I'm curious Silverfire, did you get it in the city you're living in? Down here in the SE, the doctors just downright wont apparently. If you want an IUD you have to go to Regina.
I took the pill for a year when I got into my first relationship - but I was really apprehensive about it for the reasons Krampus and Berry stated. I really hated that it brought back a regular period (they all but stopped when I topped 300 pounds), and when I went off them it took 8 months for my body to regulate, and I had the emotional symptoms like crazy, which have never been an issue for me.
Wow, this is great! Everyone is just a bit different, I feel better about my issues now! lol
I was just so terrible at remembering to take the pill, and IMO condoms, as useful as they are, just grosses me out. We have used them, in between other methods of BC, but I am not a fan. He doesn't mind, as at this point, anything is better than getting me knocked up haha!
I have been so back and forth on the kids thing (He is pretty sure he doesn't wanna at all, practicing is fine however ) I think, if we decide not to have kids for sure, I will suggest he get snipped.
Radiojane - I got mine at the planned parenthood in Saskatoon. I don't have a family doctor here, I have always gone the medi-clinics for regular stuff, and planned parenthood for paps and BC.
I love the part of the Mirena where I don't get real periods, but at the same time, I sometimes miss the consistency! If I was extra b1tchy, it was because I was PMSing... now I think I am just extra b1tchy without the PMS!!!
I'm on my 3rd Mirena & I love it. I had my last one in for way longer than you're supposed to--7 years with no problems. I do not have any cramping, very rarely have spotting, no visits from Aunty Flo. I was awful about remembering to take the pill way back when. I think those lawsuit commercials are crazy. All the stuff they mention were all in the pamphlet I got before I ever had the IUD put in. It seems crazy that people can sue for things that they were warned may happen. I'm sorry that they have had those things happen, but every healthcare procedure/medication has risks.
I've had a paragard for almost 10 years. I have the paragard because it doesn't have hormones in it. (I have seizures on birth control with hormones in it.)
Have mine taken out this year and then we gotta figure out if it's baby time or not. lol
I don't either. Never have, but... I'm very careful (we are very careful) with using condoms. I don't like messing with my hormones unnaturally.
Yeah, forget that. In a state of nature I have really light periods and my skin is OK and I have a sex drive vs having none on hormonal BC. My periods are worse on the hormonal BC I've had and it really affected my moods and general personality.
I don't like condoms either. Perfect withdrawal method is supposedly comparably effective according to a few studies floating around. Been working for a year and a half with no "+" pregnancy tests.
I have Paraguard for over a year. My periods are still about 7 days and go exactly like this: 2 days spotting, 1 normal, 1 very heavy, 1 normal, 2-3 spotting and then gone. Weird. Minimal cramping.
I have Paragard, I have to have non hormonal because I had suicidal depression on hormones. :-/ Anyway, I guess it's ok, but I'm thinking about having it removed. I swear I can feel it, I get wacky random shooting pains in that area sometimes, and...um...DH can feel it during sex, which freaking hurts me! I don't have any of the scary long periods I've heard about with Paragard though, so that's good. I think my issues stem from my retroverted uterus, I dunno.
I have Mirena and I have had it for about a year and a half. It has worked wonders for me, decreasing my blood loss incredibly! I'm trying to remember, I think at first I either spotted or my periods were lighter but now I don't get my period. I was very iron deficient anemic from my heavy periods before Mirena which is why my doctors and I thought it was the right choice. It has really helped me out a lot. Mirena is expensive if insurance doesn't cover it but I think it is well worth it. I would like to do it again in three and a half years if my doctors think I need it then. This reminds me, I need to schedule an appointment with my gynecologist to just get checked out, it has been awhile since I last saw her.
I got Mirena for HEAVY menstrals. I had a period for maybe 4 mos then nothing since. I LOVE that! I have had it for about 5 1/2 yrs now and still nothing. I would hate to have to go back to that again.
I have a Mirena, had about 2 years. After 3 boys in 3 years my body was really sensitive to the hormones too. But if I don't use hormonal methods I have gross and painful varicose veins everywhere. I like the Mirena now. Never had spotting or a regular period since it was inserted. My insertion was horrific though. I had some sort of reaction that made the room spin and the pain was pretty bad. Not what I expected. A lot of people have had problems with IUDs but I have heard good things for the most part. Just listen to your body and if you have any pain that is just too much go to the Dr or ER cause they can become dislodged and travel and that's where it gets really dangerous. Hopefully the periods even out for you! Good luck!
I have Mirena, this is my 5th year (June) so my doctor and I already decided it will be coming out in the next three weeks. The symptoms you've described are normal, most people with Mirena experience that! Now here is my story!
I had Mirena put in back in June of 2008, due to Yasmin causing me to have seizures. It hurt like all get out when it was put in, since I have never had children, and after the first 6months to a year my cycle evened out, I had a super light period that was short (3 or 4 days if that) and gained some weight. I ended up getting a random rash on my face that eventually went away during year 3, that lasted about a month or so. Otherwise aside from some rough cramping around TOM it was not a problem for me.
