I've been lurking! This thread is interesting.

JJ - I say take your case to another doctor and see what they have to say about your past testing and problems. It's your right as a patient to have a second opinion!

LPM- I've been on Nuva Ring for 6 months now and I LOVE it. Can't feel it and I've had almost NO cramping and NO moodswings. I used to be one of those EVIL PMS women.

JJ- get a second opnion! I don't know how it is where you live, but here in Asheville you can't spit without hitting a doctor. I had to go to a totally new doctor to actually have my IUD inserted, but that doctor was recommended by your regular doctor.

NEVER take *no* as a difinitive answer from a doctor unless what you're asking for is beyond the realm of reason ("I'd like an IUD and oh... I moonlight as a hooker")!!!

Well, I got a recommendation from a friend, and I have an appointment Mar.22 to see him. Problem is, he's so busy that it might be a long while after that to actually GET the IUD if he agrees. This gyno did my friend's tubal ligation (or whatever it is that they do now), so he can't be all bad, plus she doesn't deal with incompetence ever.

Thanks, guys!!
Wish me luck!!

Let us know how it goes, LPM. I have been on the Ring for 8 months now and really love it, compared to the damn Patch I was on for 12 months before that. The Ring is so low-maintenance and I haven't noticed any side-effects... the only thing that happened was when I left it in for an extended time (which you can do, if your body lets you) and my body freaked out. Otherwise, it works like a charm. :) That and the condoms we use for double protection!! :thumbsup:

I have yet to fill my prescription for the Nuva Rings. I am just too nervous/lazy.

Lazy I can understand, but can you tell us what you are nervous about, exactly? :)

Personally, I feel quite relieved being on the Ring, compared to how freaked out I would be every time if I had sex without it. Honestly LPM, from the moment I started the Ring, I never noticed any changes in my body. It was a different story on the OrthoEvra patch... :rolleyes:

The only difference I noticed was some breast sensitivity in the first week, right after I put in a new one. Other than that, nothing. Love 'em, but given my current relationship status, I think I'm going to talk to the doctor at my annual about getting an IUD.

I'm so glad I inspired you guys! I hope your IUD expierences are good, and you enjoy having your sexual freedom as much as I do!

on a lighter note:
Q: what do you call someone who uses the withdrawl method of birth control?

A: A parent!

I'm nervous because of how fucked up I got on Depo.

And Ms Sassy (AKA Sage), I know it's dangerous, but I would not hesitate to get an abortion, nor have I gotten pregnant after 9 months without birth control.

I was just making a joke.... not directed at you or anyone else, and not making light of anyone's prior or current difficult situations with hormonal birth control.

I think if you've got the oppurtunity to try out another kind of birth control, go for it! If it makes you loopy, you can always stop. It might even be a good option for you- you just won't know until you try!

UPDATE: This Friday, the 21st, I'm getting my very own IUD. I'm psyched. I know that it may not work (may not be able to get it in since I've never had kids), but I'm optimistic that it will happen, and my migraines will continue to be low, my libido will continue to be high, and my UTI's will be over with! :D

I really liked my 2nd opinion doctor, and am getting rid of the original friggin' gyno altogether. Plus, this guy does obstetrics too, so if/when I want to go that route, I'm all set!
Whee! Wish me luck!!

I've had mine for 3-4 months and aside from the initial discomfort I've been totally happy. I spotted for about a month or so, then had a real period, and now just had another VERY light period.

I'd advise doping up on ibuprofen in advance of the insertion, and plan to take it easy for a day or so afterward. I had horrible cramps afterward for about 24 hours, but my friend Sara had practically nothing. I hope you get an easy time of it. If you're still feeling icky when I get there I'll take good care of you :)

Thanks for the warning!
As it happens... I'm on about 2400mg of ibuprofen a day anyway. Hot diggity! I'll try to will myself to go Sara's route, since cramps just completely undo me. I, um, never have cramps. (*don't kill me, please*) So any cramping feels like a lot. Gee, if I'm feeling better, does that mean you won't take care of me? Because that sounds awfully appealing right now... :p

Whoohoo, Jess! I've had mine for about six months, and now that the spotting is over, I love it. (My information packet said it could last six months, but it really lasted for about 3) I have to agree with lurkette...the ibuprofen is helpful. I was lucky I guess, I was kind of crampy for the rest of the day, but nothing that really interfered with normal activities. The next day I was good as new. I'm so glad I got an IUD!

