can anyone with an IUD help?

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-19-2003
can anyone with an IUD help?
2
Mon, 06-21-2004 - 2:43pm
hi

i inserted a copper IUD in april and quit taking the pill a couple of days after that (to finish my cycle). then i got my period for 3 weeks (which is normal considering the changes). then may 18 i got my period regularly. but this month, my period is a week late. i usually get my periods like clockwork, exactly 4 weeks apart. but this month, i felt PMS symptoms (bloating, cramps, mood swings), got one tiny bit of spotting a day before it was supposed to come but that's it! and now i don't even feel the symptoms anymore! is this normal? is my period supposed to mess up like that because i inserted the IUD only a couple of months ago?

any help would be extremely appreciated.

thanks:)

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-14-2004
Mon, 06-21-2004 - 4:24pm
Maya,

My guess would be that your period is messed up because you just stopped taking the pill, not because of the IUD. I was on and off the pill several times over the years and it always played havoc with my cycles for a few months. You didn't mention your age or how long you were on the pill. Is this the first time going off the pill?

If your concerned, I'd go see your dr right away. But I don't think it's your IUD messing things up.

Good Luck,

Jenn

"Many Persons have a wrong idea what constitutes true happiness.  It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose."  Helen Keller
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Mon, 06-21-2004 - 4:27pm
Have you felt for the strings to make sure your IUD is still in place? If it has been expelled or partially expelled, you are not protected against pregnancy. If you cannot feel the strings, I would definitely take a pregnancy test.

I had an IUD for about 2 years. My periods were pretty regular for the majority of the time, but I had 2 or 3 late periods...one was about 10 days late and I was starting to get a bit nervous.

I always had very regular periods, even before I was on the pill, so I don't know why I had a few late ones. If your periods were not regular before you were on the pill, they likely won't be regular with the IUD, since it doesn't have any hormones in it to help regulate your cycle.

Good luck.

Lisa