I got the copper IUD placed in October 2018. I was thrilled that I wasn’t gonna have to take a pill every day. Immediately after getting it place I had really bad cramps. I felt like I was having contractions. Every month, two weeks before my period they would begin the closer it got to my period the more they felt like contractions.
As best as I can I am going time line my symptoms. In December I broke out with huge pimples. I already have acne prone skin. These were cystic pimples like I used to get when I was a teenager.
I began to feel very fatigue my muscles felt really tight. I seemed to be having trouble with my memory.
By March 2019 I assumed my symptoms were caused by my hypothyroidism. I had my endocrinologist run bloodwork and sure enough my thyroid levels were off. He adjusted my medication and usually within a week or two I feel better. Well, not this time! My thyroid numbers continue to show normal range but I continue to feel horrible in fact seem to be getting worse as the months went by.
Summer time came and I started having bowel issues. I thought I ate something bad. I had the runs one weekend followed by constipation. I was also very thirsty. I couldn’t seem to quench my thirst. I also started to notice that I couldn’t read the street signs anymore. My vision was so bad. I also noticed that my ears seem to be swollen from the inside. Every time I swallow I can hear myself swallow. I thought that is strange. I also began to get paranoid thought my husband was cheating. I imagined he was hooking up with all the females we knew. I also couldn’t stand him. Ha ha. Ha. I would get home from work and get unrated and want to fight with him.
July-August came up on us… I am a jogger I have been jogging for nine years. My average pace before the IUD was 8-9 min a mile. I jog five days a week anywhere from 3 to 8 miles. I noticed my muscles started to feel really tight and I couldn’t quite hit my average pace. I was running about 11 min mile. I thought well I guess I’m just getting old. I would come home after a jog and lay down because I was so exhausted. I noticed that my toe was twitching sort of like the way a person eye twitches when they’re stressed out. I assumed it was because I was jogging longer distances. Every time I would shower I would look down at my belly and think Yep I guess I really am just getting old. My body started to look so different.
My hair started falling out I started to look bald. My skin was dry and I bruised very easily. Everything hurt. My joints hurt my hip and shoulders especially. All the symptoms I named before just got worse. My tongue was dry and and white. I was sensitive to sound. I started getting peach fuzz around my face like when I was pregnant and I started sprouting whiskers.
By the fall/winter of 2019 I don’t know how the heck I was getting up every morning the brain fog and fatigue was so incredibly bad. My muscle turned all to jelly or fat I don’t know. I am a hairdresser and my time to apply color increased . Not good. Time is money. I had a hard time conversing with my clients. I couldn’t concentrate on any thing my kids said. I just wanted them to be quiet.
I developed strange trembling. I had extreme fatigue, brain fog, heart palpitations, excessive thirst, dry tongue, memory loss, muscle spasms, stomach bloat, I was always hungry, bladder urgency, hives, irritability, strange thoughts, insomnia, hair loss, always cold, dry eyes, which affected my vision, fullness in ears, joint pain, horrible cramps, also felt emotionless, night sweats, my skin also felt strange like thinner.
Chin whiskers ridges on my nails, brittle nails, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation.
Submitted on December 19, 2021
