Implanon - side effects

[Larn26]

Hi there,

This has been very interesting reading this as i had the implant fitted about 3 months ago and since have been experiencing constant headaches and dizziness that has been drivin me insane!! i saw a doctor this morning and he doesn't think there is any connection between the impant and the head aches as i was on cerazette the mini pill but never suffered with head aches before. However, i am not so sure it seems a strange coinsidence!! They seem very reluctant to remove it but after reading this I am extremely worried I have also had a horrible itchy lump where the implant is fitted it my arm which also is so annoying!! I am glad to see i am not the only person experiencing these problems, by the sound of it they obviously dont know enough about it....

Alannah

[xx_clarey_fairy_xx]

hello. i recently was diagnosed with pcos. i am 20 years old and wasnt really expecting the doctor to tell me this. following blood tests hormone levels and internal scans the results showed a hormone imbalance my doctor said the only way to help this would be the implant or pill. so i have chosen the implant. i am having it fitted tomorrow and very scared after the horror stories ive just read. the doctor described the symptoms id experience as basically she didnt know what would happen to me. does the implant make pcos worse??? or does it actually help the symptoms.

I have just been diagnosed with PCOS as well but my doctors are telling me to get my implant taken out! I'm now rather confused.....anyone got any ideas why different doctors can give conflicting information on the same drug/hormone?

Aside from that, I am glad I found this website! I have had an implant in for 3 years. I put on 3st when I first went on the implant, reaching a size 18/20. I have had terrible mood swing - crying one minute, jumping about high as a kite the next. My doctors answer to this was to put me on anti depressants which to be honest haven't made a huge difference! I have had a non existent sex drive - partner of 9 years really isn't liking it! I am getting my implant removed this week because of the PCOS diagnosis - I'm now hoping that I return to my normal pre implant self and can stop taking the medications I was given to 'help' what I can now only put down to HORRIBLE SIDE EFFECTS!

[magicsparks]

I have had Implanon for about 9 months, with the theory that it would keep my PCOS under controll with out having to remember to take the pill (which i always forgot to take) but i have now realised that my sex-drive is going down and considering i had not had a partner for 6 years and no sex for 8, when it did happen and im in a relationship now the last thing i need is low sex drive!
When the implant was inserted i had severe headaches for about 5 days that would not go with painkillers, but i have suffered food related headaches all my life, so not really anything new, but wierd that they would not go with tablets.
My bleeds have been intermitant, sometimes a week, sometimes 3, sometimes 4 between, always 4-6day bleed tho.
Weight has always been high, but remaining high even with altered dietary requirements (food intolerance to bread, rice, pasta and potato was causing me headaches among other things)
Hair growth on body has not improved.
Cramps that come and go, in the day, all night, any time between bleeds.
I am having the implant removed in a few days, i have been prescribed Yasmin again to take in its place, but starting to wonder if i was better without any of it.
As for contraception, fraid i have taken the all out option and trying to get sterilised as i do not wish to have a child, now i have someone i want to devote my self to him.
I am pleased to see other women with the same reduced sex-drive now i know its not my imagination as the literature on Implanon try to dispell it as a myth! i will be telling my GP in no uncertain terms that it does cause depleted sex drive!

[random_panda]

Hi all

I had the implant put in last October. The day after it was inserted I had to go back as it was infected. So I took some antibiotics to get rid of it and then all was ok. I still havent had a period, so I'm one of the lucky ones where that is concerned but the weight gain is ridiculous. Also after reading this I have started to relate to the other symptoms like being enotional and irrational behaviour. As I have previously suffered with depression I thought that I maybe going backwards, but maybe it is due to the implant?
I also occassionaly get tweeks in my arm where the implant is- it feels like I can feel my pulse in there, anyone else experience that?
So far in regards to it as a contraceptive I cannot ask for better- i have cronic IBS so the pill sometimes can;t get absorbed and being allergic to dairy some pills can react a bit funny with me.
I know that this is more of a rant than a structured comment but I feel better for it....Thanks xx

[Missdoris]

Doctors/Nurses should direct their patients to this forum BEFORE they put the implanon in!!

[lou-lou1481]

Hi, like a lot of you I am so glad I found this site! I am another 3 weeks away to having this thing taken out, had it fitted in November and I have hardly stopped bleeding since. Having read everything I am glad its coming out! I hope to try for my second child his year I hope as it hasn't been in long i have avoided a lot of the problems! Thanks for all the help on here, glad to know you're not alone!

[lou-lou1481]

Oh my god, I'm also glad I've found this site! 
Reading everyones comments I can definitely relate to them.
Im 19 and have had the implant for 8 months and instead of having a period every month it seems to be constant, im lucky if I have 2/3 days where I'm not on. Although this may sound strange my period has not been bloody, more brown in colour, has anyone else had this? 

Also I am always extremely stressed and depressed, always crying!! I wondered what was wrong with me, Cry at the most silly things at the moment whereas before I never cried at all.
the weight gain was also a bit of an issue, im on a diet now and i play football 3 times a week trying to shift it but is it true that you cant get rid of the weight whilst on the implant?
I wish I never had it and im definitely going to have it out, especially seeing the news lately about people still getting pregnant whilst on it!!

Nicola, Mine have been the same, not so much bloody but brown, not heavy but enough of an inconvenience that i need protection! Fun times! You're not alone there.

[tissshy]

i have had the implanon in my arm for roughly 5 months now and i have had constant bleeding; black outs, passing out, and server headaches. I was just wondering if anyone else has had the passing out and black outs? or is there something else going on with me?

