NuvaRing and 4 months

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.

THANK YOU JESUS! haha. I cannot describe how happy am I to have stumbled upon this site! I have been on NuvaRing for about 4 months and I have since then been an emotional WRECK. I'm moody, cry over ANYTHING, gained about 10lbs, have migraines about twice a week you name it from any of the below posts and Im right there with ya sisters! Today I was scheduled to take it out...and that baby is staying out. My poor boyfriend is such a trooper...putting up with all my dramatic outbursts and constant tudes! Convenience or not, the NR is totally not worth it. Good luck to the rest of you!

I have been on the nuvaring for 1 year now. Over the past 4 months, I have been getting what feels like a UTI, blood in urine and increased white blood cell count (per urine tests), but doctor's say it is not a UTI. I thought it could be the nuvaring, so I took it out 8 days ago, but the pain with urination has not gone away. Has anyone had a similar experience?

I read your post about Nuvaring. I am only on my first ring. So far it seems okay and don't know if it is to blame for my hair that has been coming out non stop also. the hair loss started when I had the paraguard inserted into my cervix. I did some google research and a lot of women were complaining of the same thing. I immediately had it removed but the doc said it was non hormonal. I thought that perhaps my body just didn't agree with the copper that it is made from. she told me about the NuvaRing, so here I am trying it. the hair loss is still there and it has been going on for about 1 month now and I have lost a lot of it. I just gave birth to my second daughter 4 months ago, and don't know if my hair loss is postpardom or related to all these wacky methods of birth control. Has anyone else suffered hair loss from the NuvaRing or paraguard. Does anyone have recommendations on how I could improve my hair and stop it from falling out. when it is coming out the root tip is with every strand. I'm so scared over this...

I have been on the 4 months going on 5. i may have gained a little weight but just water weight. My skin has cleared up and i am not getting the PMS breakouts anymore. I just turned 29 and still get acne so anything that helps is welcome. however i have been noticing slight headaches here and there. i typically don't get headaches and from what i have read on these blogs the ring may be to blame...other than slight weight gain and a headache or two it's been good using the ring. i also don't get ravenously hungry before my period anymore which is a blessing, i would eat anything and a lot of it-lol! i am going to be paying more attention though, and come to think of it i have noticed been tired and i workout a lot so i usually have tons of energy. tough call, i guess every birth control method has draw backs.

I was on NUVARING for 4 months after being on Yasmin for almost 2 years. It was the worst mistake my doctor ever made. I had SEVERE bowel problems, to the point where i had to have a Colonoscopy and other various invasive tests. My cramps were horrible, and non-stop throughout my cycle. I was ALWAYS tired and never wanted to do anything. I gained 5 pounds in 3 months, after trying to conquer anorexia/bulimia (I was a normal weight at that point). Because of the NUVARING, I relapsed. I went back on Yasmin, and within one cycle, I was back to my normal, healthy weight I was after beating anorexia/bulimia and before using the NUVARING. I would not recommend this to ANYONE

well i have been on the nuvaring now for about 4 months now and well the one big problem i have had is that i am always tiered and sleeping, now that maybe caused by me not having a job and getting out much, buti am 19 turning 20 so i thought i shouldnt be that tiered but the problem is that i also cant go to sleep till like 3 or 4 in the morning then sleeping till like noon or so after.....some of the other side effects that i have gotten that i wonder if anyone else has is like this weird feeling in me liek bubbles and always feeling like i need to pass gas...i have gained weight but common girls every birth control makes you gian weight...and well as of the headaches, i dotn know about those becasue i have always had really bad headaches though.....oh and my boobs are very tender and my dirve for sex has gone done sorry ladies i dotn mean to sound gross but my fiance can not get me to well orgasim or you know cum does anyone else have this problem too....then my last question for you ladies is does anyone know if i go off of this pill will it make my boobs down size i am afriad that they will go down and i will get strech marks beacuse i was a size 32 A and the ring made me a 34 B so going off of it i am affraid of the strech marks if they down size.....

