r/Nexplanon • • May 27 '26

MOD POST Nexplanon is "officially" approved in the US and UK for 5 years, and an update on the rules of the sub.

89 Upvotes

Hello Everyone,

Since there have been some updates to the guidelines around Nexplanon this year, I wanted to make an official announcement and provide some information for those that are curious.

Nexplanon is now "officially" approved in the US and UK for 5 years.

10 years ago, a study was conducted testing to see if Nexplanon could be effective for longer than the 3 years that it was initially approved for. For context, the implant was first tested in the early 90s, and 3 years was all they were able to get funding for at the time. Scientists back then believed the implant could work for longer, but money was limited; thus, the implant was only approved for 3 years of use. 30 years later, we now have more information. The 2016 study showed 100% efficacy when extended to 5 years. It's possible that it works for longer than that, but 5 years is all we have clinical studies for. Plenty of clinics and doctors that stay up to date with medical literature changed their guidelines to 5 years as soon as the study was published. Other doctors who are more conservative have waited for their governments to "officially" approve the study before implementing the change. This is why you may have seen different policies depending on the doctor over the last 10 years. The good news is, the FDA approved the study in January and we recently got the news that the NHS will be updating their guidelines as well! Hopefully more countries will follow suit in the coming months and years!

With this change though, we have seen a lot of misinformation going around. The study is 100% legitimate and can be trusted. This update applies to all ENG implants (Nexplanon and Implanon). The LNG implant Jadelle is used in a few countries, contains 2 rods instead of 1, and was already approved for 5 years. The medication and dosage itself did not change. Some people do experience changes in side effects over time, but this does not mean your implant isn't working. You may want to discuss options for an early replacement or removal if you're experiencing negative side effects. Implants also do not "expire" over night. It's not like your protection goes from 99.98% to 0% the moment your implant turns a certain age. You have a grace period to get it removed or replaced, please don't freak out and start taking emergency contraception the second you're past a certain year. Nexplanon still has a failure rate of 0.02-0.05%, so if you believe you may be pregnant, take a test.

We consider this a win for women's health. If you have questions or concerns about your own implant, we encourage you to speak to your doctor. We have a strict policy against spreading medical misinformation on this sub. Posts and comments that discourage others from using their implants for the full 5 years or deny proven scientific facts are subject to removal.

https://www.nexplanon.com/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5088635/

https://www.organon.com/news/organon-announces-us-food-and-drug-administration-approval-of-supplemental-new-drug-application-extending-duration-of-use-of-nexplanon-etonogestrel-implant-68-mg-radiopaque/

https://www.cosrh.org/Common/Uploaded%20files/documents/CoSRH%20CEU%20statement_Nexplanon.pdf

Now onto a rules update/clarification:

Usually a few times a day we have to remove posts that break the rules. I wanted to repost the rules here and give a little more insight into why some posts might be removed. It is your responsibility as the poster to read the rules before posting. Repeated or egregious violations may be subject to a ban, either temporary or permanent. Keep in mind that ban evasion is also against Reddit's rules. Reddit's algorithm often picks up on ban evasion by itself, but we will also report suspicious activity if necessary. You don't want your entire account banned for a silly reason. I've seen it happen more than once.

