What Is The Hormone In Nexplanon

How Do You Safely Stop Using Them

You may want to stop your birth control. Itâs easy to stop the pill. Just donât take it anymore. Your body should go back to its natural cycle within a few days. You can get pregnant almost immediately after you stop, so start using another birth control method right away if you donât want that.

Youâll need to see your doctor to remove the implant. Youâll be able to get pregnant right away, so plan on switching to another birth control method about a week before you have the implant removed if you donât want to conceive.

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Boston Childrenâs Hospital Center for Young Womenâs Health: âBirth Control Pills: General Information,â âBirth Control Pills: How to take BCPs,â âHormonal Implants,â âHow long does it take the pill to kick in? Say I start the pill on Monday. Can I have unprotected sex on Friday?â

FDA: âBirth Control.â

What If I Have Problems With The Hormonal Implant

Talk to your health care provider if you have questions or concerns, especially if you are having:

• Very heavy or long menstrual periods
• New painful headaches
• Redness, swelling, or bleeding around or at the area where the implant was inserted

The hormonal implant isnt the right option or choice for everyone. Did you know that you can have the hormonal implant removed anytime? Never, ever try to remove the implant by yourself! The implant MUST be removed by your health care provider!

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What Are The Benefits

• You do not have to remember to take it every day/week/month or every time you have sex.
• It works for up to 3 years.
• It does not require a pelvic exam.
• It’s reversible and can be removed quickly and easily at any time if you change your mind.
• It’s a good option for users who cannot use estrogen.
• It’s safe to use while breastfeeding.
• You cannot see the implant, but you will be able to feel it. Only you and your health care provider will know it is there.

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How To Prepare For The Procedure

The health care provider evaluates the womans overall health before inserting the implant. They will determine the correct timing for insertion based on previous birth control and menstrual cycle.

A woman may need to take a pregnancy test and be on a non-hormonal backup contraceptive for a week. A backup is not required if the woman previously:

• Did not use any contraception and had the contraceptive implant put into her body in the first five days of the menstrual cycle, even when they were bleeding.
• Used a mini-pill and had the implant inserted while she was on the pill.
• Had used a combination of contraceptives like a vaginal ring, birth control patch, birth control pills.
• Also, if she had the implant inserted within seven days of the beginning of the hormone-free period.
• Took a contraceptive injection and then had the implant added when the next injection was due.
• Previously used an IUD or another contraceptive and then had the Nexplanon inserted after the removal of an old device .

Before the insertion, the woman may need to sign a consent form.

Advantages Of The Implant

• lasts up to 3 years
• completely reversible once removed
• some people may stop having periods completely
• you can get the implant right after giving birth
• safe with breastfeeding

• irregular bleeding and spotting
• pain or scarring at the insertion site
• possible weight gain, headache, acne, or mood change
• small chance of cysts on the ovaries

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What To Expect At The Doctor’s Office

Your doctor or another health care professional will inject medicine to numb your skin on your upper arm, where you’ll get the implant. That may sting a bit.

Then they’ll use a tool that pushes the rod in through a needle. That wonât hurt. It feels like a little bit of tugging. The process may take less than a minute.

Afterward, you should be able to feel the implant under your skin but not see it.

At A Glance: The Implant

• The implant is more than 99% effective.
• Once the implant is in place, you don’t have to think about it again for 3 years.
• It can be useful for women who can’t use contraception that contains oestrogen.
• It’s very useful for women who find it difficult to remember to take a pill at the same time every day.
• The implant can be taken out if you have side effects.
• You can have it removed at any time, and your natural fertility will return very quickly.
• When it’s first put in, you may feel some bruising, tenderness or swelling around the implant.
• Your periods may become irregular, lighter, heavier or longer.
• A common side effect is that your periods stop . It’s not harmful, but you may want to consider this before deciding to have an implant.
• Some medicines can make the implant less effective.
• It doesn’t protect against sexually transmitted infections , so you may need to use condoms as well.

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How Do I Use The Implant

The implant is inserted under the skin of your inner upper arm by a trained doctor or nurse. A local anaesthetic is used before the implant is inserted so that you will not feel pain when this is happening. After the implant is inserted, you should be able to feel the implant under the skin.

Removing the implant is also done by a trained doctor or nurse. A local anaesthetic is used and then a small cut made in your skin to remove the implant.

