Bleeding... again

[Jellyfish777]

Hello again. About a month ago I posted about random bleeding starting up after no bleeding 2 years into having the mirena IUD. Today Im starting my period again?!?! And it's heavier this time too. It's still not "heavy", but it's more than just a drop or two of blood on toilet paper after I use the bathroom. I went to my gyno and she said everything looks in place and it still feels fine. However, my one thing is I did get my strings trimmed about 10 months ago by a different provider. Would that make my IUD look like was in place, even if it was actually too low? I would think she would know though if it looked reeeallly out of place... but why am I bleeding again??? Can periods start back up after so long without one?

[Sam W]

Hi Jellyfish,

We can't say for certain why the bleeding has started up again, although we can say that irregular periods are a potential side effect of the IUD. So, it's possible to go without one for awhile, then have one occur seemingly out of the blue.

Checking the strings of an IUD is mainly done to make sure the device hasn't fallen out or expelled itself. Since your healthcare provider checked and found them, it's safe to assume that the device is still in place and still working. During that visit with your OB-GYN, did you two discuss your worries about the bleeding in any detail?

[Jellyfish777]

I told my provider that I qanted to make sure things looked ok and seemed in place because just randomly bleeding freaked me out quite a bit. Im wondering if I should maybe call them because I am bleeding more, but I'm in a totally different city because im back in school for the semester. Is there a way the hormones could wear down over time and maybe cause uterine buildup? Or that it broke without them being able to see?

[Jacob]

Hi Jellyfish!

So irregular bleeding, exactly how you're describing is probably the top side effect of IUDs. So it's exactly what many doctors would expect to happen.

The effectiveness of the hormones in suppressing that bleeding is actually likely to get better over time, not 'wear out'. It can take a while but it often improves.

The IUD even reduces the pregnancy risk without the hormonal element. Just by being there, the uterus 'reacts' and cervical mucus becomes anti-sperm. The hormones are really helpful too of course, but their effect on bleeding, or the existence of bleeding, is a little seperate from how they prevent pregnancy, and doesn't really tell you any useful information about how well it's working as birth control. It works in a number of ways which is probably why it's such a successful form of contraception.