Implanon

March 24, 2009 | Filed under Body

I went to Family Planning Victoria today, and walked out two hours later with an Implanon inserted on the inside of my left arm. This is actually the first semi-permanent contraceptive I’ve ever used – I’ve never been on the contraceptive pill (though I have taken the morning-after pill before), nor Depo-Provera, or anything like that. It’s always been condoms for me and my respective partners, primarily as a result of the sheer variety and number of partners I’ve had in the past (and the increased possibility of STDs).

Some quick facts! The Implanon:

  1. is inserted under the skin of the upper arm under local anaesthetic, and removed the same way
  2. can be removed at any time if there are any ill side-effects, but must be removed after three years when it stops being effective
  3. has a 99.9% success rating when it comes to preventing pregnancy (more effective than the contraceptive pill!)
  4. has some side effects that include weight gain, headaches, irregular periods and acne

I had considered and researched other birth control options before going into the family planning clinic today, but had decided on Implanon as the best option because: a) I sleep irregular hours all the time, so cannot guarantee that I’ll take the contraceptive pill at the same time every day; b) I have a slight calcium deficiency, and with Depo-Provera being linked to bone loss and osteoporosis, it really wasn’t an option for me; c) an IUD is best used by women who have already had children, which I obviously haven’t.

The low-fuss factor of an Implanon was a huge selling point, as I currently visit the doctor maybe once a year – going regularly to get birth control refills would simply have been a hassle. The aforementioned side effects don’t bother me too much either: I’m good at controlling my weight, I handle pain well, my periods are irregular anyway, and I already have acne. I will of course monitor my body over the next handful of months, to make sure that I react well to the progestin in the Implanon. All I have to do is make a follow-up appointment for two month’s time to make sure that everything is going okay.

And at $5.30AUD for the prescription (student and low-income discount!), it’s a small price to pay for the reassurance that combined with continued use of condoms, I will not get pregnant any time for the next three years. I want children, but just not now (on the bright side, the doctors at the family planning clinic said I shouldn’t have any problems conceiving in the future)!

43 Responses to Implanon

  1. That’s pretty awesome. I wonder if it can affect a person’s blood pressure too. That’s the only reason I’m personally hesitant to take birth control pills… I have a family history of hypertension so I have to be extra careful.

    Felisa on March 24, 2009 #

  2. The thing about Implanon is that it hurts like a bitch to get out, even for someone with a high pain tolerance, because muscle and fat can grow around, and fuse to it. Still, three years before you have to think about this!

    (It also weirds me out just because.. it feels unnatural to have something there. Not that I’d know, I just touched my friend’s. This is everything she’s told me.)

    But hoorah for contraception!

    Carmen on March 24, 2009 #

  3. I’m not in any birth control (except the condoms obviously) at the moment. But obviously I have thought about it. Capsule like Iplanon has been mostly in my mind, but I am bit concerned about the side effects (of this and all hormonal methods). Anyway, I hope it works for you. :)

    @Carmen. I assume they use local anaesthesia.

    Hanna on March 24, 2009 #

  4. I can’t ever take birth controls because of a recent experiment where I was on it for six months and got I-want-to-die migraines ever week and my blood pressure soared from being extremely low to being extremely high. Yeah, bad stuff. So I’m always interested in hearing alternates! This sounds really interesting, unless what Carmen says is true and it hurts like a mother to get it out. D:

    Rebee on March 25, 2009 #

  5. I don’t like the idea of a chip-like thing being implanted anywhere… too much sci-fi, I suppose. But in all reality, it seems like a rather nifty idea.

    Arielle on March 25, 2009 #

  6. Thanks to a fairly rigid schedule from college (and a cell phone alarm reminder), I generally take my BC on time. Also, I have a good many pills that I take anyway (antidepressant, vitamins, allergy medicine), so I kind of have a routine. Refilling is a hassle, but basically the parentals pay for it so I used the method they prefer.

    I personally am not a fan of condoms, but seeing how I’m in a monogamous relationship, all is good.

