NuvaRing and condoms

Hello. I am 25 years old and have been using the ring for about three months now. I just removed it today. I have also tried the patch, Yasmin, and yaz before switching to the ring. I am very sensitive and birth control has always seemed to make me sick. Although lately i have been having weird vision things like little flashes of light, or very quick dimming for like a 10th of a second. I also suffer from anxiety and have many physical symptoms of anxiety including headaches which seemed to have increased since starting the ring. Has anyone else heard of weird vision changes. I saw my doctor today and she wasn't sure, she wants me to come back tomorrow morning. My blood pressure is also elevated. I also have chest pains which are due to anxiety but seem worse with the ring. And it takes me a long time to have an orgasm with the ring. I feel scared lately and man my husband and i hate using condoms but i don't know what else to do! Ahhh it sux being a woman. Why cant they hurry up and make a birth control for men huh? any responses would be really appreciated.

hey guyz. I'm writing this all the way from Greece.
Im 26 and this is the first time i used contraception. Im in a relationship for two years now and i thought it would be a good idea to give it a try. I am a smoker (not heavy one, smoke like 5 to 8 cigarettes a day). My doctor gave me the Nuvaring as he said there are no side effects.
I am by my nature a livey person expressing my feelings and stuff. Im wearing the ring for two days now and i feel already nauteus. In the beginning i thought it was ok but my mood is turning really bad... Im scared with no reason and feel awkward... I don't know if that is all in my mind or because of the Nuvaring but when i found the website and the lawsuits and all the complaints i took the ring of me and never let it back in... I prefer to suffer a little bit more with my boyfriend (which by the way is amazing and waaaay to supportive) and go back to condoms than to risk my mental and body health. At the bottom line whats the gain if you do unprotected sex when ur not mentally healthy???

Anyhow thats all from me. Good luck to you all :)

I've been only a week with NuvaRing. I've experienced depression, vaginal dryness, vaginal itching, after only 3 days of using it I got a nasty yeast infection, I didn't find my boyfriend attractive anymore, I got offended easily, Also I got this BAD headaches, and cramps "down there" very frequently. Also I got a strange rash on my vag, accompanied with the itching. I don't like NuvaRing at all. I took it out today, since I couldn't sleep because of the itching and the cramps. Bad experience. When is my boyfriend going to get fixed... Back to condoms it is.

I'm 45 years old and I have been on Nuvaring for about 2 years, and I think I will stop this month when my cycle is over. I have had severe depression, mood swings, crying incessantly at times, mad about everything, wake up in the middle of the night, hot flashes (that's probably pre-menopausal), but for the most part, have had weight gain, insomnia, and a lot of the other symptoms other people on this board are describing. I'm not going to have kids, so I think going back to condoms will be the best option for me and my spouse, he's been very worried about my mood swings lately, as they always happen the week before I take out the ring. When I asked my doctor about it, he said that's probably not the cause, but he's not experiencing what I am going through, so I have to attribute this problem to the Nuvaring. I have also lost all my sex drive and have dryness and need lube for intercourse, which never happened to me until I got on the Nuvaring, I'm done with this crap too!

I am 41 year old medical professional. I have been using NuvaRing for 3 years, since my youngest son was born. I have recently developed severe heart palpitations and bigeminy (an irregular heart rhythm which occurs 20 or more times a day). My heart tests are normal. I stopped all allergy and other meds except NR when my heart problems started. I also have constant anxiety and feeling down, moodiness, insomnia with frequent waking during the night, fatigue and constant feeling sleepy, very low libido and vaginal dryness, frequent yeast infections, and skin itching and rash. I am trying to get an IUD but my GYN can't get a good pap smear because my cervix is so friable (bleeds easily) and the blood obscures the cervical cells. I took my ring out today because my friend saw an ad from a lawyer talking about the side effects of Nuvaring and thinks my heart problems are from the ring. I am done. Either my husband can get a vasectomy or it is back to condoms! It's not worth it! Good luck to all of you.

I was on the pill for years and eventually decided to have a break from pumping hormones into my body... After about a year my boyfriend and I were getting sick of condoms so I decided to ask my gp about other possible options as i didn't want to go back on the pill due to the weight gain I had experienced previously. I started on Nuvaring about 6 months ago and originally loved it. No weight gain (except for my boobs which wasn't something i was going to complain about!) and no crazy mood swings etc. But about a month ago I realized that my sex drive was COMPLETELY GONE! I had always had a really high libido and was constantly pestering my man about how we needed to have more sex! Now I have no desire for sex whatsoever. I just cant be bothered at all. and when we do have sex im so dry, even when I feel turned on I have no lubrication down there at all. Also over the past 3 months i have developed really really dry itchy skin on my face that is only getting worse and nothing i do seems to help, so Im wondering if this could have something to do with the nuvaring...?
Im taking it out tonight because i cant stand my total lack of interest for sex and am also hoping it has been causing the problem with my skin... fingers crossed!

I had been on BCP a couple of years ago but was really terrible about remembering to take a pill every day. I went off of those because I was no longer sexually active, and I didn't see any reason for it. When i met the man of my dreams and became active again I wend to my Dr. to go back on Birth Control I told her about my previous lack of ability in the pill-taking department and she prescribed the NuvaRing for me. At first I thought it would be great! I couldn't ever feel it, I never had the problems with slippage that other people seemed to complain about, and it didn't even bother my boyfriend or I during sex. After 2 months on the ring though, last night was my day to put it back in, and I didn't. My libido wained to absolute zilch (in talking with my BF about this last night, we realized that we had only made love 3 times in the past 2 months) I just never wanted it. The times that we had made love, I suffered from extreme dryness, to the point where it really hurt a lot, even using lube. I also suffered through 2 UTIs and a Yeast infection in the last 2 months. (not to mention the 10 lbs I've gained, and the crazy irritabless/depression that the poor guy has had to put up with for the last 2 months... best described by me as "a boat load of crazy")

My BF and I discussed it last night and we decided it was best for me to stop using the NR to see if my libido comes back (it seems to be on its way already) and see if the dryness improves. I think my boyfriend put it best when he said "if it makes it so that you never want sex, and when you do - it hurts, that's one hell of a birth control. Can't make babies if you never make love!"

We decided to just continue using condoms as we have even with the BC. (I know they're not perfect) We realize that there's a risk of getting pregnant, but like he said "We'll cross that bridge if we come to it."

