Paragard Questions

[onesimpleplan.livejournal.com]

Hi VP'ers!
Lately, I've been really (and I mean REALLY) fed up with my NuvaRing.  I'm sick of the moodiness, lack of sex drive (why BE on BC if you're not going to want to have sex!?), weight gain, hair loss, dry eyes, etc.  Basically, all of their negative side effects, I've got.
I got the ring last January because I had a really hard time remembering to take my pill.  I loved the convenience of the ring, and hate the effects.  I've been in my current relationship for 4 years, so my risk of getting an STD is pretty much nil.

So I'm looking into Paragard (possibly Mirena, but their website still claims it's for women who have had children).  However, I haven't been able to answer my own questions by research, and was hoping that I could get some here.
1. I don't have insurance, due to losing my job in May.  Can I get a clinic lik PP to do an IUD for me?  What would the cost look like, considering I'm currently under their "guidelines" for poverty?
2. I've always battled with acne, even when on HBC.  If I begin a Paragard, is it possible that my acne will revert to pre-HBC levels?  Does anyone else have skin problems with this?
3. With Paragard, do you still experience moodiness, depression, or loss of sex drive?

Like I said, I'm currently jobless and have no insurance.  My BC is almost up, and I know I need to get more, or risk being a very unhappy, sexless woman.  If anyone has any suggestions where to get an IUD for little to no cost, I'd love to have that information too!
Thanks for your help!

Comments

[atalanta0jess.livejournal.com]

I went from nuvaring to paragard as well. It was a good decision for me, for sure, although I wish I'd gone for a mirena instead. You can absolutely positively get a mirena without having had children, and many planned parenthoods are really excellent about that. Some doctors are less so...but its definitely a possibility. PPH offered me either a paragard or a mirena.

I got mine for free from PPH. Basically it really depends on the state and even county that you live in, since their funding varies from place to place. Its definitely possible to get them subsidized though. If you do want a mirena, the arch foundation also provides assistance for low-income women who want mirenas.

Your acne will be however it is "naturally" - so yes, its possible that it will go back to pre-HBC levels. Its also possible that due to TIME, your body will be different now than it was before. There's no way to know really.

With a paragard, you will NOT experience moodiness, depression, or loss of sex drive due to the paragard itself. Of course, its possible to experience those things "just because" or due to fluctuations in your cycle. They are not side effects of paragard though.

[mrar.livejournal.com]

I suggest you check out iud_divas. There's tons of info there! Check out the tags and memories.

You can get a Mirena if you are nulliparous. It just hasn't been tested on nulliparous women so they can't say that it is specifically for them, however many women who have not had children get it.

As for the Paraguard, side effects associated with HBC are not associated with it because it is hormone free (moodiness, depression, loss of sex drive, etc). However these side effects are also rare with the Mirena because it is progesterone only and has the lowest dose of hormones of any HBC on the market. With the Paraguard the main side effect is increased bleeding and cramping during menstruation. Generally these effects "even out" in about 6 months. I myself have had a Paraguard since February and the heaviness and cramping of my bleeding was never particularly bad, but I seem to be one of the lucky ones in that regard.

When it comes to acne, if the hormones from HBC improved your acne then it is definitely possible that without them (since the Paraguard is hormone free) your acne could return to pre-HBC levels. However that is also possible with the Mirena since the hormonal levels are so low.

I can't give any advice on the pricing of things but there are various ways I've seen people post about to get one paid for.

[marionravenwood.livejournal.com]

If you're interested in Mirena and need financial assistance, try the ARCH foundation (http://www.archfoundation.com/about.htm).

[llama4u448.livejournal.com]

I got my Paragard in May and I'll answer your questions the best I can.

1.The amount you will pay for an IUD will depend on what state you live in. I was able to get mine for free because I hadn't been working much when I got it. I did have to go through my county health department because my PP didn't offer payment plans or anything for free. This doesn't mean that yours won't offer anything because all PP vary from state to state. You should call around to see what your best option will be.

2.No one can tell you what will happen with your acne if you go off BC. I had moderate acne before I went on BC but it hasn't returned since I went off the pill. It probably has something to do with the fact that I was a teen when I went on it. Remember that Paragard has no hormones so your body will do what it wants.