    Stephanie on March 25, 2009 #

  7. The whole concept of implanting something like that into your arm is just fascinating to me. It sounds like it has a lot of advantages! Now I’m wondering why I’ve never heard of it before.

    Kaylee on March 25, 2009 #

  8. I use the pill. It took a while to find the right brand for me, seeing as some effect mood (depression), weight, hair growth (too much in wrong places), pain during sex, etc. Works pretty well for me. Good luck with yours!

    Skye on March 25, 2009 #

  9. I have used the contraceptive pills for as long as I can remember, I think I was about 16 when I started. I have to say I always use condoms too just to be safe.

    Implanon is a good alternative for the pill when you don’t want the hassle with taking pills etc.

    Chans on March 26, 2009 #

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  11. Hey,

    I am 20 and got married on the 11th July 2008. I got the depo injection about two weeks before the wedding. I was on my period when i had the injection. I didn’t have a period again until august which seemed normal but it didn’t stop. I knew irregular bleeding was common for most women while having the injection. Though my bleeding was/is not heavy i still had/have to wear pads. The nurse and doctor advised me to stick it out for a few more injections so my body could get used to it. So i had the 2nd injection. At the end of the 2nd injection(6months) i had had enough of bleeding every day for 5 months so i didn’t go back for my 3rd injection! We went onto condoms.

    But i wanted to try the implant as i was worried about getting pregnant. I know condoms are very effective but it still worried me. Some of you may be thinking why didn’t i try the pill… The implant seemed such a convience of not having to think about contraception for 3 years!
    About 2 1/2 months after my missed injection i stopped bleeding for the first time in 7 months!! It was so nice! But i had already booked my implant to be inserted on the 27th feb. Maybe i shouldn’t have got it and continued to use condoms or try the pill. On the 26th march i started bleeding again :’( 2 1/2 months later and it hasn’t stopped.

    I have read many reviews and comments about the implant and all say pretty much the same thing. I realise women who are not finding any problems with the implant will not search for these sites thus not making any comments.
    It will be my first marriage anniversary soon and through all of the year i have been bleeding. Its depressing and upsets me alot sometimes to be honest. I feel dirty sometimes and though its only light bleeding and i take care in cleaning my self before and after sex(sorry if thats too much info) its such a downer. Can’t be as spur of the moment as i would like.

    I don’t know how long to keep the implant in as all the comments i have read with women in similar positions as myself don’t seem to be getting any better.
    I haven’t tried any prescribed pills to control the bleeding yet but it is something i talk to my doctor or family planning clinic about. I think i will wait until i’ve had it for 6 months to see if anthing changes.
    J

    J on May 15, 2009 #

  12. I just had the implant as the injection was poo… got pregnant… lol. Three babies in three years is enough for me.

    The thing is that although I only got it put in last week, I am finding it veryuncomfortable. When I move my arm in certain directions I get a shooting pain up my arm.

    Does this go away? Are you familar with the pain I am describing?

    Reply: I found that kind of discomfort went away after about a week and a half – I don’t know whether it was because my body just got used to it, or whether it just stopped hurting.

    Dale on May 16, 2009 #

  13. Carmen,you get local anaesthetic in your arm before implanon is removed, a little bruising and discomfot, but certainly not pain and it is bandaged for 48 hours-for peace of mind and not having to think about contraception for 3 years its not much to have to deal with!!!I am a huge fan and advocate of Implanon and would recommend it to everyone, but as with any hormone based contraceptions, its different with everyone,I do know people who suffered extreme fatigue, depression, migraines and general moodiness with implanon and they got it removed – like i say its different with everyone and as far as I know its not recommended for anyone with history of heart problems in the family

    Roisin on July 5, 2009 #

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  15. I had the Implanon Implant in my arm for a year and a half. by then i was ready for it to be out. i was miserable on this implant,
    1. i started spotting all the time. literally like every other day
    2. i gained 40 pounds in about 4 months. eating like i normailly do but excersizing even more. just kept putting more and more weight on.
    3. i started noticeing hair on my stomach and i mean big long black ones, more pubic hair, long black hairs growing under my chin, a full mustache and peach fuzz all over my face.
    4. i was having up to 5 migraines a week. so bad that i have gone blind for a couple of hours. I sh*t you not.
    5. I was depressed. I was also having severe anxiety attacks.
    6. my sex drive completely disappeared.