Ladies, I'm so happy that more and more of y'all are getting IUDs! I know they got a bad rap when they first came out, but now they're effective AND safe!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my IUD! I would sing its praises from the rooftops if I could! Oh, and JustJess, I'm sooo friggin glad you got a second opnion! I am really sick of doctors being scared to put in IUDs in women who haven't had kids- I reviewed the risks and decided if it meant never having to take hormones again, I'd face any odds! :thumbsup:

Just fake it :) I'll pet your hair and give you tummy rubs and bring you good chocolate (or comfort food of your choice) just because you're cute ;)

I did not get an IUD. I seriously considered it and my Dr told me she'd go ahead and let me get one if I wanted. She asked me to go off my pills for a few months to see how my cramping was. She told me that if I had a lot of cramping without the pill then it would be likely that my periods with an IUD would be much more crampy. She could then give me an IUD with hormones in it because those type tend to control the cramping more.

Well I opted not to go with the IUD because I get BV too frequently. Bacterial Vaginosis is not a big hassle normally but if you get it while you have an IUD inserted it can more easily infect the uterus and reproductive organs and cause so many more problems. Also with my lifestyle it's more risky to have an IUD because any infections you might be exposed to can travel deeper into the reproductive system and cause a myriad of problems.

As for the pain on insertion - I wonder if they wouldn't give you a little prescription for it. I had more than one colposcopy (aint it the bitch? justjess) as well and it was terribly painful. In a colposcopy they do insert an instrument inside the cervix at least partway and that was quite painful. For the second colposcopy I told them that the Ibuprophen was not nearly enough pain relief (I had cramping for 2 days after the first) and that I wanted something more. My Dr gave me a prescription for 4 or 6 codine and told me to take 2 before my appointment. That helped a lot. Perhaps, if you are considering getting an IUD you could ask for a little extra pain control. The Dr's are usually more than willing to accomodate in that kind of situation.

I love hearing from you guys - it reassures me that there really are lots of intelligent women taking control. My sister doesn't seem to think it's a good idea, and I just don't get it. I've done the research, I'm not an idiot, I just want to be safe and healthy!

Sage - yes, I was damned happy about the 2nd opinion. His reaction on the whole ureaplasma thing was: "Why did she even test for that? They never do unless there's some unexplained event/illness..." Yep. And don't get me started about how she was SOOOOO worried about that and yet NEVER RE-TESTED FOR IT AGAIN AFTER THE COLPOSCOPY. Arggh.

Lurkette - Faking it is now in, how exciting! :lol: French fries. My comfort food is french fries. Or Fluff. Take your pick. :)

Raeanna - I completely understand. If that were an issue, I'd reconsider too. And yeah... I seriously considered just curling into a ball and dying after that colposcopy.

Medusa - I am seriously hoping that I don't spot for 6 months... but I have a feeling that I will. I spot pretty easily. Hell, that's a good portion of my "cycle"!

Updates after Friday to follow... whee!

good luck jj, i've read this entire thread, it is very interesting, i don't use any bc, just condoms, but if i decide to, everyone is very informative, good luck!

Are there any other side effects besides spotting? Wikipedia mentions heavier periods, but have any of you actually noticed this? It's also contradicted on the Mirena website which says that it can be lightened or stopped.

Good luck today, Jess! I'll be thinkin' of you.

Lindalove, there are two kinds of IUDs in general use today - the Mirena and a copper-7. The copper-7 doesn't contain any hormones and that's the one generally associated with heavier periods. The Mirena does release small amounts of hormones, and most of the people I know who have it (myself included) experience lighter or no periods.

Please wish me a bloody day, would ya?

I've been spotting since Monday, but still no sign of a "real" period. I don't think I'm going to be successful today. If he can even try, I doubt he'll get it in. This cycle has been weird - no real emotional bit, no achy boobs, no major horniness - none of my usual signs. :confused: I'm going anyway, but I doubt there'll be the result I want.

I have been on copious amounts of ibuprofen for my knee - 2400 mg a day. Do you think that might be affecting things??

JJ- I've never heard of a doctor saying "They won't be able to insert it". I mean, WTF- you can get a baby through there but can't get something smaller around than a pencil in there? I think most doctors are woefully ignorant about IUDs because they don't deal with them much at all- they're more used to dealing with hormal birth control.

JJ- everything will be fine, you'll see! :thumbsup:

Okay... well, you were right, Sage - they inserted it just fine! He said it was probably all the ibuprofen that was making my cycle so non-existant, and checked for pregnancy just in case (negative, obviously). So I got it, it's mine!

