Just had one of those removed because it was making my hair fall out. A common side effect apparently, not to mention a whole plethora of other side effects and problems that women can have with them. You like em so much, you get one.
Face it, no birth control comes without problems. Well the only one I know of that has relatively low side effects is condoms and I don't see too many blokes jumping at the chance to use them and take responsibility for their products of conception do you?
Just had one of those removed because it was making my hair fall out. A common side effect apparently, not to mention a whole plethora of other side effects and problems that women can have with them. You like em so much, you get one.
Face it, no birth control comes without problems. Well the only one I know of that has relatively low side effects is condoms and I don't see too many blokes jumping at the chance to use them and take responsibility for their products of conception do you?
Jeanie, that's horrible. What type of IUD did you have? Was it a progesterone one, or a copper one? (If you don't mind me asking, of course! I am considering getting one.)
I know a woman whose IUD perforated her uterus and made it's way into her abdominal cavity. She got really sick, and then they figured out that was what happened. She had to have surgery to have it removed and they aren't sure if it'll impact her ability to become pregnant or carry to term. That's a pretty rare occurrence, but it does happen and it's kind of scary.
Jeanie, that's horrible. What type of IUD did you have? Was it a progesterone one, or a copper one? (If you don't mind me asking, of course! I am considering getting one.)
I know a woman whose IUD perforated her uterus and made it's way into her abdominal cavity. She got really sick, and then they figured out that was what happened. She had to have surgery to have it removed and they aren't sure if it'll impact her ability to become pregnant or carry to term. That's a pretty rare occurrence, but it does happen and it's kind of scary.
Yes I was fairly unimpressed by it.
It was one of these, progesterone ones, and still no or little mention of hair loss as a side effect in the product information. BUT when I noticed that my hair was falling out I started searching around the internet on message boards and a lot of women were complaining of the same, so armed with that knowledge I went off to my doctor who rang a pharmacology specialist friend of hers who confirmed that it was most likely the IUD causing the problem. I had it removed that week. Hair is no longer falling out, I've lost 10 kilos with NO EFFORT since it went and no longer have painful periods and endless bloating.
Look it's not the worst thing I've ever had, and it may not have that effect on everyone but it's worth knowing about it before you give it a try. Some women have NO problems at all with IUDs others have endless problems.
I had the IUD for gynae problems not as a birth control and I'm not a suitable candidate for the birth control pill or depo provera shots OR implanon (that thing they implant under the skin) so my doctor suggested that if I was looking for birth control in the future I try this new thing called a nuvo ring
Yes I was fairly unimpressed by it.
It was one of these, progesterone ones, and still no or little mention of hair loss as a side effect in the product information. BUT when I noticed that my hair was falling out I started searching around the internet on message boards and a lot of women were complaining of the same, so armed with that knowledge I went off to my doctor who rang a pharmacology specialist friend of hers who confirmed that it was most likely the IUD causing the problem. I had it removed that week. Hair is no longer falling out, I've lost 10 kilos with NO EFFORT since it went and no longer have painful periods and endless bloating.
Look it's not the worst thing I've ever had, and it may not have that effect on everyone but it's worth knowing about it before you give it a try. Some women have NO problems at all with IUDs others have endless problems.
I had the IUD for gynae problems not as a birth control and I'm not a suitable candidate for the birth control pill or depo provera shots OR implanon (that thing they implant under the skin) so my doctor suggested that if I was looking for birth control in the future I try this new thing called a nuvo ring
For whatever reason, the IUD is not as popular yet in the US as it is in Europe. I only know a few people that have had them. I've heard of a couple of people that hated them and then a few that loved them. I'm really not sure what I'm going to do...but I can't do the pill and I don't want to do the shot because of the weight gain associated.
It's very complicated. Sometimes I'd like to just have my husband get a vasectomy and adopt kid #2, just to be able to relax about birth control!
I will look into the nuvo ring. I've heard of it, but don't know much about it.
For whatever reason, the IUD is not as popular yet in the US as it is in Europe. I only know a few people that have had them. I've heard of a couple of people that hated them and then a few that loved them. I'm really not sure what I'm going to do...but I can't do the pill and I don't want to do the shot because of the weight gain associated.
