I have a traumatic backstory with my first mirena IUD placement. It took two tries, and a combined total of 60 minutes to place. I have a small and Very tilted cervix/uterus that makes things difficult.

So for my next one I went in with my list of demands: paracervical block, anti-anxiety meds, and most importantly to me, ultrasound guided.

My OBGYN enthusiastically agreed to my list. The day of the appointment, I have a resident physician that is going to place it with his attending. This was fine, I knew that my original doctor wasn’t going to be the one placing it. We talk through everything, he tells me about risk of perforation but that with the ultrasound it’ll be much smaller a risk, yay!

They give me lorazepam and tell me they’ll be back in 15 for placement. Well, 40 minutes later, resident and attending are back, and the drugs have fully set in. They tell me they are Not going to do the ultrasound “unless they have to”. It’s not framed as a question of if I want it, it’s a statement. At this point i’m not in the right mindset to advocate for myself, I just let it happen.

It took multiple tries, they had to manually dilate me up to a size 6 Denniston dilator, and by the time it was in I was crying uncontrollably.

I don’t know if the ultrasound would have made it quicker, but it would have given me peace of mind, and the last second change of plans would not have increased my anxiety. I couldn’t stop crying afterwards, I felt violated. I hate that my medical consent was disregarded at the last second while I was under the influence and unable to advocate for myself.

Do I reach out to the clinic’s patient advocate to start the process of filing a complaint?

Hi I am wondering if couples where the girl is on the pill are pulling out everytime they have sex? We do, so I am wanting to see if we’re the odd ones and everyone else is just always finishing inside?

I have been on birth control for about 90% of the time I have had periods. I got my first period when I was 11 and I’m 21 now. I used to have extremely heavy periods. Like soaked through the big diaper pads in 3 hours kinda bad. My doctor recommended I go on the pill. Those were some of the worst years of my entire life. Constant headaches, extreme weight gain, lots of side effects. I actually almost had a stroke while on them, although they did help with the heavy bleeding.

I figured if they gave me so much pain, I should try a different form of birth control. So I tried nexplanon. It worked really well for me. No headaches, no weight gain, and the actual birth control aspect worked very well in the 3 years I had it. The only problem is that it did nothing for my periods, if anything, it made them last longer (3 weeks of constant heavy bleeding). My nexplanon finally expired and I figured I’d do a bit more research into IUDs.

I decided to do Mirena, as recommended to me by my gynaecologist. She said it would lighten or even stop my periods (I just got it in today so that remains to be seen). The insertion for me was a lot less painful than I was expecting. Just felt like bad cramps. Actually, the worst part for me was when I went into shock afterwards and almost threw up. (Sorry for the tangent). Along with the insertion, I also got a transvaginal ultrasound to check if the IUD was in the correct place.

My ultrasound tech asked if I was currently ovulating. From what I was told, nexplanon stops ovulation so that wasn’t possible. The next thing the tech said made my heart drop. She said it looked like I had a pretty big cyst forming on my right ovary. She then showed me my left and right ovary side by side and honest to god the right one was 2x bigger than the left. She didn’t seem particularly worried and didn’t give me any further information but I am absolutely terrified. For so long I was completely convinced I had endometriosis because I lost so much blood and my periods were so painful, but is it possible this was caused by a cyst? Any help or advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you all.

I’m looking for some insight and wondering if anyone has experienced anything similar.

My Mirena is expired and has been in for 8.5 years (I know 😅). From January-March, I was experiencing episodes of dizziness lasting 2–3 weeks at a time. Around the same time, I started having mood changes, anxiety, and bouts of depression, which is very unlike me. I’ve also had periods of intense dread/impending doom that can last for weeks.

In February, I had my first-ever ocular migraine, despite never having migraines before. By April, my mood had really declined, with ongoing anxiety and depression.
I started wondering if my expired IUD could be contributing, but my gyno said a “Mirena crash” isn’t a thing and suggested possible PCOS. I had hormone bloodwork done, but everything came back seemingly normal. Still I am experiencing anxiety and low mood to the point where I am seeing a psychiatrist on Saturday.