I have been on nuvaring for 2 years, switched from the patch because I was having this wierd discharge that resembled blood but not red enough to be sure that it was spotting. I love the ring; I do have a low sex drive but I blamed that on my being tired from working 2 jobs and going to school full time, plus household responsibilities and stuff...So now I'll have to see somehow if the ring is what is really taking that away. But am I the only one on here that is experiencing a super dry irritated itchy vagina? I have had this problem for the last 3-4 months, and I have had a pap and exam and I don't have anything bacterial...this itch is borderline yeast-infection intense. I have been on BC since I was 16 (I'm 29 now) and I have tried everything..I will get pregnant on the pill since I will forget to take it, the patch problem is mentioned above, the shot made me spot FOREVER, I must agree with the girl that said this may be God's way of telling her it's time for a baby, cuz this itch is about ready to make me throw in the towel. If it were not for the itch I wouldn't have any complaints.

I have been on the NuvaRing for 4 months...I have had the worst side effects ever! I couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. I actually found this website and took the damn thing out- THANK GOD! I already feel better. I can't believe the countless number of accounts on this site- women who are suffering from this BC like me. I knew I was irritable. My Symptoms: ANGER, road rage, impatience with my family and friends, feelings of laziness, extreme uncertainty and anxiety about the smallest decisions. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with me..just knew I was WAY WAY off balanced. I thought I might be becoming a manic depressive. The last thing I suspected as the problem was the NavaRing...why????????????... because it's claim on the box that it is less likely to causes moodiness and other side effects than other forms of BC. Not only was I acting like a total bunny boiler but I also broke out several times, gained 10 lbs, had constant UTI's, burning sensations in my vagina and strange odor.

This is the worst form of BC I've EVER EVER tried. I warn any woman that feels strange- TAKE IT OUT!

When I started on NuvaRing I thought it was the best thing ever. Then after 4 months I completely lost my sex drive, became depressed, starting being a bit of a bunny boiler to my boyfriend and people around me, always tired, gutsing myself and got thrush a few times in 2 months. I had been trying to skip my period by replacing it every 3 weeks but with no luck. seems my body just had to have one! I found this site a few weeks ago and after seeing so many others with similar symptoms I went to a doctor. The doctor told me a lot of the symptoms caused by BC are due to a lack of vitamin B6. So now I take a super B every morning. I really wanted the ring to work for me because it is so easy. The week after I saw the doctor it was the week to take it out so I had a ring free week. After a few days I was back to my old self and had my sex drive back! I was so much happier. Then I stuck a ring in. 2 weeks and then we get to today when I decided to take it out once and for all. If all my symptoms disappear then I can put them down to the ring. If they don't, then I guess I'll have to look for other reasons. Will keep you posted...

Hi, I've been on the BC since November 8th, (4 months). That was the month I got married and wanted something that I didn't have to take everyday.
Since then i was depressed, I hated the way I looked--even though I still look the same and nothing changed about my body. I also had suicide thoughts.
I didn't know what to thing of this. i thought maybe it was a wrong step and the marriage will not last--I thought that i can't make things work and don't have the strength to deal with anything in my marriage.
I've read a few of the comments that everyone posted here and now I realize that this is not my fault--I DO LOVE MY HUSBAND--this is the NuvaRing doing.

Please do yourself a favor and don't use this BC.

I'm 24 and have been using the NuvaRing for 4 months now. I've been waking up to find myself drenched in sweat which I have never experienced before. I started looking at different web sites to see if that is a side effect (which I couldn't find anywhere) when I found this site and after reading everyone's comments, I realized how many side effects I am having. I have no sex drive at all, I am depressed and want to do nothing but sleep, and I find myself eating way more than I used to. If anyone else has been having night sweats, please let me know.

I have been on the ring for 4 months now. After using it for about a month I became depressed and angry. Often being verbally abusinve with my boyfriend and my mom for things that werent their fault. I have spent so much time thinking about why...why am I so unhappy when I have a wonderful boyfriend, a great mom, and a daughter that I ADORE!!!! I have a good job, a decent car, friends, love...there was no reason I shouldnt be happy. Worse than that-- I have no sexual desire at all, and it irrates me so bad when my boyfriend touches me. Which is definietly hurting our relationship! I have been considering seeing a doctor about getting some type of prescription for my emotional instability (even though I am very against those types of drugs.) Two weeks ago it was time to take my ring out. I took it out and when I called my pharmacist I didn't have any refills. So I have been without it for 2 weeks and I feel SO MUCH BETTER!!! My sexual desire is returning and instead of fighting all day, me and my boyfriend are getting along much better. I don't feel 100% back to normal, but I am hoping to get there soon!! Relieve yourself...throw the ring away!!!

