You’ve probably heard people talk about what it’s like to get a hormonal coil or copper IUD inserted. Horror stories about cramping and messy days after fitting are not uncommon, but at the same time, plenty of women swear by the device as a fuss-free means of contraception. 

But what happens when it’s time to get the copper or hormonal coil removed? That’s something you never really think about until the device is about to expire, you’re ready to start trying for a baby or you’re just simply fed up with having it in. What happens when you want to get it removed? And is it more painful than insertion?

“The coil is generally a small T-shaped device consisting of copper and plastic. There are two types of contraceptive coil: IUD (non-hormonal) and IUS (hormonal). It should generally last between three and 10 years, depending on the type you have,” explains Dr Shirin Lakhani, an intimate health and women’s health expert. When it’s time to replace or remove the coil, Dr Lakhani says that you can expect to experience a few side effects. These, she says, are the result of your body readjusting to life without the additional hormones. “You could experience some cramping, bleeding, weight gain, acne, breast tenderness, fatigue, mood swings or nausea.”

To find out more about the process and the aftermath, we’ve been speaking to 11 women who’ve had their coil removed. Some of them have had a new one fitted immediately while others have gone down a different contraceptive route. 

“It felt like an intense period in the days afterwards”

Sarah, 30

The coil: IUD

“After about four years with the copper coil, I got it taken out when we decided to start trying for kids. It was a bit painful, but the pain was manageable and it definitely wouldn’t put me off going through that experience again. I had what felt like an intense period for three days afterwards while my cervix recovered, but nothing that couldn’t be helped by the normal things that help with period pain like hot water bottles, hot baths and paracetamol.

“I’m pregnant now, so I don’t use anything for contraception. Before that, I just started tracking my cycles because I don’t want to be on contraception again. The only thing I wish I’d known earlier is that the coil was making my periods way more intense and that this was the cause of relentless pelvic infections.”

“I had spotting and cramps – but it wasn’t as bad as expected”

Jude, 41

The coil: IUS

“I’d come to the end of the five-year term for my coil and decided to give my body a break from artificial hormones. Originally, I had it fitted to help with heavy periods, so I wanted to see how they were doing now. I was worried about having it removed as the process of having it fitted had been far from pleasant. But, it was actually very swift. I had a couple of days or so of spotting and period-like cramps, but nothing as bad as I’d been expecting.

“I felt quite low for a while, similar to PMS. But after a few weeks, my mood picked back up. The main ongoing issue for me has been weight gain, which even going to the gym two or three times a week, I haven’t been able to shift. I’ve gone up a dress size – it could just be because I am in my early 40s now, but it all seemed to tie in a bit too neatly to be unrelated.

“The coil definitely helped with the heavy periods I’d been experiencing, and it was convenient in terms of contraception. Now we are using condoms and my partner is exploring having a vasectomy.” 

“I was nervous but the pain was minimal – now I’ve got more energy”

Emily, 38

The coil: IUD

“After 10 years of having the copper coil in, I had it taken out when I was 35. About two years before that, my periods started getting longer and longer. By the time I had it removed, they were lasting 10 days at a time and I’d been feeling exhausted for more than a year. I wondered if the coil might be part of it. My GP ascribed the exhaustion to my mum having died a year before it was taken out, but I wanted it out of me – just in case it was contributing. I felt like I couldn’t go via the NHS because of how long it would take – I was desperate not to let more months pass with this foreign object inside me that could be causing problems.

“In the end, I went to a private London clinic and got an appointment right away. It was removed by an older, male gynaecologist, which made me feel uncomfortable at first, but he did a great job. I realised that when I’d had it in, no one had told me anything about what getting it out would be like. Having it put in was extremely painful – and I’m a heavily tattooed person, so I’m used to pain. I was nervous but the pain was minimal.

“And guess what? My periods went down to three or four days a month and are still like that four years later. Being told by my GP that my tiredness was only due to bereavement was frustrating. I feel much better now, both in terms of fatigue and throughout my menstrual cycle.

“Now we just use the withdrawal method; I don’t want to use the coil again. I’m glad I listened to my intuition. Sometimes our medical system feels biased against listening to women about how menstruation impacts their lives.”

“I took my partner with me to help ease the stress”

Jenny, 30

The coil: IUD

“I came off my IUD because I was having lots of health issues. I was also on Roaccutane to treat acne, so that may have also played a role, but I was getting recurring thrush and UTIs. Eventually, I went to see a private gynaecologist and they said the coil might be contributing in some way. They didn’t guarantee it, but offered its removal as an option to see if it relieved any of my symptoms.

“I had a really traumatic insertion so I wanted to make sure I got private healthcare to ensure a longer appointment. My partner also came with me for moral support. I was offered an anaesthetic, which would have meant not being 100% conscious. I was told a lot of women with traumatic insertions go for this but that wasn’t something I wanted. It was a lot easier to get it taken out than to get it in – definitely less painful – but as I was tense and anxious, that contributed towards it still being a negative experience.

“Afterwards, I felt a lot lighter and less anxious. There were anxieties around what to do next in terms of contraception, and now I only use condoms. I’ve considered using the Mirena coil, because I appreciated how easy it was but I would rather not take anything with hormones.”

“I don’t really remember it”

Phillipa, 29

The coil: IUS

“I got my first coil when I was about 22 and had it removed a year later. I was struggling with my skin and had a big flare-up of acne. I tried lots of topical treatments and nothing worked, so I felt like it must be a hormonal issue and my last resort was to remove the coil. I don’t remember much about the experience of having it removed so I think it must have been OK. The speculum isn’t comfy: you cough, they give it a yank. But I don’t think it really hurt.

