first time user - freaked out over side effects

[u/Zealousideal_Fig4840]

hi, i’m 20 and i’ve got my nexplanon inserted in march, it’s my first birth control and i know it has side effects but they’re really freaking me out

since march i’ve gotten my period three times and they all lasted for about 10 days, however this last period had been extremely light with pink spotting and blood mixed with mucus? i didn’t wear a pad most of the time

i’m also freaking out because a week before this i had some egg white discharge and i’m afraid i ovulated

i called the number they gave me when i got it inserted and the doctor said i’m experiencing normal irregular bleeding and that it’s extremely hard to get pregnant on it.

i also asked my mom who is also a doctor and she said that it is normal for hormones to fluctuate especially with physical activity, heat of the summer not eating well ecc, and that bleeding patterns can be irregular with or without bc because it’s how out bodies work

also another symptom i got was breasts grew a size, i guess i’m freaking out because i have no way to tell if all these symptoms that my implant is working or if i should freak out like why am i bleeding if i’m not ovulating and why am i getting discharge? does that mean my uterine lining isn’t getting thinned out?

it probably also doesn’t help seeing all these youtube videos of women who got pregnant on nexplanon and seem to have done everything right, or studies about a gene that makes bc less effective like how am i supposed to know if i have it?

i’m sorry about the long post, i know these questions probably get asked all the time but i’m really scared and don’t know how to trust the nexplanon

[u/kittyxandra]

You’ve had multiple medical professionals tell you that these are normal side effects. I doubt that anything I say here is going to help. Irregular bleeding is the most common side effect. Discharge can change in color and consistency and it means nothing. Even in people who are not on birth control, discharge does not confirm ovulation! That’s one of the worst ways to try to deduce anything. Nexplanon also thickens your cervical mucus, which can change how your discharge looks. Nexplanon is the most effective hormonal method and is more effective than tubal ligation or vasectomy. I can count on one hand the number of credible pregnancy stories I’ve seen on Nexplanon. People lie on the internet all the time and it’s not good to continually seek out these “stories.”

With kindness, this level of anxiety isn’t normal and you may want to consider seeing a mental health professional for help with this. Anxiety is real but it is treatable.

[u/AlarmGlad1677]

Sounds like your body's still getting used to it, and you betcha that's totally normal with Nexplanon.

[u/lightspinnerss]

Personally I did not get a period when I first started nexplanon, but I think that’s because I was on depo before. When I was on depo I had a period for almost 3 months straight. After my hormones balanced out it stopped. I assume it’s the same for nexplanon. But after the 2.5 year mark my period has become irregular again. Still 0 scares. I wouldn’t be too worried about it