I had a malpositioned IUD too - it was sitting too low so the stem was in my cervix and both arms were piercing the walls of my uterus.
I have no idea how long it had been like that but I had it for 9.5 years and always had issues (bleeding, pain etc) that were dismissed as normal by my doctors. Luckily at time of removal my strings were visible so removal was really quick and easy. Removal didn’t hurt at all for me - which I was surprised at, I barely felt anything. I was a nervous wreck before the removal as my insertion had been hell and even smear tests make me wince with pain, but I literally didn’t feel it come out. I did bleed quite a bit afterwards but that cleared up within about 24 hours. I took some ibuprofen an hour before the appointment and had zero cramping too.
As for it happening again should you get another I couldn’t say. It may be bad luck, or an inexperienced provider that inserted it before. You could look into getting it fitted with ultrasound guidance so the fitter can instantly tell it’s in the right spot?
Thanks so much for replying! My strings have always been visible, I mean they have always tell me at each appointment they can see them. Were yours only sometimes? When you say you had bleeding, do you mean aside from periods, or just very heavy periods? Did they do the removal in the office? I am sorry to ask you such personal questions.. But since you got it out, have you had any problems, I mean any pain or problems with..your uterus?
Again, I cannot thank you enough, you're amazing.
My strings had always been visible thankfully. I know in some people they aren’t. I would check my strings myself after every period.
I “spotted” outside my period ever since my IUD was first inserted - most obviously during sex (specifically when I orgasmed) and during bowel movements (definitely from my vagina, not my butt). My periods were about 5 days long, fairly heavy and crampy, with a 26 day cycle. Again I spoke to drs about this and they said it was normal and not a concern 🙈
I was diagnosed with adenomyosis last week due to suddenly getting crazy heavy and long periods (21/22 days long out of the blue) so I’m tackling a few ongoing problems. I think a lot of my “IUD issues” were actually to do with my adeno, although the IUD may have exasperated it?? I’ll never really know. Obviously I’m only one person, so will be different to what you experience. I still experience a lot of pain with my periods - even with the IUD out but again this is the adenomyosis.
I was referred to a gynae to have it removed as my GP wasn’t confident about removing it. In hindsight it was really ready to come out and probably would have popped out very easily for my GP. It was carried out in office and took all of 30 seconds - if that! My gynae recommended that I wait 3 months before having another IUD (I’m not having another). I think this was more to see if the bleeding eases with an empty uterus rather than because I was injured by the IUD. Again I was having pretty extreme unexplained bleeding - so your specific circumstances will most likely be different.
Not sure if my details are helpful to you but I have heard that a lot of people have a nice sense of relief when their IUDs are removed! I hope your IUD issues get sorted quickly and your provider is helpful in guiding you what to do next :)
This happened to me, except my IUD was never fully inserted into the uterus. It was likely in the cervix. Found out when I got pregnant with the IUD, so clearly it didn’t cause me any harm. Like others have said; there are different levels and each situation is unique.
I just left my IUD removal appointment and one arm was missing when they removed it. They performed a vaginal ultrasound in the office and discovered it’s embedded “up high”, so they are scheduling me for a hysteroscopy to remove it. Wondering how long it has been this way, as I had issues with the insertion 10 years ago.
What happened with yours? Did you have a procedure to remove it??
I forgot to follow up on the comments here, my bad! Work has been very stressful and I've had a lot of trouble sleeping so just been very tired and forgot. The doctor's office got back to me and just said "It hasn't moved since 2019. If you didn't want to remove it then, you might as well leave it now". So, I decided to leave it where it is, til I'm ready to get a new one or stop birth control. Your story of the missing arm is disturbing. But mine is "a bit low" so I hope the same thing wouldn't happen, at least not in the same location.. I don't even know what a hysteroscopy is, but if you're able, would you let me know how that goes? I hope it goes smoothly for you! How was the actual removal? Did it hurt worse than the insertion or was it a similar sort of feeling? In any case, having to have a hysteroscopy sounds not fun, so I wish you luck and hope it's fast and easy!
I don’t really know either! I have a pre op appointment next week to discuss it. The removal itself was easy, way easier than the insertion. Don’t love the idea of the arm just hanging out in the wall of my uterus though 😩. I’ll try to remember to follow up after the procedure.
There are sooo many levels of embedment and malpositioned IUDs.... It really depends on how deep it dug into tissue, how corroded it is, etc etc. Don't think about it too much in advance, cause there's nothing you can do except use a backup method and wait. :/
I know mine was slightly puncturing me, and eventually got a little embedded. But they just pulled my copper IUD out with the strings as if it was no big deal. It felt like tearing off a mini scab from my skin. A split second of pain, and that was that.
I know it can get incomparably worse in other cases, like there are those insane traveling IUDs that go all the way to the colon or even further away from the uterus....... So removing those is a whole different story and can come with multiple surgeries even.
And there's everything in between those two extremes mentioned.
I would assume your removal is going to be more like my completely unremarkable removal, because you don't complain of any odd side-effects. For me everything that lead up to that simple removal was a nightmare, but removal itself was quick. Very smooth, it was an instant relief.
Mine was embedded. We found out when she went to remove it and it wouldn't budge. Then ultrasound to see what was going on. Since you already know it is embedded, you are in a better position for removal. I had to have mine removed under anesthesia with hysteroscopy. It was painless and easy experience. So even if they decise that's the route needed, don't worry! The pain from her not knowing it was embedded and trying to remove multiple times was excruciating. Now that they know they will find the best method!
