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NH&FR: IUD questions (maybe TMI?)
Hey ladies,
I know it has been a long time since I have been on this board. Starryfish recommended I post here because she knows a lot of you use an IUD on here.
I went to the doc a few weeks ago and she told me I need to call and make an appt on the first day or my period. She gave me literature on both IUDs (mirena and paraguard). I am adamant about not having hormones in my body. I have never taken BC and I won't ever take it, so I am pretty sure I am going with the paraguard.
Soooooo, what exactly can I expect from insertion? How long does the process take? Some sources on the internet say I might need to have someone drive me home. The BF said he would take me, but is that really needed? If you don't mind me asking, how much did it cost (my insurance won't cover it)? When I asked the nurse, she had no idea, but she told me that when I call to schedule my appt, they should be able to tell me.
I never take any painkillers, but the doc said I should take 800mgs of something. Is that really necessary? I mean, if I HAD to take a painkiller, I wouldn't even know what to take!
Any other information would be helpful.
They see us rollin'...they be hatin'.
Re: NH&FR: IUD questions (maybe TMI?)
I've had Paragard for almost two years, no children/never been pregnant. I have heard some horror stories about insertion from women who have never been pregnant, but my experience was not bad at all.
The pain only lasted for maybe 5 seconds, and it felt like a really sharp period cramp. I did have DH come with me to drive me home, but I'm 100% positive that I could have done it myself. I did take 600 mg of Advil about an hour before my appointment; I can't say whether that helped or not, but I'm sure it didn't hurt.
I had only very minor spotting for two days max, and had no lasting pain. I actually went for an easy run a couple hours after insertion.
Good question - I have an appointment in a couple of weeks to talk to my doc about this. Like you, I really don't want to deal with hormonal contraception so the paragard seemed ideal. But a LOT of gals on P&CE had mentioned really prolonged heavy bleeding with paragard, compared to little to no bleeding ever on mirena. And, as it was pointed out, the hormones in mirena act locally so it's not like taking the pill where you have to have a systemic level coursing through your bloodstream to prevent ovulation.
I'm 37 years old and so gd over my period that the thought of something giving me even more bleeding is a major turn off, so now i'm leaning toward mirena.
I am a runner, knitter, scientist, DE-IVF veteran, and stage III colon cancer survivor.
I have a Paragard. I do not have children.
Insertion was easy. One really hard crampy pinch and it was over. I brought DH with me and he held my hand. Apparently I squeezed his pretty hard, but then it was over and cool. I don't know if you'll NEED to take someone along, but I'd at least consider it.
It didn't cost me anything (BC was covered 100% by my insurance) except the office visit. So $25. If it's not covered for you, I'd probably guess between $500-$1000, but I'm not sure.
The doctor recommended 800mg of Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), most likely. It's a pretty common pain recommendation. Plus, since it's OTC, it's cheap. I'd take it. I did and I was pleased that I had done so. One of my friends tried to do it without and she complained for DAYS about it.
I don't have kids, so I guess I can expect some pain. I guess I will take some advil or something.
I wonder why the paraguard causes more heavy bleeding. The doc told me it is a possibility, but why? Hmmm.
Thanks for the information!
I am leaving work and don't have a computer at home, but will check back in tomorrow morning!
They see us rollin'...they be hatin'.
FWIW, I didn't notice significantly heavier bleeding with the Paragard. Prior to that I was on hormonal BC and spotting all the freaking time. So I quit with the hormones and went non-hormonal. Best decision ever.
There is, however, one little side-effect that no-one told me about. For the first month, I could feel that little thing every time I bent over. It didn't hurt, but it was just sort of poking me. After that, I spent about 3-5 months only feeling it when I was cramping day before AF. Since month 6, I haven't felt it at all. Ever. I just check the strings occasionally and that's that.
I've had a Paragard IUD for 5 1/2 years. Insertion was pretty easy and didn't take long at all (granted, I'd had two children already and don't know how much of an impact that made). I did take a couple of Tylenol or something ahead of time just in case, but I'm not sure if it's necessary should you really not want to do it. As for driving myself home, I had no problem doing so. My OB/GYN never even suggested that I consider having someone else available to do it.
