NuvaRing and anemia

I actually LOVED the convenience of the NuvaRing. However, I felt that over time, my sex drive had deteriated, I was getting more moody and irritable, and tired all the time. After talking to my Dr., she suggested that I try a low dose pill for a while and see if that helps. Regardless to taking any form of birth control, she told me, the female body will still have hormone changes and other body changes that are not controlled by or a side affect of your form of BC. It could very well have been that my body was changing on it's own, and due to that, I needed a BC change as well. I see some of you blame the Ring for some symptoms that could just be natural to your own specific body type. Talk to your Dr. to see if a switch would be the right thing for you. There may be other factors like stress, depression, anxiety and anemia that make your symptoms worse, not your NuvaRing.

Hello,
Just thought I would add some pro nuvaring commentary to the chorus of horror stories here. I've been on the nuvaring for about two years now and so far I have no babies (yay!) and no side effects I could confidently link to the ring. Like most women I get headaches (about once a week or so), experience pms, and my sex drive is not what it was in the first few weeks of my relationship but I'm unwilling to ascribe any of these 'side effects' soley to the ring. In particular I find it difficult to believe as some of your postings indicate that the side effects of the ring seem to be worse than the pill- depression, weight gain (in one post 40-50 lbs!), headaches, etc. when the dosage or hormones is lower. So I guess simply put, I am satisfied with the ring and although it's not my place to criticize another woman's choice of birth control, I wouldn't let these posts scare you away from what is, in my experience, the best form of hormonal birth control based on its user-friendliness and lower dosage of hormones.

I am glad to see this site.

I love the NuvaRing. All in all, it has been great. It took a few months to get over headaches and nausea, but I finally did.

The problem, however, just started last Monday. I switched to a 28 day in, 7 day out schedule. On day 21 (my former removal day), I started spotting. Then it progressed to heavy bleeding. It is now day 6, and I haven't stopped. I am due to remove the ring tomorrow for a 7 day break, and I hope I won't bleed then, too. I am so weak and tired; I've been taking iron supplements to help with the blood loss and anemia. I hope my cycle balances out, and this doesn't happen again! It's been frightening.

after reading this site, I decided to get off the NuvaRing and see if any of my medical problems would change.
The weekend before I decided to take it out permanently, I passed out twice from ambiguous lightheadedness (much like anemia but definitely tested negative for that).
It's only been 2 weeks, and I feel so much better already!
NOTABLE CHANGES:
-I have a SEX DRIVE again! I'm only 21 and when I was on the ring I never wanted sex with my long term partner (or anyone, even my self, for that matter). In the 2 weeks it's been out I've felt my libido come back to life.
-I haven't been napping! I used to come home from school and sleep 3-4 hours every single day. I feel much more awake now, even after 2 weeks.
-I have developed a minor daily headache. I think this might just be my body adjusting to the lack of hormones.
-I'm actually losing weight! I gained about 20 pounds on the ring, and even when I worked out regularly I couldn't get rid of it. In the past 2 weeks I've already lost 3 pounds, on the exact same exercise plan that did nothing for me for the previous 6 months.
-My dreams are significantly more realistic and I can remember them- I take this as an indicator that my general mental state is much better. I honestly feel like I've been re-introduced to my imagination which has been in a NuvaRing hibernation or something.

i was skeptical that the NuvaRing was the cause of my problems until NONE of my bloodwork (and I had TONS done) turned up any other possible reasons for my chronic fainting.
In the 2 weeks since I've been off the NuvaRing, I've already seen an incredible shift.

I was hesitant at first to acknowledge this, because when I first got on the ring it felt like a godsend- lower hormones meant I was less depressed than I was on orthotricyclin and i felt healthier all around --- at FIRST that is.
After almost 2 years of being on the Ring I almost feel back-stabbed by it... I'm not sure what changed but I am definitely willing to attribute my medical and mental problems to this drug.

Be careful, and be aware of your body.
If something feels wrong, figure out what it is, and don't risk your health.

I started taking NuvaRing in June and have discontinued use. It may work for some women but if you have had depression in the past or any sort of anemia, talk to your doctor thoroughly.

For the past two weeks I've cried almost everyday. I have had anxiety attacks and have felt extremely tired and not in the mood to do anything from sex to going out to eating. I developed some sort of rash from the discharge as well. I'm going to the doctor today to make sure I don't have an infection from something else. It's just a coincidence that I've developed all of this while simultaneously taking NuvaRing.

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