Implanon questions

Both me and DP have decided we don't want another little one for atleast 2-3 years so i am trying to think of the long run. Something that will be effective against pregnancy and hopefully help with my PCOS.

I have read a bit of the previous posts about it and i have some further questions.

How many of you gained weight? If you did how much? was it hard to maintain your weight?

How much is it?

If we wanted TTC sooner than we expected when its removed how long roughly before things would be normal?

And, do all GP's do it or do i have to see someone specific?

I didn't gain weight, but it screwed with my mental health BIG TIME, so keep an eye on that. When I got it 4 1/2 years ago, only certain GP's could put it in, not sure if that's still true. I was also told that it would increase the severity of my PCOS symptoms, and would take considerably longer to leave my system than the normal 12 months.

HTH :)

KM, another possibility for you could be an IUD. From what I've heard these are great for women who have had a bub (something to do with the uterus changing post-natally) or suffer from PCOS. I think you fit both categories!

Do some googling - my sister just enquired about getting one and it has to be done by a gyno so you'd need to see your GP for a referral first.

From what I've heard from my two fiends who have had implanon, neither of them seemed to gain weight but they both had somewhat negative experiences...

One of them spotted continuously while she was on it and the other one had a similar experience to Keike, it messed with her mentally.

Good luck with your decision...

To answer your questions
- Yes I gained so much weight. But alot of that was fluid as I was terribly bloated in the abdomen & boobs. It was fine for the first year, but after it had been in for 18 months I'd had enough & had it removed. Weight came off very quickly after this.
- Cost I can't remember. It wasn't much though & if you have a GP who bulk bills you won't pay for the insertion.
- I'm pretty sure that once it's removed things are supposed to return to normal very quickly.
- I think all GPs can do it, I used to work in a surgery & I don't remember having to book patients to anyone specific. You'll have to see the GP for the script, then book in to have it inserted once you've actually got the implanon.

Good luck!

I cant say a good thing about the implanon as said before it screwed with my mental health BIG time, i didnt gain weight but had killer headaches. It swapped AF around for me (i bled for 3 weeks and got 1 week of no bleeding every single month) when i got it taken out when we decided to TTC bellah it took 6 months for my body to get back on track then a futher 18 months to conceieve her we did have 1 loss in that time though, and although they say it is impossible to get pregnant with the implanon well not impossible but 99.9% effective i guess i must be in that 0.01% that did!

yes i gained weight, it was hard to loose it

i bled every 2 weeks for 3 weeks at a time, this didnt stop until i had it removed

i heard its exspensive to get unless you have a health care card from centrelink

I had it for just under 12 months and once i had it removed i got AF exactly 29 days later but my cycles would be abit all over the place and it took me almost 12 months after having it removed to get pregnant this time around

not all GP's are able to do it, do i would be asking your Dr if they are experienced with it....

i also had problems with it digging into a nerve in my arm and would send tingles down my arm and make my arm ache

I definitely wouldn't recommend it, hun... just posted in your other thread about my experience, I'm happy to answer any further q's you have about it.
A friend actually said to me recently (although I don't know how much trust I should place in what she told me as she's not a Dr and is... well.. blonde, right?) that Drs prefer only to use Implanon in women who have 'emotional problems' like bipolar as the Implanon 'helps bring them down and keep them level', whereas in a 'normal' person the Implanon can send them right off the deep end into Whacktown - Population: You, itms. Like I said, I don't know how accurate that little bit of info is but if my own experience was anything to go by, well.. yeah, that was my story. Totally normal (typically angsty) teen one day, practically doubled in size in just a few months and ended up in a mental hospital. Implanon got removed, weight fell off, my emotional stability was right back on track within weeks and now I look back on those 3 years with so much shame and regret and wish I'd had a Dr who had at least MENTIONED these possible side-effects to me so I could make the connection.

I've been told the exact opposite Glamourcide - I was (eventually) told that its not recommended for people with a history of depression. Of course, that would've been more helpful PRIOR to 3 suicide attempts and being fired :protest:

I have had a totally different experience with it. On the pill I had migraines, break through bleeding, weight gain and moodiness. With the implant I maybe had a period twice a year, I lost weight and no pms or headaches. I had it for four and a half years. I am about to go back to it and get it again, my other option is the mini pill but that is what sent me haywire after dd1 I stacked on weight and was crying all the time.

DONT GET IT!!!!
Yes it is cheap, cost $30 + 2 doctors visits, and I dont have a health care card.
It made me quite depressed, I already had depression but the implanon made it 10 times worse.
Although I was lucky and had irregular light bleeding for 4 months, and then did not have a period for the rest of the time I had it in. (about a year)
But I still would not reccomend it. It makes you soooo moody! We have gone back to the good 'ol rubbers :D:D

Implanon also messed with me emotionally, I had quite irrational mood swings and sometimes felt depressed, not something that's normal for me at all.

On the bleeding side, it was good for me, after about 3 months my period settled to once every 6 weeks and it was lighter than normal.

I did gain weight, about 5kg which I haven't been able to shift.

I had it in for 18 months, had it removed and conceived on my second cycle so things were back to normal straight away for me.

All in all, I probably wouldn't recommend it, especially if you have any mental health issues.

Hmmmm after reading everybodys experiences i don't think i will go for it afterall.

I am already moody, emotional and irrational enough as it is without being even more crazy! (DP's words not mine lol)

I will have a good chat to my GP tomorrow and work out something.

KM don't let them talk you into the depo injection either. It works exactly the same way with all the same side effects only it takes way longer to get out of your system.

