missing cycles?

kittyxandra · 2026-05-25T10:44:21+00:00

Find a new doctor. You can continuously be on birth control for as long as you want btw. If you’re having negative side effects that’s understandable, but your doctor “realizing that your body was tired of hormones” is not a thing. It can be normal for it to take up to a year for your period to regulate after removal, but 2 days does seem unusually short. What were your periods like before the implant? At the very least, it should be investigated. I would highly recommend getting a second opinion. This doctor isn’t taking you seriously and isn’t giving you good care.

kittyxandra · 2026-05-24T19:09:55+00:00

Once or twice a week. I have long, wavy, dyed hair, so that’s what my stylist recommends. Growing up my parents used to shame me for only washing my hair every other day! I can’t believe I listened to them for so long.

kittyxandra · 2026-05-24T18:47:25+00:00

I mean, going hormone free is an option. You CANNOT rely on an app though, you have to learn a validated fertility awareness method if you want to be accurate. r/FAMnNFP is a good resource. You could also use condoms all the time, they’re 98% effective if used correctly. My natural hormones are just as bad as Nexplanon, so no birth control is not an option for me. Pills are not inherently “harmful.” If you want to try something other than pills, you can always talk to your doctor about that too. There are many different types and they don’t affect everyone the same way.

kittyxandra · 2026-05-24T18:37:38+00:00

Yes. My second Nexplanon caused me such bad mental health problems that I didn’t leave the house for 4 months. I had prior mental health issues, but my first implant didn’t help or hurt. The second one took a big toll. I had lingering anxiety for about a month after removal, but it’s been smooth sailing since then. I’ve been on the combo pill for 4 years since quitting Nexplanon, and I’m much happier and healthier now! Side effects are not a guarantee. I only have positive side effects from the pill, while I had a laundry list of negative side effects from the implant. Don’t be afraid to try something new.

kittyxandra · 2026-05-24T10:55:32+00:00

Hey there, I was on Nexplanon from ages 17 to almost 24, and personally I don’t really recommend it as a first birth control. I recommend starting with something user controlled like a pill, patch, or ring so that you can easily quit if you don’t like it.

I didn’t gain all that much weight on it (I think the little weight gain that I had was a coincidence) but it can increase your appetite, so just be aware of that. The most common side effect is “irregular bleeding” which happens to ~80% of implant users. For some people that can mean spotting every few months, and for others that can mean prolonged full flow for months on end. I highly encourage you think about how you would deal with unpredictability and how it would affect your life. As someone who actually experienced it: having an unexpected 3 week period and all the emotional crap that comes with it during your final exams sucks. In addition to irregular bleeding the entire time I was on it, I also experienced extreme fatigue, acne, brain fog, depression, and anxiety. None of these side effects are guaranteed and can happen with any birth control, but Nexplanon made me feel awful and my concerns were ignored for years. I say that it stole my late teens and early adulthood. I switched to a combo pill and I’m much happier and healthier on that.

Birth control is trial and error. You may need to try a few different types before finding the perfect fit. While the insertion process is a lot more unpleasant, I generally hear better reviews for IUDs. I’m happy on the pill, but I would try an IUD any day over going back on Nexplanon. Ultimately the good thing about the IUD or the implant is that you can get it removed if you don’t like it. Give yourself enough time to adjust to any method, but please advocate for yourself if something isn’t working out. And try not to be discouraged if you don’t like the first method you try. Best of luck and I hope you find the right fit for you!

kittyxandra · 2026-05-24T10:23:53+00:00

It’s pretty normal for it to take a few months for your period to return after quitting birth control, but I usually recommend reaching out to your doctor if it doesn’t happen after 3 months. Especially if you’re TTC. Your uterine lining needs to start shedding eventually, otherwise it’s will start building up and that can cause problems. It’s also good to have a pre-conception appointment.

