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Is it OK to extend an Implant 0.5mm into the sinus? : Dentistry
Main Post: Is it OK to extend an Implant 0.5mm into the sinus? : Dentistry
People who have the implant as birth control, what are the pros and cons?
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I have an appointment next month to have some sort of birth control put in place. I was going to go with the coil but have been put off it by two things: 1. the stories of the pain from it being inserted and 2. the traumatic experience from my first smear test which basically left me bleeding heavily, in a considerable amount of pain and terrified of ever having a speculum anywhere near my nether regions in the future.
What I want to know is what are the pros and cons? Is there any weight gain? Will it affect my skin? Will it affect my libido? Tell me anything. The nurse who is doing the appointment explained what it does and I’ve also done a good amount of research but I want the pros and cons from people who have it now or have had it in the past because google and a doctor/nurse always seem to give the textbook version of things.
Top Comment: Unfortunately, the answer to this is incredibly individual. Every person will have their own experience as no side effects are universal. Just for an example, I had a completely painless insertion/removal/reinsertion each time. Just last night I saw a poster here who sadly did not have that experience. I always think the best thing to do is just try the method you’re interested in with a provider you trust. Make sure they’re happy to remove it at any point. That disclaimer aside, here’s my personal list. Be warned: it’s heavily biased toward pro because the implant works the best for my individual body. Pros: easy insertion/removal process. It’s not as invasive/vulnerable feeling and was painless for me. generally only bleed every 2-3 months. With every other birth control I would bleed twice a month. cramps are rare increase libido and function better mental health at baseline (less general anxiety) less anxiety regarding blood clots (a health fixation of mine) most effective contraception Cons: healing process can be a bit uncomfortable/annoying. I tend to fixate on my implant and avoid using or laying on that arm for a while even though it’s not necessary. fears of migration (I do still have anxiety) some irregular/prolonged bleeding at the end of my first implants lifespan scar tissue skin had a hard time initially. This was likely because I was switching off the pill and estrogen helped my acne. It took some time to figure out a solid skincare routine that worked for me.
Anyone with the BC arm implant want to share their experiences?
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I’m looking to start some form of birth control, but I don’t really want to take the pill. The implantation is a possibility but the idea of it kind of scares me... anyone that has or had it want to share anything? Like the process of getting it into your arm, removal, the implant moving, the pain, not being able to be active with that arm... etc?
Top Comment: The process was easy and painless for the most part. They’ll give you a shot and it takes affect pretty quick and you shouldn’t feel anything as far as them inserting it. They’ll put a bandaid on it and it’s bruised for a few days but heals okay Mine had never moved and I’m able to use that arm the same as my other one. As for the actual implant, i haven’t liked it. It’s made me have no sex drive, odd periods, and it’s made my BPD worse. I’m getting it out in a couple of days. Broth control affects everyone differently though and i know tons of people love the implant, it just hasn’t worked for me
Why isn't the implant more popular?
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I've seen a stream of IUD horror stories in this group over the last few months and I wanted to see some different perspectives on this question I have been ruminating on for nearly a decade: Why aren't more women using birth control implants?
I received my first in 2013 just as I was graduating college. I went into my gyno appointment to ask for BC options since I knew I would be horrible at remembering to take a daily pill. After chatting, I was between the IUD and the implant because they both provided long term protection.
The copper IUD was great because it was non-hormonal, but when she described the negative possible side effects, the phrase "perforation of uterus" had me doing a hard nope and selecting the implant. It's now a decade later and I am on my third, no regrets whatsoever.
With my first, I was convinced this would become the dominant form of birth control within 5 years and I evangelized about my experience whenever it was appropriate. I assumed most hadn't adopted it as it was relatively new at the time (US approved in 2006) so I figured more and more women would switch over in the next decade.
Yet, the IUD remains dominant despite the now-known drawbacks. For me, the most appealing part of the implant is that it has to be 100% covered under the ACA as there is only one implant on the market, and insurance companies have to cover at least 1 type of implant. Understanding that not everyone reacts the same to hormonal contraception, I haven't come across even stories of women who tried it and then had it removed (whereas I have come across several such stories for the IUD)
So, would love to hear all of y'alls thought and theories!
