Model Madeline Mulqueen has opened up in a candid blog post about the contraceptive bar, warning other women that it’s “not for everyone”.
The beauty, who rose to fame from the Rubberbandits ‘Horse Outside’ video, wrote about her experience with the bar on her blog, Live.Blog.Repeat.
Madeline, who is engaged to Transformers star Jack Reynor, admitted that she was left feeling anxious and confused from the contraception, and noted her personality began to change.
“Implanon (the bar) is a form of birth control that releases a progestin (synthetic) hormone called etonogestrel. When I heard about Implanon it sounded like the best form of birth control. You have it inserted in your arm and bobs your uncle, you don’t have to remember to take the pill, you don’t get periods and it last for three years,” she wrote. “I thought I’d get it and forget all about it until I had to get it taken out again. But unfortunately it wasn’t that simple…”
The 24-year-old said that she noticed her mood and manner began to change after a while: “I started to find the smallest things would made me really frustrated and angry. I’d get into moods that I would not be able to let go of and being a person that isn’t usually like that it would then make me feel low and confused.”
Then, last April, the fitness fanatic realised something was seriously wrong and began to sit up and take notice.
“I had an injury that meant I had to stop everything to recover and when that happened I had no choice but to take notice of what my body and mind was telling me.”
“Of course having an injury is going to make you feel frustrated, sad etc but what struck me was once I had gotten better physically, mentally I had spiralled the opposite way.
“I had kept telling myself my mood would pick up once I was better but it was only getting worse. I was shockingly anxious, confused and distracted by everything and couldn’t shake the feeling off of me,” she said.
“Believe me, I tried to put it down to every day annoyances, stresses etc but realistically I was feeling depressed at a time where literally nothing was wrong with me, my friends, my family, my life, nothing. I had no reason to feel this way!
I had kept telling myself my mood would pick up once I was better but it was only getting worse. I was shockingly anxious, confused and distracted by everything and couldn’t shake the feeling off of me
“Something in my body and mind kept telling me it was the bar. I was feeling the exact same way as when I got it in but ten times worse,” she added.
Madeline continued: “I did some in-depth research into the side effects of Implanon and came across so many websites where women have expressed the same feelings as myself and once they got it taken out they felt so much better. And I can HAPPILY say that I am one of those women now.”
She visited the Well Woman’s centre to have the bar removed and said she’s already noticing a big difference.
“It’s not to say I don’t have ups and downs like everyone does but the big factor is that when I’m down I now have the right mental attitude to change how I feel,” she said.
Advising other women, she added: “For any woman thinking about getting Implanon all I would say is yes it is a great form of contraception but only if it agrees with you. Of course give your body time to get used to it but unlike me, get used to the bar itself and not the side effects it may have.
“Listen to your body and that voice in your head when it tells you something is not right. Your physical and mental health is the most important thing to you and when something is affecting that you have to change it.”