It's very complicated. Sometimes I'd like to just have my husband get a vasectomy and adopt kid #2, just to be able to relax about birth control!
I will look into the nuvo ring. I've heard of it, but don't know much about it.
Yeah, it's fairly popular here, although the depo and implanon seem more so. The IUD is generally only recommended for older women, or women that have had kids, which tells you something in itself I think.
Look it may be that it's highly advantageous for you. It's so hard to know because everyone is so different. But it is a very complicated business. One I find rather tiresome. The vasectomy sounds like an EXCELLENT idea!
I haven't used the nuvo ring but it does look harmless enough and I've not heard bad things about it as yet. So not sure. Can't say that I've tried it but my doctor did give me one which I have poked at suspiciously and wondered about! What about a diaphragm? A lot of mucking about but still?
Yeah, it's fairly popular here, although the depo and implanon seem more so. The IUD is generally only recommended for older women, or women that have had kids, which tells you something in itself I think.
Look it may be that it's highly advantageous for you. It's so hard to know because everyone is so different. But it is a very complicated business. One I find rather tiresome. The vasectomy sounds like an EXCELLENT idea!
I haven't used the nuvo ring but it does look harmless enough and I've not heard bad things about it as yet. So not sure. Can't say that I've tried it but my doctor did give me one which I have poked at suspiciously and wondered about! What about a diaphragm? A lot of mucking about but still?
In the US, they generally start pushing the IUD after you've already had a kid. They claim their reason for doing this is that they don't want you to rely solely on it for protection, since it doesn't protect against STD's. (And, the idea is that a woman who just had a kid is in a committed relationship...) But, obviously the pill doesn't protect against STD's, either, and that's marketed to everyone. So you may be onto something there.
I'm gonna grill my doctor about the hair loss thing, for sure!
I've thought about the diaphragm, but...eww. lol I don't think I'd want to mess with it!
In the US, they generally start pushing the IUD after you've already had a kid. They claim their reason for doing this is that they don't want you to rely solely on it for protection, since it doesn't protect against STD's. (And, the idea is that a woman who just had a kid is in a committed relationship...) But, obviously the pill doesn't protect against STD's, either, and that's marketed to everyone. So you may be onto something there.
I'm gonna grill my doctor about the hair loss thing, for sure!
I've thought about the diaphragm, but...eww. lol I don't think I'd want to mess with it!
The only thing that protects against STD's is condoms and even they won't fully protect you against things like a genital wart in the wrong spot and if they break well it's game over anyway. There are definitely different contraceptives marketed at different age groups.
With regard to the hair loss, my hair was falling out all over so it wasn't patchy, just got very thin and lifeless. Since it's been removed my hair has grown back, something I was really worried about but it's looking much healthier and it's much thicker again, thankfully. I guess you can only ask your doctor. A lot of them STILL don't advise that it's an issue because it's not in the product info or the doctor info as far as I'm aware. I guess it's pre statistics time. If you're not considering getting that particular one it might be a non issue for you.
Yeah, the good old diaphragm really does have an eeeew factor don't it?
I had an abortion as a teen, no regrets besides being dumb enough not to take the proper precautions and getting pregnant in the first place. The abortion itself was a huge relief.
Walking can be a real trip
***********************
"We've laid the groundwork. It's like planting the seeds. And next year, it's spring." - Nader
***********************
Prepare for tending to your garden, America.
Regarding the IUD conversation: I used to think they were creepy until I started working in the women’s health field, and I now I think they’re the best birth control option available. Most of the female docs I know have them (the ones using birth control, anyway). Turns out, their efficacy is right up there with sterilization. Of course, there are risks and side effects with anything, but the risks associated with IUDs pale in comparison to the risks associated with pregnancy, so it seems worth it. Also, although clinical guidelines previously suggested that women who have never had children or are not in monogamous relationships shouldn’t get IUDs, the newest evidence-based recommendations for IUD use include a much broader definition of eligibility. The problem is just that many doctors don’t know this yet.
That said, I’m really sorry about your experience, Jeanie. I’ve never heard of the Mirena causing hair loss, but you never know. I’m sure you know what you’re talking about. I’ve had really bad side effects from medications that supposedly didn’t cause such side effects. Your experience concerns me, though, because I just got my sister a Mirena – and her hair is like 4-5 feet long. It would be horrible if she lost it; it would take forever to grow back!
