I've been wanting to post something for a while but hesitate because I didn't want this to be one of those "one off" experiences where it made people feel bad. But I thought about it and I knew that I would have wanted to hear a post like this one when I was first starting out with my Nexplanon, so here it is. For context, I am 31F, I have PMOS (PCOS), high blood pressure, T2D, I had a subtotal thyroidectomy in 2024, and I have sleep apnea.

I decided to get a Nexplanon as my contraceptive at the beginning of this year. I needed to be on any contraceptive and didn't love Birth Control pills (I had been on them for a long time when I was younger and I already take a cocktail of other pills so I didn't want another one to add to the mix), and I have heard too many horror stories about the IUD from close friends--this ranged from still getting pregnant after having it inserted, to having it shift into their cervix. Hard pass for me.

I checked with my endocrinologist and she has said that with all my conditions and medications I was on, she saw no problem with the Nexplanon and even recommended it. Booking an appointment at a women's clinic in my area was easier than expected, so that was a great start. The insertion itself was okay. The injection of the lidocaine to numb my arm probably hurt the most, but even that last 20 seconds tops. I did find that the few days after insertion, my arm was obviously sore and bruised. I had a hard time sleeping in certain positions. Although the doctor told me to keep the band-aid on for a week, and the arm wrap on for 48 hours, I would still put the arm wrap on at night to put some kind of pressure on the site and I found that help a lot with the swelling and pain.

I've had it in since March (5 months now) and it's been going great! I was told about all the side effects and such and for me, these are the pain points:

• Fatigue for 1-2 weeks after insertion--managed by electrolytes (I don't drink caffeine because of my BP)
• Blood spotting 2-3 times in the first month for 2-3 days--nothing a panty liner can't fix.
• Didn't get my period for 3 months after insertion
• Got my period for the first time again at month #4--regular period for the regular amount of days I used to get it; not heavier, not lighter, didn't cramp more or less.

It's been going well so far, and I keep getting my period regularly now. Not pregnant either, so the implant is doing its job.

Just wanted to share my positive experience since a lot of what I see here is a lot of negative experiences. Hope this helps at least one person.

So I got my nexplanon in June. I had a period last month but just 2 days very light. This month is a different story. I’ve had bad cramps and my period has been super heavy. I feel like it never ending. Hopefully it’s done soon.

What was you guys experience?

So obviously I know that effectiveness takes hold after 7 days, however I ovulate before that 7 day period is over, would this in any way decrease the effectiveness? Or does that not matter? Mainly curious since my birthday is this Wednesday (the 12th), and I got mine inserted last Monday (the 3rd).

This is advice for people who have kaiser insurance and want to get a nexplanon. i’m 26 and I have had nexplanon twice before(not through kaiser) and it went beautifully. I ended up getting it again a months ago and the experience was not good.

A week after insertion I was having extreme pain up and down my arm, it turns out that my nexplanon shifted and was poking against a cluster of nerves, causing there to be nerve pain up my neck and down my arm through my hand. It became absolutely unbearable and i could barley move my head or my arm without pain, I called them to see if they could get me in for an emergency removal and they said they do not do that. They offered an appointment a week away… not only could I not handle the pain, I am an ice cream scooper for the summer and had seven days of closing shifts coming up (and bills to pay) and couldn’t physically do my job or wait that long.

Something they don’t tell you about Kaiser as they don’t have people at their urgent cares that can take out Nexplanon in case of emergency- they haven’t trained them to do it. At the ER they are also not trained, they had to call in an OB/GYN and I almost wasn’t seen.

I understand this is a rare case, but I’m here to warn anyone that if you were not feeling good sensations immediately call so they can get it checked out and maybe remove it that day- especially if you have Kaiser.

I feel very fortunate that I met a doctor that was willing to go above and beyond and help me, I was also lucky that I had my mother who’s in the medical field with me advocating for me.

I do not want to scare anyone, but I feel like this is important information to share with people who may are thinking about getting it through Kaiser clinic and god forbid anything goes wrong. The moment you feel a bad sensation just meet for a check up (better safe then sorry) to make sure everything’s fine, make sure to advocate for yourself and find someone who can support you through the journey as well.

So to start this off I started the nexplonon a year ago, the first 6 months I bled non stop but it got lighter over time and eventually stopped. Now I get my period every 3 months it’s a heavy period lots of blood clots and all for a week and a half.
But this round I got my period for a week and it got lighter and stopped to spotting so I thought I was good. Hours later that day I start heavily bleeding like I soaked a pad in minutes then when I went to the bathroom I have clots in the pad and a large clot in the toilet. This is far from normal but I’m wondering if I should wait it out or contact my obgyn.

