Liletta and Cramps: What Users Say

• MLa...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 28, 2021

For Birth Control "I got Liletta about 3 years ago. Very painful insertion but pain went away about 1 hour later. My next two periods were unbearable. Like I thought an ovary was exploding and I couldn't walk or breathe. I have been having pain on and off every week that is similar to endometriosis pains with light bleeding. I have PCOS and I told the doctor and they said it would be fine, but I'm starting to wonder about it. I have no sex drive, feel tired all the time, and have a mental fog that I specifically remembered starting around the time of my insertion. I also gained about 15 pounds. The cramps radiate out from my ovaries to my back and down my thighs. My doctor keeps telling me it's normal... I want to get it removed as soon as possible."

• ali...
• February 24, 2020

For Birth Control "First, insertion was extremely painful. I am comparing it to a Paragard insertion about 10 years ago, a breeze. I had Paragard for 8 years with no issues, and do not have kids. I opted for Liletta last month. I've noticed such a dramatic shift in my mood and personality for the worse, as well as bloating and weight gain. What makes the side effects even more dramatic is that I have been working out really consistently (running 10 miles/week, yoga, strength), which would normally lift my spirits and mitigate any winter blues, but nope, I'll get off the treadmill and feel on the verge of tears for no reason. It's affecting my work and my relationship, I want it out asap. I've also been crampy and spotting for the entire month since it was inserted. I realize that part is meant to be normal, but it's like insult to injury taking all the other side effects into account. The pros are: I'm not pregnant. Worth it? Not at the cost of my relationship and mental health, and physical well-being."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 5, 2019

For Birth Control "I had the Liletta IUD inserted to replace using birth control pills. It is amazing! I am 22 (no kids) and have seen absolutely no change in my weight, mood, acne, or sex drive. Don’t let these negative reviews scare you away, people often write about negative experiences, and everyone having a good experience doesn't think about doing a review. Insertion was painful for 30 seconds and then mild cramping for about 2 hours, but it has been so worth it! I had sex the next day, and my boyfriend and I did not notice the string at all. It is a huge benefit to not use a condom or have to worry about any accidents happening. The only negative would be my one period lasting 2 weeks, but the second week was really light. I haven’t had a period since. Highly recommend Liletta!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 21, 2020

For Birth Control "I got the Liletta IUD 3 months ago, and at first, it was awful. Cramps were awful upon insertion and almost unbearable for about a month afterward. I never bled at all, but the cramps were constant. Since then, I couldn't have been happier. I have lost weight (not necessarily related, but didn't gain any weight). I have seen a dramatic increase in sex drive. I have been on different birth control pills in the past that made me very depressed, so I was worried the IUD might have this effect. My mood has been great! The only negative thing is that I do have more acne now, but nothing that is too extreme and needs more than over-the-counter medicine. My period has also almost completely stopped, and it's only been 3 months, which is great!!"

• Ari...
• September 5, 2020

For Birth Control "The insertion process of Liletta was great, mild cramping. Spotting at first for about 4-5 days after. I am now 7 months in and I spot for 3 weeks at a time. I’m good for 2 weeks then spot for 3 more weeks. My sex drive is incredibly high, and it’s putting a strain on my sex life. This is my first time getting on birth control. I was never a heavy bleeder, just a fertile mertile. Got pregnant easy. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful I am not pregnant, but I love sex and I am bummed with all this spotting."

• Nat...
• September 24, 2018

For Birth Control "I got Liletta put in almost a week ago, and so far have had a great experience! I am 20 years old and have never had kids. My period cramps are usually not too bad, I'll take a few ibuprofen, and they usually settle down, and my pain tolerance is pretty high. I knew going in that the insertion was going to hurt, however, it definitely was tolerable. In the days following, I haven't experienced any heavy cramping (thankfully). The rest of the day after getting it inserted just felt like how I would normally cramp the day before I get my period. I took it easy the 2-3 days after getting it inserted, however, I feel completely normal now. I have a brownish/yellowish clear discharge, but so far no heavy bleeding either. I wanted to leave a review just because the day before I got mine inserted, I read the reviews and psyched myself out because they are almost all bad! Everybody is different, so I'm glad I didn't chicken out because so far so good!"

