NuvaRing and 4 months

I have been on NuvaRing for almost 4 months and it has been awful. I have been extremely tired, stressed to the max, a horribly angry person, never want to have sex, plus it hurts to have sex when we do, headaches, and feeling anxious and nervous about everything. I gave birth 7 months ago so I though most of these side effects where just from that, but I though by now things should be getting better, and they haven't been. They have gotten worse. My relationship with my fiance has went down hill due to my anger issues, my not trusting him because of messed up visions and ideas in my head, and not wanting to have sex. I also have a history of migraines and battled them for 5 years before having my son. I was on a medication called Topamax, which helped, but also caused my to lose a bunch of weight. I am little to begin with so the weight loss was not a positive thing for me. My migraines with the NuvaRing have been so horrible that I have been thinking about getting back on the Topamax, which I do not want to do. Now that I have read this I am pretty sure the NuvaRing is causing my problems, so I am going to take it out today and hopefully this will help and my relationship will get back to where it was and I won't have as bad of migraines, and won't need to get back on Topamax.

Wow, what a relief!
I am 24 years old and am almost finished my 4th month with the NUVARING. I WILL NOT be putting another one back in! I have had such horrible depression that I find myself crying ALL of the time. I am a full time mom of two beautiful children (6 and 2) and I find that they are bearing the brunt of my depression. I also have a very LOW sex drive which is making my husband feel slightly inadequate since we usually have a very good sex life.
Also, I used to have a very regular menstrual cycle and having a plastic ring determine my cycle is wreaking havoc on my body. I know one week in advance that my cycle is going to start because I am in such pain for the week before, and the week of that I can barely get out of bed. I am completely exhausted and have also gained 15 lbs in the 4 months alone. Which makes the depression and sex drive worse. It keeps a very vicious cycle going and I can't take it anymore. I would not recommend this to anyone... it is painful during sex, when I can actually force myself to engage in it. It is a little ring of HORROR!

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!

I'VE BEEN ON NUVARING FOR 4 MONTHS AND AM CONSIDERING STOPPING AFTER THIS MONTH. EVERY MONTH SINCE I HAVE BEEN ON THE RING I'VE EXPERIENCED A YEAST INFECTION! I CANT HANDLE IT! I ALSO EXPERIENCED THE DRYNESS DURING SEX. I'VE HAD NO OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE RING, BUT THOSE TWO ARE ENOUGH TO STOP USING IT.

I am 22, I started using the NuvaRing about 4 months ago. I took it out and I am not putting it back in. I HAD NO SEX DRIVE!!!! I also had really bad mood swings and got depressed really easily, which is not my personality at all. Especially the first couple days after I put it in I would be just crazy. I also had a lot of burning after sex and I could not keep it in to have sex because it hurt so bad. My doctor said most people can't feel it during sex, but for me it hurt. My biggest complaint is the total and complete loss of sex drive. I can't explain it. I have read other people's posts on here and I am glad to find out that it's not just me and it's not just all in my head.

I am 21 and I've been using nuvaring for 4 months now, as of yesterday i have cramping that is extremely painful, i don't know if it is the nuvaring or not, i have had no sex drive, nausea, and i'm pretty depressed. I don't know what to do so maybe it is the nuvaring after reading this!

About 4 months ago, I decided it was time to try birth control for the first time. I am 23, and I'd been having terrible heavy periods, with cramps that were so bad I couldn't move or function at work. It felt like a little alien was trying to claw its way out of my uterus. I chose NuvaRing because I know I am terrible at remembering pills, and the doctor suggested this as an alternative to pills. The first 2 months on the ring, my period started and never stopped... for two months straight, every day. The third month it seemed to have leveled out, and my fourth month is going fine so far, as far as the period is going. I went from a 6-day heavy painful period to a 3-day light and easy period, which I love. I do not love, however, the other side effects.

The last month or two, I've been experiencing headaches almost every day, nausea, dizziness enough to where I have to steady myself, and some crazy roller-coaster emotions. The nausea I can deal with, as well as the dizziness (sometimes), because they only happen once in a while. The emotional roller-coaster I've been on is killing me though. I'm the kind of girl who normally shows emotions with crying - I can't help it. But lately, it's like anything and everything will set me off crying, and the more I try to stop myself, the more I cry. Then I hate myself for crying so much, especially when it makes my boyfriend cry to see me like that. Life has been good for me - not the best spot I want to be in right now (I hate my job and wonder whose life I'm living sometimes, because it sure as hell ain't the one I wanted), but lately it seems like everything is just horrible and I'm feeling so depressed and I just want to get out of here and leave it all behind, including the birth control. And to make things worse, it feels like my sex drive has just suddenly *poof* gone away. It makes me feel terrible and wonder what's wrong with me. What's wrong with me that I'm crying all the time (damn near everyday, now) and get depressed about my life more than ever before, and am suddenly never in the mood anymore?

I really wonder if the benefits of the ring are worth all those side effects I'm experiencing. Though, it seems with any birth control you run the risk of those side effects, so I guess I'm just at a loss as to what to do.

I am 24 years old. I started using the Nuvaring about 9 months ago, back in November shortly after my youngest son was born. In January, only two months after starting it, I was beginning to have severe stomach pains and a lot of nausea that would come and go throughout the day. I went into the emergency room one night because it got so bad and they told me that I was going to have to have my gallbladder removed due to large stones. I'm trying to figure out whether anyone else has had any similar issues with the ring. I have read here and there that gallbladder disease is a side effect but I also have issues with it in my family. Has anyone else had a problem with this? I have also dealt with a lot of depression, headaches, slight weight gain, mood changes (just as bad, if not worse then while I was pregnant) and I am going to have to schedule an eye exam because it seems like the past few months, my eye sight has just gone down hill fast. I have never had to wear glasses or contacts.

Has anyone else out there had issues with their gallbladder and eyesight? Most of the posts that I see are saying issues with hair loss and depression. I am seriously thinking about talking to my doctor about changing methods, I was just wondering if there are people having symptoms like mine or whether I need to attribute them to something else. Any information would be helpful, Thanks.

I was on the ring for about 1 1/2 years and went off about 4 months ago. I had a normal period 2-3 days after going off it (as usual) and have NOT had a period since. In addition, I have gained 15 pounds since going off the ring 4 months ago! I feel like I have constant PMS and only ONE pair of my jeans fits me now... literally. This is absolutely ridiculous and my doctor just doesn't get it... I have NEVER had to watch what I eat and have always been thin. Now, I work out at least 5 times a week and monitor EVERY calorie that enters my mouth... still, no results. I went on to see my doc yesterday and felt like strangling her as she was telling me my issues were not related to the ring - she's an idiot. I know my body better than anyone and something is WRONG. She sent me to get all the bloodwork today (thyroid, etc) and we'll see how that turns out.
The ring was great, but going off it is hell

I was on the nuvaring for about 3 or 4 months. My best friend decided to try it too since I started it. On top of that we both made drastic changes in our love life, hers an engagement, mine a new beau :). I started the ring about two weeks of dating him, and then realized I could not stand him, for him to touch me made my skin crawl, but I knew that I really like him and wanted the relationship to work (yeah, crazy I know). I would yell and scream, I did not want to be intimate in any shape or form. It was very hard for this new relationship to grow, and I was thinking it was him. My girlfriend was going nuts with her fiance, everything he did or did not do set her off. We thought it was the "bridezilla" in her coming out. We went on a few months thinking the changes was due to our new stuatus. I asked a friend from school if she ever tried nuva ring, and she said "yes that thing made me crazy, my boyfriend almost left me twice." Well two days later I took out my ring to see if it would make a difference, and within 24 hours things were better (sun was shining, birds were singing), I told my girlfriend about it and she tried taking hers out to see if it changed within 2 days she was a brand new girl on her way to a being a blissful bride to be.

