I started on the NuvaRing just this past Thursday. It was fine f...

I started on the NuvaRing just this past Thursday. It was fine for the first couple of days; no noticeable side effects. I was instructed to put the ring in on the first day of my menstrual cycle, which I thought was odd, but I did it anyway. I usually have cramps before my period and on the first day and then they are pretty much nonexistent, but with this period I had them into the third day. I still didn't think anything of it until today when I realized that I have been extremely irritable and emotional lately. You would think those symptoms would be chalked up to the period, but I am like clockwork every month. I start having PMS symptoms two weeks out from my period and through the 1st day of my cycle. After that, they are gone (besides the actual period itself). I rarely get frustrated with my dogs and lately they have been getting on my nerves easier. I have had a couple weird fights with my husband in the past few days, both totally due to my craziness, which is also not the norm for me. While lying in bed a few moments ago, I decided it must be the ring so I researched it and this is the website I found. I am glad I found it when I did. I am taking the ring out tonight and hopefully everything will go back to normal. My only worry is that I will start my period and it will last for 3 months like a couple of the stories I read on this website. I am going on my belated honeymoon in two weeks to the Bahamas and would hate to be on my period then. I have never had a good feeling about anything not natural going into my body, which is why I have never consistently taken bc. The only reason I started on the ring is because I had some samples from my gyno and had a pregnancy scare recently, which made me (and my husband) realize we are NOT ready for kids and scared me into starting on the ring. A word of encouragement to all those that suffer from anxiety and depression: You are not alone. I suffered from an episode of anxiety coupled with panic attacks a few years ago. I thought it would never go away, but I was able to work through it on my own and I am fine now. I still have occasional anxiety, but it seems to be for an actual reason rather than out of nowhere. Do not lose hope; you CAN overcome these conditions and live a normal life. Surround yourself with caring individuals and others who understand what you are going through. What I learned from my experience: trust yourself, have confidence in yourself (because everyone is amazing in their own way) and learn to let go of your past mistakes (everyone makes them). Don't let the word "mental illness" scare you into thinking you are crazy. Think of it this way... you are going through a difficult time in your life that you have to work through. "This too shall pass" as my mother has always told me in difficult times. It helps when you know there IS light at the end of the tunnel.