• BLS...
• January 19, 2020

For Birth Control "on this for irregular periods/ovarian cysts/birth control. I have not stopped bleeding since insertion and feel like I'm in a constant state of PMS. I have regular cramping and noticeable pressure in my lower abdomen. I am almost constantly bloated. I eat 90% paleo, limit alcohol, and work out regularly. The rest of my body is in great shape, but since the IUD insertion, my mid-section is ever-expanding! I am unable to fit into anything unless it has spandex. I have been experiencing headaches, which I am not normally prone to, and I feel more anxious than normal. My skin has also taken a downward turn. I have never been acne-prone, and my face looks like I am going through puberty. And most importantly, my mood sucks! I find myself to be uncontrollably irritable. It's almost like watching another person because I can see myself being angry or down in the dumps, and I can't pinpoint why and struggle to shake myself out of it. I have never had depression, but I think the medication is taking its toll on my normally upbeat nature. I am done."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 4, 2017

For Birth Control "Alright, I got Liletta in December of 2016, about 5 months after I had my son. After reading some reviews, I was terrified. But let me tell you, the insertion wasn't terrible. Yes, it hurt. But I'm sure the placing of anything in your uterus isn't exactly pleasant. I had cramping for about 24 hours and also had a bit of leg pain, which I thought was odd, but that too subsided within 24 hours. Very mild spotting for about 48 hours after insertion. Then, nothing. Haven't had a period since (7 months), no cramping, no crazy breakouts or weight gain or anything like that. If anything, I lost weight and increased my sex drive. Now, that being said, I do occasionally have an increase in vaginal discharge. Which isn't a big deal."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 27, 2018

For Birth Control "I have had Liletta for a year. I had Mirena for the 5 years prior but switched jobs, and my company would not pay for IUDs anymore. My doctor suggested Liletta ($700) because the out-of-pocket cost was less than Mirena ($2,000). The insertion was the same-painful but bearable. I did not have any issues with Mirena and went on it initially due to heavy bleeding and severe cramping. I stopped a period altogether for about 4 years with Mirena. Since Liletta, I have had: 1. Breakthrough spotting and severe cramping 2. Panic attacks each month while PMSing 3. Severe PMS mood swings: emotional outbursts to raging anger. I never had these symptoms with Mirena or previous birth control. My gyno doesn't think they're related, but my onco believes it's the hormones from Liletta. I 100% agree. I don't feel like myself. My husband has seen a change in me over the year, from personality to sex drive. It's coming out this week, and I'm reporting the symptoms to the FDA."

• Mom...
• April 2, 2021

For Birth Control "Had this Liletta IUD put in January 2020 because of irregular and heavy periods. The insertion was not bad. I experienced cramps for a day or two. But the spotting that followed was unreal. It lasted about 5 months accompanied by my regular, irregular periods. Additionally, I have gained 15 pounds, which is frustrating considering that I have maintained a consistent weight my whole adult life (except pregnancy) due to following a strict exercise and diet regimen. My sex drive is also completely gone and has been replaced with headaches, mood swings, anxiety, and depression. I am grateful to have found this website to learn this is not all in my head and others have experienced the same side effects. It’s not worth it anymore and I will be having the IUD removed shortly."

• Ber...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 15, 2019

For Birth Control "I've had my Liletta since I was 18, and I've had it going on a year and three months now, and it's pretty great. Getting it in was slightly traumatic, but in reality, it was just a huge period cramp, basically. Yes, it hurts, duh, but only for a minute, so just tell yourself not to worry, it'll be over in a second. Or take a deep breath, and it'll be over. Afterwards, I cramped for about a week, and I waited to have sex again until I was comfortable. Minus some minor cramping after sex, I love it. I got put on birth control pills a month ahead of getting Liletta, so the doctor could schedule my period, and the pills broke my skin out and made me nauseous. With Liletta, my skin is clear, and I haven't gained any weight. I'm only extra moody around the time I'd usually have my period. I've only had one period in the past year+, and I've only spotted less than a handful of times. Plus, I'm not pregnant! Don't let bad reviews talk you out of it, everyone's experience is different."

• SWL...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 15, 2019

For Birth Control "Weight gain on Liletta!!! I had been on birth control pills since I was 15, except when coming off my two pregnancies. I am currently 37 years old and have been experiencing high blood pressure. My doctor suggested the Liletta IUD. Insertion was okay. It cramped for maybe a minute. I had bleeding for 1 week. The only pro is that I haven’t had a period in 1 year since the insertion. The big negative - I gained 12 pounds in 6 weeks. I am very active. I exercise 5-6 times a week. I monitor my macros. My diet has not changed. I’ve had blood work done to check my thyroid, etc. All clear. My body has never fluctuated in weight like this. It continues to climb in weight, and now I am heavier than I was at 9 months pregnant. I’ve had enough. I will be calling the doctor in the morning to have it removed. This is a major side effect that is not listed. That needs to be changed."

