Can the contraceptive implant implanon cause anxiety and depression?

[Stress_Head]

Hi,
I have had the implanon now for 2 years and since then have experienced 6 month cycles of extreme depression and anxiety followed by periods where i return to my normal happy mood and behaviour.  For the last month I have been feeling hightened level of anxitey, which have caused social withdrawal, and fellings of sadness and depression. Most worringly, recently i have had thoughts of self harming.

I couldn't seem to put my finger on why I was feeling this way, and till tonight, hadn't considered the possibility that it could be the implanon. I have done some brief reseach and found that the implanon can cause depression, but I am concerned can it completely explain the reason for my extreme long-term changes in mood, or is there something more deep routed?
Thanks

[whst0700]

Like the rest of you, I am also happy to have found this site. I had the Implanon a few days short of a year. After just a couple of months I noticed a change in my moods. After four months, I started to wonder if my hormones were really out of whack or if I was just a crazy girl. During this time, I had moved to a foreign country which I loved and had new beginnings with my long distance bf. There were many changes in my life so I couldn’t exactly pinpoint the changes in my mindset. As time went on, I finally had a period. This explained the total B*tch I was being the week before. I didn’t have periods often, but there was a lot of up and downs while I was PMSing and total relief afterwards, but it didn’t last long. In the past, I’ve only had a problem with one BC pill, but never dealing with my hormones. This was all very new to me.

I used to find a positive in everything and be very pleasant to be around, but I became a negative nancy around people I really care about and many noticed a change. As far as my relationship went, I became jealous and controlling and although many times I didn’t think I was overacting, it turns out I always was. I developed a bit of anxiety and on a few occasions thought of jumping off my roof. Thankfully, I thought about all the people I love and care about. I would never do it, but the fact was, I was having horrible thoughts. I know myself and this isn’t me. This wasn’t my first relationship. However, it was the first time I ever saw the horrible qualities in myself. I had a very loving boyfriend who really is like a saint and he never fought with me. Unfortunately, overtime I pushed him away and recently to made a move to a different continent. I feel it’s a result of my smothering him.  We are still in a relationship, but I have never felt more depressed.

After finding this website, I realize many girls have a similar experience. After calling my doctor at home she advised me not to have it removed, I think because I’m still in a foreign country. She also said she hasn’t had anyone complain about the hormones. However, it’s plainly listed on the website..changes in emotions and depression as side effects. After the phone call she made me feel even worse.
I know my body better than anyone and I wasn’t happy and I needed a change no matter what. Maybe, it’s situational, maybe it’s hormones. There’s only one way to find out, so today I went to have it removed. With hearing other stories I felt that I had to try. I will try my best and be patient and wait for changes to come, but I already feel relieved that I don’t have it in me anymore.  Good luck to anyone dealing with this.

[hannahfaithholmes]

Did you get it taken out? I have been experiencing these exact symptoms and I have been scared out of my mind that it is something else causing it..like something serious..I am hoping and praying it is just this birth control!! When you had it taken out did it stop everything you were experiencing?

[anon456600]

I appreciate this comment is quite a while after your original post however i would maybe suggest that the panic attacks and anxiety were due to delayed stress due to termination of pregnancy. I experienced feelings of losing control and fear of dying for quite a while after mine and it has only come to light recently that it could have been some sort of post traumatic stress. I do hope she is now feeling better but just to be aware that the psychological effects of a procedure like that can also be quite distressing.

[Rollercoasterfreak78]

Omg, can't believe what i'm reading!....I'm due to have the implant out next week and after reading all these comments, definitely won't be getting another inserted! I suffed from severe panic attacks a couple of months after having the implanon put in! I didn't leave my house for near on 6 months and had counselling and have been on anti depressants ever since!....Never knew so many people have been affected like this. Thought I was going crazy and been so snappy and moody and have put on a ton of weight!....Back to using condoms I think!

[mrsstraz]

appointment booked to get this thing out! seriously.. 2yrs of being the worlds biggest ***** is more than enough. my poor kids lives haven't been worth living :( my poor hubby.. i'm soooo snappy, huffy, emotional (not to mention i used to be highly sexually driven... now i just want to sleep)
my memory has always been bad but i'm soo scatter brained now.
hopefully i improve very quickly so we can actually enjoy the school holidays. i'll soon get used to normal periods again... even with a higher risk of getting pregnant.
thank you everyone who posted here, it brought everything into place.

[hazza1988]

Hi this forum has made me feel a million times better!!! honestly thought i was loosing my mind. I had the implanon in for 2 years and 10 months and had no issues with it apart from weight gain, i then had another impant put in in november 2010 and thought i would have an easy time like i did with the first one, how wrong can you be!!
me and my partner moved over to australia from the UK in january 2011 and ever since that day i have been an emotional wreck!! i just put it down to me being away from family and friends and being homesick but reading this forum this THING in my arm has just made things 100times worse!!! i cry randomly, snap at anyone and everyone and how my boyfriend is still with me is beyond me!! i used to be happy, and have a sense of humour but now i am a completley different person, even to the point of going on a night out with friends i wont go because i get so worked up beforehand and anxious i just dont bother!! i used to be out 2-3 times a week and loved life!!!
I have an appointment booked today to get the implanon removed and hoepfully to get my personality back!! thanks to all these posts on this forum i know i am not loosing my mind :)