3.Paragard has no hormones so whatever you were like pre BC is what you're likely to return to. In my experience my sex drive was back within a few days of going off BC. Now my sex drive depends on my natural hormones and there's times when I could care less but others when sex is all I want.

If you're really worried about side effects of hormones, Paragard seems better for you. Mirena can have any of the side effects that NuvaRing had because it still has hormones, I think they're just less likely to happen.

Just so you know, you can get either of the IUD's if you haven't had kids. You just have to find the right doctor,most are willing to do it. I was 20 and had never been pregnant when I got mine. Good luck!

[terriblelynne.livejournal.com]

I'm childless/never pregnant and was recommended Mirena by my doctor. I've had it in about eight months now. :-)

[tokudama.livejournal.com]

My doctor told me it's possible my acne could come back off of HBC if I got Paraguard*. I'm currently also taking spironolactone for my acne, prescribed by my endocrinologist. It's a relatively cheap generic blood pressure drug that is, apparently, pretty crappy at lowering blood pressure. Its acne effectiveness is so-so for me, but definitely better than nothing and better than other acne treatments that I've tried over the past 15 years. I have lots of problems with side effects on HBC, just got off of NuvaRing for similar reasons you did, and if Loestrin doesn't work for me I'll probably be going with Paraguard.


*Every time I've been off of some form of hormonal birth control, my acne comes back.

[paraxeni.livejournal.com]

You can still take hormonal BC with an IUD or IUS fitted. I have a Mirena to treat my endo, but still use the Pill to treat things associated with my PCOS like acne, facial hair and painful cysts.

[tokudama.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure if you're directing your comment at me or the OP, so sorry if I misinterpret it. I realize my original comment was kind of awkwardly worded too...

The whole reason I, personally, would be going on a non-hormonal IUD is because I'm having increasing difficulty tolerating any form of HBC. However, whenever I'm not taking HBC, my acne worsens, hence spironolactone. The OP doesn't mention PCOS and I don't know if the drug is ever prescribed to people without PCOS who have hormonally-driven acne, but thought it might be worth a mention as an alternative to HBC. If the OP's only problem with BC pills was remembering to take them, and that's what your comment was referring to, then my comment is kinda moot in which case nevermind :3

[paraxeni.livejournal.com]

I was replying to you and your statement that without HBC you always get acne. I'm aware you said you were having difficulty tolerating your BC but many other people read this community, so when replying to a particular comment I try and point things out that may be relevant to someone in your state who was worried about their acne returning. I only mentioned my PCOS and didn't refer to anyone else having it, only that it was the cause of *my* acne which is terrible without HBC! If you were interested in Paragard as a contraceptive, but found that low-dose pills like Loestrin are beneficial for your skin, it is possible to combine the two if you find that stopping the Pill makes your skin bad. I won't take spiro for my own reasons, so the anti-androgen in my Pill is my only hope of not having horrid cystic acne. I don't mind the hair but the spots are unbearable. My first month on Mirena alone my face was constantly sore and swollen. Ugh.

[tokudama.livejournal.com]

Gotcha, thanks for clarifying.

[hellgamatic.livejournal.com]

I don't know anything about the IUDs (other than the basics that I've learned from vagpag), but I just wanted to chime in and say I know EXACTLY what you mean with the "why be on BC" bit. That was exactly how I felt on nuvaring...we were paying like $35 per month to just not ever have sex. Why not just quit the ring and not have sex, for free? We're doing Fertility Awareness now and so far it has worked for the past 11 months...

[arularia.livejournal.com]

Mirena and Paragard are both safe options for a woman who has never been pregnant or given birth. However, there is still a lot of stigma surrounding IUDs and some persistent misinformation floating around. Mirena is more or less trying to cover it's ass with the "not for nulliparous women" routine.

1. When I finally got my IUD, it was at a local county health clinic. At the time I was an unemployed, full-time student and thus qualified for free services. I never paid a dime for my Paragard--not for the IUD itself, not for the insertion, not for the preliminary labwork, nothing. Obviously, this is going to vary from clinic to clinic. Your best bet is just to call and investigate your options.

Prior to finding the lovely county clinic, I called several providers to investigate prices and whether or not they were willing to insert one for a woman with no children. The quotes I got were around $400 for the IUD and the insertion fees. That was the full cost with no insurance coverage (my insurance didn't offer IUD coverage anyway, the jerks). When the county clinic gave me my "here's what you would have paid" summary, the cost was about $250. Maybe that will help you ballpark it if PP tells you you'd be responsible for a percentage of the fee.