All of this to say, if you are not sure if it is the ring try abstaining for a month, take the ring out, and see if you see a difference, for those of you that can't abstain, make sure to take other precautions like condoms or plan b.

P.S. my friend and I kid around about how there is going to be an episode of SNAPPED, based off a woman on the ring.

I have been on the ring for almost 4 months now. Not true, I actually JUST took it out.. I have to admit, im feeling so relieved right now and thank God i found this website.. I gained 12 lbs in the first month, tried to blame it on my just being 'comfortable' in my relationship.. who was I kidding??...I've never seen that kind of weight gain in my life.. My mood swings are ridiculous, im already a pretty mouthy girl, but since i've been on nuvaring, im almost unbearable, even to myself.. My relationship took a turn for the worse the more my moodiness showed itself.. I have hot flashes all day long, everyday.. i start sweating while im sitting still...the hell????... im tired, always. i want to do absolutely nothing, no drive.. no motivation.. not only is my sex drive very close to non existent.. i find it very hard for me to orgasm... Really, i just wanted to say, Thank you to everyone who has posted on this site.. it was really comforting reading that im not the only one going through this.. I really felt like i was starting to go insane!!... my advice, throw the nuvaring in a river.. and RUN..!!!!

I've been on NuvaRing for 4 months. In those 4 months my mood has disintegrated. The mood swings weren’t that bad the first month, but my mental state has deteriorated to horrible crying spells, headaches and horrible mood swings. It got to the point where I thought I was manic depressive. I started crying for no reason at work. I didn’t realize it was the ring until I searched for side effects. I had no idea all these problems were a result of the birth control. I thought I was going insane. I stopped taking it immediately and am looking forward to going back on the pill and for the side effects to dissipate.

I started the nuvaring about 4 months ago. since i started it, i've gotten steadily more depressed, have had crazy mood swings to the point of crying at work for thinking absurd things about my boyfriend. crying for no reason at all and then having crazy highs. i never thought i was manic depressive before i went on the nuvaring. i am stopping this week and going to my doctor to go back on the pill. this birth control has effected me mentally too much. i thought i was going crazy. i'm so glad i'm not the only one and know what the problem is.

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…

I have been on nuvaring for about 4 months now. I love it, it's easy and convenient, but the last 2 months i have been getting my period before I am supposed to take the ring out, I'm not pregnant, but I'm wondering if anyone else has had this happen to them??

I'm 23 years old and I've been on the Nuvaring for 4 months. I have been having really bad migraines almost everyday. I have had light bleeding ever since I started the Nuvaring 4 months ago. My doctor said I never had to have a period if I used Nuvaring, but I've never STOPPED having a period ever since I have been using it. My doctor told me I couldn't take a pill because I get migraines and if they prescribed me birth control pills they could be liable if it caused me to have seizures or something. So she suggested Nuvaring. If I can't take a pill, and I hate the Nuvaring I don't know what else to use?

Hello Everyone, First I want to thank everyone for sharing your experiences. I thought I was being a big baby, and complaining to my boyfriend all the time. It wasn't until I started my period 3 days early that I realized something was wrong. I had a numbness in my leg one day(Just the upper part of my leg) I thought maybe I slept on it wrong. I think it was the NuvaRing though. When I started my period early it lasted for 7 days. My boyfriend suggested I see my GYNO because I was moody, and bleeding for 7 days. I went in and she did a exam, and said I needed a ultrasound. She said something wasn't right. I had a ultrasound 2 days later, and found out I have a few cysts on one of my ovaries. I was shocked....She then prescribed the patch saying that I needed a stronger birth control to ward off the cysts. I talked to my friend about the patch, and heard that it has terrible side effects also. I was advised by the Doctor to take out the NR and start the patch that same day. Well, my boyfriend and I talked and decided that I was going to stay on the NR until I decided what to do. When I came into work today I decided to google the side effects of the NR, needless to say I went into the bathroom and took the NR out. I really think that that NR was the cause of my numb leg, and the cause of my moodiness. I am not a moody person, but since I started the NR about 4 months ago I am so short tempered. I am waiting for a call from my Doc now to decided what to do about the cysts....Has anyone else has cysts???? If so how did you get rid of them???? I was told they will go away sometimes on their own. I am seriously thinking about not using anymore birth control. I just don't like what it does to my body, but my Doctor made it sound like birth control was the only way to get rid of the cysts.......I'm not sure!!!!! Thanks

I have been on the nuvaring for about a year and a half, but just took out my last one. I am done with it. It was great for the first 3-4 months and I do still like the convenience, however I have been spotting two weeks out of every three I have it in, plus my period week, so basically bleeding for 3 weeks a month for the last year. I kept thinking it would go away, but it hasn't and I'm soooooooo over bleeding all the time. My doctor wouldn't switch me bc she said if I spot on nuvaring I will spot on anything else hormonal, so I guess I will be trying natural family planning. Wish me luck.

I went on the NuvaRing in November of 2008 and have been on it for about 4 months. I'm on my 4th ring. In that same amount of time I have gainded 10 pounds. I didn't put the pieces together until today.

With normal weight gain, you know, when you stop working out for a few weeks, you feel like you gained weight all over. You notice that your arms and legs and abs are all less toned. But, with me, I feel like my upper thighs and lower abs are huge! It's like all the weight is just around my upper things and abs making it feel like bloating. My pants feel tight. But, meanwhile my lower legs, waist, and arms are still toned. My face feels a little bit bloated though too.

I called my gyno today and they said that some people do experience weight gain on the NuvaRing. I was on Depo for 2 years prior to this and never experienced weight gain on that. My gyno said it's more common to experience weight gain on the Depo. So, she thought I might be the "reverse" example of someone that gains weight from extra estrogen from the NuvaRing, but does not gain weight from the progesterone only Depo Provera.

