ParaGard Vs. Minera

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-08-2003
ParaGard Vs. Minera
12
Wed, 08-25-2004 - 11:21am
I'm seriously considering getting an IUD. My husband and I are both monogamous and are definitely not interested in having children for the next few years, if ever. Last year I talked to 2 different gyns about IUDs trying to get more information and the first one said that she doesn't recommend them and won't give them and the other one told me that since I'm 26 I should have babies now anyway before its too late.

So right now I'm "shopping" for a new GYN. It seems its hard to find one that has both evening hours and a williness to discuss IUDs. I found one who says she only give out the ParaGard type, not the Minera because they've had some problems with the Minera.

So my main question, for those who have IUDs is, really how much of a difference in them is there? Anyone out there who has used both? I know the ParaGard tends to increase bleeding and I liked the concept of possibly stopping my periods with the Minera.

Here's why I'm thinking of getting an IUD:

1. I'm sick of the pill. I've had 2 too many potential pregnancy scares in the last year because of missing pills/taking them irregularly. I've been on the pill for over 9 years now. I need a method I don't have to think about.

2. No plans at all to have kids in the next 2+ years, probably longer.

3. The pill gives me acne, my dermatologist says only getting off it will truly clear up my skin. I'm spending $60 per month on acne meds currently.

4. I get migraines during my period. My GYN says that's because I'm going through hormone withdrawl. I can't be completely incapcitated 2 days a month!

5. Insurance will cover it completely. (I currently pay $30 per month for the pill)

Reasons to possibly not get an IUD (as I understand it)

1. I've never had children so there's a slightly greater risk of expulsion.

2. Prior to being on the pill I had irregular periods (of course, that was in high school, though, so who knows) so I may continue to have irregular periods and an element of "surprise" while on the IUD.

3. With ParaGard I might have heavier periods (currently my period lasts 4 days and I only use "regular" strength tampons, so how much worse could it be)

Is there anything else I'm missing for reasons not to get an IUD?

Thanks for your help.

Pages

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
Wed, 08-25-2004 - 11:46am
Hi violetrose0, welcome!

While you're waiting for IUD users to reply, take a look at the post about IUDs in the FAQs at the top of the board. There are considerable differences between the ParaGard http://www.paragard.com/ and Mirena http://www.mirena-us.com/ ParaGard has no hormones, is effective for 8-10 years, does not affect ovulation and bleeding might be heavier. Marina continually releases a tiny bit of progestin, is effective for 5 years and will often suppress ovulation. I hope you can find a gyn who will work with you. Let us know what you decide.

Good luck,

      Jill

    

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-11-2004
Wed, 08-25-2004 - 12:40pm
I've only used Mirena, but here's the differences. The Pargard has copper and no hormones, is about 99.2-99.4% effective, and lasts for 10 years. It may increase bleeding and cramping during periods. The Mirena IUD has progesterone which is released in very small amounts continuously, is 99.9% effective, lasts for 5 years, and after the intitial adjustment time, should result in dramatically less bleeding.

I've also never had children. My doctor mentioned the possibility that insertion could hurt more and that expulsion might be more likely. As it turned out, everything went fine. From what I've read, the risk of expulsion is very tied into the doctor's experience with inserting IUDs. If it is not inserted very well, it is more likely to be expelled. This means you should get a doctor who is very familiar with IUDs.

If you do have irregular periods and have Mirena, at the least the amount of bleeding should hopefully decrease dramatically, so maybe the irregularity won't even be an issue.

