ParaGard and Bleeding: What Users Say (Page 5)

• Jen...
• November 14, 2017

For Birth Control "I've had mine for about 3 weeks now. I'm terrified of my first period since I've heard so many horror stories. When I got it put in, it hurt REALLY bad, felt like labor, but I had it placed at PP, where they don't numb the cervix or anything. Afterward, I cramped like contractions the rest of the day, but ibuprofen helped a lot. I bled lightly for about 3-4 days, and a week in, I had sex, which made me bleed very lightly on the toilet paper only for that night. Other than that, I've forgotten I have it, and I love it so far. I've had every other BC except the shot. The implant and Mirena made me bleed for months on end, so I was happy I stopped the bleeding a few days after getting this in. I'm still scared of my first period, but hopefully it's not bad!"

• Sta...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 20, 2016

For Birth Control "I have a 2-year-old and a 4-month-old. I received the ParaGard on Nov 22, 16. The insertion wasn't painful at all. Just a very uncomfortable feeling. When the insertion was finished, the nurse provided a pad to put in my underwear and stated that I will spot for about 2-3 days. But before getting the IUD put in, I had taken 4 200 MG of ibuprofen 1 hour before. 3 days after the insertion, I started my period. The cramps were TERRIBLE. The cramps lasted for about 1 1/2 weeks. I had to continue taking the ibuprofen for that long. The bleeding is not that bad. It's the same amount as it was before. I've had a heavy flow before the IUD and it's still the same. I use the overnight protection pads. Overall, I'll give it a 7."

• Fee...
• August 12, 2015

For Birth Control "I have had this device for about a year and a half. When I first had it put in, I did cramp for almost a week. Really bad cramps, and I spotted the entire time. I finally had a cycle, and I thought I was hemorrhaging. I'm 32, and I have two kids. I didn't even bleed that much after I had given birth. It was the scariest thing I've ever experienced. I had to wear adult diapers along with super plus tampons because there was so much blood. My periods were lasting up to two weeks. They are now down to about eight days with two days of very heavy bleeding. My vagina starts to have a funny smell, and there is discharge for about a week. As for this birth control being effective, I would say 100%. It's the side effects that are a pain."

• Eli...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 3, 2022

For Birth Control "I have had ParaGard for over 2 years now. I would say that for me the insertion didn’t really hurt at all, less than the pain from a pinch. After insertion, it bled a bit but not more than a light period day. I was feeling good enough to go to the gym right after insertion actually (however, they told me I should rest, ahahha). I cramped a little but not much. My period became longer and a little heavier and more painful (not too bad tho) for about 4 months, it then went back to 3 days after lasting 5 days for those past 4 months. It also went back to not being painful and didn’t stay heavy. However, after a few months, I had extremely painful pelvic area, it lasted for a few weeks but went away. (Random, was scared it was copper toxicity or PID.) Beware, copper can change hormones tho. I had gum recession and hair loss, and the IUD was the only thing that had been changed in my routine within the course of a year and a half. It is not common but happens."

• Ouc...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 1, 2021

For Birth Control "I had 2 ParaGard IUDs. Had the first for the entire 10 years and the second for about 3 years. The first one hurt a lot when it was put in, but it was manageable. The second insertion was unbearable pain. Cramping afterward was misery with both. I had periods lasting from 10 to 14 days with both, large clots, etc. It was cheap and better than being pregnant, though. A couple of days ago, I went in for an annual check-up and another sonogram and biopsy to address all this bleeding and discovered that the IUD had migrated and my strings were missing. She had to dig around to find the strings, and it was excruciating, but it was over quickly. That was enough for me. No more IUD. But I got 13+ years of reliable birth control when I had no other options. The suffering was worth it for the most part."

• Ouc...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 1, 2021

For Birth Control "I had 2 ParaGard IUDs. Had the first for the entire 10 years and the second for about 3 years. The first one hurt a lot when it was put in, but it was manageable. The second insertion was unbearable pain. Cramping afterward was misery with both. I had periods lasting from 10 to 14 days with both, large clots, etc. It was cheap and better than being pregnant, though. A couple of days ago, I went in for an annual check-up and another sonogram and biopsy to address all this bleeding and discovered that the IUD had migrated and my strings were missing. She had to dig around to find the strings, and it was excruciating, but it was over quickly. That was enough for me. No more IUD. But I got 13+ years of reliable birth control when I had no other options. The suffering was worth it for the most part."