Brain of J.Lo – good luck on your search to find the contraceptive method that’s right for you! It can definitely be a difficult journey. (I wish more people understood just how difficult it can be so maybe they’d stop with the attitude that all women who have unintentional pregnancies are just irresponsible.)
Regarding the original question about abortion: I’ll step up – I had an abortion when I was a teenager. Unfortunately, I was young and confused and pressured into it by adult relatives. But I still wouldn’t say I regret it. Regret is such a strong word. I still wonder what it would be like if I had continued the pregnancy. And I’ll never be 100% sure it was the “right” decision. But there are some decisions in life we’ll never be 100% sure about, and we just have to do the best we can. It has certainly broadened my world view, but it certainly hasn’t scarred me psychologically.
As I said in another thread recently, more than 1/3 of women in the U.S. will have an abortion at some point in their lives, and I wish more of them knew that and didn’t feel so isolated. I hope that someday more of us will feel comfortable talking about our experiences and perhaps it will become less of a stigma.
I’m really sorry for the lengthy post. **Jumping off soap box.**
...That said, I’m really sorry about your experience, Jeanie. I’ve never heard of the Mirena causing hair loss, but you never know. I’m sure you know what you’re talking about. I’ve had really bad side effects from medications that supposedly didn’t cause such side effects. Your experience concerns me, though, because I just got my sister a Mirena – and her hair is like 4-5 feet long. It would be horrible if she lost it; it would take forever to grow back!...
Well we did go over all my medications and none of them seemed to be the culprit and I'm still on all the others and my hair is no longer falling out. It did take me a while to notice it was happening, but once I did I started trying to pinpoint when it had started and it all came down to when the IUD went in. And I started investigating from there. I did say to my doctor that I was prepared that it wasn't the IUD but once she spoke to her friend the specialist he was right onto it. Knew all about it. SO I'd say that it may not be a problem for enough women yet that it's been investigated and added to the product information but certainly it does appear to be happen for some. These things do take time I guess. AND it may not happen to all women. We do all react so differently to medications. Your sister might be fine. I guess I'm not panning the thing, just saying that my experience of it wasn't optimal. Anyway, as soon as I had it removed, within the first week there was much less hair coming away in my hands in the shower and considerably less on the hair brush after brushing and a whole lot less on my clothes and around the place in general. I suppose it sounds bad, but there was no way I was letting the damn thing stay in and lose all my hair. It was noticable enough to me that I started asking questions but probably not so much to others. I'm glad it's out, but if it hadn't caused that reaction for me, I think I'd have been happy enough for it to stay in. Like everything you have to weigh it up, try it out and see if it's suitable I guess. I guess if your sister is aware of it, she can keep an eye on how her body reacts with that in mind. **steps off soapbox too**
I was going to have an abortion once upon a time. I had the scan, was booked in, but miscarried before the appointment.
It was absolutely hideous. The fear about being pregnant when you dont want to be, the trauma of acting against what your hormones and heart are telling you in order to act in you and your partners best interests is something i wouldnt wish on anyone. And fyi, we were being careful, but condoms break (omly using them coz i was on antibiotics and knew the pill wouldnt work for a while)
sometimes i think that i could be the mother of an eighteen month old now. I find it tricky when i see other peoples babies, and went through a grieving period, regardless of the decision i had to take...there are no easy answers with abortion and unwanted pregnancies.
the stupid thing is, i want a baby more than anything else in the world, but only when i know i can provide for him or her.
Thanks for your responses. I appreciated hearing the information on one third of women having an abortion. I also appreciated hearing about the grief/loss/acceptance cycle.
I too want a baby more than anything in the world, but not to fill a void. I want to give a child the best opportunities, and for me that starts with a loving, two parent family.
I often think of U2's, "I'll give you anything that you want, except the thing that you want", to pertain to wanting a child in a sero-divergent relationship, with one partner being unable to procreate. I'm so fortunate to have the health and therefore opportunity today. Now I just need some love!
Comments
Just had one of those removed because it was making my hair fall out. A common side effect apparently, not to mention a whole plethora of other side effects and problems that women can have with them. You like em so much, you get one.