I'm taking the NuvaRing out and continuing with my healthy diet and 4x a week exercise schedule. And, I'm hoping these 10 pounds come off and that my pants fit again! I can't afford to go buy new clothes!
I

This website had made me sane!!! I have recently become a crazy woman searching side effects of birth control like it was my job, it has taken up my entire head!.. I started nuvaring four months ago (first form of birth control ever) to help control my horrible pms and very irregular period, and it helped that out, HOWEVER, I have recently decided I would prefer the pms over these awful, AWFUL symptoms. Although little spurts occurred here and there, this month is the absolute worst. I have managed to gain 12 lbs in under a month ...(keep in mind I am a work-out freak and have made sure to burn as many calories as I take in each day simply because I just can't stop gaining the weight!) I don't fit into any of my clothes and I just do not like the way I look. It is as if my body has just gotten wider and larger. I used to love my body and now I cant stand looking in the mirror everyday. My eating habits are awful....I try to starve myself for periods of time because I simply cannot help myself when I enter the kitchen. I feel like a bulimic girl, without the puking afterward. My binges are DISGUSTING, I'm actually ashamed. The worst symptom of all, though, are the mood swings. I cry at the drop of a hat every single night, I'm 20 years old away at college, and last night I cried because all I wanted was my "mommy." That's embarrassing. Not to mention my boyfriend thinks I am absolutely nuts because I have "changed." When you tell a severely hormonal woman she has "changed" you better expect a shoe or the nearest object to fly at you, which is exactly what I did. I CAN'T HELP IT! I also have been having negative thoughts about life as a whole lately and have even entered the realm of slight suicidal thoughts, or at least thinking my life was worthless. I've been through too much with my cycle to stop it now (even though I feel like ripping this thing out ASAP) and have 2 weeks left before I can take it out FOR GOOD! If anyone has any feedback they want to share to keep me sane through these last 2 weeks PLEASE PLEASE share! Also, does anybody know how long it will take for me to get my life back?! =(

I was on the NuvaRing for about 6 months. When I first switched from the pills to the ring I was completely very happy. After about two months I experienced the same kinds of things previously mentioned: weight gain, depression, no sex drive, headaches, and getting hot/sweaty during the night. In addition to this my periods changed. I started have bad cramps again and passing large clots (which I had never done before). My periods starting being longer and heavier. I talked to the doctor and went off the NuvaRing.
Since then I still experience problems. My cycle became very unregular which was not surprising at first but after about 4 months my doctor was starting to become concerned. I would have a period for two weeks and then start again after anywhere from a week in a half to three weeks. On November 10th I started my period and it did not stop until the doctor put me back on the pill after Christmas. This weekend I had another horrible period, massive clots, extremely heavy and so much cramping I could not move and ended up throwing up. My OB is very concerned about the changes the NuvaRing took on me.
If you are thinking of using the NuvaRing, please read up on all the side effects and talk with your doctor. Make sure you understand the risks. I never had any issues other than some slight weight gain when on was on the pills. My periods became light and shorter. Since I started as a teen I have always been very regular, but had lots of cramping and pain during my first couple days. At this point I miss those days and seriously wish I would have never used the NuvaRing.

Hello ladies! I've been on the NuvaRing for about 2 years and have had experiences like everyone else it seems. Weight gain, mood swings, lack of sex drive, depression, nausea...and its all starting to take an impact on my relationship and it just isn't worth it anymore. So I just took it out last week. I was just wondering if anyone else has taken theres out who experienced weight gain and wanted to know how much time it took before you were able to lose all the NR weight?

I have been on the nuvaring since May of 08 to relieve my endometriosis. At first I loved it; less cramping, lighter periods, but then around November I started feeling stressed. Lots of anxiety during the first few days of every cycle to the point it was like I was paranoid. I'm not one to worry about what to do if my husband dies but with the Ring I was getting these feelings. I thought it was stress of work messing with me, maybe some winter blues. When I finally got around to seeing my Dr. he said it could be the ring and I needed to get off of it. He's putting me on the pill and I look forward to seeing if things change.

I have been on the NuvaRing for 4 months. And I have to say, Ladies beware!! My story is basically this... I had two children during the age of 25 years old, so my midwife wouldn't release me from the hospital unless I had a birth control plan because if I have another child again so soon it will put my health and life at risk (2 c-sections with back to back children is apparently a bad thing no time to recover!).... I had problems with having anger with other forms of hormonal birth control so I was very nervous about taking the pill or trying the depo shot again. So she suggested the NuvaRing and warned me that because it is hormonal that I may have the same problems with this that I had with the others. She told me that it would take being on the NuvaRing for at least 2-3 months before my hormones would regulate and we would know for sure how my body would handle it and I would react to it. These have been my side effects so far:
Explosive Anger: Every other day my husband and I are fighting in which I over react blow everything WAY out of proportion and threatening to leave.... And I have no right to do this because I literally am treated like a princess.
Depression: Generally after feeling the anger I hit an extreme low.
Sleeplessness: Feeling horrible about myself for acting the way I have, small issues bother me that shouldn't and I'll stay up all night thinking about them not being able to sleep, always feeling like my mind is racing.
Loss of Libido: I have sex because he wants to and it's a rarity at that. When before we were having sex 3-4 times a week, now, it's been about once a month.
Unable to reach orgasm: He knows how to get me there, and I know how to get me there and all of a sudden, neither one of us can get me there no matter how hard we've tried.
Vaginal Itching: Mostly external to the point where it's red, swollen, sore to the touch.
More Discharge: (which is probably causing the above problem)
Headaches: Almost daily and completely out of no where.
Chills and freezing: I live in Sunny Arizona in the South West corner where the average coldest temp is around 70 degrees out and I'm constantly freezing when every one around me is completely fine or way too hot.

All of these side effects started with in 1-2 weeks after I started the NuvaRing. I gave it 4 months to see if my body would regulate and change, and some of these issues would go away and they haven't, if anything they are getting worse. So with that said, we're going to good ol' fashioned condoms!! No more NuvaRing for me.

I hope this helps someone else who might be questioning to stay on it or not... I know you guys helped me! Thanks to all these responses!

I started nuvaring after being on the pill for 6yrs and trying ortho evra for a week and ending up in the hospital for nausea. After about a few weeks on the ring I was feeling exhausted all the time, even after 12-14 hrs of sleep. I was moody, in a super depressed mood, and I had no sex drive. I was driving my boyfriend crazy because I was like a different person, and I was miserable. I talked to my doctor about switching again, but she suggested that before I switch I try taking a multivitamin with B complexes and iron because birth control can cause vitamin deficiencies that manifest as all of these awful symptoms. I took her advice AND IT WORKED!!!! Since taking the multivitamin daily, I have had no side effects with the Nuvaring for 4 months, and I feel better than I have in a long time. So before you run to switch to something else TAKE A MULTIVITAMIN! It might save you a whole lot of time, money, and trouble.

I have been on Nuvaring for almost 4 months now and at first is was perfect for me, no side effects at all, but for over a month now I have NO sex drive at all and extreme external vaginal itching!! Like awful all day long!! Sex is also so painful that every time my husband touches me, I cringe thinking about it. Thanks for all your posts, now i know it's the stupid ring!

