sure. Perhaps I should look into that - thank you!! :)

Hold the phone, let me backtrack there... I've had incredibly itchy skin and eyes as well over the past couple of months, which I assumed was normal old allergies from me moving provinces. Could that be a copper allergy symptom, perhaps...?

Yes, I hope you had the IUD taken out

Are you sure you got the copper coil? Perhaps they fitted the wrong one?

Plus, if you had none of those symptoms before then if it was me I would get it taken out.