Face it, no birth control comes without problems. Well the only one I know of that has relatively low side effects is condoms and I don't see too many blokes jumping at the chance to use them and take responsibility for their products of conception do you?
*~You're IT Bert!~*
Hold on to the thread
The currents will shift
Toronto 2011 night 2
Hamilton 2011
London 2013
Jeanie, that's horrible. What type of IUD did you have? Was it a progesterone one, or a copper one? (If you don't mind me asking, of course! I am considering getting one.)
I know a woman whose IUD perforated her uterus and made it's way into her abdominal cavity. She got really sick, and then they figured out that was what happened. She had to have surgery to have it removed and they aren't sure if it'll impact her ability to become pregnant or carry to term. That's a pretty rare occurrence, but it does happen and it's kind of scary.
Yes I was fairly unimpressed by it.
It was one of these, progesterone ones, and still no or little mention of hair loss as a side effect in the product information. BUT when I noticed that my hair was falling out I started searching around the internet on message boards and a lot of women were complaining of the same, so armed with that knowledge I went off to my doctor who rang a pharmacology specialist friend of hers who confirmed that it was most likely the IUD causing the problem. I had it removed that week. Hair is no longer falling out, I've lost 10 kilos with NO EFFORT since it went and no longer have painful periods and endless bloating.
http://www.fpq.com.au/factsheets_brochures/Fs_Mirena.pdf
Look it's not the worst thing I've ever had, and it may not have that effect on everyone but it's worth knowing about it before you give it a try. Some women have NO problems at all with IUDs others have endless problems.
I had the IUD for gynae problems not as a birth control and I'm not a suitable candidate for the birth control pill or depo provera shots OR implanon (that thing they implant under the skin) so my doctor suggested that if I was looking for birth control in the future I try this new thing called a nuvo ring
http://www.epigee.org/guide/ring.html
Maybe that would be more useful to you J?
*~You're IT Bert!~*
Hold on to the thread
The currents will shift
For whatever reason, the IUD is not as popular yet in the US as it is in Europe. I only know a few people that have had them. I've heard of a couple of people that hated them and then a few that loved them. I'm really not sure what I'm going to do...but I can't do the pill and I don't want to do the shot because of the weight gain associated.
It's very complicated. Sometimes I'd like to just have my husband get a vasectomy and adopt kid #2, just to be able to relax about birth control!
I will look into the nuvo ring. I've heard of it, but don't know much about it.
Yeah, it's fairly popular here, although the depo and implanon seem more so. The IUD is generally only recommended for older women, or women that have had kids, which tells you something in itself I think.
Look it may be that it's highly advantageous for you. It's so hard to know because everyone is so different. But it is a very complicated business. One I find rather tiresome. The vasectomy sounds like an EXCELLENT idea!
I haven't used the nuvo ring but it does look harmless enough and I've not heard bad things about it as yet. So not sure. Can't say that I've tried it but my doctor did give me one which I have poked at suspiciously and wondered about!
*~You're IT Bert!~*
Hold on to the thread
The currents will shift
In the US, they generally start pushing the IUD after you've already had a kid. They claim their reason for doing this is that they don't want you to rely solely on it for protection, since it doesn't protect against STD's. (And, the idea is that a woman who just had a kid is in a committed relationship...) But, obviously the pill doesn't protect against STD's, either, and that's marketed to everyone. So you may be onto something there.
I'm gonna grill my doctor about the hair loss thing, for sure!
I've thought about the diaphragm, but...eww. lol
The only thing that protects against STD's is condoms and even they won't fully protect you against things like a genital wart in the wrong spot and if they break well it's game over anyway. There are definitely different contraceptives marketed at different age groups.
With regard to the hair loss, my hair was falling out all over so it wasn't patchy, just got very thin and lifeless. Since it's been removed my hair has grown back, something I was really worried about but it's looking much healthier and it's much thicker again, thankfully. I guess you can only ask your doctor. A lot of them STILL don't advise that it's an issue because it's not in the product info or the doctor info as far as I'm aware. I guess it's pre statistics time. If you're not considering getting that particular one it might be a non issue for you.
Yeah, the good old diaphragm really does have an eeeew factor don't it?