• Ean...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 25, 2020

For Birth Control "After a year and 3 months with my ParaGard, I actually got pregnant and had to have a medical abortion :/ but this is SUPER rare, and I must’ve had unprotected sex 200 times in that time period, and it was effective every other time, lol. Besides the issue of me getting pregnant on ParaGard, my periods went from 3-4 days to 5-6, and my bleeding was so heavy that I used to say you could squeeze me like a ketchup bottle and blood would come squirting out, haha. Cramps were also occasionally awful. I didn't get a hormonal IUD because I was afraid of getting worse acne, which I think was a good decision because I don't think ParaGard affected my skin at all. Overall, I would recommend ParaGard because I felt like I never had to worry."

• Chl...
• December 16, 2019

For Birth Control "I got my IUD inserted in March of 2017, when I was 19. I had never been pregnant. Insertion was the most painful experience of my life. I took ibuprofen and Valium. I could barely walk afterward, and my boyfriend had to drive. I had severe cramping and pain. I bled like crazy, and my periods have lasted 2+ weeks since then. I get cramping 3/4 weeks per month with the IUD and pain on the left side. I cramp at the beginning and end of my period, and the ones at the end are worse. I am left stuck in bed with a heating pad, writhing and sweating. I get pain from my IUD before, during, and after sex as well. I have gotten terrible cystic acne on my cheeks, which I never had before, and extreme PMS. I have had joint pain, UTIs, and yeast infections. I will be getting it removed ASAP. My strings disappeared within 2 months of insertion, so I may need surgery to remove it. I'd rather find out I'm pregnant than deal with another month of this BS."

• bon...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 11, 2019

For Birth Control "Had the IUD for a year, it was an okay insertion, not comfortable but not unbearable. But I had increased bleeding and pain. After I adjusted, the pain started to improve, but then after about 7 months, I had a ton of pain during sex and bleeding for days and days. Turns out my IUD expelled and was in my cervix. They say that only happens for 4 percent of women, though, so evaluate the risk."

• Van...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 22, 2019

For Birth Control "Horrible pain with insertion. I have a high pain tolerance, but this almost made me pass out, it hurt so bad. Heavy, heavy bleeding. Sometimes, two heavy, long periods a month, with spotting in between. Weight gain and hip joint pain. I just got it removed today, which was almost painless, thank goodness."

• Ash...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 10, 2019

For Birth Control "I just had ParaGard inserted 5 days ago. The insertion process was only upper painful and uncomfortable (mainly during dilation and when my doc tried to match up my uterus with some device). Since insertion, I’ve been spotting, well - bleeding a lot. I know spotting is normal, but this has not stopped since insertion. Not to mention, there’s a constant feeling of needing to poop once the IUD was placed in. Not sure if it’s up against my bowel, but that’s the primary feeling I always have with this thing. Oh, and one last thing, I experienced cramps so sharp and painful, it felt like I was being suddenly stabbed. I’m talking so sharp that I gasped, stopped what I was doing, and curled into a ball. Mind you, these aren’t constant - they just pop up every now and then. It will knock the wind out of you. Or at least I hope it doesn’t for anyone else. I will update as more time goes with my ParaGard experience."

• Mad...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 15, 2017

For Birth Control "I’ve had ParaGard for almost 5 years, since I was 20. Never been pregnant or on any other type of BC. I remember the insertion being painful, like the worst cramps I’d ever felt, but brief, and then I was crampy for a few days. Overall, not horrendous. My first 4-5 periods on it were pretty gnarly, though, with really heavy bleeding and horrible cramps; I had to miss school/work even with ibuprofen. It has gotten better, though. Pre-IUD, my natural period was light with rare cramps. I love that it is non-hormonal, which is why I’ve kept it in for 4.5 years, but I’m getting really sick of the heavy 6-7 day period with heavy cramps and backache every single month. I’m considering getting it removed, but don’t know of a better option for BC."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 11, 2017

For Birth Control "I got the copper IUD for obvious reasons such as no hormones, it's in one time and you can forget about it, extremely effective, etc. After the insertion, I hurt for 3 days straight, curling up in pain and crying. My periods lasted from 7 to 14 days, with the most absurd amount of bleeding. I was changing my tampon every 2 hours, absolutely saturated. I would get sharp pain at random times, and my partner could feel the strings. Once I decided to take it out, I literally felt 'lighter' the instant it was taken out. I was a strange feeling, not really explainable, but the best word for it is lighter because my uterus was so happy to have a foreign object gone."

