IUD Non-hormonal Copper Coil Side Effects?

Hi everyone!

I thought I'd share my story about having the copped IUD. I had the IUD inserted in September and I must admit it was pretty painful, and took around 15 mins to do (I am really good with pain, and this was really uncomfortable) I've had no kids and I'm 25. From then on I think I must have bled nearly every day until removal (5 months), whether it was bloody discharge or my two week long full periods. The cramps turned my stomache and made me feel nausea and I had constant aches in my ovaries it honestly felt like my ovaries were rotating constantly.

I also had big boils (painful spots) come up all over my face and I also experienced slight weight gain. I had low sex drive which was probably from the constant bleeding and the giant spots on my face as I felt so ugly! I was then feeling really depressed, I was crying at everything!! I couldn't even watch the TV talent show The Voice without crying or look at a homeless person because it would make me cry (I know I was literally going crazy)

I then went to the doctor who prescribed me cream Duac for my spots, which helped take the bruising feeling away but didnt prevent them from coming up again. And she then arranged for me to have an internal scan at the hospital to check everything was ok. I went for the scan which showed me the coil wasn't actually in the right place, my body was trying to expel it, so it was sitting considerably lower.

So I had it removed 2 weeks ago now, and since then I've had no spots, I've not cried and I've actually had sex again! Wahoo!

I know it might work for some people, but the copper IUD gave me 5 months of hell!!!

All the best everyone!

Hi! I am so happy to find this blog.

I had The copper IUD inserted just over 3years ago. Here is a list of my signs and symptoms over that timeframe up until today.

Year one:

-severe back acne from stopping BC pill (2years prior, and the back acne got worse when having IUD inserted)

-Constant spotting/bleeding (too heavy for liner but not heavy enough for tampon). Every day for over a year.

-constant cramping in abdomen and back

-nausea

-mild abdominal tenderness on palpation

-periods are heavier than normal and more painful lasting 5-9days

-ultrasound showed normal placement but it feels uncomfortable.

-moodiness notably increasing but not too bad at that point.

Year two and three:

-back acne subsided, and went to face. Cystic acne on cheek bones, jaw line, neck, chin. Even after spending thousands on face care, it is not fixing the problem.

-spontaneous severe cramping in abdomen and back followed by light spotting for a day or two usually once or twice a month extra to period

-progressive worsening of moodiness, anger, blow ups, anxiety, depression, brain fog, decreasing ambition.

-tenderness in abdomen on palpation

-periods slowly progressed to 7+ days long with extreme "rolling on floor" pain, moody +++.

-periods have become very heavy. 1 super tampon doesn't hardly last an hour.

-not able to sleep through the night (started a few months ago).

-saying numerous times to my husband that I "don't feel myself" or "I feel funny in my head" or "I don't normally act this way, I feel crazy"

I'm having this thing removed tomorrow and I'm hoping it will ease these ridiculous signs and symptoms. I absolutely cannot live with this device any longer and am feeling so lost in my own skin that it's absolutlely unbelieveable. My physician has given me antidepressants, sleeping pills, and is treating me for an "Adjustment Disorder". I've never in my life had an issue adjusting - and upon further investigation, I believe it's this IUD causing these "mental" issues.

I hope this may assist someone as everyone's posts have validated my thoughts on this device!

Thank you all so much for posting!!

Hello everyone,

This'll be a long one but please read.

I am 25, no children and like most of you, opted towards this form of contraceptive as it's long term and hormone free.

I had the coil put in around 6 months ago. The initial procedure was not bad at all and i was looking forward to writing a positive review and try something completely different.

On the day and probably the first month or so after, i seemed to be ok aside from a bit of bleeding.

From then on, in my case, the bleeding has been extremely heavy the entire time. I've had periods lasting up to 3 weeks, the amount of blood easily and quickly soaking super tampons combined with super pads. That in itself can be scary and draining but I'm not squeamish and they do warn you about the bleeding to be fair so i tried to ignore it and carry on.

