Etonogestrel and Depression: What Users Say (Page 4)

• I...
• January 24, 2020

For Birth Control "I got the implant January 15th, 2019. The first couple of months were fine, insertion was a breeze, no periods for the first couple of months. Out of nowhere, I started bleeding with maybe a three-day break in between. It would range from spotting to very heavy bleeding. I also have anxiety and depression, my seasonal depression being the worst. My doctor put me on the same antidepressants I’ve used for years, and I started feeling extremely suicidal. I thought it was because we were trying medication for my ADHD for the first time in years. But I’m convinced it’s this dangerously stupid thing in my arm. I have zero sex drive, I feel like I hate everything around me, everything and everyone annoys me or frustrates me, I’m exhausted all the time, zero motivation, very little feelings of my usual bubbly, happy self. I so can’t wait to get this thing out. If I could give a negative amount of stars, I would. This will be taken out no later than the end of February."

• I...
• January 24, 2020

For Birth Control "I got the implant January 15th, 2019. The first couple of months were fine, insertion was a breeze, no periods for the first couple of months. Out of nowhere, I started bleeding with maybe a three-day break in between. It would range from spotting to very heavy bleeding. I also have anxiety and depression, my seasonal depression being the worst. My doctor put me on the same antidepressants I’ve used for years, and I started feeling extremely suicidal. I thought it was because we were trying medication for my ADHD for the first time in years. But I’m convinced it’s this dangerously stupid thing in my arm. I have zero sex drive, I feel like I hate everything around me, everything and everyone annoys me or frustrates me, I’m exhausted all the time, zero motivation, very little feelings of my usual bubbly, happy self. I so can’t wait to get this thing out. If I could give a negative amount of stars, I would. This will be taken out no later than the end of February."

• Hyd...
• November 15, 2013

For Birth Control "I got my Implanon in May 2011 after my son was born. I didn't have a period for a month after that like normal. Then the spontaneous bleeding began (like I expected, the doctor told me it would happen), but then 2 months passed, then 3, then 6! With almost constant bleeding, I called my doctor, and she said to give it 6 more months, and at the year mark, my periods would stop altogether. That day came and went, but the problem continued. Along with that, I have had a nonexistent sex drive, severe weight gain, acne, depression, anxiety, hormonal issues, and hair loss, getting it out in 2 hours!"

• Jle...
• February 18, 2020

For Birth Control "On Nexplanon from 12.17.2014 to 2.17.2020. The first two years I just didn't have a period. Before the third year, I had depression and anxiety, but I chalked it up to a stressful job and more responsibilities. With the second implant, my period came back full force, massive clots and pain. I was told that's what to expect when you haven't had a period in three years. My career path changed to a much less stressful environment. I really enjoyed my job a lot, but my anxiety grew worse and my depression almost had me convinced I was possibly bipolar. All in all, I have gained 80 pounds in the five years and three months I've had it. That could be because of my depression and lack of energy. I'm more than ready to take this thing out of my arm and hope for the best. I'm not saying the Nexplanon is the wrong way to go. It never failed me once, but I think the symptoms need to be taken more seriously, and I personally feel the longer you're on it, the worse it gets."

• 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."

• Mar...
• August 20, 2019

For Birth Control "From months 1-7 on Nexplanon, I was feeling fine... Five days ago, I began to have a creeping anxiety; my fear of death and worrying about things far out of human understanding or control was insurmountable. My family and I do not have a history of anxiety or depression. I then began to correlate Nexplanon to these little anxious worries that had been filling my head since I got it. I got my period four days ago and immediately began crying uncontrollably four times a day for the past four days. I had severe anxiety and almost had another panic attack when I was at the gym. The only reason I found out about the severe depression and anxiety that were side effects was because of reviews from women like yourselves. I am on day one without Nexplanon, and I still have some anxiety left over as it’s leaving my system. Do not listen to the Nexplanon company that says only a measly 5-6% statistic of women feel depression and anxiety from taking it. I have read hundreds who say the opposite."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 11, 2012

For Birth Control "This is the only thing that seemed to help my horrible periods, as it got rid of them completely, but it made my depression so much worse that it's just not worth it for me. I'm sad though, because other than that, this worked so well for me. If you don't have problems with depression, it's worth a try."

• Syd...
• April 5, 2013

For Birth Control "I am getting this removed as soon as possible. I have only had it in for a few weeks now, but I just cannot handle what it is doing to me. I am having massive anxiety and depression. It's literally driving me nuts. As I read other women's reviews, I see other side effects such as weight gain and nonstop bleeding, and I know that's something I do not want to experience either."

• Kan...
• April 11, 2021

For Birth Control "It was horrible!!! My anxiety was so high and never noticed it until now because I was not that kind of person. My hair was falling in chunks, I was so depressed and had really bad thoughts. I was just overthinking all the time. I would not recommend this birth control. Gladly, I already got it removed!"