• Jen...
• May 22, 2016

For Birth Control "I had a stroke in January 2016, the doctors' theory is that it was the hormones I was using for birth control. They had me take out my NuvaRing immediately. I needed a non-hormonal birth control, and my gyn said the ParaGard was the best thing for 10 years. He inserted it the day I met with him, so I had no painkillers. I swore a blue streak when they put it in. I spotted for a week afterward, but I'm on massive doses of blood thinners to prevent another stroke. So I'm on my second period since insertion, and I'm bleeding like I got shot between the legs, again, the blood thinners make it worse. I'm trying to be patient and hope it gets better after the meds are stopped. Can't beat 10 years and no hormones."

• Kat...
• November 30, 2015

For Birth Control "First off, I am a 28-year-old with no children. I was extremely excited to get ParaGard. I don't do well on hormones, and my husband and I don't want children, so a long-term solution seemed like the best idea (bonus: my insurance covered it!) Insertion was painful, but the 600 mg of ibuprofen I took prior helped. Apparently, if you have had kids, it's less painful. My first period after was worse than normal, but no bloodbath, cramps were sharper but not unbearable. Then I kept spotting. And spotting. And spotting. After my first period, I have not gone a single day without bleeding three months later. And I get a sharp pain when I climax during sex (but otherwise sex is painless, hubs can't feel a thing.) Considering removal now :("

• San...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 11, 2022

For Birth Control "I’ve had my ParaGard IUD in for a year and a half. I will start by saying it’s been very low maintenance, and I love that I have never had to worry about a pregnancy scare. I chose the copper IUD because I wanted something non-hormonal as I knew I was entering big life transitions, and I wanted to remain regular in my hormones. The ParaGard has been a blessing in these ways. However, there are a few downsides. Following the insertion, I went back to work the next day. I remember hunching over in pain despite taking many painkillers. My gynecologist advised me that the pain usually subsided after 3 months. Everyone has different pain tolerances and period pain, but my pain did not lessen until maybe the year mark. Even at the year and a half mark, my pain is disruptive, and I don’t like that I have to take 6-8 Advil a day to try and lessen the pain. Just be prepared for lots of blood and pain."

• Hgl...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 3, 2022

For Birth Control "I was on ParaGard for 4.5 years. Prior to this, I wasn’t on birth control and had light, painless periods. Getting it inserted was uncomfortable but bearable. While on it, I had heavier, longer periods, but they became more manageable after 1 year. I liked ParaGard at first because it was convenient and free with insurance. However, after 2 years, I began bleeding during sex, feeling anxious, gained 10 lbs, and got persistent cystic acne. I kept ParaGard in 2 more years because I didn’t realize those issues were linked to my non-hormonal birth control. Then an ultrasound revealed that my ParaGard had been displaced and was sitting too low to be fully effective. My OB-GYN said this happens a lot. When I got it removed, we noticed half of the copper coil had dissolved/fallen off. After removal, all symptoms disappeared in a week."

• bar...
• July 1, 2021

For Birth Control "Got my ParaGard inserted October 2020. Insertion was tolerable. I experienced only bad cramping for my first two menstrual cycles. I am extremely active, so I deal with abdominal pain fairly well. The only reason I stopped wanting to use the IUD for good was the heavy bleeding! I went from a 5-day period with only 2 days of heavy bleeding to an 8-9 day period with 4-5 days of SUPER heavy bleeding!!! I knew this was a possibility before getting it inserted, but thought it would subside within 4-6 months. It's going on 9 months, and I still go through menstrual diapers, maxi pads, and maxi tampons. Got it removed today, which was painless, and have started a combination pill that will clear my acne and stop my period altogether. Other than that, I did not experience any bad side effects, as there are no hormones in it, but I strongly do not recommend this pill to anyone who lives an active lifestyle and doesn't want a heavy period to get in the way of their daily life!"

• Anonymous
• May 7, 2021

For Birth Control "So I got this in February of last year after I gave birth to my second child. I'm 25, and since I wanted to breastfeed, I had to get something non-hormonal because the last time my birth control depleted my milk supply. For the first year, I didn't get a period, but in February of this year, I finally got it again. But now it's happening almost every day, and now they are so heavy I bleed through my tampon and a pad. I've ruined pants at work, it's been horrible. I thought I finally got rid of it the other day after having it for 16 days in a row. Well, I went to the restroom and my period is back again all of a sudden. I am going to have to remove the ParaGard, I guess. The one good thing is when I didn't get my period, I experienced no cramps and didn't get pregnant. But now I cramp really bad every day."

