ParaGard for Birth Control User Reviews (Page 2)

• Anonymous
• March 2, 2020

"The side effect symptoms started 3 months after insertion of ParaGard, roughly when I started to wean from breastfeeding and my cycle returned. I got insane IBS symptoms out of nowhere, nausea, insomnia, and panic attacks. The symptoms lasted about 4 weeks before I made the correlation and decided to get the IUD removed. 3 weeks after getting it removed, I felt back to normal. I went back to my doctor to discuss other birth control alternatives, and she convinced me that the ParaGard did not cause my symptoms and convinced me to get it back in. I started to think that maybe my side effect symptoms had been from weaning from breastfeeding anyway. I agreed to have it replaced. 3ish weeks later, all of those same symptoms came back, in addition to a 10-day period, a metallic taste in my mouth, and acne. I got the IUD out yesterday and am waiting for the side effects to go away. Never again will I put anything made of copper in me."

• Dan...
• December 19, 2018

"Had this IUD placed after 4 years of using nothing but condoms for contraception. Almost ended up in a mental hospital from copper toxicity. Knew something was very wrong but had no idea why because the side effects were not listed. Dark racing irrational thoughts that scared me, heart palpitations, unreasonable amounts of paranoia, extreme anxiety, severe personality shifts. Have read other stories besides mine of women going manic. Finally figured out what was going on. The rep on the phone for ParaGard told me, “Sorry that happened to you but the box says, ‘This is not a complete list of side effects,’ so sorry.” There is no complete list. Know the signs of copper toxicity so you can take it out early if you try this method. It will depend on your adrenal health and biochemical makeup, but there is no way to know beforehand. I don’t want to scare anyone, but I do want to share. I’m fine 1 year post-removal, but I lost everything and will never be the same."

• Ari...
• August 27, 2018

"I had this IUD inserted two and a half years ago. At first, I had mild cramping, heavy periods, but I got used to that. Constant, copious discharge was inconvenient, but I wore panty shields every day. But after a while, I just found myself constantly ‘coping’ with the symptoms. I started to gain weight no matter what I did, still not suspecting the IUD until I started thinking back to when I began to have unexplained weight gain. I had it removed 5 days ago, and I’ve lost 4 lbs, no longer feel bloated all over, and my blood pressure is now back to normal instead of the unusually high reading on ParaGard. NEVER AGAIN! For those of you who think we are being mean for posting a negative review, it’s not meant to be harmful but helpful to other people suffering the same way. Everyone is different, just sharing my experience so other people are aware, as I wasn’t for 2 and 1/2 years."

• HQa...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 9, 2020

"I've had ParaGard implanted for a year and a half now. I absolutely love it now, but getting through the first six months was patchy. I'm glad I stuck with it though because my period is not as irregular. My mind doesn't feel as cloudy or crowded. The cramps come and go, with some period cycles being more painful than others. But overall, I'm glad I made this choice."

• Can...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 30, 2021

"Wow, all the reviews here are so weird. I'm a healthy 27-year-old who got this IUD a few years back and have had ZERO problems since. My body had to adjust the first couple of months, but after that, it's smooth sailing. Periods are fairly light after a couple of months into it, no cramps or discomfort, nothing. To the people for whom it didn't work, I can only assume they had a terrible doctor insert it, a faulty IUD, or it just didn't suit them in general. This is literally the best birth control I've been on, and I don't plan on ever switching from it."

• KRI...
• March 9, 2020

"I have the ParaGard for almost 10 years now. It was a while ago, right after I had my son. During my six-week postnatal check-up, I believe that it was inserted. I don't remember it hurting at all. The only complaint initially was a heavy period, which sometimes lasted 14 days, longer and longer. That eased up about 4 to 5 months in. I haven't had any issues, regular period cramps, but not each month. Strings are there every month, no pain, no infections, no weight gain (aside from what laziness produced), nothing serious at all. My son is 10 next month, so it works."