Are There Any Positive Nexplanon Side Effects

Side effects arent always a bad thing many people use the implant because some of the side effects can be really helpful. The hormones in the implant can help with painful or heavy periods. The implant may ease cramps and PMS, and it will usually make your period lighter. 1 in 3 people even stop getting their period altogether after a year on the implant.

Its totally safe to not get a period while youre on the implant. And you dont need to worry about being pregnant even if you dont get a period, because the implant is really good birth control its more than 99% effective at preventing pregnancy.

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Broken Or Bent Implant

There have been reports of broken or bent implants, which may be related to external forces while in the patients arm. There have also been reports of migration of a broken implant fragment within the arm. Based on in vitro data, when an implant is broken or bent, the release rate of etonogestrel may be slightly increased.

When an implant is removed, it is important to remove it in its entirety .

Risks & Side Effects Of Nexplanon

Nexplanon can have side effects, and the most common one is a changing menstrual bleeding pattern. One out of ten women may have to stop using Nexplanon because of this change.

A woman can experience spotting between menstrual cycles, different time periods in between the cycles. There can be times when there are no regular gaps, shorter or longer cycles, or no bleeding at the time of the period. Women must tell their healthcare provider if they think they are pregnant or if the bleeding goes on long and heavy.

Other side effects of Nexplanon can be:

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What Are The Possible Risks Of Using Nexplanon

1. Problems with insertion and removal

The implant may not be placed in your arm at all due to a failed insertion. If this happens, you may become pregnant. Immediately after insertion, and with help from your healthcare provider, you should be able to feel the implant under your skin. If you can’t feel the implant, tell your healthcare provider.

Location and removal of the implant may be difficult or impossible because the implant is not where it should be. Special procedures, including surgery in the hospital, may be needed to remove the implant. If the implant is not removed, then the effects of Nexplanon will continue for a longer period of time.

Implants have been found in the pulmonary artery . If the implant cannot be found in the arm, your healthcare professional may use x-rays or other imaging methods on the chest. If the implant is located in the chest, surgery may be needed.

Other problems related to insertion and removal are:

2. Ectopic Pregnancy

If you become pregnant while using Nexplanon, you have a slightly higher chance that the pregnancy will be ectopic than do women who do not use birth control. Unusual vaginal bleeding or lower stomach pain may be a sign of ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancy is a medical emergency that often requires surgery. Ectopic pregnancies can cause serious internal bleeding, infertility, and even death.

3. Ovarian Cysts

4. Breast Cancer

5. Serious Blood Clots

Some examples of serious blood clots are blood clots in the:

Nexplanon Vs Mirena: Differences Similarities And Which Is Better For You

Drug overview & main differences | Conditions treated | Efficacy | Insurance coverage and cost comparison | Side effects | Drug interactions | Warnings | FAQ

When deciding on an effective and safe birth control method, you may be met with several options, such as birth control pills, birth control implants, and hormonal IUDs . The most effective options, however, are the etonogestrel contraceptive implant and the levonorgestrel intrauterine system . During the course of a year, fewer than 1 in 100 women will get pregnant while using an implant or intrauterine device.

Nexplanon and Mirena are non-pill forms of birth control that can help prevent pregnancy. Both drugs contain female hormone analogs called progestins. They do not contain estrogen.

Nexplanon is implanted under the skin of the upper arm while Mirena is an intrauterine device inserted into the uterus. They work by creating a hostile environment for sperm to prevent the fertilization of an egg. Progestins can also help stop the release of an egg from the ovaries . Continue reading to learn more about the similarities and differences between Nexplanon and Mirena.

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How To Use Nexplanon Implant

Read the Patient Information Leaflet provided by your pharmacist or health care provider before the rod is placed. Read and sign the Informed Consent provided by your doctor. You will also be given a User Card with the date and the place on your body where the rod was inserted. Keep the card and use it to remind yourself when to schedule an appointment to have the rod removed. If you have any questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Ask your doctor about the best time to schedule your appointment to have the rod placed. Your doctor may want you to have a pregnancy test first. The medication usually starts working right away when the rod is inserted during the first 5 days of your period. If your appointment is at another time in your menstrual cycle, you may need to use a non-hormonal form of birth control for the first 7 days after the rod is placed. Ask your doctor about whether you need back-up birth control.

The rod will be inserted under the skin in your upper arm by a health care professional. Usually it will be placed in the arm that you do not write with. Be sure you can feel the rod underneath your skin after it has been placed. If at any time you cannot feel the rod underneath the skin or feel that the rod has been bent or broken, tell your doctor right away.

