Convenience symptoms and conditions

You have no idea how happy I was when I found this site. I went through a TERRIBLE experience with NuvaRing for almost four months. And for me, it progressively got worse...which made it harder to pinpoint what was going on with me.

In June, I went to my annual checkup and just asked my doc what my other options were regarding birth control. There was nothing really wrong with the current one I was on...I just was interested in hearing what else was out there. He mentioned the NuvaRing and I was intrigued by the convenience of it so I decided to give it a shot.

Everything seemed fine at first. But it was hard to tell because I was going through some changes in my life and had a sinus infection the first week...so that overshadowed anything I may have normally noticed in a switch. So, I was loving the convenience of not having to worry about a pill each day and just going about my business.

As I mentioned, I was going through some changes and had a lot on my mind, but then I started to notice how I would dwell on the negative things. And by dwell, I mean they were starting to consume me. It was all I could think about. I started questioning my friendships and my marriage...and I have WONDERFUL friends and an AMAZING husband...the thought of this now is absurd to me.

I found myself getting upset at the drop of a hat. I was extremely sensitive to anything slightly off that my husband would say. Toward the end of this, I was crying pretty much every day. And I kept saying, "I don't know what's wrong with me...I'm trying to get over this, but I don't know what's wrong." Which caused me to be even more confused and contributed to more sadness.

I am a person who loves working out. Many days, I was so tired and unmotivated...all I wanted to do was lay around and watch TV. I also now realize that the reason I was feeling short of breath and anxious was because of the ring. One thing that really scares me...there was a point where my hand felt asleep/numb and it lasted for two full days. After reading other posts, I'm thinking it might have all been related. Truly scary. I also experienced the dryness and itching as well. Horrible.

I really feel sorry for anyone who has had this type of experience. To question your relationships, to put the people you love most through this...it was a really sad time for me. I feel for any of you that have had to deal with this.

For reference: I was on Ortho Tri Cyclen for probably 6-7 years, and then Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo for the few years before the ring. I really had no issues with either. I thought this was supposed to have even lower hormone levels, so I thought it would be fine. Not the case.

Please pay attention and if you experience symptoms like many reported on this site, take it out! I took it out before bed, once I realized it might be the problem...and I felt way better even the next morning. It's now been a week and I haven't cried since. :) Good sign. I feel like myself again.

Good luck to you, ladies. :)

I am soo glad I am not crazy. I am almost in tears, because I can not believe that so may women are experiencing this. I have had it for almost two years now and in the beginning I just had heavy cramps and a lot of bleeding. I was told every woman's body is different and this will take some time. I went back within 4 weeks to get it out and my doctor encouraged me it would get better. It did and I loved it. Never had a problem. Until recently, I went to the doctor thinking I was pregnant, I had ever symptom that a pregnant woman experiences and I they told me it was in my head. I am constantly tired, bloating, sick, dizziness, headaches (which they told me contributed to my sinus - then I started seeing an Allergist who kept me on Antibiotics. It got really bad they did an CAT scan on me and still nothing). I thought I was going to lose it, I had mood swings, memory loss, attention span, worst than my 5 year old and the list goes on. I am so hurt now, because I am no good with the pill (2 pregnancies from the missed pill) and loved the convenience of the Mirena, but my life is worth more than convenience.
Thank you ladies for sharing your story! But remember please go with your gut feeling. Now that I recall I went twice to get this removed, the doctors will tell you anything. They are new to this product also!!!

I have been reading all of your posts and I am surprised by what I am hearing. Especially the depression, loss of sex drive, and hair loss. I did check out their website (http://www.nuvaring.com/Consumer/aboutNuvaRing/possibleSideEffects/index.asp) and it seems they are actually pretty honest about the possible side effects. HOWEVER... although I checked the site before I started taking the ring 2 years ago, I kind of ignored the "possible" side effects as just that, "possible." Because I've never had any problems with medications or birth control before I didn't think they would happen to me.

Last week I 2 days late in putting in the ring and since then my breasts have been SO tender I can barely walk. Seriously, it's awful and I know it is the hormones from the ring. Until this point, I have had no problems with it, in fact I have really enjoyed its convenience and effectiveness. But after reading all of your posts I am wondering if I should rethink using it... I have been feeling really down, angry and anxious over the last few months and not really craving sex with my boyfriend like a 22 year old women should!! I don't want to over react and blame it on the NuvaRing if it could be other things in my life, but I also don't want to ignore it either because if taking the ring out would make me feel better, more healthy, less angry, etc...