• Jad...
• December 14, 2019

For Birth Control "I've had Liletta IUD for a little over 2 years. It was the worst experience! The insertion was so painful. I had contractions for days! My body kept trying to eject the IUD out throughout my cervix the entire time I had it. Sometimes the cramps were so painful, I felt my knees buckling. From the time I had Liletta in, I felt like my body had prepared for 2 pregnancies and was preparing for the third. I constantly felt pregnant. My BP skyrocketed and so did my weight. I gained 59 lbs!!!! I had some severe mental health issues. I was severely depressed and suffering from suicidal thoughts, and I did not know why. I thought maybe I'm overly sensitive to everything. My body wasn't mine, and I felt like I had to gain back control over whatever this IUD was doing to me. At this point, having a baby was better than this. I had my IUD removed a week ago, and I'm still spotting. It's light, but I will never ever recommend an IUD. It's been a week, and I've lost 4 lbs with no change in lifestyle."

• Iow...
• January 23, 2020

For Birth Control "I chose an IUD (Liletta) after we had baby #2. I had horrible periods and cramping. Like unbearable at times. Insertion was painful for about 2 minutes, then cramping once it was in. I bled for about 3 months, every day. Sometimes light, sometimes heavy. Mild cramping as well. I’m 34, taller, overweight but athletic. After the initial bleeding went away, I started seeing the benefits of Liletta: no periods and no worry of getting pregnant unexpectedly. I’ve had it for just over 1 1/2 years. I have been dealing with very low energy and very low sex drive, and I’m at my heaviest I’ve been. I was chalking this up to stress at work but had something in the back of my head saying, “check what others are saying,” so then I came here and am reading everyone’s story. The majority have had the same side effects that I’m experiencing. I will discuss with my husband and see what our next step is because, as a BC, it’s working, and I like no periods, but my mental health and relationship are suffering."

• Ban...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 30, 2019

For Birth Control "I had Liletta inserted last week, but I have had several other IUDs prior to this one, and all insertions hurt, followed by extreme cramps for a few days. However, this is the first where I did not bleed forever afterward. I bled only for a day and a half after insertion and mostly only when I wiped. I have noticed an insane increase in my sex drive that is almost too much. I honestly don’t know if I’d call that a complaint or not, but so far so good otherwise."

• Anonymous
• February 14, 2020

For Birth Control "I had the Liletta put in about a week ago. I was on my period when I had it put in. First, having it put in was the worst pain EVER! (And I have had 3 kids! And the last one was all natural). I screamed several times. Every time my doctor tried removing the inserter, the IUD would pull down, so she had to keep repositioning it. Finally, it stayed in place. I was very crampy for about an hour after, but then all the pain went away. I woke up the next morning, and my period had stopped altogether, and I should have had another 2-3 days left. I have had very mild cramps since, but nothing else. It’s like it’s not even there. Let’s hope it stays that way! I chose this because I have very heavy, painful periods."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 13, 2016

For Birth Control "I got Liletta at the beginning of January. The insertion hurt pretty bad, and the day after was pretty bad too. After that, I didn't have periods, and I loved it at first. No acne, my moods even seemed to improve. By February, I noticed I gained 10 lbs, and I had been eating very healthy and working out. Previously to getting Liletta, I had been losing weight and was continuing exactly what I had done before. By the end of February, I was having bad cramps and acne. My skin was awful. Every day, there were new spots on my face. My cramps hurt so bad I had to call into work one day. The final straw was the depression that hit me. All of a sudden, I didn't care about anything and had no motivation. My thoughts were so dark. I got it removed in April."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 23, 2019

For Birth Control "My insertion experience of Liletta insertion was horrible, despite taking 800 mg of ibuprofen and a drug to dilate my cervix. I had sudden, short-term cramping for the next three months and light, irregular periods for the next six. After six months, my periods stopped altogether. For the first eight months, I experienced issues controlling my bladder. After a year and a half, I have all but forgotten that the IUD is there. However, I have no periods, I do not experience any pain, I haven't gotten pregnant, and I have not gained any weight. If you can get through the first year of back-and-forth side effects, I would say it is worth it in the end."

• Sam...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 22, 2024

For Heavy Menstrual Bleeding "I have had this for a year. Before the IUD, I was diagnosed with menorrhagia and had one (small) fibroid. I used to plan my life around my period; wore a large menstrual cup, extra-long pad, and period panties (and still leak). I modified my diet and took iron supplements that did not work. I experienced extreme fatigue, irritability, depression, anxiety, migraines, and severe PMS. Insertion was painful. I bled for 10 days with painful cramps. My first cycle was awful, and for 3 months had strangely painful random cramps and spotting. After that, my periods got lighter and now I just wear pantiliners. In 5 months, PMS symptoms were gone. No more depression, night sweats, or raging mood swings. In 8 months, I no longer experienced debilitating fatigue, so I started exercising on a daily basis. I am now in the best shape of my life at the age of 37, no longer anemic, and have lost 25 lbs. My body fat has gone from 32% to 24%. Even my thin hair is growing back! I am SO GLAD I got this IUD!"