I'll see how this next month or two goes... if I am back to normal, it's got to be the NR.

I have been on the NuvaRing for my 3rd month now. I seriously just went into the bathroom and took it out! I have been having some intense anxiety, and I swear my hair has been thinning out, and feeling depressed. Not to mention I've been gaining weight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I looked at the NuvaRing website and seriously I have experienced almost every single symptom. I have not felt like my normal happy go lucky self the past 3 months and was wondering if it was just me. Now I know it's just the nuvaring. I also experienced extreme extreme headaches. My head feels like it will explode, for hours on end. The only way to get rid of those headaches is to sleep. Also I have never been so chubby in my life, I've always had a nice stomach and now it's getting flabby.... like seriously.... this is not even worth it. I'm so glad that I read this website and that everyone is experiencing the same problems with this as I am. I think I'm going to just stick to condoms bcuz that's going to be so much healthier for me! Too bad if my hubby doesn't like it.... I just can't take all these crazy changes... or else I'm going to go crazy! I've also been kind of crazy like totally filled with anxiety or feelings or resentment. Sex kills with the nuvaring! It hurts so bad. I'm not sure why, but it burns like heck. I've also felt fluid retention, big time! And my legs are super achey. Does anyone else have achey legs? And oh my gosh, my boobs hurt so much from the hormones NR injects into me. I feel like their getting like too big. Also over the past three months I haven't had any appetite, which would make you think that you would loose weight... right? WRONG! I have actually been gaining weight! So dumb! Take my advice and don't go on the NuvaRing, it's a waste of your time... and your life. Your life will change when you go on it, and you won't recognize it at first... but believe me, it will. I've also experienced the brown discharge for the first month, and changes in my menstrual cycle. & on my honeymoon I got a yeast infection bcuz the NuvaRing!!!!!!!!! That was pretty much the worst!

hey everyone, i am 23 and just started using bc like a month ago. I am on th nv and the 1st 3 weeks seem fine then i got my period like 3 days after i took it out.now my period usual last 5-7 days and i notice i was having bad cramps and a brown discharge. So i decided to put the ring back in yesterday and sure enough the cramps stop but i still have this nasty sticky brown discharge. what the hell is wrong i feel like taking it out and just sticking to using condoms bc i can't deal with the mess. i pay to much for underwear for them to be ruined by brown sticky stuff.....
If i take it out what will happen i am planing to go to Florida in like 6 days and don't want the brown mess. Yuck....

I'm 21 and I have never been on any kind of birth control method. I decided to get on the Nuvaring because I had a pregnancy scare. My boyfriend and I have only ever used condoms, but one broke and that was enough for me. I've been on the Nuvaring for about 2 weeks. I normally get my period every 35 days and the only cramping I ever experience is the first and second day of my period. After the first week I noticed I had some light cramping and thought nothing of it, but as time went on the cramping only seemed to be getting worse. I told my doctor about it and she advised me that it was probably my body trying to get used to the ring. Never having used birth control before, I tried not to worry. Then, I noticed some other changes that concerned me since it wasn't like me to feel that way. Aside from the cramping, I had been feeling very depressed about my life and where I was headed for some reason, and my sex drive was depreciating. My boyfriend noticed of course and I had no idea why I was feeling that way. It wasn't until I came across this website that everything started to make sense. I thought I was the only one experiencing these changes. I'm definitely going to change birth control methods. I just don't know what is the best out there. Can anyone help me?

WOW...i have been on the nuvaring since January 2008 and i must say...i had the heavy bleeding and cramps until like..last month
since last month i had a period that only lasted 3 days...which is crazy wince there usually about 5-7 days. it was short and light....and my sex drive is also decreased...like..a lot lol, it frustrated my bf sometimes...but he understands...

i just hope using the nuvaring and the pull out method are good enough! (condoms are painful for him, and not very sensual for me)

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

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

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

I decided to google "nuvaring side effects" after putting two and two together today...

Due to some complications, I switched from OrthoTriCyclen Lo to NuvaRing about 5 months ago. Having been on OrthLo for so many years (about 4, and Ortho regular for about 5 years), my uterline lining was shedding, which in turn caused bleeding in between my periods. I had heard good things about NR, so I asked about switching to that. First month seemed good... then I started noticing changes in my body and emotional state of mind.
Started with nausea, then I ran the gamut - headaches, back pain, fatigue, mood swings, LOSS OF SEX DRIVE & WEIGHT LOSS (the worst two).

Being that I am generally a pretty stable 27 year old woman, all of these little things stood out but I couldn't figure out what was going on. The weight gain got me good... I gained about 8 lbs - which is A LOT for me. I work out 6 days a week and have a very healthy diet - nothing had changed except my birth control, i.e. the ring. I even started up'ing my cardio 30 more minutes a day to get back to normal, but to no avail. Traumatizing. And the no yearning for sex thing is horrible too... my poor fiance.

While there is no way to tell for sure that NR is the cause of all these side effects, it only seems rationale. It would be too much of a coincidence that so many of us women have these neg effects - all similar.

After reading most of these reviews, I got on the phone and called my gyno. Plan is to stay off everything for one full period (plus the withdrawal period), then to switch back to an oral contraceptive. Just have to use condoms in the meantime - small price to pay to avoid all the nasty sides effects.

NR has already been removed. Thank you all for sharing... this made me want to share, as well.

I am 25 years old and have been on nuvaring since July of 2007 (so 2 full years now). I didn't really start to notice any symptoms until June of 2008. I didn't have any of the weight gain (I actually lost weight--probably due to a battery of other side effects I'm now noticing-- I was 125 in college and am 114 today).

In June 2008 my periods started to get REALLY BAD! I mean I would put a tampon in and an hour later be leaking like a river. I was at a movie one night and actually had to tie my sweatshirt around my waist and run to the bathroom because I had bleed through my jeans SOOOOOOO bad. For the last year I've had to change my tampon every 2-3 hours and always, always, always use super sized pads to make sure I don't bleed through any more clothes! I've noticed clotting the past few months as well. Before that I had NEVER passed clots during my period.

