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Liletta and Cramps: What Users Say (Page 5)

Reviews for Liletta

Commonly mentioned side effects
  • Abo...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • July 1, 2017

For Birth Control "I have had Liletta for almost three months now. I really like it. Insertion was painful, be sure to take ibuprofen prior to. I think I have had a couple of periods since, but nothing noteworthy, they are short. There has been some seemingly random cramping that I went back to the doctor to check out, but everything is fine. I'm well on my way to no periods, period! I will say I have been breaking out, and that's unusual for me. I had a group of pimples that didn't go away for a long time."

9 / 10
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  • Nev...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • June 21, 2019

For Birth Control "I had the Liletta IUD inserted in February 2019. I am happy to say that as of June 19, 2019, it has been removed. The insertion was slightly painful, and the removal was just a quick, sharp pain, which was tolerable. I experienced bleeding every day except two weeks from the time of insertion. The last 4 weeks were the worst. It is great birth control because you are bleeding so much you don't want to have sex. It did help with the excessive cramping I experienced during my menstrual cycle prior to the insertion. It took me from heavy bleeding once a month (prior to insertion) to spotting daily (after insertion), which went to brown, then red, then to light bleeding. The last straw was when I started bleeding daily for almost 4 weeks. Unfortunately, two days after removal, it is like I have started my period again with heavy bleeding and clotting. I am just glad it is out of there. Good luck, ladies!"

1 / 10
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  • oli...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • February 2, 2017

For Birth Control "I'm 23, never given birth, had it inserted 9/16. I have a high pain tolerance, but the insertion was brutal and I nearly passed out. Horrible cramps and weakness the next few days. Although it's effective, I almost got it removed in the first couple of months because of side effects: crazy mood swings, cramps, bloating, cravings, acne all over, spotting. Like puberty all over again. My doctor advised me to give it 6 months and see how I feel. 4 months in, and the side effects are getting better, more noticeable around my period, which has become much lighter but longer. I went from a heavy 4-5 days on the pill to a very light 10-12. I'm not sure if it's a good trade, but I'm going to wait and see if the hormones level out."

6 / 10
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Frequently asked questions

  • Anonymous
  • March 2, 2017

For Birth Control "So my insertion was August 2016. It was horrible. Everybody said it was gonna feel like a pinch and be over in 5 mins. The clamps that they used to extend your cervix hurt so much, and they were having a really hard time inserting the IUD. I had to take numerous breaks, I was in so much pain. I have multiple piercings, nipples being one, multiple tattoos, so pain isn't too much of a problem for me. After insertion that day, I had terrible cramps. I bled for 2.5 weeks. But 6 months later, I love it. My periods are super light if I get it at all. No pain. I can't feel it during sex, and I'm still not pregnant. I am noticing I am a little extra emotional, but it doesn't bother me."

8 / 10
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  • Xab...
  • September 29, 2019

For Birth Control "I’ve had Liletta for a short period of time, maybe two weeks. The insertion was terrible, like I won’t lie, I almost threw up! But I had cramps for about an hour after, nothing too bad. Then I went home and worked on the farm with no issues! I get a little crampy for about 5 minutes, like once a day, but that’s about it. I’ve spotted twice since being on it. I love it so far!"

6 / 10
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  • Kay...
  • June 1, 2017

For Birth Control "I had this inserted in October 2016. Doctor assured me it would be easy and painless since I just had a baby. It was the worst experience of my life, I almost passed out from the pain. After about 20 minutes, he finally got it. It's now 8 months later, and I get my period 3 weeks out of the month, I have a break for 1 week, and it's back. Before getting my period, I get extremely depressed, my mood swings are terrible. I have terrible cramping the whole time my period is here. I was hoping after a few months my period would become lighter, or at this point just back to normal, but it seems to be getting worse. The only good thing I can say about this birth control is that I have not become pregnant."

3 / 10
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  • Lil...
  • April 7, 2017

For Birth Control "I've had 2 c-sections and zero natural births, so my doctor prepared me by letting me know that the entrance to my uterus (cervical oss) was that of a woman that has never had children. So I could experience more pain than usual. The insertion was a bit uncomfortable (not really any pain), but after 3 hours and some Motrin, it was completely gone. I really think it depends on the provider inserting the Liletta if you experience pain. It's interesting to me to hear some people had the worst pain in their life while others had just a few hours of cramping. To me, it just shows it's not the Liletta, it's the person inserting it."

10 / 10
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More FAQ

  • Ssm...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • April 6, 2017

For Birth Control "I got my Liletta nearly four months ago to the day (12/8/16). Despite a rough start, things seem to be leveling out now, and I'm pretty pleased with it. Insertion definitely hurt, but if you take some ibuprofen prior to it, the pain shouldn't leave you too miserable. I already had really heavy, painful periods, so my first period on it was a special sort of hell. I also had weird, intermittent spotting and cramping for the first 2-3 months, but by March, things started to lighten up. Cramps can now be treated with an in-pants heating pad, and my flow is but a trickle. I reckon my period will stop altogether within the next few months. If you can tough out the rough start, it's worth it! Doesn't last as long as the others, but still gets it done!"