*~You're IT Bert!~*
Hold on to the thread
The currents will shift
Oh no!!!
I've heard about that. Does your wife know that she can get the strings clipped? That should help!!
***********************
"We've laid the groundwork. It's like planting the seeds. And next year, it's spring." - Nader
***********************
Prepare for tending to your garden, America.
That said, I’m really sorry about your experience, Jeanie. I’ve never heard of the Mirena causing hair loss, but you never know. I’m sure you know what you’re talking about. I’ve had really bad side effects from medications that supposedly didn’t cause such side effects. Your experience concerns me, though, because I just got my sister a Mirena – and her hair is like 4-5 feet long. It would be horrible if she lost it; it would take forever to grow back!
Brain of J.Lo – good luck on your search to find the contraceptive method that’s right for you! It can definitely be a difficult journey. (I wish more people understood just how difficult it can be so maybe they’d stop with the attitude that all women who have unintentional pregnancies are just irresponsible.)
Regarding the original question about abortion: I’ll step up – I had an abortion when I was a teenager. Unfortunately, I was young and confused and pressured into it by adult relatives. But I still wouldn’t say I regret it. Regret is such a strong word. I still wonder what it would be like if I had continued the pregnancy. And I’ll never be 100% sure it was the “right” decision. But there are some decisions in life we’ll never be 100% sure about, and we just have to do the best we can. It has certainly broadened my world view, but it certainly hasn’t scarred me psychologically.
As I said in another thread recently, more than 1/3 of women in the U.S. will have an abortion at some point in their lives, and I wish more of them knew that and didn’t feel so isolated. I hope that someday more of us will feel comfortable talking about our experiences and perhaps it will become less of a stigma.
I’m really sorry for the lengthy post. **Jumping off soap box.**
Well we did go over all my medications and none of them seemed to be the culprit and I'm still on all the others and my hair is no longer falling out. It did take me a while to notice it was happening, but once I did I started trying to pinpoint when it had started and it all came down to when the IUD went in. And I started investigating from there. I did say to my doctor that I was prepared that it wasn't the IUD but once she spoke to her friend the specialist he was right onto it. Knew all about it. SO I'd say that it may not be a problem for enough women yet that it's been investigated and added to the product information but certainly it does appear to be happen for some. These things do take time I guess. AND it may not happen to all women. We do all react so differently to medications. Your sister might be fine. I guess I'm not panning the thing, just saying that my experience of it wasn't optimal. Anyway, as soon as I had it removed, within the first week there was much less hair coming away in my hands in the shower and considerably less on the hair brush after brushing and a whole lot less on my clothes and around the place in general. I suppose it sounds bad, but there was no way I was letting the damn thing stay in and lose all my hair. It was noticable enough to me that I started asking questions but probably not so much to others. I'm glad it's out, but if it hadn't caused that reaction for me, I think I'd have been happy enough for it to stay in. Like everything you have to weigh it up, try it out and see if it's suitable I guess. I guess if your sister is aware of it, she can keep an eye on how her body reacts with that in mind. **steps off soapbox too**
*~You're IT Bert!~*
Hold on to the thread
The currents will shift
we are all gods children
dreamer in my dream
we got the guns
i love you,but im..............callin out.........callin out
It was absolutely hideous. The fear about being pregnant when you dont want to be, the trauma of acting against what your hormones and heart are telling you in order to act in you and your partners best interests is something i wouldnt wish on anyone. And fyi, we were being careful, but condoms break (omly using them coz i was on antibiotics and knew the pill wouldnt work for a while)
sometimes i think that i could be the mother of an eighteen month old now. I find it tricky when i see other peoples babies, and went through a grieving period, regardless of the decision i had to take...there are no easy answers with abortion and unwanted pregnancies.
the stupid thing is, i want a baby more than anything else in the world, but only when i know i can provide for him or her.
I too want a baby more than anything in the world, but not to fill a void. I want to give a child the best opportunities, and for me that starts with a loving, two parent family.
I often think of U2's, "I'll give you anything that you want, except the thing that you want", to pertain to wanting a child in a sero-divergent relationship, with one partner being unable to procreate. I'm so fortunate to have the health and therefore opportunity today. Now I just need some love!