Copper coil (IUD) vs Progestogen-only / Mini pill

This post is for those considering the copper IUD. I know it is scary and you can find many horror stories online, so I thought I make the effort and share my IUD journey with you which has been very positive. Insertion: Got the IUD on the 4th February Insertion was uncomfortable and for a few seconds very painful but it did go away very quickly. I did bleed a little bit as well but I always do when they are examining my cervix. I’m very sensitive down there. Note:I have never given birth and my GP said that it can be more painful for those who never given birth vaginally. The GP who did the insertion was absolutely brilliant. She talked me through what she was doing and she prepared me for the most painful part. There was also a nurse present who was literally holding my hand through the whole procedure. It was such a positive experience. I’m grateful for both of them for making this experience so manageable. Right after insertion: I wasn’t in pain afterwards - I only had a mild sense of discomfort like you would have after a smear test. I even went for an hour walk right after the procedure, so it was really not bad at all. Please note that I’m a physically active person, so walking for an hour doesn’t tax me much. Others might have different experiences and it’s absolutely fine if you just go home and rest in bad for the rest of the day. That’s what i was told to do to be fair. Days After insertion: The cramping was moderately bad after the next 4-5 days, spotting was light After the 4-5 days cramping intensified especially after exercise and at some point the pain made it difficult to walk. Never felt cramping like that before. It made me very irritated as well. Normal painkillers didn’t work, I had to take cocodamol to get some relief but it was short term. Later it turned out that it coincided with my PMS. I was bleeding everyday after insertion, so it was hard to determine what was menstrual bleeding or bleeding because of the IUD insertion. Around day 11 cramping settled significantly. I only had occasional cramps which don’t require pain killers. I think I got my period on day 12 (16th Feb or 15th Feb) because the bleeding intensified around that time. It is the 17th February today. Moderate bleeding (more than usual but moderate) very light cramping. Fast forward March. After my period in February, I did not experience anymore unusual cramping - even after exercise. I got my period on the 9th of March. I did have some light cramping and mood changes as PMS but nothing unusual. The cramping was very moderate and did not require painkillers. Bleeding lasted 6 days with 3 days of heavier bleeding -3 pads a day- which for me is heavy bleeding. I have had sex a few times since insertion and my partner couldn’t feel the strings, so no problem there. Did not experience any dryness and my sex drive during ovulation is definitely higher than when I was on the pill. Overall very happy with my wee copper coil. 😊 Just a reminder that negative stories often get more attention than they deserve—people are more likely to vent about bad experiences than take the time to share positive ones Will keep you updated!

I’m writing this purely because of how terrified I was going to get the coil after all the horror stories I read about on here. If you are prepared the insertion is an absolute walk in the park. I took 2 feminax and 2 paracetamol about 45 minutes before my appointment, chose the local anaesthetic (call in advance to check you can get this!) - I literally hardly felt the anaesthetic at all and then the insertion is like sudden onset of moderate period pain but again it was nothing as bad as I was expecting!! The 24 hours after I kept using the pain relief tablets and I haven’t needed to use it since. A tiny bit of bleeding since which I think will continue for a few days but that’s it. If this fear of the insertion is what’s stopping you from getting either coil please read this! I almost didn’t get it because of the anxiety I had around fainting / extreme pain etc. that I read about. Eat before, take pain relief and get the local anaesthetic and you will be so fine

I got my gynefix mini online and had it inserted at the John Hunter clinic in London. I had paraguard before which gave me terrible cramps and incredibly heavy periods: I had Jaydess for 3 years which gave low but manageable mood but I started having terrible back pains either it. Once I had it removed, back pains stopped. I didn’t use anything for a while and then tried the implant, which was awful! It gave me terrible mood swings and anger! Went back to jaydess and back pains returned and low mood. I started looking for other options and found gynefix and I am so glad I did! Insertion was painful and my periods are significantly heavier but nothing I can’t live with. No back-pains, no horrible craps and no mood effects! Thank you whoever created this! I really forget it is there and only sometimes can slightly feel it, but this is by far the best contraception I’ve tried! It was hard to find a dr to get it fitted and I had to order it myself as NHS don’t supply it, but worth it!

I have been on Cerazette for 4 years now. Initially, I had headaches, breast tenderness and mood swings. These symptoms subsided after 3 months. My periods became very irregular and then stopped altogether. Although my doctors deny this all the time, I feel like the pill caused excessive weight gain. Yes, I have had circumstances that affected my life but the weight gain was dramatic. In the first year alone, I gained 15 kilograms. After 4 years, I am up to 25 kg extra weight (BMI 29) and I am struggling to lose the weight with diet and exercise. Lately, I have had more bodily hair growth and am losing some hair on my head. Not many mood swings but definitely feeling angry most of the time. I am also struggling with a very low sex drive, which is starting to affect my marriage. I have an appointment with my GP, will try to switch to the combined pill to try.

This pill stopped me from getting pregnant and that was the only good thing about it. Constant spotting, sore nipples, and decreased sex drive. Now on norgeston and so much happier!

I moved onto Norgeston after trialling desogestrel for a few months (it gave me near constant spotting and super decreased sex drive). I was optimistic as levonorgestrel was the hormone I used to have in my combined pill and so far it’s been great for me - I do get periods, but these are regular and of a normal flow each month and thankfully my sex drive has come back.

honestly haven’t experience any negative side effects, it was a bit rough for the first couple of months but after about 8-12 weeks it settled and it’s been great, i gained a little weight but no more than about 7lbs so overall it’s been brilliant

I’ve been taking the pill since I was 17, I’m now 25 and have never had an issue with it! I’ve not had any side effects at all! It stopped my periods after about 2/3 months and has been smooth sailing since then. I find the ‘window’ in which you can take it without it being considered a ‘missed pill’ is also really reassuring if you suffer with anxiety! Would definitely recommend.

Been on this pill for about 15years its great i have no periods at all, i have no symptoms of periods etc and i have gained weight but i dont think i can put that down to taking cerelle haha all in all i love this pill and most importantly i havent gotten pregnant while taking it so its main job is done

I really tried to give it a chance and persevere despite a lot of breakthrough bleeding. My skin got worse. My mood/anxiety got worse. The bleeding never stopped. I would be spotting nonstop for 2 weeks, get a period (heavier bleeding), then no bleeding for ~1 week, and then back to spotting. I didn't notice any changes to my sex drive but the constant spotting was a huge deterrent. I am now switching to a combined pill.

Monitor your moods closely. Don’t recommend using if you’re not in a somewhat ok place mentally.

I started bleeding the following day and it was heavy

The chest pain was really awful, and that’s a big red flag. Even though a month might not seem like long enough to make a final judgment, the intensity of the chest pain and other symptoms definitely made me question whether this was the right pill for me. It's important to listen to your body, and in my case, the discomfort and pain outweighed any potential benefits. I would highly recommend discussing these symptoms with a healthcare provider to explore alternative options or further guidance