NuvaRing and acne

I'm 26 and i decided to go back on birth control after being off the pill for about 7 months, and i heard that the nuvaring was amazing. well im three weeks into it and i have the worst acne i have ever experienced in my life, my face, neck, back.... and I am extremely clean with my skin. I am also experiencing intense anxiety attacks about the smallest things. My sex drive is the same and wetness factor is not an issue, no redness or irritation or discomfort. I noticed my breasts are a lot fuller which isn't a bad thing. But despite that, I pulled it out today frustrated by the extreme acne and overall general mood, I am feeling like I am struggling to be happy and I have never had depression issues in the past. I just want to be myself again and not feel self conscious from acne covering my body. condoms seem like the best alternative to me at this point.

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..

I was just wondering if anybody who has STOPPED using the nuvaring got acne? The only good thing about using the ring is how clear my skin is. Also...If they had period problems...I read that when you come off birth control your body has to "remember" how to work naturally again because it's used to having the birth control tell it what to do. I have been on the ring for 5 years now and I am actually scared to stop using it. I have experienced every side effect there is and I really want to stop but..will it get better?

I cannot disagree with these negative postings more. I absolutely love the nuvaring. I have not gained any weight...of course I diet & exercise about 5 days a week....do those of you who have experienced weight gain exercise regularly? I have also had an INCREASE in my sex drive...I have been with my fiance for 5 years, and for the past 3 of those, I have had no sex drive whatsoever. I got on the ring & bam, it's there with a vengence...the only problem with that is that we're getting married in 2 weeks & I wanted to make it special & stop having sex a couple of months before the wedding...but I just can't get enough of it. I have dealt with depression & anxiety my entire 27 years of life, so if the nuvaring is causing that...it's not any worse than normal. The only side effects I've had is the discharge, (which yes, is very annoying) and tender breasts...but I can deal with that. Although I have noticed that I cry a bit easier...but I was always a crier as well. I cry when I'm mad, sad, happy...always have, so nope...guess that's not from the ring either. ALL birth control effects everyone differently. I'm not saying this for everyone, but sometimes a lot of people like to blame certain actions & physical changes on something & maybe this is the case...for some people. I've been on the pill before & I always got off it b/c of weight gain....well, it was b/c I wasn't eating properly or exercising. I liked to blame my mood swings on the pill as well, but once I thought about it, I still had those before & after taking the pill. The only reason I quit the pill was b/c it did give me acne. Anyway, just my thoughts....& I wanted to post something positive for the ring.

Oh my HELL!

Here's my story...

Well, first of all I am SO happy to read all of these posts.

I have been on the NuvaRing for about 8 months now... At first, it was GREAT! I had no side effects, I could maintain my weight, even my skin cleared up... But I don't know what all the sudden triggered it but here goes the list...

Nausea
Heartburn
Diarrhea
Headaches
DIZZINESS - and this is scary people, especially for someone like me who's never experienced anything like it
light sensitivity
ANXIETY - this also freaked me out... I'm a singer, I do all kinds of stuff on stage, but I'm SCARED!? all the sudden??? this makes no sense!!!
loss of sex drive
mood swings
fatigue
dry mouth
sore joints
acne worse than when i was 18

And the thing is, it worked, WELL, for a long time. But now, I'm convinced. The NuvaRing is Satan... even if it seems to work in the beginning... don't be fooled... I won't use hormones ever again. Ever.

I'm going to be fitted for a diaphragm and that's that. I can't wait.

Thanks for all the support!

I put in the the Nuvaring and within the first 4 hours I started to have a terrible headache. I called my Doctor who said to keep on with it, it was probably not related to the NuvaRing. I continued to keep the ring in. By the second day, I became very nauseas. By the 4th day, the most horrible pitting acne began. I stuck it out for 2 weeks, then yank it out. It has been out for 4 weeks, and I am still struggling with headaches,nausea,and skin problems. Also, waiting for a period as well. I would not recommend the ring to anyone it was horrible. Now, I keep taking pregnancy tests in fear that I am pregnant, since I have not had a period yet. My breasts are still so sore I can barely touch them. Tests are all negative. I'm still waiting for the hormones to flush out of my system.

