Mirena or Paraguard?? - Hallandale,FL

I had Mirena in between baby1 & 2 - I liked it, no problems except my hubby did not like it -- he said the he could feel the string when we had sex. I never told my OB, but when it was time to remove, another OB said that the length of the string could have been causing the irritation -- could have been adjusted. Oh well.. I had no problems with my periods, loved not having to take daily pills. Never looked into paraguard - i will be now.

My hubby is also terrified of a vasectomy -- hope he changes his mind, its so much easier for them to go through that than to have a tubes tied =)

C.

I had the Paraguard for about a week.
Never cramped, never spotted, insertion didn't hurt at all, it was great.

I had it taken out because my doctor didn't place it correctly, and then called me 2 weeks later to let me know that I "might want to use a back up method"! (We had had sex in that time) I was 8 weeks post partum and we are DONE having kids.
So I panicked.
In hindsight, I learned from both a different doctor AND the people at Paraguard that as long as the device is IN your uterus (not expelled at all), that it's perfectly effective.
I'd have it put back in, but DH is going for a vasectomy next week, so there's no need.

I LOVE my Mirena! I currently have my 2nd one (had one after ODS was born, got it again after YDS was born). I don't have a period at all, only minor spotting for about 4-6 weeks after it was inserted (only required a pantyliner, it was very light). It's so wonderful not to even think about my birth control. I will mention that your DH *may* be able to feel it during sex. The first time I had it, he said he never felt it. But this time, he can sometimes feel it during certain positions (sorry if that's tmi, just didn't know how else to say it;). The dr said he can't trim the string anymore b/c it's already the shortest it can be (although most of the time if it's felt, the dr can trim it up a little if it's not too short, so if it's a problem, ask your dr about it).

all i know is that my BFF had a Mirena and in the begining she loved it, but then her periods stoped, and then she started having boils. fist they were on her face, and then they started coming out all over her body. those things were huge, full with something nasty, and the only way to get rid of them was to go and have a doctor suck the nasty thing out( and this thig is painfull). it was a nightmare.... as soon as she took the Mirena out she was fine, and never ever got those nasty things again.

I like the Mirena. I am on my 2nd one. I would definately recommend it. I do get some slight spotting for the first few months, but after that I don't have a period (which I love). So it works out great for me. I have never tried the paraguard, so I don't know about experiences with that, but have heard that you could have heavier period with that particular IUD. Good luck with your decision.

I have had the Paraguard (hormone free) I personally, had the Worst Cramps, Looong Heavy Periods, bleed more often than not. Pain from my sides all the way down to my groin. I was so happy to have a hormone free BC -BUT my body Needs the hormones - I guess. The Dr asked me what my periods were like before I went on the pill (i was 17) and i thought for a moment and remembered I would Cramp for a week before, and bleed heavy for 5-7 days :-( SO Paraguarad was Not for me (I had it in for 10 terrible months). I Now have the Mirena in and its not for me either. Something just doesnt "seem right", i'm not in pain, periods are less frequent and the cramps are nothing compared to before. But I cant loose weight, just feeling "off" and I'm going to have it removed Jan 11th, to see if that helps me. Gonna go back on good ol' Birth Control Pill! LOL I really WISH they either of these IUD's worked for me, the thought of NOT EVER having to think of BC for 5 years straight - is SO appealing! These are just my horror stories! lol Everyone is different! But I would stop and think about your periods BEFORE Ever going on BC because thats what they will be like with the Paraguard! I Hope this works out for you !!! GL

I have the Mirena and I love it I had spotting at first but now nothing. You just cant beat no periods and no pills to take. This is my second one the first one I had removed bc we wanted to try for a baby. The only down side is I don’t have periods but I do still have cramping for like a day when I would normally be getting my period, but still not as bad as if I had an actual period. My hubby also says he can feel it sometimes but its doesn’t hurt him its just odd but it never stops him lol.

I have Paraguard and love it. I'll need to replace it in about 18mo... meaning it's the 8.5 year mark.

I CAN'T take hormones, because I'm prone to cervical cancer, so I couldn't even consider Mirena, as that would be putting the hormones in exactly the worst spot. So for me, I had a choice between Paraguard, barriers (condom, diaphragm, cervical cap, etc.), & abstinence. Eeeeew. Abstinence. Icky.

What I love about Paraguard that is DIFFERENT from Mirena (aka why I would have chosen it anyway)

- More effective than a tubal (mirena has the same effective rate as taking the pill without fail)

- Lasts for 10 years instead of 5

- Good from day of insertion until removal (no waiting periods after insertion)

- Works on antibiotics, and no waiting period after antibiotic course

- Can't be felt during sex (the "string" is totally different)

To know:
- First 3 periods tend to be super crampy / gnarly. A muscle relaxer for those 3 periods is reccomended. Either midol or an Rx

- Your period reverts to "normal"... whatever your normal is, that's what it reverts to.

- The "string" is a monofiliment (like fishing line) that softens as it ages. So the first week or three it can be felt fairly easily. After that, it's difficult to find because it's just kind of silky.

- You need to check after your period every month to make sure that you can feel the string. If you can't, it's probably just been sucked into your uterus, but it's possible that it was expelled during your period (rare). It' fine if it's been sucked up, but if it's gone... obviously it would need to be replaced. You ob/gyn can check quite easily to see if it's still placed, and does at every annual to make sure it's not embedded (super rare)

I have the Mirena and I love it :)

Go with Paraguard! Mirena has hormones, which has caused problems to many of my friends who all had to switch to Paraguard. I have the Paraguard with no issues. Three girls complete our family :-)

Ask your dr. about SALPING

Paraguard. It lasts like 15 years and is hormone free. Getting mine back in spring if I am not preggers by then.

I love the Paraguard! I have had mine for about 8 years so I am getting ready to replace it with a new one. I couldn't stand taking the pill any longer and I wanted something without hormones. I have been happy with my decision.

I have had paraguard in for about 2 yrs now since the birth of my 2nd child. My only complaint has been heavy periods (which was not a problem before).