Nexplanon implant thing - how I regret that!

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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?

I had nexplanon in for a year and a half and I have to say it was HORRIBLE!! I went into it because they thought I had endometriosis and the pills were driving me crazy, literally homicidal. My DR, at the time - I changed physicians as she was horrible, put in the Nexplanon and I didn't have the bleeding that I was told I would have at all, in fact, I didn't bleed once in the entire time I was on it (It's been out for a month now and still, no bleeding). Now most people would say that's awesome however, the weight gain (15 pounds that I can't get rid of), mood swings, severe depression, no sex drive - now when I say no sex drive I mean that I probably could have gone the last year and a half with NO SEX and I'm a newly married woman so that really just didn't work for me. I am so thankful that I finally went to my DR who has been so very supportive and he took it out right away! I would only recommend this for someone who isn't in any sort of relationship, ever wants to have sex and needs to gain some weight! Otherwise steer clear of it!

Hi Ladies

I have finally made an appointment to have my implant removed, I have had them since 2010 and generally it has been a good contraceptive but there are side effects that I cannot ignore any longer.

Weight Gain! I have gained at least a stone, I seem to have a permanently bloated belly, especially since I got the Nexplanon. Since having the Nexplanon I have noticed my hair rapidly thinning just above my fringe which is a worry as if it gets that bad, i'll have to shave my head and wear a bloody wig!

The weight gain really upsets me as I try seriously hard to get rid of it and maintain a healthy weight but nothing is working and I had quite a healthy lifestyle and diet to start with so the weight gain is inexplicable! My partner saw the weight gain very quickly to be fair and has been adamant that I should get shot of the implant for a long time! There was a story on yahoo today about a lady professional bodybuilder who had struggled with contraceptive weight gain and she was exercising 5 nights a week so if she can't shift it, I have no chance of beating it!

I have realised that I may have more side effects than I thought - brain fogs! Bowel sensitivities and easily feeling nauseous which I never used to do.

I feel a sense of relief now I have finally made the appointment - I am slender every where bar my belly and backside and this is just plain embarrassing on beaches and by pools, I also hate seeing what looks a bit like a bag of spuds instead of a waist in the mirrors at pilates class! I want to look attractive in lingerie for my partner and fit into my favourite clothes once again!

wow!!

I am SO glad I ran into this forum. I had implanion for 3 yrs (and loved it!!!) And had to replace it with "the same" Nexplanon. Boy, could that be any further from the truth!!

I've had the Nexplanon in now for about a week and I cannot express enough how I am completely regretting it. Mood swings, insomnia and major depression this entire week. On top of absolutely NO energy and no sex drive. I have snapped over and over again on my fiance for no reason (thank God he's patient) and crying literally for nothing outta no where ..... Now reading all of this I am thinking I need to get this thing out of my arm stat!!! I don't even want to think about the weight gain that's in my future!!! I NEVER had these issues with implanion.... The worst side effect was bleeding.

Thanks ladies (and gents) for sharing very personal info about an important topic..... It helps more than you know.

Question? Any woman expedience this? I just got in nexplanon 3 weeks ago march 14th to be exact and I've noticed that my moods have been more crying and very short with people but my biggest concern along with everything is 1) my breast hurt, it feels like when (hopefully this doesn't sound too weird) you cup your breast with your your hand and finger tips and slowly close your hands until you get to your nipple, then it aches at the nipple. Now this is happening by its own not even touching. Is this normal? Secondly, just tonight, it started burning on my right breast, like someone put a flame to it, alittle painful but has anyone experience that? 2) couple days after inserting the nexplanon, I found out I have a fatty liver after I had the doctor put in the birth control. I read that if you have any liver diseases you should not put in this form of birth control. Should I be worried?
Now as for the mood swings, I have a husband and a 2 year old. I'm really considering taking this out because my daughter nor my husband deserves me being an emotional reck. I feel like everything is my fault and I can't get to anything quick enough, or do it right. The drive is definately gone.
Thank you for listening and any responses to questions would be greatly appreciated.

I think the problem with these implants is that our bodies are being tricked into a flase pregnancy which brings with it a lot of side effects and swelling - my belly looks swollen most of the time and ever since I first got the implanon fitted, i noticed that when I wake with a full bladder in the mornings it feels like there is no longer enough room for my bladder to expand an I end up in a lot of pain around my abdomen and back until I go for a pee - seriously it sometimes hurts to even breathe until I release that pressure!