I just googled side effects from the Nuvaring & found this site and I am very glad. I have had the worst side effects & it is nice to know that I am not crazy & others have felt the same way. I had ovarian cysts in the past, even had surgery and was put on the pill for 10 years with no problems, but have been off the pill for about 2 years...I wanted to get my body ready for pregnancy. In that time I just recently started to get cysts again & just started the Nuvaring. My doc said it would help with the cysts & heavy periods, just to try in out for 2 months. I thought how cool, not taking a pill everyday...neat.
This is my 2nd month and I HATE it. I first inserted the Nuvaring at night & by the next morning I felt nauseous. I thought, ok this is normal, I haven't had any hormones in my body for 2 years...it will pass.....nope, it got worse, then the headaches,,,but the sore nipples & breasts were horrid...my nipples had a burning feeling constantly. I felt so sick and tired a lot. My period was still very heavy and my emotions were out of control. I am normally an emotional person & especially around period time I get more emotional but this emotion was different & weird....I am feeling depressed, sad, I cry all the time for no reason, I feel hatred & worthlessness about myself, which is just not me at all!!!! Also, I am soooo tired & lethargic, I don't wanna get out of bed & when I do, it is as if I have no energy to even walk & when I tell myself ok I am going to do this today, I sit there & cry..it is like I cannot do it because I am to tired, to emotional, too sick....I dont wanna be around anyone, I am sad, angry,moody,crazy,worried,...how can I function like this anymore?

The 2nd month got worse, I have an awful burning sensation in my belly, acidy feeling, I have been throwing up and I was thinking well I better get to the doctor, maybe there is something wrong with my stomach, maybe I have acid reflux or a stomach ulcer. I am hungry all the time, but the acidy pain & knowing that I will be sick after I eat makes me not want to. I have constant diarrhea, headaches, weight gain, tingly in my knee area, the overwhelming depression i cannot stand and all I wanna do is just sleep and ignore everything...I was telling my husband that I have to get on some medication for this depression & he said babe, it has got to be that damn ring, you have never been like this before.
Everyone has different bodies & can handle different meds, but to read these other peoples problems helps me to understand, that I am not crazy & depressed, that it IS this stupid Nuvaring and my trial period of testing this out is over,,,,hopefully it hasn't caused any permanent damage.

November 27 2008

on NR since February, had taken a break since my fiance was away for work for 4 months and thot it wasn't worth using it and spending money. I noticed slight weight gain4 lbs roughly, but since the first of November i get my old migraines back again used to have them only twice a year with aura, but now nearly every day, read the posts and shot the ring out of the window, out of my life literary, not to mention my mood swings, paranoid over my fiancee being away and nagging him all the time abt affairs etc..worrfying abt accidents, losing a relative ecc...Thank You Jesus I found this site!! No More NuvaRing.

I have Crohn's disease and have been on birth control since before my diagnosis. I use to have flare-ups of the disease every now and then (I was on Mircette). Then last year, I was put on Nortrel and my disease started acting WAY up. I was put on the NuvaRing two months ago and I am having even more flare-ups now. Is there anyone who has a digestive disease and have had their symptoms worsen with the NuvaRing?

I've been on NuvaRing for 3-4 months now. Before using the ring I'd tried the pill, which made me horribly sick, and the patch, which gave me rashes and clots. My doctor recommended the ring and raved about it (as they all do) so I figured I'd give it a shot. The first month was fine. But since the second month I've experienced the following: dizziness, nausea, migraines, increased discharge (so much so I have to wear pantiliners EVERY day) swelling in my ankles, weight gain, and decreased sex drive...wait, let me correct that-no sex drive.
Im so jumpy and irritable my boyfriend is scared to try to touch me or say the wrong thing. I'm not sure what to do. I need to use some type of birth control and I don't trust just condoms alone but I'm scared this damn thing is going to kill me.

I googled Nuvaring and side effects and so glad i found this sight! I have had external vaginal itching and thought maybe it was due to dry skin. The last time I had sex it was uncomfortable. I feel great when it's time to take the Nuvaring out. At first it was great because it was somewhat lubricating and sex was more pleasant. But after being on it for 6 months, things have changed. I too have to wear a pantiliner 'round the clock because of discharge. I'm thinking i'm better off going back on the pill. I was on YAZ and the only problem with taking the pill is REMEMBERING to take it!!!
Thanks to all of you for your posts!

I started using Nuvaring 4 months ago. Im 26 years old. Nausea started like 2 weeks after I started using the ring, but I never related it to the ring since my GYN didn't tell me about possible side effects. The first 2 weeks the ring slipped out until it became really uncomfortable to the point that I thought it would come out when I sat on the toilet. So, I developed my anti-slip technique after reading the leaflet (that says it doesn't matter the shape inside), to fold it in two rings like an eight, so when it gets in, it would be open like butterfly and it wouldn't slip out. It worked out great and didn't slip out. I wasn't aware of the ring at all, not even when I had sex. It didn't bother my husband or me. However, the nausea got worse and worse with the time. There is nothing in the world that I hate the
most than to vomit and I try very hard to avoid it.

Also, I start getting really nervous for everything, first I thought it was because of the nausea, but then I started getting paranoid about vomiting in front of everyone or on the street. Then it started developing more and more to the point where I was so nauseous I couldn't be 15 feet away from a bathroom. The nausea was permanent, so I couldn't ride the subway. I also got subway-phobic, more like a claustrophobia mixed with nerves, and I felt I was about to lose my mind. I couldn't be around masses of people or the subway and that is kind of impossible in New York City. I has horrible panic attacks, e.g, fast heart beat, crazy sweating, nausea, dizziness and shortness of breath. I feel every time I was riding or underground with a bunch of people that I was running out of air. I cried all the time because of my subway phobia and felt it was nonsense, since I have been living in New York for a while and using the subway all the time. I barely went out of my apartment for almost three months and at some point I was really afraid of going outside just to my doctor appointments.

The paranoia, anxiety and nervousness was out of control. So anxious that I complained to myself about how slow I walked, even though I was almost running to get to places. I wanted everything to be fast with no reason. Not to mention that in addition I had some capillaries or broken little blood vessels in my legs they were blue and purple. I was previously been using Ortho Evra, which I stopped taking because I felt lots of pressure in my legs and when I was lying down or sleeping I felt like pins or needles in different parts of my legs. And I also broken capillaries. I was really concerned with my use of Ortho Evra.

The worst part of my situation was the severe depression I experienced with Nuvaring. I am a very positive woman. I love nature and being outdoors. I have always considered myself strong and I rarely if ever cry. Well these three nightmare months were all about crying. Once I was in a ballgame with my husband, we both love baseball. I start feeling so nauseous and bad that I start crying but trying hard to contain myself of expressing because i didn't want to make my husband upset. Thank god my husband is a understanding and patient person.

I spend almost all day at home waking up really late or sleeping all day, feeling nauseous but, don't get me wrong, I was really hungry. As soon as I ate I got nauseous. I felt in the top of my stomach really nauseous and in the bottom of my stomach really hungry. I became totally intolerant of wine or coffee, and eventually even water. I lost all interest in the gym, or making new friends or meeting my old friends, just crying and crying for no reason. I lost interest of everything, when I thought of something to do, 5 seconds later I was thinking of how negative that activity was even if my first thought was...this could be interesting. I lost interest in life, even though I love my life and love myself. I'm a newly wed, I didn't have problems of any kind. I'm a happy and positive person. My husband was looking at me weird at some point. When people were speaking to me I was like on Mars looking at the infinite. That is scary! I have never had mental problems or anything like that.

