IUDs?
I am currently on a generic low estrogen pill. I naturally have heavier, awful periods: 9 days, heavy bleeding, cramps that begin in my mid-back and extend down into my calves, the worst PMS on the planet...
There are 2 main types of IUDs on the market in the US. Paragard and Mirena. Paragard is a copper based IUD effective for 10 years. Mirena is a hormone based IUD utilizing progestin, effective for 5 years. Progestin is also the active hormone in Depo-provera, which I spent almost 3 years of hell with (only 3 injections). I hesitate to go for the Mirena even though I know it is a different type of progestin than the Depo. But with heavy periods, they recommend against the copper based Paragard.
I have never had children either. They recently allowed the change in the Paragard recommendations to include women without children, provided the uterus is the proper size and shape to accomodate the IUD. This change has not been made with the Mirena.
How many of you out there use IUDs? Which IUDs are being used? How was insertion? Any other advice/stories would be awesome!
There are 2 main types of IUDs on the market in the US. Paragard and Mirena. Paragard is a copper based IUD effective for 10 years. Mirena is a hormone based IUD utilizing progestin, effective for 5 years. Progestin is also the active hormone in Depo-provera, which I spent almost 3 years of hell with (only 3 injections). I hesitate to go for the Mirena even though I know it is a different type of progestin than the Depo. But with heavy periods, they recommend against the copper based Paragard.
I have never had children either. They recently allowed the change in the Paragard recommendations to include women without children, provided the uterus is the proper size and shape to accomodate the IUD. This change has not been made with the Mirena.
How many of you out there use IUDs? Which IUDs are being used? How was insertion? Any other advice/stories would be awesome!