NuvaRing and fatigue

the day i take it out i start experiencing bloating so bad that i can't bear to wear underwear, cramps, back pain similar to early labor, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, constipation. i experience anxiety all the time on it. i have to figure out how to ease off of it, though, because the side effects are unbearable when the ring comes out. i just put a new on in to see if it would ease the symptoms.

I hope somebody can help me. I was on the Nuvaring for 3 weeks, took it out for the 4th week and within a day I was a mess. Sweating horribly, actually soaking through my pillow and sheets at night despite the air being chilly. Nausea as if I were pregnant, gagging from a cough! Diarrhea, and my head hurts so bad it's all I can do to get out of bed. Fatigue...I though my body had gotten used to the hormones and was withdrawing so I put the ring back in after 3 days and took it out a week later when the symptoms didn't subside. Now its 2 weeks out and these symptoms have not eased up AT ALL! Anybody else have an experience like this? I'm considering the ER tonight if this headache doesn't ease up. I'm scared, and completely unfunctional.

I'm so glad I found this website! I'm 25 and I've been using Nuvaring for 3 years (Ortho-tricyclen and low dose for 5 years before that), and I also found that the bad side effects of Nuvaring came on gradually. I've been experiencing nausea, headaches, abdominal cramps and diarrhea, anxiety and depression, irritability, fatigue, and low to no sex drive. Because they all came on gradually, I really didn't attribute them to Nuvaring. This past month, I accidentally left the ring out for 10 days instead of 7 to have my period, and since I've put the ring back in, I've been VERY nauseous (this has lasted for 4 days so far). After reading all of your comments, I'm going to remove it for good. I just hope the nausea goes away soon.

I had been on the pill for years until my OB suggested the NR. It sounded like a great idea (no worries about missing pills). I was on it for a week until yesterday when I was on my way to a metro station from work. I suddenly felt faint, nauseous, I was hyperventilating, shaking all over and I could barely walk. I stopped at a local store I tried to drink some water and eat something but the food just sat in my mouth, I couldn't swallow and my throat felt as if it were closing up. All the things that could be wrong with me flew through my mind. Was I having a stroke, a heart attack, was I dehydrated, did I have a brain tumor, do I have diabetes, I am going into a diabetic shock. All I knew was that there was something terribly wrong and whatever it was couldn't be stopped and I was going to die. I had to call a co worker to come pick me and take me to the nurse at my office. It was the most terrifying moment of my life.

Once at the nurses office she determined that I was having a panic attack. She ran off a list of possible causes and one that stood out immediately was that it could be hormonal. I knew then that it was my new birth control (the nuvaring). It was the ONLY thing that had changed. This explains the fatigue, mood swings and the general malaise I've been experiencing over the last week. I thought I was just having a bad week, things that never used to bother me suddenly became unbearable.

I immediately took the ring out and I will NEVER use it again. I have had only one panic attack before this, and that was 3 years ago, but it was mild compared to this one. I was absolutely crippled yesterday. I have never felt so helpless/crazy/terrified/alone in my life. I'm still not 100% today (a little weepy/depressed), but it feels like my body is getting back to normal.

So if any of you start feeling depressed or fatigued shortly after using this product please please please consider using another form of birth control. I don't want anyone to EVER go through an anxiety attack like I did.