    I am now Implanon free and have been on Spironolactone to reverse the hair growth for about 2 months now. i stopped having to pluck my chin hair and am back to my normal hair free self. I’m back to a couple of migraines a month and enjoy masterbation more than ever. (my boyfriend is locked up) even though because of implanon i am on benzodiazapines, antipsychotics, and antidepressant that also treats my fibre myalga which worsened incredibly while on this

    Candice on July 31, 2009 #

  16. Has any one experienced arm pain later on after insertion like 2 months later? I am having muscle like arm pain not at the implant site and just wondering if anyone else exprienced the same. Incidently it started a week before my first period since insertion. My are is not swollen, cold, hot nor red just aches alot.

    Diane on September 9, 2009 #

  17. i have the implanon and it has worked perfect for me i havent had a single period in 1 and a 1/2 years! it hurt so much to get put in though! i think it easily hurt way more the both of my tattoos! does it hurt that much to get out? me and my partner really want to try for a baby but i need to get this out first

    christina on October 6, 2009 #

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  19. I just recently had implanon placed in my left arm and things so far *knock on wood* have been going great. Its been a little over a month and it is really nice not to have to take a pill everyday or trying to remember if I took it or not and no contraceptives are nice. I work 60-70 hrs a week and crazy times, so the pill was really a hassle. My boyfriend and I are not ready for kids or any “whoops” so I looked at all my options with my gyno and we agreed on implanon being the best option. The only thing that I have noticed so far while being on Implanon was that my first period was 9 days long (very very light) but I normally only have it for 3-4 days. So that was different, other than a little weight gain (which is most likely due to all the junk food and lack of gym) I haven’t really noticed anything else. *knock on wood*

    Cindy on December 25, 2009 #

  20. Oo and to add to my comment above- My arm was numbed up with local anaesthesia (lidocane) and I never felt a thing with it being inserted. I had bruising and tenderness for the following 2 weeks, but now I can’t even tell that it is in my arm-unless I push on it, but other than that I have forgotten all about it. My gyno said that it would be the same procedure when removing it. Just numbing it up and bruising and tenderness after.

    Cindy on December 25, 2009 #

  21. hi i recently got the implanon inserted into my arm after having a termination (havent really had any contaceptive pills…etc just condoms).now im just confused as to whether your meant to use condoms with them? all these comments have left me wondering. is it ok for a man to ejaculate in you when your using the implant…has anyone got pregnant from this… i really dont want to be in that horrible situaton again. please help

    tina on January 24, 2010 #

  22. Hi Tina and everyone else. To answer you Tina, I wasn’t sure if you were asking about the implanon or pills when asking about the condoms, but I’ve been on both birth control pills and the implanon in the past. Its been a while, but when we were using b/c pills we waited one month to stop using the condoms (we wanted to make sure the pills had set in). With the implanon, I think we waited a week and then stopped using condoms, but I think you can stop using them with the first day or two, we were just being cautious.

    I would never recommend the implanon though. I had mine in for a year and just this week had it removed. My periods were so irregular, accompanied much spotting. I was recently able to connect my increased anxiety with the implanon when I reflected on the time line of when my anxiety started to shoot thru the roof. It was pretty much almost to the day of me having the implanon inserted. After having it removed, my spotting stopped two days later, and now I’m not spotting at all. I hope my period comes soon, because I’ve read many stories of women who have not had theirs for atleast a year after removal and the doctors don’t know why. It will take much dedication, but I’m not messing with my body’s hormones again. I’m going to just work on natural family planning, and let my body work naturally. I was really excited about not having a period when I first had the Implanon inserted, but it really wasn’t worth the anxiety and spotting I experiencded, or now getting my body back on schedule.