How The Hormones Work In Nexplanon

If you get a Nexplanon implant during the first five days of your period, it is immediately effective at preventing you from becoming pregnant. If you get the implant at any other time in your cycle, you will need to use another form of birth control for the first week. After that, the implant becomes effective at protecting you from pregnancy for up to three years.

After the first year, the etonogestrel levels decrease slightly. The levels continue to decrease through the third year, but it remains above the threshold level necessary to prevent pregnancy.

The hormones in Nexplanon prevent pregnancy in three ways: 1) it stops your ovaries from releasing one of your eggs, 2) it thickens the mucus of your cervix so sperm cannot swim through it and reach an egg, and 3) it changes the lining of your uterus to prevent attachment by a fertilized egg.

If you have the device removed during the three-year period, most women become fertile within one week and resume regular menstrual cycles within six weeks.

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How Well Do They Work

When used exactly as directed, the pill is very effective. What does that mean?

For the pill, it means you take it at the same time every day. This is sometimes called perfect use. If you do that, you have less than a 1 in 100 chance of getting pregnant in the next year.

But if you miss a day or two or take the pill it at different times of day, the pill becomes about 91% effective.

Once your doctor places the rod in your arm, youâre done. This low-maintenance birth control method provides a less than 1 in 100 chance of getting pregnant in the next year.

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If You’re Under 16 Years Old

Contraception services are free and confidential, including for people under the age of 16.

If you’re under 16 and want contraception, the doctor, nurse or pharmacist won’t tell your parents as long as they believe you fully understand the information you’re given, and your decisions.

Doctors and nurses work under strict guidelines when dealing with people under 16. They’ll encourage you to consider telling your parents, but they won’t make you.

The only time a professional might want to tell someone else is if they believe you’re at risk of harm, such as abuse. The risk would need to be serious, and they would usually discuss this with you first.

Page last reviewed: 9 March 2021 Next review due: 9 March 2024

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Side Effects Of Implanon

Everyone reacts to medication differently, and Implanon is no different, but there are patterns to the impact of this drug on your system. It is having an effect on your body, but sometimes this is more outwardly obvious besides not getting pregnant in some people.

Carefully monitor how you feel, your skin and weight after Implanon is implanted to make sure you are not going to suffer from it.

Changes to bleeding cycles are likely to occur, so you may stop getting periods, or may bleed infrequently or sporadically, or conversely bleed more often and more heavily. It is unlikely that you will keep your regular cycle.

Drug Interactions Of Nexplanon Vs Mirena

Drugs that induce or block certain enzymes in the liver, including the CYP3A4 enzyme, can affect blood levels of Nexplanon and Mirena. CYP3A4 inducers like phenytoin, carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, felbamate, and rifabutin can decrease blood levels of Nexplanon and Mirena, which can decrease the effectiveness of the contraceptive. St. Johns wort can also act as a CYP3A4 inducer.

Drugs that inhibit, or block, the CYP3A4 enzyme can cause increased blood levels of Nexplanon and Mirena. CYP3A4 inhibitors include fluconazole and ketoconazole. Taking these drugs with Nexplanon or Mirena may increase the risk of adverse effects of the contraceptive.

*This may not be a complete list of all possible drug interactions. Consult a doctor with all medications you may be taking.

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Spotting Or Other Changes In Period Bleeding

Nexplanon may cause changes in your period bleeding, including spotting . In fact, changes in bleeding were a common side effect that people with Nexplanon reported in studies. This was also the most common reason that people had their Nexplanon implant removed early.

Nexplanon may cause:

• changes in the heaviness of your bleeding
• changes in how long your period lasts
• irregular bleeding

In some cases, you may have no period during treatment with Nexplanon.

In most cases, any changes to period bleeding will occur in the first 3 months after having Nexplanon inserted. These changes may continue as long as you have Nexplanon.

What might help

Before having your Nexplanon implant inserted, talk with your doctor about what changes in bleeding you may experience.

Spotting and other changes in bleeding are common with Nexplanon, but you should still tell your doctor if you experience these side effects. In some cases, they may be a sign of a different condition, such as pregnancy, or in rare cases, cancer. Your doctor can check that the side effects youre experiencing are from Nexplanon and not another cause.

If changes in bleeding or spotting from Nexplanon are bothersome to you, your doctor may recommend a different birth control option.

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