Nexplanon and Anxiety: What Users Say (Page 5)

• Sky...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 13, 2019

For Birth Control "Original comment from 2019-06-20: 'I got Nexplanon implanted about 2 months ago, and so far I’m having a lot of issues with it. I have depression but am on medication to manage it, and as soon as I got the bar, my depression came back, and I couldn’t go through a day without crying. I haven’t really ever struggled with anxiety, but for some reason, I’m always anxious now. All in all, I’m going to give it another month and see if the side effects improve.' Update today 2019-07-13: waited another month, and in that month, my anxiety (that I never had before this bc) got so much worse, and I constantly have panic attacks now. Like legitimate panic attacks, so I FINALLY got it removed today, and I couldn’t be happier. This stupid thing has given me so many more problems than it’s worth, and I hope this anxiety, depression, and panic attacks go away now that I have it out! I would STRONGLY advise you to be careful or avoid this birth control altogether if you have a history of depression or anxiety."

• Ang...
• February 15, 2020

For Birth Control "I got the Nexplanon 6 weeks after having my youngest in November. I got it removed that following June. The whole time I had it, I gained an insane amount of weight due to being hungry ALL the time. I had horrid migraines almost every day. It was a great week if I had 1 or 2 days migraine-free. My mood swings were horrible. My depression and anxiety were the worst they had ever been. Since August or September of 2018, I have not had a normal period. I bleed extremely heavily the first few days, have a day or two with no bleeding, then start bleeding again. Then the bleeding multiple times a month started. I'm not talking 1 normal period then some spotting. Nope, I'm talking 2 or 3 normal periods a month. I told my doctor about it, and she said it's my body getting back into balance. But almost 2 years later, still trying to get back in balance?"

• ffs...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 17, 2019

For Birth Control "I’ve had this Nexplanon in for about two weeks, and it’s been horrible. I’m a very laid-back, happy, energetic person, but a few days after I got this inserted, it has caused severe anxiety (for no reason), with low motivation and insane mood swings, and it’s only gotten worse. I can’t stand it—I thought I was losing my mind until I read all of these similar reviews. Getting it taken out next week, but would literally take it out myself if I had to."

• Bad...
• September 6, 2017

For Birth Control "Had 3 Implanon implants and currently have Nexplanon in. I loved the Implanon, no real side effects, regular periods, and I managed to lose 4 st whilst on them. But the Nexplanon is another matter: brain fog, hair thinning, anxiety, depression, non-existent sex drive. I can't even bear for my husband to touch me, sore boobs to the point that it makes me cry. Now weight gain, since I had it put in May 16, I have gained 2.5 stone. I have an active job and eat healthily, no matter what I do, my weight keeps jumping up at 7 lb at a time, and I cannot shift it. I cannot wait to get it out. Please, ladies, do not have this implant!!!"

• Shy...
• May 10, 2019

For Birth Control "Nexplanon caused me side effects of depression, anxiety, mood swings, and really dark thoughts. I’ve been an outgoing, highly motivated, social butterfly before Nexplanon, and then on this birth control for 2 years and 3 months, I am this different person. I’m planning on getting it removed as I have no drive in life. I’ve confined myself to the house, won’t answer friends' or family’s phone calls or texts. Just going to the store gives me anxiety. I’ll wait in the car for 30 minutes before even getting out of the car. I don’t go out in the day. I don’t do my hair or makeup anymore. I only eat at night, and it’s usually takeout or junk. I sleep all the time. At work, people have noticed a change in me, asking me if I’m okay or if everything is alright at home. I don’t want to do anything interactive with my kids, and my boyfriend thinks I’m a mental nutcase. Today, May 10th, my birthday, I cried. Haven’t hit not one goal these past 2 years. I feel useless, my friends think I’m avoiding them because I’m hiding. Do not get Nexplanon. It’s not worth these horrible changes to your life!"

• Cas...
• December 31, 2015

For Birth Control "I have had the Nexplanon for 3 years now. No weight gain. Acne is just as bad. My periods last weeks to months. And I bleed huge blood clots. (Sorry, TMI, but I thought I had a miscarriage once because of it.) I am an emotional wreck. Like it makes me cry over the littlest things. I overreact, and my depression and anxiety are horrible. It has done its job not to get me pregnant, but I hate it so much. And waking up with a headache every day is killing me."