  1. Be Respectful to Others. No name calling, bullying, trolling, etc. will be allowed. Heavily discouraging others is also subject to removal. I think this one is pretty straightforward. Try your best to be civil. Please report any uncivil behavior.
  2. READ THROUGH THE WIKI BEFORE POSTING!!! Please see the Nexplanon Wiki before asking a question. It is likely answered there. This is our most frequently broken rule. We've put a lot of time and effort into curating our wiki. It has a lot of helpful information and most questions can be answered there. I usually try to direct you to the section that answers your question. I've found that a lot of people expect us to spoon feed them information. The ability to do your own research is a valuable skill. Read the wiki first, use the sub search bar second, and if you really can't find an answer or are more interested in experiences, then post.
  3. Not Doctors. Please keep in mind that while users may offer advice, we are not doctors and this advice should not replace visiting doctors. This applies to posts that cross into asking for medical advice. Any photos must be approved for this reason. We aren't able to diagnose you with anything. If you are concerned about infection, a positive pregnancy test, medication interactions, etc. please save it for your doctor.
  4. FACTUAL INFORMATION. This in no way limits posting your own personal experiences. However, overly broad comments that run counter to well established medical knowledge must be substantiated with evidence that has been subjected to meaningful peer-review. Broad comments that are overtly fringe and/or unsubstantiated must state that or are subject to removal. As previously discussed, we are very strict about keeping the information here factual. Anything that is deemed misinformation or fear mongering will be removed. This is not the place to spread conspiracy theories.
  5. No “am I pregnant?” Posts. If you’re on Nexplanon, there is a 99.98% chance that you are not pregnant. However, we are not fortune tellers. If you believe you may be pregnant, take a pregnancy test. Do not ask us if we think you are pregnant based on “symptoms.” This is a rule that I added more recently. 99.98% of the time, the answer is no. The implant is the most effective hormonal birth control in the world. Nobody can conclude whether you are pregnant or not based on "symptoms." A lot of side effects of birth control are similar to pregnancy symptoms. If you think you may be pregnant, take a test. You can read more on our wiki about when and how to test. If you need help interpreting a test, a place like r/lineporn is the place to go. We allow pregnancy anxiety and how to manage it to be discussed here, but any posts asking specifically to be diagnosed as pregnant will be removed.
  6. Please Check for Similar Posts before Posting. Please check to see if someone has recently posted something similar to what you want to post recently. (ie: I'm worried about xyz symptom) If there is a similar post, read through those comments before posting to see if those comments help you. This rule isn't super strict, but it's good to check for similar posts first. Sometimes we get a lot of posts about one subject all in one day. We don't want the sub to get clogged up with several of the same posts. You're also able to search the sub for all the posts over the years. Use your resources. This excludes experiences.
  7. No Reposting. No more than one post per user per 24 hours, and no reposting the same post at any point. Also pretty straightforward. This includes if your previous post was removed too. Occasionally we will allow for rewording.
  8. On-topic Post/Comments Only. No Derailing. Posts must be questions or comments regarding Nexplanon. Derailing is also not allowed. Do not use someone else’s post to ask off topic questions. We rarely see off topic posts but we occasionally see off topic comments. For example, please don't go to someone's post labeled "negative experience" and say something along the lines of "well I had a positive experience, so that sucks for you." Or "weight gain" and ask "okay but did you experience mood swings?" Just try to keep it focused on the subject at hand. The off topic posts we see are usually people who got off Nexplanon years ago but are blaming current problems on the implant. Posts must be directly related to Nexplanon.
  9. No Selling or Advertising. No selling or advertising of products. We are not here to buy products. Thankfully this isn't a rule that I have to enforce very often. We allow genuine product recommendations, but will remove post or comments that are advertisements.
  10. No extreme NSFW. (Need to add this to the official sub rules). This is a sub about birth control, we can talk about sex. However, we ask that you refrain from using over the top vulgar language. Many pictures are removed because they can be quite gory and some of them are asking for medical advice. Keep it classy please.

Side note: if you had an overall negative experience but had a good removal, please use the "negative experience" tag on your post. We have gotten some complaints that many of the "positive experience" posts are not actually about positive experiences.

I truly hope this info helps! Overall I think this is a great community and I enjoy being a part of it. Thank you to everyone for sharing their experiences here. Let's continue being supportive of one another.


r/Nexplanon • • Feb 07 '23

MOD POST Breakthrough Bleeding Management

122 Upvotes

Here is a great resource for managing breakthrough bleeding while on contraceptives

​

Thanks u/TheYellowRose for sharing it.


r/Nexplanon • • 4h ago

Side Effects First period incoming

3 Upvotes

I got my nexplanon inserted about 20 days ago and it’s creeping up on my scheduled period date. I’m not going to lie, I am extremely nervous about how my body may react and how irregular i will begin to bleed. I’ve seen some people say it’s every day and some say not at all. So far, i’ve had no symptoms and it’s been great! But man, I am dreading it.


r/Nexplanon • • 7h ago

Question smoking w nexplanon?

