My Mirena IUD Experience- Leading Up to Choosing IUD
A little background information on my decision to switch to an IUD. I am one of the millions of uninsured Americans- I fell through the cracks of the ACA and my state didn't expand Medicaid- so my choice of healthcare is very limited. I get all of my women's healthcare through a Title X clinic - it's a sliding scale clinic where I can still get my yearly exams and yes, birth control. Clinics like these are crucial to women like me- but they do come with some drawbacks. For instance, I'm currently on my.. third or fourth different combination pill and I've been on them for less than 5 years. The ones I can remember I've gone from Nortrel, to Emoquette, to most recently Apri. I've been prescribed these to both prevent pregnancy and treat my PCOS. (More information about my PCOS journey can be found here. )
Nortrel was great for me- the doctor prescribed it when I had been having a period for about six months straight. And not just light spotting mind you- an anemia inducing cycle that never stopped. Chronic fatigue, nonstop bleeding, pain- for half a year. They gave me Nortrel to stop the bleeding and regulate my hormones that were out of balance from the PCOS. There was a rough transition period, some mood swings, but overall Nortrel was great for me. My bleeding finally stopped, I had no bad side effects- Nortrel was a godsend for me. However, with me going through a Title X clinic- when they stopped being able to afford Nortrel they had to switch me. Enters Emoquette.
Emoquette was alright for me. Switching from one hormone level to another (and a different type of progesterone) was rough- but not unmanageable. After the first full cycle my body adjusted really well. Besides the random crying episodes I'd have at some points in my cycle- it was great. (and to be honest, the crying may have just been me!) Less than a year on this new pill, the price jumped. Despite it being a generic pill it went from $10 a month to $60 a month. Not affordable to someone without insurance. So came in Apri.
Apri.. I don't have anything good to say about it besides I don't bleed all of the time like when I'm off birth control. The active hormones are the same as Emoquette, but for some reason my body doesn't agree. My mood swings are harsh, my anxiety and depression are through the roof. If the mental health alone isn't enough to switch- a side effect no one warned me about was skin changes. Birth control (with estrogen), can cause new moles to develop. Atypical moles, that a doctor at urgent care might look at and go "I think you have skin cancer, see a dermatologist." (I was charged $90 for that great insight.) Eventually I found a dermatologist who would see me (yay, no insurance, that's out of pocket too) and that's where I learned that it's most likely *ding ding ding* the estrogen in my birth control causing the skin changes. (It can also cause gallbladder problems, which I now also have.)
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| Satan's little helper |
That's the day I started to seriously consider coming off combination birth control. I didn't know what method I wanted, but I did start realizing this method wasn't for me. I did research and decided the IUD would be the best method for me- more effective than the mini pill, better suited for me than the arm implant, ring, or patch. I knew I still needed hormones to help with my PCOS- so the copper coil (Paragard) was out. The Mirena IUD is progesterone only and most hormones stay IN the uterus- no circulating around causing my body issues.. however I couldn't afford one out of pocked. (Nearly $1,000 in most states!) So I was stuck, researching how to get one at low cost.
In the months since then- I now know for absolutely certain the combination pill isn't for me. I am one of the lucky few where the estrogen has weakened the valves in my veins- affecting my circulation and leading to varicose veins all the way up from my ankle to over my thigh at the age of 25. That was the last straw for me- I knew I had to find a way to get off the pill. I called every sliding scale clinic around me asking about IUDs, most didn't do them. Others required me to pay for it in full... finally, nearing my wits end- I brought it up to my own clinic who had been providing me the low cost services and pills. (If you're wondering why I didn't go to them first- it's because they are nearly 2 hours away from me, I was trying to find local). It turns out they do IUDs, through a miraculous thing called the Arch Program. They helped me with my paperwork to prove I needed a free IUD and a couple weeks later I got a letter in the mail saying I was approved.
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| Look at this beauty. |
Since then it's been a not so smooth road due to schedule conflicts, I'm on my last pack of pills. I have to have a first appointment for a visual on the insertion process, STD screenings, and pap smear to make sure everything is okay (luckily due for my annual anyways!) and then I have to come back while I'm on my period for insertion. Which I hear isn't going to be a walk in the park- I'll update on that when that day finally comes. Hopefully, within 2 weeks I'll be combination pill free. In the meantime, here's a photo reflecting my personal feelings on the combination pill:
I will update as my journey continues.
Xoxo,
Shay
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