I've had the copper IUD Paraguard for a little over a year now and I'm mostly happy with it. There's just one problem. In the last three months, my skin has broken out worse than it ever has in my entire life, with multiple cystic acne on my cheeks and chin. I've done a little bit of research, and there are quite a few other women who have experienced the same problem after having Paraguard for a while.
I'm seriously considering changing birth control methods but I'd really prefer a method that is hormone free, and hopefully one that doesn't kill the mood too much (kind of like the diaphragm, where you have to take a time out for five to ten minutes to go put it in; that doesn't sound like fun). Anyone have any suggestions? I'm due for my pap, and I'd like to have some idea of what I want to do when I go.
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I remain a big fan of condoms (and, if necessary for peace of mind, spermicidal lube).
Putting on a condom can be very fast and/or erotic, depending on the mood.
I know that men sometimes say that condoms are uncomfortable (particularly if they've been circumsized), but if they just put a little dollop of lube in the end of the condom that should take care of it.
Were you on HBC before you had the Paraguard?
If so, it might not be that you have acne because of the IUD, but because you're not on hormones. Even going from HBC to the Mirena, that still has a small amount of hormones, I've started breaking out a bit more.
Just something to consider, I guess.
Have you considered natural family planning? I'm also looking for a non-hormonal option and information on it was given to me by my midwife. Apparently natural birth planning has a 98-99% effectiveness rate. Though it does sound too good to be true, I love the idea of it. I think I'd be a good candidate for it once I take a class but to be honest it's not something I ever thought about and does still seem scary to try despite the effectiveness.
I agree with the Kessai though- condoms have never let me down and I haven't found them to be that huge of an interruption.
Chart detailing "perfect use" failure rates and actual failure rates for various NFP methods here:
http://www.irh.org/nfp.htm
(bottom line--12-20% failure rate in average users.)
I'll stick to condoms.
Yeah...that's what I thought. Will definitely stick to condoms for now too lol.
I've had the Paraguard for almost ten years now, and I love it. As for the cycstic acne, both my dermatologist and my GP tell me that that's hormonally produced and has nothing to do with the IUD. If it's bad enough, a dermatologist may recommend a course of Accutane. Also, make sure you're exfoliating your skin when it's not broken out - just scrubbing my face with a washcloth has done wonders for me to get rid of dead skin.
I wish more people knew about the IUD - it's far cheaper than pills. It costs $400 over ten years, compared to ~$40/month * 12 months * 10 years = $4800.
Of course, to prevent disease, you still have to use condoms!
If you use Accutane, I believe they ask you to use *two* contraceptive methods, because it is teratogenic - able to cause birth defects.
If preventing disease is not an issue, I recommend vaginal contraceptive film (VCF). It's spermicide in a film form that you insert 10 min prior to intercourse.
Yes, I used the NuvaRing quite happily for about two years before I switched, and various other birth control pills before that. I did consider that perhaps it was due to being completely off hormones, but my acne is worse than it has ever been, even worse than when I was a teenager before I was ever on birth control.
The forum I found when I did research had about twenty other women with the exact same problem, and their doctors had told them that it was due to hormones, but they had never had cystic acne before at all. I'm not some sort of crazy person who thinks that doctors don't know what they're talking about, but they can be wrong sometimes. The explanation for this does make logical sense too, that in some women the copper levels get out of control, almost to a toxic level, which suppresses zinc absorption and can cause the acne problems. I am exfoliating, I use a buff puff with my face wash either once a day or every other day.
Out of curiousity, has anyone tried the new sponge? I'm pretty curious about it.
Be VERY careful about using internet forums as any kind of medical guide. You'll find that they are self-selecting. For the twenty women you've found that think they can tie acne to their IUD, there are thousands upon thousands who aren't.
Having a copper allergy is a possibility. Talk to a doctor about that.
There is nothing that says that acne is worse when we're teens and goes away when we're adults. It might be the common understanding of acne, but many people, myself included, have found acne getting progressively worse, even into adulthood. I eventually went on Accutane, but that's not a decision I would recommend to everyone.
Talk to your doctor. Bring him/her the research you've done, but be RECEPTIVE to his or her opinions on that reasearch. From what I've read, acne has everything to do with testosterone levels and very little to do with copper or zinc (all "evidence" I've seen for zinc are from anecdotes or from zinc treatment sellers). I think that staying hormone-free is definitely a great goal. It just might mean that you'll continue to get acne.
Be VERY careful about using internet forums as any kind of medical guide. You'll find that they are self-selecting. For the twenty women you've found that think they can tie acne to their IUD, there are thousands upon thousands who aren't.
This. Google nearly any brand-name birth control and you'll find women describing the side effects they've experienced. Be careful to use the internet to learn about new options (as you've done here) but not to try to rule out options based on others' experiences (and not your own.)
I tried the sponge and liked it a lot.
Good: It works for 24 hours from when you insert it, and lasts through as many rounds as you want. It's also really soft and difficult, if not impossible, for either of you to notice that it's there.
Bad: I was in a semi-long distance relationship and only saw him every other weekend, so it wasn't a problem for me, but if you have sex more often than that it can get expensive. This also might be personal, but we liked switching between vaginal and oral sex fairly often, and the sponge makes that impossible. The spermicide doesn't exactly have a pleasant taste for either of us.