To think this is ridiculous?

[Cerry]

Really struggling at the moment. I had the contraceptive implant put in around 4 months ago and since then I have not had a day where I'm not bleeding, heavy like a period. I also feel incredibly low, unmotivated and really down and crying most days.

But I'm really struggling to get anyone to take this horrid thing out of my arm.

I finally managed to get hold of the GP and they are saying they can't get me in to remove it until the end of July despite the fact they were quick enough to put it in.

I honestly don't know how to cope for another 2 months. AIBU to think a 2 month wait is ridiculous when a patient is experiencing these symptoms?

Do you have a local family planning clinic you can contact as they might be able to do it. I had the coil fitted at local hospital and they totally messed it up, and my doctor recommended I contact local family planning clinic.
They do walk in appointments and I went in the next day and they sorted everything.
Really feel for you, its so draining. Hope you manage to get it sorted soon

The only clinic I have close by is appointment only now and you have to call on the day for one too so 9/10 there isn't one available. They've also told me to see the GP anyway as it's minor surgery so can't be done there.

@Cerry

I've tried sexual health clinic and they just refer me back to the GP because it's 'minor surgery'.

Minor surgery my friend wasn't even offered pain relief for removal until she questioned it im not sure if the doctor forgot but he approached her and she said without pain relief? He said well if your going to be fussy we can use it I suppose she said im fussy VERY FUSSY

Jesus Christ Op this is horrific, I'm so sorry. I've had A LOT of pressure at various points to get the coil or the implant and have managed to resist so far, but was made to feel like I was being quite unreasonable ! It's outrageous that they expect you to live with this in your body. I hope you get sorted soon.

My friend went into the GPs with a scalpel and said if someone didn't remove it she would do it in the waiting room. They removed it. She had bled continuously for 9 months and kept getting fobbed off.

This makes me so angry. I am so thankful that it's because of Mumsnet, I've never had the coil or implant etc as I've read experiences like this on here.

I have also read on MN that the surgery (or NHS or someone) get paid for putting it in but only if it stays in for the full term of use. So that's why they're reluctant to remove. It could be a cost thing instead though - ie it costs so much to put in so to make it worth the NHS' money it needs to stay in a certain time.

Regardless, it is violating your medical autonomy to refuse to remove it

I can't believe how many have had similar issues.

I definitely won't be getting any form of contraception which I can't stop myself whenever I want, again.

I had the same and had to see a doctor twice more re the bleeding, which didn’t stop even with the tablets, before they agreed to remove it.

Well wish me luck. I'm going to tell them today that I'm TTC in the hope they take it out sooner! I can't believe I'm having to do this just to get it taken out.

I was talking to a friend who had the same issue. She felt really low and unable to stand up for herself. She said her Mum ended up marching her into the GP in the end and demanding they remove it. She got some speech about how much they cost the NHS to put in and her Mum said she didn't give a shit, about cost, she was a changed person since having it and they were to remove it right now. They did!

I'm going to try the TTC line today. If that doesn't work, I'll make an appointment for my depression and explain to the GP directly how low I feel. Surely they will remove it if it's thought to be causing depression? I'm just so reluctant to do that though as I have a small baby and I'm scared if I go in talking about how depressed I feel, it will get put down to that (it's not, I felt absolutely fine until I had this put in!).

Good luck op, I had the same issue a few years ago my DH had had the all clear from his vasectomy and they still wouldn’t take it out
Saw different GP said TTC appointment two days later to get it out

@Cerry

I was also warned they wouldn’t take it out in the first 3 months

Surely it's wrong to refuse to take something out of our bodies if it's causing us distress though? That's not okay imo and I was told no such thing when I had mine put in.

It's the mood as well as the bleeding. I honestly feel depressed (I suffered from depression badly a few years ago and can feel myself getting to that point again).

Because we're only silly women

If they say no, say okay, fine, but then ask them the best way they recommend to avoid infection when you do it instead.

Should you buy some butterfly stitches from the chemist or will a plaster do?

What's better, Germolene or Savlon?

Will icing it help for pain or do they think buying a topical numbing cream like EMLA would be better?

This is the reason I absolutely refuse any medically inserted contraceptive devices. We women are at the whims of (usually male) doctors and we have no rights whatsoever to cease a treatment like anyone else could do.

When I was a 19yo I asked a male GP for the pill. He said no. He TOLD me I would forget to take it. He would only agree to give me the Depo shot.

I bled the whole three months. I told him I wanted the pill this time. Again I was told no and he said I wouldn't bleed a second shot. I did. For the whole next three months.

At the end I pleaded for an alternative and he assured me that I definitely would not bleed again. I had no other option so agreed. I bled another three months.. I was on benefits back then and just getting sicker and sicker. Constant bleeding and serious period poverty. I was unemployed and couldn't afford decent food as I was using sanitary products every single day for 9 months straight. I had no energy and my teeth started breaking, I weighed nothing.

And fuck me was that Depo shot a good contraceptive! I couldn't have sex because I was bleeding and I looked like shit so I scared off any potential partner anyway!

A female GP prescribed me the pill after that and I've never forgot one in over 20 years!

I threatened to remove mine myself in the waiting room - so I was in the right place in case I started bleeding heavily or had an emergency whilst of course. Had to make myself look like an absolute nutter to get listened to.

@OhRene

If they say no, say okay, fine, but then ask them the best way they recommend to avoid infection when you do it instead.