Top Comment: The implant made me absolutely 💯 certifiably nuts. I had to get it taken out for my own sanity. The ease of use and never having to remember to take a pill was wonderful. But I couldn’t handle having it in my body 24/7/365.
questions for anyone with the birth control arm implant
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hi! I've been thinking about getting the implant for awhile now and i just have a few questions and id really appreciate if they were answered by real people right here right now instead of google.
how much did it hurt for you on a scale from 1-10?
what are the negative side effects?
what are the positive side effects?
did it fully stop your period?
Top Comment: 0, it was painless. Both my former Mirenas made me pass out from pain. A slight scar on my arm. Nothing else. No periods! Guaranteed baby protection. Yep. Loved the first implant so much I got a new one.
Nexplanon : The good, the bad and the ugly
Main Post: Nexplanon : The good, the bad and the ugly
Top Comment: I have the implant, it’s been awesome. It’s really important to keep in mind that people who are unhappy with something are the people most likely to leave reviews. Most people who just have the implant aren’t thinking about it often enough to post about it online. First of all, to address your fear of spotting, this isn’t something that happens to everyone. It’s also not untreatable. If you experience this you can ask your doctor about an ibuprofen trial, or taking the pill for up to 3 months to regulate your bleeding. This is effective for most people, and the spotting doesn’t return. My experience with the implant is that 99% of the time I don’t think about it. It’s the most effective birth control, even more effective than vasectomies. That really drew me to it because I am staunchly against pregnancy. I decided on the implant after 3 failed IUD insertion attempts. I’ve had it for a year now and my periods are far less frequent than they were on the pill. On the pill I would bleed 2-3 times a month at random. Now I typically have a period every 2 months. My mental health baseline has definitely improved as well as my libido. My appetite has also regulated and I’ve stopped gaining weight which is a huge plus for me. Overall, I would recommend it to anyone. Insertion is easy, and worst case scenario you don’t like it, you can just have it removed! When I had mine I made sure that the doctor who placed it would remove it at any time without trying to change my mind. I think that knowledge is helpful to have and brings a lot of peace.
Nexplanon (the arm implant) is an amazing birth control option, but so few people are using and considering it. Here’s my experience/perspective!
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I’ve seen so many posts here talk about how the pill has been awful for them and the IUD insertion is excruciating, and y’all are right. I was one of the people who dealt with these problems, so I wanted to share a really awesome alternative: Nexplanon, also known as the arm implant. it’s a match sized plastic rod that is placed under the skin of the upper inner arm.
Despite being relatively pain free to insert, being a different and better cocktail of hormones than the pill and IUDs, always being able to tell it’s in place and working, and being just as long lasting (now approved for five years), nexplanon is still one of the least popular birth control methods on the market. When I talked to my doctor about this, she said it was mostly due to 1) it being so new (two decades or so) and 2) one extremely rare but highly publicized horror story where it moved it a blood vessel, but they have altered the placement and makeup so that so of one in a billion problem is literally impossible now. she guessed it would replace the IUD in popularity over the next fifty years. they also show up on x rays now and give you a card to put in your wallet so in the event of an accident any EMTs know you have it. nexplanon is literally the most effective form of birth control out there with an effectiveness rate over 99.9%, and it’s the most effective & low risk method for anyone who has a high BMI, unlike some other methods.
so I just wanted to talk about my experience with it to raise awareness because it seems like such an incredible, problem solving method that many people simply don’t know is an option for them.
I struggled with the pill for nearly five years. I had awful yeast infections multiple times per year and was terrified of having a clot because I’m 200+ pounds. I got off it because my doc wouldn’t change my dose or brand, and just used condoms for a while, but didn’t have the peace of mind that comes with having two methods. I was terrified of IUD insertion and movement and complications because of all the stories I’d heard from friends and online. despite having 10+ friends with IUDs, i didn’t know a single person who could say “my IUD insertion experience was totally fine, and I’m not terrified to have it removed.”
so I decided to get the implant after talking about it with my doc. the insertion (at planned parenthood) was easily the best experience i’ve ever had with a doctor — they numb the inner arm with lidocaine so you literally don’t feel a thing, unlike the IUD insertion. the most painful thing was the numbing, which was less painful than a vaccine (trust me, i had three that same week), then right after it’s inserted, the doctor shows you where it is and lets you feel it to make sure it’s in the right spot. you can ALWAYS feel it right below your skin, so you always know it’s in the right spot and not moving. i find this super comforting.