I can't think of any reason not to get an IUD. I have been thrilled since I got mine. After so many years of having to deal with remembering pills and having horrible side effects, all the hassles are gone. I had always heard that women without children couldn't have IUDs so I never knew it was an option until recently. I wish I'd done this years ago.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Wed, 08-25-2004 - 12:55pm
I've had the mirena for a year now and haven't had tooo many problems...The first few months after I got it my periods were sometimes 16+ days long and somewhat heavier and came 2 weeks apart.After that they settled down to just once a month and about 7 days long-some were heavy but got lighter and shorter each month.At about 1 year I basicly now spot for a few days each month (if I have a period)-I went from using a double pack of kotex over nights tp using a few pantiliners each month.The mirena can cause periods to "stop" for some women-my dr says you might have one every 9 months or you might not-every woman's different.I went 10 weeks w/o a period recently but then spotted for 16 days...I'm happy w/ my choice....good luck!! I haven't had these problems but my dr says her office has seen them concerning the mirena:weight gain & hair loss & heavy periods lasting for more than a month....
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-15-2004
Wed, 08-25-2004 - 2:40pm
Hi violetrose0!

I have had the copper Paragard IUD for almost four months now and I absolutely love it. My worries were very similar to yours before getting it, but all of the negative things that I heard could happen with the copper IUD didn't come up in my case at all.

Some doctors are definitly hesitant to insert one if you haven't had kids, but mine was alright with it as long as I understood the increased chances of expultion etc. The insertion was a bit painful (having not had any children), but nothing unbearable...I took ibuprofen before going in, and that seemed to help..and taking that day off of work is probably a good idea also. The pain was over very quickly, and then there was just some cramping (much like period cramps) for about a week afterward.

I decided to go with the Paragard, because my body has always been sensitive to the hormones in the pill and the patch...so I thought the best choice for me was going completetly hormone free.

Some women who have the Paragard, reported having increased bleeding and cramping with their periods, but I had the complete opposite reaction. I went two and a half months with no period at all, and then a couple of weeks of VERY light spotting.

I hope that you find a doctor that is willing to work with you, and honor your wishes. Good luck with whichever IUD you decide to go with!

~*Shopgrli

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-22-2004
Wed, 08-25-2004 - 2:55pm
Hello--

I've only had the ParaGard for 3 weeks, but so far I've really enjoyed it! My situation was similar to shopgrli's: I was on BCP for 6 years, but my body didn't react well to the hormones. I even tried 4 different types of BCP's! Finally I decided on the ParaGard, b/c my body seems to be so sensitive to hormones & I wanted a BC method that was super effective. I found a gyn who had a lot of experience with IUD instertions. My gyn told me that in the past 10 years, they've only had 3 patients expel their IUD's (knock on wood!).

I was extremely nervous about the insertion process, too. I took several ibuprofen an hour before the insertion & it went much smoother than I had anticipated! The part that hurt the ost was when my uterus was sounded, which felt like a strange pinch in my stomach. Before I knew it, my IUD had been inserted! It took about 3-5 minutes total.

I was crampy for about a week & a 1/2 after the insertion, but it was nothing that an ibuprofen couldn't cure. Now I am just waiting to see what happens when my period arrives! I am a bit nervous that I will be extremely heavy & crampy (my perios we very very light while I was on BCP, so I'm not sure what to expect), but I just feel so great being off hormones, that I'm willing to risk the cramps!

I hope everything goes well for you!

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-22-2004
Wed, 08-25-2004 - 3:03pm
Sorry--I forgot to add to my last post that I'm 25, in a long-term monogomous relationship & have no children. Thanks!
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-08-2003
Wed, 08-25-2004 - 3:20pm
Wow thanks for the quick responses everyone!

I called a few more gyns on my health insurance list and found one that not only has evening hours but also uses both forms of the IUD. The nurse I talked to of course cannot guarantee that the Dr. would recommend either until I was seen so I scheudled my annual for the 15th of Sept. Hopefully I'll be able to have an open conversation about this since I really don't want to continue with the pill.

Thanks again for your help & I'll let you know how it turns out.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-09-2004
Thu, 08-26-2004 - 12:38am
Howdy! I have a copper iud and love it so far! Mine was put in August 4th so I am still pretty new to it. Plus dh is deployed so I really haven't gotten the chance to enjoy it fully yet! :) So far I love it! I can't take hormonal bcps, not fond of the diaphram (lost weight and had DD#2), and neither dh nor I like condoms very much. Oh, side note - I'm 26 and have 3 DD's. So the age thing is not a problem...

