I started this blog so that I could share my experience with the Copper Intrauterine Device (IUD) and copper toxicity so that other women are more informed about the potential risks of this form of birth control. An IUD is a form of birth control that involves inserting a small t-shaped device into the woman's uterus (done by a practitioner). This device can remain in place for three to ten years and is an effective method of preventing pregnancy. Hormonal IUD's include Minera and Jaydess, which function by secreting a small amount of progesterone into the uterus to thicken the cervical mucus and thin the lining of the uterus. Copper IUDs are a non-hormonal birth control option that prevent pregnancy by secreting a small amount of copper into the uterus, which acts as a spermicide.
Before getting the Copper IUD this past September, I was your regular healthy, happy and functional 23 year old woman. I had recently graduated from McGill University and was living downtown Toronto in an apartment with two of my best friends. I was working at a restaurant five or six days a week to save money for graduate school which I planned on attending sometime in the near future. Previously I have been on the birth control pill (Tricyclen) but I never really liked the idea of putting hormones into my body, which led me to ask my doctor about other non-hormonal options, such as the IUD. After consulting with my doctor, I decided to go with the five year Copper IUD because it is one of the few non-hormonal methods of birth control. Specifically, I was given the Mona Lisa IUD which is distributed by Pace Pharmaceuticals.
I was told by the gynecologist who inserted the IUD that it was possible I would experience some heavier and slightly longer periods, as well as some initial discomfort from the insertion process. Other than that, I was not warned of any other potential side effects, nor were they listed in the patient pamphlet. I had the IUD inserted on September 16, 2014; other than some cramping (it felt like the cramps on the first day of my period) everything seemed fine. I went to work that afternoon with the help of a couple of Advil's.
On the night of September 27, 2014, I woke up about an hour after falling asleep feeling very strange. I could feel a strong tingling sensation in the back of my head, neck and down my spine. My brain felt very foggy and confused. It's very hard to explain the sensation, but it could be described as derealisation - I felt like nothing around me was real, as if I was in a dream state. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. I felt very light-headed, as if I might pass out, and my vision was blurry. My heart was beating rapidly and I was experiencing heart palpitations; my heartbeat was irregular and would 'skip' beats. I went to my roommates room and told her I was feeling strange and that I wanted to sit with her until it passed. Half an hour later, I still felt the same and was starting to feel panicked. I called my dad (who lives about 40 minutes away from my apartment) and asked him to pick me up so that we could go to the hospital. By the time he picked me up I had managed to calm myself down (although I was still feeling very strange) and I spent a sleepless night waiting to go to the hospital the next morning. I had work the next day but felt far too sick to go in, so I called in sick for the first time in eight months.
The next day I went to an urgent care centre. After waiting about four hours, I explained my symptoms and when asked whether anything had changed with regards to my health recently, I told the doctor that I had recently had a copper IUD inserted. He told me that this was definitely unrelated. After a brief physical exam I was told that I was probably suffering from a pinched nerve and/or anxiety and panic attacks. Although I still felt pretty out of it, I went home hoping that this was just a fluke incident.
A few nights later on September 30, 2014, I woke up at about 2am with the same strange sensations. I had been told that this could be panic attack, so I decided to do some deep breathing, stretching and to go for a long walk to see if it would go away. Nothing worked; the sensation just got worse. Again, I stayed up until 8am and went back to urgent care, feeling sure this time that something was seriously wrong.
When I saw the doctor (a different doctor this time) I was met with the same possible explanations: pinched nerve, anxiety, panic attacks. This time, however, I insisted on further investigation. The doctor ordered a CT Scan which I had that day; the results came back totally normal and I was again sent home.
This went on for nearly two weeks - two very scary and confusing weeks for me. By this time, the sensation of 'brain fog' was with me all the time - what I mean by this is that my thoughts were very jumpy, I felt like I was slipping away from reality and I was extremely forgetful. I did not feel like myself at all. At work, I was constantly making mistakes. I was experiencing constant chest pain, acid reflux and pain in my joints and muscles, which made working on my feet extremely difficult. The muscles in my neck got so tight that there was faint bruising. On a good night I was able to get a couple of hours of sleep at best. I still didn't know what was causing all my strange symptoms and I constantly felt scared and sure that something terrible was wrong with me.