Since April of 2008 I've been in a serious relationship with a loving man who recently became my fiance. We are deeply in love, but I have ABSOLUTELY NO DESIRE to have sex, none. This is worsened by the fact that sex causes me UNIMAGINABLE pain and burning to the point I try to avoid it at all costs (we've tried condoms, water based lubes, silicon lubes, gels, you name it, all to no avail!). I went to the OB/GYN in February of this year (2009) to tell her about my painful sex experience, because this was something completely new to me. She said I had vestibulitis (very similar to vaginitis) and gave me pills and creams to take everyday twice a day for the rest of like forever to try and help me. From reading some of these posts I'm thinking that getting rid of the nuvaring might just help more than those pills and creams (and the nuvaring probably gave me the damn vestibulitis to begin with!). I am also hoping to get any of my sex drive back at all. Please!!

The past two weeks is where the headaches, neck pain, dizziness, fatigue, nausea have really started to become noticeable. I almost couldn't finish making the bed yesterday and I've had a headache and neck pain for the past 8 days straight! I am constantly tired and have realized looking back that I've been constantly tired for pretty much the past two years. I've also realized that I've had some mild depression for the past two years as well. I pretty much haven't wanted to get out of bed or eat anything for the past few months and have no desire or energy to do pretty much anything.

I also think I have the mood swing issue. I cry, and I mean to the point I can't speak, over the stupidest things. And the crying comes on with no warning. I can be talking and fine one minute and a sobbing mess the next. I get really angry with my fiance for what seems like trivial things a lot lately. I get very irritable really easily and it seems. This is strange for me because in the past I have normally been able to stay pretty stable and even keel emotionally.

I took my ring out today, even though I really have like 10 days left for this month. Back when I was 19 and started on the Pill I did so because my cramps and periods were so bad I missed class or work. I am hoping that the next couple months aren't quite that bad, but I'm hoping to detox my system of this ring and start over. AND GET MY LIFE BACK!

I started the ring because of it's easy "put it in and forget about it for three weeks" convenience. When I was younger I was always forgetting to take the pill. I am not sure what kind of birth control I'll go back to when in a couple months, but I know it isn't going to be this EVIL RING!!!

Hmm, after reading all of this ive decided that my decision after medicaid declined my ring for 3 more days to finally get off of it was right. Ive noticed that within the past 2 weeks ive had more energy, my headaches are not as bad, and ive not been having the crippling stomach pain i have after i eat some foods. Ive been on it for about a year and a half, i tried depo but i gained 40pds while on it, so i moved to the nuvaring, as i had it 3 years ago right after i had my daughter. While on it and it still hasn't went away, i have pain during sex, burning after sex, stomach cramps, lower stomach cramps, headaches, Ive had 2 bouts of chest pain that made me freak out because i about went to the hospital, I am overweight, i was only 215 when i had my daughter, and was healthy and played basket ball, and now im 265. The doctors complain at me, but i did remodel for 2 months and lost ONE pound. All while taking care of a two year old. I got two yeast infections within 6 months and id never had one ever before (im 22 this month)All these problems combined with my back pain from my accident, Ive decided, im going to use other methods like condoms and spermicide. i cant take the hormonal crap.

I am 22, and a newly wed. I have been using NR since i was 18. I have been pretty happy with it until this last couple months when i have started to have some severe side effects. I actually ended up in the ER the 29th of may. i had some weight gain at the beginning but i figured that it was normal and didn't think too much of it. When i went to the ER it was because of how much pain i was in with my lower abdomen. They said they THOUGHT it MIGHT be a ruptured cyst. I went to the doctor the next day and she said that it wasn't. Since then i have noticed that my hair has been falling out, im a very thick haired blond. (not fair!!) the pain in my uterine area has been crippling. I ended up quitting my job due to nervous break down because of the pain and the not knowing why. I have abnormal pap smears the months that i used the nuvaring. Body aches, massive head aches, depression, moodiness, heavy excruciating periods, back aches, nausea, breast tenderness, and more and more weight gain. I have gained about 50 lbs since starting NR. I used it because i am AWFUL with pills. So that leaves me with nothing other than condoms, and they hurt me. When my husband and i have sex, WHEN we have sex, it hurts before, during and after. To the tune that my husband is afraid to have sex with me, for fear of causing me pain. So what to do?

Like many of you, I am relieved and thankful that I had the patience to click around a bit and find this website.

I have only had the ring in for five days and this afternoon I realized that my breasts were extremely tender and swollen. The more I thought about it, the more I also realized that my mood has been absolutely awful for these entire 5 days. I'm a pretty emotional girl as it is, but it's been ridiculous! Angry, impatient one minute, sad and pensive the next minute. Really not what I'm used to. Not only that, but I've had some spotting as well. What's worse I've already gained about 6 lbs and have been eating like a monster. At this rate, I definitely do not want to see what happens if I keep it in any longer.

I've been on birth control for once in my life prior to this, for about a month in high school, and that also messed with my body a bit. My mother raised me not to put any hormones in my body, and although I'm older now and it might be an added measure of protection, I know that I am not willing to allow my physical and mental well being to be this affected. My boyfriend and I always have protected sex, and although I can get a bit paranoid around that time of the month, I am going to make it a point not to since we use condoms properly and they have been around for such a long time for a reason.

GIRLS, GIRLS, COME DOWN... DON'T YOU SEE IS A BIRTH CONTROL. LOL. OHH MY GOD. I ALSO EXPERIENCE SIDE EFFECTS RIGHT AWAY. AFTER READING ALL THIS. I JUST CAN ADD THAT IT REALLY WORKS FOR A BIRTH CONTROL WHICH IS THE TARGET OF THIS PRODUCT. IT GIVE YOU NO SEX DRIVE. AND WITH ALL THAT MOODY AND ALL OTHER ONES, JUST MAKE OUR CUPLE STAY AWAY FROM US. SO, I RATHER USE CONDOMS AND EXPERIENCES QUALITY SEX. ACTUALLY MAKE LOVE GIRLS. OR THIS PRODUCT WILL TAKE AWAY OR HAPPINESS, OUR MEN, HEALTH AND MORE IMPORTANT OUR LIVES.
LOVE, GULL.

My daughter is 18yrs old. She has a 4 month old baby. She started taking NuvaRing 1 month ago. She has had major hair loss since then. Her hair is normally thick coarse and curly. She now looks as if she has a receding hairline, it goes about 3 inches back on her temples. She only has baby hair there now. I decided to look up NuvaRing, because her hair loss is definitely abnormal even after having a child. Very large globs of hair in the drain and then again in her brush DAILY! Hair loss does not run in my family or my husbands.

