The Implant

Heya, so i wana have the implant coz wen i go to uni it'd be easier, no pills to remember to take everyday, and appartently stops your periods, which sounds brilliant. I've also heard it last three years, which is good aswell. Just wondering if anyone has it, any bad side effects? Would anyone recomend it? Also it is painful? coz it doesnt look that nice... thanks for any help xx

Reply 1

Katia

6

slightly_foxed

Heya, so i wana have the implant coz wen i go to uni it'd be easier, no pills to remember to take everyday, and appartently stops your periods, which sounds brilliant. I've also heard it last three years, which is good aswell. Just wondering if anyone has it, any bad side effects? Would anyone recomend it? Also it is painful? coz it doesnt look that nice... thanks for any help xx

My friend has it and she does have periods, but they're very irregular and when they do come they last AGES. Her longest was actually about 7 weeks. She has to take the pill now as well to control her periods. I'd go with the pill. Oh and it does hurt a bit to put in.

Reply 2

slightly_foxed

OP

ah thankyou, woah 7 weeks!! no thanks. Its just my mate has had it a year and has'nt had a period. Thanks for your reply, will be good to find out people experiences with it.

Reply 3

shady lane

16

You're not meant to get it if you haven't had children. Doctors usually say no unless you have a medical problem.

Reply 4

blissy

15

Yes I have it.

Pain = they use local anaesthetic to put it in. In itself it doesn't hurt at all. When the anaesthetic wears off a few hours later it aches. My arm hurt for the day and day after. Now I can't even see where it went in, or feel it unless I wiggle around and try to find it. Poking a stick out of my arm is quite the party piece. I dread to think of how much it'll hurt when it comes to cutting out the bit of plastic which has probably grafted onto fat tissue in my body.

Periods = haven't had one since it was put in 9 or so months ago (and no I'm not pregnant :p:

) but that varies a lot from person to person. I'd never had spotting on the pill or anything so maybe mybody works well with artificial hormones?

Side effects = mood swings, definitely for me. Nothing else.

edit: You go for an initial consultation and then you can arrange to have it put in after that at the next appointment. Just ask for it and they re usually happy to give it to you as long as you are aware of the side effects.
shady_lady, over here they're actually encouraging young women who haven't had children yet to consider longer-term contraception.

Reply 5

Lib

10

shady lane

You're not meant to get it if you haven't had children. Doctors usually say no unless you have a medical problem.

That's IUDs (also called the coil), not the implant. The implant is inserted into your arm, whereas IUDs are inserted into the womb.

My best friend has an implant, and it's reduced the frequency and heaviness of her periods, but it hasn't stopped them.

If you want something in-between the pill and the implant then I'd recommend Depo Provera (the injection). It's completely stopped my periods, and most places let you make your next appointment when you go for the jab, so it's not hard to remember to get there.

Reply 6

blissy

15

But at least with the implant you can have it taken out. You can't get an injection out of your system with the same immediacy.

Reply 7

shady lane

16

Oh...the implant!!
It was taken off the market in the US due to medical complications...

Reply 8

Lib

10

shady lane

Oh...the implant!!
It was taken off the market in the US due to medical complications...

That's a different implant to the one that's available in the UK. The US one that there were problems with was called something like Norplant (I think) and involved 5 rods which had a habit of migrating, hence it being withdrawn.

Think Implanon (single stick implant) is only available in the UK and Aus, not the US. No such problems with it though.

Reply 9

AndySoOoOoN

What a stupid thing to do. Just take the pills and continue with the periods. Whats the point in messing with your body with something thats really not needed at all.

why is it stupid?

AndySoOoOoN

What a stupid thing to do. Just take the pills and continue with the periods. Whats the point in messing with your body with something thats really not needed at all.

How is the implant more messing around with your body than the pill? If anything it's less, because you're only putting one kind of hormone into your system instead of two!

Reply 12

ezmenightin

the implant has also been withdrawn in the uk...
http://www.prochoiceforum.org.uk/comm9.asp

I had the injection for 2 and a half years...was the best thing ever...stopped my incredibly painful periods, which was good...but my doctor only put me on it because they were so painful, after i had tried the pill and various types of painkillers...and now she's made me come off it :'( so am suffering lol

Reply 13

Talya

16

ezmenightin

the implant has also been withdrawn in the uk...
http://www.prochoiceforum.org.uk/comm9.asp

NORPLANT was withdrawn, nowadays ONLY Implanon is used.

I have it and it stopped my periods.

I've been getting headaches, but I am not sure if they are a side affect as they only started 8 weeks after I had it in, but they're not too bad and the implant will probably affect you differently.

The pill (Loestrin 20) lowered my sex drive but the implant cured that!

Reply 14

tbm

13

Id love to have the implant but I am concerned that I would have irregular periods and be bleeding constantly, as I hear thats a side affect.

Ive been struggling with my sex drive recently too and think I need a break from the pill, have been on it for nearly 8 years now.

Reply 15

Anonymous #1

adverse_reaction

Id love to have the implant but I am concerned that I would have irregular periods and be bleeding constantly, as I hear thats a side affect.

At first when I had irregular ones, they were so light I didn't even need a tampon. Just slight spotting which doesn't affect sex life, tbh!

Reply 16

Segat1

16

I'm thinking about getting one. Sick to death of worrying I will forget....

Anyone know anyone who had to have one taken out due to side effects? I like the idea of the implant as opposed to the injection... but don't want periods....

Reply 17

Talya

16

Segat1

I'm thinking about getting one. Sick to death of worrying I will forget....

Anyone know anyone who had to have one taken out due to side effects? I like the idea of the implant as opposed to the injection... but don't want periods....

I just had my second period on implanon, had it in in Jan.

The only side affect for me is occasionally I get really bad headaches, but I just go to bed. You may not have this side effect. If you want it removed, just call the clinic where you got it and make an appt to get it removed. If the effects are really bad, say it is an emergency and I am sure they will try and accomodate you, they are usually quite nice!

Reply 18

Bubblebee

15

My mate had hers out cause she bled constantly, but she gets problems with bleeding on the pill too. Mine works fine apart from at the moment I've gone from having regular p's (though only lasting a day) to not having ANY!

My advice to you if you get it would be to wait untill the anethetic has worked totally cause I was in agony!

Reply 19

michellehall

2

do you think if the injections stopped your periods the implant would as well because im seriously considering switching its just the fact that i havent had a period in 3 yr and that i dont want one thats putting me off changing

The Implant

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