My husband told me I was completely another person and that he felt I wasn't the person he married. I consulted our family doctor who referred a gastro for my uncontrollable nausea. I was loosing weight really fast - 14 pounds in total - and I am very thin and that was concerning. The gastro prescribed some antibiotics, thinking was some kind of infection and
prescribed medicine for the acid, both of which made the situation even worse. I never talk to him about the depression because I couldn't identify my negativity and depressed feelings with my stomach. I got really constipated and even more depressed. Also I got night sweats that would wake me up. I didn't see anyway this would end.

The gastro told me that he couldn't figure it out and my lab test came out with good results. So his next step would be a endoscopy to see what was going on. Every day I was trying to return to normal activities like riding the subway, going shopping, walk some, etc. I went to a store one day. Like 10 minutes later, I felt really dizzy, couldn't see very well, sweating, nauseous and about to faint. I left the store really fast throught the elevator
(the fastest way to leave, so my problem wasn't quite claustrophobia) And I went home thinking of how miserable I have been these days and how much I hate it of course crying like a baby. I had to cancel at the last minute a wedding in the Caribbean of a friend that I really wanted to go. And the fact of missing the wedding was so sad that I started thinking of all the medications I was taking.

Of course the ring was not taken by mouth and I wasnt aware of it, just when it was time to change it. I start reading all the leaflets that comes with the medicines and voila the ring side effects are bloating, nauseas, vomit, depression, weight loose or weight gain, among other serious side
effects.

I took out the ring two Sundays ago, Oct 19, and the nausea considerably lowered down after a few hours after I took it out. It has been lowering down gradually since I took it out. The nausea comes like a wave, but is not constant as it had been, and is coming less often. I haven't feel depression since Wednesday, Oct 29. And I am getting better
every day. I don't know when all these symptoms will disappear, but I hope really soon. I just know that this hit me really strong and I don't wish this to anybody. Stay away from ,Nuvaring!! I know not all the bodies are the same or have the same reaction, but, If you have to choose, don't use hormonal contraceptives. Please look reviews before you try a medicine, so you are aware of the side effects. Make your family aware so that if you have strange behavior they could let you know. The doctor told me that it will take two weeks or more to get rid of the hormones in my body.

Looking for an alternative I found a natural way called cycle beads that I will try, and there is also the rhythm method. The only good thing about the ring it is that keeps you from getting pregnant and you just think of it once a month when you're taking it out. That's it! I felt I have wasted 3 months of my life, but I am willing to recover and enjoy my precious health these future months.

I've been on Nuva Ring for 4 months and I've been having terrible night sweats for about 3 months. I wake up soaked. It's so bad that I'm developing rashes from the sweat. Every morning I have diarrhea. I had pregnancy symptoms. I also get severe headaches and dizziness. The week that I take the ring out I feel nauseous. I do have pain during intercourse and low drive. I tried to find something on line too for night sweats as a side effect. I'm very worried now and will be contacting my GYN!

If you like yourself, DO NOT choose this form of birth control!!!!!! I experienced several side effects almost immediately within my first cycle of this "should be outlawed" drug including a cyst on my ovary that burst (PAINFUL!!!!!), very hormonal PMS and periods (like going through puberty again), heavy bleeding and clotting, swelling like I experienced after delivering my children - yes, even sitting was uncomfortable, painful intercourse, muscle aches, and cramping like afterbirth. Most of these symptoms subsided after I did the math and freed myself of this health hazard. All I have described sound hormone related and logical but wait, there is more . . . while on the NuvaRing, I also developed a tumor in my leg that attached to my bone and required surgery. I was blessed that it was benign but at first was told it was malignant by bone tumor specialists from three leading Manhattan Hospitals! My children were 3 and 1 at the time so you can imagine how I felt! Also, a condition that has not gone away after 1 year and 4 months of no more NuvaRing is chronic sinus problems. These sinus problems first developed when I made the mistake of using this venomous drug. I myself thought there could be no correlation until I went on line and read that other women suffered with sinus issues after using the NuvaRing. I have developed sinusitis that I've had no luck in treating holistically and these severe infections have been resilient to most antibiotics. I've finally faced this sinus issue and have scheduled a CT scan and ENT appointment for next week so I hope I can get to the root of the problem as I am sick of feeling sick! By the way, I'm extremely fit, a very healthy eater, and was in GREAT health before use of the NuvaRing! I'm writing this because I would not wish my experience on anyone and wish I had read comments like this PRIOR to making this poor decision. I so dislike this drug that I have to turn-off the TV when the commercial comes on. Again if you like yourself, DO NOT use the NuvaRing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am on the nuvaring, but I am not having the same complications that everyone else seems to have. I have been on the nuvaring for about three and a half years. Everything seemed to be going great with this new birth control until about 4 months ago when i didn't start my period. So, my fiance and i decided to get a pregnancy test and sure enough it was positive. With me being in my third year of college and having to change our wedding date, our lives have taken a drastic turn.Now that i am 18 weeks pregnant i am trying to keep a close look out on any other nuvaring pregnancies. I had found 2 others around my area who were having the same problem as me, so i knew i was not alone. Then the most shocking news came to me when my brothers girl friend called me one morning telling me she hadn't started her period yet. She was on the nuvaring too, let me remind you. The odds of her and I both getting pregnant on a birth control that is 99.9% accurate is a 1 and a million chance. What are the odds of that? Sure enough she is pregnant too. So our question is, was there a bad lot of nuvarings sent out around the same areas or what? And its not like we misused them either. we have both been on it for a long time, so we know the do's and don'ts. So, id there anyone else out there with this problem?

I was on the NuvaRing for about 4 months. Within the first month I was a wreck, suffering from depression, crying all the time and feeling anxious. By the second month I started to feel chest pains. My doctor said it was not related and I was stupid enough to believe them and kept it in, but not for long. The chest pain got so bad that I took it out and went to the ER. I had a CTscan and nothing was found. This was all well over a year ago. Since then I have had trouble breathing properly. Just siting down and typing I find have to make sure I am breathing, instead of it happening naturally. I have done every lung function/heart test and nothing is coming back irregular. Has anyone had this problem? I feel like I am going insane and no one can help me. I have rad a lot about side effects while on the ring, but has anyone suffered long term effects that are undiagnosed?

