Nexplanon implant thing - how I regret that!

[Alwaysworthchecking]

Had the implant put in just before travelling abroad (two and half weeks ago) and how I hate the thing! I bleed constanty - enough, initially, to just need pantyliners but for a week and a half now, enough to need the Mooncup. I feel grumpy quite a lot of the time and, much as I can't have sex what with all the bleeding, I don't fancy it all! The one time we managed, it was really uncomfortable. I also hate that I can feel it in my arm, although that is obviously a minor concern.

So, as a contraceptive, it's pretty effective, but it's not what I had in mind.

I can't take oestrogen-based contaceptives, I got pregnant and then miscarried on micronor and I'm not going for the Mirena - not risking messing my hormones about like this again. Want it out and then go back to condoms - never had any problems with them.

If I could take it out myself with the paring knife in the kitchen, I think I would.

Is it likely to settle down, do you think? Also, what are my chances of getting it removed when I get back home in a week or so?

[Pippaandpolly]

I had Implanon for a year and in the end had to beg the doctor to take it out (in fact I think I somewhat dramatically said I would cut my own arm off if he didn't ). I bled every day for a year except about 5 (which were all spread out), I gained about 3 stone and I became depressed. The trouble was that as it's an expensive form of contraception the GP didn't want to take it out, and kept insisting I 'give it a bit more time', hence the eventual crying and begging.

That said, it's an amazing form of contraception. Mainly because I felt so crap we almost totally stopped having sex. (Amazingly, 19 year old then boyfriend was lovely and man enough to be very mature about it all, very supportive, and eventually married me, so not a totally miserable story!)

I had a pretty extreme reaction to it; I don't think it's likely that most people go through this. But I tell everyone who asks me about it as it was an absolutely hellish year.

In your situation I would write a list of why it's not suitable for you, go to the GP and stick to your guns. (And don't threaten to cut your arm off ) But they might well tell you to give it more time - and they might be right, it might settle for you.

[Pippaandpolly]

Also, I don't know how Implanon and Nexplanon compare, e.g. in terms of hormone levels. It might be these implants have come on a long way since I had mine (it was about 10 years ago so I'd hope so).

[morelovetogive]

I have nexplanon. It took a couple of months for the bleeding to settle. I had just got to the point where i was thinking enough is enough and it stopped. I suspect they would want you to leave it a bit longer before you have it removed, it's really not been long enough for your body to adjust. I think i read somewhere that they can give you the pill temporarily as well as the implant to help the bleeding to settle if it's a problem. That said, it's your body if your really not happy they can't really refuse to take it out for you i shouldn't think.

[QueenStromba]

I had nexplanon for a whole god awful 24 days. I didn't have any problems with bleeding on it, in fact I didn't get the period I was due (I was on micronor previously so didn't have to get it put in during my period). What I did get was terrible mood swings, a complete loss of libido and "baby brain" so bad that I thought I was getting extremely early onset Alzheimers. After a couple of weeks I realised just how bad it was for me so rang up to make an appointment with my contraceptive nurse to have it taken out, unfortunately she was just about to go on holiday so I couldn't make an appointment for almost two weeks, judging by the stories I've read from other women, I'm not sure she'd have taken it out anyway. I spent hours the day after (which was a Friday) ringing around contraceptive clinics trying find someone to take it out with no joy and, like you, I was ready to try and take the thing out myself. On the Monday I continued my search with the help of NHS direct (the nurse I spoke to was really nice and said that she wished she was near me because she'd take it out for me), eventually I found out that my local hospital had a clinic that day who could do it for me. I turned up half an hour before the clinic started because I wanted to be sure of being seen quickly, it was affecting my mental health so badly at this stage that I didn't think I could cope with spending an hour stressing about it in the waiting room. The nurse saw me waiting outside and came to see what the problem was and had it out for me before the clinic was supposed to start.

I would advise you to lie a bit if your really want it taken out. In addition to the mental health issues it gave me, my implant was also trying to migrate down my arm so I'm not sure if that's why they took it out. I got the impression from my googling when I was wanting it taken out that they really don't like to remove them for "minor reasons" like constantly bleeding so it might be a good idea to ham it up a bit and make up some mental health issues. If your surgery won't take it out then you have the option of going to a family planning clinic and telling them that you've had the implant for ages. The family planning clinic didn't even ask me how long I'd had it and they definitely didn't have access to my notes so if your surgery won't do it then you can always lie to the family planning clinic and tell them that you've had it for ages and that you now want to TTC. I think you should try to make an appointment with your surgery now for when you get back so you'll either get it out straight away or know that you need to go to the family planning clinic. Good luck and do let us know how you get on.