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

NuvaRing was great for me for years and then I began experiencing most of the symptoms noted by others. However, when my LYMPH NODES become ENLARGED AND PAINFUL I realized it was time for me to take out the ring and give my body a rest from the foreign substance. Once I removed the ring completely, within two-weeks my HAIR BEGAN TO FALL OUT each time I washed it. After weeks, my JOINTS became so INFLAMED I could not walk even though I had been working out four-days per week for many years prior. I also experienced HAIR AND SKIN TEXTURE CHANGES, and ONGOING FLU-LIKE SYMPTOMS which included: BODY ACHES, SEVERE FATIGUE, NIGHT SWEATS (DRENCHING), HEADACHES AND WEIGHT LOSS. I saw numerous doctors to try to figure out what was happening to my body. After over a year, I was diagnosed with an AUTOIMMUNE condition (SLE). It has been two-years now, since permanently removing NuvaRing, and my condition has improved with time but my IMMUNE SYSTEM is still out of whack and my LYMPH NODES ARE STILL ENLARGED throughout my body. If anyone else has these systems and has been diagnosed with an AUTOIMMUNE DISORDER after using NuvaRing, please respond. CAUTION: please be careful young women as added hormones are not good for our bodies and really should not be pushed so readily by the health care profession. Also, keep in mind that your doctor will not back you when you are experiencing problems from medications that he/she prescribed. You will ultimately be told that the medication did not cause the problem in order for him/her to avoid becoming a party to a lawsuit.

Hello. My fiance was on nuvaring for nearly 2 years and gradually began experiencing many of the side effects listed here. The last 6 months were the worst in that the mood swings, anxiety and depression seemed to get out of control. She recently stopped using the ring about 6 weeks ago but it seems like the symptoms are still persistent. Does anyone have any experience with coming off of the ring and whether or not it could take longer than 2 months to get back to normal?

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 have only tried the pill a couple of times in my life and the side effects were too much for me to handle. My OB suggested the nuvaring. I've been on it for a year and a half and I'm glad I found this sight. I've experienced the 2 week heavy periods, fatigue, weight gain, the headaches, I had unexplained swelling in my groin area, severe depression and anxiety (which my doctor dismissed as she stated she never heard of anxiety being associated with the ring). I'm glad that I'm not the only one. I'm getting married in November and plan to stop using it then. My general practioner put me on prozac because the anxiety got so bad. I'm lucky that my fiance is a patient and loving person and that this craziness hasn't driven him away.

I am 41 and like another poster, I use the ring to help regulate my period as I am in perimenopause. I have had no sex drive, fatigue, extreme change in discharge and a lot of vaginal pain. This is my 4th ring to use, and I am considering taking it out and talking to my doctor about something else. Maybe I just need to deal with the side effect of extremely long amounts of time between periods, but it sure doesn't make me feel secure since I can still get pregnant!

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....

I've been on NuvaRing for a year and I thought It was working great. After having two rings "disappear" I decided to talk to my doctor about a different form of b/c. I have not had a ring in this month and I cannot believe the sex drive I have now. I'm single so I hadn't really noticed it was gone but now that it's back I realize how much the NR had affected me. As I was reading posts here I was amazed at how many symptoms I share with others. I have always been prone to headaches but since starting this a year ago they got more frequent and more intense. I also had issues with fatigue, however, being a single parent of a one year old I just kept blaming the baby but so far this month without the ring I hardly ever need a nap anymore. I have also noticed my mood swings are not as severe...I won't blame NR for all my moodiness because I have always been a moody person but I can tell a difference. I never had problems with the nausea or charleyhorses or tender breasts but all hormones have a different effect on different people. NR may work well for some and to those I wish congrats. I am hoping that my new method of b/c works out for me but I will be paying attention this time to what the hormones are doing to my body.

This is a weight of my shoulders.
I have been experiencing many of the symptoms that have been posted here and cannot begin to tell you what a relief it is that I'm not alone. I have been using the Nuvaring for 6 months. Some of the pros were convenience, larger breasts ( I went from a full C to a DD), and more lubrication. My side affects were extreme leg pain, excessive weight gain (about 30 pounds), increased appetite, fatigue, head aches, irritability, heart rate increase, dizziness, gas, bloating need I say more? Last night I took it out immediately because I finally put all the pieces together. It's amazing to know that I'm not alone in all of this. The weight gain was so fast that I have stretch marks that are extremely deep and I have belly fat for the first time in my life it has sprung right on my stomach. I'm only 19 so this is quit concerning for me... I went from 165 to 195. I have stayed around 165 for 5 years and the fact that I put on this thirty pounds was extremely concerning. I am grateful I know what's the issue, and hopefully with more energy and a decrease in appetite, I will be well on my way to my old self.

