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aimeerose
Mar 11, 2009, 8:54 PM
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Hi- I'm thinking about getting the Mirena IUD so I wanted to see what anyone who has one thinks about it. I've heard the first month or 2 is difficult. Is this because of spotting or fatigue or both? Did anyone feel like it affected their climbing in the first few month? TIA for any info and personal experiences.
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tradchick
Mar 12, 2009, 2:11 PM
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I'm on my 2nd one (they're good for 5 years) and have not had any issues at all. No spotting, no periods, no fatigue. I am a mom and don't know if previous childbirth impacts one's experience or not.
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clausti
Mar 12, 2009, 2:26 PM
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tradchick wrote: I'm on my 2nd one (they're good for 5 years) and have not had any issues at all. No spotting, no periods, no fatigue. I am a mom and don't know if previous childbirth impacts one's experience or not.
i asked my gyno about them a while back, and she seemed to think they were better for people who'd previously had kids. i think it was related to the frequency of cramps and stuff, and that it's easier to get in if you've had kids. i've not had kids, and she encouraged me to try more different pills till i found one that i didn't feel like made me crazy.
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gblauer
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Mar 12, 2009, 3:57 PM
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I had one for five years. No side effects, everything was great.
I think tolerance varies by individual, my good friend and training partner was miserable with her Mirena and had it removed within four weeks of insertion.
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aimeerose
Mar 13, 2009, 4:31 AM
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Did you find one that didn't make you crazy?
I've had a baby, so I'm good to go on getting the IUD. I'm just sensitive to hormones, so I worry about that and I don't want to not be able to climb hard for a month because I feel crappy from the hormones.
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xgretax
Mar 13, 2009, 5:22 AM
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I am also extremely sensitive to hormones and I have never found anything that has worked for me. I just can't do hormonal BC at all.
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clausti
Mar 13, 2009, 12:46 PM
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aimeerose wrote: Did you find one that didn't make you crazy?
yeah, I went back to the bc i'd been on in high school, generic name "portia." it's a second-generation rather than a third generation pill. the synthetic progesterone starts as testosterone, instead of starting as a testosterone antagonist. so it has a higher affinity for the testosterone receptor and more androgenic affects, is my understanding.
i have gone back to the bad side effects that made me switch in the first place. i gained 5-8 lbs. my zits came back. but there is a lot. less. crazy. and i decided i'd rather be fat than crazy. and when i start riding my bike to school again when it warms up, i feel confident i'll lose the weight. i hope.
i would love to go off hormones entirely- i actually wanted to do the copper IUD thing, but the reason i went on bc originally, long time ago, is that i had really terrible cramps (throwing up, ect). and the copper IUD, apparently, has a side effect of potentially terrible cramps, chances of which are increased with a history of terrible cramps. so no copper IUD for me. but i can't go off bc entirely, because i am NOT ready to be pregnant.
(This post was edited by clausti on Mar 13, 2009, 12:54 PM)
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zenelky
Mar 13, 2009, 1:10 PM
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Why not a copper IUD then?
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clausti
Mar 13, 2009, 1:14 PM
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zenelky wrote: Why not a copper IUD then?
not sure if this is to me specifically, but i actually edited my post shortly after it went up to talk about why not a copper IUD.
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zenelky
Mar 13, 2009, 1:23 PM
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Nope, I didn't re-read the posts. I just see that there are a bunch of people with hormone problems and I don't know if a lot of people are aware of the copper IUD.
I knew a girl (never had a child, hard climber, distaance runner) who was on it. She used to get bad cramps when she was on hormones, but did fine on the copper IUD. She still did get cramps, but no worse than without anything.
With the IUD, you really have to just hang in there for more than a month.
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clausti
Mar 13, 2009, 1:28 PM
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zenelky wrote: With the IUD, you really have to just hang in there for more than a month.
it was my understanding, that, due to the side effects, that the copper iud was strongly contraindicated by a history of severe cramping. and my were bad enough in HS (didn't menstruate till 14) that my doctor prescribed me opiod painkillers for me to take "as needed" at 15.
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aimeerose
Mar 13, 2009, 3:13 PM
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Yeah, I thought about the copper one too, but also get really bad cramps that require hard core drugs every few months. I also didn't want to risk my cramps getting worse. I just wonder if I'm going to climb like crap for a month if I get the Mirena.
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aerili
Mar 13, 2009, 9:27 PM
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I have a friend, she climbs 11/12 sport, she has no kids. She got the Mirena in Nov 07.
