Implanon problems

tinagordon

hi im 24 years old now and i got an implanon implant inserted june 2010 6 months after having my son and had problems with it from day one! i havent stopped bleeding since the day it was put in..

i went to my doctor a week after insertion complaining of bleeding and other side effects he said to leave it in and should settle down within 6months. i left it at that but the side effects didnt go away i went back to him after the 6 months and asked him to remove it he instead prescribed iron tablets blaming my anemia for the bleeding.

the iron didnt help things got worse if anything was in and out of doctors office week after week the last 3 years with him prescibing contraceptive pills none of them working. finally in march 2013 this year he finally listened and made an appointed to have it removed he tried and failed to take it out after cutting and rooting around my arm for an hour and a half, he gave up and said to come back in 2 weeks and he'l try locate it again. i went back and after another hour of cutting and searching around for it he told me it was lodged too deeply in due to doing weights at the gym i was never told doing weights could affect the implanon..

i was gutted!! i asked him what i should do now can he refer me to the hospital to remove it, he said no it wont do any harm leaving it in my arm for good and then prescribed another contraceptive pill for the bleeding which gave me awful moodiness and depression. on the may bank holiday my bleeding got so bad i had to go done to the a&e they recommended that the implant should be removed and i needed to go back to my gp and for him to refer me to the hospital he refused the first time but i went back to him again and finally got the referral letter i am now waiting on a letter from the hospital for a surgeon to remove it from the muscle.

lookin back i am nearly sure he inserted it wrong because i felt it going into my muscle that time! i now have 2 scars on my arm that i did not want and am going to have a third, i am also really worried that they wont be able to remove it at the hospital. this implant has pretty much ruined my life for 3 years. what do ye think anyone else have any experiences like this with implanon implant?

Morag

Dear gods, don't go back to him.
Ring your nearest family planning clinic and talk to them about it.
He was very wrong to leave you bleeding like that, never mind butchering your arm.

http://www.ifpa.ie/
http://www.wellwomancentre.ie/
http://femplus.ie/

If those are not close enough to you, I am sure they will be able to refer you to someone in your area.

tinagordon

i went to family planning clinic last week they are the people that referred me to the surgeon they are so helpful and only wish i went there a long time ago.. i am wondering if i have a case against this doctor he never listened and to be left with these scars and another, i have done some research and have heard of people bringing lawsuits angainst their doctors in america but not ireland..

Morag

You'd have to get proper legal advice on that.

I've always suggested that people ask drs how many implants they have fitted and removed in the last year and if it's less then 5 I'd suggest finding someone with more experience.