Paragard IUD? Please HELP!!!

Every woman side effects are different, so you won't actually know how the Paraguard will effect you, until you try (unfortunately).
That said, my sister had a copper IUD and was very pleased with it. She had it for three years and got pregnant right away with her second child after having it removed.

I have considered it, but personally I prefer Mirena. I have not had any weight gain, but still haven't shed the last 10 pounds of my baby weight. To be honest though, it's probably because I exercise less and eat worse than before baby, due to working full time and having little time to take care of myself. I have also observed the skin issues that you have mentioned and have to say that they are about the same as with no BC at all. The pill really made my skin look better, and now that those hormones are not there I have my regular skin back.
I am with the previous poster whose doctor mentioned that the side effects often attributed to Mirena, might not be true side effects, but the lack of pleasant side effects the pill causes. You might experience similar effects with the Paraguard, since it does not contain hormones at all.
Good luck!

Dear S.P.
I want to reassure you that the Paragard IUD is safe and very effective. I just had a little girl 7 months ago and had the Paragard put in two months later (May) and its been wonderful! No hormonal imbalances except for the first period being heavy and slightly longer than normal, but has since regulated back to where it was before I got pregnant. The best thing about it is I don't have to change it out til 2019!! Don't worry, be happy about it!!! lol!!

I had a paragard several years ago and LOVED IT! I did have some cramping for the first few months and heavier periods, but after my body adjusted all was well. I would definitely recommend it!

I am not sure about the Paragard...I have the Mirena. I wanted to inquire about your skin issues with it. I havent had any weight gain (that I attribute to that anyway :)), but I did notice that my skin was REALLY bad (I have my second Mirena in). I talked to my doctor about it and he said that the Mirena doesnt cause you to have bad skin, but some other birth control can improve it. So, I get serious about my skin care and I havent had any other issues. I wonder if the same would be true for you? I would hesitate to get the Paragard if you are sooo unsure about it. Best of Luck to you!

I have the Paraguard IUD and mostly love it. I have to say that my periods are not "normal". They are long (usually 7-9 days) with several days of spotting and usually 1-2 days of super, super heavy flow (which can be REALLY inconvenient). However, the convenience of the IUD has outweighed that one con.

I hadn't heard of hair loss being a side effect. I have noticed an increase in my hair loss and even asked the doctor about it (she ran tests, but couldn't find anything). However, it's been minimal and really a non-issue.

Hello there!
I have had both the Mirena IUD and the Paraguard IUD. I had the Mirena IUD put in after the birth of my oldest daughter. I had horrible side effects, including Ovarian cysts, pain, and constant periods., I had it removed after 18 months. Soon after this I became pregnant with my younger daughter. I had the Paraguard 10 year IUD put in right after she was born. Since then, I have experienced only a few side effects. I main one being that I have 2 periods a month, every few months. There has been relatively little cramping or pain, and I have almost no PMS anymore.I like it because I don't have to think about it. It is a little bit of a pain to have 2 periods a month (ugghhhh) every few months, but it's side effect that can definately live with. The other thing is that eventually your periods with go down to only 3 or 4 days a month, which for one was one of the positive side effects. I hope this helps in your decison making process.

A little about me:
I am a 36 yr. old working mom with 2 jobs of 2 wonderful little girls, ages 4 and 6. I have married for 7 years to the love of my life, we've been together for 10 years.

Are you planning on having any more children? If not then a healthier decision may be to do something more permanent--Tubal ligation or Vasectomy. If you plan on having more children then hopefully you will find something that works for you.

I have paragard. No hair loss. My periods definitely got heavier, and I have had the same experience as the person who experienced spotting for a few days plus 1-2 days of really heavy period. That has gradually gotten to be less over time--I've had the IUD for 3 1/2 years. I think it's a great option and am very happy with it.

I've had good ole coppertop now for a little over 7 years, and love it.

First 3 periods were gnarly, after that no cramping at all.

My period went back to the way it was before I was on hormone BC, which for me is 4-5 days. 2 heavy the rest just irritating. While on hormone BC, I was a 3 day-er, but hormone BC shortens nearly everyone's periods. When I wasn't on bc pills, I was a 4-5 day-re just like now.

I lost a LOT of hair (don't we all) the first several months I had it, but it's because I got it right after the birth of my son, and I had all that pregnancy hair to shed.

I am currently using the Paragard because hormone birth controls mess with my hormone balance too much and cause me to gain a lot of weight. I have to say that, if you already have heavy or prolonged periods, this is definitely not the b/c for you. I get a lot of abdominal pain and cramping any time of the month at all, my periods are so heavy I go through a super tampon and overnight pad every 45 minutes (and that's just for the first four or five days of it...). Also I am already anemic and one of the side effects to paragard IUD is becoming anemic, lol, so that has gotten way worse since the IUD. If it wasn't the only non hormone option out there next to female sterilization I would have the thing ripped out in a heartbeat. But, if you have light periods now and take regular multivitamins and an iron supplement it should work fine for you.