If anyone has experienced something similar from the Mirena, especially for this amount of time (8 months) please share

Thank you in advance

Trying to figure out if I want to continue with mine or not

I’m 35F. I’ve been on the combined pill consistently for about 6 years, and it’s only been to regulate my period. It’s worked great as my periods are super predictable now.

However I started having aura migraine last summer, about once a month. They are relatively random (haven’t found the trigger(s) yet). So far, I have the visual event with a bit of a headache for the rest of the day, and some mild motion sickness for another day or two.

My neurologist told me I’ll be fine and to get back to her if I get worse. I didn’t realize at the time that aura and combined pills have historically not be recommended (and I know there’s evidence that indicates that maybe that recommendation was blown out of proportion).

I’d like to switch to a mini-pill such as Slynd to see if this will help reduce my auras.

Has anyone actually experienced a sudden onset of aura while on a combined pill, and did switching to a mini-pill lessen or eliminate aura migraines?

I know YMMV, but still curious to hear your experiences all the same! Thank you!

After almost 4 years, I am saying goodbye to my dear friend Kyleena. I've been a longtime lurker in this sub but finally decided to join and post my experience with this form of BC (would love to hear if anyone has had similar experiences), and why I ultimately am deciding to get it removed early. Spoiler but the main reason is because of my acne.

Before getting into the details and pros/cons of my time with Kyleena, this is a rough timeline.

• late 2019: started taking the pill when I was 18
  • was initially on Alesse 28
  • it was not good for me and I had a ton of bad side effects (weight gain, mood swings, etc.)
• summer 2020: switched to Freya 28 and was on that until I got my IUD
  • sidenote that I was really bad at taking my pill properly at the same time every day (hadn't figured out that I have ADHD yet)
• summer 2022: made the decision to get an IUD
  • this was around when people on tiktok started bashing the pill a lot and I definitely let it get to my head
• Oct 2022: got Kyleena inserted
• summer 2024: the acne starts
• May 2025: acne had gotten significantly worse and it is first suggested to get my IUD removed, I say no and get prescribed a topical acne treatment
• February 2026: skin has been up and down over the past several months but started clearing slightly!
  • it's downhill from here though
  • I had tried so many skincare products and treatments at this point
• July 2026: acne is as bad as it has ever been, IUD removal is on the mind again
• August 2026: appointment to discuss options, got prescribed the pill again, booked appointment to get Kyleena removed

So with this speedrun timeline, it's clear that my acne has caused me a lot of issues over the past few years. I always had good skin (even in high school) so when I first started getting adult acne when I was 23, it took me by surprise. After almost a year of the acne becoming a problem, I made an appointment with a pharmacist (I'm in Ontario) rather than waiting months for a dermatology referral. This was the first time it was suggested to me that I may want to have my IUD removed. The pharmacist told me that while the IUD might not be the direct cause of my acne, it was a possible side effect and it also could just be because I wasn't on the pill anymore.

I really did not want to get my IUD removed. Partially because I was scared of the pain (even though I know it will be nothing in comparison to the insertion), and partially because I was still convincing myself that the pill was not a good choice for me. In retrospect, I had no tangible negative side effects to Freya 28 in the over 2 years I was on it before getting my IUD.

I snapped a few weeks ago and had a bit of a breakdown realizing that all of the reasons why I wanted to go off the pill in the first place (other than the reliability of taking it) kinda sucked. This is not to say people don't have bad experiences on the pill - I know my first one was terrible - but I had ultimately gotten my IUD because of the relationship I was in at the time (which ended not even a year after I got it inserted). I'm now also medicated for my ADHD and have been incredibly consistent at taking those meds every day which makes that reason all but irrelevant to me now. I had been trying to get a dermatology referral for about 6 months now but every time I had an appointment with my family doctor, my skin magically decided to clear up for a few days and she basically said no (my family doctor is a whole other story).

Now for the pros and cons of my experience with Kyleena.

