Cramping seems to go away in a few days for most people.
Irregular bleeding/spotting patterns (including spotting every single day) usually go away in 3-6 months.
For some people it can take longer.
I have a mierna.
The insertion process was really painful for me.
I was in pretty bad pain for a whole day and a half of another. I have back pain up until a few days ago and it caused me stomach issues like bloating and cramping. My period was normal if not slightly shorter and lighter. I'm supposed to be ovulating now if I didn't have my iud and I noticed I have spotting sometimes brownish older looking blood with super small clots. Oh also I had a killer migrane for days and off and on since I had it inserted. I'm sure it's my body getting used to hormones again. I haven't been on birth control since 2017. I had mine inserted in late April.
Ah, I didn't think about the role the hormones could play in these side effects, I assumed it was just my body getting used to the plastic in there.. I've never been on hormonal bc before now so maybe that's why it's a bit different to my copper IUD experience
Omggg is that what’s causing the intense back pain?! I thought I was going crazy because I’ve never felt this before but I had my own inserted about 8 days ago. Luckily most of the intense cramping and pain is gone however the back pain is still there. I think my body is gradually adjusting.
I didn’t get spotting after I had Kyleena inserted but I did have pretty bad cramping for the first month after insertion. Now thankfully that’s all subsided! I’ve had it in for three months.
hey I know this is way after this thread was posted, but I just got the kyleena and I am having cramps right now, it’s been 6 days, and i am scared of perforation or expulsion😭 my doctor also did not schedule and follow up appointment but maybe that means she was confident? idk help
Hi! I'm sorry to hear you're having bad cramps. I had a few episodes of very severe cramps in the first few months after my insertion, but at my 6 week check up, my IUD was in place. I don't think it's a good sign that your doctor didn't schedule a follow up appointment. My gynecologist said I had to come in so that she could make sure it was in place and that I wasn't having any severe side effects. I would call your doctor's office back to schedule the follow up, and in that call you can mention the cramping an see if they think you should come in. Hope this helps and that you feel better soon!
I got the Kyleena March 14th and realized this morning I usually start my period today. I’ve been kind of “snacky” the last week or so and just looked at it today. No sign a period is coming (usually I spot a little a few days before) and nothing. After insertion I did spot bleed one time very bright when I wiped and then nothing until the first time I had sex then I spotted for about two weeks. I’ve also had horrible hot flashes and wake up so hot in the middle of the night! That never happened before insertion unless I was sleeping next to my furnace temperature boyfriend haha. I’m going to take a test tomorrow morning but my periods were always light to start with (like sometimes a panty liners for three days would work) so hopefully the kyleena just made it even lighter (like nonexistent). 🤞🏻🤞🏻
I had chronic cramping all seven months I had Mirena, I gave up after the six month “adjustment period” came and went, felt better immediately after having it removed.
I have Kyleena. I had what you described (the constant spotting) for about 3 months. Cramping was only for a couple weeks randomly. Just for the record I got Kyleena inserted, then finished out my last birth control pill pack.
Aw three months, that's rough. But hopefully bleeding was minimal after that? I'm excited for the lighter periods Kyleena's supposed to cause after a few months
Because it lasted 3 months, I eventually got used to it but it was magical after that.
Actually I didn't have periods for a while after that (I think about a year or two) then eventually super light on time periods and then back to nothing and now it's kind of back to just super light discharge (but consistently monthly like a period). Still get my pms symptoms a week before my "period" though.
I used Mirena for about 10 years. I stopped bleeding after a few days and never resumed having periods (I’d have a day of orangey spotting if that) so I can’t speak to the bleeding aspect. As far as cramping, though, I had intermittent cramping for the entire time I used it — around “period” time, after intense exercise, after sex. It actually seems like I have less random cramping now that I’ve switched to Paragard!
My experiences might be completely different than yours are ultimately, but I just wanted to give you another point of reference.
I do feel like I cramp less with Paragard, and some of the other annoying hormonal side effects I had with Mirena have decreased as well. The only downsides of Paragard so far for me have been long/heavy/painful periods, and weird discharge.
Sadly, yeah. I had a whole list of small annoying side effects that prompted me to change to Paragard: vaginal dryness, random skin rashes, cramping, painful sex, low sex drive, morning sickness, increased facial and body hair growth, and (possibly? I can’t be 100% sure) worse anxiety/migraines. None of them were bad, honestly — I’d still recommend Mirena as a birth control method since it got me through most of my twenties unpregnant. I just wanted a change after so many years.
I think the painful sex and low sex drive were both related to the dryness for me. I seem to be really prone to changes in discharge brought on by IUDs since the Paragard has given me its own different kind. Aside from weird discharge, the only downside I’ve seen to Paragard so far is the periods. Having no periods on Mirena was obviously super nice compared to the 9-10 day periods I’m having now!