• Pea...
• November 27, 2019

"Inserted ParaGard 1/2006, immediate mental health issues started, felt like a zombie, severe depression, worthless feeling, unmotivated, mean, dark thoughts, gained 30 pounds, thinning hair and loss, back pain, joint/body aches, heavy periods, cranky, low libido. Vaginal odor, bacterial infections despite celibacy, insomnia, brain fog, forgetfulness, unable to lose weight. Removed 11/11. Lighter periods, able to sleep, lose weight, depression lessened, no more vaginal odors or infections."

• Car...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 23, 2019

"I've had my ParaGard for about 2 months now. I have had 2 children, and my 2nd child was 5 months old when I had it inserted. Insertion was no big deal to me, it was painless, and I had no problems. Took about 2 minutes! I do understand that is largely due to the fact that I've given birth twice and within the last year. I had light spotting for about 3 days, which was expected. I had some mild cramping the day after, but nothing that bothered me. When my period came, it was heavier than normal, which is the only reason I rated ParaGard lower than 10. After the first week, I basically forgot I even have it. It's been a blessing for me. Birth control pills and any other form of birth control that uses hormones affects my emotions A LOT, as well as some severe and long-term spotting. I highly recommend this IUD for anyone who has experienced similar reactions to birth control. (Also, take into account that satisfied users are less likely to leave a review than ones that have had a problem!)"

• Mar...
• September 15, 2019

"I had my ParaGard placed 8 weeks ago. Prior to insertion, I took 800 mg Advil, and it did nothing. I swore like a sailor and fought hard not to throw myself off the exam bed! But once placed, I felt okay for about a month. I came here looking for similar experiences once I started having really depressing dark thoughts. I have no history of mental illness, but have been battling hopelessness, self-hatred, outbursts of screaming anger, overwhelming sadness with inconsolable crying, and irrational irritability. I’m not myself. Additionally, I have increased heart palpitations, periods of breathlessness, overall dryness, scratchy throat/raspy voice, yeast infection, abdominal pressure and bloat, lower back pain, nausea, loss of appetite, feeling light-headed, shakes, night sweats, fatigue, headaches, brain fog, tingling around my lips, dull pains when sitting down fast or twisting/reaching, and who knows what else anymore! I plan to call Monday for an appointment to pull this $1100 disaster out of me!"

• Nis...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 23, 2022

"I got my coil removed 4 days ago after 4 years. For years I’ve suffered with backache, headache, foggy head, not enjoying sex (feeling like something was hitting a brick wall inside), bleeding after sex, cramping 3 weeks out of a month, and constantly tired. Basically showing every sign of cervical cancer, having scan after scan, convincing myself this is it, something really is wrong. Everything at scans normal. Got the coil out even though the doctor was hesitant, and after 3 canceled appointments by them within an hour, my back did not hurt anymore. Day 2, the brain fog wasn’t there when I woke up. I woke up with ease, didn’t have to force myself, headaches gone. Day 3, I began to get my sex drive back, and I enjoyed my partner for the first time in ages. Day 4, absolutely no discharge, which is something I’d been suffering with on a daily basis for a while. I knew 2 weeks prior to removal that I had copper toxicity. Please, please reconsider it, it’s ruined the last 4 years for me."

• Jan...
• September 10, 2020

"I've had ParaGard for 3 years. I love it. Absolutely no changes or side effects. That's why I love it, because it's non-hormonal and doesn't affect you mentally or screw up your bodily functions. It's just copper. Insertion was quick and easy. The only difference is my period comes more often now and is heavier than usual. But I don't mind because it's worth it for having the best hormone-free, most effective birth control that lasts for 10 years."

• Ano...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 25, 2020

"Before I got the copper IUD, I came on here and read all the reviews, even the bad ones. I still went along with my insertion, and at first, it was great. Then, after a month, I started to bleed with no pain. This continued for the next 4 months. I went for an ultrasound, and the doctors told me it shifted, so I would just have to get it replaced. I did exactly that. (how dumb of me). After I got the replacement, I bled for another 3 months, straight, no pain at all. I got it removed in May 2020, and let me tell you, I've never felt better. Birth control is not for everyone, but be careful! It’s scary what doctors don’t tell you. If you read these negative reviews, it’s for a reason! Trust yourself!"