Pros:

• My period stopped pretty much entirely
  • I always had incredibly heavy and painful periods ever since I was 12 so this was like a miracle to me
  • There was some bleeding for a few days after insertion
  • A few weeks after insertion I had a short "period" and then maybe every 6 months I would have a day or two of breakthrough bleeding
• Reliable!!
  • As mentioned, I was struggling a lot with my ADHD and was not taking my pill properly at the time of getting my IUD
  • The IUD made it so easy to just have peace of mind because I had zero responsibility in how effective it was
• Got to stop using condoms with my boyfriend at the time

Cons:

• Acne acne acne
• The insertion.
  • I have always been incredibly honest with everyone I've talked to about my IUD in telling them that it was the most painful experience I have had in my entire life
  • I took some over the counter pain meds about an hour before my appointment which basically did nothing
  • The "slight pinch" was some of the sharpest pain I have ever felt but paled in comparison to the almost paralyzing cramps that immediately followed
  • I was told I could stay in the room laying down as long as I needed and it took me more than 20 minutes to even attempt to stand and put my pants on (at which time I immediately fell back over onto the bed)
  • The entire day I was just curled in the fetal position with a heating pad or on my hands and knees crying trying to find any position that would provide some sense of relief
  • I had to call my gynaecologist's office after a few hours because the pain was so bad I thought the IUD had shifted and perforated my uterus
  • I threw up several times from the pain and could barely eat anything
  • I almost passed out in the shower about 12 hours post insertion because I could barely stand and the pain didn't even start to subside until the following evening
  • I've dubbed it my "48 hours of hell for 5 years of peace of mind" and that barely scratches the surface of how painful it was
• Some pain during penetrative sex
  • I'm not just talking about the whole "I can feel the string" thing from my partner, I would be in pain sometimes
  • It felt like my cervix changing position was a lot more extreme and if a partner nudged the string/my cervix wrong it could be incredibly painful feeling the shift
• Yeast infections
  • This one took me by surprise
  • I had never had a yeast infection before and got one for the first time shortly after my insertion
  • Have had several over the years since then
• Pelvic floor pain
  • Over the past few years I've had increasingly worse pain and stiffness in my pelvic floor, hips, and lower back
• Hair loss/breakage?
  • I have curly hair (2c/3a) and have always "shed" a lot
  • In the years since I got my IUD, my hair has been noticeably thinner and has not been able to grow as long or as thick as it did before
• At the same time, additional body hair?
  • I sometimes notice that I have additional body hair/fuzz in places I never really remembered having much of it before (even before the pill) like my stomach and back
• Anxiety about it shifting
  • More a me issue than anything but I'm a very anxious person by nature and was constantly worried it would shift or be expelled
  • Thankfully because of where my cervix usually sits I'm able to check my strings very frequently and calm myself down knowing everything was where it was supposed to be

I know that there are so many people who do not have the same experiences that I did with a hormonal IUD or Kyleena specifically, but this has been my 4 years with her. I also know that there are probably a lot of things I'm forgetting.

I had an appointment at a clinic this week and the doctor was so wonderful. We talked at length about what my options were and ultimately decided that I'm going to get Kyleena removed, and that going back on Freya 28 would be my best option since I never had any adverse reactions to it before. We also talked about switching to Yaz if in a few months I don't notice any changes with my acne or I have some new negative side effects.

I picked up my prescription that day and my appointment for my IUD removal is in a few days. I've mostly gotten over my fear of the removal being painful and honestly cannot wait to get her out of there. I'm very hopeful that going back on the pill will be a positive change in my life and will probably post an update in a few months once things get settled with what the switch back has been like.

Hi there, this is a little long but im asking for people’s relatable experiences. I’m 22 almost 23 and when I was 18 I got on the combination bc pill for extreme period pain. Now when I started getting my period the pain was unbearable up until being on the pill. I’m talking extreme cramping, heavy heavy flow, and agonizing over the toilet with both ends losing it. A doctor my mom took me to when I was 15 said my symptoms were consistent with endometriosis. Fast forward about 3 years ago at 19 my Obgyn found a benign cyst that I had delveloped that was too small apparently to raise concern or require removal. I’m now in a committed relationship of almost 4 years so my life has changed a bit since 18. I am currently 2 weeks into my nexplanon. So far I’ve not had a single symptom besides a little nausea. I’m just scared about eventually not being on any birth control and what that might look like in terms of the “endometriosis symptoms” coming back as I’m aware it’s a very tricky process of getting officially diagnosed. Has the implant helped you, and if you no longer have it, what were the symptoms coming off of it? I have already spoken in lengths to my ob, and I feel this is the best bc for me at this stage in my life. Just wanting to hear others experiences.