I'm five months postpartum and quit the mini-pill a few days ago and started NuvaRing as soon as the bleeding started (yesterday morning). I have never felt so aggressive in my life! Perhaps it the combination of getting off one BC method and onto another, but this is awful! I feel angry toward my baby and my husband. Do I need a break or a new BC? Before I got pregnant, the pill made me feel even worse, crying all the time. Now I just feel volatile and mean.

Hi, when I first started NUVARING I loved it. I didn't have to remember if I took a pill everyday, my migraines were gone, and my boobs were getting bigger. However, I was always irritated, crying, anxious, and annoyed. I thought it was just because I didn't like my roommate and I missed my life at home (I'm currently in college). I would call my mom at least two times a day crying my eyes out, I never associated my sadness with my birth control. About a month ago I started getting curious about these side effects because I felt like I was having an allergic reaction. I am a clean person, especially in my special regions and I was having intense itching and I also had little red dots down there.

When I talked to my mom today, I was crying once again, and she said that she really thought that my crazy bipolar emotions were because of the NUVARING. So I decided to type NUVARING side effects into Google and see what came up. When I saw what other girls were experiencing to be honest I was relieved. I was so happy to find out that I'm not crazy, I'm just having side effects to my birth control. I've never been so happy to have been so sad haha.

I just called my doctor to see if I can get back on the pill. Everyone who said they stopped taking NUVARING says in about 4 months they got back to the old them...I'm only hoping this is true, for my sake and for my boyfriends sake.

I loved it AT FIRST. This is my 4th month using it and I have terrible burning and discharge. I was horribly depressed the last 4 months but thought it was because I didn't like my living situation, but I am usually a really happy, roll with the punches kind of girl. I have also had horrible back pains and a respitory track infection for a month, and migraines lasting days. Anyway, I have also never had a bloody nose in my life and got one today, I don"t know if its related but seems odd. I am a healthy triathlete and this drug destroyed me.

I called my doctor and she told me to stop using it NOW, and put me back on the pill.

I broke out like a teenager after having NuvaRing in for about two weeks. Not only did my face break out but also my shoulders and back. Did anyone else experience this? I have also had severe headaches, nausea and depression. I thought I was going crazy. I used NuvaRing for a little less than three weeks but took it out because of the side effects.

I want to thank all of the women who posted on this website ..this is how we found out what was wrong with our daughter. She was on the NuvaRing for 4 years..she was extremely sick,...severe back pain, day and night sweats, memory fog, extreme irritability, hand tremors, hair loss, uncoordinated, weight gain, breast enlargement..the list goes on. She was so sick she couldn't stay awake..we had to move her back home. finally, one night we read what other women were saying, we called her up at midnight and said TAKE THAT THING OUT! She did and now 4 months later she is back to normal!!! She does have liver tumors that we are having checked out. My advise: GET OFF OF IT NOW LADIES!

I have been using the ring since Jan 2007 with no problems, the worst part has been putting it in and taking it out. But since May 2007 I have been having problems with my hair breaking and thinning, my hair dresser thinks it is stress or hormones. Last month I cut my hair very short and I am still experiencing breakage. I was wondering if anyone else has experienced problems with their hair.

I started the NuvaRing and never read the side effects for fear that I will come up with some imaginary symptom. The first few months were okay..but pretty soon I had migraines that wouldn't stop. They'd last 4 or 5 days and then go away for a few days and start back up again.

Well I know that with any medication that your body has to adjust. So I've been on it for 4 months now...and not only am I still sitting here typing with a migraine that I can't seem to kick, but my period has lasted over 12 days with no end in site. It's been heavy and very tiring. Typically my period lasts anywhere from 3-5 days and now I'm on day 12....when I asked for birth control I didn't mean keep my husband away for 12 days *laughing* This is PATHETIC. I'm about to quit. I can't even tell if the nausea I'm experiencing is from the headache of the medication...but either way I'm miserable.