I'm not much help with cost...other than three $20 copays (one for the device itself, one for the insertion appointment, and one for a follow up two weeks later to be sure it was still in place), my insurance covered it.
Hey, RP!
I had my Paragard inserted in March, 2011. You know me...no kids, never been on BC.
Chip took me to the appointment. It was on the 5th day of my period (I got it while I was away for the weekend, and Tuesday was the first day I could get an appointment). The doc gave me Cytotec to insert against my cervix 12 hours beforehand (it softens things up). It never dissolved...oops. I also took 4 Advil about an hour in advance of the appointment. I always take Advil for cramps, and was really glad I did.
So I hopped up on the table, and she got everything ready. I wanted to see it, because I like to see things. The doc said I'd feel two sharp pains, like very strong cramps. I mean, that's kinda what it felt like. It really felt exactly like what it was...a sharp thing going into my ute. It was a sharp pain, a ten second rest, and another sharp pain, and then it was over. Once those pains stopped, they stopped. It's not like a slap, where the pain fades. It was just pain, no pain.
I sat up, felt great. Chip drove me home, but I didn't need him to, really. I went running later that day, no problem.
So, insertion was cake. My issues happened after insertion. Here's where things get unpleasant.
My first period after insertion was in April. And OMG. I took Advil like usual, but the pain was so bad. SO BAD. It felt like knives inside me. I was unemployed and realized that if I'd had a job, I wouldn't have been able to stay at work. My dad's a doc and told me to go to the ER because something could be wrong. After a few days, it calmed down a bit, but I got these terrible pains for the first nine periods (ten months). Yes, they just stopped. The flow was also ungodly. Like, a super tampon in a half hour.
Aside from during my period, I was spotting constantly. It was so gross. I also had a ridiculous amount of CM. It would just bubble out. Like, I'd get a quarter mile into a run and have to duck behind a tree with some TP to clean myself up. It was disgusting. The CM and spotting have gotten better over time, but it's still not quite like it was pre-Paragard.
In the end, I'd do it again, because I like knowing that I have nearly foolproof BC in place, instead of a tiny piece of latex and my own fallibility. I get irregular periods, so this peace of mind is important. But the side effects really were worse than I expected.
Chip loves it. He wants babies even less than I do, so he's glad for the extra protection, and glad he doesn't need to use a condom anymore. His only complaint is that he can sometimes feel the strings. They feel like fishing line: there are two, and they're each maybe an inch long. They sort of curl up around your cervix, rather than hanging down into your vagina.
Anyway. Good luck. I know this was really long and crazy. I hope your experience with insertion is as good as mine was, and that your experience with afterward is better than mine was!
My Lunch Blog
Thanks, ladies!
I am a bit more nervous, but I am glad to hear all of your experiences! Thank you so much for the information.
And KatiesCats, I will be texting you!
They see us rollin'...they be hatin'.
I've had Paragard for three years. My insertion was not amazing...it took about six tries and two IUDs to get it all worked out, took about 30 minutes total from check in to check out. Not fun. The insertion hurts, but not to the point that I wouldn't do it again. Its like crazy insane period cramps, but bearable.
DH came along and hung out in the car waiting for me. I did end up driving out of the parking lot...and .5 miles down the road to Walgreens where I loaded up on ibuprofen and handed the car over to DH. The cramps that came after the insertion were what killed me. Honestly, I think ibuprofen was a must - I took 800-100mg {dr rec'ed} of ibuprofen ever 4 hours for about 24-36 hours then it all evened out and I went about my life as usual.
Getting my IUD was a great decision and worth the temporary pain that came with it. I'm guessing the price is around $300-500 but that is just what I've heard over the years as my insurance was nice to me.
I'd recommend buying some ibuprofen/NSAID {store brand is perfectly fine, check out Walgreens or Target} before your appointment so you have it on hand. Sounds like you've got some awesome pain tolerance so you might not, but stopped at Walgreens with full on cramps sucks...avoid it if possible!
Good luck!