A WOMAN has shared how she was left in crippling pain when her coil somehow managed to escape from her cervix and end up floating around her organs.
She'd had the IUD for 10-months when she started experiencing shooting pains in her bowels and uterus – and after back and forth with doctors, she finally found out that the IUD was lodged into her bowels and she was in need of urgent surgery.
Sharing her story, TikTok user Mahlia Mack, from Australia, explained how the pain got so bad she ended up fainting at work, developed a fever and couldn't stop throwing up.
She was told that her gallbladder had turned porcelain – where the wall of the gallbladder become encrusted with calcium – and she needed both her gallbladder and bowels removed.
Mahlia explained: "6 weeks after giving birth to my daughter, I had the contraceptive IUD inserted. 10 months later I started getting excruciating shooting pain in my bowels and uterus.
"My GP checked for the strings, so we could remove the IUD, but she couldn't find them so sent me to an ultrasound. The ultrasound tech couldn't find the IUD in my cervix and she said I needed an X-ray.
"The X-ray showed the IUD free floating around my organs. I was sent home with painkillers and told the hospital would contact me for surgery. I was in so much pain, I kept telling doctors I was CERTAIN the IUD had moved to my bowels."
Frustrated, Mahlia claimed that none of the doctors were listening to her and left her in pain.
She said: "No one was listening to me, I had a specialist tell me there's NO WAY the IUD would [have] been in my bowels. She said there's only been 3 cases in many years of it reaching the bowels.
"I just wanted the pain gone and the IUD out of my body as soon as possible. I could barely stand some days. WHY IS NO ONE HELPING OR LISTENING TO ME?"
Her condition worsened a few weeks later, with Mahlia taking a turn one day at work.
"I felt really off the entire day. I felt faint, hot and the shooting pains were the worst they had ever been. I got to work to start my shift and nearly fainted," she explained.
"After nearly fainting at work, my co-worker said I looked grey and I needed to go straight to hospital and he would take me. I was hesitant to go back to ER because they had been no help whatsoever the last four weeks.
The X-ray showed the IUD free floating around my organs. I was sent home with painkillers
"I figured they would tell me to go home and wait for surgery. My co-worker suggested trying a different hospital ER, hopeful that I would get the help I needed."
In a follow up video, Mahlia revealed that her experience at hospital second time round was much better and doctors immediately "knew something was very wrong".
She recalled: "My pain levels were uncontrollable, I was throwing up constantly and had a huge fever. They ran every test they could and did a CT contrast scan.
"The doctor came in and let me know that not only was the IUD lodged in my bowels, my gallbladder had also turned porcelain, both needed to be removed urgently."
Mahlia said: "The doctors could NOT believe the other hospital had sent me home several times with the IUD floating around in my body. I was SO THANKFUL for the doctors and nurses listening to me. I needed to stabilise before they could operate so they started IV antibiotics and planned surgery for first thing in the morning."
When she came round from surgery a few hours later, Mahlia found out it was good news, as doctors managed to retrieve the IUD without needing to remove her bowels.
Not only was the IUD lodged in my bowels, my gallbladder had also turned porcelain, both needed to be removed urgently
She explained: "I was in surgery for 3.5 hours and they successfully removed the IUD without needing to cut my bowels and give me a colostomy bag.
"They also removed the porcelain gallbladder. And that my friends is why I will NEVER have an IUD again."
Mahlia's initial post has now been watched over 6.3million times online, racking up thousands of comments, as people shared their shock over her experience.
"My jaw dropped when they sent you home with pain meds and didn't operate right away… I haven't even finished the video yet. Hugs," commented one person.
Another said: "I'm so sorry this is absolutely terrifying you are so strong I would not have made it."
A third shared: "My last IUD embedded into my uterine wall and that pain was BRUTAL. I can't even imagine what you felt."
What is an IUD and how does it work?
What is an IUD?
An IUD (Intrauterine device) is a small T-shaped plastic and copper device that's inserted into the womb (uterus) and usually lasts for up to 5-10 years.
It can be fitted at any time during your menstrual cycle and when inserted correctly can be 99 per cent effective at preventing pregnancy, according to the NHS.
How does an IUD work?
An IUD (also known as a coil) works by releasing copper into the womb.
The copper alters the cervical mucus, which makes it harder for the sperm to reach an egg and survive or prevents a fertilised egg from implanting itself.
Some could relate to Mahli as they shared their own horror stories, with one woman revealing: "I'm so sorry you had to deal with this. Mine moved and became so infected I was throwing up/fever and had to have an emergency removal. The worst!!!"
One more shared: "That happened to me too but they said I imagined it and put me in the mental health ward until I passed out with septicaemia and they found it floating."
Others, however, reminded viewers that women's experience of contraceptive methods can differ, as some revealed their IUD has worked perfectly for them since having it fitted.
"Guys don't let this freak you out! I've had my IUD for 5 years and no problems," said one woman.
"I'm on my second IUS and mine's been fine, not every IUD story is a bad one! Sorry this happened to you tho (sic)," commented another.
One viewer added: "The IUD is the best thing that ever happened to me, but obviously that's not the same for every woman."
For more real life stories, one teen mum reveals 'I gave birth after my first day back at school, I didn’t know I was pregnant until I saw the head under my uniform skirt'.
Plus, a woman confesses 'I’ve slept with over 16k people – my fiancé still loves me and we can’t wait to get married'.
And one mum shares 'I had cancer and was rushed to hospital when doctors suspected I had heart failure – but I gave birth to twins instead'.
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