IT'S AWESOME, I LOVE IT, NO BAD SIDE EFFECTS WHATSOEVER! MY BOOBS GREW A LITTLE BIT (REGULAR C CUP BEFORE, FULL C CUP NOW) MY SEX DRIVE IS BETTER THAN EVER, MY SKIN HAS CLEARED SO WELL THAT I CAN FALL ASLEEP WITHOUT TAKING MY MAKE UP OFF (YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE GETTING HOME AT 3 AM) AND NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT BREAKOUTS. I HAVEN'T GAINED ANY WEIGHT, ACTUALLY LOSING IT EASIER AND BASICALLY I'M JUST HAPPY.

PROLONGED PERIOD:
(Previously posted erroneously on the Loestrin FE24 page, but this relates to Nuvaring)

I have had a nonstop, heavy period for 9 straight days since using nuvaring. There is next to nothing in the materials they give with the product that warns of this, so I have spent the last two days reading all kinds of stuff on the web trying to figure out what is going on. They mention possible "breakthrough bleeding" which anyone other than a doctor would think of as spotting between periods. But this has been heavy bleeding for 9 straight days with no apparent "end" in sight.

I used nuvaring once about 3 years ago and did not have this problem. In fact, then it viirtually stopped my period. That concerned me, so I stopped taking it. I went back on after my doctor assured me the reduced bleeding was not a concern, and the main PURPOSE for my using it was to reduce my heavy periods and related anemia, Apparently they have changed (lowered) the hormone dose in the nuvaring, and for some of us it is insufficient, causing the "breakthourgh bleeding." (It has taken EXTENSIVE web searching to glean this information.)

I finally removed the nuvaring last night, and while I guess it may take some time, I want my body to normalize from this shock. I've had nausea, and now I am very fatigued from the extended heavy bleeding. This is NOT what I signed up for. Some responses out there suggest that this problem may "correct" itself in 1-3 months once the body adjusts to the hormone levels dispensed by the nuvaring, but personally I cannot endure this level of interference with my life that long, and the fatigue is becoming debilitating.

I think there needs to be improved warnings and disclosures with this product. Hope this helps someone searching for answers as I was. KN

I took the nuvaring last year for about three months and then broke up with my boyfriend. We got back together recently and I decided to try it again. My first period since I started three weeks ago has changed dramatically. Although I no longer have the horrible cramps I used to have, they have been replaced by a dramatic decrease in appetite- I have to force myself to eat once a day during this period. In addition, my mood has changed in a severe way. I have become highly sensitive and easily angered at the smallest of things. In retrospect, last year during the months I was on the nuvaring I experienced 3 fainting spells- which is highly unusual- and as abovementioned broke up with my boyfriend. I didn't make the connection untill now but I think the ring had a lot to do with all that. I plan to stop using this month.

I just started nuvaring 2 weeks ago after having my left ovary and tube removed due to endometriosis, I am only 23. I have been on 11 differtent b/c pills since the age of 15 because the hormones will "slow the proccess" of endo. I have had very bad reactions to all forms of b/c, even the patch which blistered my skin. Nausia, horrible mood swings, weight gain, severe cramps daily--every single day(due to endometriosis) but not like this! I had an immidiate discomfort upon inserting nuvaring, a yeast infection that wont go away- not to mention i am already on zoloft for depression--WONDERFUL stuff! But since nuvaring it is not working at all! And talk about headache!!! I cant sleep, not even with tylenol pm. The reactions to this nuvaring SUCK!! I would advise anyone who does not need b/c for a medical reason--please consider comdoms! They dont make you feel like yelling at everyone who looks at you or crying for no reason!

While I was on Nuvaring I became gradually depressed, gained weight, had sluggish thoughts, poor concentration , and also vision problems. My normal athletic self was weak, and I was angry all of the time. It never let up. Finally the depression became to much to bear, and so I went off. For a week and a half I have suffered from constant headaches, jaw and neck pain, and tingingly in my limbs. My concentration is poor. Then I developed panic attacks. Sometimes I start to cry for no reason (and I am not typically a crier -- its rare for me). I work in market research, and I spent my entire lunch break today crying on a bench in a mall I was sent to evaluate. I do not know what's wrong with me. I've read of similar side effects for other pills (Yasmin) and that they eventually fade, but there's not much info for Nuvaring... I despise the thing and its made a mess of the last few months of my life.