Copper coil (IUD) and body hair increase

Before having the copper coil, I’d tried all other forms of contraceptives. I got to a point where I felt, even though the copper coil would cause more heavier and painful periods, it was non hormonal so thought it was my old option (hormones really don’t suit me) The insertion was pretty bad I won’t lie but when it’s done it’s done! I never could feel my threads and my periods went from 5 days to 10 days. I went from being someone with light periods to unbelievably heavy; to the point I was wearing period knickers with two overlapped night pads for two of the days. The nurses said after 6 months my body would adjust and the bleeding would settle down. They started me on TXA as my ferretin and iron became low. To cut a long story short the bleeding never settled and I was still having ten day long periods. It was a horrible 12 months as I felt the majority of the time I was on a period and doing daily tasks or working proved very very hard some days. I became anaemic and would spend a lot of money on supplements alongside the prescribed iron. The anaemic led to a lower moon, zero sex drive, ravinous appetite and tiredness. I know they say research shows a small percentage gain weight on it and I was one of them. But they always like to say it’s others things like lifestyle. For me I was certain it was the coil due to the anaemia it causes. I’m 155cm and weigh 8 stone 3. I’ve always been that weight and I go to the gym 3-5 days a week, probably twice a week since the coil. I gained a stone in that year.

At the time of this review I am still under 3 months of use. Right off the bat let me just say I had heavy bleeding and cramps since the day I had it fitted. This was the biggest shock for me as every research I read said I would experience a change to my period, either possibly heavier or lighter and also cramps. What I actually experienced was heavy, continuous non stop bleeding for 5 weeks straight. No off days inbetween. I went back twice to get looked at as I was that concerned. They confirmed on both occasions it was fitted correctly, it hadn't moved, I had no I fection and I wasn't pregnant. They couldn't however explain the heavy bleeding but every thing looked normal even with the 2D scan results. The bleeding was so heavy I stained clothes, furniture, furnishings you name it even while wearing a tampon and sanitary towel at the same time. The blood itself changed look and consistency. It started dark and over time transitioned to a bright fire engine tomato red. The day it stopped I had bled just as heavy as the day 1 bleed it was like a tap being switched off. I also had a change in my vagina smell, for the first time ever i could actually smell myself (but this could have been a result of the constant bleeding- i truly dont know). Now i am no longer bleeding the smell is considerably less. I am hoping to get back to no smell in time. As for the cramps intense, my usual cramps had always been mild. All of this impacted my mood, my mental health and my sex life. Oral sex certainly out and I was always super conscious during sex it went from being unscripted unfettered love making to mindful, cautious strategically planned sex so not cool. 5 weeks of hell to be honest. But now it's stopped and all I have now is mild spotting. I wait to see what this does to my actual period. I have PCOS so might take sometime before I get a true period. This isn't to put anyone off but actually to share a different reality to all the reviews I read before I had this fitted. As the only natural contraceptive available at the time of my fitting this was my only option.

The coil caused an ectopic pregnancy - it was in place and less than 2 years old. I don’t feel the NHS records the number of ectopic pregnancies accurately - there was no acknowledgment of it on my medical records. The mental health issues caused by being diagnosed with an ectopic pregnancy due to the coil is far worse than the mental health issues hormonal contraception has ever caused. I wouldn’t wish the feeling of a life threatening condition on anyone or the prospect of losing your tube/ovary/fertility