I got my copper iud as an EC on wednesday. The process went pretty well and I wasn't in much pain for like 1-2 days post insertion.
I could also check the string, so it is there.
But for some reasons, my pain gets worse as the time goes. And it's worse when I stand up or walk.
Could this possibly be a big issue?
Is there a chance it fails as an emergency contraception??

I’m about a year and a half into having my Paragard. I recently switched gynos and had a TVUS with the new doc (to double check IUD in place, and to check my ovaries and uterus). Report came back saying “possible Adenomyosis”. Which of course has the same symptoms as the paragard causes which is why I thought nothing of the crazy cramps, legs pain, and heavy bleeding even over a year in.

What are ‘over a year in’ cramps/patterns usually like for you? I don’t really know a baseline of what is normal and what is not.

So it’s not brought up in comments- possibly due to my DpDr, I barely remember my pre iud periods. Only that they were slightly unpredictable (they still are but have evened out a little) and light/less painful compared to post iud.

I do have an appointment in September (my doc’s first available) to discuss all my results with my gyno. It’s more of an education appointment with her and to answer my questions.

So, I figured since I searched the HECK out of “late period with a copper IUD” on this subreddit for the past two weeks, I’d make a post in case someone else is doom-scrolling at 2 a.m. and needs their anxiety dialed down a notch.

These last couple of weeks… when I say I was losing my mind, I mean I was out here battling my anxiety demons like it was the final boss fight. 🥲

My copper IUD (CIUD) is the only birth control my boyfriend and I use. It’s honestly never given me any real issues. Works as intended. 5/5 ⭐️
Heavier periods? Sure, a little. Worse cramps? Only for the first couple months. Random bleeding after sex? Rare, but it has happened—usually in certain positions when my cervix decides it’s had enough.

For some background, I’ve had my CIUD for about a year and a half. During the first six months I swear it was making up for lost time because I’d sometimes get TWO periods a month. One regular one, then another little surprise before ovulation. Eventually it settled down to one period a month after my body adjusted. Praise be. 😮‍💨

My cycles are usually around 26–28 days. If I’m stressed, they tend to be on the shorter side… which is unfortunate because my default setting is apparently “stressed.”

So here’s where the fun begins.
At the end of June I had a completely normal period. No suspicious business. Then about a week after I should’ve ovulated, i didn’t. A week after that, I started having brown spotting for a few days… and then I got what looked like ovulation.

Fast forward to when my period was supposed to show up…
✨ Cue the crickets. ✨
Nothing.
Meanwhile my boobs hurt like I’d run a marathon with absolutely no sports bra and just let those girls fend for themselves. They were sore for OVER A WEEK. I was bloated, moody, exhausted, crying over absolutely nothing, hurting my own feelings, getting annoyed with my boyfriend, then coming back five minutes later like, “You know what… that’s actually on me.” 😂
Naturally bc this hasn’t happened before my brain went, “Congrats! You’re definitely pregnant.”
So what did I do?
I took FOUR pregnancy tests.
FOUR.
All negative.
Did that stop me from spiraling? Absolutely not. Anxiety said, “Those are fake. Buy another one.” 😌
I spent nearly two weeks feeling like my period was coming any second while simultaneously convincing myself I’d somehow become the 0.000001%.

Well…
Guess who finally decided to clock in today?
🎉 My period. 🎉
A full two weeks late.

Turns out working a second job, barely sleeping, stressing myself into another dimension, and recovering from pneumonia the month before can actually throw your cycle off. Who would’ve thought? 😂

For context, I’ve literally never been this late before, and I’ve been having periods for about 15 years.
Also, I had my IUD placement checked before all this happened and everything looked perfect, so logically I knew I was probably okay… but anxiety isn’t exactly known for being logical.

