Discharge with Paragard IUD

I'm 23 years old, no kids and have never been pregnant. I'm in a committed relationship of 5 years. I got my paragard inserted a little over 2 years ago. I remember being quite scared of getting it inserted but it wasn't nearly as big of a deal as i had worked it up to be.
There was definitely some sharp pains but they didn't last more than a second and the procedure was very quick. Before my IUD my periods were extremely light, lasting only three days and no cramps. Since getting the IUD my periods last between 6-9 days and 4 of those days are very heavy bleeding. 2 of the days are almost always include very bad cramping. ibuprofen doesn't seem to help much so i only take it if i'm at work and am unable to lay down with a hot water bottle (which works like a dream).
I have also experience foul odours and heavy discharge during ovulation. It's not every month so I consider it manageable for how much i love the ease of my IUD. I am stress free without worrying about taking the pill everyday and my mental health didn't mesh with the effects of hormones so i'm not willing to go back to that method.
I am lactose intolerant but I do indulge in dairy filled treats from time to time. I find this makes my cramps much worse. When i cut out dairy completely my cramps are barely there, my flow is noticeably lighter, and my skin remains clear for my whole cycle. If any of you are struggling with dairy and menstrual cramps/hormonal acne i highly recommend making the effort to go dairy-free for a month or two and noting how your cycle changes. It's really a beautiful thing.
All in all I love my IUD and am so thankful for this method of birth control.

This is an old post, but I came across it after having ParaGard inserted yesterday and reading about other women's experience. Please excuse any grammatical errors or bad form, I am writing quickly. I want to share a tip that might help with the foul smelling discharge if it is a fishy smell. Different thing can throw of your vaginal pH and cause bad bacteria (usually Gardnerella) to outgrow the good ones (Lactobacillus). Using harsh soaps, douching, and many fragranced products marketed for "feminine hygiene" can. pH increases after menstruation (blood has a pH of roughly 7, which is much higher than the acidic vaginal pH) as well as sperm (also more alkaline). This increase in pH allows bad bacteria to overgrow. So- take a daily oral probiotic, preferably one with at least 50 billion CFUs in it. You can also find probiotic suppositories that you can insert directly into the vagina to replenish healthy colonies of Lactobacillus. Lactobacilli naturally produce hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which actually helps keep the bad anaerobic bacteria at bay. Using a tampon soaked in H peroxide or doing a light douche with it can help significantly. I know I said douching is bad previously, and anything except this to treat is. Your vagina is like a self-cleaning oven: it does not need harsh chemicals to "clean" it. In fact, doing so can make any foul smelling discharge worse an irritate the vagina. Push the tampon half way out of the applicator and soak in H202 and insert like normal. Plastic applicators are needed for this, as cardboard will get stuck with the soaking. Leave in for ~3 hours and remove. Repeat in 5-8 hours an then keep in for about 5 hours, or overnight. Keep doing until you notice a change, and if you don't, move on to the H202 douche. It will NOT burn! The only reason it might burn would be if you recently had intercourse that created micro tears if you were not lubricated enough, etc. I hope this helps someone and well wishes to all. Obviously, it you are still having problems, make an appointment with your healthcare provider! I am training to be one and had BV myself, and cured it with this. I was prescribed Flagyl and had a horrible reaction to it. Decided to use my microbiology knowledge and quickly realized there is a simple and cheap fix.

I am so glad that I am not the only one experiencing these complications. It makes me feel super gross because I know I'm clean everywhere else! I'm seriously considering taking mine out, but blood clotting is genetic in my family so I'm afraid normal birth control will lead to complications. I'm just so tired of having to wear a panty liner every single day. I have experienced a greatly declined sex drive and constant discharge. My periods are so irregular, one month I had two heavy periods, now I'm going on my third month without one at all. I loved how convenient my IUD was, but now I'm not too sure its worth the grossness.

Thank goodness it's not just me having issues with this birth control! I got this inserted in late March and have noticed a few side effects that I definitely was not expecting. My sex drive is way down, we've been having to use lube for me to stay wet, and my period has been way worse. Not the period itself but things like cramping, nausea, and just pure exhaustion. I had zero issues with my period up until this point. I never even had cramps! The worst issue I've been having, though, is this nasty dark brown discharge just BEFORE my period. It doesn't stink (believe me I've been super paranoid about that) but it's disgusting and concerning. Plus, these symptoms are only getting worse not better over time! I'm debating getting this removed already and wished I had seen all this before I got it. It's just so hard finding a birth control that doesn't make me psycho, you know?

Hi! I also have the paragard and am suffering from recurring BV but I believe I have found a solution. Even before the paragard I suffered from BV frequently(4 times in 3 months) and the paragard definitely didn't help. But I went to searching online because I was sick of taking antibiotics, being in the clear, and then a few weeks later having the same symptoms. Well it turns out that many women never are fully cured from BV because the antibiotics don't work to bring back balance in the vagina, they just work to kill th3e bad bacteria. So the last time I started getting BV symptoms, I purchased Walgreens brand probiotics instead of the rephresh ones because the WG brand contained more live cultures and take one by mouth in the morning and insert one vaginally at night...my symptoms went away within a day!! It's only been a week so I'm not sure if this is it but it definitely helped me!

Hi! I had the same issue with Bacterial Vaginosis and odor after getting my IUD inserted. After a round of antibiotics it always came back. I started taking a natural supplement called Berberine which selectively kills bad bacteria while leaving good bacteria alone. Completely eliminates odor after a week and keeps it away if you take it continuously. 1,200 mg/day saved me so much money on doctors visits and works better than antibiotics. Definitely try. It’s a life saver!

I've had the iud in for about 6 months and I am starting to develop a dark discharge before, during, and after sex. Should I be concerned because I'm freaking out?

Hi, I'm having issues with the odor and fluid, and I still have the IUD. Did this problem stop after you got the IUD taken out?

Antibiotics is not the right treatment for that. Try metronidazole next time.