Good to Know: Copper IUD Follow Up with Q + A

The post of my experience with the Paragard copper IUD in 2018 is by far the most popular post on my site. Since it was published, over 20,000 women from all over the world have visited the page.

I got a lot of messages thanking me for sharing my experience because STILL - there’s not a lot of information out there about copper IUDs and their side effects or long term effects. I can’t believe how many women told me that my story mirrored their exact experience. I got one hateful comment that condemned me for sharing my experience because “anecdotes aren’t evidence” and people guessing about their health is dangerous.

Here’s the thing - we often don’t get to the point of evidence without people sharing their stories. Once we start to recognize patterns and shared experiences, that can mobilize research. 

I think science is cool and I use a lot of evidence-based nutrition recommendations in my practice. There’s no doubt that it’s useful, necessary, and important. BUT - I also think that choosing science over our body’s innate intelligence every time is dangerous. Our bodies are so wise, with hundreds of thousands of years of evolution and intelligence embedded within each cell.

As women, we know when something is off with our bodies. To reject that hunch because we have “normal” lab results has hurt countless women, especially in the autoimmune community.

I also got a lot of questions. I wanted to take the opportunity to answer those questions in this post.

If you didn’t read the original article, here’s the short version - I chose to get the Paragard IUD in 2014. The only thing I noticed at first was heavier bleeding, more cramps, and spotting up to a week before my period (this is a pretty common and well-known side effect). In my fourth year of having it, I started getting random cramping and sharp pains from time to time. I also started to feel more tired than usual and for the first time in my life experienced brain fog. I also just felt flat - like a low-grade depression. On an energetic and spiritual level, it felt like a block and it was also affecting my orgasms and overall sexual wellness.

I got it removed in 2018 and supported myself by eating nutrient-dense foods that are known to help the body detox. My symptoms came and went for about another week, but after that I felt so much better. However, today I still experience spotting up to a week before my period starts - this has never completely gone away.

Please keep in mind that this is my story and my experience. This birth control option works well for a lot of women. You know your body best - if your intuition is telling you that something is off, I urge you to listen.

As women we bear the burden of so many unpleasant side effects from birth control and it’s our right to know how these devices and medications affect our bodies now and in the long term.

Words from women who read my story:

“I would say the last few years of my life have been extremely difficult many side effects from having the copper IUD. I basically had to figure it out on my own that this must be the culprit. The removal was a breeze. I actually feel like a different person already. I am praying the migraines, hair loss, pelvic pain, heavy periods, depression and anxiety are a thing of the past.”

“I was scoffed at for proposing a copper toxicity as the cause for my health issues, but my most recent bloodwork is now almost normal. I don't think everyone is sensitive or affected by the copper, but I think awareness of the anemia and possible copper toxicity caused by having the IUD in place needs to be brought to light.”

“I had an almost identical experience with the copper iud. It was great for the first 3 years until one day I realized I couldn’t think clearly ( brain fog), fatigue and general malaise. I didn’t have the zest for life that I once had. It took me a good year to convince myself to remove it but once I did, over the next year I detoxed and felt back to normal.”

“Thank you so much to you and everyone replying to your post 😭 I felt like something was wrong with me. My anxiety has been unbearable! I cry every damn week and feel sick. I also have brain fog and it’s extremely hard to concentrate. Not to mention, I’ve had 9 UTIs this year alone thanks to the IUD. Thank you so much for bringing light to these largely unknown side effects. I was starting to think something was very wrong with ME. I knew it wasn’t me. I didn’t feel like myself (and still don’t, as I just had it removed yesterday). I'm so happy and relieved that I'm not alone! ❤️”

“I've noticed how there is hardly any information about this anywhere so I'm really grateful to hear other people's experiences.”

Q + A

Q: Hello, just wondering how your anxiety attacks are doing after this much time without Paragard?

A: My anxiety improved greatly within the first month of getting the IUD removed. Of course I think proper nutrition and nurturing lifestyle practices help with that a lot, too.

Someone left a comment saying the anxiety from IUDs may be more related to the IUD placement and its effect on the vagus nerve. This is fascinating to me and maybe not surprisingly, I found very little information about this. I’d love to know more if anyone has any information.