I have my appointment to remove mine tomorrow so I hope the Doctor is understanding about it!

I had my Nexplanon implant taken out 6 weeks ago. I have lost 19lbs in weight since. I no longer look or feel pregnant and very happy my weight is started to shift. The implant had too many negative factors. I feel happy again! I will go back to the IUD which is different hormones.. I never had a weight problem before the impant! I now know my body is getting back to normal. I am sure some people will find the implant perfect for them. It didn't work for me, and wish I had taken it out sooner and not let myself gain so much weight. My family planning clinic told me my side effects were rare. They did say that the weight gain is a common side effect though. I am glad that I found this topic on the forum. I know women who have had problems with the mirena coil. I found that perfect for me. Just didn't fancy having that fitted again. I have been told to wait a few weeks before having the coil fitted. Just to see if side effects go and it wasn't something else.
It didn't hurt having it removed! I went to my local family planning clinic for advice and it was great. Good luck ladies!!

My Dr was very understanding and took out the implant and put me back on the pill straight away - my appetite already seems to have dropped (although it could be a slight hangover :-)) It was painless to have out bar the injection of anaesthesia although it took her ages to get it out, my last one took a while after being in for 3 years and this one took longer after only being in a year - I found out recently that my Mum is a Keloid Healer which can be hereditary and the Dr said this explained why my implant had so much internal scar tissue to cut away! So if I had stuck to having an implant it makes me wonder what the inside of my arm would eventually look like!! I actually feel more mentally alert since it went too! I am able to finish sentences without having to think of what word I am looking for :-)

Pleased to hear about your weightloss Mansted :-)

Hey Ladies,
I had my first son in July of 2013. About a month after I had my son I got the nexplanon put in. The dr told me that within 6 months the heavy random bleeding would stop. Well here it is almost 8 months with it in and still having heavy random bleeding. I bleed like 2 1/2 3 weeks out of the month. I am ALWAYS exhausted even if I get a full 8 hours of sleep. I also feel like I have gained alot of weight. Has this happened to anyone else? Please help!

Hello everyone. I will list positive and negative experiences with Nexplanon fitted in July 2013. I am married, no kids, did combined pills and Cerazette for 3 years recently due to adenomyosis and endo (the goal was not to have periods - progestin only). I will end by saying what my 'theory' is from research I did and what I plan to do next.

Positive:

• strongly recommended to do this by a friend who had it for 6 years
• a bit more bleeding in the beginning compared to mini-pill but then stopped completely (random spotting only, no big deal)
• no need to remember taking the pill!
• I have the impression at month 9-12 your body stabilises

Negative:

• if you have tendency to weight gain, IBS/bloating, mood swings, tiredness, this implant will make it worse. normal/high libido will be very likely be suppressed with the rest of problems or because of them (does not matter much)
• I never had acne etc and I gained them to the point my husband noticed. I also have dark patches and hair growth just as occurs in pregnancy
• I also had a lot of hair loss (measurable by vacuum cleaning) and started a hair treatment.

I learned from reading clinical papers that Nexplanon (etonogestrel) is made of a metabolite from the synthetic progestin (desogestrel) contained in minipills like Cerazette (doctor would say it's the same hormone but biochemically they are not the same entity). Nex is possibly better delivered in the body via improved rod system. despite the lower dosage 68mcmg (that declines a bit after 1 year too) it has a high potency and is metabolized well by most women. it has a low androgenic activity and reduces free testosterone (the 'male' effects) that are associated with sex drive but this would contradict theoretically the acne, hair, etc

My 'theory' is that Nexplanon's component is carried much more directly and effectively to your whole body while Cerazette's (like oral pills) is metabolized in your gut and liver (Hence more risk of not working). With Cerazette I would not have 'real' periods but a monthly spotting that imitated the 'natural' cycle and if I'd forget 1 pill it would come immediately. but I did not have the endometriosis pains ever. With Nexplanon my body feels completely pregnant or menopausal. There should be much more research on all these issues, despite lot of campaigning in the US: they are massive and I must have counted 150 negative comments around 2-3 websites (this is a cohort of a clinical trial on its own).

I am having the implant removed in a few weeks after which I will try to go off everything and see until when I can be without the endo pain and if this re-occurs then I'll get back to Cerazette pill (which I would have not changed if I knew all these biochemical and side-effect differences). Not all stories are the same and some women love Nexplanon but I mistrust it and very much what experts tell you it does because they know very little I found out via my own research...

good luck you all and reach out if need more info.