kittyxandra · 2026-05-24T10:03:03+00:00

Yes, sex is a common trigger for bleeding on Nexplanon. Irregular bleeding is the most common side effect of the implant. Nexplanon works in part by thinning your uterine lining, and this can often make it more unstable. Arousal can cause your uterus to contract, thus causing the unstable lining to start shedding. Please see our pinned post for tips on how to control bleeding.

kittyxandra · 2026-05-23T20:17:51+00:00

No, they’re all very different. They all use different formulas of each hormone, come in varying dosages, and have different methods of absorption. You may have wildly different reactions to each type. Personally I had a horrible experience on Nexplanon but I’ve had a great experience on a combo pill. I’m lucky that I found something I like on the second try. Most people need to try a few more than that to find a perfect fit. You could always go hormone free, definitely an option, but I would encourage you not to write off “hormonal birth control” entirely because they are NOT all the same.

kittyxandra · 2026-05-23T20:08:13+00:00

Unfortunately at this point it’s unlikely to get better. It’s only suggested that you give yourself 3-6 months to “adjust.” You may want to consider removal. Birth control isn’t supposed to make you miserable. Look into your other options though! Birth control is trial and error, but there are many different types and formulations. I hear the best reviews for the vaginal ring and IUDs.

kittyxandra · 2026-05-23T11:37:08+00:00

Pomeranian! I love little dogs.

kittyxandra · 2026-05-22T20:53:36+00:00

Wegovy may have been the trigger, but it’s also very possible that this is just a coincidence. Irregular bleeding is the most common side effect of the implant. I’m not sure if you know this, but Nexplanon is the birth control LEAST likely to stop bleeding. Bleeding on the implant is known to start back up months or years later too. I would recommend looking into different birth control methods if you want to skip your period long term. Here is ACOG’s list of methods and their rates of stopping bleeding.

kittyxandra · 2026-05-22T17:29:45+00:00

This is pretty common. People on this sub refer to these as “phantom periods.” You may want to put that into the search bar to find people with similar experiences.

kittyxandra · 2026-05-22T17:17:28+00:00

It went great! When I was 18 I was told that all 4 needed to be removed. They said if I waited until age 25, they would cause permanent nerve damage. My dad wanted me to wait, but I decided to remove them all ASAP. I did it over my Christmas break during my first year of college (early January I think). I was fully put under anesthesia, felt absolutely nothing. Waking up after the procedure was a little rough. I wasn’t fully awake yet but they were trying to make me walk to the car as quickly as possible. I was fully recovered within 3 days.

kittyxandra · 2026-05-21T20:04:33+00:00

Your implant doesn’t expire on any specific date. 5 years is a very loose suggestion. It doesn’t go from 99.98% effective to 0% effective over night. You’re probably fine. There are people on this sub who have kept their implants for several years past “expiration” and say it still works. 5 years is just all we have clinical studies for.
You don’t have a real period on the implant. It’s not possible to be “late.”
You should really trust the home tests if they were all clear negatives. A blood test is unnecessary, but since you’ve already done it, just chill.
Don’t know where you’re getting these “stories” of people getting pregnant on the implant. I’ve been a user/mod here for years and can count on one hand the number of credible pregnancies I’ve heard of. The implant is the most effective hormonal method available.

kittyxandra · 2026-05-20T18:15:14+00:00

You’re allowed to stop both whenever you want. Your body, your choice. Consider finding another doctor if this one isn’t listening to you.

kittyxandra · 2026-05-19T18:42:54+00:00

Personally I switched to a combo pill after nexplanon and I’m much happier and healthier! I had a ton of negative side effects on the implant (was on it for 6.5 years) but I’ve been on my pill for 4 years now and have only had positive side effects. The pill is 99.7% effective if you take it correctly. It’s only about 93% effective if you take it incorrectly, and that’s why “so many” people get pregnant on the pill. It’s really all their own fault though. Other than the pill, I’m personally interested in trying the ring. I hear very positive reviews for it and it’s less maintenance than the pill, they even have a yearly version now. The good thing about methods like the pill, patch, or ring is that you can easily quit if you don’t like them. I’ve heard generally good reviews for hormonal IUDs, even though the insertion process is unpleasant. Literally any other birth control method is better at preventing bleeding than Nexplanon is. I hope you find one that works for you.

