An Ectopic Pregnancy; The Failure of My IUD

WELCOME!  If you've found yourself here, it means that you've probably been doing a lot of searching on Internet engines for "pregnancy" or "symptoms of pregnancy" or "IUD's" - much the same as I did back in November of 1999 when I discovered I was unexpectedly pregnant.  This web page was originally created shortly after my surgery as a way to personally process what had happened to me, and to also help other women out there who may find themselves in the same situation.  The original page was hosted on an AOL program that was rendered obsolete by 2003.  In the period of time that the original site was up, I received email from women all over the globe who wanted to reach out and share their story of IUD failure.  I felt it was time to get the page back up and running since the original is still showing all over Google with a broken link that no longer works!  Not a fun thing to find when you're worried sick about what's happening and want some information!

I had a copper "T" type Paraguard IUD inserted for birth control instead of continuing use with my previous trial methods; contraceptive films, inserts and hormones.   Before beginning, I want to stress upfront that this is NOT a site that is against the intrauterine device as a choice of birth control in any type of way.  I made the choice to take this form of contraception over "the pill" due to its ease of use and lack of hormones.  I was extremely happy with my choice at the time to use this form of contraceptive and I enjoyed the freedom it gave me.  I had no side effects from it during my use, aside for the occasional heavy menstrual flow that occurred.  My personal view on the matter after having gone through my experience, is that all women need to be armed with the knowledge that this situation CAN (although it is rare) happen to them.  Again, I want to reiterate that I am NOT against IUD use, when it is used in the proper context of women who have had children already and are in monogomous relationships OR have been properly informed and fully comprehend that there is a small percentage of chance that fertility can be affected by complications brought on by IUD use.

My intention in creating this page was to have some information online for women who are considering an IUD, or who are having suspicious symptoms while using an IUD.  Just as with the pill, a condom, and diaphragm, the IUD has it's good points and bad points - but in most cases, the device is used effectively by countless women all over the world.  Again, this site is solely about MY personal experience of an ectopic pregnancy that was facilitated by copper IUD use.  It is not about ectopic pregnancies in general - although it does give symptomatic signs that may be present if you believe you are possibly suffering from an ectopic.  The choice in birth control is a personal one.  Women need to explore all options available in birth control, along with the pros and con's related to the type they finally choose.


My Personal Story - Disbelief

I can recall that it was a Sunday night in the late Fall, and my husband and I were enjoying a nice dinner at the home of my in-law's. My mind though was preoccupied with other things that evening, and I had been wondering if I should buy a pregnancy test from the local drug store.

My period had always been right on time at the beginning of every month ever since the insertion of the device in December of 1997, shortly after the birth of my son. But now, for some strange reason, I was a good week or so late. I was upset and a little worried at the prospect of another pregnancy. My son was missing the milestones of normal child development and as it would turn out, was on the autism spectrum and quite a handful to deal with on his own. I just COULDN'T be - especially since the IUD was there and had been working for two years! After all, I thought, I had spent a good deal of money on a form of birth control that was supposed to be effective for ten years. The pamphlet from the manufacturer stated that ONE PERCENT of women who use the IUD would become pregnant. I couldn't possibly be - the odds of it were astronomical.

I prayed that it wasn't true, but taking a home test affirmed it. Looking up IUD's and accidental pregnancies on the Internet proved to be of really no help to me. Hopefully this page will help other women who find themselves in the same predicament I was in - shocked and scared - and are in need of some guidance, encouragement, and comfort. Although this page is related only to my story of IUD failure, ectopic pregnancies can also occur in instances of women with previous ectopics, women with a history of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), sexually transmitted diseases, cysts and so forth.

