“Nexplanon effectiveness?”
I have had the Nexplanon implant for over a year now. The first year I never had any side effects and my period stopped for 10 months. Now, my period comes some months and not others. About a month ago my husband and I had sex twice in one day. We are not ready for kids. In addition to already having Nexplanon, he still practices the withdrawal method and does not ejaculate inside me. Well, recently I’ve been feeling bloated, breast soreness, and some cramps like when my period is about to come. Do I need to worry that I might be pregnant?
Female | 25 years old
Medications: None
Conditions: None
3 Answers
OB-GYN(Obstetrician-Gynecologist)|FemalePelvicMedicineandReconstructiveSurgeryOB-GYN
Hi there,
I certainly understand your concern. Once your menstrual function has resumed with a Nexplanon implant you would expect to see it regularly and not be associated with any unusual symptoms. However, there are situation where pregnancy can occur with Nexplanon, and I would not hesitate to do a home pregnancy test if your menses are delayed. But still, the odds are that this is not due to pregnancy and might be the result of a small ovarian cyst producing excess progesterone, or just some other temporary variance in your hormonal metabolism. So, get that preg test done and put all those worries to rest. Hopefully the result will be negative and your other symptoms will resolve when you get a little withdrawal bleeding. If they don’t, make sure to see your doctor in a timely way.
I certainly understand your concern. Once your menstrual function has resumed with a Nexplanon implant you would expect to see it regularly and not be associated with any unusual symptoms. However, there are situation where pregnancy can occur with Nexplanon, and I would not hesitate to do a home pregnancy test if your menses are delayed. But still, the odds are that this is not due to pregnancy and might be the result of a small ovarian cyst producing excess progesterone, or just some other temporary variance in your hormonal metabolism. So, get that preg test done and put all those worries to rest. Hopefully the result will be negative and your other symptoms will resolve when you get a little withdrawal bleeding. If they don’t, make sure to see your doctor in a timely way.
The Nexplanon is a progesterone method of birth control. It works well but cycles can either stop or become erratic. I would do a home pregnancy test to be sure. The normal BC pills have both a progesterone & estrogen component that usually offers more regular cycles. I don’t dislike the Nexplanon but has advantages & disadvantages. I have a lot of patients that really like it.
Dr. Jessica Scotchie
OB-GYN (Obstetrician-Gynecologist) | Reproductive Endocrinology
Chattanooga, TN
You should follow up with the provider who placed the Nexplanon to be evaluated why you are having breakthrough bleeding. You may need some medication to help the lining grow a little bit as the medication in the Nexplanon can thin out the lining (which is one of the ways it helps prevent pregnancy) and if it gets too thin it can get unstable and cause bleeding. It is very unlikely that you are pregnant, but out of caution, you should check a pregnancy test. If it is negative, you should not have to use 2 forms of birth control, the Nexplanon is highly effective and lasts for 3 years.
