Copper IUD - Sorry it's a long one!

[Sophabulous]

Hi all

I just thought I would post an update as I've been here looking for advice and help for a while! Long story short I was on the combined pill for 10 years, but had to come off it when a nurse saw on my records that I've suffered from migraine with aura.

I had already had a disastrous brush with a progesterone only pill back in 2012, but I was swiftly put back on that same pill again (Cerelle) in November, despite my protests. I bled constantly for 3 months. I decided that enough was enough and went to see my GP who suggested I get the copper coil. I needed a while to mull it over, but eventually decided to go for it.

I booked an appointment at a family planning clinic and explained my problem. The nurse filled in all the forms and had me do a couple of swabs to check for any nasties. She gave me a prescription for a different pill (Noriday) in the meantime, and said that often changing to a slightly different one does the trick. She said to try it and if not that providing the swab results came back ok I could just call in and get the IUD if I still wanted it.

I started the Noriday and lo and behold the bleeding stopped within a couple of days, however there was only a 3 hour window to take it in to ensure its effectiveness. I overslept one Sunday morning and realised that it had been more than 3 hours and so I was unprotected. I got the leaflet out to read what I needed to do next and saw that it shouldn't be taken at the same time as an anti acid medication. I had been taking it at the same time as my esomeprazole in the morning every day. BUGGER!

I rang the clinic and booked in for an IUD insertion last Monday. I was absolutely terrified, and immensely relieved when they told me the order hadn't arrived and they had no copper ones!! I booked in again for tonight and spent all week building myself back up to having it done.

I went in at 7pm tonight and within 10 minutes my IUD was fitted. Hand on heart I barely felt a thing and couldn't believe it when the doctor told me it was all done! My smear in December was actually more uncomfortable! I'm so happy that I don't have to worry about any interactions or forgetting to take the pill for the next 10 years! I'm 26 and haven't had kids, and I have heard SO many horror stories about the pain of insertion even for women who have given birth.

I can't stress enough how straightforward and painless it was. I just thought i would share my experience here as it may be a perfect option for us other Crohnies who may not be absorbing the pill properly or are having a lot of D and are worried about the effectiveness of the pill. I went for the non hormonal option as progesterone alone really doesn't suit me, but the Mirena would also be good if you don't have issues with hormones. I have a little cramping now but it's only like period pain and should settle in the next couple of days.

Apologies if that's a little TMI but I am so gutted that I suffered for so long out of fear of trying this, and it was really nothing to worry about after all. Here's hoping that there's no further issues going forward and it all goes as smoothly as the insertion did!

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

I also got an IUD inserted recently. With those horrible men who were just elected, nobody here really knows what's going to happen with health care, particularly for women's reproductive rights. So I got an IUD in December - it should outlast the current administration.

I was on the pill when I first got sick, but I was having so much diarrhea at that time that I was afraid that I wasn't absorbing it very well, and I sure didn't want an "oopsie" to happen when I was already so unwell (and I don't want kids anyway). So at that time, about 7 years ago, I switched to the Nuva ring. I was on that up until this past December, it was fine for me, but I wanted something a bit longer-lasting. My Nuva ring was free under Obamacare, my IUD was also free as I had met my out of pocket max on my insurance last year.

I had some cramping when I had my IUD inserted, but it wasn't bad at all. With my heating pad on, it was totally tolerable. So I agree with what you said, I didn't have any issues with my IUD. And now that it's been in for a few months, because I got the hormonal one (Mirena), I really don't have a period at all anymore. It's pretty great!

 

[Sophabulous]

I'm glad it's not just me! I was thinking of you guys across the pond when I posted this, although I know there's been a massive surge in demand for them anyway with all the talk about planned parenthood going. :-(

If it makes you feel any better we have brexit so you know! May as well wave goodbye to the NHS. It's already in a mess and we haven't even triggered the process of leaving yet.

I also don't want kids so this could not be more perfect for me. Hopefully I'll only need to have 2 and then I won't be fertile any more, give or take a few years.

Uterine fibroids run in my family though, and most of my close relatives have had a hysterectomy in their 30's or 40's including my mum, so if that happens to me it wouldn't be entirely unwelcome lol!

I'm so happy I could cry! I scoured the internet for what to expect and was just met with horror stories about how it's worse than giving birth! I genuinely barely felt a thing, but I think going to a family planning clinic rather than a GP or nurse helped a lot. This is all they do day in day out so experience has to count for something

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

I know, I'm so sorry about Brexit. I just read in the news that things are finally starting to happen with Brexit. I really hope you guys can keep the NHS! And I wish we had something like the NHS here. Private, for-profit insurance and healthcare really isn't a good system at all. It punishes the sick. I'm several thousand dollars in medical debt and that's with insurance. I can't tell you how many times I've considered moving to Canada just because of less guns and better healthcare! The good news here is that everybody hates the awful plan that the current administration has proposed for healthcare. Even his own people are turning on him - the governor of my state is also a horrible man, but even he is now speaking out against the current plan for health care. You know it's bad when the horrible men are turning on each other! (I don't even like saying their names so I usually just refer to them as horrible men, ha ha.)

