Kyleena Turned me into an Angry Shrek

I used Kyleena for about 9 months, and a non hormonal IUD for about 7 years. I opted for my first IUD after I had my second child, and it was implanted two months after his birth. The procedure was uncomfortable, but not painful. Remember however, that eight weeks prior I had just passed a human, so my perception may have been a bit skewed. Big ole human.... Big ole Texan human.... Oh the flashbacks...

My cycle was harsh, but regular. Cramps were pretty out of control, and there were times I would need to take sick days from work to deal with the pain. That may be a personal issue, but it's worth mentioning. After a few months I was able to completely ignore the IUD's presence, as I became a baby blocking cyborg.

My only complaint was that my non hormonal IUD did nothing to the length or severity of my cycle. A midwife at my gynecologist's office gave me a few options, and I'd heard that Kyleena has been shown to shut that whole period thing down, so I took a leap of faith. I explained my past mental health issues, including depression and anxiety, and my history of heavy periods. We confirmed that Kyleena would be best for me.

Now, I'm a big fan of the IUD for out of sight, out of mind birth control, and I would still recommend a non hormonal IUD. The only reason I felt confident enough to try Kyleena was because I was so coddled by the previous IUD, that I thought the addition of hormones could only make the experience better.

No ma'am.

The implantation process was similar, but I began my period for the second time that month a few days afterwards. It did not entirely stop for five months. Yes, I was on my period, for five straight months. Some days were light, some days were heavy, but it was always there. I started feeling a constant bloat, and the "sometimes" cravings I would have once a month persisted. My mood tanked.

I don't know that I've ever truly been angry enough to fist fight another human being until I began using Kyleena.

And I did.

Within the first month I gained around twenty pounds.

I became very sensitive to repetition. Repetitive song lyrics, having to explain myself more than once, solving the same problem multiple times- all of these things became fingernails on a chalkboard. I could only exist within conflict for a short amount of time before becoming explosive. My nerves were shot; my anxiety worsened to the point where I would break down into inappropriate and unprompted tears.

My face broke out in pimples with some regularity, which was not something I ordinarily dealt with. I grew a few tiny hairs on my chin, which was also new.

I was exponentially more combative. A complete stranger honked at me in traffic, after almost hitting my car, and I just couldn't figure out what lead her to do that. So of course, when the opportunity presented itself, I thought it a good idea to ask her directly the motivations behind her decision to do so. I sit here, IUD free, marveling at that decision.

I ended up making an emergency appointment at Planned Parenthood during a pandemic to get the thing removed. Within about three weeks of doing so, I've lost about ten pounds. I feel more calm and grounded, and I've lost the second trimester bloat feeling I'd maintained for months prior. I haven't gone through a cycle yet, fingers crossed, but I'm pretty glad to be out of the swamp either way.