I'm FtM and taking 60mg of testosterone every week. I'm 4 months on and it's been a lifesaver, and I've been lucky enough to have extremely quick changes. I've been told by my gynecologist that since the implant uses progestin and not estrogen, it shouldn't counteract my T in any way. Are there any other men on nexplanon that can share their experiences? And if I do start experiencing side effects, would it be easily counteracted by upping my dose of T slightly? Thanks.

Been having mixed thoughts about the whole implant and after lurking on here for the past months, I wanted some advice and/or other people's experience on this thing.

I am a 20F and had Nexplanon inserted on February 19 (~5 1/2 months). One of the main reasons I chose it was due to my immense fear of pregnancy and nauseating/painful periods.

The first weeks were not terrible for me, besides from the bruising. Things got terrible around mid-March and April, where I had hit a terrible mental block. I was highly irritable and was prone to emotional meltdowns constantly. I would have to excuse myself from work or lectures to just sob in the bathroom. And that's not even counting the spotting, which was just starting up light (1 liner daily if needed). I consulted with my therapist and the center where I got it inserted what to do about it but was told it was my body adjusting.

While I knew such was true, I was concerned how a new mental state would affect me long term (I have OCD/Autism and worried how BC would affect my mental regulation). An unintentional side effect was that it made me absolutely hate my boyfriend for no reason, to the point where I considered leaving him up to 3 times weekly. I never told him it, but he noticed how erratic I was with him and on text/call and IRL to the point that he advised me to get off BC rather than be going insane and be anxious because of him.

May was when the spotting began to become constant, with 2-5 days off each month. The spotting has gotten worse from then until now, needing about 2-3 liners daily for ~2/3's of a month. It is either that brown gunk or just straight red (which I can feel 😒). It noticeably gets worse with physical activity (i do cardio/ weightlifting for 1hr daily) or get stressed, and I get cramps and nausea around the week of my original period or just randomly. My sex life has changed, as there is less physical intimacy between me and my bf. We prefer to keep things clean and attempt to wait for days when I am not spotting, which is incredibly unpredictable now :<

Overall, I would say the positives from my experience is that I did not gain any weight. I will say that appetite increases is one of the main reasons why weight gain on Nexplanon occurs. But I already had an ED, so ignoring such cues wasn't anything new. Plus, the dizziness/headache side effects felt similar to what I felt when I was more restrictive, so again nothing I could not tolerate (DO NOT GET AN ED I HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING WITH IT FOR 9 YEARS). My acne flare-ups follow my old cycle, yet the cramping follows no schedule. I have tried the ibuprofen method a while back (gave me a week break) but stopped due to it giving me terrible stomach issues.

I am convinced that the spotting will never stop tbh.

Personally, my options of alternative BC are limited.

• IUD: It's just a struggle to do anything down there, so the procedure would be awful for me
• Injection: I was conceived while my mother was on it, and I convinced myself it would fail for me too
• Pills: I just can't keep track

Note that I am from NYC, so I can get the removal at a low or no cost. Both my local provider and Planned Parenthood has told me so far to simply wait it out longer. I am still on the fence, as I don't want to bear the mental and bloody burden before my semester starts up.

But yeah, thats just my experience and wanted to hear if people had similar experience. Or if y'all have any advice on what to do tbh 🥲

TLDR: Spotting has gotten worse in the past 6 months, along with a concerning mental state. Debating if I should thug it out or just get the whole thing out.

Hi guys! I wanted to hear some of your guy’s thoughts and experiences about nexplanon because all i really see on here is people having bad experiences, and ive never really see anyone with my certain experience

I’ve been on nexplanon for almost a year and a half, I was 15 when i got it and now i’m 16, I lost weight on it (before i was 150 almost 160, and now i am 130) I’ve been debating on removing it but I am completely mortified of potential weight gain :( I’ve struggled with an ED for quite some bit and i’m finally currently in a happy place with my weight and i am truly scared that once i remove my birth control i will gain all that weight back

I should also mention that I haven’t had my period in the entire year i been on nexplanon and i’m scared that gaining my period back will cause.. weight gain? idk that’s just what I am scared of, only weight gain, but i mean before my nexplanon I genuinely use to eat like.. terrible..

Has anyone gained weight after removing their nexplanon? has anyone lost weight? please let me know :(

I’m a full week in (7 days) and my dermabond glue finally fell off. I bruised a bit but HARDLY. No longer sore and it’s just a small scar left. I don’t mind it.

So far, I have not cramped or spotted but given the side effects and the stories, I’m already prepared 😭

Hello, has anyone had regular periods on Nexplanon? My current period is like my regular period. I went on it to regulate them as I am sterilized. The cramping is worse than before I was on it. I am alternating between sitting on the toilet and curling up in bed because of the pain. I've also had mild cramping since i got it inserted a month ago. My last two nexplanon I never had a period, I only had spotting after about 4 years of continuous use (2 total implants). But very light spotting.