Should you buy some butterfly stitches from the chemist or will a plaster do?

What's better, Germolene or Savlon?

Will icing it help for pain or do they think buying a topical numbing cream like EMLA would be better?

This is the reason I absolutely refuse any medically inserted contraceptive devices. We women are at the whims of (usually male) doctors and we have no rights whatsoever to cease a treatment like anyone else could do.

When I was a 19yo I asked a male GP for the pill. He said no. He TOLD me I would forget to take it. He would only agree to give me the Depo shot.

I bled the whole three months. I told him I wanted the pill this time. Again I was told no and he said I wouldn't bleed a second shot. I did. For the whole next three months.

At the end I pleaded for an alternative and he assured me that I definitely would not bleed again. I had no other option so agreed. I bled another three months.. I was on benefits back then and just getting sicker and sicker. Constant bleeding and serious period poverty. I was unemployed and couldn't afford decent food as I was using sanitary products every single day for 9 months straight. I had no energy and my teeth started breaking, I weighed nothing.

And fuck me was that Depo shot a good contraceptive! I couldn't have sex because I was bleeding and I looked like shit so I scared off any potential partner anyway!

A female GP prescribed me the pill after that and I've never forgot one in over 20 years!

I had a very similar experience on Depo about 10 years ago. In my case I was nearly 40, and refused the Pill as they said I was too old/ too overweight.

The GPs pushed and pushed me to have a coil but when they told me that if I didn't like it, I'd have to wait (at least) 3 months to have it removed, ditto the implant, I refused both. My only option then was the injection.

It was fine for the first 2 months, then I started bleeding. Not as heavily as a period, fairly light in fact, but every single day without fail. At the end of that month, they assured me it would stop after the next injection, I was just unlucky. It didn't. Ditto the one after that, even though both the female nurse and the GP said it wouldn't happen. In the end I bled daily for over 7 months, I had no energy for exercise, put on weight, felt constantly unclean, and nearly lost my relationship over it (and again it was a perfect contraceptive because we didn't have sex in those 7 months).

Women's contraceptive advice in this country is a bloody disgrace. Hope you manage to get the implant removed OP!

Go to A&E and say it’s causing you a mental health crisis. Either they remove it or you will. Lay it on thick

I'm really reluctant to make a big thing of how down I'm feeling. It's maybe completely irrational but I'm scared they will refer it to SS if I do (I have a baby).

Sorry OP. That is shit.

Not uncommon though as you can see, that's why I'll never get another one. Pain in the arse to get it removed, I was 2 years in to mine when I needed to get it removed (awful periods, bad MH at the time) and the amount of times I had to contact my GP, contact SH clinic, to be told they cant do it. I attempted to do it myself but the skin had attached to the implant. Eventually was sent to a clinic, had to sit there from 8am when they opened and wait for a space, I was finally seen and was told it's a common problem, so common they havent bothered finding a solution by the sounds of it. This was nearly 5 years ago.

I bled non stop for over a year and still had to jump through hoops of fire to get the damn thing removed.

This is really awful. I hadn't heard of this issue before as I haven't tried the implant myself.

If anyone with experience of this wants to share concerns more widely to get some attention on this issue (maybe anonymously), it might be of interest to Caroline Criado Perez who campaigns on women's health inequalities (among many other things) on Twitter and via her newsletter, following the publishing of her book Invisible Women.

Hope you manage to get it taken out OP!

You won't be referred to SS because of this. Don't worry. Find your anger.

This is why I refuse the coil. I'm fairly certain it won't solve my issues and like hell am I putting up with it for 12+ months.

I had a similar thing with my iud I was so miserable I just wanted it out! The pain was almost unbearable by the end. I went to a sexual health clinic waited about an hour and they took it out no questions asked! Try googling your local sexual health clinic - if they put them in they will take them out. Generally they are much more knowledgable about birth control as well. Good luck and I hope you feel better.

Appalling to read all these similar stories

Similar to me, first implant I had was great, had it removed to TTC for kid no 2 - no issues with getting it removed. Second time I had it I bled for ages and ages, they didn't want to remove it, gave me the pill to try along side it which seemed mad. It was eventually removed, but there was no feeling that I was able to just ask for it to be taken out without a whole load of rigmarole unless I wanted to TTC!

So it seems MH issues and constant bleeding is just not worthy of their time because I told them I was TTC and I now have an appointment to remove it early next week. After being told there was absolutely no way I could have it taken out until end of July, despite begging.

I'd 100% complain to PALS or the CQC about the treatment you've had. When I was in my early 20s I had it in and bled every 2 weeks for 2 weeks. I was persuaded to try every type of pill going alongside it to lessen my symptoms and my mental health continued to decline, my period cramps were getting worse every month, the bleeding was getting heavier. Eventually after almost a year they agreed to take it out and it was like the clouds parted I felt so much better.
I didn't use any other kind of hormonal contraception until recently when I've had the coil put in on the understanding with my GP that if I have any kind of similar experience it gets taken out. She is completely on board with it and has written it up in my notes but so far it's been brilliant for me. 🤞
I wish I'd complained about the drs surgery I was at as it was bloody awful especially for women's health.

@Cerry

So it seems MH issues and constant bleeding is just not worthy of their time because I told them I was TTC and I now have an appointment to remove it early next week. After being told there was absolutely no way I could have it taken out until end of July, despite begging.

That's absolutely shocking.