Gynecologists recommend a minimum of three months to assess that the IUD does not suit you as you thought. Therefore, if you have been using the IUD for some time and have not yet gotten used to its side effects, want to get pregnant or have had a complication, removing it may be the best option for you. It is a relatively simple process that is carried out in consultation, however, you must prepare your body for that moment, to get used to being without it again and take the necessary measures so that the extraction is carried out without problems, as well as preparing an alternative in case you do not want a pregnancy. The IUD is a small device that is placed inside the uterus and prevents fertilization by mechanical means, in the case of the copper IUD, or by hormonal action, in the case of the hormonal IUD. In both situations, both the insertion and removal of the IUD occurs in the same way, that is, you must go to the gynecologist so that he is the one in charge of inserting or removing it. What happens when you remove the IUD? The medical professional will insert it and place it in the uterus, leaving some threads hanging outside that will later allow its extraction.

Problems and pain when removing the IUD: side effects

  • As we have mentioned, to remove the IUD you must go to the gynecologist to find out what is the most appropriate time to remove it, which will probably be during menstruation, since during the period the cervical opening of the uterus tends to be much more dilated and that makes the IUD easier to remove with less discomfort. Your doctor may apply an anesthetic if you're very nervous, your muscles are tight, and the pain is severe. Of course, never think that you are going to have intense pain, because in this situation, your gynecologist will prepare and look for other alternatives.
  • IUD removal is quick and easy, and every gynecologist and patient who has gone through the process knows this. According to an interview with gynecologist, "the removal hurts much less than when it is put on." Removing it is not particularly painful, it must be taken into account that when putting it on, an applicator is inserted, a kind of "tube" that must be inserted through the cervix, which is less than a millimeter. "When it is removed, the arms of the IUD fold and it is much thinner, therefore it is less painful," as she explains to us in that interview.
  • The gynecologist will very carefully pull the threads that are sticking out of the device, but there is a small chance that the removal will be complicated. In this case, the doctor can use special instruments to remove it. Very rarely, surgery, called a hysteroscopy, will be needed.
  • Once the IUD is removed, you can resume your normal life without problems or side effects. It is possible that during the first hours you notice small colic or discomfort. To reduce them, you can resort to an anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen. With the passage of time these small pains should disappear, if they do not you should consult your gynecologist as soon as possible. Also, once the IUD is removed, it is very common to experience some bleeding. You don't have to worry unless this bleeding is excessively abundant. In this case you should also go to the doctor since it could be that your uterus has a small wound that must be visualized and controlled.
  • It is also possible that after the removal of the hormonal IUD, your period becomes a little more irregular and menstrual bleeding is more or less intense (depending on the type of IUD you have chosen, it is less intense in the case of removal of the hormonal IUD). Copper IUD and more intense in the case of the hormonal IUD), although the rule should return to normal in a short period of time. All of this will depend on various factors, such as the years you have had the IUD or how old you are, as it may be that you are in a different stage of your life in which your body changes and you have a different type of menstruation than the one you had prior to placement.
  • If you have removed the IUD because you are trying to get pregnant, you should know that in the first six weeks the menstrual cycle should become regular again, so you can start trying to get pregnant from its removal. If, on the contrary, the withdrawal of the IUD is caused by a contraindication or infection, remember to carry out periodic check-ups to make sure that the problem has been solved before taking the step of pregnancy.

Remove the IUD: when should you do it? 

There are several reasons to remove the IUD. Here we will explain some of them:

Own decision

There is no reason to remove the IUD, you just want to do it, period. In this case you should go to the gynecologist and he will remove it without giving any further explanation.

Menopause

  • You used the IUD as a contraceptive method, but now that you have stopped producing eggs and menstruating, there is no longer any chance of pregnancy and therefore there is no point in having one. It is generally advisable to remove the IUD one year after the last menstrual period to ensure that you have indeed entered the climacteric.
  • It is important to remember that the hormonal IUD usually makes the period disappear. In these cases it usually retires around 50-52 years, which is the estimated age of the supposed entry into menopause. Although it is true that, on occasions, it lasts until 55, which is the maximum age.
  • In this sense, the gynecologist tell us in the aforementioned interview that if the IUD is inserted at "40 years or more" it is recommended to leave it until menopause: "it does not matter the number of years that pass, nothing happens for leave it in there. When we actually have the diagnosis of menopause, it will be withdrawn."
  • You used the IUD as a contraceptive method, but now that you have stopped producing eggs and menstruating, there is no longer any chance of pregnancy and therefore there is no point in having one. It is generally advisable to remove the IUD one year after the last menstrual period to ensure that you have indeed entered the climacteric.
  • It is also important to note that IUDs are changed every 3 or 5 years, always depending on the type of IUD. In the case of approaching menopause, its maintenance in the uterus can be prolonged for a little longer.

You want to get pregnant

One of the most frequent reasons why women decide to remove their IUD is because they want to conceive a baby. In this case, you should let two periods pass after removing the device so that the chances of pregnancy are higher.

You got pregnant

The IUD failure rate is among the lowest of all birth control methods, but it can happen, especially with a copper IUD. If you get pregnant with the IUD in place, two things can happen:
  1. The gynecologist will perform a vaginal examination after which he will check if the IUD strings continue to protrude from the cervix, just as they were left when it was inserted. If so, he will remove the IUD and later perform an ultrasound to check the status of your pregnancy.
  2. If the strings are not visible, the doctor will not be able to remove the IUD and you must wear it throughout your pregnancy. It will be expelled after delivery with the placenta. Wearing it during pregnancy does not cause malformations, although it is true that there is a greater risk of premature rupture of the amniotic sac or premature birth.

The IUD is expired

The effectiveness of the IUD as a contraceptive method is not infinite. If you wear one, you should change it from time to time. Your doctor will tell you what the expiration date of yours is depending on the brand of IUD in question or the type of it, although in general they usually take between 3 and 5 years approximately.

Discomfort with the threads

In some cases, the IUD can cause discomfort during sexual intercourse. It is not something very common, but the man can notice the strings of the IUD during intercourse. In this case you can decide if he withdraws it or not. They will previously cut the threads to see if this solves the problem.

Uterine perforation

The chances of uterine perforation with the IUD are very low, but they do exist. Two things can happen: the first is that a perforation occurs at the same time the device is inserted, in which case the gynecologist will remove it immediately, and the second is that after having been inserted, the IUD moves from its place and also loses with it its effectiveness. The latter is detected if the threads do not appear in the cervix. In this case the doctor will remove the IUD and replace it with a new one. In both cases, a laparoscopy may be necessary to locate the IUD at the abdominal level and remove it.

Appearance of troublesome complications or symptoms

Wearing an IUD sometimes brings complications. You may experience symptoms such as the onset of fever, menstrual disturbances (in quantity or frequency), abundant flow, abdominal pain... If the symptoms appear, you should assess with your gynecologist the removal and replacement of the IUD with another contraceptive method.