Bleeding While Using Nexplanon

Nexplanon releases etonogestrel, a progestogen that prevents pregnancy and changes the uterine lining. The lining may shed irregularly, so bleeding does not necessarily follow a monthly cycle. A change in bleeding alone does not show that the implant has stopped working. However, bleeding can have another cause, including pregnancy, infection, a cervical condition, fibroids, polyps, or a medicine interaction. A clinician may investigate when the pattern is new after being settled, troublesome, associated with other symptoms, or unlike your usual implant-related bleeding.

Keep a simple diary of bleeding days, flow, pain, discharge, and bleeding after sex. Check that you can still feel the implant under the skin, but do not repeatedly press or manipulate it. Take a pregnancy test if pregnancy is possible, especially if the implant may be overdue for replacement, you cannot feel it, or you use a medicine that could interfere with it. Do not remove the implant yourself. If bleeding is difficult to live with, a clinician can check for other causes and discuss short-term treatment or a different contraceptive method based on your health history.

Get urgent help for very heavy bleeding, fainting, marked weakness, severe abdominal or pelvic pain, or a positive pregnancy test with pain or bleeding. One-sided pain, shoulder-tip pain, dizziness, or collapse alongside possible pregnancy can signal an ectopic pregnancy and needs emergency assessment. Contact a healthcare professional promptly if you have fever, foul-smelling discharge, pain during sex, bleeding after sex, or you cannot feel the implant or think it has moved.

Tell your clinician when the implant was inserted, how the bleeding has changed, and which prescription medicines, supplements, or herbal products you use. Ask whether pregnancy testing, infection testing, an examination, or blood tests are suitable. If you want to continue Nexplanon, ask about options for controlling bothersome bleeding and their side effects. If you prefer to switch, discuss how to avoid a gap in contraception during removal and replacement.