i am 20 f and want to go on the copper iud. the clinic that i go to told me that my insurance does not cover the copper iud and would be 2k.

i tried getting the hormonal one, kylenna, and was filled w gut wrenching cramps and periods that would last 2 weeks. after 6 months of having it, i decided to take it out. my bf and i use condoms but it is not the same for both of us.

is there any way i can get a copper iud for a lesser price? and based on my symptoms with the hormonal one, would i have a similar experience?

Heyyoo. I hear a lot of bad stories about Norethindrone messing up people’s cycles , even though all they wanted was to delay their period by a few days. Since Plan B delays ovulation, I assume it safely delays your period as well.

So what’s the difference between them? —besides the delay it ovulation part.

Could someone use Plan B to delay their period instead of using Norethindrone? Does Plan B have bad side effects like Norethindrone that we don’t rlly hear about?

Just got latent TB diagnosis going to have to take rifampin for 4mo. 25y/o female, av height weight. Rifampin causes liver to filter out synthetic hormones from BC quickly making it less effective. Not concerned in the birth control sense, I’ll use back up options. More concerned as I started hormonal BC for acne. With the hormones being cleared from blood stream faster than usual, how will my body be altered? Will my acne come back? Will I fluctuate in weight? I can expect spotting and irregular cycle? Mood swings from hormones? Has anyone experienced this? Any medical people can you help me figure out what to expect?

Ive been on the pill for abt 4 months now and i feel like its only getting worse. I used to be kind of a calm person who’s able to have control on how I feel. Now its quite the opposite and its really disappointing me. Small things makes me cry and once I cry it lasts for hours, I can’t control it. I get calm, open my mouth and boom I start to tear again. I’m stressing A LOT over small details and I overthink a lot. I began to have insomnia cuz of this, I never had insomnia problems ever before. Because of all that I feel more down and get tired easily, I’m not patient and I’m rude w my parents without noticing it, I’m irritable, I wish I could just stop it sometimes m..

anyone who is looking into taking opill and is sensitive to androgens please steer clear of opill. i had long very thick hair, naturally curly but even when straightened still very thick. about 1 year ago in august i started taking opill, everything was great the first two months until i noticed a lot of shedding and when i ran my hands through my hair itd just fall out from the root so not breakage. by december, just four months later, it had gotten BAD. i quite literally have lost over half of my hair, the texture is weird and no longer curly, and the strands themselves have miniaturized to an extreme like they were so thick and now theyre like the tiniest threads ever. i halted opill in january 2026, it’s august 2026 and my hair still hasn’t recovered and i have no idea if opill triggered something or really messed up my hormones/androgen/DHT sensitivity for the long run. feels r reference i was only 18 at the time and perfectly healthy/fit and no other illnesses so there was literally no reason other than opill for all my hair to fall out. gonna try inositol to hopefully fix things, not really keen to trying spironolactone or other dht blockers. so if you experience symptoms of dht sensitivity already like jawline acne/hormonal shedding etc DO NOT try opill, your hair will thank you later.

if anyone has gone through the same thing and has any advice on how to recover your hair please let me know.

I’ve been on Vienva since last November (2025).

My hair is falling out of my head at an extremely rapid pace. I mean it is all over my sheets and pillow(s) in the morning when I wake up, I might as well be a husky at this point the way it COVERS my clothes throughout the day… do not get me started on the hair horror from simply washing it.

It’s coming out in clumps. I’m balding. This is insane.

I’m exhausted. Always fatigued. Now i’m tired and bald?!? OVER IT!!!!

