Merina IUD and Cramps

[Krisoctober29]

I am a 37 y/o woman who has had no children.  I had the Merina IUD inserted a week ago and I am still experiencing heavy cramping and spotting.  I have been told by my OB/GYN that the Merina is safe for women who have never had a child and that these symptoms will subside. Does anyone out there use the Merina who has not had children?  If so, what are your experiences with it?

[corykis okay]

Never used an IUD myself I have heard that the cramping is experienced by many women at the start, My sister in law has one and has had no complaints at all but she does have one child.

[Still_AndiJ]

My understanding is that in women who have never had children, the cramping with be a little worse in the beginning because you have never had the stretching that occurs when you have kids. Take some motrin, hopefully that will help. In time it should subside. Just to double check, have you had any unusual pain, fever, or discharge since getting it inserted? If you answer yes to any of these, I would suggest getting checked out ASAP as in rare instances you can develop an infection upon insertion.

If the answer is no, than most likely it is just stretching your "virgin" uterus : )

Good luck, I loved my Mirena!!

Andi

[Linzyluhoo]

I have Mirena...But my doctor told me that Mirena can only be used in women who have had 1 or more child. ...I'm sure your dr. knows what they are doing , though...I agree with the other poster, it probabily will be soar a little bit longer than normal...due to the fact that nothing down there has ever been stretched, dialated or thinned out.

[Still_AndiJ]

They have recently changed their mind on using Mirena on women who have never had children. Dh worked with a woman a year ago who had it put in and she had never had any either. I thought it was odd, but did some reading on it. Pretty interesting, I am glad to see it is being used more often and by different women. It is a fantastic form of birthcontrol, provided you fit into the low risk group.

Again, if you don't have any s/s of infection, take some motrin or tylenol, maybe a warm bath and things should resolve soon enough.

Andi

[Krisoctober29]

Thank you all for your posts.  They were very helpful.

[4YMIKE]

I HAVE THE MERINA, IT'S NOW BEEN FOUR DAYS SINCE THE INSERTION THAT WAS NOT SO PAINFUL. JUST A FEW CRAMPS! BUT i HAVE HAD NO BLEEDING WHAT SOEVER. IS THAT NORMAL? HOWEVER I'M CRAMPING LIKE CRAZY, I PAST A BIG BLOOD CLOT.  BUT SO FAR I THINK I'M GOING TO LOVE IT  

[msrubi]

I had it inserted 7 weeks ago and am getting ot out this week. My blood pressure has spiked considerably, I am having palpitations, I have gained 10 lbs and my hair is beginning to fall out. My doctor said "those aren't typical side effects, maybe they're due to something else." My PCP did blood work, stress test and nothing else going on so I am getting rid of the IUD and GYN too. Not the panacea they make it out to be.,

[LoriG727]

I had my Mirena inserted over 2 weeks ago. I have never had children either and I have had cramps every day since I had it put in. The day I had it inserted was TERRIBLE.. I threw up from the pain after it was inserted and had to take prescription pain medicine and it didn't even touch my pain.. even now, Ibuprofen isn't helping my cramps.. the only good thing about it is my sex drive has been really high since the insertion. How long should I cramp? I read somewhere it could take months to completely subside..

[mpineda123]

I have never had children and have had the Merena IUD for over a  year. I fainted from the pain when it was inserted and I almost had it removed after the first month because of the terrible cramping, but my sister (she has it also) told me to stick it out a couple of more weeks.  My cramps lasted about 45-60 days, but it was well worth the wait.  The cramps aren't causing damage, which is what I was worried about, and after the first couple of months I have never been happier with a birth control.  I don't have a period anymore, which my doctor said was normal, and I haven't seen the weight gain and mood swings I have experienced with other contraceptives.   I recommend giving it at LEAST two months before having it removed! I absolutely love it!

[stop this]

i have had bleeding for 3 months and have bad cramps and
blood clots and stopped bleeding for 10 days in that 3 months finly stopped 1 day well should i say more im waiting 1 more mounth then ???????????

[missredd]

my oldest son is 20 and my baby is 2.i had my oldest son  the old fashion way..push push push.and my second son was delivered my c-section.I was wondering if they 20 yr gap was like my cervix going back to virgin stage?
i had my mirena inserted on the 4 of sept..i had to go in while still on my cycle..it has been 14 days  i have been bleeding.my cycle usually last between 3-5 days max.is it normal to bleed for awhile when you first get it? i cramped only for the first day and have not cramped again..just continue to bleed..i noticed the flow went from spotting to needing a lightday but its not filling up the pad..just smears and streaks.did anyone experience that problem or and i jumping the gun.