I had used NR for six weeks when I woke up at 3 am with SEVERE chest pains. Went to the ER and was diagnosed with *substantial* pulmonary emboli (blood clots in the lungs). I was hospitalized for five days and am now under the direction of a pulmonologist and hematologist for the next six months while I'm on blood thinner therapy. I had to do injections into my abdomen twice a day to prevent further clotting until my blood reached a theraputic level with the Coumadin (blood thinning drug).

Usually, pulmonary embolism afflicts sedentary people or those who have recently had surgery or those who have cancer . .. etc etc etc. I am a 33 year old personal trainer. I have ZERO risk factors for this to have happened to me . .. other than the nuvaring. It was determined that it was the cause and I was told to remove it immediately and to never never never use it again.

Please be careful in your decisions to use this product. I used it for the convenience of not popping a pill daily as I would usually forget. Wish I would have just looked a bit further into the possible side effects before choosing to go ahead with it.

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.

Hi! I have started the NuvaRing almost three weeks ago, and I have been feeling sooo tired that I have lost all my interest in everything-except sleep.Also-I have had these weird, charley-horse type cramps in my calfs which swing down and around the arch of my feet. The cramps started exclusively on my right side; but recently I have started feeling them on my left. I would wake up in the morning, get up and I could hardly walk until sometime in the early afternoon. Today, fed up with this crap, I took the damn thing out-and almost immediately the charley horse tightness and pain dropped off. I also knew it would not be long before I would start to gain weight, as I have slacked off my exercise program due to major fatigue. It has been only a day, but I am feeling great,knowing I made the right decision. I have varicose veins in my thigh and calf area-and I fear the blood clots that the ring would predispose me to. I don't need birth control as my husband is infertile; this was prescribed to clear up a cyst.

Hello!!! I feel like you people are reading my mail! I have an appt with my doc tomorrow. I've been on the nuvaring for 5 months & have gained 10 pounds (seems to be the magic number!) & have TOTALLY lost my sex drive. And I used to be like Samantha on Sex And The City! I'm praying that as soon as I get off this thing, I'll be back to previously fabulous self! I've also experienced fatigue. Anyone else? What gives?!?!

Hi I have had the nuvaring for 11 days today and today I removed it! Long story short I had a Paragard IUD which I found out I was 7 weeks pregnant on and then literally the next day had a miscarriage. Its been a horrible horrible time and then 1 week later my doctor put in the nuvaring.I had for 11 days and last night I had a horrible shooting pain in my right calf.. Then I stretched it out and I was ok, I have experienced shortness of breath, fatigue, hunger,and bloating. Am i crazy? If I took it out am I ok now? Should I still see a doctor? Can I have a possible stroke/clot or am i paranoid? Im so scared and I hate all that I have been though with birth control! Please help!

I have been on the NuvaRing for almost two years. I have had several of the side effects mentioned on this site to a lesser degree - anxiety, moodiness, depression, fatigue, etc. Lately, intercourse has been painful for me, and I have no sex drive at all. Reading this site makes me feel much better because I have been completely stressed out about my loss of sex drive. Four days ago, my boyfriend and I had sex, and I started bleeding afterwards. The bleeding was very light and lasted for two days. This was a week before I was supposed to remove the ring, so I started freaking out and assumed that I was pregnant and experiencing implantation bleeding. When I was still noticing a bit of blood a couple days later, I removed the NuvaRing and repositioned it, and the bleeding stopped. I am still worried about being pregnant, but I honestly think that the NuvaRing caused an abrasion to my vaginal wall, which is what caused the bleeding. Either way, I am seriously considering taking the NuvaRing out for good. I have been on other types of birth control, and the NuvaRing doesn't seem to be any worse than the others for me, but maybe being on birth control at all is a bad idea. I'm just terrified of resorting to condoms as my only form of birth control. Is it worth it?