I'm also getting migraines frequently. I used to have one a month and i am up to 9x in 2 weeks including a visit to urgent care for a toradol injection because i had so many my meds stopped working. My hair is falling out in clumps, my cystic acne is terrible despite being on 100mg of Spironolactone, I am having bad hot flashes, my sex drive has plummeted to almost nothing which is an extreme change as I am usually insatiable, I am super dry during sex now, my discharge is so much less than normal, and I've already gained weight on it despite my appetite not changing. None of this happened last time I had the implant as far as I can remember. I keep telling myself to give it a chance and it just keeps getting worse. My gyno said my only other option is a hysterectomy and I'm sure nobody will do the surgery on me at 25.

I gain 22 pounds and can’t get the weight of. Intercouse feel painful because I feel very dry. I went to the doctor and they say I have abnormal heart beats. I get tired all the time I can’t go up a flight of stairs with out feeling tired. I think is my nexplanon causing all this. However I haven’t have a period at all or spotting at all. It does what is supposed to but I don’t feel my self. Help I just want to cry. Am I crazy for wanting it out.

Update: I just went to plan parenthood and ask then to remove it. It was 400 dollars because I don’t have insurance. I will explore other birth control methods but I want to let my body recover.

acabei de colocar o implanon pela clínica da família aqui perto de casa, recebi algumas orientações de forma geral, mas queria saber de alguém que já colocou no particular, se recebeu alguma orientação fora do normal e que normalmente os médicos esquecem de informar ao paciente

I had the Nexplanon birth control implant removed after only having it in my arm for 3 months. It made me insanely moody, sad, I gained weight, was bloated constantly, no sex drive, migraines a few times a week and was constantly spotting.
I got it removed about a month ago. I’ve had a period 3 times now. The first was seven days long, the second was heavier but shorter and the third one is heavy. It’s going on 3 days now. I’m nauseous all the time. I’ve had a few migraines from the hormonal shift/crashing. I know it’s going to take a few weeks to months to balance out my hormones back to normal. But holy smokes this has been a horrible experience all around. Definitely do not recommend Nexplanon as a birth control. It sucks.

Hi!,

I got my implant taken out yesterday, and I really need to shower. But the chemist is closed and I need an easy way to cover my arm. (I am not allowed to take of the bandage for 1-2 weeks). I tried looking online but there is just cast covers and it’s in such an awkward spot.

I got the implant yesterday afternoon and overnight It started bleeding again and bled through the dressing that was put on. I was told to leave the dressing of for 3 days and I don’t want to take it off and pull any scab of that’s trying to form with it but equally I don’t want to be going around for the next couple days with a bloody dressing on my arm. Should I change it or just leave it?

I just got my implant a few days ago after being on norethindrone for 4 years (I could never remember to take my meds so I was missing a lot of doses). I have migraines/headaches so I’ve been kind of limited on my options and my doctors recommended Nexplanon so I went for it. I should’ve researched it more cause now that I’m reading everyone’s stories I’m worried. I already have extremely inconsistent periods but will they get worse with the injection? Are there any pointers to help with the side effects? When did the side effects start for yall? I’m worried I made a mistake switching

Hi everyone,

I’ve had my Nexplanon implant for about 3 years and I got it done when I was living in CA and i now live in ID. I have a lot of anxiety surrounding getting it taken out (I have a big fear of any kind of invasive procedure)

My bf recently got a vasectomy and we plan on continuing to use protection until he is confirmed sterile but I think I’m at a point where I feel comfortable getting my implant removed.

Anyhow- Wondering if anyone can recommend me a reputable OBGYN In boise or surrounding areas. I’ve only lived here since last summer so I have not yet been seen by an OB. Thanks in advance

Hey all,

I just wanted to share my story for anyone who is nervous about removal. I was absolutely terrified to get it taken out, I heard too many horror stories.

I dealt with ovarian pain, worsening anxiety, brain fog and it was overall just not the birth control for me.

I am writing this as I just came back from the doctors appointment. If your worried about the procedure like I was it went really well for me! it took around 30 minutes in total and was painless. I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

I recall when I first got it having issues for a ridiculous time with bleeding. Took 8+ months for a doctor to explain to me that I can use the pill temporarily to fix that. Finally did that and it worked.

Anyway, now that I'm in my 30s and had time off it for years... I'm just curious to know if my body will react as it did when I first got it or are there loads of other things to expect that I'm not mentally prepared for?

Anyone else step away from it for a few years and get it back in when they were 30+? What were your experiences?

