Sex & Romance
KyllaS
member
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Chaning birthcontrol...
My fiance and I plan to get married in June of 2013. I have been on the depo shot for a little more than two years. I dont get my period anymore but occasionally, I will spot a bit. My sex drive is increasingly low. Before him and I go off to pre-med together, do you think it would be alright to switch to an IUD if we want to hold off on kids until after our first four years? Thanks!
Re: Chaning birthcontrol...
If you want to switch your BC to try and see if your sex drive will improve there is nothing wrong with that.
Im sure your Dr. will tell you to use condoms during the transition from one BC to another.
Hope that answers your question.
GL.
I've had my paragard for 6 months so far and I
Lots of girls I know preferred to go with mirena because they liked that it made their periods lighter over time, but if you give ME a choice between no periods and no sex drive, bring on the periods! I don't like to mess with my natural cycle (the last time I was on hormonal bc, then got off it, I didnt have a period for a YEAR before it got back to normal)
I agree your doc will probably want you to switch to condoms for a while before. Your natural cycle needs to come back before you get an iud. They will also want to insert it on the 4-6th day of your period, especially if you have no kids yet (so your cervix is more open)
Also keep in mind depending on your health insurance, it may or may not be covered. I was told mine was "technically" covered, but it went toward my stupid deductible, so 2 days before insertion I was told I had to cover pretty much the entire cost, which ended up being $650 bucks.
Incorrect. I had mine inserted when I was still on the pill. Of course each Dr. may do it differently but there is no medical reason why you would need to stop the pill before having it inserted.
I've had the paragard for 4 1/2 yrs (never had kids, not going to) and it's a love hate relationship. I love no hormones. I never had trouble with my sex drive in the 15yrs I was on the pill. However, my mood swings...out of control. I do however hate the heavy periods.
The paragard is good for 10 yrs and the Mirena 5yrs. Keep in mind they may or may not be covered by your insurance ( mine was not and it was $750 and that was 4 1/2 yrs ago). Therefore, if your looking to possibly start a family in less than 5yrs the paragard may not be the best choice since you'd have it taken out long before its life expectancy is up (personally though I'd rather waste money and have it taken out early than deal with homones and lack of sex drive).
I'd make a gyno appt. and talk to them about your best option.
Kristi and Kerry June 21,2008
An IUD is a good idea for long term BC. I have paragard (no hormones, good for 10 years) and my insurance covered quite a bit of it. The periods are heavier than with BCP but no more than before hormonal BC.
I got my IUD because H is in med school and we're not ready to have kids for at least 5 years but hormones were not an option. The insertion wasn't pleasant (no previous pregnancies/birth). I passed out as the Dr. was inserting it but I tend to do that whenever I get blood drawn, so after I woke up and told them that they said I was more likely to pass out. They explained the stimulation to the cervix can cause a drop in BP. WOOPS! I would just have someone go with you to drive in case anything happens. I'm not trying to freak you out, just wanted to be honest!
That's what My doc told me, because since I've never had kids, inserting the IUD when you're not on your period is more painful. If you're on a BC where you have no period at all, they want you to wait till you have your next normal period. You dont HAVE to, technically, but it will suck more.
Also in response the comment the paragard makes your periods heavier, I technically have to disagree. The length and heaviness of my periods are the same, what did change though the first few months was I had pretty intense cramps a week before my period. So for about 11 days I was either in a lot of pain, or bleeding. That lasted 3 or 4 months, now its pretty much the same as it ever was before the insertion. .
Thats why I said there's no MEDICAL (as in it could be harmful to your health) reason. I actually had mine inserted the day after my period ended and it wasn't that bad but, everybody deals with pain differently.
You're lucky that your periods aren't bad. I wish *sigh* Two days out of my five day cycle I go through a super plus tampon in about two-three hrs. Two ladies I've worked with also had the same problem. I know that's a common problem with paragard but I'm willing to suck it up to not have to deal with hormones
Kristi and Kerry June 21,2008
Did you have bad periods before your IUD? I think I remember my doc saying something about how I was a good candidate because my periods before the IUD were next to nothing. They've always been to-the-day regular (except for when I got off BC and had post-pill amenorrhea for almost a year) 4-5 days, no real heavy days and my cramps mostly just felt like a warm sensation with maybe a stronger twinge here and there.
If the cramps I had After insertion are what normal women have every month, I don't know how you guys get anything done. I was miserable the first couple days, and for those first few months when they were bad I had to stop what I was doing and breath through them like contractions lol.
As far as I remember my periods were normal before bcp ( I was on bcp from the ages of 17-32). Age could play a factor too. As you age your body changes and so do periods. Not that I'm of an advanced age and ready for a retirement home
but I'm sure my period at 36 yrs old is different then it was when I first got it at the age of 11 1/2.
As for cramps, they aren't to bad anymore.
I read somewhere about taking calcium supplements to help with cramps so I started that about three months ago. I took them for two months and the cramps were down to little twingy things. This past month I decided to run a test and not take them. The cramps came back (two days of cramps in my five day cycle).
Everybody's body is different so it may not won't work for everyone but it apparently does work for me. I've also found they tend to be a bit better if I keep up with my daily workout routine.
Kristi and Kerry June 21,2008