Sorry moms..tmi

The mirena doesn't shorten or lessen the flow of ALL women, just most women. It's hormone based, and most hormone based birth control shortens periods (hence why people get heavier flows when they have the copper iud, use another non-hormone method, or are on no form of birth control at all).

But no matter what form is used SOME women have the "opposite" reaction. Like most women on depo lose their period entirely, but some don't stop bleeding for the entire 3-6 month time that the shot is active. MOST women's skin clears up on hormone BC, but SOME break out like they're teenagers. Etc..

Having 2 week periods for 6 months doesn't sound like an adjustment period. It sounds like you're an "outlier". AKA are responding atypically, but certainly not uniquely.

Not sure which IUD you have but I have heard that the copper Paragard one actually causes more bleeding. I have the Mirena and I recall having a constant light flow for like 2 months followed by a couple of long/heavy periods. After that my periods got lighter/shorter (like 1-2 days of light spotting) and now I haven't had one in almost 4 months. I've had my IUD for 20 months and it seems like it did take a while for things to calm down. It was explained to me that part of how the IUD works is by thinning the lining of your uterus so in the beginning, that's why you bleed more and for a longer amount of time. If you've been back to the dr and the device is properly placed and you're not having discomfort, then maybe just give it a little more time. Everyone is different so maybe it's just taking a little longer for your body to adjust. Best of luck. :)

I had the copper IUD inserted because I didn't want the hormones. After four months of long and painful periods, I had it removed. I'm now using the nuva ring. Yes it has the hormones, but I am sooo happy with it. Put it in once a month and you don't have to worry about it. Good luck.

I agree - I had the copper IUD - wowsa on the periods. Now I have had the Mirena for over 9 years (on 2nd) and LOVE it! Only spotting, maybe 2x a year.

I had Paraguard (the no hormone copper one) a year after I had my daughter and just had heavier periods. I was told they could get longer or heavier or they could do the opposite of get shorter and lighter but everyone will be different. I was very comfortable with mine so I suggested it to my sister who had her sput in 6 months after a c-section and she had a nightmare of time to the point where she had it removed because it was not worth the heavy bleeding for 2 weeks at a time every month plus super painful cramps that would become debilitating.
Personally I think women should wait at least a year having babies to have an IUD because your body is so messed up from pregnancy and birth your hormones and muscle structure need more time to heal before you introduce a foreign body.

My experience was that I had very long periods for about a year, but now they're hardly anything at all after 4 years. Hope that helps.

L. C.

I could have written this myself. I had the Mirena IUD and experienced this exact same thing...until about 10 months after it was placed. Then I had a horribly heavy period and was passing clots that remined me of delivering a placenta (about the size of an orange or bigger). I went into the doctor and we couldn't figure out what was going on, but my husband and I decided that it wasn't worth it and we were just going to have it removed. The doctor couldn't find the strings, did and ultrasound and was able to see that it was there and still couldn't remove it. I ended up with a D&C to have it removed because they couldn't get to it in the doctor's office. We still aren't sure what happened or why they couldn't remove it, but it wasn't worth the stress. if asked I wouldn't recommend it for anyone.....but like one post said everyone has different reactions to the same medications. Good luck.

I know I'm a little late in responding and you've already gotten several responses, but I just wanted to add my experience. I had the Mirena and was patient with it for 10 long months. I really, really wanted it to work for me, but I was spotting (same as you - not heavy, just annoying) for probably 20 days out of each month. I finally gave up and just decided it wasn't going to work for me. Evidently everyone responds differently to it. I wish I was one of the people that had no period at all on the IUD, but I guess I am not!
Good luck!

I had the mirena before getting pg with my son (now 3), and it only took 3-4 months of continuous spotting to get to where I had essentially no period. Now I have the mirena again, and it has taken 8 months to get more or less to the same situation. I was on the verge of having it removed because of the nuisance, but then it seems to have normalized. It sounds like there is a lot of variability in individual experiences. I hope yours works out ok.

I think I bled pretty much consistently for 6 mos after the IUD was inserted. It finally subsided, and then I had very light or no periods after that.

That's what happened to me. It wasn't heaby at all, in fact I only had about one day of medium flow and the rest were very light and then spotting, but it would last upwards of two weeks. After about two years I started to have some pretty sharp pains. They did an ultrasound and everything looked okay, but I just felt I needed to remove the IUD. So I did and the first period after that was extremely heavy and I passed a lot of large clots, but after that the pains went away and my perid went back to normal.

I use the Mirena, I have had it for 4 years. I have not had any problems with it....I RARELY to NEVER have a period. I can't remember how it was at first..seems like I had to wait 6 weeks after my son was born and then have it put in place. I think my period was already over by then (and is normally very heavy) and I haven't had anything since. This really doesn't help your situation now...but hopefully can give you light at the end of the tunnel! My only complaint is that I can't really seem to lose any weight.
Have you tried looking up your brand of IUD on the net to see if there is any information on side effects? My best advice is wait for a couple of more months and then if it isn't any better...call the OB again and hound them until someone does something to help you. Good luck!

You could be writing exactly what happened to me....except at about the 8 month period (August) I bled for the WHOLE month. Then I went back to semi normal a week - 10 day periods. So when my exam came up (November) after having it for a year, I didn't say anything because I though it was all adjusted. But then about 2 months later (January) I bled for a whole month again. From there I would bleed between 10-14 days every month. Sometimes all in a row, sometimes it would skip a few days to a week and start again. I had my husband get fixed that following summer. I decided at my next appointment due January after that summer I would get it removed. And I did. Now I am back on my own body's schedule and LOVING it. I have a not so bad period and its back to lasting 5-7 days.
In my case my OB had no idea until I asked to have it removed what was going on...because like you it was never heavy just long, so I just put up with it until I finally couldn't. My nurse practitioner removed it and said although it was in place she thought it was a little low than it should be. I also have a tilted uterus so maybe that is another reason for it?

Although my sister has one and she hasn't had any bleeding problems, in fact she doesn't have a period.

Anyway good luck to you! I felt after a year it should be adjusted. I ended up keeping it for 2 years and 3 months. Hope this helps!