I went on the ring a couple of years ago.I never had a problem with feeling it inside me or falling out. My boyfriend cant detect it either. It is convenient and easy to use. Around the same time of starting the Ring, I felt like I was starting to lose myself and sense of personality. I have experiences almost all of the above symptoms: major depression, acute anxiety, sleeplessness, weight gain, acne, fatigue, loss of sex drive, and now I'm learning that NuvaRing is linked to 12 deaths. Blood clots. Scary stuff. I am getting off this thing strait away and hopefully I can rediscover myself and my health. I guess I'm lucky my boyfriend stuck with me thru this. It can only get better from here....

Oh man, the NuvaRing is the devil! I just realized it caused me to gain about 20 lbs., be really depressed (while on Prozac even!), and made me have even worse acne than when I was 16! I've been on it for almost 2 years and I just took it out... for good! Thanks to this website I realized I wasn't crazy! I'm pretty pissed because it had so much potential. Oh well.

Glad to hear I'm not alone. After being off birth control for three months (to regulate my cycle after missing pills, etc), my doc started me on NuvaRing since I had trouble remembering to take the pill. I noticed that since I've had the ring in (1.5 months), I have been the Grouch. Moody, excessively whiny, and a very bleak outlook - despite a very pleasant and fortunate future ahead of me. My boss noticed it at work and I have since noticed, after taking a step back to evaluate, that I have been utterly irrational, to the point of b**chy.

Over the last week, I've noticed that the second ring that I put in has been sliding out. Not all the way out - but to the point of where it's uncomfortable and slightly painful - almost as if my body won't accept it and is, in way, trying to purge it from my body. Sorry to be graphic, but has this happened to anyone else?

I took it out yesterday and am experiencing major discomfort (dryness?) and UTI like symptoms. The nurse practioner gave me two new NuvaRing's to try. However, after reading this page, I'm questioning whether I should just buck up and force myself to remember to take the pill everyday.

Other side-effects include increased acne (when I was on the pill I noticed decreased acne - not increased!).

Thanks for your posts - very insightful.

I've decided to go off NuvaRing because I don't want to be on birth control if I don't have to be (no longer with the man I was dating). I decided to see if there were any side effects to coming off of the ring and after reading these comments SO MANY THINGS MAKE SENSE!

I've only been on it for two months, but I have been a lot more emotional and depressed. I get bouts of depression here and there and since I'm a college student I figure it's been stress, but it's been WORSE than normal! I cry ten times more often and I HAVE NO SEX DRIVE anymore. I literally have not had any desire to have sex as of lately. Also, I've been getting acne which I rarely do--only a zit here or there when I'm about to get my period.

After reading these comments, when I go back on birth control, I'm definitely thinking twice about going back to the ring.

I just took out the first ring. For the first week, I felt like I could rip someones head off. The second week, I had terrible acne. The third week, I had trouble having an orgasm. I think I am going to try it one more month and that is it for me and the ring. I swear I have never felt rage like I did the first week I had it in. It is convenient, but I really don't want to hurt anybody!

I have been on Nuvaring for almost 4 years and the pill for 6 years prior. I am 25 and now for the past 5 months not on any form of BC. I am having serious acne problems and my period has only come once in the past 5 months. I am wondering if anyone else is or has experienced coming off of Nuvaring and what I can expect and is there something I can take to get me back to normal. Thanks

I have been on BC for almost 10 years, I am 24, and decided to stop taking BC this past December. Since then I have noticed that my acne is getting worse and worse. I am losing weight, finally which I couldn't on the pill. But I have only had 2 periods in the past 5 months. I am wondering when my cycle will be normal?

Hey all,
I am meant to be starting the Nuvaring on Sunday. I was on Ortho Lo for about a year but gained significant weight on it and could not take the bloating so my Dr. switched me to Yasmin last month. I have been an emotional mess all month so we have decided to try another delivery method, the ring now and see if side effects are less for me. I am scared though in case I gain even more weight or have another month of depression. Has anyone had positive experiences switching?

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 have been using NuvaRing for a little over a year now. I am 38 years old. Over the past few months I have been experiencing incontinence problems...nothing major, I just sometimes felt like I had dribbled on myself. I had to wear pantyliner. I thought I was just getting older and had this to look forward to....I have since realized that the week I take out the ring I don't have this problem. I have also been experiencing major depression and am unable to control my temper...the least little thing sets me off! I want to sleep all the time and have no energy. Three months ago I started having migraines. My husband complains because I have NO sex drive, but when we do have sex I burn so bad afterwards I can't stand it. I have also been to 2 dermatologists for severe acne! I have felt like I am falling apart! After reading everyone's comments, I think that the NuvaRing is to blame.