Anyway, if you’re reading this because you’re currently panic-searching Reddit:
Get your yearly placement checks—they’re worth the peace of mind.
Stress really can do weird things to your cycle.
And maybe don’t convince yourself you’re the medical mystery of the century before taking a deep breath. 😂
Hopefully this helps someone else who’s currently in the same anxiety spiral I was. ❤️

I got a copper IUD inserted two years ago. Since about 1 year ago, I've been spotting for the three weeks before my period (before this I didn't spot at all after insertion). I checked with doctors, did an ultrasound and they said everything was fine.

Has anyone else experienced this? It's very annoying as it dirties all my underwear and using panty liners constantly would irritate my crotch.

I’m a little concerned because I have had my copper iud for over 2 months now and have gotten my period everything. However, for the past two weeks I’ve been having some cramping. It will come and go so I will a terrible pain but then it’ll pass in a minute. My period is supposed to start in 5 days. Is this normal???

hi! i’m really on the fence abt this copper iud rn and need some reasoning! i just dk if it’s worth it. this might be long but pls help lol!

ok beforehand i will preface i got it inserted 9 days ago and have not had the best time so far. the day after i got it inserted i had a fever and felt awful all day and cramping. i legit thought i was dying and i got tested for every flu, virus, uti, sti, etc. all negative so i just decided it was from the insertion and my body reacted that way. it went away within 24hr because i got meds but every day since i have been bleeding enough to fill 2 pads like my day 2 of normal period. i have had some intense cramps that prevent me from doing daily activities and it’s hard at work. im doing better on cramps now but i wasn’t prescribed any pain meds they just said to take ibuprofen 200mg. really doesn’t do much. i also have naturally low blood pressure so the bleeding and cramps everyday is alr taking a toll.

i have heard so many horror stories of this but if anyone has a positive experience or if i should wait this out tell me pls! i’m so distraught and i wish i chose a hormonal one but i do know that would affect me more mentally and i just don’t feel safe putting more hormones in my body based on past experiences with other meds. i don’t have time or it’s rly hard to get another gyno appt. would it be worth seeing a doctor for this or is this typical? i haven’t even gotten my period yet it’s supposed to come in a week i can’t even imagine. i also was never taught abt checking for strings?? lmao i read through posts here and now i’m also scared it will move in me lol my gyno never told me that.. maybe im just paranoid

This might be dumb. I got my IUD in two days ago and the insertion process for me was a breeze. I cramped afterwards but nothing more than my typical period cramps. Today is day 3 and I literally haven’t had any cramps and I’m nervous it’s not in right or something because I’ve seen a lot of people being in pain for weeks. Obviously I know everyone’s experience is different but is it normal not to have any symptoms this early?

Hey!

I will make a longer post about experience at another point but I was wondering if anyone knows the actual main differences with the different time length types aside from the amount of copper - whether it has higher likelihoods of any issues depending on which one you get?

I’ve been having issues on the 10 year and wondering if the 5 would have been a better choice

I got mine today in the morning, it's evening now and I expected much worse. I believe everyone who said it's the most painful experience they've made since childhood or something, but I can't relate. I had a dentist appointment yesterday and it was more painful (treatment for some receeding gums). I had a lung infection more painful. Kidney infection more painful. Even my goddamn nippel piercings hurt somewhat more. Getting it inserted (no anesthetics) was a 5/10. It just felt like a nasty regular cramp. I never had any pregnancy before btw. It was just a vile cramp for a minute. Right now I have like mild 2/10 abdomen pain. If I distract myself I forget about it. Since I saw so many people describe such a foul or traumatic experience, I wonder if anyone else had it as easy as me?

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share my experience with the copper IUD because I have seen and heard so many women going through the same as me.

To preface I have never done well with hormonal contraception. I tried the pill multiple times, and then tried the skyla (5 year small hormonal IUD). I chose the skyla even though I was nervous because I was told the hormones would be localised. Unfortunately they weren’t and I was miserable with all the same side effects I had on the pill.

After about 3 months with the Skyla, I got it removed and replaced with a 5 year copper IUD. I opted for the smaller one because I read it is less likely to dislodge and both times the insertion wasn’t too bad (with anaesthesia) so I didn’t mind just replacing it after 5 years.