• Cat...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 2, 2021

For Birth Control "This is the second time I have had the ParaGard. First time no issues at all, had it inserted after the first child. Second one inserted after that, again no issues. However, 6 years into it, I started bleeding between periods and sex. Felt just off in other ways. Depressed, weight gain, all the other side effects here, but not for one second did I think it was my IUD. Then my cervix started to get inflamed no matter what. All tests came back fine and the IUD was in perfect position. But pain and unusual side effects. I decided to have it removed and went back for my one-month post-checkup just to see. Cervix was perfect. Nothing at all. No breakthrough bleeding. No bleeding after sex either. I don’t know if it was the ParaGard, but I do believe if your body doesn’t want something, it definitely tells you. I feel better mentally and physically since removal. 43-year-old healthy female otherwise."

• Cat...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 2, 2021

For Birth Control "This is the second time I have had the ParaGard. First time no issues at all, had it inserted after the first child. Second one inserted after that, again no issues. However, 6 years into it, I started bleeding between periods and sex. Felt just off in other ways. Depressed, weight gain, all the other side effects here, but not for one second did I think it was my IUD. Then my cervix started to get inflamed no matter what. All tests came back fine and the IUD was in perfect position. But pain and unusual side effects. I decided to have it removed and went back for my one-month post-checkup just to see. Cervix was perfect. Nothing at all. No breakthrough bleeding. No bleeding after sex either. I don’t know if it was the ParaGard, but I do believe if your body doesn’t want something, it definitely tells you. I feel better mentally and physically since removal. 43-year-old healthy female otherwise."

• Che...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 20, 2020

For Birth Control "It was effective for me, but I hated it so much I had it removed after about nine months. Insertion was definitely uncomfortable, and the cramping after was pretty bad, but I just used a heating pad and watched movies, fine the next day I think. But my periods were horrendous. Really bad cramping where I normally have hardly any. Couldn't sleep through the night because I'd bleed through everything too fast. Menstrual cup needed to be emptied about every two hours (previously could go 12). I guess I thought it was worth it enough to keep it for the nine months I did, but it was a relief to get it out. And my periods went right back to normal."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 20, 2019

For Birth Control "I got the ParaGard IUD put in about 5 months ago. Insertion was the most excruciating pain I’ve ever felt and I would like to say I have a high pain tolerance, I was not ready for that. After it was inserted, the next few days I was bedridden from cramps, but eventually, it went away. My periods started coming 2x a month instead of 1x a month, and I think that’s why it gave me such terrible acne. Ever since my first period on the copper IUD, my face completely broke out in hormonal cystic acne. I’ve always had acne, but never this bad. I did bleed A LOT the first few periods, which is uncommon for me. I did become anemic from how much blood I was losing on my periods, and for that reason, I’m getting rid of it. However, the peace of mind I had after intercourse made everything worth it for the time being. Much luck!"

• Fra...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 29, 2019

For Birth Control "I had ParaGard inserted 11/28/2018. I had given birth to my daughter 09/05/2018, and my period had not returned yet, so we were hopeful I would just keep on the trend. Insertion was not painful. It's easy to find the strings and make sure it's in place, and I enjoyed not having to take daily medications (I had taken Tri-Cyclen before I got pregnant - that obviously failed). However, I have had nonstop issues with ParaGard after insertion. Bacterial infections, fungal infections, yeast infections, and nonstop heavy bleeding. For the past 6 months, I have spotted or had heavy bleeding every single day. I am at wit's end. Numerous pairs of underwear and pants have had to be thrown out because of this. I will be having it removed soon."

• Kds...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 10, 2019

For Birth Control "Had the ParaGard for 14 months. I think it works for some people but not for me. First five months I had longer and heavier periods, random spotting in between periods, increased discharge, and cramping. After that, it just got worse. The bleeding was insanely heavy, periods were not on track, bloating, and cramps got worse. The worst side effects from ParaGard were I kept getting BV and UTIs back to back. I also had one cycle where my period lasted ONE month. Never had an issue with my periods or infections prior to having an IUD. I swear it was my body telling me to get rid of it. Today I finally got it removed. I really wanted this to work, but it really made me miserable."