 

[Sophabulous]

I know, I'm so sorry about Brexit. I just read in the news that things are finally starting to happen with Brexit. I really hope you guys can keep the NHS! And I wish we had something like the NHS here. Private, for-profit insurance and healthcare really isn't a good system at all. It punishes the sick. I'm several thousand dollars in medical debt and that's with insurance. I can't tell you how many times I've considered moving to Canada just because of less guns and better healthcare! The good news here is that everybody hates the awful plan that the current administration has proposed for healthcare. Even his own people are turning on him - the governor of my state is also a horrible man, but even he is now speaking out against the current plan for health care. You know it's bad when the horrible men are turning on each other! (I don't even like saying their names so I usually just refer to them as horrible men, ha ha.)

I'm so relieved to hear that that awful man was defeated yesterday! Does this mean that the ACA will stay as it is now, or can he propose something else instead? I hope they keep rejecting anything he brings to the table unless it actually improves the existing law for people. From what I gather a lot of his supporters are unhappy with what he's been up to so there is that silver lining.

Unfortunately most people here still think Brexit is the golden goose. I'm sure in 30 years time we'll be better off but that will be the best years of my life gone. It's more the reasons behind some people's vote that bothers me, it's just completely validated xenophobic and racist views when actually I don't think the vast majority of leave voters were THAT hung up on immigration. More so in some areas than others but overall it was more about sovereignty and negotiating better trade deals. Or that's what they say when you ask to their face lol!

I can't believe we're coming out of the single market though, that was never on the table during the referendum campaigning. It's absolutely crazy that we don't get a vote on terms. I think David Cameron totally underestimated the disquiet in this country and people wanting to hit back at a completely detached government who haven't got a clue about real life.

I was reading something the other day about a farmer who voted out because of DEFRA not paying his grants on time. He thought DEFRA was part of the EU and not our own government. In fact the EU has fined DEFRA several times for doing that! But what do I know, I'm a millennial, whiny, snowflake 'remoaner' ;-)

I don't think it's any accident they Westminster was attacked close to when our delightful PM announced she was triggering article 50. A year to the day since the Brussels attacks too. Of course many now think that's more incentive to get out despite the fact he was a British born bloke from Kent. The world is a very crazy place right now :-(

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

Yes, the ACA will stay as it is for now (thank goodness!). That horrible Paul Ryan (who is from my state, ugh) has said that he's going to try again later this year to repeal the ACA, so it's not over yet. But I think everybody hates him at this point too and there's talk that he may not be speaker of the house for much longer, so hopefully he won't even get to that point and will just be ousted instead.

I think you nailed it, that's why a lot of people voted for our current president, too - racism, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia, etc. A lot of people let their true colors show when they voted for that man (I voted for Hillary and I was shocked and horrified at the election results, I literally had to take an anti-anxiety med watching the results come in and I almost never need to take that medication!).

I don't know what DEFRA is, but that sounds like something that's been happening here with the ACA - a lot of anti-Obamacare people who voted for the current president seem extremely confused and think that Obamacare and the ACA are two different things, when of course it's just the same thing and is called by 2 different names. So many Trump voters were absolutely shocked to learn they might lose their healthcare, yet they still claim to be anti-Obamacare! It's so stupid, ugh. I know the US is known for being loud and stupid and racist, but it seems like we've really upped the ante lately. The main sentiment amongst Trump voters lately seems to be, "I knew he'd do horrible things, I just didn't think he'd do them to ME!" Seriously? It was super obvious that he'd be horrible for everyone and everything in this country. How could anyone not think it'd affect themselves as well? It's so selfish and just awful to knowingly vote for that.

Oh, I saw on the news about the attack in London, that was shocking and so terrible, I'm sorry. Seems like the whole world is going crazy lately, and the UK and the US keep trying to one-up each other on who can be the most crazy. For both our sakes I hope neither of us wins!

 

[Sophabulous]

Yes, in both cases I think it's been Turkeys voting for Christmas lol! I heard about how many supporters didn't realise they would be losing their insurance as they didn't realise the ACA and Obamacare are one and the same. Facepalm! I was reading something earlier today about a female supporter who is now upset that her husband is being deported!

So many immigrants in this country have been told 'we don't mind people like you, it's all the others!' Just what even?! So much ignorance. The thing is with the internet these days you are exposed to so much more stupidity as everyone has a platform. I'm amazed at some of the things I see and hear now. Once it's on the web that's it, it will haunt you forever. We all forget to engage our brains sometimes but this is something else. I just have to laugh now, I know it's a terrible situation for everyone but if I think about it too much I wouldn't be able to leave the house!!

At least Hilary won the popular vote. That says a lot even if Mr Mango Mussolini doesn't think so.

Oooh this thread has gone in a very different direction!! Although I'm glad my Uterus is in the UK right now. There are worse places to be a woman :-(

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

Hah, I think that, being a woman in the US, you can't have a discussion about reproductive healthcare without bringing politics into it, because those two subjects have become so closely tied together. And I certainly got my IUD out of fear of losing access to reproductive healthcare, or at least having to pay a lot more for it (as I said earlier, my Nuva Ring had been free under the ACA, but if they repeal that, it could get pricey to have to pay for that every month - since my IUD was free under my insurance, I couldn't say no to that opportunity!).

I definitely agree with you, it's a good thing for you that your uterus is in the UK. I think I've said this before in this thread as well but I often think about moving to Canada! It would be nice to live in a country where they don't let their citizens go bankrupt or die because of the cost of healthcare. In this country, I'm punished for being ill and the current administration would like to punish me for being a woman, too. I had seen something on facebook, somebody posted a quote that was along the lines of, "My pre-existing condition is that I'm a woman." Too true! All I want is to feel well, not go broke, and to not have kids - that really doesn't sound like too much to ask for.