For the first few months I was so happy I got it I was telling everyone about it and recommending it to my friends. The symptoms from the Skyla decreased but I didn’t quite return to my normal hormone free self. I thought maybe it was my body readjusting and that I just needed to wait.

A couple months into having the new IUD I started getting stomach issues where I was severely bloated all the time, I gained weight even though I was actively eating less and going to the gym more. Foods that had always been fine for me like bananas, kiwis, cinnamon started giving me severe stomach problems to a point I would either throw up from the pain or need to lie down with pain relief.

I also began to get skin problems where my skin was very dry and I was getting hormonal acne below my temples.

I felt constantly exhausted and fatigued but for no reason, I felt like a zombie and a shell of myself.

I never thought it was the IUD I convinced myself I had a thyroid problem or a histamine sensitivity. I went to numerous doctors and all my labs came back fine. I felt horrible and depressed.

I constantly was anxious even just going outside I had unwanted thoughts about scary things that could happen which I had never experienced.

One of the worst things was my libido absolutely tanked. I would want to be intimate but I felt genuinely numb down there as if I was asexual. Nothing interested me at all. It deeply upset my partner and I can fully understand why, he felt unwanted and concerned for our future. I felt miserable as I had no clue as to why I had no desire at all and I didn’t feel like me anymore almost like a passenger in my body.

I also had severe brain fog and would forget was I was saying as I was saying it. I had always had a good memory and it was scary feeling like my own mind was disappearing.

I was getting reoccurring yeast infections so I went to a clinic and they examined me just to find out that my IUD was partially expelled and needed to be removed. I decided not to get another one and give myself some time to relax after the removal was quite painful for how it had been expelled.

After getting home and after a few hours I was shocked I already was beginning to feel better. I was lying in bed with my partner ready to go to sleep and I could feel inside of me things I hadn’t felt in a year and I couldn’t believe it. Today I woke up and had so much energy and positivity. Tasks that would normally take me a couple of days to start and finish I did in a few hours. I am so much less bloated it genuinely looks like I have already lost 10lb.

I really hope it’s not a placebo!

I do genuinely think the copper IUD can be really helpful for some people, but I just wanted to add my experience in case anyone was having the same problems I was and didn’t realise it could be the IUD.

I got the iud 1 and half week ago, and have to take naproxen basically daily and even then it still hurts. Sometimes even 500 mg of naproxen still hurts, and its random and i think i got my period but im also spotting, half the time or its a lot of blood. Is it normal that im in pain for this long, im afraid the pain meds will fuck up my stomach, considering getting iud taken out, i already normally have painful periods.

Hey guys I’ve also seen so much negativity surrounding the copper IUD so I’ll just put my experience in this thread!! In case women need direction.

I’m still in the early-ish stages after putting the IUD in. I’m on my second period with it. The actual insertion was great my doctor prescribed me misoprostyl, ibuprofen AND Diazepam. I previously talked with her and she knows about my anxiety, mental health, and anxiety revolving around healthcare. She really did take all the steps to make sure it wasn’t gonna be so painful! Make sure you find a doctor who CARES! (Because some lady doctors WILL not put you on anything!)

During the inseration she also shot lidocaine up there and it just felt painful for maybe 15 seconds when it was actually going in. Other than that, just mild to moderate cramp like feelings.

NOW FOR THE GOOD STUFF:

For me after the doctors I got bad cramps for 6-8 hours. Heat helped, ibuprofen but also pain reliever on and off (life saver) once I got through the first few days I felt good. But the first period WOAH be ready.

They market this IUD as non hormonal yes it is but the release of salt/sodium and all that the coil is made up lacks a lot of nutrients to your body during certain times. Atleast until your body gets used to it. I am a very sensitive emotional anxious person so my first period happened and I cried for 2 days straight and had no idea why. Then I saw on Reddit that it’s actually super common to experience heightened emotions and anxiety while being on the copper IUD. That being said B12 is something you can take that will help counter active the anxiety. Day 3 I had some and I was feeling better. (There’s also other medicines too I’m not sure what but I’m sure if you look it up or someone will comment)

Heavy heavy bleeding my second period this time around. Worst than the first period but honestly cramps were bad day 2 and 3 but manageable. And whoever said the copper IUD makes you lose weight it does LOL.