[ha22]

i had mine inserted two years ago . i have 2 children ,and i havent had any problems with it . in the begening i had some bleeding [spots] for 2 months and then after that itstoped and there were no periods untill now .but my concern is [ if i remove the iud how long will it take me to get pregnant?]

[pinky553]

I have had two children and when I had my IUD incerted I experienced cramps so bad, they were every bit as bad as labor pain.  I thought I would die.  It was really bad for two days but it got better on the third day.  I was still in pain for about four weeks, but it was more bearable.  Amy

[smalls2781]

I had my IUD put in on Friday.  The pain was so bad that I had instant diaherra and started pucking while still in the doctor's office.  The nurses had to drive me home.  I have taken 2 advils every 4 hours which has helped with the cramps.  I also have been spotting since I had it in place.  I have never had children and after going through the pain of insertion of the IUD, I don't think that I ever will!  I am going to stick it out for a few months before I decide to have it taken out.

[moodyblue66]

I had my merina put in three months ago and my period has never stopped. I've been bleeding straight since Oct 18th when I had it put in. I had it put in because my cycle was so heavy and were painful. Mind you the pain and cramping are gone, but the bleeding hasn't. I haven't had the weight gain, but have lost weight. I was lucky in that department. I also didn't break out in acne either. It's the constant bleeding and mood swings that are getting to me. Tonight I had a freak out on everyone and I know it's the hormones doing that to me. I'm normally not like this and am usually calm. I went to my doctor last month with the complaints and she told me to stick it out for a few more months. How long does this merina take to stop my cycle altogether? I'm going back to the doctor's on Jan 10th for a repeat pap because abnormal cells were found on my cervix and I'm going to tell them that this merina isn't working as it should.

[brooklynn86]

I had my IUD put in 2 days ago and it is driving me crazy. Im 21 and have never been pregnant and have no plans of ever getting pregnant and this was the next best thing to having my tubes tied. They wont let me do that but im confident that i will never change my mind about children. Ive been on the patch for 3 years and after a while it was just becoming a hassel with worring about it sliding off or sticking to my clothes and i was starting to feel very depressed.
Anyways back to the point.... I know ive only had my IUD for 2 days but the cramping is SOO bad I dont think it purforated my uterus because i can still move but the pain feels like a bad BAD period and I get very bad periods while on the patch. I know i shouldnt give up on it after a week but does the cramping get less ever? Ive been so medicated since i had it put in i thought i was getting better but after not taking anything for 8 hrs the pain so soo bad.... I'm going to try to stick it out for as long as i can without becoming addicted to pain relievers. Plus it cost me $380 and that would be just a waste of money.

Can I have sex after a few days or will that make the cramping even more worse?? Because i want to have sex but im terrified of the pain becoming worse..... Please let me know if you know...
THANKS SO MUCH!!!!

[jrd325]

wow, I found this forum googling IUD and cramps. I got my three days ago and am still having bad cramps as well.  I agree w/ the poster who said it is more like labor pains then menstrual cramps. ugghh I am so frustrated I tried going for a walk today and the contractions (for lack of a better term) got so bad I had to stop.  And umm, brooklynn86 I had sex last night and I do believe it made my cramping/back pain worse today.?? I wouldn't recommend it until the cramping at least lessens. I have read that it may take up to three months for the cramping to stop.  But, who wants to live like this until it does?

[bionerd272]

I had Merina put in a month ago, and I found it very painful on the first day, which I guess is normal if you have never given birth (I haven't).  I had really bad cramps for the first week...but now I feel fine and love that I don't have to worry about taking a pill every day!!  I was on birth control pills for the past 3 years and got sick of being worried that I was pregnant every month, since I forgot to take them time-to-time.  I haven't had any other problems with the Merina, which I was scared to have--since most of these discussion boards say horrible things like losing hair, loss of sex drive, weight gain, etc. I've actually lost some weight, which I think is because of not being on the pills for the first time in 3 years.  I guess it's different for everyone, but I would have to say that for me, the pain in the beginning is worth it!!

