You’ve had the Nexplanon birth control implant in your arm for a while, and now you’re ready to have it removed. This could be because you want to get pregnant now, your doctor suggested a different birth control, or the implant’s period of effectiveness is coming to an end. The Nexplanon implant, remember, is good for a maximum of three years.
No matter your reason, there's no need to worry. Usually, it’s a smooth and relatively painless process. Your doctor can do the whole thing in about five minutes.
Nexplanon Removal: Removing the Implant
You should be able to feel the Nexplanon implant on the inside part of your upper arm just under the skin. It’s closer to your elbow than your armpit, in between the muscles of your upper and lower arm. The implant is a thin, flexible rod that’s about the size of a matchstick. Your doctor should be able to find it easily.
To remove it, they’ll give you a shot of a local anesthetic (which will numb only that area). You might feel a small pinch or sting.
After that, you’ll lie back, with your arm raised near your head, and then they’ll make a small cut in the skin of your upper arm. From the outside of your arm, the doctor will push the Nexplanon rod toward the incision, where they can grab it with something like a pair of tweezers and gently remove it.
Once the implant is out, they’ll close the cut. Then, you’ll get a tight-fitting, pressure bandage to cover the area and minimize bruising. And that’s it — you’re done
It typically takes less than five minutes. Complications are rare and usually not serious.
What’s Next After Nexplanon Removal?
You might be a little sore once the anesthesia wears off. Your arm may swell a little. There could be some bruising in the area that might last a couple of weeks. But generally, you should feel fine after they remove your implant.
Nexplanon removal side effects
Any side effects that you had with Nexplanon — like weight gain, headache, and acne — usually go away within a week after it’s removed.
“You should feel normal overall, but keep in mind once that is removed, there could be signs of a progesterone withdrawal because that is what the implant has in it,” says Christine Greves, MD, FACOG, board-certified OB/GYN at Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies in Orlando. “So, there could be some spotting, heavier bleeding during the adjustment time back to one’s normal cycle.”
Other side effects you might also experience are breast pain and a change in appetite.
It’s important to remember that after you get the implant removed, you can get pregnant right away. You’ll want to use another source of birth control immediately if you don’t want that.
If you're getting the implant removed because it’s nearing or at the end of its lifespan, but you want to continue with birth control, you can get another Nexplanon put in when the old one goes out. Then you’ll be good for another three years.
Nexplanon Removal Aftercare
Your doctor will place small, sterile bandages over the site where the implant was removed. This will help prevent infection. They’ll then wrap your arm with a pressure bandage to control bleeding and bruising. Leave it on for at least 24 hours and don’t get it wet. You may have soreness, bruising, and itching at the site. It’s normal and will go away in a few days.
Takeaways
If you’ve had the Nexplanon implant for three years, it’s time to have it removed. It’s a quick, easy process that takes five minutes or less in your doctor’s office. Side effects of Nexplanon removal are minor, if any. Once your Nexplanon implant is removed, you’ll be able to get pregnant right away. If you don’t want to get pregnant, ask your doctor to insert a new Nexplanon implant or suggest other forms of birth control.
Nexplanon Removal FAQs
What happens to your body when you remove Nexplanon?
Nexplanon contains progestin, the human-made form of the hormone progesterone. After your Nexplanon implant is removed, your progestin levels will drop. You’ll begin ovulating as normal within two to six weeks. You may have mood swings, breast pain, acne, and a change in appetite. You may also experience abnormal vaginal bleeding for two to four weeks as your body readjusts to its normal hormone levels.
When should Nexplanon be removed?
The Nexplanon implant is good for three years. After that, your doctor will remove it. If you decide to have it removed sooner, talk to your doctor.
Is it painful to get Nexplanon removed?
It shouldn’t be. Your doctor will numb your arm with medicine before using small tweezers to pull out the Nexplanon implant.
The implant might be harder to remove if your doctor originally placed it too deep in your arm or if you gained a lot of weight. In very rare cases, your doctor might need to consult with a radiology specialist or general surgeon to remove the Nexplanon implant.
Will I lose weight after removing Nexplanon?
Research shows no direct link between Nexplanon and weight gain. If you lose weight after removing the implant, it’s likely due to other factors.