I know that this is an old thread but wanted to add my experience.
After 16 years on various contraceptive pills I decided that the implant would be a good option for me as I was terrible at remembering to take my pill.
In March last year (a week before my 30th birthday) I had Nexplanon fitted, at first I thought it was great. I was constantly bleeding but I thought it was a small price to pay and had been warned about this side effect so I expected it. It is only now in the past month I have been reflecting on the past year that I realise how terrible Nexplanon is and how it could be responsible for many issues I've struggled with for the past year.
Last Summer I developed awful depression and anxiety, I took 2 months off work because I couldn't cope with even the smallest amount of stress. I eventually quit my job (a career I had been working hard at for 13 years, I was at the top of my game!). My relationship began to suffer due to my mood swings and general craziness but we held it together (thanks to my wonderful, patient boyfriend) and in the last few months I have been unable to have sex without recoiling at his touch and feeling disgusted by it. This has been very upsetting for us both. I have also put on almost 3 stone in weight, it seems in the blink of an eye! This has also contributed to me feeling bad about myself and affected the way I feel about sex. After talking about the weight gain to my mum she begged me to have the implant removed and I didn't really listen... until I found this forum. So many women (and long suffering men) have reported the same life altering symptoms and I'm very pleased to say that this has led to me making an appointment with my GP to have the implant removed. I can't wait to get rid of it and start feeling like my happy, healthy, non crazy self again! Thank you to everyone who has shared their stories.

Just adding my experience too which is unfortunately negative.

Put on nexplanon 4 weeks ago, been bleeding constantly for last 3. Feel bloated and tired and sluggish. Have put on 1kg despite eating the same and exercising slightly more. Have hot flushes, low libido, oily spotty skin.

Family planning clinic refuse to take it out until 3 months.
Gps (who put it in) sent me to nurse who prescribed combined pill to reduce bleeding (ineffective). Since being on pill have been feeling very low with mood swings. Have also been feeling constantly nauseous which is awful. Had Hyperemesis in last 2 pregnancys and feel like its turning into that.

Since pleading with gps have been given tentative appointment for removal in 2 and a half weeks (earliest available).

I feel so cross. If no one knew I had the implant they'd be very concerned for my deteriorating mental and physical health. How is a drug allowed to cause this? Also why isn't it explicit that the very common side effect of "prolonged bleeding" is in fact weeks or never ending not just one or two days added to ur usual period. It's a complete con.

Please help. I have been sick for a year and a half and I need to find the problem.

I had a kidney infection and kidney stones last March, and then illnesses and various side effects that have led to a poorly last year and a half. Thinking this infection was the root, I tried elimination diets for the last 6 months, which haven't helped much, and so then I had a colonoscopy and gastroscopy on Monday that I thought would surely find the cure, but tests came back clear. I was feeling totally baffled and devastated to have still not found the answer to my problems.

I was thinking tonight that perhaps it is something I am putting into my body on a daily basis that has slowly poisoned me. This can't be something from my diet, as I have tried cutting out everything (wheat, dairy, sugar, gluten, you name it). So, these two things are Nexplanon, there all the time, or Citalopram, which I take every night.

I am exhausted all the time, I have acne for the first time in my life, I get dry skin and dry hair. My moods are low, I have no sex drive. My immume system is shot, I get colds and viruses once a month. The only thing that hasn't been affected is my weight- if anything, I've lost weight, not gained it. I have trouble concentrating at work, and terrible memory. And my periods over the last 5 months have followed the pattern of: on for one week, off for one week, on for one week, or more recently, one for two weeks, off for a few days, on again for another 4 or 5 days, off for three weeks or so.

(I also get constipation, diarrhoea, and stomach pains, but I suspect this is something to do with IBS, my diet, etc, and possibly not related to these medications, though maybe it is)

I'm trying to now figure out if the problem is my Nexplanon or my Citalopram. I don't want to have to come off either unnecessarily; my Nexplanon protects me and I've tried coming off Citalopram before, to disastrous side effects.

So, if anyone is reading these symptoms and feels theirs match quite specifically, please let me know.

(Also, have any of you been fine on the Nexplanon/Citalopram for the first few months (it was about 8 months for me on the Nexplanon before this all started.)

