Page 2 | implants instead of pill

Trillian · 2011-01-06T07:01:51+00:00

I am due to have an implant today, but after reading the failure rate in yesterdays paper I am not sure I want one. Anyone with any experience/advice please

TwinklePants · 06/01/2011 10:56

I had mine for 3 years and had no problems whatsoever with it, apart from a bit of grumpiness at the beginning which I attributed to getting used to the hormones (I'd been on nothing before).

No failure for me and was great not to worry about remembering pills etc. I still had a monthly period but I think they were slightly lighter than they had been (another bonus).

I am squeamish about needles etc but didn't find it traumatic getting it fitted or removed - although I did get a nice hug from my doc who is an older Bangladeshi gentleman and was worried about hurting me. Bless him!

I'd go for it. If you start looking for info on the internet re: horror stories and failure rates etc you will usually always find them. What you won't usually find is testimonials from the hundreds of thousands of people who had the implant fitted properly and had no problems with it. (Google is not your friend).

By the way a doctor can usually tell if the implant has been fitted correctly by how it feels under your skin. It should be under the skin but not deeply embedded. I could feel mine, it felt like a matchstick, or a hairgrip.

Muira · 06/01/2011 11:00

In December 2008, I had Implanon fitted. I had it for a year. Within the first week, I was so depressed I was suicidal. My GP didn't pay any attention because I was attributing my feelings to Implanon - I knew something wasn't right. I was desperately unhappy. I had no periods whatsoever, but all the PMT and physical pain of menstruation. I gained two stones in weight very rapidly - considering I am 5ft, that is a huge amount. Previously, I had been the same weight my whole adult life. My GP attributed it all to 'lifestyle' and if I lost weight I'd be back to good mental health and menstrual cycles. After months of hell, I was still demanding it be removed. Two different GPs refused because - get this - 'each implant costs £100, you were lucky to get one for free, so you should keep it for three years'. I went to Family Planning, who removed it in January 2010. My mental state very quickly went back to normal, one stone of weight fell off almost instantly.

I'm such a happy, fulfilled person now. I'm unemployed and skint and worried about our future as me and DH work/worked in universities and it's precarious. Yet that doesn't make me suicidal. Nothing does. On Implanon, merely getting up in the morning did. Awful.

Apologies for a very upsetting post but some people have an awful time on Implanon. Everyone is different so I can only offer my terrible story.

NewbeeMummy · 06/01/2011 11:08

I've not had mine removed yet, but I hate it, I've been to the GP twice about having it out,and she's told me to give it time...

I had mine inserted in February last year, I've had almost non stop bleeding (but not proper bleeding - big black lumpy stuff - sorry if TMI) I get awful mood swings and horrible cramps for at least 3 out of 4 weeks every month.

I'm sticking it out until it's been a year as apprently it can take that long to settle down, but I'll be having mine out if it doesn't.

wineonafridaynight · 06/01/2011 11:25

I had one. Didn't get pregnant whilst on it but didn't like the way it made me feel so had it taken out after about a year. I have also had another friend with similar experience.

I was also on the injection for several years and that would also be my first choice for contraception if I were to go back on any contraceptive in future. However, at the moment I have decided that hormonal contraception isn't for me and will not be for the forseeable future. I can't say never as I don't know how my opinions/circumstances will change but I am quite down on it in general on it at the moment.

QueenStromba · 06/01/2011 11:36

I was seriously considering getting one but I'm very put off by all of the stories here about wanting it taken out but being told no. Has anyone asked for it to be taken out and had it done straight away? The practice nurse that deals with contraception is lovely so I reckon she would take it out if it wasn't just NHS policy to make you keep it for a year.

greygirl · 06/01/2011 11:42

lalalonglegs - it was a scam to get compensation for falling pregnant, due to incorrect fitting of implants.the doctors should have checked the implant was in place after insertion (although this is easy to deny as well) - means now in our local family planning clinic the nurse, the doctor and the patient has to feel to check it is in place. it only came to light because a patient who had had one in went to her gp to get another one and d he said 'hang on a minute, you had 1 done a few months ago..'.

Your HCP will often encourage a wait of a few months to see if you like the implant, but if you're not happy after 6 months they should really take it out for you. i don't know of anyone who has had a problem with this.

charley24 · 06/01/2011 11:48

I am onto my 3rd, 1st in 2004, then 2007 then last year again, no problems.

wineonafridaynight · 06/01/2011 12:07

Queenstromba When I went to have it out I was told fine but would I be willing to wait until X date as they would like to have a trainee do it. Apparently the opportunities are few and far between for people to actually train to put it in. I said fine then as it happened, the Dr or nurse who was supposed to surpervise didn't turn up so it was someone already trained anyway. No one tried to encourage me to keep it in though.