Q: When you talk about this do you mean that all women who have one will have copper toxicity to some degree? Or that this only happens to some people based on their personal body chemistry? I know this is a subjective question, but I want your opinion :)

A: I don’t think this will happen to all women. We all have unique body chemistry. Some of us may be physically better at processing/detoxing heavy metals than others. Individual diet and lifestyle will also play a role. It seems to me the length of time with the IUD also has an impact. If I had gotten it removed within the first three years for any reason, I wouldn’t have had this experience. Some women have had them for decades with no issues.

Q: Did you test your blood for copper toxicity?

A: I did not get any testing done. In retrospect I wish I had, but I also see the cascade of effects that might have had on me. For example, if my bloodwork were to come back normal would I have pushed the possibility of the IUD affecting me out of my mind? I’ve also seen anecdotally that women’s bloodwork has come back normal but they’ve still experienced relief of symptoms after having the IUD removed.

Q: Can you share your after IUD diet with me?

A: I made sure to incorporate parsley and cilantro daily (which help support detox systems) and seaweeds like nori and kombu (which support the thyroid). I also ate lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and bone broth for its gut-supporting collagen and minerals.

Q: Having only recently (the past couple of months) experienced these symptoms I was wondering if anyone could offer any gauge of how long they last after removal? I know that it is different for everyone but would be great to have some idea!

A: I think it depends on so much - how long the person has had the IUD, any other imbalances in the body, and how good their body is at detoxing. My symptoms resolved within weeks, but I’ve read of other women taking much longer to feel better. The best thing you can do is support your detox pathways and eat a nutrient-dense diet!

Q: What are you doing for birth control now?

A: After getting the IUD removed, I relied on condoms for birth control. I knew I wanted to try the fertility awareness method/natural family planning, but honestly didn’t want to put in the work until I was in a stable relationship. I was still very aware of my cycle and tracked it through the myFlo app .

I started using Natural Cycles in June and so far, it has worked wonderfully! This app relies on your basal body temperature to detect ovulation (it rises slightly after ovulation) so you’re given “red days” which are your fertile days when you should use protection/abstain and “green days” which are non-fertile days and you’re free to go for it. It’s 98% effective with perfect use and 93% with typical use (about the same as the Pill). Did you know you only have 6 fertile days/month? The day you ovulate and the 5 days leading up to it (since sperm can survive for up to 5 days inside the body). File under: useful things they should have taught us in sex ed.

I did find it slightly frustrating at first because the algorithm is cautious (but that’s a good thing!). I had so many red days my first month, which is normal as the algorithm learns your body. You have to get the hang of taking your temperature everyday. You want to take your temp around the same time everyday as soon as you wake up and be cautious of things that can affect your temp (poor sleep, alcohol, too little sleep, illness, etc). If you’re interested in trying out Natural Cycles (it can also be used to help you get pregnant), use my link and you’ll get 20% off a yearly subscription and a free thermometer.

Here are a few tips/things to keep in mind when using FAM/cycle tracking to prevent pregnancy:

In order to use natural family planning methods, you need to have a regular cycle, which is between 28-32 days. If you’re not ovulating around the same time every month, this leaves a lot of room for error. 

I think it’s important to understand other signs of ovulation like cervical mucus, ovulation pain, increased energy/sex drive, etc. Which leads me to my next tip...

Get the LH strips. These strips detect luteinizing hormone, which surges 24-48 hours before your body releases an egg. I didn’t order these the first month and I wish I had. I find them to be so helpful because that in addition to the rise in your basal body temperature gives you a clear picture on when you ovulate.

This is something that I do personally, because I’m really not trying to have a baby right now - I add a buffer day onto my string of red days. So that means when the app says I’m having a green day today and tomorrow is my first red day, I will still use protection today if I have sex. The same goes after I ovulate - that first green day I still consider a red day and so I use protection.

Phew - that was A LOT of information, but I hope it helps.

I hope if you’re struggling right now, this post and the comments of other women assures you that you’re not alone and you’re not crazy for thinking your symptoms might be related to your IUD.

If you were curious about natural methods of birth control, I hope you find this information helpful!