Thank you thank you thank you.

I loved my Implanon but my Nexplanon was great until about 4 weeks ago when I started bleeding and haven't stopped. (gracie, I was on 20mg Citalopram while on Implanon but not with Nexplanon - I was totally fine, but the two implants seem to affect me quite differently. However, I also took Citalopram while pregnant and several weeks post-partum and still didn't get any of those symptoms)

I'm so pissed off - the pill in any form gives me migraines, takes away my sex drive and makes me pack the weight on. I don't want an IUD or IUS because we're trying for another baby later in the year. So I either put up and shut up or it comes out and we either use condoms or NFP knowing that if we do conceive ahead of schedule it's not the end of the world.

I think I do want it out now. DH has promised he will get a vasectomy as soon as we have a second (and therefore last) baby! I'm holding him to that.

I just had mine put in on Friday.. And I hate it already!! Wasn't too bad going in considering I have a low pain tolerance and a fear of shots.. But now the bruising has become unbearable to the point where my upper arm is a deep shade of purple. I think my body is rejecting it. I can see the implant and it has moved further up my arm. I have ten friends who have the same Nexplanon implant and had no problems, but I'm going back to the doctor to see what's up and probably having this thing REMOVED. Never used birth control before and I'm way too disorganized to take pills. I'd rather give up sex than feel as sick as I do now looking at this thing!! Ready to see the doc tomorrow.

Oh blaineee! That looks so sore, you poor love. Definitely get it looked at.

Mine's coming out in a fortnight! Wish they could've done it this week as I go on holiday on Friday. No sign of this neverending period ever ending. At least by the time it comes out it'll have been in two years so it's had a pretty good run.

So glad to hear that people are feeling better after having the implant taken out. I've had mine in for over a year and have finally given up and made an appointment to have it taken out. The brain fogginess, constant bleeding, hair loss, random mood swings, hot flushes, tiredness and generally feeling unwell have started to make me feel like I have a serious illness! I've had blood tests which have all come back normal so I know there's nothing physically wrong with me. Fingers crossed that once this thing is out I'll start to feel normal again...

Mine was fine for the first nine months or so but in the last nine it has been a complete nightmare. It's changed my personality completely. I have always been pretty calm and competent but now I flip and become a hysterical teary mess at absolutely nothing. Last weekend it was tears for an hour because my boyfriend had a cold and wasn't enjoying the bank holiday weekend as much as I wanted him to. Seriously. An hour. It felt at times like I was losing my mind completely, my thoughts were all tangled up and I just couldn't make sense of them or get happy. And I was being a complete bitch. Oddly, I could hear myself doing it and I knew I wasn't being reasonable but I just couldn't stop myself doing it. So I made an appointment to have it removed. My GP can't do it for another month because despite training for seven years, apparently a doctor can't remove a little rod from an arm without specialist training and the one doctor they had had left. I couldn't go another month, another bout of hormonal disturbance like the last one is either going to see me sectioned or on remand so I am paying a private clinic £200 to have it removed in 4 days. I can't wait. And neither can my poor, long suffering boyfriend. Good luck to all you other ladies having problems with it, I hope you manage to get it sorted because when it's working well this implant is a dream but when the hormones go wrong, it is a genuinely miserable experience.

So on nexplanon, I'm only 15 but the thing is making me miserable and my mom doesn't want me to get it taken out because she thinks I'll just try to start making babies.

I don't get my period at all, at first I was like (if I have to have my period while I'm on this, I might just die.) now I'm just sad because I know I'm not capable of making children.

Sometimes it makes my arm spasm, it's really weird.

I've had a lot of heart issues since I've gotten it inserted, I had imflamation in my rib cartilage and I've had an ongoing UTI. I panicked because my grandfather died of a heart attack when he was 39 so I thought I was going to die.

I've had it for about 7 months now and I'm constantly depressed and I just can't deal with all of this. Should I get it taken out?

THE NEXPLANON FOR ME!!!

April 15th, 2013, it was 2 days before my 15th birthday!! (I know, I know, I'm just a young person) but my mom had me get it after she found out I was having sex! Best thing ever in my opinion but I think that is just because I had a good experience with it! I haven't had crazy irregular bleeding, actually I haven't had any bleeding since I got it in. I also haven't had any weight gain or crazy mood changes! I love my nexplanon! I have had it in for over a year and most the time I forget it's even there! And it has saved my butt on many unprotected nights!