During this time I had lots of tests done, including an xray of my spine, xray of my windpipe, ultrasound of my thyroid, blood tests, liver function tests... the only thing we could find wrong was that my liver enzymes were very high (meaning my liver was stressed and not functioning properly) and that my iron levels were very low. (Interestingly, standard blood tests do not test for copper levels in the blood).
At this point, I quit my serving job and moved back home with my parents so that I could focus on my health. What made this time period even more difficult was being told by my doctors and discussing with my family the possibility that this could be the onset of anxiety and panic attacks. For me, that explanation did not seem right, but it was the only one I was being offered at the time. I remember trying to come to terms with the idea that I might have to live the rest of my life like this and to me, that seemed impossible. I felt broken, confused and as if I would never feel like myself again.
It was around this time that my parents suggested the possibility that this could somehow be related to the copper IUD. We started to do more research and it didn't take me long to find many other women reporting feelings of brain fog, tingling, insomnia, chest pain, heart palpitations... I found story after story that sounded just like mine. I cannot even explain the relief I felt.
It was Thanksgiving weekend and my doctor and gynecologist were both away. The next morning I phoned my gynecologists office and asked the receptionist to find me SOMEONE who could take the IUD out - I managed to get in to see a doctor who was on call at St. Michael's hospital. This was on October 10, 2014 - I had the IUD in for less than a month.
About two days after taking the IUD out, I could feel my head start to clear for the first time. It would come and go in waves, but it was the first time I could feel any improvement to my condition. After about a week, the tingling sensation started to go away. In the weeks that followed, I felt better and worse in waves that lasted a couple of days each.
It has been 3 months since the IUD was taken out and I am feeling a lot better. The process has not been easy or consistent, though, and it is still far from over. I have been working with a naturopath out of British Columbia who specializes in what is referred to as "copper toxicity;" when too much copper is accumulated by the body and cannot be sufficiently detoxed by the liver. At this point, the body begins to deposit copper in tissues such as your heart, brain and muscles in order to keep it out of your bloodstream. The overload of copper can cause your liver function to suffer and can mess with the ratio of other minerals in your body, such as iron. I should include here that this is not supported by any medical research or studies but rather has been documented by nutritionists and a number of doctors, mostly through anecdotal evidence and their own research. Copper toxicity can occur from a number of sources, including from tap water, birth control pills, certain foods, coffee, alcohol and of course, copper IUDs. In most cases, copper toxicity is not as acute as it was with me; it is possible to have mild copper toxicity that could be causing insomnia, anxiety, muscles problems etc... If you're interested in reading more, I've included links to some of the research and information about copper and its role in the body in my "links" section.
Getting myself better has involved an intense detoxification process that has included juicing, giving up coffee and alcohol, eating mostly organic foods that are easy to digest and drinking only spring or distilled water. Because my liver is so over-worked, if I have even a little bit of alcohol or a very large meal I will start to feel symptoms again. I still have days where I feel pretty tired and experience chest pains, heart palpitations and muscle problems, but overall this is getting better. I feel much more like my old self these days and am hoping that things will just keep getting better.
Of course, this was my own experience and I am not saying that is will necessarily be yours. But if you are in any way considering an IUD, really consider whether it is worth the possibility of having an experience like mine. Although it is not supported in the scientific literature, there are many others like me whose own lived experience tell otherwise. Despite the fact that it is not supported by the scientific and medical community, I absolutely believe that the Copper IUD was responsible for the long list of side effects that I experienced. (I will add that I have spoken to a lawyer about my situation, but was told that without concrete proof or permanent damage, a medical malpractice lawsuit would not be worth my while.)
If you are going through something similar to my experience, feel free to go through this blog and follow some of the detox recommendations that I have listed in the "DETOX" section. I have also provided an email address where you can reach me in order to ask any questions, tell me about your own story or provide me with any more useful tips. I am also happy to provide you with support as you go through this process, as others have done for me. I have also created a section with links that may be of interest to anyone looking for more information on the subject.