She really likes it. She said the first 4-6 months there was spotting for her, but since then she has the most minimal periods ever and is so much happier.
She is super sensitive to hormones as well and could never tolerate any birth control pill of any kind, but the Mirena has not bothered her in this way. The progesterone released is a very low, constant amount apparently. In fact, this has helped her horrible pre-menstrual symptoms greatly. I believe she had extra high levels of estrogen during her cycle and thus suffered years of horrible cramps and super heavy, intense bleeding. The Mirena has really balanced out her hormones.
Mirena does not need to be just for women with kids. The only reason some doctors say this is b/c it is easier to insert in women who have had kids, but I think this is mostly only true if you have it inserted within six weeks of birth (your cervix is still more dilated than normal and the process is easier on you).
My friend said the insertion was painful and it felt for a moment like she would black out (and she felt kinda sick for a day or two afterward), but it was all pretty transient and not that bad.
She never mentioned anything about whether her climbing suffered. I think she was just coming back from rotator cuff surgery anyway right at that time so there would be no clear answer to that.
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acacongua
Mar 16, 2009, 6:25 PM
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clausti wrote: she encouraged me to try more different pills till i found one that i didn't feel like made me crazy.
Any luck?
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camhead
Mar 16, 2009, 7:57 PM
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acacongua wrote: clausti wrote: she encouraged me to try more different pills till i found one that i didn't feel like made me crazy. Any luck?
no, she's still crazy...
(camhead ducks out of ladies' room)
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clausti
Mar 16, 2009, 8:01 PM
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acacongua wrote: clausti wrote: she encouraged me to try more different pills till i found one that i didn't feel like made me crazy. Any luck?
to some extent. I went back to the pill I'd been on in HS, generic name "portia." it's an older style pill, one where the progestin analog is a testosterone receptor activator rather than inhibitor.
We are minus the crazy (mostly) but plus about 5 lbs and a bunch of zits. I'd rather be fat than crazy, but I haven't ruled out looking at other options.
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phillygoat
Mar 17, 2009, 12:44 AM
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First off, this is phillygoat's wife. ;)
Had to pitch in my 2 cents. I try to get ALL my lady friends to get an IUD. I struggled with so many kinds of pills, the nuva ring, and it all made me anything from nutty to just a subtle flat, no-motivation feeling. I got the IUD and am SO happy I did. I feel like I have control over my emotions (as much as one can) again. No pills to take/forget either.
I have the one without hormones because I just didn't want to chance that the hormones in it would affect me. I have had bouts of cramps in the past, but nothing regularly major, just the annoying ache. I haven't really noticed heavier periods and I haven't had more cramping. I didn't notice any specific problems the first month. Maybe the first few days a little crampy but nothing that bad except for the very first day.
I think that many many women have negative effects from BC pills / hormones and don't always realize it. I have zero regrets about going with the IUD and, like I said, try to convince all my friends to go that way too. :)
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jedasmith
Mar 18, 2009, 4:15 PM
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Hello!
I have had one child (she is now14) and am in my late 30's. I had the Mirena put in and despite the pain of putting it in (for me, it was not pleasant) and the expense, I had it removed 4 weeks later. The hormones made me a basket case; I bled 24/7 for a month; my face was broken out like crazy; my breasts hurt to the point of not being able to exercise, and I was gaining weight. I initially went with it because of the reported lighter periods and the threat of the bad cramping with the copper iud (plus my very good friend gblauer had the Mirena and had all good experiences).
I decided to bite the bullet and go with the copper iud once I realized the Mirena (and other hormonal methods) were not for me. I am pleased to report that I am 100% delighted with the copper iud. My midwife actually gave me half of a pill to insert vaginally the night before and morning of, which made the insertion much easier (I forget what it was-- I would assume if you ask for it, your healthcare provider may know). I have had NO bad side effects-- my period is the same as it always has been (no better, no worse). During intercourse, it is not detectable by my myself nor my partner.
I know this is only one experience, but I thought it may help you.
Good luck!
Jen
p.s Feel free to PM me if you want more info.
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rainlax
Mar 24, 2009, 8:16 PM
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Have you thought about getting a copper IUD? I'm in my late 20s, never had children and got one put in last year. I love it. My periods are normal (actually, better than normal - I no longer get cramps and my periods are quite light) and there are absolutely no hormones. I love it! I'd really recommend it. About an hour before having it put in, I'd recommend taking about 800mg of Ibuprofen/Advil. The clinic recommended this to me before I went in and I think it probably helped a lot with the pain. It's definitely worth trying it out.