I have been on the Nuva Ring for almost 3 years. I didn't realize that my rapid weight gain, my horrible acne, and my mood swings were the side effects of my BC. I have been telling people (ever since I have been on the ring) that this is the best BC out there. I am wrong! I have been trying for weeks now to loose weight, and by the way...I have gained about 35-40lbs, and only now am I seeing results, and that is because I have it out this week. I have no energy and absolutely no sex drive....like NONE! I always have discharge and after sex I have this burning sensation that I have never experienced before until using the ring. I have been tested so I know that nothing is wrong so I don't know why I didn't think that the ring was the problem till now. After reading some of the complaints and effects it has had on others that explains so much. I wish I would have seen this earlier because I would have gotten off of it years ago...and it would have saved me like 30lbs. I also sometimes have numbing in my right hand and I didn't know that was a side effect until I saw someone else say they had the same problem. So, I thought I loved the ring, and I thought all the problems I have been having was due to my own personal mishaps, but turns out....I hate the ring.

I am just turned 24 years old. I have done the ortho evra patch before and had no problems.. well two weeks ago i started the nuvaring.. i though it would be good as much as my doctor talked good about it and meaning it cost me 50 dollars for 1 ring.... well the first few days went okay i didnt have many symptoms.. well then i started noticing a yellowy discharge and had to wear panty liners and it made it feel like i was always wet there.. well then there ended up a smell there and yet i was washing the normal amount of times a day.. then i ended up with a uti that lasted a week.. as well as it was my birthday weekend and i spent most of it with mood swings.. mainly i was very depressed and spent alot of time crying or angry for no reason at all.. like every little thing got on my nerves.. i ended up feeling very tired and wanting to sleep alot but then would wake up in the middle of the night with cramps... Then ever since i started the ring my acne has been terrible.. i wash my face and use proactive but it didnt work.. well i had a pimple near my lower lip of my face and it hurt really badly well then this morning i woke up and the whole area around it was swollen and my lip was massive.. and right that moment i knew it was the ring.. so i took it out.. and since ive taken it out ive felt happier, still a bit tired but not as much, and the swelling in my face and lip finally went away.. and when i took the ring out i felt nausea and had a headache.. which was a typical ever day thing since i started the ring these werent like typical headaches they were very painful...

i do not recommend anyone to use the nuva ring no matter how good the doctors talk about it.. it causes depression and everything that everyone else puts out there.. i read this website after i had just put it in and i regret not listening to all the other woman on this site...

I am so glad I found this website. I have used the Ring for 5 months now and felt so depressed and tired for the past 3 months. I didn't want to get out of bed and isolated myself from my friends. I have been snappy and nasty to my co-workers because I just felt so irritable - like I wanted to crawl out of my skin! I now realize why I have gained weight even though I have tried diet and exercise for the past few months. My skin has broken out with acne which I have never had, even as a teenager. (I am 33) It was nice to forget about taking a pill every day and actually the ring increased my sex drive. But now I'm getting yeast infections and feel like my entire vaginal area is swollen and itchy when I take the ring out for a period. I won't be renewing this prescription!

In order to counter some of the very negative postings regarding side effects of NuvaRing, I'd like to share my experience.

I had at, at one time or another, tried many different birth control options, all of which gave me terrible side effects. All variations of The Pill left me depressed, with heavy cramps and acne. The Depo-Provera shot made me gain a lot of weight and suffer through continuous spotting and cramping. The patch made me consistently nauseated.

NuvaRing has been the only method of birth control that has given absolutely no negative side effects! I have used it for over 2 years and I love it. My acne has cleared, my periods are shorter and lighter. I have not felt an ounce of depression or decreased sexual appetite, and my boyfriend doesn't feel it at all.

I post this only as a reminder that BIRTH CONTROL AFFECTS EVERYONE DIFFERENTLY. I would hate for anyone to read these postings and be frightened away from trying a medication that could be as helpful to them as it has been to me.

Many of those who experienced severe depression on this message board also mentioned having been depressed and treated for depression before using NuvaRing, which to me indicates a clear connection between having an already existing mental condition and the increased occurrence of depression with the medication.

