"my experience: painful insertion but i expected that since i&#039;ve never had children. there was a lot of bloating, cramping,  and breast tenderness in the first couple of weeks. i used pamprin and a heating pad on my belly and that helped. about a week after insertion came the brown sludge  and lasted about ten days.  the first month was a study in misery but after that my periods stopped and it&#039;s been a breeze with some occasional light cramping and spotting. the only drawback for me personally is that i am 51 years old and perimenopausal so not having periods makes it impossible for me to track my cycle. but overall i am delighted."