Birth control implant vs Contraceptive gel

I loved having Nexplanon. Light periods for 6 months then stopped having periods entirely. My periods didn't return for a year after I had it removed, though. No side effects other than acne & weight gain. I lost all that acne & weight as soon as it was removed.

I don't even know we're to start. Not having a period has been amazing. However, the side effects are horrible. The first month I had tingling in my hands and feet, that went away though. The first month I also experienced sever virtago/ dizziness. This issue has been on going for the past year. Its more annoying then a actually issue. I've had several acne that won't go away, mood swings are horrible, and my eye sight is bad. I've never been sick or had any health issue until getting nexplanon. Although not having a period is great, I will be getting mine removed next week after only 1 year do to issue..

I am 27, and I have been on some form of hormonal birth control since I turned 15. I have used Nexplanon for the last 5 years. Overall, it was a good pick for me because of my irregular schedule and my inability to remember to take something at the same time every day. An IUD was not an option for me because of some family medical history, and at the time that I was looking, I was told that I was not a candidate for Nuvaring. Nexplanon did make my periods significantly lighter, and for a while I didn’t have a period at all. Now my cycles are very irregular (anywhere from 29-44 days in between period start dates) it lasts 2-3 days, and I can survive with light and regular tampons. Before the implant, I had heavy periods that would last at least a week, and I would go through boxes of the super and super plus tampons. I usually had minimal cramping with Nexplanon, although, as I am nearing the end of this second implant, I do think my cramps are starting to become stronger. I have gained quite a bit of weight while I’ve been on it. I'm 5’6” tall, and I started out at 195 lbs in August of 2018. I was at 225 lbs By December of 2019 (16 months/30 lbs), and 250lbs by January 2022 (41 months/55 lbs). My heaviest was in November of 2023 at 271lbs (51 months/76lbs). I’m currently weighing in at 265 lbs (61 months/70lbs). I do not think that all of my weight is attributed to the implant. I think I have some other factors that have contributed to my specific scenario, but I am curious to see how my weight changes once I have this one removed. I think my plan is to go hormone-free after this implant to give my body some time to regulate itself, and see how hormone-free feels.

Birth control implant I have had this birth control for 10 years (3 implants). It makes your period lighter and more regular, or takes it away completely; I had a birth control pill ( i'm not sure if the name) prescribed beforehand and i could not stand that one.

I feel like I've tried every birth control out there. Pills, patches rings, IUDs - with the exception of depo, you name it, I've tried it. But Phexxi has been a game changer for me! I never felt "whole" on hormonal methods or the IUDs, but with Phexxi I don't have to deal with hormonal side effects and I only use it when I need it. Super easy to use, not messy, and I feel like myself again!

Love that I can use Phexxi only when I need it. I do not like adding hormones to my body. I really love the lubricating effect, makes for even better sex!

Phexxi works great — if you actually use it. Oops! My kid sister used Phexxi for about a year either by itself or along with condoms when she was ovulating. Then one time when she and her boyfriend were staying in my apartment for a family wedding, they picked me as the designated driver and the two of them had way too much to drink. They were all over each other in the car on the way home. Which was kind of cute but then when we got back to my place she wanted me to help her insert her birth control. I took her back to their bedroom and started getting her out of her clothes and I was like why don’t you just skip using it if you’re not in the middle of your cycle, and then she showed me her period tracker on her phone. Yep, not a good time to skip using protection, but still … She passed out while I was reading the instructions on the applicator, so I just was like whatever, I’m not doing this. I got off the rest of her clothes and woke her up and said I would tell her boyfriend she was ready. She didn’t even ask if I had inserted her Phexxi. The walls in my apartment are thin, so I heard the entire “discussion” when he couldn’t find their box of condoms. She was too drunk and horny to say no. She had no idea she was about to try to conceive. And yes, she became a mommy that night.