Скачать или смотреть My hormonal IUD (Kyleena) experience: insertion, side effects, removal, mental health, acne & more

I had the Kyleena IUD for 6 years and I got it removed 3-4 months ago. In this video, I talk about the side effects and hormonal changes I experienced on birth control as well as coming off of it. I share what I've been doing to help my body rebalance hormones after the removal, rant about my concerns with the impact birth control has on so many women, and grieve for all my past selves who felt depressed, anxious, disconnected and unable to feel like myself for 6 years but couldn’t figure out why.

Some things I forgot to mention in the video can be found below:

1. Some side effects I didn't mention included hair growth on my chin (increased androgens), and intense cramping as a PMS symptom after getting the IUD which I rarely ever experienced before. Once I got it removed, I barely noticed any cramps leading up to my period.

2. The actual procedure to remove the IUD was super quick! The doctor removed it abruptly and I found it quite jarring and super uncomfortable. It was like a really aggressive pinch inside my body. Personally I hated the feeling but it was nowhere near as bad as the insertion. The doctor told me it's extremely unlikely that I would experience side effects coming off of Kyleena other than maybe tender breasts. I knew this wasn't going to be true because I've been experiencing side effects for 6 years that she tried to downplay, deny and blame on other factors, saying that Kyleena is the least likely to have side effects. I left feeling pretty angry.

3. Other symptoms I'm experiencing from hormonal changes post-birth control are extreme fatigue (around month 3), and hair loss. My hair already sheds a lot but I noticed very excessive shedding. Thankfully it doesn't look different but it was a bit surprising and concerning at first. Overall, I felt pretty good for the first two months, and my skin has improved a lot (in combination with tretinoin). The mood swings during PMS started getting really rough around month 3 and 4.

4. For health, I forgot to mention the importance of cutting down on sugar and dairy which can cause inflammation. Adaptogens, like mushrooms, herbs and roots have a ton of health benefits like relieving stress, fatigue and inflammation, and helping the body return to balance/homeostasis. And again, anything that's good for your gut health is essential for your overall health!

5. Besides condoms and vasectomies (which are reversible), other forms of male birth control are still being studied. One of them is a gel that they rub on their shoulders (which also raises the question, why are women's options so much more unpleasant like getting injections and devices inserted inside them???). However, none are available on the market yet. According to this NBC article: "It’s not because the approaches haven’t shown potential, researchers say, but because there hasn’t been enough funding or financial investment to complete expensive advanced human trials. “We’ve been pushing for hormonal male contraceptives for 50 years, but there isn’t enough money available to really drive something through a very large phase 3 trial,” said Daniel Johnston, chief of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’s Contraception Research Branch" (Caroline Hopkins, 2 June 2024).

The supplements I've been taking for skin and hormone balancing are linked below:
BioAstin Hawaiian Astaxanthin https://amzn.to/3y1yjkn
Sports Research Triple Strength Omega 3 Fish Oil https://amzn.to/3x40JtP
CanPrev Synergy B | B-Complex with L-Theanine https://amzn.to/4cEJZIW
CanPrev Magnesium Bis-Glycinate https://amzn.to/3SbJs9c
Jamieson Clear Skin 60 Softgels https://amzn.to/3SbnUJK

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Overview of my experience with an IUD
05:05 IUD insertion and side effects
10:17 IUD removal, skincare, diet & hormone changes
13:31 Mental health and rant about birth control
17:09 Hormonal rebalancing & side effects post-birth control
20:32 Food, supplement & skincare recommendations
24:27 Ranting, crying and closing remarks