Scarleteen

Hey, I got my arm implant about 3 weeks ago now and I mostly forget it’s there now. However, this morning I absent mindedly was itching my arm when I woke up and accidentally scratched directly where my implant is. It freaked me out a bit but I’m just wondering whether knocking it/ scratching it by accident is likely to cause any issues? Thanks!

Hey Holly55,

Your implant is made to be sturdy and flexible! An itch or a bump or other similar everyday occurrences and will not cause damage to your implant or its effectiveness. If you have ever have any intense, direct impact near/on where it is in your arm, I would recommend checking in with your doctor. It's also worth noting that implants may move in your arm ever so slightly over time, but if it was inserted properly it will not go very far at all.

Also, Nexplanon insertion can sometimes cause an itchy reaction. You said you were about three weeks out so it might not be the case here, but I just wanted to throw that out there just in case you felt like you were itching that area often recently.

Hi Carly,

Thanks. I just scratched it I think the once, which caused it to hurt a little that day, but now feels fine.

I had it put in a month ago now, and I just started my period. My period came right on time and just seems to be a normal, fairly heavy period. Would you expect to continue to have a regular monthly bleed whilst on Nexplanon? I expected it to make periods lighter, but so far doesn't seem to have made any difference.

Thanks

Sadly, we really can't predict what might happen with your bleeding; some people do find that it gets lighter with the implant, but not everyone does. It does tend to make bleeding more irregular, for many users, but that may or may not be the case for you. From our article about the implant:

The biggest complaint most users have with the implant is due to unpredictable spotting or bleeding which, for some, may be very frequent. Some people may stop getting their periods, and may have very irregular periods; some may have heavier, longer periods than usual.

I wish I could give a more concrete prediction for what you might experience as your body adjusts to the implant, but the only way to find out how you in particular will react to it is to give it some time and see what happens.

Thanks. But it is normal to just have a normal period too then? Wouldn’t mean it’s not working? Thanks

Hello Holly55! Post getting the implant, periods will take a little while to settle down as your body slowly adjusts. Since it's only been 3 weeks since you got yours, I don't think having a normal period is any cause for concern. While some irregularity in periods is common, as Mo highlighted in his response, that isn't necessarily the case for everyone.

Thanks. I’ve been bleeding none stop for eight days so far and am hoping that will settle! Would somebody grabbing your arm be likely to damage the nexplanon? My mum grabbed my arm to pull me away because I was about to lean on a freshly painted wall and it’s got me a bit worried if that would damage it? Thanks

Hi Holly55,

From the Nexplanon FAQ:

Immediately after the NEXPLANON implant has been placed, you and your healthcare provider should check that the implant is in your arm by feeling for it. If you cannot feel the NEXPLANON implant, contact your healthcare provider immediately and use a non-hormonal birth control method (such as condoms) until your healthcare provider confirms that the implant is in place.

This implies to me that as long as you can feel the implant, it should be in its proper place. I also found this source which reports that the implant breaks very rarely; it's made of a very flexible plastic. That being said, if you're worried about potential damage and placement of the implant, it's best to check with the doctor that implanted it.