"i was on paragard for a year because of the no hormones,but i couldn&#039;t deal with the pain.the cramps were unbareable,and my periods lasted 7  days and were so heavy,id have to use a super tampon plus a large pad .i switched to mirena, hearing the pain was a lot less &amp; could shorten periods. almost a year later,i haven&#039;t gained a pound like i was so afraid of because of hormones.i&#039;ve even been able to lose a few pounds! my period has also gone from heavy and 7 days long to 3 days and so light i only use panty liners; i don&#039;t even buy tampons. negative parts: ive gotten a few more zits every time my period comes around after being on mirena &amp; still get horrible cramps, but definitely not as often: 1/2 days instead of weeks at a time. love it!"