• Pea...
• March 10, 2019

"Let me start by saying I'm 64 and no longer need to use birth control. (Lucky me.) I do not have experience with ParaGard. I do have experience with the copper T's given to women in the 70s. I loved it for two months when I was 18, and then the odyssey began. I developed a PID which spread through my fallopian tubes (damaging them severely), blew out into my abdominal cavity, causing peritonitis, which nearly killed me. I still have occasional pain from it 46 years later, had a lot of trouble conceiving in my 30s. I have adhesions - some attached the tubes to organs, some surrounded my liver and diaphragm. I caution all women about putting copper in your bodies, it's not worth the risk of lifelong pain and fertility issues. Spend time looking into the companies that manufacture these products and look at the history of rejection. They love to deny the ill effects until there are enough deaths and lawsuits that inevitably come their way. Please be careful."

• Jes...
• January 9, 2023

"The copper IUD has caused me horrific side effects. I got copper toxicity. I now experience panic attacks, anxiety, vitamin and mineral issues, floaters in my eyes, feeling emotionally numb, brain fog, and constipation. I also experienced severe hormonal jawline cystic acne. Thankfully, that cleared up after removal. I also had pain during sex and chronic inflammation in my uterus that took a long time to go down after removal. DON'T GET THIS. It can cause a severe hormonal imbalance caused by the copper overload/toxicity."

• Cri...
• February 4, 2021

"I got pregnant after almost 4 years of use of ParaGard. Waiting to get the results of my ultrasound to see if it's a regular pregnancy or an ectopic one. Do your research, the percentage of women getting pregnant while using it correctly is higher than they want you to believe it is."

• Nuk...
• January 18, 2021

"I personally feel as though there isn’t enough research on the ParaGard Copper IUD to make some of the claims that they made when mine was inserted 4 years ago. I believe it wears down in the body and causes a chemical reaction as your bloodstream intakes more copper than it is supposed to. A lot of my symptoms lined up perfectly with copper toxicity, and I have been better since removal and treatment. The whole experience was excruciating every month, and periods became a 3-week-long ordeal (between mental health issues and pain that wouldn’t let up and pain that caused me to feel unable to sit comfortably, due to its severity and spotting for a month and skipping my period for months). I felt kind of dumb for having left the ParaGard in for so long when I found out how many women usually make it at most 1 year with it. No thanks. Just because it was non-hormonal doesn’t mean it didn’t keep me feeling completely unbalanced and in complete pain with a lot of mental health issues."

• Gan...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 1, 2021

"I had the ParaGard in for 5 years and experienced a severe mental health decline that I couldn't figure out. Recently, my sister sent me a couple of articles that she found regarding women who experienced mental health symptoms similar to mine, but attributed to copper toxicity from their ParaGard IUD. With little risk of pregnancy in my life at the moment, I made an immediate decision to have mine removed. I literally had an appointment with a psychiatrist for next month. I was about to begin a journey of medicating myself for my depression, anger, and anxiety. I've been without the ParaGard for 2 weeks now and I feel like I have a new brain. I feel younger, more energetic, less foggy, and I can't find the anger inside me that used to control me. I feel free and I want to tell everyone! This is just a cautionary tale. Please don't go on psych meds before you examine your birth control. It did however keep me from getting pregnant, so I guess it worked."

• Hea...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 25, 2020

"I love this birth control so much. I've had it almost 11 months now and can't say enough good things about it. No weight gain, regular periods, moods are normal, and I feel great and pregnancy-free for almost 11 months now!"