• Bc1...
• May 26, 2019

For Birth Control "My doctor NEVER warned me about the side effects of using a progesterone-only contraceptive method. It can cause severe depression, anxiety, mood swings, and dark thoughts. Within 5 days, I could feel myself starting to suffer from mood swings. Before the end of April, I was severely depressed. I had difficulty getting out of bed. I was constantly crying. I would overthink everything, to the point where I was making myself go crazy. I was having really dark thoughts, felt very lonely, and just didn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel. My anxiety was so crippling that I couldn’t even travel for my new job by myself. I seriously thought that I was going insane. It turned me into somebody that I never thought I could be, it ruined the relationships that I had with the people closest to me. I am a very happy, driven, confident person that is surrounded by an amazing support system, and it straight up turned me into an anxious, depressed monster."

• Anonymous
• March 1, 2020

For Birth Control "I'm on my second Nexplanon, placed in last year. I developed thinning hair, severe breast tenderness with PMSing. My periods were far and few between, spotting and occasionally a period for 2 days, or I won't bleed at all for 2/3 months. My skin got a lot drier from being greasy and developed dandruff and a halt in my hair growth and fallout at the top of my head/widening hair part. My mood with depression and anxiety increased. I developed lower back pain and acne in places I never broke out before. This was all gradual with being on Nexplanon for almost 4 years. I was thinking it was work/stress related. I'm getting my second one removed and going cold turkey on birth control. Don't recommend. Listen to your body."

• Jes...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 23, 2022

For Birth Control "I had a horrible experience with Nexplanon. Potential side effects were not disclosed to me, and when I brought them up to my Nurse Practitioner later, she completely downplayed them and refused to take the implant out of my arm. On this birth control, I had 2 month-long periods with only a couple of weeks in between. The periods were intense - significant bleeding, bloating, cramping through the whole duration of the period. I felt anxious, nauseous, dizzy, and tired on this BC method. I was told the symptoms become more mild over time, but after almost a year, this still did not happen. The first time I requested this be taken out of my arm, I was convinced to give it more time. The second time I went to the NP, I did not take no for an answer and was extremely adamant about needing this out of my arm. Please, ladies, do your own research because the medical establishment does not have your best interest in mind when it comes to this."

• COn...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 6, 2021

For Birth Control "I have been on Nexplanon for 5 years. Getting it removed in a week. My twin sister started taking it and had immediate effects on her mood. Turns out I had the same reaction but never related it to the birth control. I had severe anxiety and depression not too long after it was put in. I highly suggest that you do not use this. I also have bad acne. Not sure if it is related, but looking at the other comments, it probably doesn't help. I cannot wait to get it removed."

• Tem...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 2, 2022

For Birth Control "Nexplanon caused me to have crawling sensations on my scalp and all over my body. I had anxiety and got really nervous staying at home by myself. Talk about irritability, goosebumps, chills, and waking up in the middle of the night constantly. My hair fell out at the top. I thought I was going crazy, and I never thought it could be the implant. I had the implant in for over a year, and I experienced the weird sensations for close to a year. I did everything I could, from acupuncture to vitamins to starting HRT. On a hunch, I asked my doctor to remove it, and everything stopped. This is horrible, and no one should ever have to go through this."

• ams...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 3, 2016

For Birth Control "I know most of what you see online about Nexplanon is negative. But I've had it for a month and my life has changed. I've been on the Apri pill for two years, and during that time I had extremely low sex drive, horrible anxiety and dissociation, and had chronic yeast/bacterial infections. I was moody and exhausted all the time. Since getting the Nexplanon implant, my life has increased drastically. Before it was both emotionally and physically difficult for me to have sex with my boyfriend, now my sex drive has increased tenfold, and I can easily have sex whenever I want to. I have increased energy and haven't been anxious in weeks when I would have daily anxiety attacks before. Everyone has a different experience, but mine is amazing."

• Imd...
• July 29, 2017

For Birth Control "Okay, so Nexplanon is useful in the sense that you're safe from pregnancy, etc. But what it's done to me mentally is not pleasant in the slightest. I go through two-week periods of feeling completely myself and then suddenly drop into these phases of chronic anxiety and exhaustion. I have intrusive thoughts that do not help my anxiety in the slightest, and I just feel so isolated from everyone. My mom had told me that I'm not myself anymore, and that's just the hardest thing to hear because I've noticed it too. I'm usually energetic, enthusiastic, and bubbly, but during these periods, I have no motivation. I'm getting it out in a few days, I just need to be myself again. I hate feeling like this and cannot cope any longer."

