It occurred to me that some of you probably want to know what I thought of Implanon. A lot of people are a bit wary of having it 'installed' because, lets face it, having a chip under your arm seems very space-agey and unnatural. Like I explained in a previous post my inability to take the Pill left me with the following options:
- a type of injection that needs to be redone every 3 months
- a type of plaster that releases hormones, again it needs to be renewed regularly
- a contraceptive implant
- the bog-standard condom option
Of these options the first one involved too many injections for my taste, the second didn't seem very safe (What if the plaster fell off?) and I'd seen too many films and TV shows where people got pregnant when using condoms. So that left the more permanent, slightly more scary option of Implanon.
Now I'm not going to say that the implant doesn't have side effects, what contraception doesn't, but what I will tell you is that you have to weigh up your options based on you! What works for one person might not work for another.
I got lucky with the implant. The main side effects are moodswings, irregular periods (or even no periods at all) and weight gain. The moodswings I could handle. I've never really been affected by hormonal mood swings even before I got Implanon and it didn't change much when I had it either. My periods were already irregular - with implanon they just got more irregular. For example, one year I had my bleed of the year in March quickly followed two weeks later by a second one. Then nothing until June when I had a very light 3 day period. Then 2 periods in August and another couple later in the year that I can't remember the exact dates of. Some people might find it irritating not knowing when the next period if going to come but since mine were already irregular before it didn't really change much for me. Like I said - you need to chose the right contraception for your situation.
I did gain about 10 kg over 6 years but I think that may have been mainly due to the fact that during the second year I was living in France across the road from a Patisserie... The temptation was too much for me. Having said that with a calorie controlled diet and regular exercise (20 minutes max per day) I managed to drop back down a dress size last summer despite being on Implanon so it just goes to show that even when on contraception you can still lose weight.
Showing posts with label contraception. Show all posts
Showing posts with label contraception. Show all posts
Wednesday, 12 December 2012
Alternative contraception
When I was 18 I had the contraceptive implant 'installed'. It seemed like the best solution. I wasn't in a stable relationship, I didn't want kids but I was leaving home to go to uni and I was very much intending to enjoy my freedom ;-) ...
There was the added problem that I can't swallow pills. I've tried everything - honey, water, pushing it down my throat. What ever I try I always end up gagging and coughing it back up. Whenever I need antibiotics (something that very very rarely happens) the doctors always look at me like I'm some kind of freak of nature when I ask if I can have them in soluble/liquid form. Am I the only one who just can't seem to swallow things whole?
...Anyway going back to contraception, at the time Implanon was the best option. My periods were already irregular anyway and I was skinny enough that a few extra pounds wouldn't do any harm. All in all I was happy with it. After 3 years the time came for it to be removed and replaced. I had been dating my current boyfriend for just six months at the time and since I had had to go back to university in Scotland for my final year and He stayed in Italy we were trying to have a distance relationship. I wasn't sure how things were going to go so I decided to keep on the safe side and have the implant replaced.
Three years later and I'm still with the same boyfriend but now I'm in Italy. And as far as contraception is concerned Italy is still a little behind. I went to my local GP to find out how to go about having the implant removed but he had never heard of contraceptive implants before. Still he said he would remove it but that in order to get it replaced I would have to see a gynaecologist. I had the implant removed about a month ago. It was the most traumatic experience of my life. The first time I had one removed, it was by someone who had been trained in removing them. They give you some anaesthetic, make a tiny 2 mm incision then pull it out. You don't even need proper stitches after, just paper stitches that fall off themselves after a couple of days. But this doctor hadn't been trained in removing implants. He gave me some anaesthetic, but didn't wait long enough so when he then made a huge 1.5cm incision in my arm I was in agony. He nicked a vain so I ended up splurting blood all over him and I think he also got a nerve because I couldn't feel my elbow properly for weeks afterwards. He had to put 3 stitches in and gave me a prescription for antibiotics (in powder form naturally) to avoid infection. I'll have a lovely scar on my arm once it's healed properly...