She was also crying for a whole week, everyday she was angry and sad. It was driving me crazy. Such extremes, I would rather have another grand baby than have my child go through that (hopefully I wont anytime soon). She is going back to using condoms, until we find something better.

I took the Nuvaring for 3 years. I switched to it from the pill because of the side effects I was having from that, and the nuvaring supposedly has a lower dose of hormones (plus I thought it would be nice to not have to remember to take it). On the pill I was an emotional wreck (I'm normally a very easy-going/happy person), which did get a little better on the ring. When I went on the ring, my libido completely disappeared, and every time my husband and I had sex, it was extremely dry and painful for me. I got frequent splitting headaches, and had several stomach problems (constant cramping and bloating). I still had some small bouts of depression and frequent mood swings. I went off the NuvaRing in Nov. '08. My last period lasted 2 weeks, and was very heavy and painful. I am very happy to not be on the ring any more, and all of the symptoms I have listed here have gone away since I took my last ring out.

Okay, I had to stop reading all these posts because it all makes sense now! Never even attributed half of my symptoms with NuvaRing and so I got up in the middle of this and took the thing out for good. I just started the NR about 1 week ago and I was joking with my boyfriend that my lack of sex drive but be how the birth control works. haha I haven't used anything besides condoms for about 6-7 years until now.

Lost all my sex drive
burning sensation the one time I had sex
Food cravings and weight gain
MOODY, I am such a light-hearted person and now everything ticks me off and trying not to be mean to my new boyfriend...but DON'T TOUCH ME
Breasts are so sore. Can't touch them at all.
Night sweats
Sleepiness
all day blahs and no desire to work or be productive
Stop wearing my contacts because of dryness.

All of this within a week. I thought I was crazy and got online to check low sex drive as a side effect for NR and found a lot of similar symptom with other people that I would have never put with the NR. I will wait a week or two and then come back and update to see if I go back to normal.

Holy Moly...Basically I think all birth control methods suck, especially hormone based ones. Women always bear the brunt of the hideous side effects.
Used rhythm method for years, no problem. Conceived 2 kids when I wanted to. Afterwards, I thought Mirena would be good idea. AWFUL! Stupid thing poked him and me. OUT! Started Nuvaring 2.5 months ago. Sound familiar: Great for first month...I thought. Didn't fall out which was the big thing I had heard about. Now, noticing 1) weight gain despite running, tennis, etc. and following weight watchers. 2) Thin, brittle hair. 3) knee and joint pain which makes exercise hard (thought it was my sneakers) in addition to upper-thigh soreness. 4) IBS symptoms for first time in 38 years! Bloating, diarrhea, gas, etc. 5) trouble staying asleep despite fatigue 6) new level of fatigue 7) vaginal dryness which never had EVER before hormones! 8) increasing disinterest in sex.
So, yup, took it out yesterday after finding this site. NO more hormones for me! Abstinence or condoms, I guess. Geesh.

Oh, forgot to add -- the few times I have actually had sex while on the NuvaRing I had this intense burning sensation to the point where I was almost in tears and I had to ask him to stop!! Has anyone else experienced this??

I am absolutely convinced that my life has been negatively affected by Nuvaring, and it took me a year and a bout of terrible depression to figure it out. I would NOT recommend it.

Now that I look back on a year ago when I started taking Nuvaring, my undiagnosed depression took a turn for the worse and thoughts of suicide took over my life.

I got over that with pills to help with depression symptoms, but then started realizing that perhaps my mood swings (i can be emotional but this is extreme), bloating (i didn't realize what that really meant until I read that sometimes it makes you look pregnant, which happened to me), vaginal itching (yuck), maybe just isn't entirely my own fault. What really got to me recently is that I had what people call migranes with aura or ocular migraines earlier this year around October, and I didn't think much of it. But then it happened to me again at work earlier this week, and it was awful. I had to lay down and go home early. This morning I woke up with a terrible headache which has not gone away. I also remember a period of time months ago when I always had a headache.

Why didn't I do anything? Well it seems ridiculous to pin all this on the ring....UNTIL you do a simple search on google like "nuvaring side effects". I am happy to hear that I am not alone, outraged that nuvaring would not list some of these obviously prevalent side effects, and glad to be moving on. Now my challenge is to find another form of bc, because condoms are...condoms.

i love the internet. you can find so much on nuvaring effects it calms me down a bit.

im 21

so i started nuvaring on March 1st. sex a week later, and then the second week i started getting very sick, terrible nerves and stomach aches. i cried all the time so much that i was sent home from work almost everyday for 2 weeks. surprised i wasn't fired... goodness. i took the ring out the middle of the 3rd week it was in and debated using it again. i decided i would after reading all the other comments and reviews. i put the ring back in and all ive been experiencing this month are slight headaches and the brown discharge. the discharge freaked me out a little at first, but ive read that its normal and just your vagina cleansing due to the hormones? anyways. okay i haven't gotten my period yet and i took the ring out a few days ago. im a little worried, but i haven't shown any symptoms of pregnancy so i guess im okay. ive read it is also normal to be late or miss it while on it. i really like the nuvaring, but if it doesn't work out ill go on the pill. my love doesn't feel it during sex either. but he likes to play a little sometimes when he's fingering me.... silly boy. im also losing weight. ive lost 4 lbs since being on it. well i guess since i started having sex. haha. we don't use condoms during sex, just vaginal film sometimes. things have been great the past 3 weeks. im hoping this continues and no pregnancy occurs! hope this was helpful to others.

i recommend this to people under 180 lbs (due to it is more effective if under that weight) and as long as you can bear the terrible sickness for the first month you should be fine. take Vitamin B-complex, it helps to balance out the depression and stress. its like a natural anti-depressant. if you freak out a lot then use a second method when you are on it.