[normsie]

mines due out in june , have periods every six months . weight gains been a night mare , GP who put it in didnt tell me about weight gain and even prescribed fat busting tabs but they didnt work getting it out now.....

[lori297]

hi i am so glad i found this site after reading many other posts i have found most peoples symptoms to be the same as myself after getting the implanon.i got the implanon in july 2008 and after that time have had terrible acne which only cleared up after a course of rocatane ive had terrible sex loss once a month now before was 3 or 4 times a week.i have also gain so much weight 3 stone in the past 3 years so its like a stone for every year ive had the implanon in no diet or exercise seems to shift the pounds.i wish i had found this site beore i had the implanon as its goin to be hard work to shift the extra 3 stone now.the doctors dont seem to tell you much of the side effects and i agree it must be a cost cutting measure.my implanon is due out in july but i am going to see my doctor next week to get it removed as its been a nightmare some months ive been bleeding for 2 weeks cant wait to get rid off it.only went for it as i have 3 children and didnt want anymore,seemed like an easier option than the pill but now i know better.does anyone know of any side effects after getting the implanon removed thanks for your help

[Aimeepixie]

Hello,

I have been on the implant since last September with no problems at all. In the last month however I have been getting terrible heartburn, hiccups and nasuea (particularly in the middle of the noight - around 3am) I am unusually tired and have been having the occasional stabbing pain where my implant has been inserted, I have also been getting stomach cramps and thought that perhaps my period was on its way however nothing has happened. This may sound weird but I do feel as if I am pregnant, I'm feeling extremely maternal which is not like me at all! I have taken two pregnancy tests which have come up as negative. Are these symptoms normal for someone with Implanon?

[Guest]

DO NOT GET THE IMPLANON LADIES UNLESS YOU WANT A MISERABLE TIME EXPERIENCING VILE SIDE EFFECTS!

I had the Implanon for 2.5 years - during that time I piled on half a stone, was hungry all the time, horrendously anxious, constantly feeling unwell, I had about 15 hairs grow on my chin which I ended up having to shave every day to remove, NO sex drive - hated the idea of having sex with my prtner - it basically left me feeling so horrible about myself that I began to feel asexual - I didn't know who I was, I was constantly depressed, I felt like killing myself (sorry to be so dramatic). It ruined 2 and a half years of my life.

I had no idea it was the implanon until my partner who was so worried about me bless him, suggested that it could be this that was causing my misery. In desperation I agreed to have it removed and see if it was indeed the little rod in my arm ruining my life.

And guess what - I had it removed on the 31st Jan - the first 3 weeks were hell, with my hormones all over the place, panic attacks and horrendous anxiety - but now - NO chin hair whatsoever it has dissappeared over night, I've dropped about 7 pounds, I'm really confident, on a constant level of mood and...... I have my sex drive back. I FEEL BRILLIANT. Almost like a heavy weight has been lifted off me.

I cannnot believe women will have this inserted into their bodies to stop them getting pregnant. GET YOUR FELLOW TO PUT SOMETHING ON THE END OF IT - like Jeremy Kyle always says!

Be natural and be kind to your body, this evil thing is like something out of the film ALIEN. It will wreck your life.

DONT DO IT.

[Hal62]

I am on my second implant, had my first one fitted in June 2007, and refitted in June 2010, not sure if it's my implant but had terrible pain during sex, realised this is since last one was put in, but thought it was because around the same time as my relationship became long distance - only see bf once every month for about 2 days. recently spent a week with him and still had pain. Going to see a lady doc this evening, hopefully she will be able to give me some answers.

Seen that some people have trouble conceiving. I was never maternal until I met my bf, we really want to have a family, in a couple of years, so the implant was perfect, im 25, and feel 27-28 would be a great time to have kids...I just hope I can!!!

[caseyb2011]

hello im casey
im 21 years old i got pregnant at 16 my little man is now four, decided to try implanon i had it in my arm for two years and have just had it removed this afternoon after i realised that all the recent health problems that i have, the implant may be causing them,
3st of weight gain!!!
i have anger and depression issues
chronic period pain
loss of libido all together
daignosis of extremely painful ovarian cysts and lesions on my ovaries ( had to have an operation to remove the cysts but they could not remove the lesions)
really strange periods light one minute heavy and clotting the next, they have always been on time to the day every month tho.

REMOVAL!!!!
my arm is on fire!, the implant had somehow shifted and stuck to my muscle, so therefore the doctor had to make a very large hole in my arm and actually stick her fingers in to remove it, so as you can imagine it is extremely sore and i will now have a huge scar.

but as people have said implanon is different for each person but i would 100000000% NOT recomend it to ANYONE!!

thanks for reading
casey xx

[getupgetoutanddosomething]

Wow, wish I'd read this a few months back.

I had Implanon put in after a termination and got severely depressed soon after. I wasn't sure if it was the after-effects of the procedure or a slide back into the old me, as I've suffered depression before. It got so bad I just wanted to run away somewhere where no-one knew me and then I decided I just didn't want to be alive anymore. Fortunately I have an incredibly close and supportive family, unfortunately I got dumped when I was at my lowest point (actually, that's probably fortunate too, better to find out how much of a man someone ISN'T sooner rather than later eh?)

I'm sorry to everyone who has suffered with this, but it sure is nice to know I'm not alone. Glad to report I am back to my bouncy bubbly self and enjoying life once again hope everyone else gets there too!