    Y on February 2, 2010 #

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  24. omg!! im getting my implanon inserted today!! im freaking out..i mean does it hurt?? thats the big thing im worried about!

    bianca on May 18, 2010 #

  25. I have had the implant for two and a half years now and CAN’T WAIT to have it out, apart from the weight gain which I can deal with, I have also experienced increased hair growth which can be embarrassing (I am a generally attractive 23 year old), and having a period every three months is no fun when the pain cripples you for the first three days every time. Definitely not for me ever again

    Amy on June 24, 2010 #

  26. I got the implant fitted last night and my arm is in agony today! The bandage keeps falling off so she obviously didn’t dress it very well but I’m in so much pain. I have a one year old son and it’s really hard to pick him up! When wil this go ? And how soon can I remove this bandage ?

    Sam on July 28, 2010 #

  27. I got implanon in 2008 and a few months later had to have it removed because I found out I was pregnant but had been pregnant before I got the implant and didn’t know it. I had my daughter in may of 09 and in June had the implanon put back in. It is now aug. of 2010 and for a while I have been having problems with my arm hurting where the implant is and ever since I’ve had it my period has been heavy and irregular. So for anyone thinking about getting it read up about it first and even read comments from people who have had it but remember everyone is different so just because this happened to me don’t mean it will you. Also for people wondering if it hurts getting it put in or taken out no it doesn’t at all they numb it before they put it in and before they take it out when you get it there will be bruising but it goes away within a week or so!

    Kelsi on August 20, 2010 #

  28. Heyy :))
    I got the implant in january this year, about 7 months ago. I wasnt havnt sex, but i was sexually active which my parents noticed, so made me get one :\ i didnt want it, but i couldnt argue.
    I hadnt had a period until June when i actually did start having sex with my boyfriend, and thats when it began. Ive put on 2 stone and im constantly spotting. My boyfriend has a phobia of blood, so thats not good :\ also, sex is so painful for me, even though weve done it 5 times. Its like a burning sensation, which isnt nice :\ i dont know if anyones had that?
    Recently i banged my implant and now it keeps hurting. I got it checked out, but the woman said it was fine. However its still siore, even though i banged it a good month ago :’/
    Please, can anyone help? X

    Zoee on August 21, 2010 #

  29. Heyy. I got my implanon put in May 2010 so it has been about 6 months that i’ve had it in & i love it, but the bad part is i was spotting for the first 4 months EVERYDAY & now i been on my period for a month & half i hate that i never gained any weight no pain or anything im going to wait about 2 or 3 more months & if my bleeding dont stop i will have it removed because i cant handle this bleeding everyday. for women who are thinking about having it done go ahead & do it! it’s different for every girl one of my friends who had it done made her gain about 50 pounds in 3 months but that never happen to me i have not gain any weight by it, just the irregular bleeding i have.

    -Paige

    Paige on November 2, 2010 #

  30. I have been on implanon since 2008 and everything seemed good until a year ago i started having extreme fatigue. I was put on anti-depressants and so far nothing has worked. I can not say for sure if implanon has anything to do with my fatigue, but I personally think it does. I am seriously thinking about having it removed! Has anyone else suffered from fatigue from implanon?

    Lindsay on November 4, 2010 #

  31. hiya, this is my 3rd implant and all of a sudden my arm seem soo numb and sore its been in for jst under a yr, is anyone else experiencing this.

    christine on November 4, 2010 #

  32. I also feel very fatigue it started Probley a month after I got it put in…im so frustared because I have stuff I need to do but feel so tired. Im 22 so im trying to get done with school and its difficult. Also has interfered with my personal life. I also have constant yeast infections never had them before I got the implanon. Couple doctors say its not it but just weird all this started after I got the implanon. I have migranes so I need to figure out a bc for me because im getting this out. I’ve waited 8 months now…time to try and see if its it.