Please continue to share your stories and experiences in the comments - I can see it’s already helped so many women feel less alone and more empowered about their health.

This post illustrates my personal experience and should not be used in lieu of medical advice. Please consult your doctor on any matters related to your reproductive health and wellness.

How A Morning Ritual Keeps You Grounded in Times of Crisis

When the world is upending all around you, it’s really easy to write off your daily life and habits as insignificant. Which, in the face of a crisis - they seemingly are. 

It’s easy to say f*ck it to nearly all your healthy habits. Stress drives you to crave sugar and carbs, not vegetables. The thought of cultivating enough focus to read a book is overwhelming, and it’s much easier to zone out to the soothing familiarity of a Netflix binge. Working out is a stress-reliever for many people, but when our energy is so chaotic and frenetic, it can be hard to channel it into a meaningful activity.

I’m an advocate for everyone having a Morning Ritual all of the time, but in the face of our current global crisis, I’ve realized how this practice can be especially healing.

A Morning Ritual is a collection of practices performed at the start of the day that nourish the mind, body, and spirit. Those practices will vary from person to person, but usually involve some kind of contemplative time (meditation, journaling), movement (yoga, stretching, walking), perhaps some focus on breathing, and other soothing activities like reading or mindfully preparing breakfast.

The point of a Morning Ritual is that it sets you up to own your day. It helps dissipate anxiety, worry and fear. It promotes feelings of peace and well-being. Instead of entering the day like a wild banshee with your smart phone in one hand and an overflowing cup of coffee in the other, you are able to enter your day with a little more grace. You’ve tended to your self and your spirit before the demands of the day start rolling in.

It’s exactly these kinds of things that get thrown out when life becomes unpredictable or scary. And it’s exactly these kinds of things that bring us back to our center.

Meditation is not easy anytime, but when your energy and focus are already fractured it can feel like sitting in motionless torture. All the more reason to do it. If for even a moment during your meditation, you can tap into the tiniest place of peace deep within you, if you can just see it glimmering in the distance, it’s worth it.

This is what the world needs. We do not need everyone running around panic-stricken, with their energy chaotic and their own fear bubbling up and spilling out over everyone else in the form of being rude to a grocery store employee or snapping at loved ones.

Life as we know it has been uprooted, and it leaves us feeling ungrounded. By this I mean you might not feel steady or stable. All the things that usually make you feel strong and secure are rapidly shifting, maybe even disappearing.

This results in anxiety, restlessness, feeling spacey or disconnected. A Morning Ritual will help bring you back down. It will quell your racing mind and heart.

Moments and practices like these are not insignificant. No matter if you’re an essential worker (thank you, thank you, thank you), learning how to work from home, learning how to not work at all, homeschooling your children, or caring for others - navigating these rapidly changing times requires you to be level-headed.

Now more than ever we need to find small ways to tend to our energy. The world needs us to show up as our best selves. Investing even just a little bit of time into our physical and mental health will go a really long way, especially in trying times.

Wondering where to start? Here’s a simple Morning Ritual to help quell anxiety and chaotic energy:

• The Brain Dump - you will need a pen and paper for this. One of my favorite journaling exercises, this where you put all the thoughts swirling around in your head onto the page. There is no correct way to do this, no proper order. It doesn’t have to follow any sort of narrative. In fact, I prefer making a bullet list. Start by identifying the thoughts that are making you anxious. What or who are you worried about? What are you frustrated with? What’s making you feel scared? Run through all of these thoughts and write them down. Get them out of your brain and onto the page.
  
  

• Get Quiet - now that you’ve dispelled some of those noisy thoughts, allow yourself space to get quiet. Get into a comfortable position - it doesn’t really matter what that looks like. You can lie down, sit cross legged, sit on a chair. Close your eyes and settle into whatever position you’re in. Start focusing on your breath, notice how it comes in and goes out. This is where you want your attention - on your breath. Your mind will probably definitely wander. When this happens, notice it. Then redirect your attention to your breath. Keep doing this, always coming back to your breath, for at least five minutes but keep at it as long as you’d like. Much like a snowglobe, this simple act of sitting still in silence allows your energy to settle.
  