I've been on NR for 2 months now and I noticed this past two weeks I have become extremely tired and have been going through random bouts of depression. I am not sure if it is due to the NR because I have been having a tough time with my job and made a life changing move 4 months ago. I am wondering if I am just trying to adjust, but I have never had depression like this before. I always want to cry, which is very unusual, A few days ago, I had sex with my fiance and i was very dry and the whole experience was painful. I can't tell you if I have lost my sex since I have had a cold, but I can tell something is definately wrong. I was on Orthro Evera Patch before this and I was never moody like this. Does anyone have advice for me? Should I go back to the patch? Thank you for any input you may have

Hi, For those who are wondering if you can experience sudden, intense emotional changes as soon as you begin using the NuvaRing, here is my story:

I was on NuvaRing for 2 months. I put the 1st one in on Friday and by the following Tuesday, I had severe irritability, anxiety, anger control problems. I blamed myself but looking back now, having found websites and forums where other people talk about going through the same thing, I know it was the ring. I remember that Tuesday, thinking I had gone too far with my boyfriend by blowing up at him and being extremely anxious, unable to deal witht he stress i was facing that day. After I blew up at him, I was so remorseful and I cried and cried. The following evening, the Wednesday, again I became frightingly aggressive toward him, followed by intense crying. I felt so bad, so angry with myself for treating him that way. These outbursts continued and I became increasingly tired. I ended up going on the pill because the Ring gave me intense burning during sex. it was very painful. 4 months later, I was diagnosed with major depression and put on antidepressants and work arrest.

I warn everybody not to use hormonal birth control. If you decide to use it, be aware of the signs if your mood changes. It is so easy to blame yourself when it comes to emotional problems, but they are related to physical health (brain chemistry). It's all a big whole which you cannot separate. So if you play with hormones, you can become very screwed up emotionally. And don't expect the doctors/pharmacists/psychiatrists to listen or to recommend you go off the pill. For me nobody listened. it was my own decision to stop everything.

I was on Yaz for 4 months. I didn't notice the terrible side effects of that unitl I sat and realized that my being anxious, worried and sad all the time was due to that stupid pill. I had no sex drive and my work outs were harder and harder to go to all the time.....so, I called my doctor and asked to be switched to something with less hormones. They suggested Nuvaring as it has less hormones than the pills we hear of. Well, I put it in last night....but after reading all these posts,,...took it out this morning....soooo, 55 bucks down the drain but sounds way worth it!!!! I'm only on them to help with endometriosis....who the hell needs no sex drive, weight gain, depression, headaches, vaginal dryness, constant worry and being tired to name a few side effects to supposedly help with our cycles???? I'll go back to painful perioids and being me. Good luck to you guys out there,,,,, Cheri

I have been on NuvaRing for about 4 months now and after my most recent period in September just a week later I am experiencing brown discharge, period like systems such as cramping and back pain. I am so tired most times after I work out I feel like I am almost going to go into a coma if I don't sleep. I really want to take this out. Has anyone else had these systems and think it is the Ring? Please let me know....I was frighten and do not know what else it could be.

I thought the nr was the best think since sliced bread. I'm 22 years old and I've been on nuvaring for 3 or 4 months now and I haven't experienced any change in my mood swings or anything as far as depression goes. I can say that for the past two and half almost 3 weeks I've been breaking out in hives really bad like clockwork every night. I've gotten crushing chest pains 3 or 4 times last month and this month. A couple of days ago after I took out my nr for my nf free week I was doubled over with stomach pains. My abdomen was so swollen I looked as If I was 5 months prego. I have no idea what to do now

I just removed Nuvaring in May after almost 2 years of being on it. The main reason was due to the lack of sex drive and when i did have sex, there would be a pretty bad burning sensation to me and my husband. However, now that i read through your comments, i am realizing that a lot more is attributed to my health now because of the Nuvaring.
Mainly, when i was on it, i had severe headaches, couldn't lose a pound to save my life and was very moody.
The big problems I have are now, almost 4 months being off Nuvaring. My doctor informed me that i may be going through premature menopause - i'm 38 years old - due to a malfunction with my ovaries. What!?!? My mom had her period until she was almost 50 and that is a good indicator of what you will have. I also have really bad joint pain, tingling in my fingers at times, hot flashes, sleeplessness and NO period since coming off it. I am hoping that this is just my body trying to battle the jolt of being on Nuvaring and i will return to normal. My advice - if you're on it, get off it and if you're considering it, don't do it. Even a well-known radio personality here in Chicago has said the Nuvaring did awful things to her body and she experienced a lot of bleeding. This product needs to come off the market NOW!

So i told you I would post an update from my gyno... so here it is (below is my original post)

I went to the doctor and her nurse asked me if i had a little bit of cramping and i said yeah its actually off to the side, and she said that i might have some sort of blockage by my ovaries.... well then my doctor came in and she said that everything was perfectly normal. and decided to put me onto yaz... well i'm not going to take it. and it worries me that i might have a blockage. I took out the ring last night and it is gone for good! I can't wait to get back to my normal self. i am going to see how i do this month without the ring and still see if i have the cramps if i do i will go back if not then we can just assume it was caused from nuva....

August 15th
2008
12:14 AM

So I got on NuvaRing because I needed something with low hormones that wouldn't make me crazy like other BC's. I've been on it for almost 3 years now and didn't start having problems until recently. Now I get night sweats... i wake up and i am soaking wet from sweat, depressed, cry and get angry for no reason. Like the other night I was in the middle of eating dinner and i just started balling uncontrollably for no reason. My sex drive really hasn't decreased all that much it's still there; but i have discharge like there is no tomorrow and sometimes it smells. I figured if i douched that would help the situation but apparently not. I also haven't had a "period" in like 4 months and i'm not pregnant. I say "period" because NuvaRing doesn't allow your ovaries to ovulate so it's not really a period but withdrawal blood because your not shedding any uterine lining.I also recently have had bad migraines... thinking that having my wisdom teeth finally removed would take care of that issue but it's been 3 months since that and the answer is no. I have no energy to do anything all i want to do is sleep but i hate sleeping because i wake up soaking wet from sweat. It bothers me when my husband and I have sex and hurts. I also can not go a day without taking pepto; my stomach hurts even if i drink water. don't get me wrong i love the fact that i've lost weight but not because my stomach hurts too much to eat. I know if your looking for something to help you pin point what it is i'm sorry that you're not getting it from me. But I can tell you this after a while you get tired of it. I am going to talk to my gyno to see what my other options are. I can't take it any longer and neither can my husband. I have never PMSed as bad as I have been lately. If you're experiencing any of these I would recommend you call your gyno/dr and let them know; there could be something better for you out there. Sometimes I wonder why we woman put our bodies through these things. If all else fails looks like we'll just be going back to the old school days of condoms and spermicide lube. i'll post in a few days after my gyno apt to let you know what she said about my symptoms... but you'll know when you've had enough.

