Implanon and Bleeding: What Users Say (Page 2)

• SGo...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 31, 2015

For Birth Control "I've had the Implanon for 6 months now - light periods and occasional cramps - but aside from that, no bad side effects! I've even lost weight (only half a stone), so I guess it affects everyone differently! The first month was quite horrible as I was bleeding all the time! But afterwards, it was all fine."

• Kat...
• April 26, 2016

For Birth Control "I would never recommend Implanon (the rod) as a form of contraception to anybody. I have had mine in almost for the full 3-year term. As I was on the pill and kept forgetting to take it, I needed some form of contraception, so I came across Implanon. It all sounded well and good, but the whole time it's given me nothing but grief. I have put on 10 kg, sometimes I don't have my period for 2 months, then other times it will be every week on and off heavy bleeding. I am so lethargic and never feel like going anywhere or doing anything, and I've also been diagnosed with anxiety since being on this. The headaches are constant! I CANNOT WAIT TO GET IT OUT! WOULDN'T RECOMMEND TO ANYBODY! Especially young girls!"

• Mis...
• August 11, 2010

For Birth Control "I got my Implanon inserted in September 2009, 2 1/2 months after my son was born. Before insertion, I had a sex drive, good skin, lost all my weight from my pregnancy, and wasn't angry or impatient all the time. I didn't have a period until December that lasted 5 days. My next cycle was at the end of January and was heavy until March. I have had a period either every month for 14 days straight or every other week with 7 days of bleeding. I like the idea of no pill, but this has got to stop. My OB has put me on the pill to stop my bleeding, but I have taken the pill every day for the last 5 months. And I still have it every other week. I have bad acne, moodiness, and gained 30 pounds. My marriage is probably suffering because I have no sex drive. It's time to get it out!"

• ebb...
• January 25, 2010

For Birth Control "Where do I start? I'm 22 years old, and I had Implanon inserted in the middle of July 2009. Insertion was painless, but side effects are unbearable. I've gained 50 lbs and counting, constant bleeding ever since I got it; severe anxiety/depression and mood swings. No sex drive, increased vaginal discharge, acne... did I mention I've been bleeding for 6 months! I want to switch to Yaz, but I smoke."

• Anonymous
• July 15, 2009

For Birth Control "I gave the Implanon an 8 only because of the initial breakthrough bleeding. I mean it does exactly what it is intended to do, prevent pregnancy. For the first three months, I bled nonstop, but about three weeks ago, it suddenly stopped. I had the Implanon implant inserted four weeks after having my baby, and I have had no problems with weight or mood swings. As a matter of fact, when I found out I was pregnant, I weighed about 122 lbs, and now I'm down to 116 lbs, and my daughter is 4 months old. I love not having to think about the pill or worry about having another baby sooner than I want. I'd advise anyone who gets the Implanon implant to wait at least 6 months before removing it. Give your body time to adjust to the hormones."

• sta...
• April 27, 2009

For Birth Control "December 1, 2008, I had the Implanon inserted and have had problems since. I have mood swings like crazy. I am now taking depression and anxiety pills because they think it was postpartum depression. It's not, though. I have been snapping at my 7-month-old son and husband. I was admitted to Green Leaf since they thought I was a danger to my family. Turned out that the Implanon is causing this. I cry all the time for no reason, and I am now taking depression and anxiety pills. I bleed all the time. The Implanon has been hurting since I had it done, I have gained 25 lbs because of this as well. I am taking it out this week for the sake of me and my family."

• Oma...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 10, 2017

For Birth Control "Inserted October 2014. Started tracking May 1st, 2016 because I had been bleeding a week before that. Today is Feb 10th, 2017. In the past 286 days, I've bled 192. It's effective as hell because you can't ever have sex, nor is the desire even there. We used to go multiple times a day, now it's maybe 1 time a week. I had no acne. No weight gain. Hair started balding in some areas. Cry every day, never used to. Depressed to the point where I'll cut it out myself (no longer insured), and if I die, it's better than another day with this thing. I'm no longer the same person I was in October, and I'm so disappointed I didn't do enough research. My hormones are compromising my relationship, friendships, and Implanon was easily the worst decision I've made."

• kee...
• September 17, 2016

For Birth Control "I will give this birth control a 5/10 for the simple fact that I did not get pregnant for the 2 years I was on it. But I gained probably about 50 lbs (with no change in my eating habits, and I'm even more active), my boyfriend complained about my mood swings, I bled for the majority of the time whether it was heavy or light... I just couldn't deal. I wish I had come off of it earlier, but I enjoyed not being at risk for pregnancy. I got it taken out today, and I can't wait to get back to normal."

