Endo and Contraceptives
I am 25 and was diagnosed with Endo back in 2020, I had an IUD put in a year prior to try and manage that pain before figuring out diagnosis because birth control pills were not working (tried 3 years worth). During this time I have done an excision surgery, been on Orilissa, and also done ultrasound guided injections into the muscular areas affected with endo to try and control my pain pain / flares. Last month I ended up in the hospital with a hemorrhagic ovarian cyst that ruptured causing me to bleed out internally - since then my pain and flares have been more out of control than they have been in a while. My doctor wants to replace my IUD to see if that helps the problem but i'm wondering what everyones experience is with different contraceptives vs no contraceptives to help weigh my options. I have done a ton of research and I am in the medical field myself but I wanted to talk to people to have gone through this if possible. NOT looking for ANY TYPE of medical advice just wondering if people have liked being on contraceptives vs not with having endo since I have been from an early age on.
I see you are new here,
. Welcome to the community! I don't have experience with IUDs, but here is an article about the Mirena IUD and endo from one of our health writers: https://endometriosis.net/clinical/iud. Here is another article about progesterone resistance, which can be a problem for some people who use birth control to ease endo pain: https://endometriosis.net/clinical/progesterone-resistance. If you do think the IUD might be part of the problem, do you want to replace it or just remove it to see whether it helps? Sometimes, trial and error is the most effective way to figure these things out, especially since everyone responds differently to endometriosis treatment. Are you happy with your doctor's approach to your treatment? If not, have you considered a second opinion? Sometimes, a fresh perspective can be valuable even if you ultimately decide to remain with the same doctor. I hope you get responses from the community and some relief. Gentle hugs. - Lori (Team Member)