• Tre...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 7, 2022

For Birth Control "I’ve had Nexplanon for three years now. I’d never been on BC before getting Nexplanon, but heard really good things about it from friends. It took me months after the fact to realize, but Nexplanon triggered some of the worst depression of my life. I already have mental health issues, but three months after insertion, I became increasingly suicidal. There came a point where I made a note and had a plan. I never knew that BC could cause such massive shifts in your mood, so I never thought to take my Nexplanon out. I really regret that, and honestly, the benefits just don’t outweigh the bad parts. Aside from the depression/intrusive thoughts, my period has gotten heavier and increasingly irregular. Sometimes I’ll go months without a period, then it’ll last weeks. At the beginning, I had a period that lasted nearly a full year. I really recommend doing your research and, if you choose Nexplanon, monitor your mental health and seek help immediately if something ever feels off."

• 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."

• Dan...
• November 4, 2019

For Birth Control "I’ve had the Nexplanon for 4 years now. Here are the pros: 1. Can’t get pregnant 2. No weight gain 3. Don’t have to worry about taking a pill every day. Cons: 1. I get depressed out of NOWHERE, and I’ve never felt like this before I was on Nexplanon. I get major mood swings. I feel like I’m going crazy sometimes. 3. Long periods- I would have my period for 2-3 weeks at a time. Sometimes I would spot for 30 days. My normal cycle without Nexplanon lasts 3-5 days. 4. Bruised arm- when I got my new rod put in, my arm still looks bruised. 5. Acne- I eat clean, exercise, and drink lots of water, and still, my face breaks out. I get really big, painful pimples too. 6. Distorted thinking- I get so many negative thoughts out of nowhere, and I get into this really dark place. So, I am getting my implant taken out at the end of this month, thank goodness! I appreciate that it does prevent pregnancy, but it’s not worth costing me my mental health and relationships. I do not recommend this product."

• App...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 21, 2019

For Birth Control "It is not worth it. Nexplanon has severely inhibited my life. For starters, the periods! I have been on this for about 10 months now. I have been constantly on my period since I got it in with no signs of stopping, only small (like one or two-day) breaks every month or so. I got the birth control so I could have sex, and now I feel like I can’t! The bleeding is so heavy. Loss of sex drive. Seriously. Anxiety and depression to the max. I can’t sleep because I imagine everyone I love dying. I cry when my husband leaves the house because I’m scared he will die in an accident. I get angry over stupid things and start to hate people when I used to pride myself on being kind. My husband begged me to remove the implant because the mood swings and anxiety were so bad. Weight gain. A lot of it. I’ve never struggled with my weight before. Now with the Nexplanon, I have gained 50 pounds with exercise and dieting, and the scale keeps going up no matter what I do - it’s hopeless."

• Jay...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 1, 2013

For Birth Control "I've had this birth control since May 2013, it's the 1st of December. My doctor said after 5 months my period would go away. The first few months my cycle was normal, around September, my cycles got longer and came close together. I can't remember when they began or ended. Now I just have to carry extra undies and tampons EVERYWHERE I go. It's terrible not knowing when your cycle will begin and end. If my period doesn't get it together or end soon, I think I will be getting this removed. My side effects are: mood swings, depression, I sleep a lot more, and I eat like a grown man fresh out of prison."

• Sta...
• February 18, 2021

For Birth Control "I got Nexplanon in November 2020, it's now almost March 2021. My sister pointed out to me that I hadn't started feeling depressed and suicidal until I got the implant. I even handled getting laid off better than this in September. I've gained about 20 lbs, and it doesn't want to leave. I'm considering taking it out because I can't live with these intrusive thoughts. My anxiety is weirdly better? My brain keeps blanking-I forgot mid-sentence what I was saying and can't recall-this didn't happen before the implant. But it does its job-I'm not pregnant."

• Jem...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 3, 2020

For Birth Control "I had the Nexplanon implant for about 8 years. I’ve recently had the coil fitted and the implant removed. The difference in my mood is incredible!! My whole family are unfortunately used to my moody ways and over-emotional responses (after 8 years, who wouldn’t be). I thought this was just who I was, but then I started to think timeframes and could link the end of my calmness to roughly the same time I had my first implant fitted. I did some research and found that a lot of ladies are struggling with anxiety and depression while on the implant. So, I decided to change contraceptive. It’s like having that little rod removed took away my trigger! Anxiety has calmed, and my moods have settled very quickly. My family has noticed it, and I feel it. I don’t have obsessive thoughts, I’m not on edge anymore, and I have energy! I feel so much better, I can’t stress it enough. The coil's a much better option for me and possibly for others too."

• Eat...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 3, 2021

For Birth Control "I had Nexplanon implanted about a year and five months ago after a pregnancy scare. I was not on any birth control prior to this for about three years. Before the implant, I had my spouts of depression that were due to some life circumstances and were usually treatable without major treatments. After one month with the implant, I had taken a major decline in my mental health. I had suicidal thoughts, major anxiety, and awful night terrors. I ended up having to start taking antidepressants and going to see a therapist. Then I developed a binge eating disorder over the past year. I had always been conscientious about my nutrition and health, but I have now gained about 30 lbs. I have become a couch potato with social anxiety and no energy past making myself some food. It prevented pregnancy but is not worth me living in misery anymore. I am having the implant removed next week."