• Nat...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 19, 2016

For Birth Control "I would never recommend this form of contraception to anyone. I have never heard of a single woman (who I have known personally) who has had a good experience with the Implanon. I had it in for 7 months. I bled non-stop for the first 3 months, then did not bleed for one month and then bled again (consistently) for 3 more months. I had terrible anxiety and depression. My mood swings were horrendous and I was so uptight and moody. As soon as I got it out, within days, I felt better and my periods returned to normal (like clockwork). My husband said that I was not myself when I had the Implanon in and that having it inserted changed me into a completely different person."

• Tru...
• November 8, 2013

For Birth Control "I had the worst experience with the Implanon implant. I did my research before I got the implant, and it seemed to be a great choice for my first time being on birth control. I was 20 when I got it. The first month, all I wanted to do was SLEEP! All I did was work, eat, and sleep. I tried my hardest to stay up and go out, but I just didn't have the energy. The doctor informed me that I would bleed for about 3 months once I got the implant, and then I would have a period once a month. That was not the case at all. I bled the entire time I had it until I got it removed on 10-23-13 (the best day of my life)! I gained 20 pounds in 7 months, and it was pretty much impossible for me to lose weight. It didn't do anything to my sex drive. Do not get it!"

• SMi...
• April 14, 2018

For Birth Control "I never really share experiences on these forums, but if this helps just one other woman, then it's worth it. I had the Implanon NXT inserted in January 2018. I had no apprehension about using it as I had it several years ago, and it was great. This time around, though, I wasn't so lucky. Since January, my life has been extremely difficult. Aside from constant bleeding the first few weeks and gaining 10 lbs, the anxiety and depression have been the worst. It took me a long time to realize that the Implanon was the cause of my anxiety, paranoia, and mood swings. I felt like I was going crazy. I tried everything: holistic therapy, meditation, diet & exercise, and eventually, by process of elimination, I realized it was the Implanon causing my mental health issues. Implanon removed yesterday, and already I feel better in my mood, and my mind has slowed down. I've always been a mentally strong person and a fighter, who luckily never suffered from mental health problems."

• mil...
• December 29, 2015

For Birth Control "I can honestly say I hated this birth control. I haven't stopped bleeding since I got it a year ago. I can't hold anything with my left arm, otherwise, my arm just falls. It's made me gain 40 kgs, and I can't seem to lose it no matter what I try. My sex drive is gone, I'm always sick, and get the worse mood swings. Not something I'll be getting again anytime soon."

• Web...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 5, 2019

For Birth Control "I was on this for nearly 3 years and on my 4th one, each time was different. This time I was constantly bleeding, had mood swings, felt so depressed, gained 6 stone. Just felt like eating all the time, even sometimes no matter how much I ate I wasn't getting full. Also affected my mood/personality - one day I'm shy but another day I could be really confident. Had it out yesterday and feel so much more energetic. Wouldn't recommend it to anyone at all."

• Jor...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 20, 2014

For Birth Control "I have had the Implanon since September 2013. So for almost 7 months. First, I had Depo. Great. I never bled once. But I couldn't lose weight. I gained 20 lbs. Then I went to the pill to try to lose weight. My period was TERRIBLE. So I switched to Implanon. I gave it a 6 because overall it is really good. Haven't got pregnant or lost sex drive. Was able to lose the weight, but here in the last two months, maybe a little more, I've bled non-stop. It's very light but so annoying. Getting it removed ASAP."

• Jff...
• April 3, 2013

For Birth Control "I've had Implanon in for three months now. So far, I've had bleeding (spotting) constantly since I have had it in, which is so annoying, slight weight gain, and acne. Dizziness and nausea! I called my doctor, and they told me to wait it out, and usually after four months, it will become normal again. I'm going to wait a little longer, but if nothing changes, I will get it taken out. I have a very healthy and active lifestyle, so I know the birth control has affected it. My boyfriend and I enjoy it because we don't have to use any other kind of contraception. I say try it! It's worth seeing if it works for you, everyone is different."

• Cas...
• July 21, 2016

For Birth Control "I was writing this wonderful, very wordy review on this when I discovered that I have a word limit. Dang. In a nutshell: I've never had so many problems with a BC. Significant weight gain, headaches, nausea, fatigue/insomnia, no periods for months and then weeks of bleeding. The worst is the change in my mood. DEPRESSION. I couldn't no longer trust my instincts. Everyone noticed a change in my attitude. It may be a convenience to just pop a rod in your arm, but it is NOT WORTH IT. I am telling you, stay away. I cannot wait to have mine removed."

• Jes...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 31, 2013

For Birth Control "It was okay. I didn't get pregnant, though my sex drive was extremely low. I had breakthrough bleeding almost the whole time, which didn't help the sex drive. When I got off it, my husband said I seemed more happy and acted more my age (mid 20s). Apparently, it affected my mood greatly, and I hadn't noticed."