This site and you ladies saved me!!!!!! I thought I was going crazy! I am having so many side effects mentioned. I started the ring because I was on depo and was tired of gaining weight and breaking out, etc. In my earlier BC years I maintained 125lbs now thanks to depo and the ring I am 150lbs and it won't go away, even while exercising 4 days per week. Anyways, I also had a sinus infection that I was treated for 2x's during my ring bout. While this was going on I started having panic attacks, then I had a couple bacteria infections(BV) followed by YI's which of the 5-6 diflucans I took none worked. I have been on the ring for 5 months and last week I started my sixth ring. Over the last month I have experienced intense burning, irritation, raw feeling, NO SEX DRIVE, (It hurts too bad) it had been going on for some time but this month had been the worst. I went to DR. and they diagnosed me with cervicitis. WTF??? I had no idea what it was! I had never heard of it.. I assume after researching the causes of cervicitis that the Nuvaring put pressure on my cervex and caused the inflammation b/c I do not have STD"s. My boyfriend had to also be treated along with me by antibiotics b/c its considered an STI.Last night I threw the ring I had in away after reading the postings of this site and I"M DONE with this torture device... I know that had I not got rid of it I would keep feeling all the wonderful symptoms i had been rewarded with! Now I am looking forward to a long nasty painful heavy period after being on BC for 10+yrs.. I am done with all BC!!!! TOO MANY side effects, and I am ready to let my hormones return to normal. Guess its back to condoms and puling out in the hopes they work.. Could anyone tell me how long until this burning and irritation goes away that has discontinued use of the ring??? I would greatly appreciate any comments or answers.

I used Nuvaring for a couple years but quit using birth control (except condoms) a year ago. After about a year or so of using it, I would bleed during/after intercourse. This would occur a few days before and a few days after my cycle. Not pleasant. Over time though, it got to be a regular occurrence. The only time I didn't seem to bleed was during the middle of my cycle. So basically, my husband and I had a few days each month when we weren't worried about ruining sheets. After intercourse, I continued to spot for days. The other side effect was the "pregnancy mask" in which parts of my face would darken more than others when outside (even with regular use of sunscreen). Skin is better. Bleeding is getting better. (BTW, had a vaginal ultrasound and two gynecologists tell me they couldn't find anything wrong).

I'm 19 and I just got the NuvaRing today.. but I will be going on it in about 2 weeks... I've never been on any birth control before (just condoms) so well see how this works out... A few of my friends really like so that's why I'm deciding to try it... I'll let all you know how this works out.....

It's great to read all these side affects to put things in perspective. I've been on the ring for about two years now and am finally getting off it and exploring my options, which is how I got directed here. Things that now appear to be symptoms and not me getting old (at 26) and falling apart: moodiness, in that I shut off completely to my partner and feel very blank in general; depression; major digestion problems that run the gamut; cramping in my side, migraines; nausea; sensitive breasts; chest pains...Man the list goes on and so many of these have been listed here. Good to know, and I wish I had read this site two years ago instead of feeling like a hypochondriac or an over-sensitive nutcase. Thanks to everyone who's posted, but also: what do you use now, those of you who've stopped? This is the only birth control I've ever been on, besides condoms etc.

Just started with Nuvaring a week ago. Haven't been on any birth control in over 5 years. I don't know if these are common to all hormonal birth control methods but have been experiencing nausea, dizziness, anxiety, mood swings, pelvic soreness, and I can feel the ring; in general and during intercourse. My boyfriend can feel it, too. Also, there is some vaginal discharge that smells funny. Not strong, just funny. The mood swings are intense, from crying for almost no reason, to a strong sense of anxiety. My sleep has been disturbed due to a general sense of nervousness. I think after this month, I will switch to the pill.

I started NuvaRing and I have no complaints about it. I do not understand what other people's problem are. I found this site because while on NuvaRing. my period was regulated, almost to the hour, and when I got off I never know when it will come. I stopped taking NuvaRing because I stopped having sex, but the year before this I stopped taking it and did not have a period, which was my only concern and scare. Since I stopped taking NuvaRing, I feel that my hormone levels have changed quite considerably. I don't think of myself as having any mood swings that were unmanageable, I would get angry for no reason. I have had a few stomach pains for "no reason," but I don't blame NuvaRing, fortunately, I was advised by my doctor and instructed how to use it properly, I looked into the side effects, I do not smoke, and I typically would use condoms, although not always when on NuvaRing. I liked it, but it is not for everyone especially not long term.

I have been on the ring since December...almost a full 3 months. I started getting the blurry vision with my contacts on about 1 month into it but I just thought it was my contact prescription fixing to expire but the irritation and itchy eyes seem to be just a part of my problem. I'm getting married in 2 weeks and I have been crying myself to sleep the last 2 1/2 weeks and I'm generally a very happy person and I know weddings are stressful but I have never felt such so emotional in my life. I cry for the most smallest things that come up and I feel bad that I take it out on my fiance and he doesn't know where its coming from. I also just put in my 4th ring this last Monday and every time i go to the restroom it burns towards the end and i seem to be blotting blood. I have never had this feeling while going to the restroom and the ring has never made me have any side effects where I wanted it out of my body but i'm also afraid to change the bc cause of the wedding and i want to make sure we are protected and don't get any pregnancy scares right after we get married....whats another form of bc that works like nuvaring but with less symptoms? I think i'll keep this ring in for a couple more days but if this pain when urinating doesn't stop and the spotting blood I'm going to have to get rid of it.

This website is absolutely amazing to me...
I started the nuvaring in March of 2007, but got off of it after a few months because I had gained some weight. My doctor didn't think this was related (she is a wonderful doctor, and this form of birth control was also new to her), so in September of 2007, I got back on it. At this time, I had lost over 26 lbs in between the months I hadn't had it.

Since September of 2007, I have gained back 18 lbs, yet I go to the gym at MINIMUM 1.5 hours, 4 times a week, and that scale will not budge. I have done South Beach in the past with great success, but I could drink only water right now and not shed a lb.

Also, I've been in and out of the ob's office with Candida and itchy vagina in general for months. Now, reading these posts, it's all starting to make sense to me.

I was also diagnosed with hypothyroid. Which I'm starting to wonder if there is a connection.

My migraines were so bad last year, that I had to have Fiorocet prescribed to me to get rid of them.

And lastly, I feel much more tired than I have been in the last few years. I need my energy back!

Either way, I will be coming off the ring, again, this week, and my husband and I will be back to condoms. And I can't wait to see if I feel normal.