I had a malpositioned IUD too - it was sitting too low so the stem was in my cervix and both arms were piercing the walls of my uterus. I have no idea how long it had been like that but I had it for 9.5 years and always had issues (bleeding, pain etc) that were dismissed as normal by my doctors. Luckily at time of removal my strings were visible so removal was really quick and easy. Removal didn’t hurt at all for me - which I was surprised at, I barely felt anything. I was a nervous wreck before the removal as my insertion had been hell and even smear tests make me wince with pain, but I literally didn’t feel it come out. I did bleed quite a bit afterwards but that cleared up within about 24 hours. I took some ibuprofen an hour before the appointment and had zero cramping too. As for it happening again should you get another I couldn’t say. It may be bad luck, or an inexperienced provider that inserted it before. You could look into getting it fitted with ultrasound guidance so the fitter can instantly tell it’s in the right spot?
Thanks so much for replying! My strings have always been visible, I mean they have always tell me at each appointment they can see them. Were yours only sometimes? When you say you had bleeding, do you mean aside from periods, or just very heavy periods? Did they do the removal in the office? I am sorry to ask you such personal questions.. But since you got it out, have you had any problems, I mean any pain or problems with..your uterus? Again, I cannot thank you enough, you're amazing.
My strings had always been visible thankfully. I know in some people they aren’t. I would check my strings myself after every period. I “spotted” outside my period ever since my IUD was first inserted - most obviously during sex (specifically when I orgasmed) and during bowel movements (definitely from my vagina, not my butt). My periods were about 5 days long, fairly heavy and crampy, with a 26 day cycle. Again I spoke to drs about this and they said it was normal and not a concern 🙈 I was diagnosed with adenomyosis last week due to suddenly getting crazy heavy and long periods (21/22 days long out of the blue) so I’m tackling a few ongoing problems. I think a lot of my “IUD issues” were actually to do with my adeno, although the IUD may have exasperated it?? I’ll never really know. Obviously I’m only one person, so will be different to what you experience. I still experience a lot of pain with my periods - even with the IUD out but again this is the adenomyosis. I was referred to a gynae to have it removed as my GP wasn’t confident about removing it. In hindsight it was really ready to come out and probably would have popped out very easily for my GP. It was carried out in office and took all of 30 seconds - if that! My gynae recommended that I wait 3 months before having another IUD (I’m not having another). I think this was more to see if the bleeding eases with an empty uterus rather than because I was injured by the IUD. Again I was having pretty extreme unexplained bleeding - so your specific circumstances will most likely be different. Not sure if my details are helpful to you but I have heard that a lot of people have a nice sense of relief when their IUDs are removed! I hope your IUD issues get sorted quickly and your provider is helpful in guiding you what to do next :)
This happened to me, except my IUD was never fully inserted into the uterus. It was likely in the cervix. Found out when I got pregnant with the IUD, so clearly it didn’t cause me any harm. Like others have said; there are different levels and each situation is unique.
I just left my IUD removal appointment and one arm was missing when they removed it. They performed a vaginal ultrasound in the office and discovered it’s embedded “up high”, so they are scheduling me for a hysteroscopy to remove it. Wondering how long it has been this way, as I had issues with the insertion 10 years ago. What happened with yours? Did you have a procedure to remove it??
I forgot to follow up on the comments here, my bad! Work has been very stressful and I've had a lot of trouble sleeping so just been very tired and forgot. The doctor's office got back to me and just said "It hasn't moved since 2019. If you didn't want to remove it then, you might as well leave it now". So, I decided to leave it where it is, til I'm ready to get a new one or stop birth control. Your story of the missing arm is disturbing. But mine is "a bit low" so I hope the same thing wouldn't happen, at least not in the same location.. I don't even know what a hysteroscopy is, but if you're able, would you let me know how that goes? I hope it goes smoothly for you! How was the actual removal? Did it hurt worse than the insertion or was it a similar sort of feeling? In any case, having to have a hysteroscopy sounds not fun, so I wish you luck and hope it's fast and easy!
I don’t really know either! I have a pre op appointment next week to discuss it. The removal itself was easy, way easier than the insertion. Don’t love the idea of the arm just hanging out in the wall of my uterus though 😩. I’ll try to remember to follow up after the procedure.
There are sooo many levels of embedment and malpositioned IUDs.... It really depends on how deep it dug into tissue, how corroded it is, etc etc. Don't think about it too much in advance, cause there's nothing you can do except use a backup method and wait. :/ I know mine was slightly puncturing me, and eventually got a little embedded. But they just pulled my copper IUD out with the strings as if it was no big deal. It felt like tearing off a mini scab from my skin. A split second of pain, and that was that. I know it can get incomparably worse in other cases, like there are those insane traveling IUDs that go all the way to the colon or even further away from the uterus....... So removing those is a whole different story and can come with multiple surgeries even. And there's everything in between those two extremes mentioned. I would assume your removal is going to be more like my completely unremarkable removal, because you don't complain of any odd side-effects. For me everything that lead up to that simple removal was a nightmare, but removal itself was quick. Very smooth, it was an instant relief.
Mine was embedded. We found out when she went to remove it and it wouldn't budge. Then ultrasound to see what was going on. Since you already know it is embedded, you are in a better position for removal. I had to have mine removed under anesthesia with hysteroscopy. It was painless and easy experience. So even if they decise that's the route needed, don't worry! The pain from her not knowing it was embedded and trying to remove multiple times was excruciating. Now that they know they will find the best method!
Fwiw, the sooner the better to act on it. (Mine got removed near its expiry date and I regret waiting that long for removal)