I was gunna say T.M.I. warning, but like... if you read the title, you know what this is about.
If you've been reading my blog, then you will know that about 8 months ago, I had the IUD (the Copper Coil) fitted, in an attempt to step away from hormonal contraception and do something that, I thought, was better for my body.
To recap, the IUD sits inside your womb and releases copper, which stops the sperm reaching the egg, as well as a fertilised egg from implanting itself. (You can google it for the more sciencey part.)
I was told that after a few months, the side effects would subside and my cycle should settle back to normal. This, however, was not the case. Seven months later, I was still bleeding through my Mooncup five times a day, with crippling cramps that made me want to curl up in a corner and cry. I was constantly tire (losing blood = losing iron) and was regularly taking both Ibuprofen and Paracetamol to ease the pain. The pain would keep me up at night, with me waking up my partner to crush his hand. So, you know, not great.
I remember having lunch with a friend, and I couldn't concentrate on anything she was saying as I was in so much pain. It was all down my legs, up my back, obvs around my lower stomach, and I had already taken Ibuprofen and Paracetamol. To make things worse, I had leaked through. Again. As soon as we left the table, I turned to my partner and said "I want it out."
I had stuck it out, I had tried the non-hormonal method, and to be honest... it really wasn't worth it. Not to mention that my skin went completely haywire again. All the weird lumps were back, I was getting blackheads on my back and a new issue were the red, eczema like patches around my mouth. I realise this all sounds very very doom and gloom, but well, it kind of was? (Jeez nice one Hope, way to make this sound more uplifting.)
So I had it removed. As I had started taking the combined pill again, there was no concern of pregnancy and they could remove it right then, without having to have a second appointment. (Amazing) The procedure was so much easier than the initial insertion, thank god. Compared to the insertion where I was pretty much bed bound for the rest of the day, I actually felt completely fine. With no pain and very minor bleeding, I was able to go and enjoy some candy floss and fireworks. :)
For now, I'm going to stick with my original pill. My skin has already improved, so I'm just hoping that everything else does too.
But don't let this put you off trying the IUD if that's what you want. This is my experience of it and yours could be completely different. At the end of the day, you know your body best, so go with what works for you.
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