Again, I have been using NuvaRing for over 2 years and have not experienced any of the side effects listed here. The only way to know for sure how you will benefit or not from a medication is to try it for yourself.

Obviously this is just not the right birth control for some of you. I have actually felt better since I started NuvaRing almost 3 years ago. I'm afraid to go off of it because I don't want to go back to the horrible cramping & acne problems I was having before. It probably just depends on what level your hormones are at as to what birth control fits you the best.

I used the ring for five years and really didn't recognize the symptoms. I gained 9 pounds, got worse acne but it was really my happiness that suffered the most. My boyfriend broke up with me and so I stopped using the ring. Even while I was incredibly sad about the break-up, my mood improved so much I began to suspect the NuvaRing had been messing with me. The weight dropped off and I became way more recognizable to myself. I then tried it again. My appetite increased, I got really crabby and tired, I took it out after two weeks and the effects disappeared. I think I just have to realize these birth control options are serious medicine, and not built for everyone. I am thinking about getting a copper iud but am worried about that, too.

I have been on the NuvaRing since September. Not only have I lost any appeal to have my boyfriend touch me, I am an absolute bitch the majority of the time. I have horrible night sweats where I wake up soaked. I also have a lot of acne and random bumps all over my body. My cramps start about 1 week after I put the ring in and are sporadic over the menstrual cycle. Every time I put the ring in, I throw up for the first 24 hours.

This is wild that I googled NuvaRing side effects and found all of these recent posts. I have been on the ring for only a month but the breakouts on my face and CHEST have been horrible..Yes, I said chest. I have never had acne in my life and now I have it on my face and chest. I am 28 years old, I don't feel this is normal. I have also been exhausted. I will sleep for 12+ hours and feel like I could take a nap an hour later. Also, I never want to have sex..my fiance has no idea what has happened to me.

I'm taking this out immediately. This is not normal for so many women to have these side effects.

Hello, I have been on NuvaRing for about 2 months now. I have no sex drive at all. I don't want to be touched let alone even have sex. I feel dizzy all the time, get bad headaches, my heard will beat a million beats, I get very moody and mean to my boyfriend who has been so understanding. I hate being on it and I am taking it out tonight. I hope to get my sex drive back and be my normal self. oh also since using NuvaRing i have developed acne! i have never had it before ever and now I do!! There is nothing good about this ring....I guess one positive is you don't have to remember to take a pill once a day. I am going back to condoms. forget the ring.

i am 26 years old .

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've only been on it for a month, this is the second time it's in
I've noticed my acne has gotten much worse (i was told it would make it better?)
and I'm SO tired all of the time- i can never get enough sleep
i went for 2 pregnancy tests because i was just throwing up for no reason-
both were negative, so I'm guessing it's the ring making me throw up
the appetite change seems to be opposite for me though
i can't seem to make myself eat- food seems disgusting to me
complete loss in appetite

it's only been a month, and I'm going to keep it in until i go see my OBGYN on the 14th,
but it seems that all these affects are from the ring.

I'm so glad that I found this site and know that I'm not going through this alone. I started the NuvaRing after not being on birth control for 2 years. Previously I've been on the pill and the patch. I'd heard great things about the ring and thought I'd give it a try. The first three months I loved it. Around month four, I started having pain during sex. It felt like I wasn't getting lubricated enough. Then on top of the pain during sex, I would have a burning sensation after sex when I went to the bathroom. I've also been experiencing a lot of hunger and weight gain around my stomach, which hasn't ever been an issue before. The past month I've had little to no sex drive, and have to wait at least a day after sex before I can attempt to do it again. I'm only 27 and know this isn't normal. Last week I had my period for only 2 days. I thought there was something psychologically wrong with me, especially having no sex drive when I'm with someone that I'm incredibly attracted to. After reading everyone else's similar experiences, I'm taking this ring today and voicing my concern to my doctor first thing tomorrow. Best of luck to everyone in getting back to how we were before the ring.

I've been on NuvaRing for a few months a few years ago and the symptoms were very mild. I had mood swings, weight gain, reduced sex drive, etc. but they weren't serious, and although I did notice them, they weren't strong enough to adversely affect my life. I stopped using the ring a few months later because I didn't need because anymore for a while.