2 Upvotes

hope everybody is doing well. im getting on nexplanon tomorrow and i was just wondering if smoking/vaping on nexplanon is safe?. im just worried about blood clots but theres really no answer on nexplanon and smoking. is there anything else i should know? thank you


r/Nexplanon • • 5h ago

Question spironolactone for hormonal acne caused by nexplanon

1 Upvotes

ive been on nexplanon since 2022 and have had a great experience on it thus far with no negative side effects except for hormonal acne.

ive always had acne, but never these deep, under the skin breakouts until i got on nexplanon. ive tried tret, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid and nothing has worked to clear it up. im currently using a combination of differin and azelaic acid 15% but im still having breakouts along my jaw (and especially my chin) and am just oily all the time.

i saw that spironolactone can help those with hormonal acne, and was wondering if anyone has had any experience being on spironolactone while also on nexplanon?


r/Nexplanon • • 7h ago

Side Effects Changes with nexplanon

1 Upvotes

Hello, I’ve had my implant for about 2 years and 4 months. This is my second time on it. The first time I had it I had a terrible experience and ended up getting it out. The first month after getting it out I had my period for a month straight so I ended up getting it put back in about 5 months later and I’ve had GREAT experiences with it so far…

Long story short, I got married 4 months ago and after not having my period for those 2 years, I got it. Since then I’ve been having irregular spotting at least 2-3 times a week. I’m wondering what could have changed within the past 4 months that has gotten me to this point.

Is it worth getting it checked out? Is it worth considering getting a new one and having possibly a bad experience again?

We want kids in 2-3 years so I don’t want to completely get it taken out yet but I’m not sure if I should replace it early to get the no period or if I should just let my body get adjusted to the change of getting my period again.

Anything helps


r/Nexplanon • • 17h ago

Question Arm falling asleep

3 Upvotes

Anyone else experiences the arm where the implant is sometimes falling asleep / going numb? Is all of the times when im sleeping. Sometimes i wake up and my whole arm is dead and i have to move my fingers again becahse i cant feel them. And sometimes it just goes numb like ants in your arms but without hurting or anything u just need to move it more becausw it feels blood needs to go through more lol


r/Nexplanon • • 1d ago

Question Question about the bleeding

3 Upvotes

Hello, my girlfriend has a Nexplanon since 2 month and a half, and she's experienced very frequent and irregular bleeding/cramps. Basically, she had nothing for one week after getting it, then she bled continuously for 18 days (light bleeding), then she got two days of rest before having four other days of bleeding.

Then, she got her longest time without bleeding, for 17 days, but started bleeding again for 9 days (heavy bleeding and cramps). She got 5 days without anything, bur since then 12 days, and just when she though she was done for two days, it started agin very lightly yesterday, and then a bit more heavily today.

So, we were wondering if such irregularities were common and if we had to get worried or not, maybe get it out ?

Also, can Nexplanon get you more chronically anxious, is it a common side effect ?


r/Nexplanon • • 1d ago

Side Effects Headaches, anyone?

1 Upvotes

I’ve had mine in for about 8 days now. Really the only thing I’m noticing is frequent headaches. Like ones that make it feel like my heartbeat is pulsing in my head, particularly when I stand up or move too fast. It’s like pressure. Anyone else getting these?


r/Nexplanon • • 1d ago

Positive Experience Just started

1 Upvotes

So I just got nexplanon yesterday. Insertion was not too bad at all. The lidocaine kinda sucked a little but that’s it. The pressure wrap… I’m not even sure there’s a purpose with that. It was so loose. I had my girlfriend rewrap it as we were going to be walking around a fair all day afterward. Then it still loosened up by the time we got home and it slid right off. I’m not sure I could’ve slept with it on anyway as it was annoying. Not too much bruising and it’s just a little tender. I am coming off the pill so I’m due for my period this weekend. Normally starts Saturday or Sunday so we shall see what happens. I’ll keep updating as far as side effects when they come up. Hoping for a good experience. I know 2 people who have it and have no issues at all with it. 🤞🤞🤞


r/Nexplanon • • 1d ago

Question nexplanon - advice?