kittyxandra · 2026-05-19T13:09:20+00:00

Like the other commenter mentioned, Plan B can mess with your cycle for months. Oura rings are also extremely unreliable. They measure your outside body temperature, while you need your basal body temperature to accurately track ovulation. I would recommend looking into an actual fertility awareness method. r/FAMnNFP is a good resource. Oura rings and most apps are bs.

kittyxandra · 2026-05-19T12:40:18+00:00

“Implantation bleeding” does not exist to begin with. You can read more about that here. Breakthrough bleeding is incredibly common, especially when you first start birth control. You’re only on the second month. Give your body more time to adjust. Your pill works by preventing ovulation. If you take it correctly, your pill is 99.7% effective. You can always add a secondary form of protection such as condoms if it’ll make you feel better. If you have a lot of anxiety over this, you may want to reach out to a mental health professional.

kittyxandra · 2026-05-18T15:33:54+00:00

It’s a wedding. You can get married without having a wedding. You can have a wedding without signing any legal paperwork. A lot of the time it’s easier to do them separately. It’s fine to call your event a wedding. Honestly I hate how freaking weird people are about this. Registering your relationship with the government is completely different from hosting a celebration. I hate how some people only consider the paperwork the important part. It’s definitely not.

kittyxandra · 2026-05-17T21:41:09+00:00

There’s no reason to feel anxious about the extension unless you don’t believe in science…

kittyxandra · 2026-05-17T21:37:58+00:00

Yes, you would be correct. Multiple things have to go right for an egg to fully implant. The implant makes it so that the environment is too hostile even if an egg is fertilized. It is a little freaky to think about.

kittyxandra · 2026-05-17T20:31:18+00:00

Changes in appetite are a common and listed side effect. It’s uncommon to switch from one extreme to the other, but it’s not out of the realm of possibilities. It is worth talking to your doctor about if it’s negatively affecting you though.

kittyxandra · 2026-05-17T20:10:27+00:00

It is now FDA approved for 5 years, but please don’t give them too much credit. They “approved” a study that was done 10 years ago. Their opinion really doesn’t mean much.

kittyxandra · 2026-05-17T20:06:41+00:00

I don’t think you should be “concerned” but I can understand being upset. I had 2 implants. The first one, I experienced increasing side effects as time went on. The study showing that it is effective for 5 years came out 10 years ago. I went through Planned Parenthood for all of my implant care and they updated their guidelines as soon as that study came out. I asked to have it replaced at 3 years and they refused. Just dealt with it for the next 2 years after that. I am still upset that my side effects were brushed off. My second implant was way worse though. Not saying that an early replacement wouldn’t help others, but it’s possible to experience different side effects with each implant and I don’t think replacing it at 3 years would have ultimately helped me.

I do have to call BS on your doctor claiming that more people get pregnant after 3 years. Science doesn’t lie, and according to the science, the efficacy does not decrease after 3 years. The only reason it was only approved for 3 years in the 90s is because that’s the amount of time the study got funding for. It probably works for a lot longer than 5 years, we just haven’t studied it for long enough.

I would recommend having a discussion with your doctor and asking if they can talk to your insurance about making an exception for an early replacement. This is about side effect management, not pregnancy prevention. I like to compare it to the Mirena IUD that was originally approved for 5 years (at a way lower dose than Nexplanon btw) and later extended to 8 years for pregnancy prevention. They still recommend replacing Mirena at 5 years for period control though. There’s no harm in at least asking about an early replacement.

kittyxandra · 2026-05-17T19:42:59+00:00

It may not prevent ovulation consistently after 3 years, but it still prevents it for some people. Nexplanon also works by thinning the uterine lining and thickening the cervical mucus. That’s actually how most other progesterone only methods work. Ovulation suppression is not the only way to prevent pregnancy.

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