I HATED it!! Yes I didn't get any AF the whole time it was in but it made me put on heaps of weight which I can't shift and also messed with my moods even more (and i was already on anti depressants anyway)
I got pg the cycle after I had it removed but had an early m/c .

Hey all,
I'm currently doing the mini pill thing, but am looking at changing it up soonish. Over recent months the mini pill and I seem to be at odds. And with dd3 seeming like she is weaning I'm looking at other alternatives.
Currently looking at implanon, I was wondering if anyone knows the science behind how it works. Like I know it releases a regular low dose hormone, but does anyone know how this is regulated? Also is it one dose fits all?
Also has anyone got pregnant whilst on it? Or know of someone who has?
Also curious of cost?
And tell me has it had any affect in the bedroom? ;)
I never thought I would consider this one, but I'm over the current options readily available to me.
Thanks in advance

Can't remember how much it cost. Not a lot, but I've got a HCC. It's the same dose for everyone, but I've NFI how it works lol. I didn't feel it go in thanks to the local, and it was only a bit tender for maybe a week. I got really bad bruising, but it didn't hurt and it's fine now, just a faint little scar at the incision site. I have gained a few kilos on it, which I'm not rapt about, but it's better than the alternative. I also get PMS symptoms every month or so, but no period back yet here, I probably won't get AF until it comes out, because I got it before AF returned (according to my gp anyways). No difference libido wise (low for me anyway). All in all I find it fine, better than remembering to take a pill of having something in my uterus.

Thanks pz, it's all silly questions really but yanno.
I've been researching online, and from what I have found there haven't been as many negative posts on the internet since 2011, actually there hasn't been many posts about it since then. Which makes me wonder of course..
My gp mentioned it a while ago saying he thought it would suit me but I didn't like the idea of it then. Now he says my next option would be mirena which I find even less appealing lol.
Hmm.

I went with implanon over mirena for two reasons. 1, I have scarring on my cervix and uterus, and I've had two severe uterine infections, so there was no way I was putting anything up there! And 2, if I didn't like it, it was much easier to remove. I would love to not have to bother with any hormonal contraception, but out of what I've tried so far (this, the mini pill and yasmin) this is the best.

I had one before we got married. I didn't have it in for the entire 3 years, just a bit over a year. I didn't have AF on it at all, didn't notice any change in libido. I got it removed as after about 6 months I started putting on weight, I really think it was more fluid retention as the extra kilos kind of just disappeared once it was gone.

I don't know anyone who has fallen pregnant on it and I know of quite a few people who have chosen this over iud or the pill. I'm pretty sure it is 99.9% effective, so if 1000 women use it one woman could possibly fall pregnant. As for the science behind it, the hormone is released slowly over the 3 year period, that's all I really know!

At least it is simple to try out and remove if it doesn't end up being right for you, good luck!

So true hestia :) won't know unless I try and it appears to be fairly easy to get removed if need be.
Pz, my experiences with the pill make me wonder if this would be better than going back on the pill. Also I'm not a fan of having something in my uterus long term (that isn't a baby anyhow)
Might have to make an apt with the gp

I had three, was one of the first in Australia to go on it apparently. I had breakthrough bleeding and migraines and was on antibiotics all the time on the pill and they didn't want touse the depo injection before having kids. Never got my period on it, the first one I lost weight out some on with the second. The third was only in for a year before dh got the snip. I think the last one which was after kids my body rejected I got sick with bad sinuses and kept getting cysts in my wrist and once it came out it was stuck and had tissue stuck all around. The first two were fine coming out. For me it was a a good choice not all that sure how it works I know I did research before getting it though but we are talking a long time ago now, probably around 14 years. It was out almost a year before I fell pregnant.

Thanks br!

So I made a drs apt for the end of the month, so 2 weeks time. I explained to dh, that we have this time to really talk about the options and work out what is best for us. This time also gives him time to include him in the decision process.

So just got back from my gp. In his opinion, the mirena is the better choice. However he couldn't convince me that i would be able to handle having an iud.
So I now have a script for implanon, but have to wait until the 14/5 to get it in.
Apparently the rod has a higher dose of hormone, because it has to go through the body, the iud has a smaller dose because its place in the site.
Because of the higher dose of hormone, it will can alter the cycle more, create more bleeding etc.

The plan for me, is to get this for now, and if Im not happy with it, then we'll try the iud.

how did you go bb?

i had implanon inserted yesterday, and it is pretty sore today. if i use my arm it feel like a needle going in to my muscle. is that right? how long til it settles down?

From memory it's the same gear as in the depo injection but slow release. So if it doesn't suit you take it out and it's out of your system unlike the depo which has to wear off.

I had no periods for just over a year and then all of a sudden irregular very heavy ones. Got it taken out under general anaesthetic due to incorrect placement of it by original dr.

Big pain in the butt!! I'm sticking to the pill from now on.

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how did you go bb?

i had implanon inserted yesterday, and it is pretty sore today. if i use my arm it feel like a needle going in to my muscle. is that right? how long til it settles down?

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Hey hotI,
Omg, yeah the pain the next day (and couple after that too, I kept on knocking it which didn't help much) hurt heaps. It settled down within the week, but my bruise stayed a little longer. It was a little tender when touched after that, but once healed it was all good.
But for me it has been worth it. My body has responded to it really well, less side effects than any other contraceptive I've used. The only down side has been it has increased my appetite, I've put on a few kgs, but yanno, I can get rid of them when I'm ready to.
Otherwise, it's been awesome so far. Af wise, she's visited once and it was less pain, less duration than before too.