"i chose the paragard since it was hormone free and a long term birth control option. insertion wasn&#039;t very painful, but i did bleed for 4 days afterwards. the first 6 months my periods were extremely painful and 7-8 days long. after 6 months the cramping wasn&#039;t as bad but the length of period remained. i&#039;ve had it over a year and have noticed some extreme differences in my life. i feel fatigued often, have gained 10 lbs without a dietary change, my mood swings are crazy. i can&#039;t prove that paragard is the cause of these, but i have a great reason to believe that. i am having it removed this week and i cannot wait."