Deanne's Blog

Depo Provera VS Implanon Round 2

DING!!! And we have a final decision.. Implanon sucked. ( for me at least) I had high hopes and really wanted it to work but it wasn't for me.

So as you may have read in my first post a couple months after switching FROM Depo TO Implanon, I wasn't too upset. Things were okay despite minor, like 3-4 pounds, weight gain, a little moodiness. But then things went sour.

I had the implanon fitted in March 08 but had previously been on Depo Provera for years.. in fact supposedly too long (about 10.) I knew that when I had missed a Depo shot about 8 years ago, it took about 1 month for my cycle to come back after the missed injection. I assumed that in at least 1-3 months the Depo would be gone and after that three months, I assumed I was straight implanon only. I thought perfect, I still don't have a cycle so this implanon is doing what it is supposed to do, stop periods.

March-May-June_July-------- August...

August 3rd. After having no period for about 10 years, I awake.. feeling a bit crappy, and holy shit. It was horrifying. I didn't have any pads, any proper underwear, if you know what I mean. It lasted for nearly 2 weeks, ridiculously heavy, then stopped. Then.. 3 days later again another two weeks. Meanwhile, I started to gain more weight, despite walking about 10 miles a day and eating around 1600 calories or less a day ( In total I went from 126lbs to 137lbs.) Oh and my skin broke out which was crazy because I never had bad skin. It was really gross deep under the skin half inch across spots on my face.

But the real kicker was my mood. I have been with my husband for nearly 9 years so he knows me very well obviously. I became a complete bitch, lunatic, nut case. You name it I was there. It was not me giving in to the whole oh I am menstruating and I have a right to be bitchy. In my head I couldn't control my anger which would literally make me shake or my happiness which would instantly send my heart fluttering and tears streaming down. It is hard to explain except that I know that it was uncontrollable and it led to depression. I was a dick and felt just wrong in every way.

It all culminated one night with Alex and I going to bed and we had a house guest in the other room. I don't know what happened but I started crying and Alex hugged me. Then I started laughing... with tears pooring out. Then crying, blubbering unable to even make words to laughing. Like the switches were taking places within a minute of each other, both with tears. Poor Alex just sat there and didn't know what to do, no matter what I would cry or laugh or wine in a loud uncontrollable choking matter. My chest hurt and I really began just choking.. it sucked. This went on for 2 hours. My house guest prolly thought we were rudely having really amazing sex. No unfortunately not.

Alex and I had never had a night like that. I eventually cried myself to sleep and woke up red faced swollen and with a ton of pain from all that sputtering choking crying crap. I never cry and when I do, it is soft and finishes quickly. It was horrific and worst of all I couldn't imagine what Alex was going through. He had never seen me this way. He suggested that night maybe it was my birth control and I should try switching back.

Meanwhile 2 week periods with 2 day breaks in between kept coming until the middle of September. My skin got worse and I kept thinking about what Alex had said. I did a little bit of research online which can be tough when researching birth control options. Every birth control has pages dedicated to why it made me fat and emotional. But this was different. I found reports of women with the same stories that I have just listed. Massive depression for most to the point some were suicidal. It took most of them being told unprompted by their boyfriends or spouses that they have never been this way and that they were really concerned etc.

I started to worry and I felt bad because many young women who had been given implanon were so after they had an abortion or taken the morning after pill. They were not forced to but many were persuaded to before they left the clinic being told they were not allowed to leave with out some sort of birth control, lest there be another unwanted pregnancy.

The worst part was I think I may have made a connection. Yes it is conspiracy theoryish but many of these women had received the implanon with months of when I had as well. Many had already had the implanon, loved it, then had it replaced at the 3 year mark and they became depressed and bipolar. Maybe it was a batch issue?? I don't know. A lot of people like(d) it.

Anyway, I was a lunatic, became depressed, gained a few manageable pounds, skin was bad. I thought I should make an appointment to have it removed.I told Alex that if they said no or they couldn't I was going to come home and cut it out of my arm myself. I was ABSOLUTELY SERIOUS. They were not able to until Tuesday and it was a Thursday so I thought that is fine, my folks are visiting and it wouldn't be fun for them to have to take me to the hospital with a knife sticking out of my arm. The nurse asked why.. just a simple question, and I started to lose it and cry. I felt so stupid.

So Tuesday comes HURRAY!! I was so happy. My mom and Alex both offered to go support me and hold my hand during the removal. Are you kidding!! I smiled during the whole thing and watched every detail of the removal. I didn't need any support but a nice celebratory bottle of champagne would be nice :)

The worst part about this whole experience was that the nurse told me that they have a 64% removal rate. YEAH. 64 percent removal. She said 1/3 women get the implanon removed for skin problems and other 1/3 for depression and others either are liking it or dealing with it. It would have been really nice to know all that info like before I had the fucking thing put in my arm. My doctor also told me that since everything started in August really, that my depo had officially worn off by then oh and that maybe because I am 28 and married I am just complaining because I want to have a baby. Wrong. She didn't say that in so many words but the message was clear.

So the after party has begun. It has been 4 weeks since I had the implanon removed and I have to say within a day or two or removal, I felt back to normal. I know I was normal after a week because there was a death in my family and I reacted like a normal person in mourning, not a crying laughing insane lunatic. Oh and I also dropped 7 pounds within 2 weeks of removal without changing my diet or exercise. Oh and my face cleared up within a week. Oh and I have not cried or had any uncontrollable overwhelming feelings. Oh and I am completely normal now.

So that is my story of implanon. I am currently not on ANY birth control because I wanted my body to relax. Once I start my next cycle, I will get Depo Provera, although now I am having the copper coil or mirena coil pushed on me. I think copper coil and I think of this gigantic dangerous spring that I used to fit in to certain types of aircraft propellers. I am not in the mood to have that twisted in to my cervix or whatever they do, without anesthetic mind you, . Maybe later. Not now. Just happy to be normal again.

Posted by deanne at November 6, 2008 03:23 AM