I had mine put in during ovulation. No problems...not really that painful (I've had bee stings that hurt worse than this- I should mention that I am a big baby as far as pain is concerned). I spotted that day and then two days later af showed up. She lasted for about 7 full days. It was alittle bit heavier than normal and I had more cramps, but nothing too bad. I normally go for 6 days light to medium flow, sorry if tmi. But this wasn't nearly as bad as I was expecting. Since then I have had a little bit of spotting, but nothing to complain about.

I do highly recommend while you are gyn shopping to ask how many iud's they have inserted. Make sure you find some one who has plenty of experience with iuds. I also recommend taking 800 mg of motrin before you go in to have it inserted. That helps out with any pain during insertion and afterwards. I was told to take that dose for the next few days after mine was inserted.

You might also consider checking out the webpages for both the merina and paraguard iuds to help you make your choice between the two. I chose the paraguard just strickly because I can not take anything hormonal, even though my midwife swears up and down that I would be able to handle it with no problems. Plus the 10 year plan for bc sounded wonderful.

Sorry this is so long, but I hope that it helps you to make your decision.

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-08-2003
Mon, 09-13-2004 - 3:52pm
So I'm gearing up for my GYN apt. on Wednesday to discuss getting an IUD. Just to be certain I call up my health insurance co. to confirm coverage of it. I had talked to them about it last year when I tried to get an IUD from my previous GYN and they said it was fully covered, device, insertion & removal. So I talk to them today and they said yep, device, insertion & removal but only for IUD's that are designed to be inserted 4 years or less. I asked if they could give me an example and the response was "that's all it says, 4 years or less". I asked for someone else, got the same answer. Are there IUD's rated for 4 years or less? I know the Paragard is good for 10 years and Mirena is good for 5 years and those are the common ones I've heard about. Is there something else out there? Is this my insurance companies way of getting out of paying for any IUDs? I'm with United Health Care.

**EDIT** I called again and got a different person. She said that I have no family planning coverage whatsoever so no IUD coverage. I hung up and got a different person who checked with a supervisor and they said that they have no idea what any of the previous people were talking about, of course I have family planning coverage and nowhere in the policy does it restrict an IUD to a number of years. They said that's up to my doctor. I HATE UHC!!! I get a different answer everytime I call them!! It's so frustrating. I was almost ready to call & cancel my appointment with the GYN over this misinformation. Well, I'm back to trying to get an IUD. So I'll report back how it goes!


Edited 9/13/2004 4:16 pm ET ET by violetrose0

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-15-2003
Mon, 09-13-2004 - 7:19pm
I just had to write in when I saw your complaints about UHC. I switched to them in January and have had so many problems with them. They initially denied a claim stating that they needed more information to prove that it was not a pre-existing condition. After I sent in the information they needed, they still did not process it correctly. Every time I called them up they said it was their fault, they'd take care of it... and time and time again they did not pay the claim. I even spoke with a supervisor who assured me she would take care of it... Nope. It took 4 months and six resubmissions before it actually got paid. Then a couple months later they pulled the same stunt again - wanting more info in case it was a pre-existing condition, even though I had already sent in paperwork showing that I had previous coverage so pre-existing conditions did not apply. I complained to a supervisor that I should not be getting any more denials for pre-existing conditions. She assured me she'd take care of it and that I would never have this problem again. Since then, they've pulled the same things two more times. I am so absolutely fed up with them. It's maddening how a company that is supposed to be protecting my health is the biggest source of stress in my life right now. I never should have switched... Aaarrggghhh!

As far as your coverage for the IUD, you can always ask the doctor's office to submit paperwork with UHC for preapproval. Then you will have proof in writing beforehand of what they will cover. I don't know what UHC plan you have, but mine allows me to log on to www.myuhc.com to check my benefits. It lists IUD device and insertion under family planning and says I have 100% coverage for in-network providers with a $15 co-pay. You can also ask UHC to send you paperwork detailing your benefits. I wish you luck. It will be worth all the effort. I loved my IUD.

Pages