Then I started it again about 2 months ago. The first month was pretty much ok. The only thing I've noticed is that my eyes are getting dry faster, but that didn't bother me too much since I don't wear contacts. I was surprised that instead of decreasing, my sex drive actually increased, which was a good thing. Everything else was normal, even my acne weren't as bad as before. The next month however brought me frequent headaches. They would start in the morning and be severe enough to make me stop whatever I'm doing. They do respond to ibuprofen and then they are sometimes gone for the rest of the day and sometimes come back later. I'm removing the ring in a few days, so hopefully the headaches will stop. If not, I'm going back to my doctor to get checked out. I do like the ring since it's convenient and the first month was pretty good, but I need to do something about these headaches, because they prevent me from concentrating on my work and everything else.

I hope someone else can understand where I am coming from here. I started the NuvaRing about 3 weeks ago and it was my first form of birth control. I thought everything would be fine, but the only problem is that I am still on my period! It's been 3 weeks and it hasn't stopped yet. I know this is because of the NuvaRing because it's never happened to me before. Some people have told me that this can happen to some women when they start the ring, it still feels wrong to be losing this much blood. I'm taking 2 vitamins a day to keep from becoming anemic, but I guess my question is has this happened to anyone else? Is this normal, or should I be worried? I don't want to go to the doctor now and be fine in 3 days, but I just want it to stop. I'm currently on my ring-free week because I read that it can get better after you put the second one in, but if anyone has any insight at all, I would really appreciate it! Thanks!

I was on Nuvaring for just the 3 weeks and I took it out for the last week to get my period but I never got my period for that week. That week was a week earlier than I normally get my period so I put the ring back in for 3 days and I took it out for good. It's been almost a month since I took it out and still haven't gotten my period. I tood 2 pg tests and both said NEG! I had nausea, sleepiness, my allergies are worst, runny nose, sneezing, stuffy nose. I just haven't been the same. I have acne and my skin is oily. All these side effects and I'm off of the ring. It seemed like every time I put it in, I would catch some kind of cold.

I'm glad to know that there are other women out there with similar problems as me. I recently became engaged, sexually active and with that, became a new user of the Ring. It was reccomended to me by two family member s who love it and would never go back to all the other methods they'd tried in the past. I, however, am not as lucky as they are. I put it in on the first day of my period, as directed. My period lasted about 8 days when it usually lasts five and I had brown spotting for the rest of the month. Intercourse became very painful for me from the get-go. It was like a burning sensation and it was horrible enough that my fiance and I have not done it for two weeks. I went in to my gyno and she said I had a yeast infection and that the Ring was healthy for the vagina because the vagina LIKES the hormones in it and that the Ring should improve the atmosphere in the vagina, if anything. So, I've had two UTI's and a yeast infection since putting it in, bleeding after intercourse, maddening headaches, cramps, ACNE (which it is suppose to clear up), and severe mood swings. But, my doc won't switch me to the pill because she thinks that my body will adjust. I guess I'll just give it some more time and, if it doesn't straighten up within another couple of weeks, I'll demand something else because this just is not working for me as I had hoped it would!

I was on the ring for about two years and after about one year I started getting little panic attacks but then they started getting really bad. i just to be a super happy girl who was always nice etc. I startd being bitchy to my friends and family for no reason...the panic attacks woudl come out of nowhere and they really scared me. so i took out the ring 5 months ago and since then my acne is out of control, i have gained weight that i cannot seem to lose and i have yeast infections (which i also had on the ring)...however i have not had a panic attack. my body just feels really weird...i feel gross all the time and i am constantly bloated. i thought going off the ring would help me...has anyone else gained weight or had weird problems after stopping the ring?

I haven't been on the pill for a few years, but when I used it last, I didn't experience any bad side effects. So going on NR seemed a good idea, and hey! only have to remember once a month. Three weeks later, here I've spent the day researching depression on the internet. Even on vacation, everything going well, I have been as moody, irritable, and blue as Eeyore. I've needed a nap every day and can't seem to get it in gear. Not to mention the worst acne since high school -- yuck. I guess it must have been God who pointed me to this website: it's coming out tonight! Don't want to be another "wasted 3 years" statistic!

It's been over 5 years since I was on hormonal birth control, and I'm excited about the ring... The first month I was very ANGRY - not like me at all; also sleepy all the time and taking naps (also out of character).

