If Avoiding Infection Is Most Important To You
You can get any of the five IUDs! They all have a very low risk of causing pelvic infections. Recent research suggests that its actually the process of having the IUD placed that slightly increases infection risk, and this risk only increases in the short term. In fact, hormonal IUDs may actually protect you from pelvic inflammatory disease by making your cervical mucus thicker and harder for bacteria to get through. However, if you have an undiagnosed STI when you get an IUD placed, you are at a higher risk of PID, so your provider may recommend that you get tested for STIs when getting an IUD.
When It Can Be Placed
The appropriate timing for Kyleena insertion depends on several factors. These include whether or not youve:
- been using certain other birth control methods
- had a recent abortion or miscarriage, and in which trimester of pregnancy it happened
- recently given birth
Kyleena can be inserted any time your healthcare provider is able to determine that youre not pregnant. For example, your healthcare provider may be able to insert Kyleena:
- during the first 7 days of your menstrual cycle*
- right after an abortion or miscarriage that occurred during the first 3 months of pregnancy
- at least 6 weeks after an abortion or miscarriage that occurred during the third to the sixth month of pregnancy
- at least 6 weeks after childbirth
Before placing Kyleena, your healthcare provider may have you take a pregnancy test. This way, they can make sure youre not pregnant before inserting Kyleena into your uterus.
Talk with your doctor about the best time for you to start using Kyleena.
* Your menstrual cycle begins on the first day of a period. In other words, day 1 of your menstrual cycle is the first day you have period bleeding.
Mood Changes Or Depression
One of the unfortunate side effects of birth controls like Kyleena is mood changes, swings, or depression.
In some people, Kyleena can cause severe mood changes and mood swings. If you notice new or worsening symptoms of mood swings or depression, keep track of where youre at.
If youre feeling really down, reach out to a therapist. If you notice that your depression seems to be a direct symptom of the Kyleena, reach out to your doctor. Theres no reason that you should suffer from depression or mood changes just for your birth control.
Read Also: Can Having Your Tubes Tied Cause Hormonal Imbalance
Are There Any Nonhormonal Birth Control Options
Yes, there are several nonhormonal birth control options available. These include:
- barrier methods, such as condoms, cervical caps, spermicides, diaphragms, and sponges
- surgical procedures, such as tubal ligation and vasectomy
- withdrawal method
In addition, theres an IUD available thats made with copper instead of hormones. This IUD is called Paragard. Like Kyleena, its placed inside your uterus to prevent pregnancy. But each Paragard IUD is effective for up to 10 years, unlike each Kyleena IUD, which is only effective for up to 5 years.
If youd like to know more about nonhormonal birth control options, talk with your doctor. They can recommend birth control options that may be right for you.
Here Are A Few Reasons Why An Iud Could Be An Excellent Choice For You
What research has been done shows that hormonal IUDs fail just 0.2 percent of the time while the copper IUD fails 0.8 percent of the time. This means fewer than one out of 100 women will get pregnant each year when using an IUD. A lot of this comes down to the fact that IUDs are hard to mess up.
Birth control pills, on the other hand, have a failure rate that ranges from less than 1 percent with perfect use to 9 percent with typical use . So if youre worried about messing up your birth control, an IUD might be a good choice for you.
To put it simply, IUDs are one of the best methods of contraception that we have, Lauren Streicher, M.D., an associate professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, tells SELF. The only reversible contraceptive thats more effective than the IUD is the implant, which was found to have a 0.05 percent failure rate. That implant goes in your arm and can be used for up to three years.
Mirena and Kyleena are recommended for up to five years, Liletta is recommended for up to four years, and Skyla is recommended for up to three years. ParaGard, on the other hand, can be used up to 10 years. So if youre looking for long-term birth control , this could be a great option.
With methods like the pill, the ring, and the shot, you have to think about your birth control on a regular basis. But IUDs are different.
You May Like: Can Having Your Tubes Tied Cause Hormonal Imbalance
How Is Kyleena Used
The levonorgestrel IUD is inserted through the vagina and placed into the uterus by a doctor.
You may feel pain or dizziness during insertion of the IUD, and you may have minor vaginal bleeding. Tell your doctor if these symptoms last longer than 30 minutes.
The IUD should not interfere with sexual intercourse, wearing a tampon or menstrual cup, or using other vaginal medications.
Your doctor should check the IUD after a few weeks to make sure it is still in place. You will also need annual pelvic exams and Pap smears.
You may have irregular periods for 3 to 6 months. Your flow may be lighter or heavier, and your periods may stop after several months. Tell your doctor if you do not have a period for 6 weeks or if you think you might be pregnant.
The IUD may come out by itself. After each menstrual period, make sure you can still feel the removal strings at the opening of your cervix.
If you need to have an MRI , tell your caregivers ahead of time that you have an IUD in place.
Your IUD may be removed at any time you decide to stop using birth control. Mirena or Liletta must be removed at the end of the 6-year wearing time. Kyleena must be removed after 5 years, and Skyla must be removed after 3 years. Your doctor can insert a new device if you wish to continue using this form of birth control. Only your doctor should remove the IUD. Do not attempt to remove the device yourself.