What should I do?

I started taking NuvaRing after my son was born, 15 months ago. I loved the relief of not having to take a pill at the same time every day, I had a hard time remembering. I had no problem with the NuvaRing, I loved it! I don't have medical insurance, so i switched to a cheaper option. I had been rapidly losing my sex drive when I was on the NuvaRing, but i had just assumed that it was due to the lack of sleep from having a toddler. Within one week of taking the NuvaRing out, I had regained all of my sex drive. It has been AMAZING. I truly loved the NuvaRing, but this is a side effect that was just not worth the convenience of the NuvaRing.

I loved the convenience of the Depo shot. Once every three months, schedule your appointment, and you're good to go! My breast size increased by a full cup size, and I gained almost 30 pounds by the end of it... I was on Depo for over 3 years. In my life, I never fluctuated past 120 pounds. On the Depo, I ballooned to 150 lbs. My appetite was insatiable!

I have been on the nuvaring for a little over 3 years now and have never thought to search for possible side effects until now.
I am constantly tired, I never want to do anything, My body aches. I have NO sex drive. I'm always dealing with depression. I randomly cry for no reason. I've ruptured a cyst on my ovaries which landed me in the ER...
Finding this site is making me really rethink my bc choice. I love the convenience of the Nuvaring, but I miss having energy :(
Any suggestions on what i should switch to?

I just had a baby about 8 weeks ago and started nuvaring and have only been on it for 2 days and i am already feeling nausea, headaches and severe cramps. i took it out and felt a relief of pressure immediately. i don't know if it is just because i just had a baby but it was not fun and i don't think i will use it again, it is not worth the effects you get from it.

Hi I'm 19 years old, I've been on the NuvaRing for about 4 months now and I'm taking it out this weekend to switch to the pill. I loved the convenience of it and not having to worry about taking a pill everyday and it was always comfortable. But I've noticed in the past 3 months or so that all I do is sleep! I've experienced the worst fatigue of my life and I've been really depressed for no reason and have no interest in doing anything which is not myself at all. I've had crazy mood swings where I'll be screaming or crying one second then laughing the next, absolutely no sex drive and always dry during sex, every little thing irritates me, i'm always hungry but have only gained about 5-10 lbs, I'm bloated, my skin is always itchy and extreme vaginal itching, I've had a yeast infection, a urinary tract infection and bacterial vaginosis all in one month of using NR, and I've noticed I've been stuttering here and there as well? I was always recommending the NR to my friends because of it's convenience but after reading this I realize that all of my symptoms are due to NR and I do not recommend this anymore!

My doctor put me on Nuvaring about four months ago to prevent my rupturing ovarian cysts and to prevent pregnancy. I love the convenience of the ring, although I have experienced several side effects I contribute to being on the ring. First of all, my sex drive is now non existent, which is a large change for me. Also, my periods have become worse since starting, I have very heavy bleeding, primarily dark brown clotted blood and severe cramps which travel to my back and down my legs. I have also had three yeast infections in four months, which before the ring, I had one my entire life. The worst of the symptoms, which if anyone else is having this, PLEASE share with me, is I am leaking a small amount of urine. It doesn;t matter if I have to go to the bathroom or not, I just leak a few drops an hour. This has started a few weeks ago and I am not sure how or why. I do have to say, since starting the ring, I have not had any ovarian cysts rupture, which the several birth control pills I have been on for the past 12 years have not been able to stop. I am open to suggestions!!

I’ve been on the ring for a year now. I loved the convenience of not having to take a pill every day. But I’ve gained 13 lbs over the past year and now I’m convinced it had to be the ring. I had asked my doctor before going on any birth control if there was a risk of gaining weight but she told me that was a myth and not to worry about it. So when I gained about 10 lbs the first 4 months I was on the ring I just chocked it up to being a newlywed, turning 29 and just over all weight gain. Then about 6 months after being on the ring I realized I looked and felt bloated all the time. It was like PMS bloating but it never went away. So for the past two months, I’ve been watching what I eat and working out. I had noticed that I seemed less bloated but to my surprise this week when I went to the doctor I hadn’t lost a single pound. I’ve decided I’m going to switch to the pill and hope I’m able to lose the weight. So I’d tell anyone that’s going on the ring, if you notice ANY weight gain don’t make excuses and get off the ring ASAP before you gain more. I’d love to hear from anyone that had success in losing the weight after getting off the ring but you probably aren’t online looking up the ring once you’re off…

Wow, I'm a bit fr***ked out after reading all these posts. I must be one of the lucky ones, as well. I had my Mirena put on 1 year ago after my first child. It did not hurt and I have had very few of these complications listed. However, I have suspected that my weight gain and inability to lose was a side effect of Mirena. This is what brought me to this site. I've gain 15 pounds and no matter how much I exercise or stage myself...it stays! I also notice now that I read....that I have had a lot of hair loss. I now have a few questions:

I lost my milk supply after going on Mirena and my Dr. assured me this wasn't the cause. Anyone else experience this?