Goddamn, that hurt. If you've ever had a colposcopy, by the by, that does actually hurt more. But it's very comparable to that. Yowza. And yep, I'm pretty crampy just now. :( But that's okay. Really!

The only odd thing for me, is when he did some ultrasound to make sure that my IUD was inserted correctly, he found that I have a big cyst on my right ovary. 3cm by 5cm. That thing is almost as big as my ovary itself! He thinks it's "hemagophyte" or something... meaning that when the lil' egg came out at ovulation, it left a gap this time and so it filled with blood - kinda like a blister type of thing. It is often reabsorbed, but not always, so I have to do another more in-depth (literally, I'm sure) sonogram next week. Worst possible case = surgery to remove it. But I'm betting it will be gone by the time I have the sonogram (which he said is entirely possible).

All in all, not a bad day - much better than expected. I'm off to vacuum now... :)

I did Depo twice, and have the weight to prove it. I too didn't have all sorts of confidence in the pull and pray, but that's what I did until the BC pill... I'm on Yasmin (had never heard of it until my GYN put me on it), and have been on it for about five years now. My period lasts about a day, and two Aleve in the morning takes care of my cramps. I take other pills, so I just put this in my pill case, and take everything in the morning. Otherwise, I would never remember.

Just be careful and on top of things... my mom had a cyst the size of an eight-month pregnancy when her ovarian cancer (and all female parts) was removed last year.

I have an IUD. I had tried many hormonal methods (my favorite one was Depo-Provera), but they threw my emotions and sex drive out of whack, so I wanted something non-hormonal. I went with the Copper-T IUD.

I had the 1st one for 5 years, and my 2nd one now for less than 1 year so far. When the 1st one was put in, the pain was like a long menstrual cramp, the worst you can imagine. When I stood up after, I actually passed out. For the 2nd one, I received a local anaesthetic by a needle in my cervix. It numbed me. There was still some pain, but not too bad at all.

I had some spotting for a little while. My menstrual cramps and bleeding were worse for a few months afterwards, but not unbearable, and then subsided back to normal levels.

With the 1st one, sometimes my partner can feel the string poke him uncomfortably, but only at certain angles in certain positions. But it wasn't often and we were always able to work around it, never found it very problematic. With the 2nd one, I haven't had this complaint yet. The string was probably cut shorter or something.

You should check for the string regularly to make sure it's still there. You have to make sure to not miss your regular gyn check-ups, because there is risk of losing fertility or of ectopic pregnancies if the IUD moves or embeds into the uterus lining or anything like that. Also, if you get any kinds of ordinary infections or STDs, the IUD can dangerously exacerbate it. I'm just saying be responsible about it, not intending to discourage anyone, because I've never had any problems so far and I love the freedom of not having to worry about pregnancy for 5 years at a time.

only five years? My doctor said mine was good for ten years and medical litature is starting to suggest they might be effective for up to 12 years!

Why only five years, Fia?

Not sure. I was told 5 years by both gyns. I'll ask next time I go in, but that's not scheduled anytime soon.

Maybe it's something specific to you, Fia? My gyno said I can leave it up to 10 years too. I do tend to minor infections like yeast and UTI's, but he said that I would be okay on the IUD anyway. I think it depends on what kind of infections you're getting.

Good news - booty last night did NOT hurt, so I think the cyst has reabsorbed by itself. I'll know for sure with my sonogram appointment on Thursday, but he said that the previous (really!) uncomfortable booty would probably be directly related to the cyst's appearance and the size of it. Yay for reabsorption! :)

OK, I've had my IUD (Mirena) for about 4 months and I am noticing that my orgasms have changed. I've always had the most intense, build-and-release, leg-shuddering, almost pass out clitoral orgasms, and now...not. I can still have orgasms, even pretty nice ones, but they're just not the same. I get the build, but instead of falling over a cliff, I just kind of tumble down a hill. They're not as intense and not as satisfying. I don't know if this is a common side effect with IUDs (seems reasonable, since there's this thing in my uterus, which might make all the muscles contract differently) but I didn't hear about it ahead of time, and if it doesn't go away I might rip the damn thing out with my bare hands. Anybody have any experience with this, or is it maybe due to something else? I'm also on Paxil, which does have known side effects relating to orgasm, but I've been on it for 2 years at the same dosage and nothing has changed recently.

I have never heard of IUDs affecting orgasm... besides, a clit orgasm is more about the nerves in the clit and around that area than the actual uterus....

