Paragard users...need your input
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| Tue, 08-22-2006 - 10:08pm |
My situation is simply I do horrible on hormonal birth control. I have a super sensitive stomach and I've tried the pill and the ring. the week i took the ring out i felt so sick and i barely ate and lost 5 pounds in one week...so no more pill or nuvaring. the ring also gave me a lot of extra discharge and I just wasn't happy with it. b/f and I have been together so long that I wanted to try birth control and I would really like to not have to use a condom anymore because of obvious reasons.
I have a few questions about the paragard IUD, and I apologize if these have been asked a thousand times already :-)
* how exactly does this method work? I read about it here but I don't understand how a plastic device can prevent getting pregnant since it has no hormones
* is there a certain age you should/n't get it put in? I thought I read on here before doctors can give younger people a harder time...why is that? ( by the way, I am 20 and have been with b/f for 4+ years and don't plan to have a baby til atleast 27) does planned parenthood insert them? if so, not sure if I should go to doctor or PP..advice?
* does the insertion really hurt? I have a pretty high pain tolerance but I am still a little weary of the thought...
* this may sound a little odd...but when you bend over to like, touch the floor, can you feel it? if you push on your abdomen, can you feel it then?
* my period usually lasts 6 days already so I'm used to 'long' periods. how long does yours last for and is it as brutal as they say?
Sorry for all the questions...I just knew I could rely on you ladies here to be patient and help me with your advice, so thank you in advance :-)

Hey, I have had paragard since April of this year, so I thought I'd take a stab at answering some of your questions...
How does paragard work? I'm really not sure on that one, but it has something to do with the fact that it is made of copper; Minera is plastic and releases hormones, Paragard is copper and does not. That's about all I've got there. :)
I don't think age matters all that much. Some doctors do not like to give IUDs to women who have never had children because the uterus is smaller than in a woman who has given birth. The other reason they may question you at your age is because the consequences if you contract an STD are much worse when you have an IUD and many younger women are not monogomous. That said, I don't think you will necessairly have a problem finding a doctor to insert Paragard for you. I am 24, have never had children, and I actually wasn't even in a relationship when I got Paragard put in, but I knew that someday I would need it and I didn't have any trouble finding a doctor to do it for me.
Planned parenthood will insert Paragard, however, it is also covered by some insurance, so if you have insurance that covers it, it's probably less expensive that way. I think the most important thing is the amount of experience the doctor putting the paragard in has, the more experience, the better. I would just go wherever you are most comfortable.
For me the insertion was uncomfortable, but I wouldn't really describe it as painful. I was able to pretty much go about my normal life immediately afterward. I did feel a little cramped for a few days, but nothing major. I'd recommend doing it when you can take it easy for the next day or so if possible (depending on what your usual routine is, that may not even be an issue). I did a ton of walking/driving in the 2 days after my insertion though, and it wasn't a big deal. Take 2 ibprofeun before the insertion, it really does help (I've had both paragard and minera, and the minera insertion was much worse because I didn't take anything beforehand).
I have never been able to feel the IUD.
My periods are now 7 days long. I'm not sure what they would be like otherwise since I was always on hormones before (from age 20 to 24 and I was a very late bloomer and still very irregular when I started hormones at 20). Now I am pretty much regular and my periods last a full week but I do not have any cramping (my cramping is much less now than it was in high school/college). I guess that could be considered long, but it's a small price to pay. :)
Overall, paragard has been a great experience for me... I will never use anything else again; I feel like I've found my BC match! (FINALLY!)
Hey I've had a paragard since Feb. so I thought I would give some of my experience...
How does paragard work? Just like the other girl said the paragard is made of copper and it's the copper that prevents the pregnancy. Copper is toxic to sperm and they die. It is also believed that the copper may slow down the eggs process through the tubes.
As far as I know age doesn't matter. I have had kids, but know that a lot of women who haven't are getting Iuds.
Like the other poster said if you have insurance check with them. Mine paid for my IUD all I had to pay was $35. Much cheaper than planned parenthood.
For me the insertion was a little more than just uncomfortable. It hurt, but not something so bad. I will definitly get another IUD in 10 years. Just take ibuprofen and know that the discomfort lasts for maybe 5 minutes maximum.
My periods when I was younger were pretty bad, 5-7 days terrible cramps. On the pill they were 4-5 days with not a lot of cramps. I have found on the iud that my periods are about 5 days long but a heavier flow than on the pill cramps aren't bad. I am really extremely happy with my decision to get the paragard I only wish I had done it sooner.
Oh and you won't be able to feel the iud ever. The only thing you should feel are the strings when you check them other than that you can't tell its in there.
If you have any more questions feel free to ask
Brianne
I've had mine for almost 2 weeks. I'll try not to repeat what was already said. I got mine at Planned Parenthood because my insurance wouldn't cover it. They'll give you a slight discount based on income (say you make almost nothing), but all the visits and the device were still close to $600. Works out to $4.60 a month for 10 years! PP will insert one into almost anyone, but they insist on testing for STDs and doing a pap smear, etc, so you have to come in for at least one visit beforehand and wait 3 weeks for the test results to go through. If you don't have insurance, PP is cheaper, but if you do, definitely use it.
The copper being toxic to sperm is the easiest explaination to how it works. If you go to the Paragard website they have an interactive brochure of sorts that is helpful with FAQs. The insertion really wasn't that painful for me--took 800mg Advil before, and had some cramping for a couple days after. I can't feel it inside me. My boyfriend can feel the strings, but they don't hurt him. Haven't gotten my period yet.
Edited 8/23/2006 9:12 am ET by tortoisegirl
Thanks everyone for the responses :-) I'm starting to not be as worried/nervous about insertion if I decide to get the IUD.
I am now just a little scared of heavier periods, but as long as its not much longer than a week I should hopefully be alright.
Quick q--- I am reading that a tampon could pull the IUD out. Is that only when the tampon is dry and your period isn't heavy? Is it okay to wear tampons when your period *is* heavy? I can't imagine having to wear pads with a heavy flow...
Hi again irish187,
Jill
i'm on my 2nd Paragard and i LOVE it. to answer some of your questions...
*i don't think age matters. what most drs care about is if you are in a steady monogomis relationship. basically they don't want to give it to someone who sleeps with a lot of people and has a good chance of catching a disease because the IUD could make the effects of the disease worse on you (or so my dr says)
*with me, the insertion did not hurt. i actually barely even felt it either time. of couse, with me, i had just had a baby 6 weeks before each time so that might have had something to do with it.
*no, you can not feel it when you bend over
*my period usually lasts for about 5 days with heavy bleeding for atleast 3 of those days.
hope that helps.
-Amanda