8 / 10
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  • KoK...
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • July 7, 2018

For Birth Control "Got this in at my 6-week appointment after having my son in 2016. There was some cramping and spotting, of course, but that was to be expected. After that, periods resumed as normal, my normal timing, my normal flow. Now, at almost 2 years, I think my periods have stopped completely. I'm not complaining though. As long as it does the job, I'm fine. Also, I will note that I haven't had any unusual weight gain or anything outside of my normal mood swings that come right before my period since having this in. It's almost like it's not even there, to me."

9 / 10
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  • JMa...
  • August 19, 2018

For Birth Control "I'm 26, never had kids. My doctor proposed an IUD as an 'easier' alternative to a hysterectomy. Honestly? With the amount of pain and bleeding I have experienced, it would have been better to just get the hysto. The insertion was EXTREMELY painful. I have a pretty high pain tolerance, but I was literally screaming with tears flowing down my face during insertion. I then had debilitating, truly debilitating cramps that 24/7 max dose ibuprofen couldn't ease. I was in bed from the pain for about 2 weeks. It's now been another 3 weeks (so about 5 weeks post-insertion), and the pain has subsided, but I have literally been bleeding nonstop since insertion. The constant pain and blood have made sex basically impossible. I'm also extremely exhausted and depressed. Liletta is wrecking my life. They say to wait 3 months to give your body time to adjust, but if things aren't way better by then, I'm just going to have this removed."

2 / 10
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  • mom...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • September 11, 2016

For Birth Control "I got IUD Liletta inserted in May 2016, and I'm getting it removed next week. I only got one heavy menstrual cycle in July. My cramping is bad every day, headaches. I have gained weight. I also got some skin blemish on my face, and to top it off, itchy irritation on my vagina."

4 / 10
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  • KH1...
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • August 4, 2018

For Birth Control "Liletta is not great for me. I had it inserted months ago and have bled EVERY day since. The bleeding ranged from heavy to spotting, but there hasn’t been a day without blood. Also, I have random cramps all the time, abdominal and in my back. I feel bloated in my lower abdomen and I’m holding on to so much weight despite working out 5x a week and eating clean. I've also had bacterial vaginitis (BV) twice since getting it, and I’ve never had it before that. Wouldn’t recommend this to anyone."

3 / 10
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  • ram...
  • Taken for 5 to 10 years
  • January 6, 2021

For Birth Control "I had Liletta for 8 and a half years as part of an IUD study. I loved my experience. Insertion was painful but bearable, and I did have bad cramping and spotting for probably 2-3 weeks. From there, all symptoms started to subside, and within 4 months, my period stopped coming altogether. I had no period or cramping for the 8 years following, no pregnancy scares, and no side effects. I only had it removed because the study was ending, and I'm sad to have had to take it out."

10 / 10
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  • Ish...
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • March 21, 2019

For Birth Control "I was very crampy the first couple of months, but now I don’t have a period and very minor period symptoms. Cramps every once in a while, but not terrible. Would definitely recommend for those who don’t want to be on the pill."

8 / 10
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  • Ish...
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • March 21, 2019

For Birth Control "I was very crampy the first couple of months, but now I don’t have a period and very minor period symptoms. Cramps every once in a while, but not terrible. Would definitely recommend for those who don’t want to be on the pill."

8 / 10
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  • Ana...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • August 4, 2018

For Birth Control "I have had Liletta for 5 months, and I love it. Insertion was very painful and felt like being stabbed in the uterus. I went home and took Tylenol for the pain. I had cramping for a few hours afterward, which was treated with a hot pad. I’ve had only two periods since, which were slightly longer than normal. I have not had a period for three months now, and the cramps and irritability that I had before getting Liletta are no longer there. I do notice that around my period time my breasts get tender, but I would rather have that than the pain and bleeding I had before getting this IUD."

9 / 10
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  • Rol...
  • July 24, 2015

For Birth Control "I'm 34 with no children. Insertion was quite painful. I took tramadol before the procedure, and it was still pretty painful-but the whole procedure only took about a minute. I cramped pretty bad for the first 2 days-had to take ibuprofen around the clock. It wasn't normal cramps, more like an intense shooting pain. Now, 5 weeks later, everything is great. If I had to have another inserted, I would ask for pain Rx to take before the insertion."

9 / 10
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  • Rus...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • November 23, 2017

For Birth Control "I got this IUD inserted immediately. My period started in October, it was so painful, but I guess I have a low pain threshold. Anyway, my only problem with this is I basically bled from the time I got it inserted, some days heavy, other days spotting, with cramps that I have never had before (and I have never had kids) till my next period. It was after that period that all cramps and spotting stopped. So far, so good. I think I am supposed to be having my period now, but I'm barely even spotting, I just have mild cramps. For the three months I have had it in, I can say minus the first rough month, I am really loving it... so convenient. And I haven’t gained any weight or had any acne problems. Aside from the occasional cramps, I wouldn’t even remember it's there."