Also, I'm concerned about the effect this will have on my next pregnancy. What has been your experiences once you've started trying again? I was told I would have no problems and should go off 1 month before TTC, but now I'm pretty worried!!

With my NuvaRing experience, at first it was all great! I was loving the convenience, it seemed perfect for me and then the side effects started. At first it was nausea. Then came the vomiting. NOW I am experiencing back pain, abdominal pain, severe fatigue, vaginal discharge, tingling in my finger tips and toes. I have only been on the Ring for 2 months but KNOW I have already gained weight. My mid-section is bloated and I FEEL pregnant but no that I am not. Mine is coming out tonight.

I have had Mirena four about 4 to 6 weeks now. The first thing that I noticed was decreased libido. My man an I have crazy out of this world sex. I am used to having multiple orgasms each time. After I got the mirena put in I barely was even interested in sex.When I did have sex I maybe had one orgasm if that and most of the time I was uncomfortable or in pain.
I started having this gross discharge and itching no matter how often I showered. Also, I have become this watered down version of myself. I don't feel much about anything. All my emotions are pretty much gone. Not to mad, sad, or surprised, about anything. Usually I keep a pretty clean house and I have let things go because I just don't care. It did decrease the heaviness of flow if my period, but all these other side effects are not worth it. I have an appointment today to talk to my doctor about it.

I am going to switch back to the copper IUD. If you want the convenience of an IUD without the hormone effects, the copper one is great. It wont help your periods do anything, it is just like walking around with nothing at all, accept you wont get pregnant. I had the copper one in for 1.5 years before I tried Mirena. I had no complaints, the doc just thought the Mirena would help irregular periods and cysts I had. I am definitely going back to my copper IUD.

I can not say that NuvaRing is the reason for my illnesses but I am a fitness competitor and athlete and have always been very healthy with the exception of IBS that was diagnosed 5 or 6 years ago.
I am 37 years old and started using NR in August of 2008. In late August I went to emergency for extreme pain in my back and stomach. They put me in surgery to remove what turned out to be healthy appendix. Since then I have been to the Dr constantly with fevers, sinus infections, ear infection, bronchitis and most recently am undergoing tests to find out why my kidneys and pancreas are infected. I have been on antibiotics 4 times since January.
I started putting time lines together and decided to research the NR further. After looking at many symptoms, I opted to take the NR out in April of this year and go back to the pill.
I go back for another set of tests on my kidneys and pancreas next week and hope to find all is well. I have been off antibiotics now for 3 weeks and no sinus, ear or upper respiratory infections for the first time in month.
This is all unfortunate because I did appreciate the convenience of the NR but I am not willing to risk my health.

Hey Girls,

I am in the process of waiting for my appt. to have this thing removed!!. I've had it for a year and I'm sure the things that I am feeling are due to the mirena. I have absolutely no energy and no sex drive at all!!! fatigue is a big one for me also. I was never one to suffer from fatigue, always full of energy. Not anymore. I am suffering from headaches quite often now (almost daily) and I just want to feel like myself again. Have some weight gain that I can't get rid of also. I believe that the mirena is the cause of all of this for me. Yes, it is very convenient but I'm giving up a lot for that convenience. More recently I have been having dull aching pains in my lower pelvic area.

I last posted here that I started the ring March 6, 2008 that everything was going so far so good with the NuvaRing and its now April 5, 2009 and I'm getting off of the ring in one week and never putting in another one. In the past 6 months I have had no sex drive, few orgasms, a sharp pain underneath my left breast that comes and goes, and a 10 lb weight gain. I'm a 24 year old professional figure skater and should not be going through those side effects. I'm in excellent health and active daily. I have not had any headaches, no nausea, no depression, no fatigue, no acne problems, or spotting. I did not get on the NuvaRing to help my acne nor my periods, I got on the ring because I got into a relationship where I was having sex. I'm still in the relationship and its ruined our sex life. Not to mention I was paying $25 dollars for every ring and now its gone up to $54. I thought it was a smart idea to get on the ring because of the convenience but now I can do without it. Everyone should try the ring once to see how you react to it because EVERYONE is different. I'm just not interested in the aggravation anymore.

