"i will start off saying that the only reason this got a 3 rating is that i realize that everyone will react differently. as a smoker over age 35, my options for birth control were limited.  my experience has been very bad. insertion - not much pain; bruised for about 2 weeks. first 2.5-3 weeks, no bleeding. been bleeding non-stop ever since except for one time for about 2 weeks after trying an ibuprofen regimen recommended by my nurse. that has not helped since. had some bad mood swings the first month and have had a minimal amount of weight gain over 6 months (3-5 lbs). have had worse cramping than i used to have. can&#039;t verify if it is an effective birth control as my husband won&#039;t touch me due to the bleeding. having it removed in about 1.5 weeks."