10 / 10
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  • kit...
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • September 19, 2022

For Birth Control "I got the Liletta IUD about 3 years ago. Now, while I’m told anyone who gets an IUD who’s never had kids has more pain than ones who have had kids, I never expected it to be as bad as it was. I almost passed out, I was in severe pain for days. Eventually, when it went away, I didn’t have an issue with its effectiveness. However, randomly once a month I would have the worst cramps, I became more emotional than I had ever been. I gained around 70 lbs, and I tried every diet imaginable to try and lose weight, and nothing worked. And when it was getting close to the time when it needed to come out, I was having even worse cramps and spotting randomly. It worked for the fact that I didn’t get pregnant and didn’t have a period, but everything else was terrible. So I’m giving it a 5 because while it works, it’s not worth it."

5 / 10
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  • Bjc...
  • July 1, 2017

For Birth Control "Since there are so many negative reviews, I wanted to share my experience. I had Liletta placed on 6/9/17. It was not the most pleasant experience, but my uterus is not shaped or positioned normally, so it was more difficult (had to do it twice). However, while it was uncomfortable and a bit painful, I think if they hadn't had to adjust so much, it would've been no huge deal. After insertion, I had cramps that were more like contractions for a few hours, then they slowly calmed down, and I felt kind of uncomfortable for a couple of days. I also bled moderately for the week after, then spotted daily the second week. Now, all has cleared up, so I'm hoping it continues, if it does, this is awesome! So far, so good! Everyone is different!!!"

7 / 10
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  • Ama...
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • January 9, 2022

For Birth Control "Had Mirena 5 years, then another one 7 years, with no problems whatsoever! No periods, no weight gain, actually lost weight, had energy. Went in for another replacement and was told them switched to Liletta, but it was the same. Definitely nowhere near the same for me!! Weight gain 25+ in a year, severe migraines, reflux, acne, no energy, abdominal cramps, back pain, high blood pressure. Not to mention so much more painful on insertion than the previous 2! Just had it removed this week. Anything is better than Liletta!"

1 / 10
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  • Mar...
  • July 24, 2019

For Birth Control "I've had my IUD for about 4 months. I got it put in at my local Planned Parenthood, and it wasn't as bad as I expected. I got dizzy for a few seconds after and had teary eyes, but the cramping was on par with my worst natural period cramps. I do not have a high pain tolerance at all, so I think most people should be fine. I had previously been on a combined birth control pill for 10 months, but had to stop because I got migraines so badly that I would often throw up because of the pain-something that I've never done before. My headaches have completely stopped and I never had another migraine after getting my Liletta. I have a longer cycle (not bleeding days) and get worse cramping than I've had before. Personally, this is much less of an inconvenience than migraines that would completely immobilize me. I definitely recommend Liletta, and I would suggest getting it placed by someone who has done it many times, such as a gynecologist over a family doctor."

9 / 10
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  • Eha...
  • January 29, 2017

For Birth Control "I have been on this medication for almost a year, and the cramping that comes with this birth control is absolutely the worst. I figured after a few weeks the cramping would die down, but it didn't. I feel like my organs are being ripped apart from the inside out. These godforsaken cramps put me on my knees wishing for death. I can tolerate pain, but when it feels like my cervix is being sliced and pulled apart constantly for almost a year, something has got to give. Did the birth control do its job? Yes, I'm not pregnant. But is all this pain WORTH not being pregnant? Definitely no, it's not. Getting this thing out ASAP."

1 / 10
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  • And...
  • April 4, 2017

For Birth Control "I went into my doctor's office this morning expecting the worst. I made sure to take 600 mg of ibuprofen before the insertion, and I am on the last day of my period. I am also a very small girl who has never had kids. The pain was probably an 8 on a scale of 1-10 but only lasted for about a minute or two (it was more like a strong pap smear test). I made sure to breathe deeply and try to get my mind off what was going on. After this, I experienced mild cramping, but it has subsided as the day has gone by. I am hoping that this product works well and there are no side effects. Two minutes of pain are so worth a reliable birth control solution that lasts 3 years. I will also include an updated review within a couple of months."

9 / 10
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  • Ups...
  • August 13, 2016

For Birth Control "I've been on Liletta for a year now. If you never had children like me, you will find the process very painful. I had severe cramping for about an hour after insertion and slight bleeding over a couple of days. My periods are very light now, basically spotting, but they last longer. My acne has not changed; I still break out around the time of my period. And I feel like this IUD might be making me put on weight or not helping me to lose it. Overall, very effective to prevent pregnancy."

8 / 10
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Reviews may be edited to correct grammar/spelling or remove inappropriate content. Reviews appearing to come from parties with a vested interest are not published. This information is not intended to endorse any medication and should not replace the expertise and judgment of healthcare professionals.