I cannot tell you how glad I am to have found this website!!! My husband I got married in October 2007, and I began using the ring since condoms didn't make sense to us as a monogamous couple and the risk of missing a pill was too high. Up until yesterday, I was extremely excited about the pill. My sister and some friends of mine had experienced frequent vaginal infections with the pill, but I found that mine actually lessened! My periods were shorter, my cramps nearly disappeared, my face was the clearest it had ever been and (I thought) there were no side effects!...

In November of 2007 (a month after I began using the NuvaRing) I started to experience intestinal bloating, cramps and diarrhea. We chalked it up to the difference in food and climate (I had moved from small town Illinois to Mexico City) and stress levels--although my stress levels were MUCH higher in college and high school. My mood started to deteriorate, I was constantly exhausted, and in December 2007, I developed severe digestive problems, a swollen pancreas and chronic (15 - 28 times per day) diarrhea. I was already a fit size 6 when all of this started and in just one month I dropped 13 pounds and size 4 clothes fit me loosely. Once again...we chalked it up to me being in Mexico and subjected my body to several rounds of fierce antibiotics (given to me by three different specialists). When that did nothing to help, my husband took me to get a colonoscopy. They found nothing. I spent hundreds of dollars on allergy tests and treatments. No improvement. I went to a general practice doctor to take blood, urine and stool samples. They found nothing--no amoebas, no bacteria and no other rareties. Chiropractors, acupuncturists, herbs, enzymes and probiotics did nothing to help me.

Then between February and March 2008, I gained 35 pounds (that I could not lose even with anorexic-like diet and exercise)--but maintained the digestive problems. Since that time any food with fat, carbonation, alcohol, artificial coloring, or spice has caused me so much bloating and gas that I no longer go out to eat and party with my friends. Miraculously, NO ONE--not one single doctor or specialist--suggested along the way that it could be my birth control. I was told that my depression, weight gain, loss of libido, digestive problems, chest pains, night sweats, mood swings, numbness/tingling in my fingers was all in my head! Thank you all so much for your posts! It's like seeing a light at the end of the tunnel...

I was sexually active for two years using nothing but condoms about half the time, and the other half cycle planning and withdrawal, and never had so much as a scare. However, upon going to college I started Ortho Tri-Cyclen. I had lost about 15 lbs the summer prior and was down to 150, and in my first year of school I gained about 20... leaving me at 170, heavier than I had ever been. I know the 'freshman 15' is a real phenomenon, but my residence hall had really healthy food and I went to a school where we walked/rode bikes everywhere so the weight gain was really random. I also started experiencing intense mood swings, and a lot of lethargy... just a general unwillingness to get out of bed/off the couch and do things... for no real reason. About this time I noticed a drop in my sex drive. I switched to Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo with no improvement, then I switched to the Depo Provera shot. On that I skyrocketed to 195 lbs, and my sex drive pretty much ceased to exist. Wanting to avoid hormones altogether I asked for an IUD, explaining my dislike of hormonal side-effects to my doctor. I got one, faced the frightening $1000 medical bill and luckily insurance covered all but like $30... but then I went home and looked up the name of what I had received... Mirena... only to find out that I was STILL getting hormones through this thing. I was really angry that my doctor heard IUD and instantly thought 'mirena' instead of actually listening to my explanation that I desired something without hormones. After three months of not taking off any weight despite lots of exercising (I have always been one to respond well to exercise) and not gaining any libido back whatsoever I removed the Mirena myself. I was just kind of feeling the strings and it tugged kind of a little loose... and that made me paranoid it wasn't in right so I just took it out entirely. I went for three months without any hormonal birth control and when my libido started to return and when I had taken off about 5 lbs my doc recommended nuvaring. I got a sample and tried it, but my weight loss plateaued and my desire for sex waned again, and my lethargy returned.... so I finally said that's it, took it out and swore off hormones once and for all, it sucks but I have a partner willing to use condoms so we just have to resign ourselves to that until we have kids and I get my tubes tied. Or he gets a vasectomy.. either one.

Also, last year I had some SERIOUS heartburn. I thought I was having a heart attack the first time because I have never had heartburn in my life. After taking Zantac150 (or whatever the max strength is) for a couple weeks and facing the fact that I may never be able to drink coffee again, it subsided and has not returned since. I can drink as much coffee as I want :) I only just now realized that happened the same month I had the Nuvaring in.... wow.

A year later I am back down to 173 lbs and the weight is coming off easily with running 2 miles once a week, that's about it. My libido is back 100% and as long as I eat healthy (fresh food) I have tons of energy. I don't restrict my food intake, I just try to switch out 'healthy' for 'unhealthy'. I've seen several friends gain 50lbs or more on Depo-Provera, and I had a friend almost attempt suicide on Yaz. I can't believe hormonal birth control is being touted as so normal. I have another friend, upon declining birth control, whose MD told her to get on prenatal vitamins! It is very possible to not get pregnant using just condoms, cycle planning and withdrawal... you just need willpower... and maybe lube.

I just started NuvaRing last Tuesday. This is my first form of bc. I was very hesitant about taking birth control but my gyno said I shouldn't have any problems bcuz I am in fairly good health. Because of what I heard about birth control, I made sure to carefully monitor my body's reaction to this. The first two days everything was normal. I weighed myself continuously each day and didn't see any change. By Friday, I gained 1lb. Saturday,stayed the same. Sunday, gained another lb. Today, I gained 3 additional lbs. My face looks swollen and I have been the same weight for the past couple of weeks. Immediately after getting off the scale I took out the ring. Since earlier, my left calf has been throbbing and I can barely walk normally. I did not have any other side effects that I noticed but the weight gain scared the hell out of me bcuz I am trying to LOSE the weight with proper exercise and diet. I think my form of contraception is going to have to be doubling up on my condoms lol. For those of you that did not keep Nuvaring past a month, did all side effects subside?

