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The Copper IUD: Non-Hormonal, But Not Necessarily Hormone-Friendly

birth control estrogen dominance iud

The Copper IUD: Non-Hormonal, But Not Necessarily Hormone-Friendly

Did you choose the Copper IUD because it’s non-hormonal?

It doesn’t necessarily mean it doesn't affect your hormones. Here’s what you need to know.

COPPER IUDS: NON-HORMONAL, BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN IT’S HORMONE-FRIENDLY

The copper IUD aka the Paragard is an intrauterine device, meaning it’s inserted and sits inside the uterus. It’s made of plastic and copper, doesn’t contain any hormones that suppress ovulation and doesn’t need to be removed for 7-10 years. Easy right?

*It prevents pregnancy in a few ways:

〰 Copper ions impair sperm motility

〰 Changes the uterine lining so that a fertilized egg cannot implant and develop

*Even though it has the highest user satisfaction rate compared to other contraceptives and it’s 99% effective, it does come with a few downsides you might want to be aware of:

〰 Painful insertion

〰 Painful, crampy periods

〰 Heavy periods (volume can increase by 20-50%)

〰 Expulsion

〰 Perforation of the uterus

〰 Pelvic inflammatory disease (one risk of this is infertility)

〰 Bacterial vaginosis

〰 Estrogen dominance

〰 Copper “toxicity” (dysregulation), which can cause extreme emotional and mood changes (have you ever heard of someone feeling “crazy” on the copper IUD? This is why!

❕Even though it doesn’t contain synthetic hormones, the copper IUD can still affect hormones. This is because it release copper ions that can:

〰 Imbalance Copper/Ceruloplasmin in the body, which can cause both Iron and Copper toxicity issues

〰 Both Iron and Copper are estrogenic, and excess can cause estrogen dominance issues

〰 Imbalance Zinc/Copper in the body, which also correlates with Progesterone and Estrogen effects in the body

Remember, minerals can influence hormones and vice versa. Also, any foreign object in the body is going to drive inflammation, which can also mess with hormones.

I’m definitely not here to tell you whether the copper IUD is “good” or “bad” or “okay.” But here is some info to explore more if you’re considering it or trying to make sense of why it may not have worked out for you.

❔Did or do you have the Copper IUD? Feel free to share your story below.*

Learn more about birth control and how to support yourself on it in Episode 4 of The Innate Wisdom Podcast with Morley Robbins of the @therootcauseprotocol. And if you’re coming off birth control to try to conceive, you can learn even more about how to prep your body for pregnancy post-birth control in my eCourse, Conscious Conception, relaunching in spring/summer. Sign up on the waitlist here. 

___

Not medical advice.

References:

Briden, L. (2017). Period Repair Manual.

Brighten, J. (2019). Beyond the Pill. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.

De la Cruz, D. Cruz, A. Arteaga, M. Castillo, L. Tovalin, H. (2005). Blood copper levels in Mexican users of the T380A IUD. Retrieved from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16022851/.

Reed, P. Copper, Estrogen and Zinc: Hormone Imbalance Part 4. Retrieved from: https://goddessignited.com/copper-estrogen-zinc-hormone-imbalance/.

The Soulful Sprout. (2020). Estrogen Dominance & Possible Root Causes. Retrieved from: https://www.thesoulfulsprout.com/journal/estrogendominance#:~:text=COPPER%20TOXICITY%20AND%20OTHER%20HEAVY%20METALS&text=Copper%20stimulates%20estrogen%20production%20and,up%20the%20other%20can%20follow.

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Remember: this post is for informational purposes only and may not be the best fit for you and your personal situation. It shall not be construed as medical advice. The information and education provided here is not intended or implied to supplement or replace professional medical treatment, advice, and/or diagnosis. Always check with your own physician or medical professional before trying or implementing any information read here. While the owner of this website tries to keep the information up to date, there may be things that are out-of-date and out of their control.