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Nexplanon User Reviews & Ratings

Nexplanon has an average rating of 5.0 out of 10 from a total of 4,865 reviews on Drugs.com. 32% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 43% reported a negative experience.

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Birth Control
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Reviews for Nexplanon

Commonly mentioned side effects
  • Jes...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • June 25, 2023

For Birth Control "I got Nexplanon 3 months postpartum because I had heard horror stories of IUDs, and I'm terrible at taking the pill every day. My cousin had just got hers and said she liked it, so I went with it. Worst. Idea. Ever. The injection site was painful and bruised for 2 weeks. I could barely move my arm, and the implant gets caught on the underwire in my bra with certain movements. I've had constant bleeding for weeks on end, and I used to hardly have periods before. 3 days tops. The worst of it, though, is the anger, rage, aggression, depression, and anxiety I feel now. I thought I was going crazy. I snap at the smallest things. I can rationalize in my head that I'm being ridiculous but physically can't fight the feelings, chest pains, and aggression over things. It's getting removed tomorrow. It's not worth it. I can't live like this anymore."

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  • g19...
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • June 17, 2023

For Birth Control "I am totally appalled by the lack of information regarding the side effects of this implant that is given to women before having it put in. The nurse I spoke to said nothing about negative effects besides the fact that it may interfere with my periods. It was simply made to sound like the best thing ever. Within a year, I had gained so much weight that I would be out of breath just walking down the road. After 2 years, the weight gain was so bad my GP put me on tablets for fluid retention. I didn't realize until last month, after coming across a TV show by chance about the lack of proper information provided to women regarding contraception, that the implant was to blame. After suffering from anorexia all my life, I am now obese!! And as for mood? I am in tears over everything, back on anxiety medication and antidepressants, as I have suffered from blood clots. I should not have been given it in the first place! BAN IT!"

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  • Anonymous
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • May 27, 2023

For Birth Control "I was 19 years old when I had my implant put in, it sounded like the perfect option - leave in for 3 years and I don’t have to worry about contraception. Around 2-4 weeks after having it put in, I had really bad anxiety, though I had other things going on at the time, so I put all the anxiety down to the stress that was going on at the time. It turns out that it was the implant causing me to have panic attacks and crying all the time, I felt disconnected from friends and family and was in a constant state of anxiety. I could have been told the best news, like really good feedback on college, but still felt down. I went to get the implant removed, and I was told by a nurse that the implant wasn’t causing it and that it doesn’t make me anxious and refused to take it out. I also kept on getting physically ill. It turned out that I’m allergic to the implant, and only then did they remove it. The anxiety symptoms took a while to go away, but I started to feel better not long after it was removed. I would not recommend this contraception."

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Frequently asked questions

  • Mil...
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • May 24, 2023

For Birth Control "Nexplanon has been the worst birth control for me - for my body and my mental health."

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  • No...
  • Taken for 5 to 10 years
  • May 24, 2023

For Birth Control "Nexplanon has ruined my life! I have spent endless days trying to figure out what the heck was wrong with me. I had an abortion in college, and a few years later, I was faced with the same decision. I refused to leave Planned Parenthood without birth control and took the easiest option, never thinking about it again. First of all, my doctor told me it would last for five years, so I literally didn't think about it during that time. Over those years, I have gained at least 50 pounds. I attributed it to getting older and poor health habits, even though my habits remained the same. When the five years were up, I went to have it replaced and randomly decided to read about it. That's when I realized that this stupid drug is the reason for my weight gain, increased anxiety, and depression, among a few other things. I freaked out and had the new implant removed within two months. Since then, I have had frequent suicidal thoughts, and I am extremely miserable."

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  • Moo...
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • May 22, 2023

For Birth Control "I am not sure how I spent a year with this implant in my arm and did not connect it to the very high anxiety, very low mood, and high heart rate I was experiencing. It was the near-constant bleeding that switched on 8 months in that nearly drove me over the edge with constant dehydration, lethargy, dizziness, and irritability. 5 days after having it out and replaced by the Depo injection, I feel worlds better. Negative mental health and anxiety are not a rare side effect, and the packaging needs to be changed to reflect this. Also, 1 in 5 patients in my registered practice are now reported to have near-constant bleeding with only 1 week off, according to my GP. If more knew that, I bet they wouldn’t consider this option, as it destroys your everyday life and well-being. If this is your experience, get it out and try another method."