• Jos...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 1, 2022

For Birth Control "I got Nexplanon in 2020 at some point. I have always had anxiety, but never this bad. It gets to the point where I feel like I'm going to pass out or as if nothing is real. My hair will not grow. I am so moody, and I start fights 24/7 with my fiancé. At first, everything was fine, but after a couple of years, I am ready to rip this out of my arm. I have an appointment in a couple of days to get it out. Getting this was the worst decision ever, and I don't recommend this to anyone. I have mood swings, fast heartbeats, feeling like nothing is real, headaches, tired tummy aches, it is terrible. DO NOT GET ON THIS."

• Ale...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 26, 2019

For Birth Control "Had Nexplanon inserted December 2016 and removed July 2019. It is now December 2019 and I have not had my period since January 2017 (almost 3 yrs). At first, I raved about Nexplanon to anyone who would listen, because I was not depressed and had no spotting whatsoever. In October 2018, I became ill with a really bad virus (although being 22 yrs old and fit), and since then I have been battling crazy anxiety, depression, headaches, jabbing pains, and fatigue. Have had to do daily meditation, bi-weekly acupuncture, etc., to keep a straight head. None of the doctors (6) knew what was going on. This week (Dec 24, 2019) I found out I had really low estrogen levels, even nearly 6 months after having the implant removed and being on no BC. Turns out symptoms of low estrogen are fatigue, headaches, difficulty regulating sugars/insulin, etc. I can't believe I suffered for the past 14 months because of this. I'm going to avoid BC at all costs now."

• Spa...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 13, 2019

For Birth Control "I’ve had the Nexplanon implant for 9 months now. I stop bleeding for like 5 days out of the month. The rest of the time I’m bleeding. Not always bad, sometimes just spotting, but still. It’s like it never ends. My depression had gotten so bad I had to be put in therapy. I never felt this bad before the implant. I never dealt with anxiety before I got it either. I did go to my doctor, and they told me symptoms would slow down after 6 months. It’s been 9 now, and I feel like they’re just getting worse. Not getting pregnant is a perk, but it’s just not worth damaging my mental health any longer."

• Kim...
• May 2, 2015

For Birth Control "I have been on the Nexplanon for just about a year and don't have very many complaints about it. The implant was administered after my OBGYN injected me with meds to numb the area, and I was surprised that I couldn't feel a thing! For the next 1-3 weeks, my arm was bruised and the site itched a lot, but eventually faded away. I did notice that I lost 5-10 pounds in my waist, of which I was very excited. Normally, I'm a coffee drinker who can drink a cup of black coffee and 30 minutes later, go right to sleep. Now, I am extremely sensitive to caffeine. Coffee, tea, or even Excedrin were making me feel anxious. Since then, I've stopped the caffeinated drinks and replaced them with water. I love it! NO BABIES! Well... for now."

• Juj...
• October 12, 2022

For Birth Control "WOW... must read if interested in Nexplanon. I’ve had Nexplanon for about 3-4 months now, and in those months, I have been searching for answers from friends, family, within myself, and I even got a therapist. I have never in my entire 20 years of living felt this corrupted in my life. I have excruciating anxiety. My mind will not stop thinking about the worst possibilities. At first, I wasn’t even taking Nexplanon into consideration on why I was feeling this way because I thought it was a stage in my life. When it got to a point I couldn’t even recognize myself, and I even had loss of appetite, and I would question my existence, I knew it was beyond that. I started doing research and came upon these reviews, and when I tell you it was the most relieving moment of my life knowing it wasn’t me. Lol I wasn’t 'crazy.' Getting Nexplanon was one of the worst decisions of my life. This product should not be on the market. I would rather be pregnant than live with this feeling."

• New...
• June 17, 2013

For Birth Control "I've had Nexplanon since late October of 2012. At first, it seemed great, not having to worry about taking a pill every day at the same time. Mainly, that's the reason why I chose Nexplanon in the first place. But over the many months now, I've experienced lots of negative things about it from my perspective. 1) Huge weight gain, like 20-30 lbs. 2) Lots of headaches. 3) X2 the acne. 4) More stress. 5) My emotions are much more sensitive than they ever were. I cry a lot more now; sometimes I have no idea as to why I'm even crying in the first place. Just too much estrogen to handle after being in my arm for so long now. 6) My periods are very irregular now. Sometimes I'll spot, sometimes I'll bleed for just a day."