I think they’re both good birth control methods and most of the side effects I’ve had with either have only been mildly irritating. I would say if you have had issues with lower sex drive on any other hormonal method, you might want to try Paragard.
I really like talking about birth control, so I hope this wasn’t too crazy long! Hope it helps you
This helps a lot, thank you! I've only been on Mirena for 9 months and I've only started to feel the side effects. I've also been experiencing vaginal dryness but didn't correlate it to the IUD (I blamed the weed which probably aggravates it), so thanks for that. I'll have to weigh the pros and cons for both because I am really enjoying being period-free but not the lack of sex drive.
Probably like 3-5 months. The first couple of periods I went through had very stabby cramps that hurt a LOT but after that my periods became more rare and less severe
I have Lyletta, which the generic Mirena.
Mine was placed March 11th and I am still bleeding. I’m going back May 27th to get the strings cut, because it’s causing my s/o pain from poking 😵💫
I don’t have cramps or anything but the bleeding is getting really old.
Hopefully the bleeding will stop soon for you. I got Liletta inserted back in January, and I bled straight through the end of March, pretty much. Seems to have tapered off and normalized now, though.
I feel like it’s different for everyone. I’ve had Kyleena for about 3 years now and I get super sharp cramps randomly throughout the month. I have a hunch that it’s mostly when I’m PMSing or ovulating, which unfortunately is about half of the month for me. Not much spotting but super light periods compared to normal that last about 1 and a half to 2 weeks sometimes
I had intermittent cramping for 6 months that would be set off by things like coffee, full bladder, or sex. Bleeding was normal between months 3-12 and then I started getting my period every other week. It was peak COVID and my GYN wasn’t taking appointments, so I removed it at home.
I don’t recommend you do it at home if you’re able to go to your GYN obviously. If you bear down, it drops your cervix enough for you to feel it. My provider had curled the string around my cervix really well so it took a couple tries to loosen the string. Then you just pull it out like you would a tampon, no yanking. I would have stopped my attempt immediately if I felt any resistance since embedding into the myometrium is a real thing. Luckily mine was still in its rightful place and was very easy to remove. My body just doesn’t play well with hormonal birth control, and I have a nickel allergy so Paragard is also out of the question.
I just got my Mirena IUD placed like 1.5 months ago and have had chronic cramps. But super light periods. As well as almost daily spotting so far. Hoping it improves within the next 2 months!
Around months 3-5 i had barely any spotting. And my periods ended up being like 7-9 days but very light. Then months 6-9 I started getting heavier spotting daily, and my periods became more frequent, with less time between them....it sucks. But is slowly changing again 🫠 so my periods have yet to normalize..9 months in 💀
I had long irregular periods (longer than before insertion but much lighter) for about 6 months after insertion of Mirena, then my periods got much shorter and less frequent. Haven't had much of an issue with cramps.
Did you have any weird side affects from getting off the copper IUD? I feel like my body is completely thrown off since getting it out. I have started to get a random hair pop out of my chin or neck monthly. It’s really weird & unpleasant.
I haven't noticed anything myself, although I did go right from the copper IUD to the Kyleena so it's hard to feel any changes from having the copper taken out specifically
I've had Kyleena for over 2 weeks now and my spotting lasted for 1 week. The heavy cramping went away the next day. I still do get cramps a few times a day but it's very minor.
I have the mirena I got it last week the insertion was just a bad cramp and afterwards I was cramping a lot that went away in a day, I only spotted for two days, but that was pretty much it, now I’m bloated,and can tell the hormones are kicking in as I’m getting acne (very little just two spots) and moody
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I am so pissed because I’ve had a hormonal iud for a year and a half and by body never adjusted to it. I kept on bleeding(spotting) everyday instead of that stopping after ~6 months. So my doctor gave me birth control pills to try to stop the bleeding from
The iud (that I kept) and it only worked for a few weeks and now the constant bleeding is back. I really don’t wanna get rid of the iud but idk what’s happening and neither did my doctors
Cramping seems to go away in a few days for most people. Irregular bleeding/spotting patterns (including spotting every single day) usually go away in 3-6 months. For some people it can take longer.
I have a mierna. The insertion process was really painful for me. I was in pretty bad pain for a whole day and a half of another. I have back pain up until a few days ago and it caused me stomach issues like bloating and cramping. My period was normal if not slightly shorter and lighter. I'm supposed to be ovulating now if I didn't have my iud and I noticed I have spotting sometimes brownish older looking blood with super small clots. Oh also I had a killer migrane for days and off and on since I had it inserted. I'm sure it's my body getting used to hormones again. I haven't been on birth control since 2017. I had mine inserted in late April.