  

• Send it out - you’re going to send out love, healing and protection. You can list specific people you’re thinking of or you can send out these thoughts to all beings. Some might call this prayer. I just know it feels good to imagine light emanating out from me and spreading all over the planet. Our attitudes, thoughts and beliefs matter (think about the placebo effect). Their effect starts with our daily experience and ripples outwards.

This is a suggestion. You know what nourishes your soul, what makes you feel calm and grounded. Do those things and do them regularly. There’s no better time than now.

The Good Medicine Guide to Inflammation

You’ve likely heard the term “inflammation” or people talking about “anti-inflammatory” foods or diets. And for good reason - almost every single modern ailment and health issue has inflammation at its root cause. Obesity, chronic pain, brain fog, diabetes, depression, autoimmune disorders - there’s some element of inflammation involved in all of these conditions!

Today we’re going to explore what exactly inflammation is, why it’s so harmful and the best foods + lifestyle practices to fight inflammation.

What is inflammation?

First, let’s clear up a common misconception about inflammation. It’s not all bad - in fact, we need our body to produce an inflammatory response - it’s a sign that our immune system is alert and working well.

Think of it this way - you fall and cut your knee. The cut starts to turn red, swell and sting. This is inflammation in action! This inflammation alerts your body’s immune system to a problem and in come the white blood cells and your body’s natural line of defense that will help heal you and fight off infection. This is an example of when inflammation is acute, necessary and results in healing.

On the other hand, we can also experience chronic inflammation. Imagine if you were to keep falling on your knee, day after day. That first cut would never heal - in fact it would probably get worse, might get infected, might get so bad that you have to have your leg removed! The kind of inflammation that most of us are experiencing today is like that. It’s a chronic, low grade inflammation. It’s a continuous assault on our body that our immune system can’t quite catch up on.

But here’s another tricky thing about inflammation. When we get a cut, we can see it, we know what that feels like. When there’s inflammation inside of us, we can’t always see it or feel it. We might experience symptoms that are seemingly unrelated. We may walk around for years, chronically inflamed on a low level and never know it. Until one day, out of nowhere, we experience a health crisis.

This is what’s so dangerous about inflammation and why it’s important to combat the inflammation that’s a result of our modern diets and lifestyles.

Why is it suddenly important to talk about inflammation?

You probably know - either from following me or from simply observing the world around you - we’re experiencing a huge health crisis. Never before has the human race been so sick, depressed, or overweight. It’s been getting worse and worse over the last several decades. So what changed?

• Our diet - we’ve been moving further away from eating foods that mother nature provides and increasingly consuming foods that are highly processed, full of chemicals, preservatives and artificial ingredients.

• Sugar - sugar is one of the top sources of inflammation. And it. is. everywhere. And we. are. addicted.

• Pesticides - common sprays like glyphosate inflame our gut lining and promote inflammation in the body.

• Toxins - all the chemicals that are in our house cleaning products, personal care products, make up and even our furniture are a huge burden for our body! Couple this will pollution from cars, planes and contaminated drinking water. The cumulative effect of this causes inflammation.

• OTC painkillers + prescription meds - painkillers, even the innocent ones like ibuprofen, are actually extremely hard on the gut. They inflame the gut lining, which then can lead to inflammation systemically.

• Stress - Chronic stress lessens your body’s ability to regulate inflammation. Stress permeates our culture. It’s been normalized, sometimes even rewarded, and it’s really bad for our health.

What conditions/diseases are associated with chronic inflammation?

• allergies

• asthma

• autoimmune disorders

• cancer

• celiac disease

• hepatitis

• inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

• coronary artery disease

• diabetes

• Alzheimer’s

• depression

• anxiety

So how can we combat inflammation? First, let’s look at our diet:

Foods to Limit/Remove

These are some of the top inflammation causing foods that I recommend you avoid or reduce your consumption of:

• sugar + artificial sweeteners- especially refined white cane sugar and high fructose corn syrup, but go easy on more natural forms of sugar too. Artificial sweeteners are usually chemically derived and don’t do your body any favors either.

