Howdy, I thought I would make a post to start a discussion because I am a bit concerned.

I have an the Paraguard IUD since October 2015, so for nearly 4 years now. It is supposed to last up to 10 years, but I imagine I'll get it switched out before then. I have been with my current male partner for about two years now and for about a year we have not been using condoms. Sometimes I would prefer to.

Context before we get into the m a d n e s s: I have a history of a thyroid disease, I have been having painful digestive issues since January this year and have seen multiple doctors. Last week Monday I had a colonoscopy and turns out I'm fine.

A lot happened this past week. (1.) I had a colonoscopy even though I am very young; (2.) I traveled to another state in the US to my boyfriend's house--a five hour drive; (3.) We worked in his family's garden for the entire next day; (4.) We had sex without condoms 3 times; (5.) By the fourth day since having the colonoscopy, we traveled with his family for a vacation to a foreign country overseas; (6.) I got barely any sleep and when we arrived to their home there, we all took naps.

I was supposed to have gotten my period that week, but because of all the different types of stress my body was going through, I thought it must have simply been delayed due to so much bodily stress. My period was over a week late when I finally started having symptoms today.

Note: throughout the many times where my partner and I have had sex without condoms, I have worried every time on the possible consequences--the worse idea being an ectopic pregnancy.

Before my period starts, I usually have about five days of very sore, tender breast pain. This did not happen. It is only day one, but I have had light pink blood and brown discharge (red flag of spotting). I also am experiencing extremely painful cramps--was shaking, got chills and thought I was going to pass out at one point. I haven't had cramps this bad since the first year I had Paraguard implanted.

Articles online say that the next few days will determine if its spotting or a period. There's not a whole lot I can do other than wait it out right now because I am in a foreign country.

I am really hoping it is simply a more painful period due to how late it is. Does anyone have any words of advice for worst case scenarios or other worries with Paraguard. After this late period and all the worry sex without condoms has caused me, I plan to make it clear to my partner that I won't have it any other way. This pain is far too unbearable.

I hope no one else has gone through this before. With all the other health issues going, I'm honestly not sure what's up.