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snoangel
Jun 4, 2009, 11:24 PM
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I just got the Mirena about 3 weeks ago. I have no children, so the insertion was definitely painful (like the worst cramps I've ever had) and I felt very close to passing out. And that was after taking 800mg ibuprophen. I felt crampy the rest of the day, but that went away.
Other than that, no major side effects so far (although my breasts feel more sensitive) and my climbing has not been affected at all.
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cloud9climber
Jun 17, 2009, 1:26 AM
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Hi...
I just got the paragard copper IUD last week and so far so good. Had my Son 4 months ago via c-section. 2 little stabby cramps, painful but quick and not a bad as I thought. I did a TON of research between minera and paragard. I don't do well with hormonal BC. I get depressed, moody, acne, weight gain, body aches, etc. so it was pretty much a no brainer for me.
Plus, we're "one and done" and this IUD lasts 10 years. Good luck with your decision!
(This post was edited by cloud9climber on Jun 17, 2009, 1:28 AM)
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aimeerose
Dec 1, 2009, 4:45 PM
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I'm going to ressurect this thread cause I still haven't figured out what to do. I was leaning toward the copper IUD, but haven't called my gyn. We're leaving for europe for 5 months in mid-Jan and I'm worried about hating it and having to get it taken out while we're there. And then, with this last period, I've had such bad PMS that I saw a commercial for Yaz bc pills and how they help with the symptoms. Is anyone out there on Yaz? Did it really help with PMS (or PMDD as they call it) or is it just marketing?
Thanks for any info.
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jsh
Dec 1, 2009, 5:30 PM
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Thought I'd add my rants about birth control here ...
I am 37, no kids.
Tried various pills in my 20s, but none were 'for me' because of the various side effects like unsateable hunger, weight gain, and the crazies ;-). I also tried a Nuva Ring, and sadly found the same deal (it was advertised to use a lower dose of hormones, but that turns out to be far from true).
I tried a copper IUD in my late 20s. I was warned that it works best if you've had a baby, and that it might make your period worse (mine is very light, basally, so I thought I might do ok). I cannot describe the nightmare of the insertion itself. What was worse, was the 4 months or so where I bled 3 weeks of 4; and I bled like a stuck pig (super-plus tampon in 2 hrs, usually). The cramps were unending, and 8 Advil didn't touch them. I really wanted it to work. It really didn't. I think this has a lot to do with the innervation of your cervix, which gets waaaaay stretched to pass a baby - it's constantly irritated by a foreign object. If PAP smears are hard for you, think twice.
I used a diaphragm &/ rhythm for the years following - but these are hard to get right. Thankfully, I am still not mommy.
I went on Yasmin about a year ago, to give it one more whirl. I don't know whether my own hormonal makeup or response has changed with age, or whether it's a different pill; I do know that I have had NO side effects. I am no crazier than normal ;-); if anything, I am less moody. No weight gain (from the pill, anyway). Skin is clear. And ... better yet ... I used it once or twice to skip periods, and now I barely even have a period. The only drawback, really, is that without a period I have no verification that I'm not pregnant, which is a little scary. But ... no period!
Aimee, were I you, I'd give the copper IUD a whirl since you've had kids. You have time to figure out whether it'll work for you. If it doesn't, try Yasmin or Yaz.
Best, Julie
(This post was edited by jsh on Dec 1, 2009, 5:34 PM)
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cloud9climber
Dec 1, 2009, 6:43 PM
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Thought I would follow up since the thread has been updated. Julie - so sorry for your experience with the Paragard IUD. Just goes to show that everyone is different. Almost 10 months after baby and I love the IUD. I was previously on Yaz BC before trying to get pregnant and as with every hormonal type of BC, it was awful. Weight gain, moodiness, acne, etc. Like Julie, I also tried the Nuva ring and hated it - it was messy and my Husband could feel it when having intercourse. Blech.
I think BC is one of those things that is different for everyone. You just have to keep trying stuff until you find one that works for you. As a woman that has had a baby and for medical reasons can't be on hormonal BC, the copper IUD is the best choice for me. Let's just hope I remain baby free!
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clausti
Dec 1, 2009, 9:31 PM
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cloud9climber wrote: Thought I would follow up since the thread has been updated. Julie - so sorry for your experience with the Paragard IUD.
depending on how old julie is it may not have been paragard?
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