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  • Kay...
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • May 21, 2023

For Birth Control "Do NOT get it!!! I got the Nexplanon inserted a year ago, and I'm getting it removed next week. It has been the worst experience, both physically and especially mentally. I gained 10 pounds and am constantly bloated, and I am someone who is a very healthy eater and regularly exercises. My skin also plummeted, and I now have painful acne. I am also bleeding CONSTANTLY!! I'll go for 3 weeks bleeding and 1 week not bleeding. Finally, my mental health has completely spiraled!! I have constant mood swings and waves of anger that have been completely ruining what are supposed to be special moments. I have zero control over my emotions and reactions, as if my brain and body are separate! I'll be telling myself I'm angry and crying over nothing, but I physically cannot get out of the terrible mood I am now somehow in. I am not myself anymore, and you are not alone if you feel this way with Nexplanon. I cannot wait to get this mood-controlling parasite of an implant out!!"

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  • lis...
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • May 11, 2023

For Birth Control "Wow! If only I had known about this site beforehand! I have Nexplanon in my arm, which is overdue to be taken out. I've had it for the full 3 years. It's the first time I've tried it. I previously used oral contraceptives. I have 2 children, 8 and 16, and have just turned 37. I have suffered from mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, most of my life, on and off. Within a few days of having this implant, I turned into a different person. I felt lower than I had ever felt in my life and felt angry and frustrated all the time. It was horrendous. My family noticed the change in me, and I just felt extremely empty inside, and my only emotion was anger. I will never take this implant again. It has even put me off trying ANY IMPLANT for that matter. Be extremely cautious. I'm surprised nobody informed me of all the negative side effects regarding mental health, even a possibility, considering I had mental health issues in the first place."

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  • Jay...
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • May 9, 2023

For Birth Control "Don't do it. This thing drove me insane with the mood swings. Plus, the irregular bleeding is a no. I once had a period for an entire month. Never again."

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  • Kay...
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • April 30, 2023

For Birth Control "Sure, I didn’t get pregnant, but experienced absolutely horrendous side effects. I was on it for a year and a half. My face looked like a pepperoni pizza, and I had six-week-long heavy periods. I wish I was making this up. I had horrible cystic acne, so bad to the point one time the whole left side of my face swelled up. Beware!"

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  • Scr...
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • April 28, 2023

For Birth Control "I gained 23 pounds in less than 3 or 4 months. I developed a complex ovarian cyst that burst and sent me to the ER. I am experiencing cystic acne galore, horrible mood swings, and loss of energy. Do not recommend."

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  • Anonymous
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • April 21, 2023

For Birth Control "Got the implant a little over 2 months ago and have already made an appointment to get it removed. I, like some of the other ladies on here, did my research on sites such as Planned Parenthood, where it says anxiety/depression is a very rare side effect, but I feel that is wrong. I have never experienced this amount of anxiety, depression, intrusive thoughts, etc. before. I have no motivation to do the things I love anymore and feel like I have no joy in my life, which is very upsetting because I have a very loving boyfriend and a supportive family, and I just got into the college of my dreams. I feel like I have no idea who I am anymore and have never felt so worthless in my life. It’s like nothing I do means anything. I’m pushing away people I love and feel like I have no energy to mentally show up for anything. I know not everyone has the same experience, but I’m glad I found this forum because it helped me realize that this birth control is what broke me."

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  • Ane...
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • April 21, 2023

For Birth Control "I know other people that have had the same experience. I will either not have a period for like 4 months (pregnancy scare... seriously) or would be on my period for 2+ months straight. Yep. I don’t remember what I’m like without this implant, had it since I was 15, and now, 19, just had it removed 3 days ago. I wonder who I’ll become now that I’m off hormones."

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  • Kel...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • April 13, 2023

For Birth Control "If you have any kind of anxiety or depression, avoid this at all costs. I had it inserted, and I was perfectly fine for the first week. After this, I woke up in a panic attack. I had the worst anxiety and panic I had ever felt for 2 weeks! My GP had no space to take it out, I had to go and pay privately £250 to get it out of my body as soon as possible. Within a week of taking it out, I returned to normal. It was absolutely horrific. I have now chosen to go for a non-hormonal copper coil. All my mental health ladies, steer clear. If I could rate it 0, I would."

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  • rjj...
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • April 1, 2023

For Birth Control "That made me bleed for four months nonstop. It gave me constant acne, and I took ibuprofen for a week, it didn't stop it. I took the mini pill for a while, then stopped taking it to see what happened. My period got heavier than normal. I went on it because my period was already heavy. I'll stick to the pill."

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  • Swi...
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • February 23, 2023

For Birth Control "After being on Nexplanon for two years, I began experiencing severe anxiety, paranoia, and obsessive thoughts about a year ago. It has been an incredibly difficult experience, and I couldn't understand what was happening to me. I had intense nightmares, a fast heart rate, and uncontrollable panic attacks. Prior to this, I had never experienced any mental health issues, which made it all the more terrifying. Additionally, I experienced constant bleeding and irregular periods, sometimes bleeding for months on end or having a period twice a month. The pain was excruciating and caused me to cry and vomit. Furthermore, I developed multiple cysts. After randomly researching the effects of Nexplanon, I stumbled upon numerous reviews that described precisely what I had gone through. It was a relief to learn that I wasn't alone, and I immediately scheduled an appointment to have the implant removed. I advise against getting this implant, as it's not worth the damage it can cause."