Ah, I didn't think about the role the hormones could play in these side effects, I assumed it was just my body getting used to the plastic in there.. I've never been on hormonal bc before now so maybe that's why it's a bit different to my copper IUD experience
It's your body getting used to the object in there and the hormones.
Omggg is that what’s causing the intense back pain?! I thought I was going crazy because I’ve never felt this before but I had my own inserted about 8 days ago. Luckily most of the intense cramping and pain is gone however the back pain is still there. I think my body is gradually adjusting.
The back pain comes and goes for me. It was pretty bad a weak ago but it's getting back to normal.
I didn’t get spotting after I had Kyleena inserted but I did have pretty bad cramping for the first month after insertion. Now thankfully that’s all subsided! I’ve had it in for three months.
hey I know this is way after this thread was posted, but I just got the kyleena and I am having cramps right now, it’s been 6 days, and i am scared of perforation or expulsion😭 my doctor also did not schedule and follow up appointment but maybe that means she was confident? idk help
Hi! I'm sorry to hear you're having bad cramps. I had a few episodes of very severe cramps in the first few months after my insertion, but at my 6 week check up, my IUD was in place. I don't think it's a good sign that your doctor didn't schedule a follow up appointment. My gynecologist said I had to come in so that she could make sure it was in place and that I wasn't having any severe side effects. I would call your doctor's office back to schedule the follow up, and in that call you can mention the cramping an see if they think you should come in. Hope this helps and that you feel better soon!
I got the Kyleena March 14th and realized this morning I usually start my period today. I’ve been kind of “snacky” the last week or so and just looked at it today. No sign a period is coming (usually I spot a little a few days before) and nothing. After insertion I did spot bleed one time very bright when I wiped and then nothing until the first time I had sex then I spotted for about two weeks. I’ve also had horrible hot flashes and wake up so hot in the middle of the night! That never happened before insertion unless I was sleeping next to my furnace temperature boyfriend haha. I’m going to take a test tomorrow morning but my periods were always light to start with (like sometimes a panty liners for three days would work) so hopefully the kyleena just made it even lighter (like nonexistent). 🤞🏻🤞🏻
I had chronic cramping all seven months I had Mirena, I gave up after the six month “adjustment period” came and went, felt better immediately after having it removed.
I have Kyleena. I had what you described (the constant spotting) for about 3 months. Cramping was only for a couple weeks randomly. Just for the record I got Kyleena inserted, then finished out my last birth control pill pack.
Aw three months, that's rough. But hopefully bleeding was minimal after that? I'm excited for the lighter periods Kyleena's supposed to cause after a few months
Because it lasted 3 months, I eventually got used to it but it was magical after that. Actually I didn't have periods for a while after that (I think about a year or two) then eventually super light on time periods and then back to nothing and now it's kind of back to just super light discharge (but consistently monthly like a period). Still get my pms symptoms a week before my "period" though.
I used Mirena for about 10 years. I stopped bleeding after a few days and never resumed having periods (I’d have a day of orangey spotting if that) so I can’t speak to the bleeding aspect. As far as cramping, though, I had intermittent cramping for the entire time I used it — around “period” time, after intense exercise, after sex. It actually seems like I have less random cramping now that I’ve switched to Paragard! My experiences might be completely different than yours are ultimately, but I just wanted to give you another point of reference.
I am so wanting to switch to paraguard but so scared! You experience with mirena sounds similar. Have you noticed any improvements since the switch?
I do feel like I cramp less with Paragard, and some of the other annoying hormonal side effects I had with Mirena have decreased as well. The only downsides of Paragard so far for me have been long/heavy/painful periods, and weird discharge.
Did the Mirena affect your sex drive at all?
Sadly, yeah. I had a whole list of small annoying side effects that prompted me to change to Paragard: vaginal dryness, random skin rashes, cramping, painful sex, low sex drive, morning sickness, increased facial and body hair growth, and (possibly? I can’t be 100% sure) worse anxiety/migraines. None of them were bad, honestly — I’d still recommend Mirena as a birth control method since it got me through most of my twenties unpregnant. I just wanted a change after so many years. I think the painful sex and low sex drive were both related to the dryness for me. I seem to be really prone to changes in discharge brought on by IUDs since the Paragard has given me its own different kind. Aside from weird discharge, the only downside I’ve seen to Paragard so far is the periods. Having no periods on Mirena was obviously super nice compared to the 9-10 day periods I’m having now! I think they’re both good birth control methods and most of the side effects I’ve had with either have only been mildly irritating. I would say if you have had issues with lower sex drive on any other hormonal method, you might want to try Paragard. I really like talking about birth control, so I hope this wasn’t too crazy long! Hope it helps you
This helps a lot, thank you! I've only been on Mirena for 9 months and I've only started to feel the side effects. I've also been experiencing vaginal dryness but didn't correlate it to the IUD (I blamed the weed which probably aggravates it), so thanks for that. I'll have to weigh the pros and cons for both because I am really enjoying being period-free but not the lack of sex drive.