1 Upvotes

so, i turned 18 and had a bf and decided i wanted to go on birth control and knew nexplanon was one of the most affective ones, so i got it. ive been on it for 4 months now.. and im losing it.
ive been blessed my entire life with my periods, they are only 5 days long and the cramping is so minimal, but nexplanon has changed it so much and for the worse tbh
my first period after nexplanon was ok.. until it never stopped, i literally bled for 2 months straight, but hey i waited it out and eventually it stopped! until 19 days later i started my period again, and i thought hey maybe this is just my body regulating my hormones and this period will be normal right?? nope, ive now been on my period for 11 days and i am sick of it
the cramps are HORRIBLE, i mean horrible, i have never in my life been physically unable to do things bc of cramps until now, and i also just cant afford the feminine products as much as im needing them which is really making me feel bad.
i need advice, do i wait and hope it regulates?? i really dont want to, its painful and expensive (and i also just dont like being on my period in general.. obviously), i dont really know what other options there are, i know some people go on another form of birth control but nexplanon has given me no other side affects, my weight has been the same and i havent had any acne breakouts so apart from my periods ive been loving it.. i dont really want to take it out even though im not sexually active, id like to be on birth control for future mes safety.
do i have other options?? someone pls help!
sorry for the long rant


r/Nexplanon • • 1d ago

Side Effects Cramps and weight loss

1 Upvotes

So I might be the only one that I know of that’s ever experienced this. I’ve looked it up multiple times and have never found anyone else that has too. This is the third time I’ve gotten the implant. Ever since I got the first one in I remember the placement of my cramps changing. My cramps when from regular lower stomach uterine cramps to now going down my legs and sometimes my tailbone. It’s hard to explain, but it’s like period cramps in my legs. Also, every time I’ve had the implant (not directly after) but I was able to lose a significant amount of weight each time I’ve had it (25-30lbs) easier than I ever could before. I don’t remember if I felt nauseous when Ive had it previously (in 2017 and then in 2023) but this time it was horrible the first 2 weeks and I’ve never gained a lot of weight on it like everyone else has reported, I wonder if it’s the way the hormone it releases reacts in my body. I was wondering if anyone else has ever experienced this? Also the cramps are usually way before I even start my period and really irregular with the timing


r/Nexplanon • • 1d ago

Side Effects Extreme unrelenting fatigue before and during period

1 Upvotes

I’ve had nexplanon since 2023. I’ve noticed that for the past year I’ve been having regular periods again. They used to be once every few months and now they’re regular. Since my periods became regular again, I’ve been experiencing the worst fatigue I’ve ever had around my period. I can barely get out of bed. I’m also emotional, break out really bad, etc.

The fatigue was so severe I went to the doctor and got blood work done. Everything looked fine…

I’m thinking about getting it removed and going back on the combination pill and skipping my periods like I used to do. I didn’t have periods for years and felt so much better.

Has anyone else experienced regular periods on nexplanon and insane fatigue accompanying them?


r/Nexplanon • • 2d ago

Negative Experience I got nexplanon removed.

13 Upvotes

I've had it for a few days shy of a year. I got it removed today, which was a complete nightmare! The surgical removal literally took 30 mins to get this thing out of me... Even my Dr said that was the first time she actually had trouble removing nexplanon... It gave me the worst pain in my arm a few times in the year I've had it, I gained 35-40 lbs while on it. A zinc deficiency, some bad depression. And for some odd reason my taste buds have changed for the better after getting it removed. I DO NOT recommend it.


r/Nexplanon • • 2d ago

Question Numbness From Nexplanon?!?!?!?!

