Copper coil (IUD) side effects

I originally came to the Lowdown in 2021 for advice on contraception. I trusted the reviews, albeit some weren’t positive, and went for the copper IUD. It’s been the best decision I’ve made re contraception. It allows me to have safe sex with my partner, without artificial hormones. I’m back in touch with my cycle which really helps, and my periods are really manageable. I have 3/4 day periods, with some cramps but mostly manageable. Whilst the procedure to get the coil is unpleasant, the pros definitely outweigh the cons.

Sadly the copper IUD didn’t work well for me. Felt like it made my PMS worse, also experience hair loss. So removed after a few months and swapped to mirena coil.

I had the copper coil put in a few months after my birth. I have tried to stick with it to settle down, but as time went on my period each month got heavier and more painful. I'm currently getting advice to get it removed and find a new contraceptive to lighten my period.

I’ve had the copper coil for 3 years, and at first I was really happy (having swapped from the combined pill after getting migraines with aura). I liked being hormonal free, and my periods have been regular, I’ve been much more aware of my cycle than when on the combined pill. However, over the last year my periods have been getting increasingly longer, more painful and heavier (with 3-5 days of very light bleeding followed by 2-3 heavy days with significant cramps) so I’m going to try and swap to the hormonal coil. Insertion was painful but quick - and I found a sexual health clinic offered pain relief whereas a GP appointment did not.

When getting the coil the pain wasn’t too bad. I had extreme cramping for 1 day about a week after getting the coil fitted. My periods were a lot heavier, the first period being the worst however these got better. Still very heavy. I also experienced a lot of cramping which I didn’t have before. The two worst side effects for me were that I constantly have Bacterial vaginosis which I’ve never had before. I’ve had it 6 times within the 3 months which resulted in me always being on antibiotics which also made me feel sick. The other bad side effect I’ve been experiencing is the low moods. 3/4 weeks of the month I feel so upset and angry. I know this method is non-hormonal but I didn’t experience these emotions before having the coil. I have PCOS so I’m uncertain if maybe this affects this too. I’m going to get it removed.

I had the coil for 18 months, and while it offered some positives, it was overall a challenging experience for me. The insertion was unpleasant, and I was left feeling emotional for the rest of the day, which wasn’t something I was fully prepared for. I experienced unexpected heavy bleeding on random days outside my regular menstrual cycle for about three months. My periods, although they became regular, were very heavy and painful. Some months were more manageable than others, but overall, my periods were awful. I also had a constant feeling of pressure and a dull ache in my lower abdomen, which turned into sharper pain two weeks before my period. Additionally, I experienced some weight gain and bad acne. I was glad to be on a non-hormonal method of contraception, as it gave me a better understanding of my natural cycle. This ultimately helped me receive diagnoses for both PMDD and endometriosis, so the copper coil was helpful in that regard. However, during the last five months of using it, I developed persistent thrush. I have since switched back to the combined pill, as the side effects from the pill are less severe than those I experienced with the coil.

Although it has only been a few months, I have had a very positive experience with the copper iud. Insertion (with local anesthesia) was painful but not unbearable and the cramps for the first two periods after were really bad. Once I was in the third month things have calmed down. I’ve had heavier periods, spotting, and worse (but not terrible) cramps in the first days of my periods. Overall it has been really great for me. I also have had success using a menstrual cup with the iud in ;)

I would advise to check the string length regularly or generally get it checked out regularly as mine became dislodged (had no symptoms) and I became pregnant. However I didnt experience any negative symptoms whilst using it and had a positive experience during the fitting of it - which I was worried about after reading reviews of the pain!

Gynaecologist attempted to insert IUD 3 times and was unable to due to my cervix being tough! Attempted insertion was fine, just felt like period cramps. Sad because I wanted this contraceptive method.

The insertion wasn’t as bad as i was expecting but still quite painful and i had cramps for the whole day however was fine the next day. I struggled with a lot of back pain with the weeks following the doctors said could be sign of my body either rejecting it or getting used to it but it did get better with time. My moods are overall a lot better, on the pill i felt quite numb compared to what i feel now, i never had periods on the pill so i get quite down and irritated on them as everyone does but overall it’s nice to experience a range of emotions of a cycle. My sex drive has also increased a lot. I noticed i gained some weight on it and my breast have gotten a lot bigger and i do get very bloated for most of my cycle. My periods didn’t get heavier but i do get very painful cramps on them and while i ovulate. As i have only been on it for 4 months I’m still trying to keep an open mind to see if this settles down by the 6 month mark otherwise I may consider removal but overall i definitely prefer having non hormonal birth control