Copper (Intrauterine Route)

Precautions

Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®

It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits to make sure this medicine is working properly and does not cause unwanted effects.

There is a small chance that you could get pregnant when using an IUD, just as there is with any birth control. If you get pregnant, your doctor may remove your IUD to lower the risk of miscarriage or other problems.

Call your doctor right away if you think you have become pregnant while you are using this medicine. You may have a higher risk of an ectopic pregnancy (occurs outside the uterus) if you get pregnant while your IUD is in place. This can be a serious and life-threatening condition. It can also cause problems that may make it harder for you to become pregnant in the future.

An IUD can slip partly or all the way out of your uterus without you knowing. If this happens, you will have no protection against getting pregnant or you may have an increased risk for serious problems. This is more likely during the first year that you have your IUD, but it can happen at any time. Regularly checking the string of your IUD can tell you if it is still in place.

Using this device can increase your risk for severe infections, including sepsis. This is a rare and life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical attention. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns about this risk.

An IUD can increase your risk of having a serious infection of the female organs, called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) or endometritis, which can be serious, even life threatening. This infection could cause scarring of the female organs, which may make it hard for you to become pregnant in the future, and can increase your risk of ectopic pregnancy.

Call your doctor right away if you have flu-like symptoms, fever, chills, cramps, pain, bleeding, or fluid leaking from your vagina. These may be signs of an infection.

This medicine may cause perforation (hole in the wall of your uterus), embedment (attached to the wall of the uterus), or expulsion (partially or completely fall out of the uterus) which can damage other organs. Check with your doctor right away if you have excessive pain, vaginal bleeding, pain or bleeding that gets worse after inserting the IUD, or not being able to feel the threads of the IUD.

You may have heavier and longer periods with spotting in between. Check with your doctor right away if it still continues.

You could have less bleeding or even stop having periods by the end of the first year. Call your doctor if you have a change from your regular bleeding pattern after you have had your IUD for awhile, including more bleeding or if you miss a period (and you were having periods even with your IUD).

You may have dizziness, slow heart rate, or seizures immediately after placing or removing Paragard®. Tell your doctor if you had these conditions before.

This device will not protect you from getting HIV/AIDS, herpes, or other sexually transmitted diseases. Tell your doctor if you or your partner begins to have sexual intercourse with other people, or you or your partner tests positive for a sexually transmitted disease. If this is a concern for you, talk with your doctor.

It is important to tell your doctor that you are using this medicine before you have a medical procedure, such as magnetic resonance imaging or MRI.