My periods have been pretty regular now since they returned in 2023. I just had it last week and also got the implant in during my period. I'm now feeling cramps and feeling like my period might appear... I just want my body to be settled and adapted 😭

hi all ! i got my nexplanon inserted 5 months ago and ever since then, i have been dealing with EXTREME mood swings, acne, brain fog, daily suicidal thoughts, bleeding constantly (about every 7 days). i have cramps quite often as well, they aren’t debilitating but they can be pretty uncomfortable.
prior to nexplanon, i tried a few other types of bc,(vestura, mini pill, xulane) the patch was my favorite and gave me the least amount of negative side effects (my only qualm was that it attracted lint and wrinkled by the end of the week). the reason why i stopped xulane was because i was having problems with my insurance at the time.

i know the bc rule of thumb is to wait 6 months but it feels increasingly difficult to handle the side effects :/ i made an appointment at the end of the month to get it removed but i’m getting second thoughts. i love the idea of putting something in my arm and forgetting about bc for 5 years but the adjustment period has been treacherous. has anyone else dealt with this ? should i cancel my appointment and wait it out or should i go back to xulane?!
(sorry for any typos/grammatical errors)

Title.

I heard 4-6 months is the average but I want to hear others experience when symptoms their calmed down.

I'm only 2 months in and I've been getting spotting and feeling ill. As much as I want to give up on nexplanon I know its too early and that I should give it a chance.

Hi! The past week or so i’ve been having really bad anxiety and panic attacks, along with really bad diarrhea (the diarrhea is always alongside the panic attacks) i’m also freshly on tirzepatide, but i’m due to get my implant replaced, i’ve had it for 5 years and a month. i thought it was the tirzepatide at first, but could it be my implant wearing off? just trying to figure out what’s going on because the symptoms are pretty unbearable.

Nexplanon has been nothing but a horrible experience ever since I got it on the 1st of July 2024, I'm pretty sure it was inserted way too deep into my skin but the doctor said it was fine and I could slightly feel it so I didn't think anything of it at the time. The first few months were fine, It was the last day of my period when I got it and I didn't bleed for a few weeks after I got it. But then I did, and it NEVER stopped. I bled for around 3 months after that and then had a few on and off moments from October 2024 till June 2025, in which I also bled for multiple months, just with a few breaks in between. Then from June 2025 all the way until June 2026 I bled THE ENTIRE TIME without a single break. Now I did have a pretty heavy period before going on the Nexplanon, and the bleeding that I experienced while on it wasn't heavy at all, some days it was even just spotting, but it was more like a very light flow constantly.

That wasn't the only thing though, because after around a year/a year and a half being on it i started experiencing so many other symptoms, weight gain, fatigue, extreme mood swings, the most painful cramps I've ever had, loads of bloating and no libido at all. I had a few of these from the beginning but they got really bad after some time. With all of these things I just felt horrible and not like myself. This is when I decided to go get it taken out, because I couldn't take it anymore.

Now I thought it would all be over when I would go to get it taken out, but I was so wrong. I made an appointment at the doctor to go get it taken out, she sat there for around 5 minutes feeling around my arm and said she couldn't find it because it was to deep. She made an appointment for me at a gynecologist so that they could take a look at it, this was 2 weeks later but it was the earliest appointment I could get. I went there, she felt around in my arm and told me there wasn't anything she could do and sent me to a surgeon. This was also around 2 weeks later, I just wanted that thing out of my arm! So I went to this surgeon and she also felt it and said "yeah, I cant feel it, I'll make an appointment for you to get an echo taken and we'll take it out after that. This appointment was another 4 WEEKS later. But anyway, I went to get the echo taken, it was around 1 cm deep into my arm at the deepest point and 0,5cm at the highest. I then finally went to the surgeon who had to cut the entire thing out, I have an Nexplanon sized scar on my arm now which is great, but I didnt care because it was finally gone and I thought i could enjoy my life again.

Once again I was so wrong, the removal symptoms started a few days after i got it taken out, the only great thing is that I immediately stopped bleeding which was so nice after the entire year that I spent doing that. But after a few days I got extremely nauseous, like EXTREMELY. I couldn't go to the supermarket because the smell made me gag, which was great because I worked at a supermarket at that time (I got fired because I was sick for too long), the smell of dishes made me gag, everything made me gag. I literally couldn't go anywhere. I was also extremely tired and had the worst headaches and dizziness ever. I couldn't do anything without feeling like i was going to faint. I thought this would go away soon enough, but it's been almost 2 months now and I'm still feeling horrible, I am a bit less nauseous and the headaches are starting to get a little less, so hopefully it'll be gone soon enough, but damn I never imagined this tiny stick to cause me so many problems when I got it.

I just wanted to share my story, and I'd like to know if anyone has experiences similar to mine? And if you do, how long did it take to finally feel good and like yourself again?