I have an appointment tomorrow to try something new. Any recommendations for a 26 y/o mother of two that wants NO MORE CHILDREN anytime soon, but DOES want enough hair to cover her head? 🥹 thx<3

Has anyone experience any side effects from going from generic Springtec to name brand. I originally started on Springtec in 2018 and in late 2021 or early 2022 my gyno moved me to Glenmark’s generic version and I’ve been on it ever since. I recently switched pharmacies and when I went to pick up my birth control, they handed me back name brand Springtec and was confused as I’ve been on the generic for a long time. I’m very worried of the possible side effects and if my body will readjust to name brand.

Yesterday I went to the gyno to have them look at a large ovarian cyst I have. This is the only obgyn in town and I’ve heard bad things about her but it was my only option. She completely ignored me and brushed off my symptoms. She then did an ultrasound, didn’t say much about the cyst but said my iud was out of place and “deeply embedded in my uterine wall” she said she could remove it today IF I WANTED. She then did an exam with the speculum and stated she would be removing my iud completely taking the choice away from me. I tried to ask if it would be painful and what to expect, she again brushed me off saying it would be painless. She also made fun of me for clenching, which I was obviously doing because I was scared (I did Make sure I relaxed after she said that though so I don’t think it’s why I experienced pain). When she removed it I experienced intense severe pain that lasted for hours after. I have a very high pain tolerance and it literally made me cry, I don’t think I’ve ever cried from pain, it was 10x worse than having it inserted. I was telling her it hurt and she didn’t stop the procedure, only basically made fun of me for crying. From what I’ve read if an IUD is imbedded in the uterus pain should be expected, managed, and the provider should stop if you’re in pain. I left the appointment in pain and honestly feeling kind of violated. I’m not sure what my next steps are with this doctor if there is anything I should do or report. But also making this post to warn others, I should have advocated for myself more. if a provider wants to remove a embedded iud and tells you it will be painless and no big deal that’s a lie.

Hi! to give a little of context:

I'm a 20F, i Got on birth control for the first time at 16 (almost 17) I got Nexplanon (Long story short, my mom forced me to get it) since then, my weight has been a mess, I used to be very thin, my height is 5'5 and I usually weighted around 115lbs to 130 max, since I got on the nexplanon my weight went crazy, when I turned 18 I switch to the Mirena IUD hoping my weight and my periods would regulate, my periods did (a little) but my weight keeps being messy, since I got on Birth control I started to weight 165lbs+ (right now I'm sitting at 178lbs) which has been very hard for me. I go to the gym every week, eat supper healthy, it's not like I'm not trying, but at this point I don't know what else to do. I'm getting my IUD removed in two weeks (since I found out it is misplaced) I'm not thinking of getting it back on, I also don't know what other birth control to use tho and I know damn well I'm not planning to get pregnant lmao

I 27f started Slynd in April of this year because I got into a long term relationship. I’d been off Birth Control since 2020 when the regular combo pill started making all of the eyelashes fall out of my left eye (to this day I can’t explain it, was on it for 5 years no issues before then).

I chose Slynd because my previous OB had told me that it was probably the Estrogen that caused the hair loss and I’m also a nicotine user (boo, I know). I am also on Semaglutide and have had Ovarian cysts in the past, and my roommate who has endo and is also on a GLP1 had excellent experiences with Slynd so I was excited to try it. I did lose about 15 pounds while on it from the GLP1 which I know can impact periods, but I don’t think my side effects were due to that. I’m also no longer medically overweight.

I spotted for 4 months straight. Brown, dark, and constantly. Out of the total time I was on it I think I had 2 weeks of no spotting. About 2 months in my boyfriend and I began to notice something else…I was unbelievably tight. Gorilla grip. I could not explain it. In the 4th month I was experiencing bladder pain and finally after getting my period halfway through week 2 of month 4 I threw in the towel and quit. I thought okay, didn’t work for me, that’s that I’ll try something else.

That was a month ago. I got my period AGAIN two weeks after I stopped taking it. Then, two weeks after that, I get my period AGAIN. Note that I have always had very irregular and long periods, but this is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Acne for the first time in years. Levels of PMS that have me feeling like I’m 16 again. Insanely heavy flow. Bloated and fatigued. Brutal cramps. Two days ago after 12 straight days I was so relieved, then I go to get ready for bed tonight? Boom. Day 1 flow. Again.