After that traumatic experience I started rethinking having it replaced at all. While I wait for my gynocologist appointment in January we're using condoms. Could we not just continue using them on a more permanent basis? Lots of couples use them as their only form of protection and they don't have any problems. If I did get pregnant by accident would it really be such a bit problem? I'm at a different place in my life now than when I was 18 or 21. Yeah I have gone back to studying but I'll be finished by September and hopefully starting work as a freelance translator - the perfect job for someone with kids who wants to stay at home. But I didn't mention any of this to Him. All I've said to Him so far is that I'm waiting to talk to the gynaecologist about it. Then the other day He said: "You don't need to get it replaced you know. We could just keep using condoms." When I asked why He doesn't want me to replace it he said it was because He was worried about the effects tampering with my hormones could have on me and in particular He was worried about me having to go through the trauma of having it removed again. Cute :-)
But this means having to buy condoms and this morning for the first time in my life I found myself at the till in the supermarket with a packet of condoms in my hand, my eyes constantly glancing around me to make sure there was no one I knew around. I'm beginning to think the implant might be less traumatic...
There was the added problem that I can't swallow pills. I've tried everything - honey, water, pushing it down my throat. What ever I try I always end up gagging and coughing it back up. Whenever I need antibiotics (something that very very rarely happens) the doctors always look at me like I'm some kind of freak of nature when I ask if I can have them in soluble/liquid form. Am I the only one who just can't seem to swallow things whole?
...Anyway going back to contraception, at the time Implanon was the best option. My periods were already irregular anyway and I was skinny enough that a few extra pounds wouldn't do any harm. All in all I was happy with it. After 3 years the time came for it to be removed and replaced. I had been dating my current boyfriend for just six months at the time and since I had had to go back to university in Scotland for my final year and He stayed in Italy we were trying to have a distance relationship. I wasn't sure how things were going to go so I decided to keep on the safe side and have the implant replaced.
Three years later and I'm still with the same boyfriend but now I'm in Italy. And as far as contraception is concerned Italy is still a little behind. I went to my local GP to find out how to go about having the implant removed but he had never heard of contraceptive implants before. Still he said he would remove it but that in order to get it replaced I would have to see a gynaecologist. I had the implant removed about a month ago. It was the most traumatic experience of my life. The first time I had one removed, it was by someone who had been trained in removing them. They give you some anaesthetic, make a tiny 2 mm incision then pull it out. You don't even need proper stitches after, just paper stitches that fall off themselves after a couple of days. But this doctor hadn't been trained in removing implants. He gave me some anaesthetic, but didn't wait long enough so when he then made a huge 1.5cm incision in my arm I was in agony. He nicked a vain so I ended up splurting blood all over him and I think he also got a nerve because I couldn't feel my elbow properly for weeks afterwards. He had to put 3 stitches in and gave me a prescription for antibiotics (in powder form naturally) to avoid infection. I'll have a lovely scar on my arm once it's healed properly...
After that traumatic experience I started rethinking having it replaced at all. While I wait for my gynocologist appointment in January we're using condoms. Could we not just continue using them on a more permanent basis? Lots of couples use them as their only form of protection and they don't have any problems. If I did get pregnant by accident would it really be such a bit problem? I'm at a different place in my life now than when I was 18 or 21. Yeah I have gone back to studying but I'll be finished by September and hopefully starting work as a freelance translator - the perfect job for someone with kids who wants to stay at home. But I didn't mention any of this to Him. All I've said to Him so far is that I'm waiting to talk to the gynaecologist about it. Then the other day He said: "You don't need to get it replaced you know. We could just keep using condoms." When I asked why He doesn't want me to replace it he said it was because He was worried about the effects tampering with my hormones could have on me and in particular He was worried about me having to go through the trauma of having it removed again. Cute :-)
But this means having to buy condoms and this morning for the first time in my life I found myself at the till in the supermarket with a packet of condoms in my hand, my eyes constantly glancing around me to make sure there was no one I knew around. I'm beginning to think the implant might be less traumatic...
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