    ashley on April 2, 2011 #

  33. Hey guys, PLEASE HELP. I’ve had the Implanon for about two and a half years now and am starting to feel a lot of soreness around the sight of the implant. it’s irritating as hell and I just wanted to know if anyone knew what I should do and if it was normal to be having troubles this late on…

    Nikki on April 30, 2011 #

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  35. I’m pretty nerves about having implanon inserted today I watched a video of it being inserted and looks painful I have two kids five year old and two month old and I’m reading the good and bad about implanon just curious how bad it actually is bein inserted

    brandi on July 21, 2011 #

  36. Hi guys, I have had the Implanon for about two years now on my left arm, and about six months ago I developed a very bad pain on my left shoulder and arm which seems to be getting worse and worse with time and I’ve been wondering if it could be related to the Implanon…Has anyone else experienced similar symptoms?? I also get like a burning sensation around the opposite side of where the Implanon is inserted and just very sharp pain around my arm.

    jenny on August 4, 2011 #

  37. I am 16 and have been using Implanon since Feb. 2011. I have not stopped bleeding since then. I currently have had my period for 7 months now. I called my doctor around the 4th month with concerns to see if the abnormal bleeding was normal she proceeded to tell me that my periods would not become regular until about the 6th month of using Implanon. I am past that 6th month mark and my period is still as heavy as it was. I’m just frustrated because nothing seems to give. If anybody finds a way to regulate their cycles with out having Implanon removed please please please let me know!!!

    Sydney on September 11, 2011 #

  38. hi jenny i know how you feel i have it in my left arm and have experienced nothing but trouble from it and ive beeen getting very bad anxiety since getting it in. dont get me wrong haveing no period is great but all the other side effects are not worth it and on one of the websites it says doctors are not supposed to give u the implant with abnormal bleeding i had severe pregnancy symptoms and abnormal bleeding bfore haveing it in but the doctor said i wasnt pregnant but im still not convinced so im going to have it removed best of luck with yours

    sinead on October 6, 2011 #

  39. jenny i was just on the website for the implant it say s you sould consult your doctor for this type of pain your experencing so that means i have to go 2 best of luck hope all gose well

    sinead on October 6, 2011 #

  40. Hey… Ive had the implanon for 2 1/2 years and im experiencing some discomfort around the insertion site. sometimes i feel this horrible stabbing pain and other times it itches like crazy is this normal? all this barely started about a month ago along with a really heavy period its been a month and im still bleeding before it was just spotting but now i have to use tampons and i have to change them every 3 hrs cuz theyre soaked.

    Yuri on November 8, 2011 #

  41. I am going to have the implannon inserted in a week at the health dept ive talked to the nurse about all my options she feels this would be the best choice i cant be on any estrogen and im not a canidate for a iud so this is the only thing left i am a heavy bleeder durind my cycle she said this should help with that i also get migraines she said this will not raise my risks how soon can unprotected sex take place does any one have these same issues the nurse sais not to listen to everyones comments or they will scare you and that not everone is the same so should i go ahead an try this thanks for reading

    Jamie on November 16, 2011 #

  42. Hi! I got the implanon in a week ago and ever since i have had it in i have been really tired and stressed. I had the Depo shot for the last two years and got sick of being jabbed. Never had my period or got pregnant. I am just wondering if i will get my period on the implanon? So far it’s clear!

    Kasey on December 6, 2011 #

  43. I’ve used implanon several times and find it the most practical of all options out there. I’ve had my current implant in for 8 months but since they brought in the new applicator the implant is extremely close to the skin and I have repetative shooting pain around the area. 4th implant though and first time I;ve had problems so a pretty good hit rate. No period is especially awesome. I would suggest though if anyone starts to experience hair thinning they either have it removed or see their doctor to look into something to counter it – most doctors dont admit to links between the implant and hair loss but I know for myself it is very much the case.

    Jo on February 2, 2012 #

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