Drug Forms And Administration
Kyleena, Mirena, and Liletta are all intrauterine devices . An IUD is a form of birth control thats inserted into your uterus by a healthcare provider.
IUDs can be left inside your uterus for the maximum amount of time that theyre effective. Your doctor can remove an IUD from your uterus after the IUD is no longer effective, or whenever youd like to stop using it within the effectiveness period.
Read Also: Does Blue Cross Blue Shield Cover Testosterone Therapy
What To Expect From 6 Months On
Your periods should get lighter after the first six months, and you may have fewer of them. Some may find that their periods continue to be more unpredictable than they were in the past.
About 1 in 5 people will no longer have a monthly period by the one-year mark.
Copper IUDs dont contain hormones, so you wont see changes in the timing of your periods. But you can expect more bleeding than before at least for a while.
Kyleena And Emergency Contraception
Kyleena shouldnt be used as emergency contraception. And you dont need to use emergency contraception along with Kyleena.
Emergency contraception is used to prevent pregnancy after youve had sex without birth control. But if youre using Kyleena, youre protected from becoming pregnant during sex.
An example of emergency contraception is Plan B, which is also called the morning after pill.
You May Like: Does Blue Cross Blue Shield Cover Testosterone
Where The Kyleena Iud Goes:
Kyleena is placed in your uterus by your healthcare provider. Placement involves a nonsurgical procedure that takes just a few minutes. In 4 to 6 weeks, you should return to your healthcare provider for a follow-up visit.
Everyone is different, and some women may experience discomfort, dizziness, or spotting during and after placement. These symptoms should go away shortly. If they dont, contact your healthcare provider.
Kyleena Pros And Cons
Before you opt for this IUD, its important to make an informed decision. Heres a breakdown of the Kyleena pros and cons to help determine if this IUD is suitable for you:
Pros of the Kyleena IUD
- Long-term, reversible birth control.
- Over 99% effective at preventing pregnancy.
- Does not need to be taken daily.
- Continuous protection for up to 5 years.
- Safe for women who are breastfeeding.
- Does not impact fertility or chances of conceiving post removal.
Cons of the Kyleena IUD
- Can experience mild to severe side effects.
- Painful or uncomfortable insertion.
- Unsafe for women with PID.
- Unsafe for women who are susceptible to infections.
- Unsuitable for women with uterine or cervical cancer.
- Unsuitable for women who have or have had breast cancer or other progestin-sensitive cancers.
Don’t Miss: Does Nugenix Have An Estrogen Blocker
Kyleena Side Effects : What They Are And How To Get Rid Of Them
Since the development of the birth control pill in 1960, women have had a growing number of options for hormonal contraception. One of the more recent innovations is the development of intrauterine devices, or IUDs, which are designed to offer women long term control over their fertility.
Instead of having to remember to take a pill each day, remember to buy and use condoms, or regularly replace patches or rings, women can choose to have an IUD placed in their uterus and receive contraceptive protection that is more than 99 percent effective.
Hormonal IUDs like Kyleena can effectively prevent pregnancy for up to five years, but they may also cause unpleasant side effects that can be difficult to manage. Fortunately, it may be possible to avoid the side effects of Kyleena or get rid of them entirely.
Hormonal Vs Non Hormonal Iud
Non-Hormonal Copper IUD
The Copper IUD is a non-hormonal form of birth control that is T-shaped and wrapped in a bit of copper. It works as a preventative by releasing copper ions into the uterus, causing an inflammatory response toxic to sperm. Many women choose Copper IUDs as a non-hormonal birth control option but still wonder if it impacts hormones.
Is It Possible for a Non-Hormonal IUD to Impact Hormones?
Copper and estrogen have a very intricate relationship as estrogen enhances copper retention in the body.
There is a chance that a Copper IUD will enhance the symptoms of estrogen dominance if a woman already has an estrogen dominance issue. The same goes for if there is an iron-copper-zinc imbalance or imbalance of nutrients that work with said minerals.
When there is an overload or imbalance of copper in the body, symptoms can include:
- Depression
- Interference with adrenal and thyroid activity
- Increased risk of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
To read more about the cons of a Copper IUD, go here.
Hormones and minerals have an intimate relationship, meaning they can impact each other one way or another. This is an important thing to consider when looking at birth control options.
Hormonal IUD
Hormonal IUDs include Mirena, Skyla, Liletta, and Kyleena. They secrete progestins, which is a synthetic form of our bodys naturally produced progesterone.
Recommended Reading: Nugenix Estrogen Blocker
Is Kyleena Or Mirena More Effective
Studies are not available comparing Kyleena to Mirena. Looking at each drug individually, Kyleenas information states that the Kyleena IUD is over 99% effective at preventing pregnancy for each year of use. Over five years, it is 98.5% effective.
Mirena states similar informationit is over 99% effective at preventing pregnancy for each year of use, as well as over 99% effective over the five years.
