Adverse Effects from IUD’s
&
IUD Awareness Flyers

EXTREMELY COMMON

Periods Stopped
Heavy Extended Periods
Stress Not Well Handled
Inability to Concentrate
Brain fog
Feeling Out of Body
Sense of impending doom
Irrational Fear
Panic Attacks
Ovarian, Breast or Armpit Cysts
Dizziness (Vertigo)
Ringing in Ears (Tinnitus)
Inability to Lose Weight
Headaches
Removed IUD due to problems

VERY COMMON

Abdominal Pain
Bloating
Difficulty Thinking
Inability to Make Decisions
Slowed Speech, Trouble Finding Words, Memory Loss
Loss of Intuition
Loss of Ability to Multitask
Withdrawal or Detachment from Reality
Invasive Thoughts
Loss of Trust in / Lashing Out at Friends & Family
Cramping
Digestive Problems
IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
Blurry Vision
Eye Pain
Fatigue
Ridges in Fingernails
Heart Palpitations or Problems
Hormonal Imbalances
General Inflammation
Muscle Tremors or Spasms
Low Back Pain
Shooting Pains in Body
Tingling or Numbness in Body
Joint Pain
Fibromyalgia (Extreme Body Pain)
Heavy Strain on Relationship
Life Falling Apart
Loss of partner, boyfriend or spouse
Painful Sex
BV (Bacterial Vaginosis)
UTI’s (Urinary Tract Infections)
Yeast Infections
Smelly discharges
Copper Toxicity
Silicone Toxicity

Compiled Results of Multiple Polls

Over the past 8 years, we have been running multiple polls on the IUD Side Effects Support Group on Facebook, which has grown in that time from 1,800 to almost 40,000 members!

When we look back at the poll responses, it is pretty notable that even as the number of participants as been growing, the list of problems has stayed very consistent, both in the adverse effects being reported as well as in their prevalence.

It is important to remember that while certain specific issues dominate the polls, each person has their own unique mix of problems. It is common to easily check off ten to twenty of these listed issues as part of your story, but most people do not experience all of them.

The different effects are broken up into categories ranging from almost always being reported to being mentioned less regularly but still often enough to be of concern.

ALWAYS TOP OF THE LIST

Bleeding Changes
Personality Changes
Anxiety, Depression or Bi-Polar
Weight Gain
Insomnia
Racing Brain or Incessant Worry
Acne, Excema &/ or Skin Disorders
Loss of Libido
Hair Loss &/or Thinning

It can sometimes be difficult to make the connection between worsening often bizarre combinations of problems and an IUD,
especially if it has been some time since getting an IUD inserted.

Problems can and do start at any time,
even after years of seemingly problem free use.

The IUD Awareness Flyers
are based on this information,
with the issues divided between
“Early Warning Signs”
and
“Severe Problems”,
with the most commonly reported problems in larger black type size and the less commonly mentioned issues in small grey type.

The flyers are also divided into
“Physical Problems”
and
“Mental Emotional Problems”,
with the physical issues on the top and the mental issues on the top and different fonts used for each.

Many of the things listed as Early Warning Signs might be considered part of normal life, but if the number of problems are increasing or they are getting more intense since getting an IUD, even after a period of no issues, then it is time to pay attention and consider the possibility that the IUD might be either the cause or at least a contributing factor.

Even a small number of Severe Problems are indicators that it might be time to consider getting an IUD removed, especially if a steady increase in severity of Early Warning Signs is happening.

If these problems are part of an IUD experience, the first step towards recovery is to get the IUD removed:

Many people see immediate improvement after removal.

The majority report overall improvement within 6 months of removal.
Some people experience the development of new adverse effects post removal, which vary in both intensity and how long they last.
A small number of people follow up to report either no change or worsening of problems even up to a year or more following removal; but most of them eventually report some improvement over time.