Are These IUD Symptoms Normal?

Q: I'm experiencing pregnancy symptoms with my IUD - is that normal? - Y.R.

A: An IUD is an Intrauterine Device that is T shaped and serves as long-lasting, safe and effective birth control. An IUD must be inserted by a health care provider and costs between $0-$1000. There are two types: copper and hormonal IUDs. They both prevent sperm and egg from joining.

In some women, the progestin IUD may cause temporary side effects such as:

irregular bleeding for several months
lighter or shorter periods or no periods at all
symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), which include headaches, nausea, breast tenderness, and skin blemishes

Some other rare side effects of IUDs include:

Expulsion, which is when the device comes out of the uterus by accident. If the IUD falls out of place, a doctor will have to re-implant it.
Uterine perforation, where the IUD punctures the uterine wall. This can cause severe bleeding and result in infection.
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which may occur if the IUD insertion procedure introduces bacteria into the uterus.

On the rare occasion, the IUD can sometimes slip out of the uterus. Sometimes it comes all the way out. Sometimes it only comes out a little. This is more likely to happen to women who are younger and who have never had a baby. If the IUD slips out of place, pregnancy can happen. If it comes out only part of the way, it has to be removed.

If the IUD has traveled outside your uterus, you'll probably have significant pain or discomfort. Women who've written accounts of their own IUD perforations usually say that the pain is incapacitating. Also, do a self-check on your strings. If you can't find them, it could indicate that your IUD isn't in place.