The friend of mine however who recently had it out lives in an area which encourages everyone under a certain age to be on contraception for some kind of statistical purpose she thinks. It is an area with a lot of teen pregnancies but they seem to have some kind of standard rule that anyone under the age of 27 (I think it was 27) should be on contraception. My friend is 26, has been in a relationship for about 5 or 6 years with the same person. Each time she went to the Dr she felt bullied into keeping it in for the sake of statistics (or that's how she saw it). The Dr was adamant that she remained on some form of contraception even though she didn't want to. In the end she went back to where she grew up and got it taken out by the family GP who was more than happy to do it. In fact the family GP said that it was totally the wrong type of contraceptive for her to be on given her medical history.

systemsaddict · 06/01/2011 12:12

Surprised to hear all these stories of people not getting on with it and being bullied to have it kept in. I was given Cerazette (pill with same hormones in) to try for a few months before Dr. would agree to insert implant for exactly this reason. In fact I wanted the implant fitted in November after having 6 weeks on Cerazette but Dr insisted I kept on with Cerazette for another few weeks as I'd had a 2 week bleed in October and he wanted to make sure that would settle down. If someone wants the implant and is worried how they will react to the hormones might be worth discussing this possibility with the GP?

wineonafridaynight · 06/01/2011 12:15

I agree systems. Although in theory I should have got on well with the implant as I had been on Depo. The Dr who took it out was surprised that I hadn't and that I wanted to go back on the Depo injection but I can honestly say that the depo worked much better for me. I guess each person is individual...or maybe I was defying medical science.

surfandturf · 06/01/2011 12:48

Mytexperience was same as Rosedee's but I know others who love it - so definately a 'suck it and see' situation.

vickieastley · 06/01/2011 13:57

i have the implant, it hurt being put in, and i have gained 12lbs in 12 months... pros and cons.

xfirsttimemummyx · 06/01/2011 14:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

StarlightPrincess · 06/01/2011 14:24

I got the implant last March and it's the best contraception I've used. A little bit of irregular bleeding for the first 4 months or so, but after that things have settled down pretty well. The only side effect, if you can call it that, is that my periods now last for about 5-6 days instead of 4.

altinkum · 06/01/2011 14:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

OmniaParatus · 06/01/2011 15:58

I had the implant put in on 1st July and got pg that month. It seemed to be inserted correctly as I could feel it, and I used additional contraception for the first 7 days as advised by the doctor. I now think I should have used it for longer as counting up it seems I got pg the second week it was in.

Having said that, I know plenty of people who have had it trouble free and would still recommend it as a method of contraception on that basis. I think I was just very, very, unlucky, and no method is 100% reliable, but from everything I have heard the Implanon is as close to that as you can get.

Having said that I hope the snip works for us cos I definitely couldn't cope with 4 DC!

Rosedee · 06/01/2011 16:35

As soon as I asked for it to be taken out I got an appointment to have it out so no pressure to keep it in for me luckily. I'd have raised merry hell if they'd tried that

Original poster

Trillian · 06/01/2011 21:03

Thank you everyone, well I had it put in, i am going to carry on with the pill as well for the first month.

If I do feel unwell or unhappy with it at any point I shall demand they take it out.

It bloody hurts though

OP posts:

ScotlandR · 11/01/2011 05:52

www.badscience.net/2011/01/putting-a-number-in-its-context/

This link talks about what the ACTUAL numbers mean. TBH it's mostly just scare mongering - you are FAR, FAR more likely to get pregnant using the pill or condoms than the implant.

Plus, a fair section of the pregnancies where when they had the old way of inserting them, which failed. About 20% of the women who 'got pregnant while using implanon' did not in fact HAVE the implant...

Coffeebeans · 11/01/2011 06:04

i'm having the implant in march. i'm a bit worried that they won't take it out if I have any problems.

Coffeebeans · 11/01/2011 06:04

i'm having the implant in march. i'm a bit worried that they won't take it out if I have any problems.

ScotlandR · 11/01/2011 06:42

They can't refuse to remove it, all they can do is be a bit arsey and ask that you give it more time. And tbf, I wanted mine out as soon as it was in - I had about two months of constant period - but it stopped and I'm glad I kept it.

Coffeebeans · 11/01/2011 06:52

thanks scotland grin

MrsTumbles · 11/01/2011 09:46

I made an appointment at the FP clinic and told them it was for a removal. They tried to convince me to keep it but I said no and gave my reasons so took it out straight away.

I have to say it was a brilliant form of contraception for me. I had 18 months of a constant period (apart from when they stopped for 2 weeks when I was given some additional drug that they give to cancer patients ). I put on over a stone in weight and the killer was my sex drive dropping to 0! Since I've been off it my weight has dropped, my periods are normal and I'm a horny little devil my sex drive is back to normal

My friends periods stopped all together and she loves it though :)