Health Side Effects

Does Nexplanon Cause Depression? A common question for some who visit this site is “does nexplanon cause depression?”. In an earlier post, we listed depression as one of the side effects of this birth control method but maybe its good if we delve more on the issue of Nexplanon and depression.

Having a “depressed mood” is mentioned by Merck (the drug maker of Nexplanon) as one of the frequent side effects of Nexplanon. Says Merck in its prescribing information for Nexplanon:

Women with a history of depressed mood should be carefully observed. Consideration should be given to removing NEXPLANON in patients who become significantly depressed.

So Merck suggests removing your Nexplanon implant should you experience depression following the implantation of the device.

>> Related Post on Does Nexplanon Cause Depression: Nexplanon Side Effects

During a clinical trial, depression was found as an adverse reaction to the implant in a little over one in twenty (5.5%) participants.

Exactly 1% of clinical trial participants discontinued use of the birth control implant because of depression. The number is higher if we focus on participants from the United States where 2.4% discontinued with the trial because of depression.

Aside from depression, Nexplanon can also cause “emotional liability” which is characterized by mood swings such as involuntary or uncontrollable episodes of crying and/or laughing.

Emotional liability is reported among 6.5% of trial subjects. A little over two in one hundred participants (2.3%) discontinued use of Nexplanon because of their emotional liability adverse reaction to the birth control implant; the figure is, again, higher in the U.S. where 6.1% experienced emotional lability that led to discontinuation.

Important Things to Remember When Using Nexplanon:

• Talk to your health care provider about using NEXPLANON if you have a history of depressed mood. They might suggest an alternative birth control technique.
• If you have no history of depression but get depressed after your implant, talk to your health care provider ASAP. Removing the device should be a consideration.

Does Nexplanon Cause Depression? posted 6 July 2012. Last update on 6 July 2012.

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