I know this thread is old but I felt I had to add my voice and experience with nexplanon here as this thread helped me decide to have it removed. I am 40 with 2 children and I don't intend to have any more. We've considered different methods of contraception as I seem to get pregnant without a problem at the moment (3 in 2 years, miscarried 1) and menopause seems a way off. My GP and I settled on nexplanon which would be put in every 3 years until I reached menopause. The first 3 months were alright with a bit of spotting, nothing too horrendous. I was on a weight loss programme because I wanted to lose 10 kgs from my pregnancy. I continued losing weight and reached my target of 70 kgs. I ate well and worked out 4 times a week but about 6 months in I started to gain weight. My weight went up to 85 kg and then stabilised. I was not surprised by the weight gain because I was always hungry, craving sugar. My GP sent me for blood tests because she thought it might be a problem with my thyroid perhaps due to my age. Everything was normal - no diabetes, no deficiencies, nothing. She offered me orlistat which I refused as I already eat minimal fat. I thought I could try more exercise and even fasting - Bob Harper, Jillian Michaels, running, yoga, pilates. Even with fasting I would lose weight but it would be a struggle and my weight would soon return to 85 kg after the fast. Funny my weight never went above 85 kg even in weeks which I would consider binges. My GP did say to me that if I didn't lose weight I should consider having the implant out because she could see that it was affecting my mental health. I didn't know at the time that even my mood swings and pains down my left arm were probably due to the nexplanon. After reading this thread last week I went ahead to have the implant removed 3 days ago. In 3 days my appetite has disappeared and I have completely lost the sugar craving. I am not even having stevia anymore. I have lost 1.2 kg. I feel lighter and I don't mean weightwise. I will post again in a month with my progress just to help others who may be considering their next step. Thank you to all those who posted their comments here. I am glad I found this thread.

Hi all, I had the nexplanon for a whole year, after horrible side effects like, weight gain, bloating, loss of libido, no period, "pregnancy brain", uncomfortable sex, ovarian cysts, feeling weak and sick and swollen lymph nodes, but the worst by far, HAIR THINNING, my dr reluctantly took it out of my arm in april, 2014. My normal period has come back, my lymph nodes went away, i feel better, still need to lose weight, but whatever. My hair is growing, but it is still thin. I wonder if it will ever grow back? I was starting to worry it was bcuz i dye it and bleach it, but the thinning only started after the nexplanon and has never happened before that. Ive always had really thick hair, which i used to hate, but how i miss it now! Nobody in my family, parents, grandparents have thin hair or baldness. So it must be the nexplanon right? Either way i have stopped bleaching my hair, but i still dye it using manic panic vegan hair dye, which is rrally mild and conditions. Reading that other people have experienced hair thinning on nexplanon, especially around the front hairline, makes me feel better in a way. I wish i would never have put that horrid thing in my arm.

I've had this nexplanon since jan 14. Iv bled heavy constantly since it's been incerted moody short temperd constant belly pains the only one no one has mentions is sickness I'm constantly sick my boobs hurt ???? I thought it was just me with the bleeding but reading this has made me realise it the implant but not shur on the sickness and pregnancy symptoms I do so many test all negative ???? don't no what to do.

Hi ladies, I have a post up there and finally removing my implant today. with my very nice nurse we agreed that if side effects would disappear and proven related to nexplanon we would fill out a yellow card to send out to the manufacturer. I urge you to complain and to campaign for more care, more research and more caution in relation to this implant. spread the word also to your friends, relatives and colleagues. I have seriously counted several hundreds of women having these terrible side effects altogether, it cannot just be 'something else' - psychosomatic, timing, coincidence or environment right? I will come back in 10 days or so to follow up on post-removal issues and other effects...

p.s. I am out the practice, and seriously 'it is so slippery' so another nurse had to come and help, a lot cutting and pulling, cutting and pulling, grabbing etc, they told me it is gonna bruise a lot and I am sure it will hur when the anaesthesia fades away. seriously I would never ever have put this in if knew about all the trouble and terrible side effects and procedure. bye-bye nexplanon.

I regret using Nexplanon. I have been on it a month now and since I have started my period the end of June, I have been bleeding for 3weeks now. It has gotten lighter, but seem as though it's not ending. Plus I been waking up with headaches some days. Considering about talking to my dr to remove and not deal with birth control anymore.