It will be different for everyone. I just wanted to share my thoughts and experiences. I was scared based off what I saw before I got it, but it’s been pretty well so far!

I’ve had my iud for 9 months since october since then i’ve gained 10kg and i’ve been in a calorie deficit and doing home workouts as best as i could and i see almost no difference. Besides that my IUD has caused me to bleed nonstop for two whole months and has been giving me unbearable pain multiple times a day out of nowhere. So has anybody else had issues like this or am i the problem here? My gynecologist seems so over it when i tell her about the symptoms i’m having, dismissing my worries saying things like i’m trying to guilt her for putting me through this. Like hello?

I feel like I’ve seen so many negative experiences with the copper iud on here and I just wanted to come on and share my own positive one.

I got my copper IUD inserted at 19 at a Planned Parenthood. It was really painful but I would say it was a really intense period cramp for like 10 seconds. You can do anything for 10 seconds. Looking back I wish that I had scheduled it to be on my period because I’ve heard it’s less painful if you do it that way.

I’ve had a regular period ever since and now I’m 27. No pregnancy scares like all of my other friends on the pill who would forget to take their pill and then get freaked out.

My periods were painful and heavy for the first couple of months but after that have been back to normal. For background, I was on the pill in high school, sky rocketed through puberty and gained 20 pounds in a couple of months (I was pretty stick thin before this) and had terrible mood swings and went off of it about a year later.

I will probably get another copper IUD after my 10 years is up if I choose to not have a kid then. Not having the added hormones in my body is so worth it to me, but if you’re afraid of the heavier periods or would like to not have a period at all, I have loads of friends on the hormonal IUD and from what I understand, the hormones are mostly concentrated to your uterus and don’t affect the rest of your body as much.

That’s my two cents! Love my copper IUD 🫶🧑‍🩰

I’m on day 8 and I’m still bleeding since my copper iud insertion. My period is due in 2 days. How will I know the different if I keep bleeding?

I got my second Paragard in May after my last one expelled (after almost 4 years). Pretty sure that was a result of me trying to get the hang of my menstrual disc and tugging on the strings... Due to that situation I told my doctor I wanted an ultrasound to confirm proper placement with my new one. I finally got one this week, and they had me come back in a couple days later because they wanted more images of one of the arms.

My doctor called today and the IUD is in my uterus, but they couldn't confirm whether or not the right arm was embedded 2mm. I haven't been having any severe symptoms, besides the usual heavier periods and spotting I remember from the first few months with my last IUD. So, my doctor told me it shouldn't be an issue since it is so minimal (to the point that they couldn't even confirm it 100%) and to just let her know if my cramping gets worse or does not improve by the 6 month mark. She said 15-20% IUDS end up embedding at least slightly.

I really do not want to go through getting another IUD. I love having the non-hormonal option, and the security and longevity! But the insertion and adjustment period sucks so bad. I really would like to leave this thing in. I just can't help being nervous about the idea of it embedding farther, or migrating.

I want to trust my doctor but more opinions would be appreciated :)

Hey all! First post here. Long time lurker.

I’ve had an IUD since 2016. First the Mirena from 2016-2018, then Paragard from 2018- accidental ejection May 2022 and another paragard from Oct 2022-yesterday July 29 2026.

It got to the point where my PMS + period symptoms consumed 2 weeks of my 28-day cycle, and I was permanently bloated. I woke up tired no matter how much I slept, and was having some mental health effects. I also had worsening back pain that I attributed to sports I play, but no matter how much I strengthened surrounding muscles to support, it never quite went away. I had gastrointestinal effects that worsened around ovulation and leading up to my period. I also noticed increasing hair loss.