I got on Nuvaring back in Nov., because I was getting married (I had not had sex prior to this). I liked the convenience of not having to take a pill daily (I'm very bad about remembering to take pills), and that it was a lower dose of hormones than pills, which to me made it seem safer.
Unfortunately, once I got married, I noticed I have no interest in sex w/ my husband, which stinks because I was really looking forward to it before. I thought something was wrong w/ me, because we've been married 3 weeks tomorrow & probably have had sex 10 times or less, which I discovered REALLY bothers my husband, but I hadn't given it much thought. The sex is ok (as far as I can tell) when we DO have it, although I do notice I'm drier "down there" than before, but I'm just not interested in it.
Other than that I've had no problems w/ Nuvaring. If they could work this one issue out I'd be sold on it!

Hello All! I started the NuvaRing May 2008. Like everyone else, I loved it at first. I was on the pill for about 4 years and liked it but I kept forgetting to take it on the dot every day. I was hesitant to jump on the NR bandwagon b/c it was so new and I did not trust it yet. NR was a great alternative and not much changed my first few months on it. I started to notice that my sex drive was slowly depleting. I am 22 and could not see why I was NEVER in the mood. I did not enjoy sex- how could this happen?! It wasn't until yesterday when I talked to a friend about some serious issues she had involving blood clots. That terrified me and I instantly took it out. I decided to check out some reviews from women out there and cannot believe I put up with that thing for almost a year. If you are looking through and considering switching to another bc- DO IT! Low sex drive, weight gain, risk of blood clots, migraines, and nasal congestion is not worth the "convenience". Good luck ladies!

I've been on Femcon for about a month now, and so far so good. I started out on OrthoTriCyclen which made me vomit several times a week, so, strike one. Then went to Yasmin, which was okay, but decided to switch to Seasonique (sp?) for the convenience of a few periods a year, but it made the skin peel off my face at an alarming rate. I was then switched to Yaz, that was great except for one thing: It stole away any sex drive I may have had--no good. Because of this, my doctor switched me to Errin-a progesterone based mini pill-which did give me back my sex drive, but also made my acne horrific, the skin on my scalp peel off, and my breasts painful. Needless to say, it has been a long and difficult struggle with the world of oral contraceptives, so here's hoping that Femcon works out for me!

Hi Ladies! I'm soo glad to have found this site and to read others' feedback! Yay, I'm not going crazy! I am 37 and have been on NuvaRing on and off for about 5 years. Well, I loved it at first for the convenience as well as the fact that it relieved my sometimes unbearable PMS. I went back on the ring last April ( about a year ago) after taking a break from it for about 6 months. I don't know if they changed the formula in it or something, but I have had some changes for the worst that I was chalking up to stress. My weight was normally always consistent, but since last august I have gained around 10pds. I have also had a lot of emotional ups and downs and very irritable. Always tired as well and feel like I haven't had enough sleep. Sex drive?? What sex drive? My husband is not sure what to think of it all with my mood swings as well. Don't even get me started on the migraines I had out of nowhere! The last month and a half I have had pelvic discomfort and pain as well during sex. I'm suspicious of an infection or some sort of inflammation going on in there.Has anyone else experienced this? I did not bother putting my ring back in after my last period until I go to see my GYN next week to figure out my other options. I am gradually feeling better since removing the ring a week ago. I will update you all on my outcome in the next couple of weeks!

Oh my god, I am freaking out now that I am reading all of these!! I had mirena put in 11 months ago because I am in the U.S army and I am deploying to Iraq in April 2009, and I wanted to have lighter periods. I also thought that it would be easier than remembering to take a pill and getting prescriptions constantly refilled. I HAVE NOT HAD A SINGLE PERIOD IN ALMOST 11 MONTHS! Thats not normal!! On top of that I am experiencing pain while having sex. So bad that I can't walk. that is the same pain that I felt when I had it put in. When I went to get this thing in, my doctor told me that I would be able to go back to work after my appointment. That was not the case!! they released me no more than ten mins later, and I walked in a daze to my car. I felt so sick, I had to turn around and go back into the office. I was dizzy. I remember a woman asking me if i was okay. I said NO and they told me I could lay down on one of the beds, and I no sooner made it back there when I vomited in the sink. Iwas in so much pain that I could not stand up! they had to call my husband after getting the number off my phone and then he came to get me. He had to carry me to my car. They wrote me a prescription for 2 Vicodin!! It didn't even touch the surface of my pain! I took both of those and 3 Tylenol and I still could not walk! I had to take the next day off from work as well. It was horrible. I do like the convenience of Mirena, but the side effects are not pleasant!! I do not want to have kids, I want to try to find a doctor that will preform a hysterectomy on me.
~Cat