2. I've struggled with acne for what seems like forever. HBC never really did anything for it. Off-topic, but what has helped me is Neutrogena's Healthy Skin Rejuvantor (http://www.neutrogena.com/econsumer/ntg/productdetail.browse?segment=women&catId=1&subCatId=1&productId=403&target=/products/face/healthy-skin-rejuvenator.jsp). A lot of my acne was under the surface of my skin so it wasn't clearing up with traditional methods. This little doohicky exfoliated deeper than any of my scrubs ever did though and start bringing all the junk up to the surface where I could deal with it. At least 50-75% of my acne is gone now. A little more time and dedication on my part and I think I'll actually have clear skin for the first time in I don't know how long.

3. Paragard is hormone-free so you don't have the hormonal side-effects. I've had depression and anxiety issues for awhile now, but that's just par for the course with me and my body and hasn't been affected by my choices in contraceptive.

My personal advice is to find a non-profit clinic. If Planned Parenthood doesn't offer you any good options, hunt down your local county clinic/health department. There are programs available to help defray the costs of an IUD. The Paragard website has information on their Patient Assitance Program (http://www.paragard.com/health_care_professional/global/pdf/A71125_ParaGard_PAP_Brochure_4-26.pdf), as well as a payment program (http://www.paragard.com/health_care_professional/global/pdf/Patient_Payment_Plan_Tearsheet_FINAL_6-18.pdf).

Best of luck to you.

[paraxeni.livejournal.com]

Actually it's not a case of Bayer, the makers of Mirena trying to cover themselves, as in every territory except the United States Mirena is advertised as being suitable for all female-bodied individuals, regardless of body history, pregnancies or lack of. Hell, there's even a poster on the waiting room wall of my GP's surgery offering it (or one of the seven non-hormonal IUDs) to anyone over 16.

The whole 'advertising to married women/those with children' was an FDA requirement to approving the IUS for use in America.

[arularia.livejournal.com]

Link?

[paraxeni.livejournal.com]

To what? The thing about the FDA approval or the fact that Mirena is not contraindicated in nulliparas?


ETA: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/nda/2000/21-225.pdf_Mirena_Prntlbl.pdf

Approved printed labelling from 2000 indicating that Mirena is only approved for parous women.

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/nda/2000/21-225.pdf_Mirena_Approv.pdf

Letter stating that any off-label recommendation, ie. advertising that it is suitable for nulliparas, will result in suspension of the license.


UK Mirena literature for patients and health professionals: http://www.womens-health.co.uk/mirena.asp, http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100001706.html

UK Mirena patient insert: http://xpil.medicines.org.uk/ViewPil.aspx?DocID=2796

My phone pic of the poster in the clinic: http://pics.livejournal.com/paraxeni/pic/0000wpws Unfortunately cropped the accompanying leaflet recommending LARC for anyone over 16, clarifying that they'll place them in under 16s with GP consult and approval.

In addition, Mirena was initially tested in parous and nulliparous women, it would never have been granted a license without it. I believe the initial test group was 60% parous and 40% nulliparous subjects. Like I said, there's a lot of misinformation given to US citizens about contraception that is easily refuted with a quick Google. We've had progesterone releasing IUSs in Europe since 1976 (Progestasert) and Mirena for 20 years. It's only been approved for 8/9 years in the US, so it's still very easy for the medical industrial complex to lie to potential users and tell them "Oh it's new, hasn't been properly tested, it isn't safe" due to their own peculiar moralities surrounding HBC in unmarried people.

[applepie04.livejournal.com]

1. Since I was 16 I've gone to Planned Parenthood for all of my BC needs. I'm now 19 and NP and they never blinked twice when I asked about getting the IUD. They even suggested it. However, I am a full time student and (at the the time of my IUD insertion) only working as a waitress one day a week which added up to MAYBE 4 hours of work a week. My dad's insurance did not cover the IUD and because of my work/school situation they gave it to me for free! When you go into a clinic for your IUD consult they should be able to evaluate your situation.

