IMPLANT

Anyone have it? Any advise or encouragement. I'm thinking of getting it in the next week or so but not made my apt. yet as I don't actually know anyone with it so just wanted to see if anyone on here could be of any assistance please
Why I'm considering it:
- not very good at remembering the pill
- hassle free; once it's in, it's there for 3years
- very effective!
- not effected by other medications
- can apparently make periods lighter and less frequent?
- fertility returns to normal as soon as it is removed
- protected from pregnancy as soon as it is in

Negatives:
- it weirds me out a bit!
- can apparently make periods heavier / more frequent?
- no control over when periods are
- not sure if I can take the pill at the same time so as to not have a period for the wedding and honeymoon (just in case I'm due on then!)

So as you can tell I'm a bit stuck, just want first-hand advise please
Thanks ladies!
Claire x

it depends woman to woman really but i only had problems after a couple of years, and you can take a different pill (can't remember the name) to stop you having a period.

i hardly bled at all until the last half a year i had it in.

Thanks
I know it's going to be different from person to person but just intrigued as to how everyone else found it!
Claire x

ive just had mine removed the other day, arm is brusing just now from it.
defo the best thing i've had done.
i've had the implant for 5 years, got it put in after my daughter was born.
period is unpredicatable right enough sometimes i would have a bleed heavy and light for around 3 weeks at a time then nothin for a few months but i supose it is different for other woman, jus depends on how it takes to your body.

i would recommend it if you are defo not wanting any "accidents" to happen anytime soon.

hehehe sorry i had to say that lol playing it safe!!

I've had two friends that have had it in and one bled constantly for the first and last year had very heavy and horrid cramps,

other friend's cycle extended to 8 weeks and was light/ spotting and she had hers in for 3 years and had it in again for another 18 mo so it obviously suited her.

i've got a 'spot' scar about the size of the very top of a biro lid since i had it taken out 5 years ago, it's only noticeable if i were to point it out.

As pinkcrimson says, you can take another pill- norithisterone to stop you having a period.

I tried it and hated it. But then my body hates all hormonal contraceptives, so if you're already on the pill with no adverse effects it might work well for you.

I bled the whole entire time-18 months- I was on it when I wasn't using the norithisterone to stop the bleeding. They kept telling me it'd stop if I kept it a bit longer. It didn't and I had to beg the (extremely rude)doctor for the thing to be removed at that point. I'd gained weight, and was also very depressed and anxious, and had lost my libido.

My advice would be, if you do decide to try it, do make sure your doctor is okay about removing it for you if you do have a bad experience with it.

i'll echo vegan vixen because i went to fpc cos doc refused to remove.

they however were brilliant and fitted me in at short notice.

Hi,

I've had one in for 4 years now (well I'm on to my second one now obviously!)

I decided on it for roughly the same reasons you did - became forgetful about my pill, it's something you don't even think about and I was in a steady relationship so STDs (which is obviously doesn't protect you against) etc weren't a concern.

The first one was fitted back in 2006. They give you a local painkiller and then inject the implant in (it's about the size and length of a hair grip). there's no pain, you can feel them poking around but can't feel any pain. Very quick and easy. Arm hurt a tiny little bit for the next 24 hrs and felt 'dead' for a couple of hours after the painkiller (but I was able to drive for instance).

It is very different for each woman but my personal experience is that my periods are virtually non existant and generally very light when they do come. the only downside is you never know when they're coming but luckily it's not that often so I've never found it an issue.
At first it does feel a little wierd having it in your arm ( you'll find you keep poking it!) but you can't feel it at all unless you press/poke it and after a while you just forget it's there.

