GETTING THE PILL:
About 2 years ago my mum suggested I go to the doctors to go on the pill. It was something she had always used and I knew my sister used it too. For me, there was no other option. I didn't really know that there was any other form of hormonal contraception out there, none that appealed to me anyway, so I made the appointment and talked it through with my GP. Although my doctors surgery as a whole is extremely problematic, my GP is incredible and so I also trusted her massively which made me ask a lot of questions without feeling judged and therefore, I was overall happy with my experience!
I was put on 'Rigevidon' and since I have come off it, I have read so many horror stories and really wish I had talked through different types of pills with my GP as, although I trust her and I asked a lot of questions, I never questioned what she was giving me as you always assume they won't give you anything that could be harmful. I feel like I am very lucky I never experienced any problems with it and if you are taking this exact pill I would suggest reading up on it and if you feel you need to, going to get it changed or at least talking it through with your GP.
I started taking the pill that day and from then on, my experience was actually really good. I never had problems with my periods before taking the pill, they were extremely regular, not overly painful and generally a lot better than many of my friends experiences. I had also never had problems with acne or mood swings and did not feel like the pill created any of these problems for me. I felt like I was still the same me, I was just having to remember to take a tiny tablet everyday. At the time I started taking this pill I was underweight for health reasons but slowly started to regain weight. I still do not know if this was down the pill or down to me overcoming these health issues and therefore, I can not comment on this however, I do know weight gain is a possible side effect.
I happily stayed on this pill for two years but was constantly forgetting to take it and definitely not taking it at the same time everyday which can obviously make it less effective. A few of my friends had had the implant and for many of them their experience was positive and in most cases they had even stopped having periods completely. This for me was a huge plus as I had gotten pretty fed up of going through a period each month. Even though mine weren't specifically bad they were just unnecessary and problematic and I very much wanted some time off!
GETTING THE IMPLANT:
I researched into the implant and eventually booked my doctors appointment. I was put on the waiting list and a few weeks later I got a call to schedule an appointment.
To say I was nervous the day I was getting it done is a small understatement, I was absolutely bricking it. However, I sucked it up and made my way in. I also asked this GP a few questions to clarify any concerns I had (I was at uni at the time so it was not my regular GP), and eventually it came to getting it done.
The GP talked me through the procedure and tried to distract me by talking about other things as well. The prep time seemed to take forever, I was just lying there staring at the ceiling, nerves building up. Eventually she injected me with something that numbed the area, which can I say is pretty painful but mostly strange, like I knew she was touching my arm but I couldn't feel it and it was just strange. Then I felt some pressure and she told me not to look and within 30 seconds to a minute the whole thing was done. * MENTION OF BLOOD* The GP did feel it necessary to comment on how much I was bleeding and it seriously was a lot but I think that was just me so if you are scared of blood don't let it put you off. Eventually it stopped but she made me sit for a while to check I didn't feel dizzy etc (I think this was mainly due to the blood loss), she made me feel the implant so I knew where it was and what it should feel like and she bandaged my arm up. I was told to keep the bandage on for I think two days and I could not get it wet, and I was sent on my way.
A few hours later it did become quite painful, just sore and bruised and it was not nice but this lasted a week at most. I think I bruise extremely easily so this is probably not the case for everyone. Overall it was a good experience.
COMING OFF THE PILL:
Obviously, now I had the implant, I no longer needed to take the pill for contraception, however, many people have issues with spotting/irregular bleeding as their body adjusts to the implant and the hormones. Therefore, the GP told me to continue taking my last 3 month supply of the pill as I normally would. This meant I had regular periods and no spotting in between for those first 3 months, overall, I had no issues doing this. Looking back, my blood pressure was not taken and I was not warned about the now heightened possibility of blood clots as I was now on two forms of contraception. I was only made aware of this and tested when it was believed I had a possible blood clot (which turned out to be false). Always ask to get your blood pressure checked just to be safe! I also did not have any other possible side effects of the hormonal implant, I don't know if this was because I was taking the pill as well but I was very happy about it.
I stopped taking my Rigevidon in March and for the next 2 months everything was great, I had no spotting or bleeding and no side effects. Then May came around. Funnily enough I was on my way to my friends house for her birthday with my other friend who had recently started taking the pill. She asked me about my implant, any side effects and if I had had any periods or bleeding while on it, I happily said no and we carried on chatting til we arrived at our friends house. I went to the toilet at her house and low and behold, I had started my period. To say I was frustrated is an understatement. I was 2 hours from home and had nothing with me. Luckily I was with friends who helped and although it was annoying, it was not the end of the world. I was worried as I was going on a little weekend away and did not want my period but it stopped for the 3 days I was away and arrived again on the plane ride home! That was one of the only upsides of the pill, you could take 2 packets in a row and stop yourself getting a period, with the implant it was out of my control. I then had a period for a while and eventually I really had had enough. When I did have them they were extremely heavy and painful which if you remember earlier I had said this was something I had never struggled with. I was back home from uni and made an appointment to see my doctor.
GOING BACK ON A PILL:
Now here we are at present day, my implant is still in my arm and I am taking a little white pill every day once again. Feels like deja vu. I went back to my doctors and we talked it through. She said it is common to have irregular bleeding at any point within the first year of getting the implant but you do need to determine that it is definitely due to the implant rather than any other issue. We came to the conclusion that it definitely was and I was given a three month supply of 'Desogestrel' and was reassured this would stop any bleeding. Unlike my last pill, you do not get a break with this one and I have now been taking it for almost a month. I had a small worry the other day where I had some spotting but other than that it stopped the bleeding within two days and I have had no extreme issues with it since. I also do not need to worry about being as precise with this pill as I did with the other one, as in taking it at the same time every day etc. as it is not there for contraceptive purposes, the worst that can happen if it don't take it is I will start having a period again. Overall, I am happy with my experience.
FINAL COMMENT:
I would recommend both the pill and the implant to anyone who asks me as I personally, had no major problems with it. But, I am very aware this does not work for everyone, be aware of your body, listen to it and how it is processing these new hormones you are adding. Always go back to your GP if you are not sure about anything but most of all do what you think it best for you!
Thank you for reading, I hope this was in some way, helpful or interesting for you, if you have any questions feel free to leave it below and I will try my best to answer it!
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