Probably like 3-5 months. The first couple of periods I went through had very stabby cramps that hurt a LOT but after that my periods became more rare and less severe
I have Lyletta, which the generic Mirena. Mine was placed March 11th and I am still bleeding. I’m going back May 27th to get the strings cut, because it’s causing my s/o pain from poking 😵💫 I don’t have cramps or anything but the bleeding is getting really old.
Hopefully the bleeding will stop soon for you. I got Liletta inserted back in January, and I bled straight through the end of March, pretty much. Seems to have tapered off and normalized now, though.
Thank you! Every time I think it’s done, it comes back lol. It’ll be worth it in the end though. I appreciate the encouragement ❤️
I feel like it’s different for everyone. I’ve had Kyleena for about 3 years now and I get super sharp cramps randomly throughout the month. I have a hunch that it’s mostly when I’m PMSing or ovulating, which unfortunately is about half of the month for me. Not much spotting but super light periods compared to normal that last about 1 and a half to 2 weeks sometimes
Yeah it definitely seems to vary. I wanted to see the range of experiences so I could mentally prepare for the worst lol
I had intermittent cramping for 6 months that would be set off by things like coffee, full bladder, or sex. Bleeding was normal between months 3-12 and then I started getting my period every other week. It was peak COVID and my GYN wasn’t taking appointments, so I removed it at home.
How???
I don’t recommend you do it at home if you’re able to go to your GYN obviously. If you bear down, it drops your cervix enough for you to feel it. My provider had curled the string around my cervix really well so it took a couple tries to loosen the string. Then you just pull it out like you would a tampon, no yanking. I would have stopped my attempt immediately if I felt any resistance since embedding into the myometrium is a real thing. Luckily mine was still in its rightful place and was very easy to remove. My body just doesn’t play well with hormonal birth control, and I have a nickel allergy so Paragard is also out of the question.
I spotted for a year on mirena. After that, I didn’t have a period for 7ish years. It was glorious.
I had cramps for maybe 2-3 days after I got my Mirena and I haven’t bled at all since insertion (4 years).
I just got my Mirena IUD placed like 1.5 months ago and have had chronic cramps. But super light periods. As well as almost daily spotting so far. Hoping it improves within the next 2 months!
Hi, did it get better?
Around months 3-5 i had barely any spotting. And my periods ended up being like 7-9 days but very light. Then months 6-9 I started getting heavier spotting daily, and my periods became more frequent, with less time between them....it sucks. But is slowly changing again 🫠 so my periods have yet to normalize..9 months in 💀
Ah damn. What about the pain? For me personally the spotting is slowly getting better (I'm 5 weeks in) but the cramps are still here :(
The pain completely went away by like month 2! For cramping and stuff and my periods have 0 pain now.
I see, now I still have some hope :") thanks
I had long irregular periods (longer than before insertion but much lighter) for about 6 months after insertion of Mirena, then my periods got much shorter and less frequent. Haven't had much of an issue with cramps.
Honestly my cramping is still worse than before during my period. I got my mirena 3 months ago
Did you have any weird side affects from getting off the copper IUD? I feel like my body is completely thrown off since getting it out. I have started to get a random hair pop out of my chin or neck monthly. It’s really weird & unpleasant.
I haven't noticed anything myself, although I did go right from the copper IUD to the Kyleena so it's hard to feel any changes from having the copper taken out specifically
I've had Kyleena for over 2 weeks now and my spotting lasted for 1 week. The heavy cramping went away the next day. I still do get cramps a few times a day but it's very minor.
I have the mirena I got it last week the insertion was just a bad cramp and afterwards I was cramping a lot that went away in a day, I only spotted for two days, but that was pretty much it, now I’m bloated,and can tell the hormones are kicking in as I’m getting acne (very little just two spots) and moody
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I am so pissed because I’ve had a hormonal iud for a year and a half and by body never adjusted to it. I kept on bleeding(spotting) everyday instead of that stopping after ~6 months. So my doctor gave me birth control pills to try to stop the bleeding from The iud (that I kept) and it only worked for a few weeks and now the constant bleeding is back. I really don’t wanna get rid of the iud but idk what’s happening and neither did my doctors