• Ang...
• December 9, 2019

For Birth Control "This IUD has ruined my life. Everyone’s bodies react differently, but what Liletta has done to me has ruined me, and I am so angry that I paid money for my body and mind to be destroyed. IUD insertion wasn’t bad at all. I’ve had it for 5 months now, and I'm going in next week to get it removed. During intercourse, I experience severe pain, and my man says it feels like something is stabbing him during certain positions. I experience extreme cramping after sex. But the worst part is, I have experienced extreme depression and anxiety, and have unwanted sad thoughts for no apparent reason. I have NEVER experienced this before. It’s ruining my life. It’s gotten so bad that I have lost my hair. I had amazing hair, and now? I have no hair? It’s so thin, and every day I wash my hair, I notice more and more falling out. This is not normal at all. Do NOT get Liletta. I am VERY UNHAPPY WITH THE RESULTS! The only good thing I can say is, I’m not pregnant, lol."

• Lei...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 16, 2019

For Birth Control "I’ve had Liletta for about 1 year. This week, I’m finally getting it removed! NEGATIVES: 1. WEIGHT GAIN! Before I got this IUD, I had lost 60 lbs. I finally felt the best about myself that I ever had. BUT after getting this IUD-despite zero changes in my diet/exercise-I’ve gained almost 50 lbs. 2. ACNE! I have never had acne... until I got Liletta. I’ve now developed cystic acne all over my cheeks and in random spots on my face. 3. MOOD! I’ve always been super joyful and generally very happy-until I got this IUD. I cried randomly every other day the first 6 months that I had this IUD. Now, I get irritated VERY easily, and my anxiety has reached an all-time high. I can’t express how much this IUD has harmed my mental health. 4. PERIODS! I never used to get cramps, but now I get very painful ones all the time. Also, my periods used to only last 3 days, but now they last 7+ days. The only POSITIVE that I can think of is that I didn’t get pregnant!"

• mom...
• December 27, 2020

For Birth Control "I had Liletta put in 6 weeks after I gave birth to my last child. The insertion process was painful, with cramping afterwards. I made my appointment to have it removed, which is 4 months shy of being in for 3 years. Pain was very small, more of a discomfort than anything. Four days after it was removed, I had the heaviest period I have ever had in my life! I started passing large blood clots and cramping very badly. I had to start wearing the largest overnight pads and Depends because it wouldn't stop! I ended up in the Emergency Room a week later because it kept getting worse. My ears started ringing, I had zero energy, I could hear my heartbeat in my ears, and my heart rate was high. I lost so much blood that I was admitted to the hospital! To get the bleeding to slow down, I had to have 2 estrogen treatments through my IV and a progesterone pill. I now take 8 pills a day and am still struggling to feel normal. They said it could take months. By the way, I'm still bleeding! Don't get an IUD!"

• Not...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 16, 2020

For Birth Control "The Liletta insertion wasn’t horrible, I had a 6-week-old baby, so it was perfect timing to have it inserted. There was a sharp pain and mild cramping. I will preface that I have PCOS and active cystic ovaries. The first 3 weeks were great, I had an incredible sex drive and stable moods. However, I never quit bleeding and bloating. Some days were just heavier than others. The middle of the 3rd week is when I started to experience horrible pelvic pain, cramping, and nausea. After 3 days, this became debilitating. At my removal appointment, I discovered I had gained 16 pounds in 3 weeks, which is not normal for anyone, let alone someone who eats healthy and lives an active lifestyle. I noticed relief within 12 hours of removal, 48 hours out, and I’m having a normal period and feel back to my normal self."

• Hap...
• December 11, 2016

For Birth Control "I just got Liletta removed after giving it a chance for 7 months. I never had an issue with cramps before, but from day 1 on this IUD, I had unbearable cramps. After the first few weeks, I talked to my doctor, who suggested I wait it out, but after 7 months of pain, I give up. Within a few minutes of having it removed, I experienced relief and am starting to feel normal again. My back pain, abdominal cramps, and upper thigh pain disappeared. Everyone's body is different, but I would not recommend this to anyone. The pain and irregular bleeding are effective birth control because you won't want to have sex anyway. Back to birth control pills for me!"

• Hap...
• December 11, 2016

For Birth Control "I just got Liletta removed after giving it a chance for 7 months. I never had an issue with cramps before, but from day 1 on this IUD, I had unbearable cramps. After the first few weeks, I talked to my doctor, who suggested I wait it out, but after 7 months of pain, I give up. Within a few minutes of having it removed, I experienced relief and am starting to feel normal again. My back pain, abdominal cramps, and upper thigh pain disappeared. Everyone's body is different, but I would not recommend this to anyone. The pain and irregular bleeding are effective birth control because you won't want to have sex anyway. Back to birth control pills for me!"