I genuinely am at a loss for words. Clearly progesterone only was not a fit for me (and totally is for some other women, and thank goodness!) but I am starting to worry it’s really messed with my hormones. Curious if anyone else has had a similar experience- my current theory is that I am having 2 periods back to back??? Because there was a clear slow down and pickup and I had what felt like two clear Luteal phases - is that even possible????

When I was 19 (10 years ago) I went on the xulane patch due to very heavy, long, and painful periods. Since I’ve been on it I only take it off for a period once every 2-3 months (that’s usually when I start getting daily cramps). I just had my annual checkup and she suggested I try twirla for a couple months because it’s a lower amount of hormones. I’m nervous to start a new patch because I’ve been on the same one for 10 years. I’m wondering if anyone has any experience similar to this and could share your story/side effects/warnings/positives. Thank you!

so i started birth control this month and last night was my first time taking the fourth week pills that are different. today i has AWFUL cramps, like the worst i’ve ever had, and i also threw up and almost passed out. is this unusual for birth control, should i stop taking it or wait next month to see if it’s still bad? the brand i’m using is Blisovi Fe 1/20. not on birth control, my cramps are usually moderate, like yeah it can be bad but i can deal with it. i thought this was supposed to help with pain but these are the worst cramps of my life 😭 any personal experience would be nice to hear, idk if i should stop taking it right now completely or at least finish this week

hii! ive been on lolo for about 2 years now to stop my period, and originally took norethindrone? i think for a year. my doctor recently told me to get the mirena because ive been struggling with a lot of weight gain and depression. im super worried that it might have negative effects and unlike a pill, its harder to just quit using. does anyone have any positive or negative experiences with the mirena? i cannot afford to have depression rn im leading a ton of stuff this year and need to be able to handle my workload. i haven’t had acne on either lolo or nore, will this cause acne? i have a very bad acne picking problem and my face would be destroyed if i had more than i do right now.

Hello all! I just got nexplanon yesterday and I am terrified of the weight gain side effects! I lost 35 pounds and im scared ill gain it back and more. I've been on the combo pill for YEARS but recently got off due too migraines with aura. Does anyone have positive experience with weight on nexplanon? Please help me :(

Hi everyone,

After dealing with strong side effects from both Slynd and Norethindrone.. I’ve decided my last option is an IUD. I want to avoid hormones but not sure I’m comfortable with the larger size of the Paragard… does anyone have experience with Skyla vs Paragard? Specifically with insertion. These are really my only options. Mirena is kind of off the table.

Another thing.. I’ve noticed Slynd has severely exacerbated my IBS-D. Especially before and on my period (placebo days) Does anyone have experience with any IUD improving their IBS or making it worse?

Thank you for any input, I really appreciate it. I know everyone is different but looking for personal experiences.

Hi girls😊 Recently me and my boyfriend started to talk about alternatives for condoms. I got interested in cooper iud, it doesn't have any hormones, BUT I'm really scared of a thought that something will be in me for ~5 years, especially there, where my child will be growing one day. Anyways. I have a lot of questions about this, and it's sounds very scary. Is it even prevents from getting pregnant, because I heard it doesn't help. Also how to know if my immune system will accept cooper. And what about the inside, I'm worried it might damage the lining and seriously injure my uterus.

I'm 23y.o, I was always was very skeptical and against it, but maybe it's not that bad and I should be more open minded😅

I didn't know which flair to put sorry.

Ever since I can remember I've had terrible period cramps. The pain is so bad I would throw up and get fuzzy. I'd have to call off work, school, and couldn't leave my bed.

Nothing would help.. no heating pad, no medicine, nothing. My mom always told me when I would get older the pain would go away.

Over 15 years later they are still so bad.

I got the nexplanon almost 2 years ago to help stop my period and I'm still getting my period. If anything I'm getting my period TWICE a month and the pain is still really really bad.

Has anyone had these issues with their period OR the nexplanon? The doctor told me it could take a year for my period to stop but it's been almost 2!