However, during this last year of having it, I have been having some issues. My TOM is lasting longer, but still with that light spotting to a lighter flow, but lasting 7-8 days. My hormones are starting to get a little out of whack again, which shows with my weight and my skin. The cramping is not as bad, but one thing I noticed is that my emotions are a little more fragile.
I went for my yearly, and my doctor (family practice) could not find my strings. She said that it's not unusual, especially if my previous doctor cut them short, for it to not be right there to be able to remove easily. So I have to go to the actual GYN department to have a sonogram done to make sure it is in a place where it can easily be removed, or find out if it might take something more invasive to get out. This is what bothers me the most.
Overall, Mirena was a great option. However since my husband and I do want children, and we are just waiting for me to get healthier and more fit before we begin, I am not going to have another one put in. Instead I am sticking with a progestrone pill (the hormone in Mirena) until I get to a healthier weight and my husband, doctor, and I think I am healthy enough for us to start trying!
Mirena was good to me, minus the last 6-8 months. A lot of odd things such as the longer period, the movement of it, and horrible cramps have happened in this time frame, but for the bulk of time of having it, Mirena was good. I won't do it again though, until well after having children and my husband and I are satisfied. Now I'm just hoping with my next appointment, it hasn't traveled too far up to where they cannot remove it normally, that makes me super nervous!
I have had Mirena for almost a year now. At first I had some discomfort and cramps (probably lasted 2 months). Now it isn't bad. Sometimes my cramps feel strange, like a weird type of intensity. I have extremely light and spuradic TOMs. Sometimes it is frustrating because I can tell I'm bloated and feel like I'm retaining a ton of water, and I wish my TOM would just start! Haha.
I will hopefully be getting it removed in December so that we can start trying to have a baby. I haven't decided if I will get another one afterwards. It has definitely made life easier not having to remember to take the pill every day.
I have a horror story. The doctor perforated my uterus and I needed surgery to remove it. The IUD, while in me, caused my appendix and fallopian tube to become infected. I had to get them removed. I would never get it again. A horrible experience.
I have a horror story. The doctor perforated my uterus and I needed surgery to remove it. The IUD, while in me, caused my appendix and fallopian tube to become infected. I had to get them removed. I would never get it again. A horrible experience.
Ack! Oh racrane that's terrible! I am so sorry you had that happen to you!
That is scary, there are so many different ways these things can go wrong! I am thankful that I was lucky to not have any serious issues thus far! It seems that overall though, most people have been pretty satisfied with the Mirena.
I kinda sorta brought up the kids topic with DBF the other day, I know he's not really into the idea of having kids, and at the moment, I am not either. However I think my biological clock has switched on, I am starting to feel like its in the near future or never. A few of my friends already have kids and most of the rest of them are making plans. DBF paid for this IUD so I wanted to know how he would feel if he were to pay for another one, only to have it removed in a year or two if we decided to have a kid. I would feel like it was a waste of money not to get the full 4-5 years out of it! I was surprised that he didn't have an issue with it at all! (not sure if that's because he has decided no kids or that he is open to the idea and not worried about the IUD costs!)
Yeah, forget that. In a state of nature I have really light periods and my skin is OK and I have a sex drive vs having none on hormonal BC. My periods are worse on the hormonal BC I've had and it really affected my moods and general personality.
I don't like condoms either. Perfect withdrawal method is supposedly comparably effective according to a few studies floating around. Been working for a year and a half with no "+" pregnancy tests.
Exact same here. My skin is generally well-behaved and my periods, while really irregular, are not a problem when they do decide to show up. I imagine there's something kind of wacky with my fertility anyway, as I've long had issues with ovarian cysts.
I've tried a few different brands of hormonal BC in the past, mainly for the ovary crap, and it was always a disaster. The first time, I did the thing where you skip the "blanks" week, intending to not have a period. Well, the result of *that* was 40 days of spotting! The next (and last!) time, I was on it for 20 days before I threw out the pills with a resounding "NEVER AGAIN". Not only did I bloat up like 10 pounds, psychologically, I was a wreck. And when I consulted the doctor on it, she was just like "oh, well just try another brand." Yeah. No thanks.
I don't know if I'm eventually going to lose the gamble that is the withdrawal method, but given my potential fertility issues, I don't feel too nervous about it.
) I think, if we decide not to have kids for sure, I will suggest he get snipped. 
I was very iron deficient anemic from my heavy periods before Mirena which is why my doctors and I thought it was the right choice. It has really helped me out a lot. Mirena is expensive if insurance doesn't cover it but I think it is well worth it. I would like to do it again in three and a half years if my doctors think I need it then. This reminds me, I need to schedule an appointment with my gynecologist to just get checked out, it has been awhile since I last saw her.
I have had it for about 5 1/2 yrs now and still nothing. I would hate to have to go back to that again.