I started the Nuvaring just about 5 weeks ago. I thought everything was going well. Two days before the "4th week", I was put on antibiotics and despite the doctor's reassurance, I used additional bc while on the medication. On the 29TH day of the cycle, I spotted some, but never really had a "period." My body told me I was (normal lower back pain, light cramping etc) except this time, I experienced a piercing headache along with it. Less than 24 hours later, the spotting was done. I asked the nurse practioner what was going on and the response was "the nuvaring can make your periods lighter". I told her "it's not lighter, it's not there!" I followed the directions precisely, used back up protection while on other medication and to top it all off, I've had a headache for days. This is not a normal occurrence for me. I haven't been depressed in well over a decade and all of a sudden, I feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders. I've noticed a very pronounced drop in my libido, too. These side effects are not worth the "convenience" of this form of bc. I will be taking a pregnancy test (to make sure and for my own piece of mind) and then finding another type of protection. I can't believe a bc would LOWER my sex drive this much. Between the mood swings and the lowered libido, the Nuvaring seems to do more harm than good for me.

I really like the ring! I have been on it for almost three years now. At first I did have some vaginal discomfort and VERY frequent UTI/Yeast infection, but that all wore off.
One thing though it is imperative to keep your area VERY clean to avoid infection and a smelly discharge!
I have a very healthy sexual appetite, no headaches or nausea, ect. I do have "PMS" and pimples but until I read everyones comments I just assumed that was me.
when i first went on NR three years ago I didn't gain an ounce. However, I went off it all this past summer because i wasn't needing BC. When I went back on it I gradually put on 15 pounds which aren't coming off!
Other than that no complaints, I think all BC methods have their cons and ill take the convenience and the extra pounds! also I never get cramps on it!

I had it removed today. The removal is much LESS painful than the insertion. I was hesitant to get it removed because I didn't want that pain again. Thank god I finally came to my senses. The tiny pinch you feel when it comes out is to be celebrated! If you have your doubts and are experiencing side effects commonly mentioned thread after thread, get it removed. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. It is the only one you have! The convenience of the mirena does not surpass the problems that it comes with. Looking forward to having my libido back, the odor, headaches, bloating, weight, joint/muscle pain, and overall generally crappy feeling gone. I had it put in to reduce my hemorrhaging periods. I'd prefer them over the issues I've had over 22 months. I should have listed to my body 8 months ago, when much of the problems started to bubble to the surface.

I'd had been on Altace 20mg (2-10mg capsules) for about 2 yrs. A year ago a 25mg. HCTZ tablet was added. BP was under control (140-150s/ 80's) with only side effects from HCTZ, cramping from mineral imbalance, and the occasional bouts of being lightheaded. I decided to go off meds and monitor BP. I was fine for about 6 weeks, but then BP started up and felt I needed to get back on meds. Dr. agreed and prescribed what she said was a replacement ACE inhibitor with the convenience of HCTZ built in, Lisinopril HCTZ. She also prescribed Benicar an ARB. I took both for five days with side effects of being light-headed, feeling like fainting occasionally. On day 6, I developed an ugly skin rash/swelling on right front part of my head. I thought it might big a spider bite. Next day I developed more of the same on the right side of my nose, my right eye, and on my right cheek. I thought it was the Benicar, since I was made to believe an ACE inhibitor is an ACE inhibitor (from Altace to Lisinopril), and did not have a history of problems with it, and the ARB was the new kid on the block. I quit taking the Benicar but the symptoms persisted for 3 more days. I called the Dr. and was told they did not believe it was related to the meds since it did not manifest earlier, but to go ahead and stop taking the Benicar until the symptoms subsided, then resume to see if they came back ( sound like good advice to you?) 4 days after being off Benicar the rashes and swelling were worse. I then decided the problem had to be the Lisinopril. I have been off only 24 hrs, but symptoms are starting to improve. I will be calling tomorrow for a new Dr.