• Wjc...
• May 15, 2013

For Birth Control "I got Implanon put in February 2013, while I was on my cycle. My cycle stopped when it was supposed to. About two weeks later, I bled constantly. The Implanon caused me to have many side effects. I got depressed, anxious, sad, and hormonal. And I bled constantly until May. Everyone is different, and everyone's body responds in a good or bad way. After having it removed, I'd say I'm 99 percent better."

• sjs...
• December 21, 2014

For Birth Control "I've had it for about 4 months now. I had it put in at my 6-week checkup after having my son. I was losing a lot of weight before I had it. Then my weight loss just stopped. I've gained so much. My sex life is non-existent. I'm constantly feeling depressed. And I have no period, I prefer to have it."

• Jan...
• October 24, 2018

For Birth Control "I've had the implant for almost 2 years and bled for almost 2 months to begin. Each month following, I would have heavy bleeding once or twice a month, irregular periods, long periods. Once, I was bleeding very heavily for about 4 weeks and had to go to the hospital as I felt like I was slowly dying from blood loss. I used to be on the pill, which at the time I didn't realize how crazy it made me until after I stopped, and now realize the Implanon is the reason I have been depressed, unhappy, anxious, and fatigued. I'm getting this out next week and planning to use Natural Cycles for a while to rid my body of excess hormones. My friend had a nerve wrap around her Implanon, which caused numbness down her whole arm. Other friends have experienced mood changes and generally not feeling themselves. One friend had this in after having a baby, and to my knowledge has had no issues with it, so it really does depend on the person."

• Nan...
• December 16, 2016

For Birth Control "Do not choose this method if you are already an overly sensitive person or may have any depression or anxiety. I would not recommend this. I am 24, and this is my second type of birth control method I tried. After I inserted it, it took me about 5 to 6 months to realize that the medicine caused me to become more sensitive, suffer depression, and anxiety. I have had about 5 panic attacks in one year and am always easily irritated and depressed. Once I got rid of it, I was back to normal. It may not be the same for all women, but this is my experience."

• Pow...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 30, 2019

For Birth Control "I would not ever recommend this birth control to anyone. It was a lifesaver the first year, but since this second year, I've had issue after issue. I have horrible anxiety 24/7. When I'm not panicking, I'm crying from crazy amounts of depression. Not to include the physical changes it's done to my body. I'm constantly tired and weak. I spend almost my entire day in bed, when I normally would be up doing yoga or playing with my child. I have horrible chest pains along with palpitations that only make my anxiety worse. Plus horrible migraines, and awkwardly, I get muscle spasms all over my body, probably from stress. Please think twice before you get this. It will change your life."

• Bos...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 27, 2019

For Birth Control "DON’T USE NEXPLANON. I got it on June 23rd, 2017. I will get it removed on May 8th, 2019. IDK why I waited this long. I got the BC (birth control) because I have always had really bad cramps. I would miss school when I was younger. The BC is terrible. I have mood swings, I am extremely angry, I am depressed, and I have anxiety. Almost every day I wake up, I don’t want to even wake up. I cry every day. I’m easily overwhelmed and sensitive. I’m so mean to my boyfriend. I don’t like cuddling after sex. I don’t like to be touched, but when I’m away from him, I’m constantly telling him I miss him and want to be kissed all over, but all of that changes when I actually get with him. I push people away, then complain I’m lonely. Whenever I’m mean to someone in my family, I don’t feel bad until after I’ve left them. I beat myself up for being so mean to them, and then I start crying. My boyfriend is probably more excited than I am to get this BC out, lol."

• Hal...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 19, 2019

For Birth Control "DO NOT GET NEXPLANON IMPLANT!! The first few months on this, it was great, it worked well! Then after that, the side effects started. I started to get dizzy spells, and then insane anxiety and depression. I've lost a couple of jobs because of it... Even felt so dark and depressed to where I had to go to the hospital... I was so sensitive to everything and got overwhelmed by EVERYTHING. I got Nexplanon out at Planned Parenthood, and now after about 4 days, I feel a little better but not 100%. While on Nexplanon, it was the worst year of my life. I just want to feel normal again. I'm scared to do anything because of my anxiety and panic attacks. Please do not have this as your birth control, it's not worth relationships nor your mental health."

• Kel...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 5, 2019

For Birth Control "I have had Nexplanon for about 4 months now, and at first, I loved it so much. But about a month ago, I experienced a panic attack while driving. I had never had a panic attack prior to getting Nexplanon put in, as well as the severity of my anxiety and depression right now. I don’t want to leave my house hardly, I cry all the time. The severe anxiety has caused so many more problems. I’m not myself, and I feel like I’m going crazy from the anxiety and depression. I'm getting it removed as soon as possible. It was effective in keeping me baby-free, though."