I have used the NuvaRing for about 3.5 years, starting after my 6 week check up when my daughter was born in 2004. In the beginning I felt like it decreased my sex drive but also that maybe post baby body that caused that too. For three years I had no problems. I had noticed breast tenderness throughout but other than that no side effects. About 8 months ago it began with a missed period, then two periods in one month. My OBGYN recommended 'resetting' my body by taking out the ring until my next cycle and starting it up again. I followed his directions but the next cycle came along with a bladder infection followed by a yeast infection. Over the next 4 months I either had one or the other, continually visiting my doctor I didn't make any connection to the two. Stomach pain, chronic fatigue and kidney pain also added to the list. My doctor prescribed a series of medications followed by blood tests and a referral to a specialist. Over the summer my husband asked that I stop using the ring because my sex drive had hit rock bottom. After a few weeks of taking out the ring, the burning sensation during urination has gone away. Stomach cramps and back pain has ceased and no infection to date. I am in my early thirties and after a week off the ring I realized what they mean by 30's sex drive. My husband and I are both happy with the changes. I visit my OBGYN again in a few weeks to revisit non-hormone options for BC

I started using the Ring 2yrs ago, and at age 38 thought it was the best birth control for me, however within 2 to 3 days after putting it in I had extreme low pelvic back pain,and then within the 1st month, mood changes, fatigue, depression, no sex drive at all But somehow 3 months after being on it I got pregnant. Now I am 40yrs and started the Nuvaring again about 4 months ago and have all the horrible side effects as before. I don't know why I let my Gyn talk me into again. I am now experiencing major pains in my left leg, which I have never had such pain in my leg before at all. And I believe it is the symptom of having blood clots. Which is one of the side effects that is listed. I will be going to the Doctor ASAP to check this out. So anyone else that is having any type of pain in the leg, even if it feels like a ingrown hair bothering you or a little pinch feeling or burning sensation here and there, Go have it checked out before its to late and it becomes painful and possibly a blood clot.

My birth control journey (including Nuvaring) has been horrendous. I was on Alesse for several years when I moved to a different country where it wasn't available. I went on Yasmin for 3 months and proceeded to gain 15 lbs. of weight I had worked really hard to lose only a few months before. I was depressed, moody, and nauseous all the time. My doctor then put me on a different pill which made me so nauseous I would sometimes vomit in the first week of the pack, then when the nausea subsided the PMS and moodiness started. Again I researched birth control options and heard about Nuvaring. I asked him if the lower dose of hormones would help and he said I should try it. 4 months later, during a routine medical exam I was told I had EXTREMELY high blood pressure. I had never had high BP before. I couldn't figure it out, I had my kidneys tested and they were fine, my diet was healthy, I just didn't understand until I took it into my own hands and googled it. It clicked that it was the Nuvaring. I took it out and have never felt better. I feel less bloated, my mood is amazing. I am having my BP tested again in 2 weeks and only hope that it's gone back to normal. I am NEVER returning to hormonal birth control methods.

So I got on NuvaRing because I needed something with low hormones that wouldn't make me crazy like other BC's. I've been on it for almost 3 years now and didn't start having problems until recently. Now I get night sweats... i wake up and i am soaking wet from sweat, depressed, cry and get angry for no reason. Like the other night I was in the middle of eating dinner and i just started balling uncontrollably for no reason. My sex drive really hasn't decreased all that much it's still there; but i have discharge like there is no tomorrow and sometimes it smells. I figured if i douched that would help the situation but apparently not. I also haven't had a "period" in like 4 months and i'm not pregnant. I say "period" because NuvaRing doesn't allow your ovaries to ovulate so it's not really a period but withdrawal blood because your not shedding any uterine lining.I also recently have had bad migraines... thinking that having my wisdom teeth finally removed would take care of that issue but it's been 3 months since that and the answer is no. I have no energy to do anything all i want to do is sleep but i hate sleeping because i wake up soaking wet from sweat. It bothers me when my husband and I have sex and hurts. I also can not go a day without taking pepto; my stomach hurts even if i drink water. don't get me wrong i love the fact that i've lost weight but not because my stomach hurts too much to eat. I know if your looking for something to help you pin point what it is i'm sorry that you're not getting it from me. But I can tell you this after a while you get tired of it. I am going to talk to my gyno to see what my other options are. I can't take it any longer and neither can my husband. I have never PMSed as bad as I have been lately. If you're experiencing any of these I would recommend you call your gyno/dr and let them know; there could be something better for you out there. Sometimes I wonder why we woman put our bodies through these things. If all else fails looks like we'll just be going back to the old school days of condoms and spermicide lube. i'll post in a few days after my gyno apt to let you know what she said about my symptoms... but you'll know when you've had enough.

I am 25 years old. A mother of 2, and i have now been on the NuvaRing for 5 years. I got on the NuvaRing the day of my postpartum check up after i had my second child.. I loved the NuvaRing at first thought it was the best thing in the entire world, hell all you had to do was put it in leave it for 21 days days leave it out for 7. Go on your period and other then that everything was great. About 2 months into using the Nuvaring i started having HORRIBLE HEADACHES that would last 3-5 days at a time without letting up. I could not stand to be around noise, light or anything that had a strong smell or it would get my head pounding to where i just could not take it anymore. So i called my doctor and told him about the horrible headaches that i have had. Explained to him that before a bad headache would come on i would have this horrible burning sensation in my head that would make you want to die.. And the doctor told me just hang in there and give the Ring time to work, so i did and then as time went on i started having other side effects along with the headaches.. Such as BAD ACNE that scars after clearing up which has made my completion not so good. Breakouts on arms, back ,chest. So i got some neutrogena soap to help with that and it has worked.. But then i got more side effects such as BREAK THREW BLEEDING right after my period was suppose to be over and after intercourse.. Then i totally HAD NO SEX DRIVE which caused lots of problems in my marriage cause my husband began to think i wasn't sexually attracted to him anymore.. And i began to think that also. Cause i had lost my sex drive didn't want to do it, the thought of it made me cringe. After being on the NuvaRing after so long you began to develop this THICK DISCHARGE that is annoying then as time goes on you get another type of discharge that is thin WATERY DISCHARGE that is aggravating cause it almost feels as if you have peed your pants a bit almost feels like a yeast infection with out the smell. Which brings me to my next awful side effect which is the Yeast INFECTIONS and the number of UTI's i have had while being on the NuvaRing never had a UTI or a yeast infection before the nuvaring. Not having a sex drive because you cant because intercourse is too PAINFUL sex it hurts like FRICTION and STABBING because of the DRYNESS the Nuva Ring causes. So i called the doctor he told me that i would have dryness at first and to just use lube so i tried that. Didn't work still had pain from the dryness so i called the doctor again and told him about the pain so he wrote me a prescription for a numbing jelly that you use right before intercourse and that was suppose to help with the pain.But that didn't work either just made everything numb till where you couldn't feel rather anything was out or in so i quit using that and hoped to god that my body would adjust to the Nuvaring. Still today after intercourse it causes STOMACH CRAMPS similar to the ones when your on your menstrual cycle,and PRESSURE similar to the pressure you have when your 8-9 months pregnant. Going to the bathroom after intercourse is a total NIGHTMARE i have had times it has burned so bad that i have pinched my stomach as i peed to take some of the PAIN AND BURNING away.Dont always work! Another side effect that i have had is DEPRESSION i have noticed that i have been unhappy and just got to where a lot of times i don't care about things that matter to me because i don't feel that i have the energy to do so.. I also have ANXIETY ATTACKS which i have never had until i got on this NuvaRing. CHEST PAINS that i thought the first time i was having a heart attack it hurt so bad. I had to take little breaths to breathe which would then lead into a PANIC ATTACK cause i felt like i was unable to breathe like i am suppose to.. So yet again called the doctor who told me that i need to be on prozac to handle this. Never got on the prozac just delt with it hoping that it was just a little side effect and that my body would adjust to the NuvaRing, but guess what NO never did.. Another side effect that i always hate is getting SICK AND THROWING UP caused by a medication, guess what i still have this after 5 years i get to cramping so bad and headaches tied onto being MISERABLE and BLOATING and DIARRHEA and DRY MOUTH so bad that you cant stand it seems no matter what you drink to get rid of dry mouth nothing can quench your thirst and this is all hours of the day. So i would take Midol which would only help for a few hours and then i was right back to square one with the B.S caused by the NuvaRing. So i call the doctor and get told "well you will have that." the side effects will be less obvious the longer your on the NuvaRing." So stupid me stays on the NuvaRing hoping this is true! Which i have found out is not. The only good thing that i have noticed is the NuvaRing is easy to use and you don't have to remember take a pill everyday! I never had any weight gain or loss while on this dang thing. Pretty well maintained the same weight as i have always been. I have tried to get off the ring several times, but always get back on it, Because while the ring is out for 7 days i am miserable mostly with a headache that last 3-5 days untop of the TERRIBLE MOOD SWINGS that i get. i truly think that my body has been on this hormone so long that i have HORMONAL WITHDRAWALS when i don't have the ring in. Cause i am fine after the ring is inserted again. People can say what they want and say that this is a issue and that they haven't had problems and that is understandable and different people adjust to hormones in different ways but the time that i have my ring out i always get my sex drive back 1-2 days before i start my period. I am not asking anyone to believe me about any of this and if the ring works for you then great, i thought that it was going to work for me also but it didn't. . I have taken the nuvaring out this last past Sunday and have no intentions on putting another ring back in.. Yet again i have had 3 days of a SEVERE HEADACHES some thing that i believe is HOT FLASHES or NIGHT SWEATS,BLOATING,DEPRESSION,CHEST PAINS,ANXIETY ATTACKS,YEAST INFECTIONS, and BAD MOOD SWINGS and i am hoping that all this will pass and my body will go back to the way it was before the NuvaRing came along... I would not suggest anyone to get this as a form of birth control i would actually tell then that the pill is better off to have in the long run.. This has caused me nothing but a miserable life that i have tried to deal with and i am just not going to do it anymore. I hope to see in the near future the NuvaRing go off the markets and not able to sale anymore.. The only reason that i was put on the nuvaring is because my doctor had a hard time finding a birth control method that my body would accept I was on Ortho- Tri- Cyclin and got pregnant and had a girl... My postpartum check up with her i was given the Orthra- Evra patch and i got pregnant with my son. Tried IUD and my body rejected it. So the doctor says" lets try this new birth control"you insert yourself leave in for 21 days leave out for 7 and have your period," the longer your on this NuvaRing the lighter your period will become and the side effects which aren't many will fade also.". "So how bout it." Well i thought this NuvaRing was a dream come true, BUT IT WAS A NIGHTMARE WAITING TO HAPPEN..