“After it was out, I was hoping my skin would improve, but it didn’t. It just wasn’t something my body was going to regulate on its own, and after a few years of trying to deal with my skin problems in various ways, I went on Roaccutane.

“A few years later, I ended up getting the copper coil fitted, which I preferred to being on the pill (which I’d been taking in the interim). I hated having to remember to take it every day and when I was at university, I had some issues with how it was affecting my mental health. Some people say the copper coil makes periods heavy and painful, but that’s not something I’ve experienced.” 

“They couldn’t find the strings”

Ellen, 30

The coil: IUS

“I came off the coil because I didn’t love the idea of being on any type of hormones. I also don’t love the idea of having something semi-permanently inside me. But the experience of removal was truly traumatic. They couldn’t find the strings to pull it out so they had to use a hook to try to fish around for it. They tried multiple times and couldn’t find it. At one point, they asked if they could bring an intern in to watch because it would be a good learning experience. It was the most cramping I’ve ever experienced, all without any pain meds. Eventually, they found it and were able to get it out.

“Now I use a combo of condoms and temperature monitoring. I didn’t notice any changes after the coil was removed and I am so much happier now.”

“Nothing changed for me”

Hannah, 26

The coil: IUS

“I came off the coil after I noticed it had started falling down a bit. I could feel bits of plastic as well as the string when I checked it was in place. I went to my GP who said it needed to be replaced – she pulled it out there and then. I was going to get another one put in, but this was in March 2020. Shortly afterwards, I was in lockdown away from my partner so saw no point.

“Having it removed was absolutely fine. I felt nothing, and there was no pain or cramping afterwards. ⁠I didn’t notice any other changes afterwards. The coil never interfered with my menstrual cycle or my hormonal system. My periods have always been fairly regular and my PMS symptoms are manageable and this didn’t change during or post-coil.

“Afterwards, when I was able to have sex again, I just used condoms for a while. My partner later became aware of their infertility, so I just never bothered getting the coil replaced.” 

“The removal was painful with lots of cramping”

Shannon, 27

The coil: IUD

“I went off of the coil because it kept slipping in my uterus. I tried it twice: I got my first one inserted aged 19, and it slipped while I was living abroad at 22. I had another inserted immediately after, but that one slipped within three months. My gynaecologist told me that repeated slips indicate that my uterus just isn’t a great fit for this type of coil. I didn’t try another because I only wanted non-hormonal contraception, even though I know that the hormonal coils keep the synthetic hormones localised.

“The removal was quite painful. I’m already squeamish about these procedures (even a smear test). I absolutely hate speculums and I’ve only experienced cold metal ones which are really scary to imagine being inside you. Despite removal being swift, I still experienced a lot of cramping both when it slipped and then when it was taken out. Afterwards, I noticed my periods were way lighter and lasted only five days instead of my usual seven. Apparently that is quite a normal response.

“I’m happier now simply because I don’t have to worry about anything moving down there and potentially harming my uterus or fertility. I only use condoms for contraception now.”

“The removal didn’t hurt at all”

Ruby, 29

The coil: IUD

“In 2019, I got the copper coil. Then, in 2021, I started experiencing what I thought was ovarian pain, which was pretty constant, so I made a GP appointment who referred me for an ultrasound. This was during the height of Covid so NHS waiting lists were long, and I couldn’t wait – so I went private instead. The ultrasound revealed my coil had moved and was digging into my uterus. I got it removed, which wasn’t painful at all. They offered to put in another one and I said absolutely not. At the moment, I’m just using condoms instead.”

“I had to take time off work because of the cramping”

Stephanie, 41

The coil: IUD

“I came off the coil because I hit the 10-year mark and had to have it replaced. The pain was horrific. It was really excruciating. The doctor and nurse on staff knew it was going to be awful and offered to hold my hand, but other than that, I was offered no pain medication, before or after. I’ve had it replaced before, and the fear of having it replaced again was terrible.

“I am single, live alone, don’t drive and I couldn’t afford a taxi – so I had to take a bus home as I was unable to walk the distance. I was barely able to walk out of the GP office. It was an outpatient appointment and I had to take the next three days off work due to the pain and cramping.

“I’ve been using the copper coil for 20 years and I’m still using it now. I was told that because I am over 40 years old, I can keep it until menopause, but I also use condoms.”

“I’ve had four different coils – I’d advise going to the sexual health clinic for removal”

Rianna, 30

The coil: IUD and IUS

“I’ve had four coils, each with different challenges. My first was a Mirena, which caused mood swings, weight gain and other hormonal issues. After three years, I had it removed and switched to a copper coil. Five years later, my periods became too heavy and frequent – I would only have a two-week break between five and seven-day bleeds – so I decided to have it removed.

“I then tried a smaller coil, the Kylina, but the process of removing the copper coil with the GP was a nightmare; they couldn’t find the strings and didn’t believe me when I said it was still there. An ultrasound proved I was right, but they said they didn’t have the right tools to remove it so I had to wait even longer to get it taken out. In the end, I went to a sexual health clinic, where they removed it smoothly and validated my concerns.

“After briefly using condoms – which are really expensive and also make me feel like my reproductive health is out of my control – I went back to another copper coil, which has been more manageable. Through all this, my experience has been that sexual health clinics are way better than GPs for these procedures. They’re more experienced, take concerns seriously and handle everything more efficiently.” 

Images: Getty