The first two months I was on NuvaRing, I thought it was the best thing on earth. Unlike previous attempts with various HBC, my breasts didn't hurt and I didn't seem to gain weight. It also steadied my out-of-control PMS symptoms and made my period lighter and my cramps disappear. Those are definitely on the PRO side of things. Shortly after starting NR, I met a new boyfriend and after both being tested for STDs, we decided to ditch condoms. Woo-hoo! At first, we had great sex and I had no problem having orgasms. But as time progressed, I became extremely dry down there and developed constant yeast infections. Plus frequent low-grade headaches (sometimes escalating to migraine-like headaches), night sweats, itchiness, insomnia, and exhaustion. Now I find it extremely difficult to get physically aroused (before, a 30-second sex scene in a movie could get me off) and nearly impossible to orgasm. I have very little interest in sex, either, which sucks because I am finally in love with the most amazing man. I have told him time and again that its the NuvaRing, and he says he believe me, but I can tell he thinks it's him. So, we've decided to give condoms another try. I took out the NuvaRing. I guess I'd rather have nasty PMS and a painful period than lose intimacy and sexual pleasure. Just curious: Has anyone used the copper IUD (non-hormonal) or a diaphragm with any success? Thanks and good luck.

i am a healthy 21 year old and i really have not had any major problems, as someone said in one of their posts the good outweighs the bad, at least for me. My fiance and I are very sexually active and thanks to Nuvaring we are even more because we don't have to worry about condoms, or any other Birth control. One things i have noticed is that when i am suppose to get my period i get extremely moody and lash out at anything. i know that it happens because of the NR, but i also know when it's coming and how to try to normalize my mood. I was also instructed to use NR differently than most by my gyno. I'm not suppose to take it out until the 1st of the month and right after taking it out i out another in. the reason for this is so that i never get my period. this is done because of my really bad menstrual cycles to the point where i can not get out of bed for a whole week. i have been through a lot worse with my period so to me the NR is a walk in the park. For the first week i had it on i started to feel all the symptoms of a pregnancy (nausea, ovary pain, tiered, moody, emotional, crying) but i was told that is normal and it happens with all birth control. it did go away after about 1 month. with any medication there are side effects and sometimes the side effects are worth the pain and sometimes they aren't. i have not had anything close to some of the things i have read on here. i have never had a UTI with the NR even though that was a mina concern of mine. i have been getting those since i was 4 years old and i'm extremely susceptible to them. as far as acne i have never had such clear skin. not one pimple for a whole year. it's great.... i believe all this great fortune i have had is because of the way that i was instructed to use...

i still love it and hope that i don't get any other side effects now because i have been using it for a year only. hope everyone who is on it stays safe also.

Thank you to all of the ladies that have written to this site. I've never sent in feedback, but it has been so helpful to read these stories and try to diagnose my issue. I am in the second month of the NR and will remove it tonight. We have 2 children (2.5 and 18 months) and are unsure about more so we have been hesitant to get my husband fixed. I found the site while unable to sleep because of a migraine during the first month. I have never had migraines before, but figured it was from a head cold Then the almost intolerable itching began...that has been awful, but I thought it may just be the "adjustment period". Because of 2 small children and a stressful career, I didn't notice the loss of sex drive right away. But recently, I noticed that NOTHING turns me on. I have always been able to orgasm almost every time we have sex (or even on my own), but now I cannot even stimulate myself or get turned on from sexy shows or ANYTHING. I am only having sex for him and it burns like crazy in my vagina right after we have sex. It was bad enough with babies in the house, but now I seem to have no sex drive AT ALL. So, the whole point was to get away from condoms but since I don't want or enjoy sex...guess that logic goes out the window. To sum up...migraines, crazy crotch itch, and no sex drive. I'm sure this works for some women, but if it is not working for you, take it out. I'll write again after I am clear of it to update.

I have been using the Nuvaring for almost three years and I am thinking of taking it out in a few days and leaving it out for good. I never thought I had any real side effects until I started reading other people's reviews. I thought everything I was feeling was just me being me, but now I know better. Here is the long list of my side effects: weight gain, depression, severe anxiety, painful intercourse, discharge, itching, migraines, pimples, and zero sex drive. I have been with my boyfriend for almost three years. In fact, I got on birth control because we were beginning a serious relationship and I did not want to use condoms. Our sex life is nonexistent at this point. When we had sex is was good, but it was painful too. I am 27 years old and I have started having the attitude of "I could go the rest of my life without sex". I don't want my boyfriend to even touch me at this point and this is definitely putting strain on our relationship. Last night we were discussing the situation and he said to go off of birth control and we would use condoms. Like I said in the beginning I am taking it out. I am a bit anxious about going off birth control because I do not want any kids right now, but being on this birth control I am practicing another type of birth control abstinence. Doesn't make sense does it? The other side effects I mentioned are also affecting our relationship. This is a serious relationship, I am going to marry this man; we have picked out rings and that is why it is so important that I remedy this problem. The discharge side effect was putting a damper on our sex life in the beginning before I lost all interest. I never had a migraine in my life and rarely had even a headache, but I have had two migraines in the last few years and get headaches more often. I had a random pimple every once in a while, but now I have them everyday. I have gained weight and can’t seem to lose any. I wake up in the mornings with my mind racing due to the anxiety and I have not felt genuinely happy in a long time. The depression has made me even think of suicide several times and my life is fine. I am looking forward to being myself again. I hope this helps someone.

Thank you for your posts. I just came home from my gyno with a Rx for nuvaring and wanted to do some research. I found this webpage and am sure that I shouldn't try it now. I will go back to condoms.

Hi everyone, i posted a comment on 12/8/08 about my experience on the NR.... i went home that same night and took it out. Immediately the day after within the next 24 hours or so i felt back to my normal self. Today i feel even better, my depression is gone, my hunger is under control, my headaches are gone and my nausea/flu like symptoms are gone as well. I am done with birth control, my experience with NR was way to traumatic for me. Condoms will have to do. I wish everyone using NR the best of luck and I hope everyone who has had the same experience and stopped using NR gets better soon.

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

So, after my boyfriend and i used condoms and it ruptured due to the fact we used a warming lubracant that wasn't water soluble.
I got pregnant and we aborted. this was 2 weeks ago
I started the nuvaring that planned parenthood gave me.

well, i've been feeling tired, depressed and not hungry.
i barely eat any food these days
and i fear my weight is slipping, i used to be 112 lbs, and i;ve been exercising for lean muscle gain (since i had very little) and now i'm up to 118.
I'm scared i'm going to lose all that lean muscle i worked hard to put on.
i haven't been working out for 2 weeks since the abortion and all.

but anyway, ive been feeling very depressed lately.
i feel ugly and unworthy and i know that neither of those are true.
i feel like i'm a terrible person, i feel sad all them, i cry so easily (like i'm doing right now)
the other night i had a breakdown when felt horribly down on my self, i felt like i'm worthless and i felt ashamed because i feel like i always want sex from my boyfriend and i feared that i i don't love him, i feared that my sex drive is out of control, and then i felt like because he doesn't want to have sex with me everyday, i felt like i must not be worthy or that i'm ugly, stupid, a pain, and that he doesn't love me and then i thought things like 'well would you want to have sex with you? who could blame him?"

today i started feeling those feelings for no reason again, this time i started feeling like i hate my life and wondering why i'm alive

when i had thought perhaps i was suffering from early adult bipolar (im 24 btw)
i had an epiphany and realized, WAIT, it probably ISN'T bipolar, if all this just happened RECENTLY
and before the ring i was really happy. AND my boyfriend never does anything to make me feel unloved or unworthy.
he always takes his time and he's very sweet to me all the time.
he treats me to almost everything and he's so patient and loving.