Each IUD works as an effective method of contraception. They are appropriate for long-term use, up to five years for one IUD. Also, unlike birth control pills, you dont have to remember to take it every day.
These IUDs are also reversible contraception, meaning that when the IUD is removed, you can get pregnant. Most patients are able to get pregnant within 12 months after IUD removal. Only your healthcare provider can determine which medication is better for you, taking into account your medical history.
How Should You Choose Which Iud Is Right For You
All the hormonal IUDs on the market have low systemic levels of levonorgestrel, according to Dr. Nikki Zite, a physician in the University of Tennessees department of obstetrics and gynecology. The subtle differences between each one are meant to offer women more choice about how they want to prevent pregnancy and perhaps even alter their period flow.
Some women want the benefit of having light-to-no periods, achieved through slightly more levonorgestrel, but other women want the absolute smallest amount that will effectively prevent pregnancy, Zite said. By ensuring a woman has comprehensive understanding of her options and how they correspond with her personal priorities, we help women increase the likelihood of satisfaction with her contraceptive method.
Heres how every IUD breaks down:
Like other IUDs, Kyleena does come with rare risks. During the clinical trial to get it approved, 22 percent of the 1,452 women who received Kyleena at health centers around the world dropped out of the study because they experienced an adverse reaction. Of women who dropped out for an adverse reaction, the most common complaints were increased bleeding , pelvic pain , device expulsion , acne and painful periods .
An even smaller minority of participants experienced serious reactions like ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, depression and uterine perforation.
Recommended Reading: Melatonin And Unisom Together
See A Doctor If Your Periods Are Irregular After The 1
Your periods should settle into a normal rhythm after one year. A small percentage of people using a hormonal IUD will stop getting a period altogether.
If you havent gotten a period for six weeks or more, call your doctor to make sure youre not pregnant. Theyll assess your overall symptoms and administer a pregnancy test to confirm that youre not pregnant.
If the test is negative, you shouldnt need to return unless you begin experiencing early pregnancy or other unusual symptoms.
How Kyleena Is Placed
Kyleena is a type of birth control called an intrauterine device . Its inserted into your uterus by a healthcare provider. This insertion procedure can be performed during an office visit, and it takes only a few minutes to complete.
To place Kyleena, your doctor has you lie down on an exam table and place your feet into stirrups. Your doctor places a speculum into your vagina, so that theyre able to see your cervix. Then, your doctor cleans your cervix and inserts Kyleena through your cervix into your uterus.
Its possible to have pain and cramping while Kyleena is being inserted into your uterus. And these symptoms may last for a little while after the IUD has been placed. But if you have severe pain or cramping that doesnt stop within 30 minutes after Kyleena has been inserted, tell your doctor right away. This could be a sign that Kyleena wasnt placed correctly.
In some cases, your doctor may need to examine you and determine if Kyleena needs to be adjusted or removed.
Also Check: Can Getting Your Tubes Tied Cause Early Menopause
How Is It Taken Out
The hormonal IUD can stay in for 5 years but it can be taken out sooner. Your doctor or Family Planning NSW clinic can take it out. The clinician will remove the IUD by gently pulling on the string. This only takes a couple of minutes. Some people find it a little uncomfortable. If you want another hormonal IUD, the old one can be taken out and a new one put in at the same visit.
Pros: Advantages Of Iuds
IUDs can be a great choice for many women. Some common benefits include:
- Reduced chance of pregnancy due to human error such as forgetting to take a pill or use a condom
- High effectiveness as the failure rate of IUDs range between 0.9% to 1.5%, which is significantly lower than other forms of contraception
- Offers long-term contraception between four to ten years
- Pocket friendly
Some common drawbacks and risks of using IUDs include:
- Insertion pain
- Increased risk of pelvic inflammatory disease
- Risk of coming out of the uterus
- Increased risk of pregnancy complication if the woman gets pregnant
Also Check: Estrogen Liquid
How Can You Get Rid Of The Side Effects Associated With Kyleena
While some women using Kyleena will experience very few side effects, others may experience a variety of unpleasant symptoms that make the device nearly intolerable.
It is believed that hormonal forms of contraception like the Kyleena IUD cause certain side effects because of interactions between the hormones and nutrients in the body, which cause a shift in biochemistry.
As nutrients are depleted, women experience imbalances in the body and undesirable symptoms. The World Health Organization has established that hormonal contraceptives like Kyleena can cause depletions of vitamins and minerals like folic acid, vitamins B2, B6, B12, C, and E, as well as magnesium, selenium, and zinc.
Fortunately, it is possible to avoid certain side effects of Kyleena with nutrient support. Managing your unique biochemistry is a balancing act, and women have different nutritional needs while using hormonal contraceptives like Kyleena.
When provided with therapeutic doses of certain vitamins, minerals, and mitochondrial antioxidants, side effects including low sex drive, weight gain, mood swings, headaches, and fatigue are less likely to occur.
Dietary supplements that address these unique needs, such as Even, can provide nutritional support and minimize the potential side effects associated with Kyleena.