• Mar...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 13, 2022

For Birth Control "Nexplanon is a very effective form of birth control, and it was so nice not having to remember to take a pill every day. BUT... it came with awful side effects! The first year was just okay for me. It gave me terrible acne and periods that would last about 15 days. It also made me super hungry, and it was harder for me to maintain my weight, but it was tolerable. EXACTLY one year after getting it placed, the horrible anxiety and intrusive thoughts started. It was completely debilitating. The pill did this to me as well, but not nearly as severe. I was diagnosed with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder at a young age, but it has always been very minor and tolerable unless I'm on birth control. Because of my pre-existing conditions, I suppose I could be more 'at risk' for a negative reaction to hormonal birth control, but I have seen plenty of reviews stating similar side effects to mine, and these women said they had no previous history of any anxiety disorder. Not worth it!"

• Sha...
• September 11, 2019

For Birth Control "I like that I'm not bleeding anymore... But in all honesty, this birth control sucks. I asked the doctor if Nexplanon would affect my anxiety and depression. I was told it wouldn't, which was obviously a load of rubbish. I've been doing research after research, trying to figure out why I feel even worse than I ever have. Finally, I found this forum, which confirmed my worries. Nexplanon has caused me depression, I've had panic attacks after panic attacks - one so bad it put me into a mild seizure. It has affected my anxiety even more than my depression. One day I feel fine, the next day I spend all day trying to calm myself down. Migraines have been unbearable. I have no sex drive. And it's been affecting my entire life. I have nobody to talk to because of my crazy mood swings. My relationship is extremely rocky. I didn't gain weight, but I lost it, which is worse for me. I actually had a nice body, now I can't even look at myself without feeling disgust. Thank you all for your experiences. I'm definitely getting this thing removed."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 30, 2019

For Birth Control "Wouldn’t recommend. I got the implant in March 2019, and I think I have had 4 weeks of no bleeding, but the rest of the time I have been spotting and bleeding non-stop! My anxiety is through the roof 24/7, I feel on edge. I never used to be like this before I got the implant. And now I just feel like my life is a mess."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 17, 2022

For Birth Control "I got Nexplanon in November of 2020. I had previously been on a few pills, all of which have made me SUPER depressed and anxious (along with suicidal thoughts). The first year with Nexplanon was no issue. I got my period only a few times, and I felt okay. Since then, it has made me gain 40+ pounds in such a short amount of time. I get extremely anxious and emotional/depressed when my period is coming, and it's affecting my everyday life. My intrusive thoughts and anxiety are SO bad now. Also, my periods have become SO heavy after the first year on it. Bleeding through tampons at work and waking up in pools of blood. Nexplanon has done a great job at preventing pregnancy, but the physical and emotional side effects are absolutely terrible. I need to find a new BC to go on or to just be done with it all."

• 113...
• July 26, 2019

For Birth Control "I have had Nexplanon for about 7 months now, and I remember the first day I got it; I had a random panic attack that was uncontrollable. I have had a period every month or so and some spotting in between. I’ve only gained about 7 pounds since, but probably because of my laziness of being at home for the summer. But the worst has been my moods. I cry over nothing and can’t stop. I have had to be sent home from work on 3 occasions for having outbursts during my shift. I have not had acne since I was 16 (I am 19 now), and I am having random breakouts only on one side of my face that won’t go away no matter what my dermatologist gives me. On the birth control side, so far, so good; I have had unprotected sex every other day for the past 7 months, and my boyfriend usually finishes inside me (sorry TMI), but I’m not pregnant, so all in all, worth it to me. Even though I feel like my depression and anxiety have increased, I feel like I’ll give it a shot and see how I feel in the next couple of months."

• I...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 22, 2017

For Birth Control "Over the last 4 years, ever since having my Nexplanon implant, I have had serious mental and physical health problems, and it's completely affected my life and everything in it. The pain is unbearable sometimes. It says it does stop your periods, but to not have one for nearly 5 years can't be healthy. My depression and anxiety have gone through the roof, and I'm always tired but can't sleep. It has gotten to the point where I'm ready to cut my arm off, but I didn't believe that something so little that is supposed to help you could cause so many life-changing problems! I would not recommend this birth control to anyone. I'm 21, nearly 22, and this has ruined my life and changed me as a person completely. I don't ever feel happy or like myself!"