2. I never really had super acne prone skin prior to HBC. I was on the pill since I was 16 and I rarely got acne. After getting my Paragard 2 months ago and being off of the pill I noticed a lot more acne on my forehead. Mostly flesh-colored sort of under the skin acne but it's still there and it upsets me. Additionally my face has gotten increasingly oilier. :-(

3. I got off of the pill because of sex drive issues and that's when I got my Paragard. Unfortunately it has not quite returned in the 2 months since I've been off the pill which is sort of upsetting. I keep thinking that I'm just not attracted to my boyfriend anymore and I almost broke up with him a week ago because of it. I just don't feel like doing anything. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Most of the time I don't. So now I'm beginning to think I have another underlying problem. Sometimes another problem is the reason. Also I've heard conflicting reports that loss of sex drive with HBC could never come back to it's pre-HBC levels once going off of it which was upsetting for me to hear. I used to be SO HORNY! I'm 19. And I think that a 19 year old in a 3 year relationship should WANT to have have sex.

But don't worry. I've heard of lots of women getting their sex drives back within a matter of months while your body is trying to regulate itself and flush the hormones out of your system. For me, I may just need more time to get on track.

I hope my problems don't sway you from getting an IUD. Really, my Paragard has been great so far! My period was NOT the period from hell that a lot of women talk about. It was relatively light, cramp free, and lasted for a little longer than what was normal for me - 9 days. I definitely recommend Planned Parenthood, but you may want to check with them first about their payment options because not all Planned Parenthoods are the same, I've learned. My PP near my university said I had to pay for the entire IUD because school tuition counts as Income! What?! But my local PP near my home said that wasn't right and didn't charge me a dime! :-)

P.S. I'm sorry my reply was so long!

[iud-jenny.livejournal.com]

I am NP and have had a Mirena for a few months. So far it's great. If you expect some healthcare professional to give you crap about your choice, the best you can do is present yourself to be thoroughly researched and prepared. Most professionals can't argue with that. If they still want to tell you no, shop around. My NP wasn't thrilled about me having an IUD, but I stuck to my guns and she knows I know my stuff, so she was cool with it.

The hormones are still in your body, and everyone reacts to them differently. The idea is that they are locally released and not metabolized the way a pill would be. The amount present in the body at any given time is pretty insignificant, but your side effects would depend on your own body's sensitivity.

My first improvements on Mirena were the return of my sex drive, increased lubrication, stabilized mood in general, and the ability to control my diet a little better. I'm also having less severe yeast infections.

My period went away except for a one-time pink smudge when I wipe. I'm up in the air about whether this is a personal improvement, since I don't have any problems with my period.

I did get a bit of acne, but that wasn't a result of the IUD; it was a result of going off HBD. It took me a while, but it calmed down after a couple of months and is now quite managable. I am also ovulating again, which causes me a few days of cramps, some serious bloating, a bit of controllable moodiness. They aren't even close to the effects of HBC on me.

Your mileage may vary, etc.

Also, around where I live, Mirena is much more expensive. They are about $500 whereas a Paragard is about $250. Luckily, I have insurance that covers it and I got the choice, so I went with Mirena. From what I've heard, Mirena is a tad bigger, but the local hormones have a "calming" effect on the uterus.

[http://users.livejournal.com/__recidivist/]

I don't have much experience with IUDs, so I can't really help with that. Birth control is a really individual thing, so it mgiht be hard for someone to help you to figure out what is best for you. If you say where you are from or where you would be seeking medical care, some people may have recommendations for medical providers near you that might insert an IUD in a person who has never been pregnant (am I reading you correctly on that?).

Also, VP is encouraging (http://community.livejournal.com/vaginapagina/13654579.html) users to try to get away from using gendered terms (like "ladies" or "guys") when addressing the community as a whole. People of many different genders (http://vaginapagina.com/index.php?title=VaginaPagina_FAQ#Is_VP_for_women_only.3F) read and comment here and we don't want to accidentally leave anyone out. If you're interested, you can read more about the reasoning on several of the posts here (http://community.livejournal.com/contact_vp/tag/language).

[michigan-loverz.livejournal.com]

You're in Michigan? Me too and I'm on Plan First.

It's Family planning services for women age 19 to 44 who are not pregnant with no monthly premiums or co-payments Administered by the Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS)

Take a peek!

http://www.michigan.gov/mdch/0,1607,7-132-2943_4853-146295--,00.html