I can remember when I was frantically searching the internet for an answer what I most would have wanted to hear - that is, that it will be okay again. It might take a little while, but your body will detox and you will feel like yourself again. You are not crazy and you are not alone. I hope that through my experience other women can become more aware of the possible side effects of the Copper IUD and the dangers of copper toxicity; and may be able to make more informed choices about their bodies and their health.
Before getting the Copper IUD this past September, I was your regular healthy, happy and functional 23 year old woman. I had recently graduated from McGill University and was living downtown Toronto in an apartment with two of my best friends. I was working at a restaurant five or six days a week to save money for graduate school which I planned on attending sometime in the near future. Previously I have been on the birth control pill (Tricyclen) but I never really liked the idea of putting hormones into my body, which led me to ask my doctor about other non-hormonal options, such as the IUD. After consulting with my doctor, I decided to go with the five year Copper IUD because it is one of the few non-hormonal methods of birth control. Specifically, I was given the Mona Lisa IUD which is distributed by Pace Pharmaceuticals.
I was told by the gynecologist who inserted the IUD that it was possible I would experience some heavier and slightly longer periods, as well as some initial discomfort from the insertion process. Other than that, I was not warned of any other potential side effects, nor were they listed in the patient pamphlet. I had the IUD inserted on September 16, 2014; other than some cramping (it felt like the cramps on the first day of my period) everything seemed fine. I went to work that afternoon with the help of a couple of Advil's.
On the night of September 27, 2014, I woke up about an hour after falling asleep feeling very strange. I could feel a strong tingling sensation in the back of my head, neck and down my spine. My brain felt very foggy and confused. It's very hard to explain the sensation, but it could be described as derealisation - I felt like nothing around me was real, as if I was in a dream state. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. I felt very light-headed, as if I might pass out, and my vision was blurry. My heart was beating rapidly and I was experiencing heart palpitations; my heartbeat was irregular and would 'skip' beats. I went to my roommates room and told her I was feeling strange and that I wanted to sit with her until it passed. Half an hour later, I still felt the same and was starting to feel panicked. I called my dad (who lives about 40 minutes away from my apartment) and asked him to pick me up so that we could go to the hospital. By the time he picked me up I had managed to calm myself down (although I was still feeling very strange) and I spent a sleepless night waiting to go to the hospital the next morning. I had work the next day but felt far too sick to go in, so I called in sick for the first time in eight months.
The next day I went to an urgent care centre. After waiting about four hours, I explained my symptoms and when asked whether anything had changed with regards to my health recently, I told the doctor that I had recently had a copper IUD inserted. He told me that this was definitely unrelated. After a brief physical exam I was told that I was probably suffering from a pinched nerve and/or anxiety and panic attacks. Although I still felt pretty out of it, I went home hoping that this was just a fluke incident.
A few nights later on September 30, 2014, I woke up at about 2am with the same strange sensations. I had been told that this could be panic attack, so I decided to do some deep breathing, stretching and to go for a long walk to see if it would go away. Nothing worked; the sensation just got worse. Again, I stayed up until 8am and went back to urgent care, feeling sure this time that something was seriously wrong.
When I saw the doctor (a different doctor this time) I was met with the same possible explanations: pinched nerve, anxiety, panic attacks. This time, however, I insisted on further investigation. The doctor ordered a CT Scan which I had that day; the results came back totally normal and I was again sent home.
This went on for nearly two weeks - two very scary and confusing weeks for me. By this time, the sensation of 'brain fog' was with me all the time - what I mean by this is that my thoughts were very jumpy, I felt like I was slipping away from reality and I was extremely forgetful. I did not feel like myself at all. At work, I was constantly making mistakes. I was experiencing constant chest pain, acid reflux and pain in my joints and muscles, which made working on my feet extremely difficult. The muscles in my neck got so tight that there was faint bruising. On a good night I was able to get a couple of hours of sleep at best. I still didn't know what was causing all my strange symptoms and I constantly felt scared and sure that something terrible was wrong with me.
During this time I had lots of tests done, including an xray of my spine, xray of my windpipe, ultrasound of my thyroid, blood tests, liver function tests... the only thing we could find wrong was that my liver enzymes were very high (meaning my liver was stressed and not functioning properly) and that my iron levels were very low. (Interestingly, standard blood tests do not test for copper levels in the blood).