Sounds like it's time to go to your doctor and get your paxil adjusted- you have probably devloped a resistance to it and so it's not working like it should. You could just go off paxil completely and celebrate a drug free system :D But that's just the "I hate psychoactive medications" in me talking :D

*warning - threadjack*

Believe me, I'd love to go off the Paxil. I'm down to the lowest therapeutic dose, and I've tried stepping down but I really do still "need" it to treat the depression. Before I was actually diagnosed with depression, I was right there with you, hon. I thought antidepressants were a crutch for people without the mental and emotional strength to deal with the root of their problems.

But even with several years of intensive cognitive-behavior therapy and ruthless self-examination, I find that I slide right back into depression without the meds. I've stopped feeling "weak" and guilty about being on meds. Would you sneer at a diabetic for taking insulin? It took my neurochemistry 30 years to get into the state it's in, and I'm not at all surprised if it takes more than 2 for me to re-train my system away from a depressive neurochemical and cognitive state. Just like some (SOME) diabetics can eventually change their diet and exercise habits to reduce or eliminate the need for insulin, most people with depression who need meds to control it can eventually go without meds. However, it is a process that takes time. There are things I could be doing that I'm not - like walking 20 minutes every day - to speed up the process, and if the Paxil is behind the orgasm problems, I'll jump right on the exercise bandwagon to hurry up the weaning phase. But (to be a little snippy, apologies in advance) I'm not going to stop using something that's working to keep me from being miserable and self-loathing just because some people disapprove.

/threadjack

Threadjackers unite!

Ahem, sorry.
Personally, I would tie the orgasm changes to one (or both) of two things: Mirena IUD's have hormones. It is proven that hormones affect libido. Whether or not progesterone does, I don't know. But your doctor should.
Paxil affects libido too. It could be that the combination of the two is screwing with your system.

Since you want to keep the IUD and you don't necessarily want to keep the Paxil long-term, I would be doing whatever is necessary to wean myself off the Paxil. And hey, go ahead and be snippy - at least you're mad at someone other than yourself. (That being said, don't get mad at me; you're scrappy!)

PS - I don't think Sage was necessarily disapproving of your taking them; just noting that her opinion may be biased. :*:*:*:*

I have a Mirena too, and I haven't noticed any differences as far as climax is concerned. I think that the combo of the hormones in the IUD and the paxil could very well be the culprit. I don't know if having been on it for 2 years would matter; our bodies do funny things sometimes. I ate peaches the first 18 years of my life, and all the sudden my body decided it didn't like peaches anymore and I developed an allergy. Your body could be deciding it doesn't like the paxil/progesterone combo. I'd definitely speak to your doctor though.

One more thing...I was on an antidepressant for a year, and the sexual side effects were the last ones to manifest. I don't think I noticed them until about 3-4 months....different than two years, but again...our bodies are strange things sometimes :)

well, my doctor scared me..I went asking about the IUD's and she said that while they put it inside, it can perforate the uterus and disable you from childbearing forever!
She said it is best for people that already have a few children and wouldn't mind if that happened!
She really freaked me out so I decided not to have it.
Anyone else been warned of this before or was my clinic a wacky place with unprofessional nurses?

nope, that's a warning that they do give. the incidence is pretty low, but they really really don't like giving them to women without kids. there's a lot of fear of malpractice lawsuits feeding that stuff. if I were you, I'd find someone a little more practical.

Outside of the United States, the IUD is an exceptionally popular form of birth control, and countries where the IUD is no. 1 (even among women without children) show a low incidence of risk associated with the IUD. It's one of the safest, most effective, cost effective forms of birth control. Why are doctors in the US so paranoid? We have a malpractice-oriented, sue-happy society. They HAVE to warn you about all possible side effects, no matter how far-fetched.

I'm going to be looking into getting an IUD shortly.

I had an IUD inserted this thursday. I was kind of anxious about the insertion as I have heard from many women that it hurts really bad. But since birth control pills and minipills give me migraine and I dislike the idea of using condoms for the rest of my life I really had no other choice but to give an IUD a go.
Luckily it wasn't all that bad. Just two seconds of intense pain really, and then a menstruation cramp-like pain the rest of the day - the weekend too. But, for some reason, that little shit gave me a migraine so I spent the weekend dealing with both the cramp-like pain and a shitty migraine - oh yeah; and to top it off I had a kidney stone passing too. So yeah, I'm kinda grumpy and not too fucking happy about my IUD.

The migraine is rather light at the moment though and has been since yesterday, so I'm hoping that it'll vanish along with those cramps..

What the...?! 10 years? Apparently there are only IUDs with a max. durability of 8 years here in Denmark. Do you know which company made yours, sage?