Now in month 2, I'm bloated all the time, gaining weight, and have acne BUT I'm not as angry as last month (thank God!). I'm still tired, but maybe I just need to get more sleep!

I'm going to give it one more month and see if things even out. I will NOT be hapy with weight gain. I've had no discharge, no slippage, but have had pain during sex. I've also experienced several days where I wondered if I was getting an infection - both months now, I was swollen / inflammed and slightly itchy for about 3 days. I only get yeast infections when I take antibiotics, so this is not like me either. We'll see.

Well I have to say I have plenty of side effects! Most are bad though the good one is that it doesn't make my acne worse! I am 23 years old. I was on the NR back in 2005 after having been on the patch and ended up getting pregnant while on the ring. I never noticed any real side effects of the ring the first time I was on it. I started the NR again Aug. 2006 and have since had a steady weight gain (going from a size 12 being baggy to a size 14). I am now weight 155lbs and am 4'11.5" which is very overweight for my height. Also my family believes that the ring is causing me to have mood swings. I have headaches at least every day. My family thinks my face is bloated as well as my neck. Vaginal discharge is worse as well as having more infections and irritation. Loss of appetite, depression, and also my period is even more out of whack with severe cramping the first day of my period. Hope this helps other women on the ring.

I have been on the nuva ring for almost a year. I did not start noticing the side effects until I read about the side effects. I have had a headache since I started the nuva ring. When I wake up in the morning I have to lay in bed for a while because if i get up to fast my head will hurt so bad. I have also been on the patch, the shot, and the pill. I have tried almost everything. The shot was okay minus the 50 lbs. weight gain I would never get on that ever again just the weight gain alone made me depressed. Then I got on the pill I loved the pill I did not have a hard time remembering to take my pill. For some reason I wanted to try the patch and I got off of the pill. The patch turned me into the devil I was so mean to everyone. I did not have any side effects of weight gain with anything but the shot so all the other bc are okay in my eyes. Now the nuva ring is okay it's just my sex life is gone my husband just got back from Iraq in Jan. 06 you would think that I would be all over him. Wrong. I don't have the energy I don't even feel like playing with my daughter I just have no energy. And I realize that I cry a lot more and I never cried before this bc. I will be getting back on the pill I can not wait. I love Ortho tri-cyclen it made my acne go away. No more nuva ring. Oh yeah the discharge is really gross also you have to wear a pantyliner all the time.

starting the ring was awful for me, more so the 2nd month then the first, very dissy, to the point of not walking, black outs while driving. I was put on it for the massive pms problems. It might be endo I dont know, i am stuck in the battle of the doctors atm, and most all women in my family have it. b4 i started the ring i would cramp up to one week b4 starting my period. Now I constantly cramp all month, and my chest pains which are associated with my panic disorder has increased and my doctor put me on zoloft and visitine. As far as my mood has been going my depression has come back along with lack of sleep and night terrors. I have actually lost weight on the ring and my acne has cleared up with the aid of some cleaners. I have had no trouble with it feeling or acting like its going to fall out at any times, and i dont feel its there. The only reason i know its there is because of the light constant cramping i have during most of the month. I was on the path a few years ago and prefer the ring to the patch over any day. The path had far worse effects on my mood changes, i was on that for a year and things kept getting worse and it did not help with my cramps or bleeding, infact when i came off it my cramps had doubled. There are time i want to take the ring out but I am going to stick with it and hope for the best. But the ring is great for those of us that have a bad memory and there is a computer program that can be downloaded onto your computer that will remind you when to change it out. That is a very helpful aid!

I am 31 years old - I was on the pill (4 different ones) for 14 years. I decided to stop last year and start using a diaphragm. It was great - even lost 5 pounds! My doctor asked if I had ever considered using NUVA Ring b/c fertility can return quickly when stopped - I gave it a shot. First mistake was to go back on horomones....but, the side effects of NUVA Ring were horrible. After 4 months, I removed it. I had severe headaches, nausea, weight gain of 5 pounds (and I work out 6 times a week), dizziness, extreme lower back pain, acne, facial puffiness and terrible moodiness. How about the total lack of sex drive too? It was so bad that I removed it mid-cycle. It's back to the diaphragm for me - it's a little messy but well worth it - especially to go horomone free!