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  • Bet...
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • December 15, 2022

For Birth Control "Please, please do not get this implant. This implant is awful. I had it for almost 2 years. It made me insulin-resistant, which eventually resulted in diabetes. Diabetes doesn’t run in my family. Everyone in my family is surprised I have it. Even after I got it removed, tumors were springing up in the breast and uterus. This is because this implant contains artificial estrogen that will make you estrogen dominant. It won’t leave your system like they promised. What they are selling is all lies. And you can end up infertile from many fibroids. Please be wise. It will ruin you."

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  • des...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • November 3, 2022

For Birth Control "I can't stress enough how hard the last four months have been since the implant insertion. Mood swings, sadness, fear, no sex drive, sex is literally an irritable experience, no sleep, constantly tired, can't make me leave the house, thrush, constant bleeding, over a stone weight gain. I am having it removed tomorrow, I wish I could have ripped it out myself earlier. My life is so miserable that the lively, happy, active person feels like I have been imagining her. I wish someone had told me this earlier. I feel doctors and nurses are aware of these problems and yet still using and offering it. Don't do it, not sure how I will go back to my old weight and life, but God help."

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  • Tru...
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • October 16, 2022

For Birth Control "Nexplanon is by far the worst birth control ever made! I got it inserted in January 2022. The excess bleeding was unbearable. I bled for what seemed like three weeks. I called my doctor, and they put me on birth control pills to help regulate the bleeding. Sometimes that helped, and sometimes it didn’t. Had I known they were going to prescribe the pill, I would have just opted for the pill. What sense does it make for me to put all of those hormones in my body? I finally got Nexplanon removed because it has been awful on my life. It definitely works as birth control, not in the way intended, but because you bleed all the time, you’re not going to want to have sex! I’m still dealing with bleeding a week after removal. Doctors need to be better informed about this implant and mentally prepare patients for the common side effects when getting it placed and when removing it."

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  • 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!"

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  • 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."

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  • Meg...
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • September 19, 2022

For Birth Control "Had the Nexplanon inserted in December 2021. Nexplanon was approved in Canada in early 2021, I believe. I’ve tried various birth controls - different pills, the shot, the ring, & the patch. All of them worked well for me, but I wanted something long-term that I could forget about. So I decided to opt for Nexplanon as it is less invasive compared to IUD. The first few months were fine, no side effects, period stopped, and occasionally had spotting. Around May, I got sick and didn’t think it was related to the implant, so I had various testing done, which all came back normal. I did notice a significant difference in my energy levels and moods after being sick, but thought I was just recovering from that event. Then, 2 weeks ago, I became very emotional for no apparent reason, was crying almost every day for 2 weeks. With this, I also started experiencing severe anxiety, to the point where I felt like I was going to have panic attacks. Thankfully, I was able to get it removed yesterday!"

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  • gra...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • September 15, 2022

For Birth Control "Nexplanon sucks. DO NOT GET IT!! I’ve been bleeding 70% of the past 5 months I’ve been on it, not normal blood either. Worst decision I’ve ever made. I’m not doing anything wrong to make it act weird, I’ve been actually very healthy, but this thing, I want to rip it out of my arm."

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  • Ano...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • September 13, 2022

For Birth Control "I got this implant a few weeks ago, and after 3 days, I experienced a serious mood swing, which then became an underlying depressed mood. For the next few weeks, my anxiety got so bad I could barely eat. My mood swings became absolutely crazy, and I became suicidal. I have had problems with anxiety in the past, but this made it a million times worse. I cry about everything, I am scared to be alone with my thoughts, I can barely recognize myself. I have been so rude to everyone around me and pushed everyone away. It has interfered with my relationships, mainly with my partner. I quickly decided that I did not want to keep it in any longer, and I got it out. I only had it in for around 3 weeks, and I felt its impact on my mental health. I hope that removing it will improve my mental health and I'll be myself soon. I forgot to say that I was constantly bleeding too, why would I want to be permanently bleeding while on birth control? I don't recommend the implant at all."

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  • It...
  • September 11, 2022

For Birth Control "So I’ve been on the pill since I was 17, and now I’m 32. I’ve always switched different types of birth control and finally decided to try something different, and OMG, biggest mistake of my life. My first cycle was normal! Then the second cycle, I bled straight for over 70 days, it was miserable! I was having nonstop cramps, and I was so depressed! I decided I was not going to push through anymore and took it out, and thank God! I finally stopped bleeding! Never again."

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