[Gena G.]

So I've had my hormonal IUD for almost 7 years at which point it will expire and I'll need to get it removed. I have really liked the IUD other than about the first 8 months of having it when it basically ruined my life. I had mood swings, acne, and my period lasted 35 days straight. Once the hormones evened out it was fine but I don't think I can go through that again with a new IUD. I'm thinking about trying a new brand (my current one is Liletta) but I'm still worried about the side effects. I've also thought about going back to the pill which never gave me side effects but the thought of all those trips to Walgreens and remembering to take it every day gives me a headache. Does anyone have birth control or an IUD they absolutely love?

[JonnyR]

Hi Gena G. I'm surprised folks haven't responded to this...I am a guy so I cant speak exactly to what you're asking about, but what did catch my eye was the was the background about hormone levels and such, and I thought I would refer you to a discussion we had previously about hormonal birth control and how potentially damaging it can be for a woman.

I have listened to many podcasts, and there is one in particular on BulletProof Radio with Dave Asprey that I am going to link to below specifically about this issue that is a must listen to.

We typically do not allow links in the forum, but I feel this is too important to not link to it for ALL women out there:

https://daveasprey.com/sarah-hill-665/

I sent this to basically EVERY single woman I knew who was important in my life that was on the pill.

Just passing along this information -- give it a listen. If you still want to get on another IUD, perhaps there are non-hormonal ones you can use that would be better and/or other means?

Hope you're able to find something that works.

[Gena G.]

Hey JonnyR , Yeah I may go the non hormonal route with the copper IUD. When I was getting my hormonal one the doctors at Planned Parenthood kind of scared me away from the copper one and said a lot of people get worse periods and cramps than normal but since then I've talked to a lot of women that love their copper IUD. Although one of the perks of the hormonal IUD is not having a period for 5 years.

[atskitty2]

Gena G. I think they have improved the non-hormonal IUD's in recent years.
I haven't read the article Jonny mentioned, but I have some pretty strong opinions about hormonal birth controls, for both personal reasons, and based on what I have learned in school and from independent reading on the topic. Generally, I think if it can be avoided, do so. It's worth inconvenience and some struggle temporarily, in my opinion, to stay off the hormones.

[Kayla Lords]

Gena G. I'm having my second IUD removed and replaced at the end of the month -- five years for the first and six years for the second, so 11 years of using an IUD. I used Mirena both times and while I know some people experience side effects, I've done really well with it and can't imagine coming off of it anytime soon (although I am dreading the removal/replacement process -- it hurts a LOT).

[Gena G.]

Kayla Lords My sister got Mirena right at the same time I got Liletta and had zero problems with it so I have considered that! I don't know if there's any science behind this but I was wondering if maybe Mirena would work similarly for me as my sister since we share DNA. Maybe just hopeful thinking though..

[Zoë T.]

I've never had an IUD and took birth control for a really short period of time, but I almost all of my friends that have sex with men have either an IUD or a birth control implant rod thingy in their arm. I've heard actually many horror stories about the copper one - from one friend with terrible period cramps, to another friend that's body completely rejected it and it came out while she was on a camping trip. I know it's controversial for some, but fertility tracking is actually a pretty cool, simple, and hormone-free way to control your birth. There is a book by Toni Weschler called "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" that (do keep in mind was originally published in 1995 so it might be a little dated) that covers natural birth control. It's essentially just charting your menstrual cycle, body temperature and vaginal discharge (you can also take an ovulation test) to track your fertility so you can be sure to take extra precaution (condom, diaphragm if they still makes those lol, not having penetrative sex, etc.) on the days that you need to. It's actually really cool to read about the biology behind what our bodies go through each month, the ebbs and flows.

[Laura V.]

I don't have a lot to add about hormonal IUDs, I've never used one. But I used the pill for a long long time, so long I ended up with a blood clot so now synthetic hormones are a big no for me. I tried the copper IUD for a while but it gave me very bad cramps and not just on my period, pretty much all the time, so I took it out. I second Zoe's suggestion for Taking Charge of Your Fertility. There is an updated version, the old one from 1995 has some mistakes that have since been corrected. It has been very eye-opening with regards to a lot of things that happen in our bodies that sadly aren't normally taught.