[Leannec829]

I had mine Merina put in one week ago.  I've had 2 kids but because of some scar tissue my health care provider said it was a very difficult insertion.  If I do not take 800 mg of iburprofin every 6 to 8 hours the pain is very bad.  Its not getting any better.  Also having the back pain and the pain is worse on the right side.  I agree with jrd325 - feels more like contractions than menstral cramps.  At 40 my options for birth control are getting fewer, I sure hope these cramps go away.  Anyone had bad cramps for several weeks after???

[Leannec829]

I had mine Merina put in one week ago.  I've had 2 kids but because of some scar tissue my health care provider said it was a very difficult insertion.  If I do not take 800 mg of iburprofin every 6 to 8 hours the pain is very bad.  Its not getting any better.  Also having the back pain and the pain is worse on the right side.  I agree with jrd325 - feels more like contractions than menstral cramps.  At 40 my options for birth control are getting fewer, I sure hope these cramps go away.  Anyone had bad cramps for several weeks after???

[Momof1boy3girls]

I got minds put in about 3wks ago it wasn't so bad, I cramped a little after which I was told was normal, I started my period 2wks ago with light spooting the first 2 days and then a period(notheavy) now spotting again, I called my Dr and she said that it was normal to bleed a little longer with the IUD in place just as long as it is not heavy bleeding, bad odor and dosn't last longer then 2mth then they will have to give something to stop the bleeding, if this continues spotting are not, I am going to have them take it out at my next appointment in 2wks.

[Cncrnd1]

I wish to alert those who have had a Merina recently fitted for or had one for some time, If they feel tired, listless, bloated, have no energy and or have unpredictable mood swings, This could be a side effect reaction to the device and could have a devastating effect on relationships with your partner and others around you.  It might be better to consider an alternative if this does actually occur frequently.   Talk about alternatives with your GP. It is essential to weigh up the advantages against disadvantages as this may not suit everyone.  Exercise and healthy diet to minimise weight gain is of course a pre-requisite.    

R
  

[Christineg854]

I had my Merina put in over 2 years ago - after I had my son in 2005. I LOVE it. I've always hated taking the pill (it gives me morning sickness and other side effects) and I've tried a bunch of other birth control options and this is by far the best thing I've ever tried. Before having my son, I used to get really bad menstrual cramps and long, heavy periods. Since getting the Merina I now get very light periods (I only have to wear panty liners for a few days) and just a little bit of cramping. I haven’t had any weird side effects like weight gain or hair loss. The one strange thing that happened to me after getting the Merina, was that after about 2 months of having it inserted, the stings went up inside my uterus so I can no longer check to see if is it still there by feeling for the strings. I have to get an ultra sound every year just to make sure it is still in place. But it is a small price to pay for not having to worry about birth control for up to five years (that is how long you can keep it in).

I would highly recommend the Merina as a form of birth control to anyone who has had one or more children already. However, I do not recommend it to anyone who has not had a baby. I’ve tried having an IUD BEFORE I had my son (although it was the copper coil not the Merina) and it was horrible. I had really bad bleeding, spotting and cramping throughout my whole cycle and so I had it taken out a few months after getting it in. I don't know if I'm having better luck this time because it is the Merina or because I've had a child - it is probably a combination of both factors - but I would certainly recommend trying the Merina to anyone who has already had a child.

I'm thinking about getting preggers again in the next few months, so I'm going to book an appointment with my doctor to get it removed - although I'm not sure how he is going to take it out now that the strings are no longer hanging down - I'll let you know how it goes...

[C276]

I feel much better reading this and knowing that I am not just being a wimp about the whole thing.  I had my IUD put in yesterday (which was the worst pain I think I have ever experienced) and spent the whole day lying down.  I have not had any children and I am very small so I imagined that it would hurt a bit--but who could prepare for that-OOOWWWW.  I have been taking some Motrin and that seems to help a little bit.  The best I felt was just sitting in the tub until the water went cold (with a book and a glass of wine), it eased my back pain as well.  Today is a bit better but I'm afraid to do anything.  I am still cramping and my back hurts and I don't want anything to make it worse.  I was suppose to do my regular exercising of running and lifting weights but I'm just afraid it making things worse.  I am also concerned about having sex  because I don't want to hurt anymore than I am right now.  Will any of this have a negative effect?  How long before you forget it's there and can move on?