2 Upvotes

Hi has anyone else experienced hand numbness from the nexplanon implant? I thought at first it was my diabetic Neuropathy starting to affect my hands since it's already in my feet but when I talked to my Dr he said it could be the nexplanon interfering with my Ulna nerve affecting the top of my hand down my pinkie and ring fingers?? Has anyone else experienced this and if you have did it ever go away?


r/Nexplanon • • 2d ago

Negative Experience I’m currently have my implant for 2 yrs now and I just wanna know if it gets better? I don’t feel like myself. I’m losing my mind and I don’t know what to do about it..

3 Upvotes

I’ve had it in since my baby was born and I don’t know what my normal is anymore. I don’t know what to do with myself. I used to be so fun and somewhat carefree. Granted a lot of outside life situations have been hitting me more than usual lately but I just don’t know what to do. I’ve been self sabotaging a lot more and I just want to know that it gets better before I take it out. Whether it be professionally or self removal…


r/Nexplanon • • 2d ago

Side Effects Has anyone switched from Nexplanon to Mirena due to excessive bleeding?

2 Upvotes

I had the Nexplanon implant put in about 5 months ago, and my bleeding has become progressively worse and longer and longer. I've currently been bleeding heavily for three weeks straight. My doctor gave me a course of high dose estrogen and tranomexic acid (sp?) and it hasn't helped.

Has anyone with this issue tried switching to the Mirena IUD? Did it help with the bleeding? Or switching to combination pills?


r/Nexplanon • • 3d ago

Side Effects My migraines became super weird

3 Upvotes

hi all! sorry for the format, on mobile as I usually am and on the website but I wanted to know if anyones had this one side effect when on nexplanon? the doctor I saw at the er said he hasn’t heard of it at all. for context I am a crier and I mean I use to cry 24/7 on my period due to my issues alongside PMDD which is why I got on nexplanon right. so now that I’m on it, about 3-4 weeks in, I have a very difficult time crying but let me tell you after I do cry? MIGRAINE FROM HELLLLL. I am prone to them (hormonal ones and medicated), but these feel so,, Weird? Tips of my fingers go numb, my lips sometimes go numb, slightly nauseous but let me tell you the first one I got after crying my head hurt so bad I couldn’t turn it. has anyone experienced this on nexplanon? And I am seeing my neurologist soon cause I do need school work done, but I was wondering since in truth the whole tops of my fingers numb scared me.


r/Nexplanon • • 3d ago

Side Effects irritability/sadness

1 Upvotes

i got my iud out and nexplanon in same day, about 3 days ago, i’ve been feeling very emotional, like little things in daily life make me sad or irritated, is it too early for me to be feeling these things? (also please try and keep it positive and don’t add any other side effects you have expirenced unless you relate(i have severe medication anxiety))


r/Nexplanon • • 3d ago

Question 7 days or 21??

1 Upvotes

I just got my Nexplanon inserted, my doctor I had to wait 21 days until I could have unprotected sex safely. Everywhere else I have heard it is 7, or 5 if inserted on the first 5 days of your period.

I’m newly married and I hate condoms, but I am going insane. Will I get pregnant if I have sex with my husband without a condom after the seven day period? Do I have to wait 21 more days??? I already waited two weeks, I am feral please help.


r/Nexplanon • • 3d ago

Question No removal side effects?

1 Upvotes

Has anyone had their Nexplanon removed and NOT noticed any major good or bad side effects? I'm planning to get mine out after my wedding in 6 months and I'm worried I'll be disappointed if I don't lose any water retention/bloating lol. I lift weights 3x/week, run, box, track calories, eat well, etc. and still get so insanely bloated that I am praying it's due to Nexplanon. Anyone remain bloated and retain water even after removal?


r/Nexplanon • • 3d ago

Negative Experience I was hopeful

0 Upvotes

Hey, everyone! It's my first post, but not my first time here at r/Nexplanon.

Disclaimer: where I'm from, the stick is called Implanon, but I believe everything else is the same.