This is the first time I have actually looked up side effects to NuvaRing. I have been on it since March of 2006, so about 2.5 years. I never really noticed side effects, and I have been to the doctor more than once and told them about the same side effects that have been discussed here. They blamed it on lack of vitamins, lifestyle changes and other random facts of life. Maybe that is the cause of my problems, however, why would they all happen at once???

Until today, I was soooo happy with NuvaRing, and I still am. I am just more aware of why I feel the way I do....It is soo easy to use!! I would NEVER remember to take a pill everyday, I would not like the patch, and the shot wouldn't go with me very well either.

Seems as if every birth control has side effects...here are mine from NR

EXTREME fatigue..
I asked my doctor about this. It has been going on since January. I sleep for 13 hours a day and am still exhausted. I cannot get enough sleep. I am a 20 year old that used to lead a pretty active lifestyle, but it seems the last few months that I have slowed waaaaaaay down. It isn't like me. I usually stay busy

Weight gain
I can accurately say that I have not been as active as I was in the past...but in one year I have put on about 17 lbs, and no matter what I do, the scale keeps climbing....I joined a gym for about 4 months, and I didn't lose a single pound. Before, I was able to LOOK at a treadmill and get in shape, now I spend an hour a day on it, and it does nothing for me.

SEVERE Headaches...with sensitivity to light and sound
I have not had this bad of headaches. EVER. It usually starts in the back of my head and moves to only one side. My doctor told me to wean off the caffeine. I did and they are still there. I drink no caffeine daily and I still am getting these terrible headaches. I work at a casino, so sometimes it really interrupts my daily life, with the lights and sounds and everything.

I AM ALWAYS THIRSTY!!!!!

I have NO sex drive
My boyfriend and I used to have sex every single day when I just started the NR, but now I NEVER want to. I have to pretend that I want to have sex, just so his feelings are not hurt. Sometimes I even catch myself thinking "is it over yet??" That is SOOOO not like me. I was an animal the first few months I was on NR. Now I have no desire.

I feel as if I am just living the motions of life sometimes instead of participating in it. Like I am just here everyday, not always feeling what is going on around me. I am semi moody, but nothing out of the ordinary. Week 3 of the ring is ALWAYS emotional, but the week before my period has ALWAYS been like that. I find it very normal.

My periods are WONDERFUL. I used to have a full 7 day period from hell. Now they last only 3-4 days, and I can basically tell you when I am going to start to the hour. It is AMAZING.

All in all, I love NR still. I am not going to stop taking it yet. I am just glad I found this site so I know the reason behind all of these changes in me. I have never put two and two together....that NR was causing all of these things...but now I know it could be. Or maybe it isn't. Who knows, but as long as I keep an eye on symptoms, I think I will be okay...

If any of you have any questions I have been on NR for quite a while, so feel free to email me at ******

My body must not be shaped properly for this thing because even after 6 months it still slides out partway all the time. I had to tie it in a knot to get it to stay in for more than 2 minutes. that aside, I had many of the side effects everyone else is talking about:

extreme anxiety. weird tingling in my arms and feet and 'on edge' all the time. waking in the night with horrible panic attacks and feeling sick to my stomach. so bad that I'd be afraid to go back to sleep for fear I may not wake up. I can't even describe how anxious I was. It was like I was outside of my own body all the time. I'd have to wiggle my toes or pinch my arms at times to make sure they still moved. In the night I'd wake up and intentionally wake up hubby or a kid just to know that I still existed.

Total bitch. I even hated being around myself. the sound of someone eating would irritate me so bad I'd have to leave the room before i hit someone or broke something.

totally down in the dumps. not suicidal, but didn't find joy in anything. I didn't want to do anything, yet felt bored all the time.

headaches non stop. Literally had 2-4 headaches every single day for 3-4 months. Not one day without. went to bed with a headache, woke in the night with a headache, woke in the morning with one... painkillers would take off the edge, but not eliminate it.

I seriously was terrified I was going mentally insane.

I had used the pill years ago with no side effects. I've been off nuvaring for 6 months now and don't know what to do because I have problems with cysts (and possible endo.) and their 'solution' is hormonal contraceptives.

I was better almost immediately after stopping the nuvaring. the headaches lingered for a bit more, but the rest disappeared.