• trans fats - there’s been a big movement to get trans fats out of our foods, but they’re still pervasive. Don’t just look at the nutrition facts label - a serving of food that has less than .5 grams of trans fats is not required to be labeled and can be rounded down to zero. Check the ingredients - any oils that are labeled “partially hydrogenated” are trans fats. Fried foods are loaded with trans fats.

• vegetable + seed oils - including canola, safflower, sunflower, soybean, etc. These oils contain many more omega-6 fatty acids than we need. It’s tough because most any processed/packaged food will contain at least one of these oils. I recommend avocado oil, extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil.

• refined carbohydrates - I’m not knocking carbs. Whole food carbs (like sweet potatoes) aren’t the problem. Bread, cookies, crackers, cakes, pastries, and some cereals that are made with refined white flour is what you want to avoid.

• too much alcohol - you can enjoy alcohol occasionally, but too much too often promotes inflammation in the body.

• processed conventional meats - like bacon, sausage, and smoked meats can promote inflammation. Always opt for the best quality meat you can afford and treat it more as a condiment instead of making it the center of your meal.

• gluten + grains - the problem with gluten may not be the gluten itself, but more the fact that it’s often sprayed with pesticides, which inflame our gut. For some people (especially those with autoimmune conditions) grains may cause inflammation. This can vary widely from person to person, so notice how you feel when you eat gluten and grains. I recommend cutting them all out for 30 days, see how you feel and notice your body’s reaction when you reintroduce them.

• dairy - this may not be a cause of inflammation for everyone, but many people don’t digest dairy well. If you’re suffering from headaches, stuffiness, breakouts or bloating, try cutting out dairy to see how you feel.

Foods to Incorporate

• fruits + vegetables - virtually all fruits and vegetables provide an anti-inflammatory effect because of their high antioxidant content. Some that are especially good at fighting inflammation are: blueberries, pineapple, tomatoes, green leafy vegetables, broccoli, and beets.

• turmeric - you’ve likely heard of the profound anti-inflammatory effect that turmeric provides. Use it powdered or fresh in cooking. If you’re fighting a lot of inflammation or simply want to be preventative, a turmeric supplement is great.

• ginger - helps modulate the immune system and has an anti-inflammatory effect.

• wild caught salmon - is high in omega-3 fats which fight inflammation. It is expensive though, so if you can’t buy it often enough a good supplement works just as well. Some plant-based sources of omega-3s are walnuts, flax seeds and chia seeds.

• nuts + seeds - they contain many phytonutrients that fight inflammation

• extra virgin olive oil - good quality olive oil contains many antioxidants which fight inflammation.

• bone broth - helps soothe inflammation in the gut.

Lifestyle Practices

Avoid:

• stress - stress puts our body in a state of high alert and promotes inflammation. Try to cut stress down in your life and find ways to manage the stress you can’t control. Yoga and meditation are great for stress management.

• exposure to chemicals - try to reduce your toxic load by opting for natural household cleaners and non-toxic personal care products.

• exposure to plastics - toxins (like BPA) are found in plastic and can damage your health long-term.

Incorporate:

• exercise - combats inflammation. Do whatever feels good to you whether that’s hiking, running, lifting weights, a zumba class, tennis - as long as it’s active! Bonus stress reduction points if you get to do any of these things in nature.

• sleep - get good 7-9 hours of good quality sleep a night. This helps reduce stress, allows your body to rest and heal and helps regulate the immune response.

• cold therapy - I know, it doesn’t sound fun, but exposing yourself to cold temperatures is amazing for fighting inflammation. You can pay a lot of money to go to a cryotherapy chamber, but cold showers are also super effective. It takes some getting used to, but you might find yourself craving them after awhile. If a whole cold shower sounds like too much, try just a short burst of cold water at the end of your shower.

• nurture your gut - our gut plays a big role in modulating inflammation. Consume fermented foods (sauerkraut, yogurt, kefir, kombucha, etc.) and plenty of plant foods which act as prebiotics. Bone broth is great for gut health.

This might seem like a lot, but start small! Begin by focusing on incorporating more anti-inflammatory foods into into your diet, especially vegetables. There’s no quick fix for inflammation - it’s a shift in lifestyle that will happen over time. Questions? Leave them below!