(It was hard for me to judge what was 'too much' bleeding or 'too much' cramp pain as i hadn't had a period in a while.)

HOWEVER, the other side effects i simply cannot live with!

Insanely tired, no amount of sleep is enough. Sunken looking eyes, pale skin as a result.

Prolonged headaches w. visual disturbances/light sensitivity.

Very easily confused, forgetful, DISCONNECTED and emotional (Maybe due to the combination of the above two symptoms).

Sudden REGULAR anxiety attacks and heart palpations in non-stressful situations.

Random muscle pain all over.

Fever/chills.

Gained so much weight in the face and waist even though honestly been dieting and exercising more since implant!

I am seeing my gp to have this removed ASAP. I barely recognise myself.

I'd like to add, i don't think other women should be put off TRYING this because a few of us have had a bad time, there r even some people are allergic to the pill/condoms... but be aware of the possible side effects! Do not wait the entire 'recommended 6 months-a year' if the bleeding is dangerously heavy, do not let it affect your mental health or try to balance out the side effects with extra medication and if you do get extreme side effects/reaction like us, DO NOT THINK YOU ARE CRAZY OR WEAK...OR DYING! LOL.

If this works for some women then great, i do feel it's such a shame it's having such a horrible effect on us here because it sounded like an amazing idea when i first heard about it.

P. S trailing off subject here i find it so frustrating that with every other illness/symptoms I've had in the past, doctors would try to blame it on my womb/contraception.

But this one time the contraception is actually to blame, my doctors seemed to want to deny it and sway me away from removing, as if we make this s**t up and over react! We can never win.

(had no other lifestyle changes or stress during this time, same loving supportive partner and job)

Medical professionals still often view women as weak, sensitive and dramatic and that we don't know our own bodies.

I thought there was something seriously wrong with me after getting this implant and didn't get the support, confirmation, or trust i needed from doctors so I'm glad i found this forum and all of you.

Big thanks to everyone who commented :-)

Just to ask some further questions: 

- Have you maybe experienced some weight gain? or changed your diet?

- How does the colour of you skin look? Do you feel like you have become pailer or  

  even a little more yellowish? 

Hi There, I had the copper coil in for last 2 years after birth of my last baby and I just had it taken out last week. I feel like I have completely lost my mind. I am normally a resilient, energetic, extremely upbeat, motivated person. Since I have had this in i'm anxious, negative, easily ovrwhelmed, very low energy, no sex drive, feelings of doom, irritable and quick to anger. GPs trying to put this down to post natal depression but this is my 3rd child and I never had pnd with other 2 plus it just doesnt add up, i feel chemically off kilter, I know something is awry in my brain chemistry. from what ive read even small changes in copper/zinc ratio in your body can have dramatic effects on your mental health. Also my periods went from light 3 days to unbelievably heavy 10 days. Which shows that  the coil is also affecting hormones. I believe GPs follow whatever published research exists and are open to nothing else. The research on mental health and copper coil isn't published simple because the studies havent been done yet. I am so happy I took this out an I look forward to feeling like myself sometime in the future.

I've has similar problems heavy bleeding when on period and notice breast pain after second cycle with coil lumpy breasts is that normal

I've had ever single symptom every one in this thread has talked about!! I just don't feel like myself anymore i don't even recognize myself! I'm a monster and i always feel sick and so lethargic. I've been in and out of the hospital non stop since i started using the copper iud and so many things I've never had issues with before. I used to be so happy and full of life and optimistic and now it's like I'm possessed or something. A friend of mine reached out to me out of nowhere claiming that the same iud ruined her life for two years with odd and horrible symptoms unlike her until she finally had it removes. She said she immediately felt a total relief after it was taken out and that she started to feel more like herself again right away. The disabling symptoms that she had were gone and all of the neurological issues she was having were gone too and she was able to start getting sleep again. I haven't been sleeping either for months now and I've never had so much pain in my back and legs as i do now. Nothing works and honestly it's like anything i put into my body disappears. My organs feel like their shutting down and i feel out of it dizzy nauseas constantly and this past year I've had constant pain in my lower abdomen and my uterine area. I've had urinary incontinence and severe bowel issues like I've never had in my life before and I'm constantly bloated and never able to lose weight which I've previously always been very slim. I've had this iud in for almost four years now and it's been awful. I really hope i feel better after its removed and that i don't get suddenly devastated by emotional and hormonal issues from getting it out though after reading someone else's post in this thread. They need to get rid of these horrible devices. I've definitely got severe copper toxicity from this thing and I'm terrified of what I'm gonna feel like after it gets taken out tomorrow but i know it has to be done. Please send me prayers and good vibes

