The contraceptive implant

OK, have to be quick as I've got to go out in a min. Don't have one, but put them in.

You'll be asked usually to lie down on a couch with you arm out. You'll have a tiny injection of local anaethetic to numb the area (that's the most painful bit). Once that's working, you get another slightly bigger injection - that won't hurt because of the anaesthetic - that is the implant going in. It'll be covered with a plaster and a tight bandage to reduce bruising.

It's about the size of a matchstick.

The whole insertion takes about 10 mins.

Google fpa and look at their info leaflet on it too. Hth.

I've had mine for 5 months now, I've got a small mark on my arm where they put it in. It doesn't hurt at all as you have a local. At first I could really feel it in but now I don't even know it's there. The only downside for me is that I'm struggling to lose weight on it but I had the same problem on the pill so I guess it could just be me. In the first 3 months I had a bit of spotting but since then I haven't had a period all in all not bad apart from the weight thing and it's nice not worrying when I've forgot the pill again.

Thanks R-A, looking at that info now.

I've found a forum where lots of women are discussing it and have had loads of side effects and some have heavy bleeding which is the whole reason I'm having it - to stop all the heavy bleeding. I'm so confused.

Thanks for sharing MP. Its good to hear a positive experience.

Rache, I think hitched has eaten up your reply but I did see it. I've not tried Depo but it was suggested as an alternative. Do you find (on the whole) that the implant suits most ladies? The forum I found was pretty negative so I'd like to get a balanced view.

I had the implant last year, and I laid down on a bed and it was a quick prick. I asked the nurse if that was it and it was.

I've not had any periods since I had the implant, but I also had the injection and never had any periods on that either. To be honest there has been some weight gain but I can't say thats down to the implant or the fact I have just eaten more for the hell of it and blamed the implant.

I would say the way it reacts with your body will depend on you. I love both the injection and implant. My best friend on the other hand had the injection and bled every day for 3 months.

Sx

I've had 2 so far and am going for my third in october (if i can find someone to do it here, if not i suppose i'm stuck with a worn out one forever ?).

it is numbed when its put in but itches a lot while it heals . I have regular periods (which i never had before) and i'm quite happy like that as i have no side effects except not getting pregnant, which is the idea.

when i had the injection i had no libido whatsoever and no periods so you can't assume your reaction will be the same for both.

I've had mine almost three years, so due for a change. As everyone has said really. I was another one who said 'Is that it?', it was that quick and painless.

I've had few periods in the three years, but that's normal for me as I have PCOS so I've always been hit and miss with periods. I have found over the last few months I've had irratic bleeding, just the light type, not heavy. I had a three week course of HRT and it sorted it out. My GP said she's noticed people seem to sometimes have a few more problems near the end of the three years and she was going to look into it.

My arm was a bit bruised and sore for about 48 hours afterwards, but I manged to canter around a field on a horse the day after it was fitted so it wasn't that bad.

The people who don't like it are always going to moan loudly about it. Basically, it wouldn't be such a popular form of contraception if it made most people fat moody and made them bleed all the time. Simplistic but true. Extensive trials and why bother spending all that money marketing aside - they simply wouldn't manufacture and people wouldn't come back again and again if it didn't work well for the majority of women. I have a copper coil in at the moment and my periods are so heavy and painful. I'm seriously thinking about having an implant.I put them in and it's SO EASY - just a glorified injection.

But if bleeding is a big problem I'm surprised they haven't also mentioned the mirena - that's even more likely to make troublesome periods settle down.

IMO the two best hormonal methods of contraception are mirena and implanon. if they could find a way to give the combined pill in a long acting form that would be a nice option to have too.

I had the implant after I got pregnant on the pill. To be completely truthful the only bit which hurt was the local anesthetic they put in, that was it. It just felt like they were pushing against the skin.

My arm hurt for a couple of days when I lifted it above my head but it soon healed up.

You can feel it under the skin if you look for it; but it isn't really obvious at all.

I had mine out a few months ago and that was ok too, same procedure but they pressed the end and it popped out. I would definitely have it again in the future, I found my periods were lighter, I never got PMT and I felt I could trust it more if that makes sense!

I'm on my third one, and won't be changing my contraceptive choice until H gets his vasectomy (perhaps within the next one's lifespan, perhaps the one after, we haven't decided yet).

I love my implant, I nicknamed it "my little piece of mind" because that's really what it is. And this is coming from someone who can quite literally faint at the sight of a needle on the TV I'm that scared of them/the sight of blood. Even the thought of the process makes me feel ill.

However, if you don't think about it, it's really quite trivial having it in. I just ask the Dr to speak to me about anything at all (most of them have a chuckle but comply) basically to distract me, I look away at one of the surgery posters, and we're all done in a few minutes. It's so straightforward, easy, and doesn't hurt a bit once the painkiller is in your arm.

I can't sing the praises of this contraceptive option enough. I know that other people have had bad experiences, but my side effects are of the good kind, namely two: 1) completely unstressed at the "reliability" of this option (I can't make a mistake, it's long term, effectiveness can't be interrupted by daily life) and 2) my periods have gotten lighter and a lot less painful after starting this. Of course the 2nd thing could just be getting older, but oh well! You get the point ?

Thank you all, thats really helpful.

I knew I'd get a more balanced view on here ?