[Alwaysworthchecking]

Thanks everyone. Interesting what you say about the baby brain as I am having trouble finishing my sentences and have taken to speaking English as though it is not my mother-tongue - i.e. lots of words and gestures to describe the one I can't remember.

I think I'll make an appointment when I get back. I can't take the pill to settle things as it has oestrogen in and I can't take that. Hopefully he'll give me a little more leeway, given that.

[Alwaysworthchecking]

Well, I got back and made the appointment. Waited a good half hour to see the doc and then found that the reason they were running late is because the one doc I needed to see was off, sick. His stand-in couldn't help at all. Oh well - nobody's fault and he made me another appointment to see stick-removing guy. Hopefully it'll soon be gone and I can cease buying endless packs of pantyliners.

[Alwaysworthchecking]

It's out! It's out! The Nexplanon is out! Hurrah!

[QueenStromba]

Yay! Did you have any trouble persuading the doctor?

[Alwaysworthchecking]

No, thankfully. Mind you, I did get him to promise that he'd take it out if I asked, before insertion. I just ran through my list of dislikes, asked to have it taken out and said I didn't regret trying it but I'd had enough of it now. He was sweet as pie and agreed right away.

[lovechoc]

Seems I'm getting my wires crossed, it's Nexplanon I'm on, not Implanon I have had bleeding since my first period on Nexplanon, but will give it the full 6 months before I ask to have it removed.

Glad you got it removed OP as it seems you really were not happy with it in.

[MyLittleMiracle]

I have implanon, and i LOVE my implant, a lot of people on here seem to bleed constantly.....I on the other hand NEVER bleed, havent done since i ad it put in! I think everyone is different, and another upside is that since having it in my PCOS has also settled a lot too.

[suzi86]

i have had implanon twice but my last one was replaced by the nexplanon in october and i hate it. i have always advised people to get the implanon because i loved it, i didnt have mood swing, bleeding or weigh gain on it but since getting the nexplanon in i have been short tempered, had bleeding and gained nearly a stone. i also no someone else that had their implamon replace with a nexplanon and had it removed because of similar side effects. i am having mine removed in a coupl of days. im not sure what the difference is between implamon and nexplanon but there clearly uis one. i really would not advise anyone to get this.

[Betsy2012]

Suzi86, your story is identical to mine, i have had two lots of 3 years with implanon and has the BEST time! no weight gain, no mood swings and no periods at all! like you I have also advised everyone to use it....
that was until november last year when my 3 years was up and my doctor changed my implanon for the 'exactly the same' Nexplanon.... oh my god!
this is completely different, from november till january i had no change and then since january i have had bleeding one week on one week off!!!!
its unbearable! i am now in my 6th month and its supposed to have 'settled down' now according to the doctor... im still waiting.
i am so over it now i just want to have it removed! i used the implant for so long as i did not want periods.
if any one has an info on good contraceptives that DO stop periods PLEASE let me know as i am having this thing removed before my boyfriend leaves me following a serious change in our sex life since january!!

[Alexasmummy12]

Although doctors don't like admitting it (for some strange reason they think it's easier to stick you on the pill) there are tablets they can prescribe to stop your period once youv been on for over about 2-3 weeks and in my experience they work great! So if only issues are lengthy bleeding try it (if you can get your doctor to admit they exist, it took me a while even though id been prescribed them a few years before by a previous doctor)

[Goingoutagain]

Nexplanon,
This must be the best form of birth control going.i love my wife loads but the mood swings, the lack of energy, the lows, complaining about weight gain,complaining about anything, I thought I was understanding but I'm not going to follow her route, I wish my wife would have the thing removed so I could have my wife back as for the sex well that don't happen anymore all thanks to Nexplanon the best form of birth control, so why take it.
One unhappy husband.

[Goingoutagain]

Nexplanon,
This must be the best form of birth control going.i love my wife loads but the mood swings, the lack of energy, the lows, complaining about weight gain,complaining about anything, I thought I was understanding but I'm not going to follow her route, I wish my wife would have the thing removed so I could have my wife back as for the sex well that don't happen anymore all thanks to Nexplanon the best form of birth control, so why take it.
One unhappy husband.

[lovechoc]

goingoutagain I know what you mean! I am on it and still having the heavy bleeds (on it since Jan this year, so nearly nine months), I'll be having mine out soon. Going to FPC next week to organise a date. I have no sex drive. Hope your DW works out a new method of contraception too. It's dire! :(

[townscutie]

i'm 22 years old and i decided for my first contraceptive i would use the Nexplanon. it sounded like such a great idea but after i got it put in, my first period lasted 15 days! and then it stopped for 2 days and continued bleeding, switched off and on between heavy and spotting for the whole 5 months i had it in. finally i decided to go get it taken out, but i think my body needs to re adjust and stop the spotting. as a contraceptive it's great all the bleeding and mood swings is not worth it. thank goodness my boyfriend 23 years old has been so understanding and patient with this whole thing. 5 months of no sex and a moody girlfriend is more than any guy can take. i will defiantly not be implanting anything again!