• Ste...
• July 7, 2021

"ParaGard was the worst thing I've ever done to myself, and I deeply regret it every day. Copper toxicity is real and not talked about by OBs or mentioned in the packaging. I got my IUD at 17 years old and have had it for 2 years. I started having copper toxicity signs like fatigue, IBS, insomnia, depression, severe anxiety, and panic attacks. Doctors just want your money. Stay away from this if you want to be happy. It creates a hostile environment in your uterus to prevent pregnancy and affects your vaginal microbiome, causing me regular yeast infections and BV. It's been 7 months and I haven't been able to have pain-free sex. Please consider other options. Copper isn't a hormone, but it influences your hormones. There is no way of preventing pregnancy without hormone manipulation unless you use only condoms. Listen to your bodies! ParaGard ruined my life, and I wish I learned sooner."

• Ash...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 5, 2015

"No issues at all here. People said it hurts getting it in- didn't hurt me. People said it caused them heavy bleeding- not me. Severe cramps- nope. Spotting/bleeding between periods- no. I'm also sure that what you 'experience' with ParaGard may depend on how your cycles were before getting it put in. I love it."

• Sis...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 5, 2019

"I will say I started off loving ParaGard. Insertion was easy. My first one expelled within the first month, which is common, but I got a new one placed. I loved it for about 2 years, then I learned about copper toxicity. I can account some of my SEVERE disabling mental illnesses to this device. The first 6 months, cramps were worse but manageable, and ever since, my PMSing has gotten horrible. I basically have flu symptoms for 2 days before every cycle. My breasts grew practically overnight somewhere between 16-18 months with the ParaGard. Before, I was barely filling out an A cup, now I’m a D cup. Nonhormonal my ass, it influences hormones. I’ve had stomach problems, UTIs, yeast infections, smells from down there, pain with sex, chronic fatigue, bloating, allergies developed, memory issues/brain fog, and skin problems (acne and persistent eczema that I’m just finally getting to clear up). I’ve gained weight and overall just feel like garbage. Please avoid this device."

• KLT...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 12, 2023

"Insertion was extremely painful to me, but I was okay an hour later. I had it for one week before I wanted it out of me, the cramps were so bad I had to sit down no matter where I was, or I'd feel the urge to vomit. I kept it for 13 months, hoping it would get better, but it didn't. I was told to expect cramps and longer/heavier periods, but I didn't expect 10-14 day periods with spotting in between. I can count the days I didn't bleed on one hand. I had emotional issues with ParaGard as well. I was anxious, angry, and depressed, I had nothing going on in my life that would have caused the mental health issues, so I know it was the IUD. It claims to be 'hormone-free,' but it does affect hormones. Long story short, I hated ParaGard. I'm working on getting a refund and getting the side effects that myself and other people had listed in the pamphlet through the FDA."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 11, 2020

"I had the ParaGard for a year and a half, and I experienced side effects of nausea, hair loss, depression, and really bad anxiety. I had my periods two times a month, I was losing a lot of blood, and I talked to my doctor, and she told me that the symptoms I had didn’t have anything to do with the ParaGard. I recently took out the IUD, and all those symptoms were gone. Would definitely not recommend!"

• Tan...
• September 3, 2020

"I used Nexplanon before and had terrible mood swings, so I thought ParaGard would be a better alternative, being non-hormonal. I had ParaGard for 4 months and noticed I was way more fatigued and anxious, with bad cramps, and my period was heavy, I was bleeding through an extra-large maxi pad in an hour. I went to get it out, and they said it was stuck and I may have needed surgery to get it out! It took three tries to finally yank it out a few days ago, and I already feel so much calmer and less in pain. Instead, I’m going to use natural family planning (apps like Lily allow you to track your cervical mucus and temperature and cycle to be more effective) with barrier methods like condoms or cervical caps during my fertile times. I’m really disappointed in this contraception method. I have PCOS as well and found it made my symptoms much worse than before. I wish I didn’t get it to save myself 4 months of anxiety and laying in bed with debilitating cramps."

• Kim...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 25, 2019

"Oh my! I just had my ParaGard replaced today due to having it for 10 years. I want to point out that every single person is different. Please remember this. I had zero negative complications except for heavier periods the first few years. They did return to normal. Please do not let negative reviews stop you from trying this. It’s been the best birth control, as I had one child and that shop is closed. Again, try it for yourself. This or any IUD for that matter."