Hi there,

I am 32 years old, one baby.

I had my IUD inserted last week, no pain at insertion, at all.

Since that time I just had light spotting and light period like cramps.Doctor said this might last up to a week but I've been reading a medical studi on the IUD and it might take actually up to 6 months.. described as normal.

Sex is the same , even better , no other side effect so far.

Hello all.

?I literally just joined this website to partake in this discussion. I had the coil fitted about 4 and a half years ago after a terminated pregnancy with an ex. To begin with, I felt really rocky emotional wise but I was told that sometimes once you've started created the pregnancy hormones that even if it is terminated lots of the hormones are still in your system for ages.

?Anyhow, everything else seemed normal, really heavy periods for the first few months until it settled down etc. etc...

?I've always suffered with feeling pretty down around my periods and stuff, like crying for a couple of days and not really wanting to see anyone but I could still function! Over the past 4 years I've gotten to the really really low points just before my period, I've pretty much self-diagnosed that I have PMDD which I thought was triggered by the pregnancy, but now I'm beginning to think it may be exacerbated by the coil.

?Over the past year I've noticed my periods were getting closer together and there were long periods of spotting either side of them. Now I have about 1-2 days of not bleeding and that's it, and I feel sick all the time (like a mild nagging sickness feeling like when you're first pregnant).

?On top of that I just feel constantly bloated and seem to have constipation all the time when I've never had any gastro-intestinal issues previously and I'm at the heaviest I've ever been.

?I'm sure there are more issues that I can't think of at the moment....it's the depression that gets to me the most because it's that which affects relationships most.

?Getting it out as soon as possible and hope to update you.

Hello ladies,

M 34.

I have 4 kids now. After my third born I inserted a coil and when my baby was 9 years I removed it and concieve after 1 week of removal. I had another baby who is now 1 year and 2 months. When this baby was 6 weeks old I had another coul inplanted.

I have never experienced and of the above as serious as m reading from the comments.

Maybe on the last day of my periods I get a serious headache which I thought was due to blood loss, bloody discharge in between periods.

I'm not sure if I have a low sex drive coz I've not been keen about it. N I always have serious moodiness 3 days to my periods.

I've learnt to ignore these side effects and they get better as I go on. Coz I now know about the moodiness and I control myself.

I drink water to keep hydrated n this controls the so called headaches and I also eat fruits and vegetables. I think when you are aware of the side effects before you remove it, weigh the advantages and first try to manage with it.

It's the safest contraceptive I've used by far.

Oh my! I feel so relieved to read all these posts. I'm not crazy! I've had my copper IUD in for just over 2 1/2 years. Two months after getting it placed I've had body and back pain, significant depression and anxiety, 15 pound weight gain and can't lose it at all which causes more depression. I've been more moody and reactive, and I'm just not happy like I used to be. Life seems harder. My hair is much thinner. Very heavy periods twice a month, with a week break in between. Way low sex drive to almost disgust... I hate it!!

I've strongly considered antidepressants lately which is not like me!

I knew it was the IUD causing this originally, but I thought my body would get used to it... Nope! It's been miserable for 2 1/2 years.

Reading all the comments has solidified my decision to get it removed. My husband can get a vasectomy or use condoms...

Living this way isn't worth it! It's a poor quality of life!

Thanks for all your posts! So helpful!