[Contraceptionmyarse]

I feel so strongly about this evil bloody implant I've joined a woman's forum to rant about it.. Am I allowed on mums net if I don't have kids? And probably never likely to with this implant knocking about..
I'm a 33yr old guy and currently on the verge of loosing my second relationship in a row to this so called contraception. My ex had the implant fitted and our relationship took a nose dive, after 2 yrs of mood swings and no sex, a loss of any emotion and her being miserable, weight gain god how many other symptoms...I decided I couldn't take any more and called it a day after 7yrs which hurt to do so but the damage was done and life is short.
A few months later a met a beautiful girl and fell head over heels in love, I worship the ground she walks on and for the first 3 months it was amazing.......
The some smart arse masquerading as a health professional injects my princess with an implant that removed her personality, sex drive, emotions, then gave her migraines and constant bleeding ridiculous mood swings so one minute it's fine then I open my mouth say one wrong thing and its like I poo'd in her knicker draw.
I know the woman I love is still in there somehwere but after 9 months of being treated like crap and my previous experience with this evil poison I can't take any more and would gladly strangle the git that put it on the market in the first place.
My girlfriend said she would go to the doctors this week again but with us on the verge of breaking up she probably won't and I don't think she realises just how badly its affecting her.....

Feels a bit better getting that off my chest

[missnevermind]

Suzi and Betsy I am the same
Loved my Implanon and told everybody to get one.
This time after the baby was born they gave me Nexplanon and said it was exactly the same - Its Not!

I am considering getting sterilised just to have it taken out.

[kt1012]

I had the same thing happen to me... I had an implanon for three years and loved it. I never had any issues at all... In May I had it removed and a Nexplanon was put in. The Dr. said it was the exact same thing... NOT!!! The past 5 months I have had mood swings, fatigue, weight gain and acne breakouts... I went to the Dr. yesterday and asked to have it removed... She told me that maybe it is just my imaginiation... After I broke down crying, she agreed to remove it... She immediately told me that the implant was way too deep but she would try to get it out. She dug around in my arm for 45 minutes... I'm really pain tollerant and I was fine with that as long as it came out... Eventually she said she was no longer comfortable digging around and refered me to a surgeon. I went today and he had to make a rather large incision but got it out and stitched me up!!! I hated the Nexplanon!!! Now I'm just hoping I can get back on track and back to my normal self!!! I do feel rather woozy today... Is that normal?

[WinterFatPhase]

Oh god. I just got nexplanon put in today and now I have read this thread I am cacking myself! I know someone who loves it and hasn't really had any trouble with it and has no bleeding, and read lots of comments about it on NHS, and had a in-depth discussion with my GP...but after reading this I am pretty worried!!! I hope I don't get to the 'wanting to gouge it out of my arm' stage!!!! Ahhhhh!!!!

[Jackstini]

Does anyone have anything good to say about Nexplanon?

Had my Implanon removed this morning and they only told me after they replaced it that the new one was Nexplanon.
Was feeling crap about it anyway as she didn't do the anesthetic correctly and it hurt like buggery - I screamed when she put it in.

Now really worried I am letting myself in for some kind of hell

[Saundy]

Hi Jackstini, please don't stress yourself about the implant it really is different for everyone. I've recently has mine taken out after about 2 years as now ttc and I had no problems when it was in.

Initially I did bleed for about 3 weeks & then you could probably count on 1 hand the number of periods I had, which were all very light.

Interestingly my periods were regular when I had a female colleague (as we went in sync) but when she left and it became an all male office my periods pretty much stopped completely.

My only niggle was that sometimes I would get PMS symptoms (bloating, moody) but would not get the actual release of a period, that would drag on for a couple of weeks and then pass. So all in all not too much to complain about.

In my experience is the best contraception I've used & I much preferred it to implanon. As a general rule I'm led to believe that if you're good with the mini pill you should be good with this.

[oneunhappybunny]

I got nexplanon inserted in March this year. Thought everything was going swimmingly until recently. My hair has started to thin - a lot. I have long hair and went to my hairdresser who suggested I visit my doctor for a check up. I had my bloods done, everything came back normal. I've become so down about it because I had no idea why i am loosing my hair until i checked the side effects of Nexplanon. 1 in 10 to 1 in 100 women experience hair loss. Has any one else experienced this? Not only that I am always tired, moody and no sex drive whatsoever. Im only in my early 20s and thinking this implant is so not worth this. I'm dying to get it taken out! I want my hair back!!