Nexplanon and depression (+5 coping tips)

In this article, it will be discussed what are hormonal birth controls, a group of which Nexplanon is part. It will discuss its recommendation and side effects. Aside from that, the article will show how hormonal birth controls relate to the presence of anxiety and/or depression symptoms.

The article will enlighten that every woman will react differently to hormonal birth control and how to be aware of the symptoms of anxiety and depression so one can talk to their physician to discuss the best birth control for them.

What is birth control?

Hormonal birth control is everything from a pill, a patch, an implant, an IDU, or a shot which its objective is to prevent a woman from getting pregnant. They are divided into two types, one has a type of synthetic progesterone named progestin and the other has a combination of progestin and estrogen.

Nexplanon is birth control in the form of a small tube that is inserted under the skin of the woman’s arms. It prevents pregnancy with 99% of efficiency and can be used for 3 years maximum.

According to the pharmacy company responsible for it, birth control is not recommended for:

• People that think they might be pregnant
• People that are considering getting pregnant
• People with a history of having blood clots in their legs, lungs, eye, heart, or brain
• People with liver problems or a history of liver cancer 
• People with unexplained vaginal bleeding
• People with a history of breast cancer or any type of cancer that is sensitive to progestin
• People that are allergic to anything in the medication

Besides that, the pharmaceutical company suggests that if you have other health conditions you should talk to your physician before inserting the medication. Those conditions are:

• Diabetes
• High cholesterol or triglycerides
• Headaches
• Gallblader or kidney problems
• History of depressed mood
• High blood pressure
• Allergic to any anesthetic or antiseptics medicine, since those will be used to place and remove the implant from your arm

According to the company, a great spectrum of side effects can be observed in women using Nexplanon. The side effects related to it are:

• Mood swings
• Weight gain
• Headaches
• Acne
• Depressed mood
• Vaginitis, that is, an inflammation of the vagina
• Breast pain
• Some viral infections such as sore throats or flu-like symptoms
• Stomach pain
• Painful periods
• Back pain
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Pain in different parts of the body and the place of insertion
• Change in their menstrual pattern: you can have longer or shorter bleeding during the menstrual period or no bleeding at all. Some spotting between periods might be observed and a woman might have varying amounts of time between the periods

The company suggests that you talk to your physician if you think you might be pregnant or if your menstrual bleeding gets heavier than usual or lasts for a prolonged amount of time.

The pharmaceutical company explains that there might be some risks to the use of birth control. There might be a problem with its insertion and removal, being that it can not be Ipiranga deserted properly or travel through the body. It might also be that some pain, swelling, numbness, and tingling might be felt at the site of insertion.

Aside from that, it might have to be taken off because some scar tissue might be formed around it, or the implant might break, making it hard to take it off. If a woman gets pregnant while using birth control, there is a slightly higher chance of it being an ectopic pregnancy. 

The medication may also increase the chance of a woman developing ovarian cysts, and because some breast cancers are sensitive to hormones, someone that had it or is dealing without it now shouldn’t use Nexplanon.

It may also increase your chance of developing blood clots, especially if you already have blood circulation problems or are a smoker. If you have persistent side effects or get pregnant, it is important to get in touch with your physician right away.

So does Nexplanon cause someone to get anxious and/or depressed?

Yes, they can cause you to develop anxiety or depression symptoms, but that can happen with any type of hormonal birth control because the simple use of it brings an inflow of hormones to your body. 

According to research, when you are a person that already has symptoms of anxiety and/or depression, her chances to have an emotional reaction to birth control is higher than that of a person who doesn’t.

On the other hand, it is hard to determine which birth control will cause what reaction in each person. Because we all have different organisms that react differently to the exposure of hormones, taking hormonal birth control can either stabilize your mood or increase your symptoms.

With that said, it is important to be aware of your emotional condition before you start using birth control and keep tabs on how you are feeling once you start. If you start experiencing symptoms of anxiety and/or depression that weren’t there before, or if you already had them,  it feels they are getting more intense, get in touch with your physician to discuss changing your birth control method.