In summer 2009 my original implant 'ran out' so to speak so I went to get that one taken out and another one put in its place. I won't lie, this procedure was a little more complicated than the initial insertion. they have to make a very tiny cut (about half a centimetre to a centimetre long) with a scalple and then do a bit of fishing around to get the old one out. As before, they give you a local anaesthetic so you don't feel any pain but there is some blood (I just looked the other way) and then, after they've put the new one in, they put a couple of those butterfly stiches on to hold the wound together and then a light bandage over the area. You have to keep that on for 48 hours (a bit of a pain with showering etc as you mustnt get it wet!) and then you can take off the bandage. then a couple of days later you can take the stiches off.

I bruised quite a lot after this second procedure and the area turned all sorts of shades of black, blue and brown over the next couple of weeks! a bit of discomfort in the first 24-48 hours but never really painful.

Now all I have is a very very small scar where they made the cut (more of a dot that a line) but becuase of the position of the scar (i.e. more or less around the back of your upper arm) you can't really see it, even when I've got a sleeveless top on.

I can highly recommend them - they've suited me down to the ground but they can be very different for different women. the good thing about the impant vs. the injections is if you have negative reactions to the implant you can just have it taken out (whereas with the injections you have to just wait for them to wear off).

Sorry I've rambled on a bit! Hope that helps. Good luck.

Sarah.

Thanks for all the help. Am just worried about gaining weight or getting spotty before the wedding (June 5th) but I also don't really want to have to worry about the pill when I'm on holiday etc. Just seems to be an easy method but have read a lot of reviews and A LOT of people seem to have constant bleeding for weeks at a time. This concerns me. A lot.
Not sure what to do now :S
Claire x

Hmmm... if the pill is working for you but you're concerned about forgetting it, especially while on holiday, maybe you could use a backup method like condoms or the cap alongside it for now, then reconsider switching to the implant after you get back from your honeymoon.

Good luck whatever you decide to do, I hope you're one of the lucky ladies it works well for!. x

[Modified by: veganvixen on March 11, 2010 01:31 AM]

My personal experience is that I did bleed constantly for the first 6 months but after going back onto my previous pill for 3 months it regulated things. I'm now halfway into my last year of the implant and do get the odd bit of discharge/bleeding between periods... they're also fairly irregular. The mark on my arm is barely visable and for me the main positive is that I know I can't forget to take my pill x

My experience was I was fine for a few months (infrequent light periods) and then started to have a heavy period every other week. Went back to the doctors who put me back on the pil for 6 months to regulate my bleeds and to get me over the "6 month settling in period". Finished the pill and was back to bleeding every other week. Had changed doctors by this time and my new doctors wouldn't remove it, but put me back on the pill. In the end I had it out at a family planning clinic after about 15months. I was told that for 3 out of 4 women its fine but for that 4th woman its hell.

I know everyone is different but i had an awful experience and would strongly advise you not to get it.

Since i put it in my body was so unpredictable, i was constantly spotting. My first few months i thought it was good no period but then when it came it was so heavy and painful and i was on it for ages and then i would spot all the time until my next period.

I kept saying the reason it works and stops you becoming pregnant is because you are constantly bleeding so you cant have sex anyway.

I have since had it taken out and gone back on the pill. I now have a small scar to show for it

I had it all done at family planning and when i went to see my doctor he asked how the pill was i said ok and he said he would strongly recommend i didnt get the implant. I advised he is too late been there done that but he said they are trying to get doctors to push people getting it but he has heard nothing but bad reports x

Hey!

my implant has been a godsend!!

after going on the pill from 16 (im now 22), and always forgetting/being on antibiotics/not being able to run 2 packs together for going on holiday so i didnt get a period, i was put on the implant 2 years ago.

I have light periods, some months nothing at all. If i do get bleeding when i dont want to (going on holiday etc) i have a pill called Northisterone, which stops the period, which i think is great!

i used to get really bad cramps on the pill, now i have pain free periods.

i think everyone has mixed stories about it, so im not sure if you'd know until you tried it. If the worst comes to the worst, i think they can take it out after 3 months xx

Thanks for all the advise!
Think I'll give it a go!

Claire x