• kat...
• October 27, 2013

For Birth Control "I had it in when I was 16. I'm 18 now, and for the first 2 years, it was fantastic until my period started messing up. I would bleed for 4 to 5 weeks, then nothing for 2 weeks, then the same again for a few months until I had an appendicitis and had an emergency operation to have it taken out. It turns out a lot of my pain was caused by a pool of blood in my pelvis. When I bled for weeks, the blood was coming back up through my ovaries and into my pelvis, so I had to have my rod out ASAP. I won't EVER have it in again!!!"

• Ted...
• February 2, 2015

For Birth Control "At first, I thought this was the best thing ever. For the first year and a half, I had rare spotting, but I gained about 15 pounds. I attributed my weight gain to my diet, but after the year and a half, the bleeding became more frequent, and I changed my diet and exercised. I'm having it taken out early (about 6 months) because I am experiencing almost constant bleeding. It's unbearable. I have gained nearly 35 pounds in two and a half years, and it's impossible to lose weight. I just keep gaining and spotting all the time. Everybody is different, but I would caution anyone planning on getting this form of birth control."

• tay...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 24, 2016

For Birth Control "I have had my Implanon in for just over a month now. I have experienced NO bleeding, no pain, no weight gain whatsoever. I have retained water in my face slightly, and I am hungry ALL the time, but I have been quite strict about eating only at mealtimes and healthily because I was quite worried about weight gain due to family history of heart problems. In the first two weeks, I did experience some mood swings, but that seems to be normal now. I normally have a very high sex drive, and that hasn't changed at all. The little rod feels comfortable now. I don't even notice it unless I think about it, but for the first two weeks, it did pinch a little when I fully extended my arm, but not anymore. So far, my experience is fantastic :)"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 4, 2013

For Birth Control "I've had problems with my periods forever. Oral contraceptives were not working for me. So, I talked with my physician about Implanon and was astounded with how painless the process was! It worked like a dream! Coming from someone who used to have cramps so severe and bleeding so extensive, this was heaven, until... the 'spotting' happened (over 7 months later). I had heavy bleeding for weeks. Yes, weeks. It would stop, and I would give it another chance. After the 3rd time this 'spotting' happened, I had enough. I had it removed. If it works for you, I am so glad."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 9, 2014

For Birth Control "The first Implanon worked phenomenally. No periods, but I did gain a lot of weight over the 3 years of having this birth control. I've had a high increase in appetite and lost energy. But I decided to get another one. I've now had the second one since September 28, 2013. And now I've been bleeding for 19 days as of today. I've lost about 15 pounds in the last 3 weeks of the bleeding. And my appetite is still increasing. I have a little more energy, but not as much as I did before ever getting the Implanon. I always have noticed that I'm kind of 'dry' down there, as before it was very lubricated. I've also noticed that I've had a lot of mood swings, and they're more often than not."

• Loj...
• November 6, 2017

For Birth Control "I had Implanon inserted a few months ago due to frustrations with the birth control pill and breakthrough bleeding. After reading many experiences online, the insertion experience and what side effects I may experience seemed daunting - however, I can confirm that the insertion process was only the discomfort of a needle to numb the area and then a feeling of pressure, and it was all over. The area felt uncomfortable for about a week, and now I hardly notice it at all. The biggest thing for me is that after 3 months, I am yet to have a period or any breakthrough bleeding. My experience so far is a positive one with no major side effects to note. I am grateful for no longer having to remember to take a pill every day."

• Cly...
• July 7, 2015

For Birth Control "I got this after my son was born! Boy, that was the worst idea ever! I've always weighed around 120. After having my son, I was 130 at my 6-week checkup, and then at my next appointment, 2 months later, I weighed 157. I have tried everything to lose weight, and nothing works! I used to love sex, and this has killed my sex drive completely, like I never feel like having sex ever. I bleed for at least 3 weeks out of the month. When I get this taken out, I'll never use this again!"

• Doo...
• March 1, 2009

For Birth Control "I've had Implanon for about two weeks, and I don't feel any different than I did before. A few of my friends who got Implanon said that they didn't stop bleeding for six to eight months, so I was a little worried. But I had it implanted in the middle of my period, and the second day after I had it inserted, my period was over. The only thing I can say is don't do anything strenuous with the arm you get it in. I play on a high school softball team, and it's been hurting me because I've refused to not play. So, all in all, the irritation I'm getting every now and then from my Implanon is entirely my fault. But it's great to know that I don't need to remember to take a pill or anything. Worry-free birth control. That's the way to go."