I realized that my sudden mood changes MUST be because of the damn Nuvaring!

i have a follow up from planned parenthood tomorrow, so i'm going to tell them everything i've felt and i'm only going to continue this damn ring until nov 24th.
i get my prenup for my tubes to be tied.

my boyfriend and i don't want kids ever, (if the recent abortion is ANY proof to that one)

anyway, i would NOT recommend this ring to ANYONE
i know everyone is different, but still.

and i do realize that i COULD be having early adult bipolar or some other sort of depression/anxiety issues that i might just THINK are ring related.
I will continue to monitor my health and if i ever feel like this again i will seek help

I've been on nuvaring for four months now. I've been raving about it to my friends and only recently started to realize that maybe it isn't as great as I'd thought. Here's the thing... I have gained weight, lost my sex drive (which at 20 years old is terrifying), felt my self-esteem fall through the floor, and feel stress/sadness weigh on me even on days that I am truly enjoying myself. (Oh and excuse the ick-factor but I've now also have discharge everyday which is seriously annoying and frustrating!) I've been attributing all of this to my lifestyle of being stressed out in college, not knowing who I am, worrying about my relationship... I've felt so much self-loathing and disappointment in myself, feeling like I am failing myself and my boyfriend. The thing is that I'm not one to blame things like this on medications, and I don't think that there's any way of truly knowing if the changes I've felt have been due to the ring or just my life as a whole. I've tried every other birth control and hated it so now I'm conflicted if I should stop taking it or not. I'm way too paranoid to just trust condoms... so I don't know. Take it for what you will - in many ways it has been a great form of birth control (no babies, right?) but if these changes I've felt ARE due to the ring, then I would NOT recommend it.

Hey, I totally know what you all mean about the personality changes. I was on NuvaRing for about 6 months. For the first few months the ring was great. I gained a tiny bit of weight (maybe a couple pounds) but nothing crazy. I am slim with a tall frame, so while I was a bit bummed, it wasn't the end of the world. And my boobs got bigger which was cool, lol. I didn't have any physical side effects with the ring. No cramps, my periods stayed pretty much the same, no spotting, no weird infections or irritation. Just normal. but the mental side effects have been so out of control lately that they have been interfering with my relationship. I used to be totally go with the flow, chill, happy go lucky, outgoing, and very confident. In the last few months my self confidence has dropped to zero even though I am doing well at work and life, etc. it's like I think everyone is out to get me, and it has gotten progressively worse. I cry at everything, have mood swings, depression and the paranoia about the boyfriend (even if he is going to study with a male friend I get jealous! Lame!) I was starting to wonder if I had suddenly become bi-polar until I figured out it was the ring! I still had a sex drive, but it was harder to get fully aroused. It's like I wanted to have sex, but it wasn't as good. So I took my ring out today and my boyfriend and I are going to research our options. The Pill does the same things with me. condoms make me a little nervous as to their effectiveness, though we will be using them for now until we find something else. I'm thinking of going with the copper IUD, as there are no hormones in that one but it is still very effective. My main concern with the copper IUD is the physical side effects (irregular bleeding, super heavy periods, etc.) but as I have not experienced any physical side effects with other forms of birth control, i'm hoping it won't be too bad. Ah, the struggles of womanhood!

I WAS TAKING YAZ AND FEMCON FE. THEY BOTH MADE ME EXTREMELY SICK.I WAS DEPRESSED AND SICK TO MY STOMACH WITH BOTH. AND WITH FEMCON FE I ALSO LOST HAIR. SO I TRIED NUVARING AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED. THE STOMACH PAINS HAPPENED WITHIN A HOUR OF STARTING THE NUVARING. NOW I WANT TO TRY PARAGUARD. ANY ADVICE ANY BAD SIDE EFFECTS. I NEED ADVICE.

Thanks to all of you for sharing your experiences- I should have done a search on Nuvaring long ago. I have been using it for almost a year. At first I loved it but now the bouts of itching have become unbearable and embarrassing. No one wants to be caught scratching herself! I have also had lots of watery discharge- my underwear always feels damp. Not comfortable and certainly not helping the itch. I also often have thick white discharge (but smooth and without odor and so not exactly like I understand a yeast infection to be). I say "understand" because I have never had anything remotely like a yeast infection up til now (34), which is another reason that I suspect the ring. My sex drive is also nonexistent, a problem I have had with oral contraceptives too- I feel bad for my husband. I didn't connect it all at first because the itching is external, but then I noticed that I felt better when I took it out for my period and even better still when I stopped using it for three months due to other health issues. I hate to admit it because I loved the convenience of the ring but I took it out an hour ago and think I already feel better. Now I'm wondering if it was the cause of any of my other health issues but will have to wait and see. Can anyone recommend any non hormonal methods of birth control (other than condoms) or at least any oral contraceptives with less sexual side effects?

Hello ladies just giving a report been off it for 2weeks. I' had more sex in this 3 weeks that in the last 2 months. I got my sex drive back YEAHHHH! I'm off Nuvaring and I'm back to my good old self. I'm sticking to condoms for a while.

there are 25 pages here! i am shocked, i've been a nuvaring user for a few years now.. (i'm 20) i didn't know about the decreased sex drive but mine is non-existent! what's the point in taking birth control when you barely have sex? i know it sounds backwards but i'm going to stop taking nuvaring and see if my sex drive comes back, and then if i start having more sex, i'm going to pick a different type of BC. (i'm with a steady partner and we use condoms anyway)

i'm started to get scared of these hormones, though..