the “recovery” if you can even call it that was really simple; i just noticed it was sore to lean on my arm for about a day. i had a little swelling below where my arm had been wrapped, and a tiny bruise at the insertion site (the big bruising you see on the internet is rare and made me very nervous to get it! my bruise was the size of a pencil eraser). there is a tiny scar the size of pin head at the site.
i haven’t had any of the problems i had on other hormonal methods. my moods feel stable, my periods are light and infrequent, and i’ve had zero symptoms outside of an increase in sex drive (without the lack of lubrication i had on the pill!). obviously this won’t be everyone’s experience, and you should use the bc method that’s right for you, but for me this has been a dream bc method, and i don’t even have to think about it for five years. i wish someone had told me about it five years earlier when i thought the pill or IUD were my only choices, so maybe this can be that info for someone else.
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I'm so glad that you've had a good experience with Nexplanon. It was my first choice as an adult who always had issues with the pill.
Unfortunately, I had the same issues that many of the previous posts described. Insertion was fine, and the scar from it is entirely gone after less than 5 years. While I had the Nexplanon I would have a period for a minimum for 4 weeks, heavy cramping and bleeding. My OBGYN would have me pick up pill samples to stop the bleeding and restart my cycle. We went thru this for over a year waiting for my body to "adjust" to the implant. Spoiler: it never did.
I also had VERY frequent UTIs. Not sure if these are correlation or causation. I haven't had a UTI since I got the Nexplanon taken out and replaced it with Mirena. I haven't had a period for years (which is a plus for me).
Side effects of the implant?
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Hi, I'm thinking of getting the implant. What is your experience with it? What is it like getting one?
Top Comment: It really depends on the person. I’m on my second implant right now and used to be on the pill. For me, insertion and removal were completely painless, just like getting any other shot. I normally bleed every 2-3 months which is great because I used to bleed twice a month on the pill. That increased slightly to more like once a month at the end of my time with my first implant. I had two incidents of prolonged bleeding right around times of stress. I decided to get it replaced 4 months early for that reason. My appetite is a bit more regulated with the implant and I lost about 10lbs after the insertion without any real effort, just naturally smaller portion sizes. The example that comes to mind is that on the pill and we went to McDonalds I would get a 10 piece nugget meal and still be hungry. Now I get a 6 piece and am definitely not hungry even after sharing some fries with my partner (I’m pretty short so calorie wise that’s already a pretty decent meal for me). My anxiety and depression are less severe, but still present as I had them prior to any HBC. Libido and sexual functioning is much better, which may be because I’m not worried about pregnancy anymore. As you can see from the responses Nexplanon tends to be a bit of a love or hate relationship. Keep in mind that people who have had unremarkable experiences (i.e., low side effects) are not likely to be on a birth control subreddit. Maybe I’m biased by personal experience but I always recommend people who are interested to just try it. You can have it removed at any time so it’s pretty low risk. If efficacy is your main concern Nexplanon is absolutely the way to go.
Why do women choose IUDs over implants?
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Hi! Please correct me if I’m wrong. But being on this sub for a while, I notice all the IUD horror stories (which is one of the reasons why I chose to get an implant for myself)
Personally, the implant for me is definitely one of the best decisions I’ve done for myself. So I would love to know (and please feed my curiosity) why more women prefer IUDs over implants? Thanks!
EDIT: Thank you so much for ALL the responses! I didn’t expect this to blow up 😭 That being said, since my implant seems to work for me, I think after 3 years I’m going to switch to an IUD. But since it is not as effective as an implant in terms of preventing pregnancy, my fiance (husband by then) is willing to get a vasectomy too. Thank you so much again!
Top Comment: IUD typically lasts longer. Implant is notorious for irregular bleeding and I can’t deal with that.
does the arm implant hurt?
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i’m on the depo shot but i have to find a new birth control the only other one that sounds “pleasing” is the arm implant. i’m very squeamish and hate needles, blood, etc. (but i’m in nursing school?) did it hurt for you guys i think i’m being a scary cat even my depo shot scares me 💀😂
Top Comment: Of course it depends on the person and your individual pain tolerance. I’m on my second implant and both insertions + the removal were painless for me. You’re given a lidocaine shot just like they do at the dentist. I couldn’t even feel the doctor touching my arm. My main recommendations for anyone who’s squeamish is to tell your provider about the anxiety, turn away and maybe listen to music with some headphones. The insertion gun does make a clicking noise. The entire process takes just a couple minutes though.