Most common symptoms of anxiety and depression. 

Most common symptoms of anxiety

Anxiety is a natural response of your body when dealing with stress. Everyone feels anxiety, but people should be aware of the intensity of these feelings, when it starts impairing your ability to live a normal life, that’s when it might be time to look for help. 

Although anxiety might feel different to everyone, the most common symptoms related to it are the increase in heart rate, fast breathing, sweat even though the person is not exercising, an unsettling feeling, trouble focusing on what you are doing, difficulty falling asleep, inability to relax, feeling faint or dizzy, dry mouth, fear, constant worry, and distress.

Most common symptoms of depression

Depression is a mood disorder often described by the presence of a feeling of sadness, lack of hope and purpose, loss, and anger that ímpares a person’s ability to function normally in their everyday life. 

There is a large spectrum of depression symptoms, one should be aware that for characterizing those feelings as depression a person needs to feel them for at least two weeks. 

The most common symptoms of depression are the sense of sadness, lack of hope, feeling empty, crying a lot, change of feeding and sleeping patterns, it can be that the person starts eating and sleeping more, or maybe less. 

A person with depression might also feel diffuse pains that can’t be assessed by a physician, they might also have less energy and difficulty making decisions or concentrating.

It can be that depression shows itself in outbursts of anger, loss of memory, and a slower pattern of speaking and moving. When depression is in its severe form, a person might develop suicidal thoughts, self-harm ideas, or even a suicide attempt.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION (FAQ): Does Nexplanon cause depression and anxiety?

What type of birth control should a person of anxiety use?

A person with anxiety can use any type of birth control. The important thing here is to pay attention to how you feel when using it. Unfortunately, there is no way of knowing whose anxiety symptoms will benefit from one birth control and whose anxiety will get more intense.

It is an observation game, but as soon as you observe that the birth control is making you more anxious, contact your physician and discuss changing your birth control method.

Does the use of the implant change my personality?

No, the use of the implant doesn’t change your personality, although the use of it might affect your sex drive and emotions, making you feel sometimes more anxious or depressed, it won’t be something that changes your personality.

What are the hormones that are related to anxiety?

Some hormones are related to anxiety. Progesterone is a hormone related to the fight or flight response and it may trigger someone to get anxious. Aside from that, a low level of testosterone can impact our ability to live well socially and that can also be a source of anxiety. 

Two stress-related hormones show up when someone is dealing with a stressful event such as a job interview, they are adrenaline and cortisol. There is also oxytocin that can make you remember past events and generate the fear of that type of situation happening again.

How long after I remove the Nexplanon, will my hormone levels reach a balance?

As said before, going in and out of birth control is a very particular experience. Although some people will say it took a couple of months, it is fair to say that your hormones will reach their balance somewhere between 4 to 6 months after the removal of the implant.

What are the biggest benefits of using an implanted contraceptive?

The biggest benefits of implant birth control are how effective it is and how fast it starts acting in your organism, usually 7 days after the insertion. It is also long-term, lasting up to 3 years, it is an inexpensive method.

When you use an implant birth control no one will know you are using it and you also don’t need to keep tabs to remember to take a pill every day at the same time. It can help with menorrhagia and dysmenorrhea. It can cause women to not have their period, which for some women can be seen as a benefit.

Once you try to remove it because you decided you want to get pregnant, your fertility returns quite quickly, usually within 21 days after you remove the implant.

CONCLUSION

Along with this article, it was explained how the birth control Nexplanon works on a woman’s body, how it is implanted and removed, its side possible side effects, and when one should look for a physician after the implantation.

It was shown how it, and every form of normal birth control, can lead to symptoms of anxiety and/or depression, and how it is hard to predict how a person’s emotion will react to the use of hormonal birth control.

If you have any comments or questions about this article, feel free to write it in the comment section below.

REFERENCES

https://www.nexplanon.com/side-effects/

Potomac IS, Segebladh B. Adverse mood symptoms with oral contraceptives. Acta obstetrícia et gynecologica Scandinavia. 2011; (91)4:420-427.