At this point, I quit my serving job and moved back home with my parents so that I could focus on my health. What made this time period even more difficult was being told by my doctors and discussing with my family the possibility that this could be the onset of anxiety and panic attacks. For me, that explanation did not seem right, but it was the only one I was being offered at the time. I remember trying to come to terms with the idea that I might have to live the rest of my life like this and to me, that seemed impossible. I felt broken, confused and as if I would never feel like myself again.
It was around this time that my parents suggested the possibility that this could somehow be related to the copper IUD. We started to do more research and it didn't take me long to find many other women reporting feelings of brain fog, tingling, insomnia, chest pain, heart palpitations... I found story after story that sounded just like mine. I cannot even explain the relief I felt.
It was Thanksgiving weekend and my doctor and gynecologist were both away. The next morning I phoned my gynecologists office and asked the receptionist to find me SOMEONE who could take the IUD out - I managed to get in to see a doctor who was on call at St. Michael's hospital. This was on October 10, 2014 - I had the IUD in for less than a month.
About two days after taking the IUD out, I could feel my head start to clear for the first time. It would come and go in waves, but it was the first time I could feel any improvement to my condition. After about a week, the tingling sensation started to go away. In the weeks that followed, I felt better and worse in waves that lasted a couple of days each.
It has been 3 months since the IUD was taken out and I am feeling a lot better. The process has not been easy or consistent, though, and it is still far from over. I have been working with a naturopath out of British Columbia who specializes in what is referred to as "copper toxicity;" when too much copper is accumulated by the body and cannot be sufficiently detoxed by the liver. At this point, the body begins to deposit copper in tissues such as your heart, brain and muscles in order to keep it out of your bloodstream. The overload of copper can cause your liver function to suffer and can mess with the ratio of other minerals in your body, such as iron. I should include here that this is not supported by any medical research or studies but rather has been documented by nutritionists and a number of doctors, mostly through anecdotal evidence and their own research. Copper toxicity can occur from a number of sources, including from tap water, birth control pills, certain foods, coffee, alcohol and of course, copper IUDs. In most cases, copper toxicity is not as acute as it was with me; it is possible to have mild copper toxicity that could be causing insomnia, anxiety, muscles problems etc... If you're interested in reading more, I've included links to some of the research and information about copper and its role in the body in my "links" section.
Getting myself better has involved an intense detoxification process that has included juicing, giving up coffee and alcohol, eating mostly organic foods that are easy to digest and drinking only spring or distilled water. Because my liver is so over-worked, if I have even a little bit of alcohol or a very large meal I will start to feel symptoms again. I still have days where I feel pretty tired and experience chest pains, heart palpitations and muscle problems, but overall this is getting better. I feel much more like my old self these days and am hoping that things will just keep getting better.
Of course, this was my own experience and I am not saying that is will necessarily be yours. But if you are in any way considering an IUD, really consider whether it is worth the possibility of having an experience like mine. Although it is not supported in the scientific literature, there are many others like me whose own lived experience tell otherwise. Despite the fact that it is not supported by the scientific and medical community, I absolutely believe that the Copper IUD was responsible for the long list of side effects that I experienced. (I will add that I have spoken to a lawyer about my situation, but was told that without concrete proof or permanent damage, a medical malpractice lawsuit would not be worth my while.)
If you are going through something similar to my experience, feel free to go through this blog and follow some of the detox recommendations that I have listed in the "DETOX" section. I have also provided an email address where you can reach me in order to ask any questions, tell me about your own story or provide me with any more useful tips. I am also happy to provide you with support as you go through this process, as others have done for me. I have also created a section with links that may be of interest to anyone looking for more information on the subject.
I can remember when I was frantically searching the internet for an answer what I most would have wanted to hear - that is, that it will be okay again. It might take a little while, but your body will detox and you will feel like yourself again. You are not crazy and you are not alone. I hope that through my experience other women can become more aware of the possible side effects of the Copper IUD and the dangers of copper toxicity; and may be able to make more informed choices about their bodies and their health.