|  | Family Health | Womens Health

ParaGard Pain Facts

The ParaGard is an intrauterine device (IUD) made of plastic and copper, inserted by a doctor or nurse practitioner to prevent pregnancy. The most common side effects are heavy periods and spotting between periods, but many other negative effects are possible. Side effects involving pain lead some women to stop using the device, and serious complications also can occur.

  1. Features

    • The ParaGard is about an inch long, T-shaped and made of soft flexible plastic with fine copper wire wrapped around the device. A thin string is attached through the bottom, allowing the woman to check for the string each month and make sure the IUD has not fallen out. The ParaGard can stay in the uterus for 10 years before it must be replaced.

    Function

    • ParaGard appears to work by killing sperm to prevent fertilization, and when fertilization does occur, by preventing the fertilized egg from implanting in the uterine lining. The effectiveness rate for this IUD is between 99.2 percent and 99.4 percent, according to the Mayo Clinic, so six to eight women out of 1,000 who use it for one year will get pregnant.

    Insertion Side Effects

    • When ParaGard is first inserted, the woman may experience cramping or other pain. Pain typically ranges from mild and dull to a moderate stinging. Some discussions on Internet forums describe the pain as much more severe, although short in duration. Some women also feel lightheaded or dizzy immediately after the IUD insertion, and fainting may result. Additionally, some women develop a pelvic infection within the first few weeks, as the insertion process may move bacteria into the uterus. The physician may prescribe antibiotics before insertion to reduce the risk of such infections.

    Common Side Effects

    • Women with a ParaGard IUD usually experience heavier periods and more menstrual cramping. In the two largest clinical studies with ParaGard, as noted by Drugs.com, discontinuation because of pain and bleeding combined are highest in the first year of use and decrease in later years. Nearly 12 percent of participants in these studies stopped using ParaGard due to bleeding or pain. Low back pain is also commonly reported by ParaGard users, and some women experience painful intercourse.

    Serious Side Effects

    • Several serious and painful health risks are linked with IUD use. One risk is pelvic inflammatory disease, an infection of the uterus that may spread to the fallopian tubes and ovaries. An IUD may lead to development of cysts on ovaries or tubes, or an ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy outside the uterus). An ectopic pregnancy most commonly occurs in a fallopian tube, and it may cause rupture and hemorrhaging. An ectopic pregnancy can be life-threatening for the woman.

    Pregnancy Dangers

    • Additionally, a woman who becomes pregnant while using ParaGard has up to a 50 percent possibility of miscarriage, as noted by Epigee Women's Health. A spontaneous abortion while wearing an IUD can result in serious infection, with symptoms of abdominal or pelvic pain or cramping, a foul-smelling discharge, bleeding and fever. This type of miscarriage can be life-threatening.

Womens Health - Related Articles