Symptoms - What to Look For

1).  OK, obviously the first symptom would be failure to menstruate.  If you think you're late, take an at home pregnancy test.  Now, I know this can be scary in itself, but you'll save yourself a LOT of worry time if you just go and get this over with.  My result I'll admit, came out a little...odd.  Looking at the stick, I couldn't tell if the result was fully positive as the line in the second window was so very very faint, I almost thought I was imagining it being there.  If there is ANY sort of line at all, no matter how faint, you need to assume it it pregnancy.  Buy a package with two tests inserted as you may be able to perform the second test a day later and get a more readable result.  If there is any result other than negative, please contact a gynecologist immediately for an exam and blood work. 

[These next symptoms are ones that I experienced AFTER affirming a positive pregnancy at my doctor's exam.  According to the doctor, I was five weeks in gestation when I found out about the pregnancy.  I didn't have any of these following symptoms until a day or so after my exam.]


2).  Cramping.  The INTENSE kind of cramping where you stop in the middle of whatever you're doing to grab a hold of something.  Also with intense cramping would be the regular "I don't feel so great" kind of cramps.  A very minor cramping is often felt in the first weeks of even a normal pregnancy, but this was definitely different and alarming. 

3).  Fever and chills.  I walked around freezing with a blanket wrapped around me until I wised up and took some Tylenol. 

4).  Bloated feeling.  I felt full as if I was going to menstruate but yet - nothing.  No spotting, no blood, no nothing.  I had read about how miscarriage and ectopic situations sited vaginal bleeding as a sign (and my clinic also had asked if I had experienced any), but this is NOT necessarily a symptom that will occur in every instance.

5).  Severe lower back pain.  By the time my fallopian tube ruptured, I had severe, mostly lower, back pain.  This pain is piercing, as if your back will crack in two.  I also had a bloated feeling in my lower abdomen at the same time.  I felt like my stomach suddenly looked like a small ball.

6).  Breast tenderness.  This is also something perfectly normal as a symptom of pregnancy along with a thickening waist (suddenly you can't seem to zip your pants up!) affirming you that you may in fact be pregnant.


If after assessing that you may be experiencing some of the above symptoms, you'll need to be examined as soon as possible.  At some point you won't be comfortable laying down, standing,sitting, or anything (and by this I don't mean - "Ugh, I feel like crap, everything hurts", but I mean a "something is TERRIBLY WRONG" type of uncomfortable).  It is imperative that you seek medical attention at this time. 


What Happens Next

 Well, initially after finding out I was pregnant on my own home test during the weekend, I made an appointment the next Monday at a local medical clinic for an exam.  Another urine test was taken there to affirm a positive pregnancy.  The first thing that had to be done was removal of the IUD.  It cannot be left in the uterus as it can cause infection and also impair the fetus if, in fact, this is a healthy pregnancy.  The doctor removed the IUD intact, it had not shifted or become become broken.  The string was still in place and detectable in the vaginal canal so this was simply a failure of the contraceptive device.  

It's said that only one out of a hundred women will get pregnant using the intrauterine device.  Basically, we're told it's 99% effective at preventing pregnancy.  On the other side of the coin, ectopic pregnancies are more common when an intrauterine device is used than with any other form of birth control . After its removal, I was told by the doctor that I may have a chance of miscarriage due to the upset in my uterus.  He tried to be light about it and told me stories of other patients he had treated in the same situation who had carried full term babies.

All I could think of in the back of my mind was, "Is this REALLY a normal pregnancy?"  At the time, I had remarked to the physician, "How can we be sure this is a regular pregnancy and not ectopic?"  He actually looked at me kind of stunned as if I shouldn't have known what that word means or even had the audacity to suggest such a thing.  Frankly, I don't think the doctor was able to answer me on that question.  When a pregnancy is early on as mine was, (I was five weeks along by their calculations, three weeks from date of conception according to my pretty accurate memory) the doctor simply can't see enough in utero to make a determination as to whether the pregnancy is tubal or not.  The only way to know for certain would be surgery to examine the tubes.  I tend to think that doctors don't want to alarm you by bringing up the ectopic scenerio and they may be hoping that your body will expel the tissue naturally, instead of having to resort to surgery.