After a birth control implant is removed, you may notice changes in your period, skin, mood, energy, sleep, appetite, or digestion. But what do these changes mean? Is your body temporarily adjusting after synthetic progestin is removed, or are symptoms that existed before the implant beginning to return? Some women experience a short transition while their menstrual cycle becomes predictable again. Others notice that concerns previously controlled by hormonal contraception, such as acne, painful periods, heavy bleeding, irregular cycles, or PCOS-related symptoms, begin to reappear. *** It may be temporary readjustment when: • Symptoms are mild and gradually improving • Bleeding is irregular but manageable • Your cycle is slowly becoming more predictable • Changes started shortly after removal • You otherwise feel well *** Old symptoms may be returning when: • The same concerns existed before the implant • Symptoms follow a repeated monthly pattern • Pain, acne, heavy bleeding, or mood changes continue • Symptoms become more intense instead of improving • The original concern was controlled but never fully investigated This does not automatically mean the implant damaged your body. It may mean that hormonal contraception managed certain symptoms while it was being used, but the factors contributing to those symptoms are still present. ***How True Medicine approaches the transition True Medicine looks beyond one symptom and asks: - What was happening before the implant? - What changed while it was being used? - What returned after removal? - What other areas of health deserve attention? A whole-person assessment may consider nutrition, stress, sleep, digestion, blood-sugar patterns, thyroid health, inflammation, emotional well-being, medication history, and lifestyle. Tracking your bleeding, pain, mood, sleep, skin, digestion, energy, and stress can also provide useful information to discuss with a qualified healthcare provider. ***How Lift Center may support your wellness routine

Have you ever wondered how quickly the body could begin to change if it received the exact information it needed? What if healing is not always about doing more? What if it is not always about stronger medications, more aggressive treatments, complicated protocols, or a long list of supplements? What if, sometimes, the body is not asking to be forced, but to be understood? At True Medicine and Lift Center, we believe the body is always communicating. The question is, are we listening deeply enough? That is one of the powerful purposes of a Comprehensive Biological Terrain Assessment. This assessment is designed to look beyond surface symptoms and help explore what may be happening underneath. Instead of focusing only on what is visible, it allows us to take a deeper look at possible: • stress patterns • organ and system relationships • tissue responses • environmental burdens • energetic and frequency imbalances • underlying dysfunction patterns within the body This matters because symptoms are often only the surface expression of something deeper. Fatigue may not just be fatigue. Brain fog may not just be brain fog. Sleep issues, digestive discomfort, inflammation, mood changes, or low energy may be the body’s way of asking for the right support, the right information, and the right direction. Why is this important? When the body receives better information, it can begin to respond in better ways. The goal is not to chase symptoms one by one. The goal is to understand the terrain in which those symptoms are developing. Potential benefits of exploring your biological terrain: • greater awareness of what your body may be expressing • a more personalized wellness approach • clearer direction instead of guesswork • deeper insight into stress and imbalance patterns • support for whole-body healing rather than symptom suppression alone • a more informed path forward in your wellness journey This is the True Medicine way, to ask better questions, look deeper, and honor the body’s built-in intelligence.

Have you ever wondered what a birth control implant does beyond preventing pregnancy? The implant is a small rod placed beneath the skin of the upper arm. It releases progestin, which prevents pregnancy mainly by stopping ovulation and thickening cervical mucus. Potential benefits of the implant ✓ More than 99% effective at preventing pregnancy ✓ Long-lasting and requires no daily reminder ✓ Reversible and removable by a qualified healthcare provider ✓ Estrogen-free ✓ May reduce menstrual bleeding or stop periods ✓ Fertility generally returns quickly after removal ✓ Convenient and private Implants are among the most effective reversible contraceptive methods, but changes in bleeding patterns are common. Possible disadvantages • Irregular spotting or unpredictable bleeding • Longer, lighter, heavier, or absent periods • Headaches • Acne or skin changes • Breast tenderness • Mood changes • Possible appetite or weight changes • Bruising, soreness, infection, scarring, or difficulty during insertion or removal • No protection against sexually transmitted infections Some side effects may improve over time, while others may remain bothersome enough for a woman to consider another option. What can the True Medicine approach offer? True Medicine does not tell women to fear birth control or discontinue it without medical guidance. It offers a whole-person approach that encourages women to understand what was happening in their bodies before the implant, what changed afterward, and what other areas may need support. Choosing the True Medicine approach may help you: ✓ Look beyond one symptom Explore how sleep, nutrition, stress, digestion, metabolism, emotional health, and lifestyle may be connected. ✓ Create a personal symptom timeline Identify which concerns existed before the implant and which appeared or changed afterward. ✓ Understand your original reason for using it Was it chosen only for contraception, or also for acne, PCOS, heavy bleeding, painful periods, or hormonal symptoms?

- What natural rhythm is my body being asked to suppress or change? - Is the implant addressing the root cause of my symptoms, or only managing them? - How might it affect my mood, energy, skin, weight, sleep, or libido? - What role do my liver, thyroid, adrenal glands, nutrition, and stress levels play? - What symptoms did I have before the implant? - What changes began after the implant? - Is this method the best choice for my body, health history, and long-term goals? - What support may my body need while using it? - What is my body trying to communicate? - What is my body forgetting, and how can I help it remember its natural balance?

Birth control implants have become one of the most widely promoted forms of long-acting reversible contraception. Devices such as Nexplanon are inserted beneath the skin of the upper arm and continuously release synthetic hormones designed to suppress ovulation and prevent pregnancy for several years. For many women, implants offer convenience and highly effective pregnancy prevention. However, informed consent requires understanding not only the benefits but also the potential short-term and long-term consequences associated with prolonged hormonal manipulation. ***How Birth Control Implants Work Most contraceptive implants release a synthetic progestin called etonogestrel. This hormone works by: -Preventing ovulation -Thickening cervical mucus -Altering the uterine lining -Modifying normal hormonal signaling between the brain and ovaries Unlike natural progesterone produced by the body, synthetic progestins do not perfectly mimic the actions of endogenous hormones and may interact differently with hormone receptors throughout the body. ***Menstrual Disruption One of the most common consequences of implant use is disruption of normal menstrual patterns. Women frequently experience: -Irregular bleeding -Prolonged bleeding episodes -Spotting between cycles -Complete absence of menstruation (amenorrhea) While many practitioners reassure patients that the absence of a period is harmless, menstruation has traditionally been viewed as a valuable indicator of hormonal health and reproductive function. ***Mood and Mental Health Effects Hormone receptors exist throughout the brain. Studies have associated hormonal contraceptive use with increased rates of: -Depression -Anxiety -Mood instability -Irritability -Reduced emotional resilience Some women notice little change, while others report profound alterations in mood, motivation, and overall emotional well-being. Individuals with a prior history of depression or anxiety may be particularly susceptible. ***Weight Gain and Metabolic Changes