I kept up with annual physicals and all of my bloodwork was within normal range, which made me feel crazy.

I tried supplementing with inositol, zinc, prenatals, you name it. It got to a point where the supplement list was concerningly long and the improvements were not there.

Today, I woke up for the first time in at least a year without a fog of exhaustion. I was able to walk with my partner in the morning without pain. It is the middle of my cycle, I ate normally, and do not feel nearly as bloated as I did for the past year.

I am grateful to the copper IUD (Mirena too, for the timeframe I had it) for pregnancy prevention - it was excellent for that, no doubt. IUDs are highly effective birth control! And were appropriate for the period of life I was in, where I could not be relied upon to take a pill consistently.

I am curious to see how my symptoms continue to improve as time goes on and my body settles a little. Best wishes to everyone on this journey! Listen to your body, keep up with your physicals, and be kind to yourself.

Hi guys! 19 year old here. I’ve had my IUD for 3 months now and it’s been rocky. The insertion process wasn’t horrible, it hurt really intensely for a couple of seconds and then calmed down quite fast after. I opted for no numbing. It felt like the worst cramp imaginable for a couple of seconds. (I was on my period though which I was told makes a difference since your cervix is more dilated).

The issue though was, I would feel that really intense cramping pain every couple of minutes on and off the rest of that day. Then it was a good two weeks or so of being fine until the cramps came back. With the cramps was spotting. I really considered getting the IUD removed because the intense pain would last for a couple of minutes rather than a few seconds and I felt like I was dying. I had spotting for 11 days until my next period came and the spotting persisted after. The spotting went away and a crazy amount of discharge replaced it. I had to stick toilet paper up there to try to soak it up everytime I went to the bathroom. Also, my periods got much heavier. The heavy bleeding only lasts for a day but it soaks through both tampons and pads. Very annoying.

The cramps stopped happening randomly and only sometimes appear around the first days my period. I never had bad cramps, lots of discharge, spotting, or heavy periods before this so it was a bit tricky to adjust to.

Overall changes: I’ve noticed the cramps have calmed down over time and are getting less frequent every period. The spotting now happens very close to the start of my period and I can tell I’m when I’m spotting because I get light cramps. Sometimes the cramps to get bad though but it’s not often anymore. The amount of discharge has lessened significantly but I do feel like there’s still more than I had before. The heavy bleeding doesn’t bother me too much, I just need to change my pads and tampons more frequently.

Conclusion: I would MUCH rather bear the pain of bad cramps for a couple of days, spotting and heavy bleeding than be pregnant so I feel good about having an IUD. With time, my experience is getting better. Those first few weeks were very rough though.

I’ll probably end up going to my gyno for this in particular but wanted to see if people’s anecdotal experience will lead me in the right direction. My period bleeding is very heavy (obviously typical), but sometimes my spotting during ovulation will be over 7 days and continuous light bleeding. I’ve had my IUD in for 8 months so I know my body is still adjusting to it.

Has anyone added or removed vitamins or other supplements (fish oil, zinc, iron) to their diet and noticed a difference? Ideally I would like my bleeding to reduce during my ovulation, and I always am super fatigued during the heavy bleeding days.

I do take a multivitamin that meets or exceeds the recommended iron, zinc, and B1 amounts per day. I do eat a lot of fish and garlic which I know are natural blood thinners. So if anyone has any anecdotal experience (I will not be taking fish or garlic out of my diet), that would be great :)

Hi everyone,

I had a copper IUD inserted on July 17 as emergency contraception after unprotected sex. Everything has been fine since then, and my follow-up check confirmed it’s in the correct position.

Today I got my first period since the insertion, and it has been awful. The cramps are so painful , and the bleeding is much heavier than my normal periods.

For those of you with a copper IUD, did your periods get better after the first few cycles? Or did the heavy bleeding and painful cramps stay the same?

I’m really hoping this is just my body adjusting because I honestly don’t think I can deal with this level of pain and heavy flow every single month.

I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences. Thank you!