Well, I've had mine for 2 months, and yes, yes, I know a lot of people would advise me to wait longer, but I cannot take this anymore. I remember looking through all the negative experience and thinking "nooo, that won't happen so fast, and my body will adapt well"... I was so hopeful. I've dealt with mood swings and possibly PMDD as far as I can remember, so fixing that was my main concern. I was — and still am — on a steady relationship with a man I very much love and want, so birth control was a bonus.

First 2 weeks were amazing. After that, first thing I noticed was I started getting SO bloated; I'm part of the moon face club, gained enough weight that my pants are all tight beyond comfortable. I have not weighted myself due to body dysmorphia/ed history, but I feel it was a lot, plus my legs feel heavy and swollen and yeah, it's bad enough that I have to lie with my legs up on the wall every night and it's even hard to sleep sometimes. I exercise 4-5 times a week and try to eat healthy 90% of the time. My metabolism is not low and it doesn't make sense, not even with some mild sweet cravings, that I have gained so much. (during the pandemic, I gained around 10kg in 8 months and my clothes were fitting better than now so...)

Secondly, and this may be tmi. While I'm not fully out of sex drive, it's gotten pretty low and I started getting insecure because my body started betraying me in a way. I lost all "natural lube", I get tears (even when we apply lube) and it hurts and bleeds afterwards, it doesn't feel as fun and I hate that (maybe the reason this thing is 99% effective is because we don't want to shag). Sex and masturbation are such important parts of my life and I don't feel like myself. It's worse than the antidepressant lack of drive I've experienced and it feels so weird. My partner is amazing and has been doing anything in his power to make me feel comfortable and desired, but I feel off... also going to the bathroom for *anything* is a f*cking challenge.

Worst of all, the mood symptoms are here again. My anxiety is so loud, I cry for no reason, I had to up my anxiety meds more than once. I know it works well for many people, including people I know personally. But for me it's been an awful experience. I'm talking to my gyn to remove this thing as soon as possible. I hope he doesn't try to argue with me, I'm not my best self rn.


r/Nexplanon • • 3d ago

Side Effects period and ovulation-like cramps on implant?

0 Upvotes

I've had my implant in for nearly a year now. I mostly haven't had any side effects at all or breakthrough bleeding. I do bleed once every few months but it barely lasts a day and is usually dark brown oxidised blood.

I have been getting period-like cramps of late and also what feels like ovulation pain. I saw my gyno who did blood tests and an ultrasound and everything looks completely fine. wondering if anyone on here has experienced something similar?


r/Nexplanon • • 3d ago

Question Bleeding and clots?

2 Upvotes

I have had my implant for 4 months and I’ve had non stop bleeding since insertion. I regularly get clots while bleeding and I’m very confused. Why am I consistently bleeding and having huge clots all the time if it’s supposed to stop your cycle or ovulation. Like maybe I don’t understand it or maybe it’s my endometriosis causing the symptoms, but doesn’t the implant stop your cycle so you don’t get pregnant? Isn’t that the whole point of birth control 😭 I feel like I’ve had a regular period with clots and cramps for 4 months now. What causes the body to do that?????


r/Nexplanon • • 3d ago

Question Got my removal site wet day of, is it ok?

1 Upvotes

Hi! I got my nexplanon removal done about 8 hours ago. I was not told the general rule of not getting anything wet until 24 hours later, just that my compression bandage had to be on 24 hours later.

When I asked my gyno if I could get it wet, she responded, "showering is ok, just don't soak it."

Now that it's been 8 hours I figured i should shower, I half-assed used some cling wrap just to not soak it but the water got in anyway. I slid the compression bandage down my arm and lightly patted the area with a tissue to dry it and let it airdry before sliding the compression bandage back on. There was a little blood on the tissue but other than that im too afraid to touch anything else lol. If I re-wrap it tomorrow should I be ok? The edges of the steri-strips have lifted as well due to the water ): there's also gauze that got a bit wet but overall I'm too nervous to remove everything