This is my third month using Nuvaring and now I feel that my body has adjusted. My first month, I followed the instructions and inserted it on Day 1 of my cycle. Similiar to another post (cslayton) I bleed the entire first three weeks I had it in. My off week was a very light light spotting -- we're talking pink water. Month 2 was fine. My off week (2nd) was finally normal. I took it out and three days later started my period. My period was finally enough to justify using a tampon and it only lasted three THREE days! Yay!

The only side effects I've noticed is that on the day I take it out (in the am) I get a massive migraine about 8 hours later but if I take a 1/2 hour nap it subsides. Also, on the day I insert a new ring (in the am) about 8 hours later I am extremely exhausted and take a two to three hour nap. This is bothersome only from the fact that my day is a Tuesday -- work day.

I have hypothroidism and was briefly concerned with the fatigue but realized that it is only on the days I take the hormones out and put them back in. I haven't noticed any other listed side effects or at least haven't connected the dots yet. It is VERY TRUE that the ring either works for you or it doesn't.

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

I have been on NuvaRing for about 7 months. In the beginning I didn't have any side effects. My boyfriend and I always have unprotected sex. My mother was cleaning up and accidentally threw my NuvaRing box away, so i was without NuvaRing for about a month. I can't remember exactly when i started NuvaRing again, but I'm experiencing fatigue, nausea, and headaches. My cycle was shorter than usual and I'm praying that I'm not pregnant. My symptoms could be side effects associated with NuvaRing.

I think the NuvaRing has catapulted my baby blues into post partum depression. Over the past week I have experienced severe mood swings and fatigue among many other irritable symptoms that if it wasn't for the depression and fatigue I may have been able to tolerate this BC. Although
I recognize the NuvaRing has been great for many for me it has been a hellish experience that has caused many problems with my husband and I. I would definitely not recommend this BC to anyone until they are sure they are past the baby blues/ post partum depression stage and or have no history of depression. Even the mildest depression, such seasonal mood disorder.

I have been on the NuvaRing for nearly two years and had many of the symptoms mentioned: fatigue, tender breasts, no sexual desire, etc. The pain didn't start until I took out the ring nearly 3 weeks ago. The abdominal pain is severe. To the others who mentioned pain after removing the ring, how long until it stops hurting?

Advise on tender breasts... in the beginning mine hurt so bad I could not lay on my stomach or give hugs. My doctor told me to take lots of calcium, they stopped hurting all together. I take 1800 mg of calcium per day. Not sure why it works, but it was a life saver!

I decided to research the NuvaRing because I have been experiencing pain/stinging during and after sex and also a strange discharge. Little did I know I would discover a multitude of symptoms I have been experiencing since I started the NuvaRing in August. I have been suffering from severe anxiety, panic attacks, depression, fatigue, headaches, crying spells, and insomnia. All of these things started up at the same time I started the NuvaRing but I never put two and two together. I had a very traumatic experience back in April so everyone (myself, my doctors and friends and family) assumed all of the symptoms were due to that. I have not been able to work since September and have been going to counseling, also trying a number of medications to treat my anxiety and depression, however the symptoms are still very prominent and haven't been improving. I never put any consideration into the possibility of the NuvaRing causing these symptoms (including lack of sex drive which I just figured went hand in hand with the depression) but now I look at the timing of when everything happened and it makes so much sense. I have never suffered from anxiety/depression in the past and I have felt like I don't even know the person that is inside my body anymore. I am definitely making an appointment with my doctor and changing birth controls ASAP - I will try to remember to keep you posted on whether or not my symptoms improve.

I'm on my 3rd ring and i am miserable. The first week i put the ring in i noticed a differance. My symptoms are: extreme paranoia, anxiety,panic attacks,insomnia,shaking,nervousness,diarea,loss of appetite,fatigue,flu symptoms. I am normally an anxious person ut not like this. It is worse since starting the nuvaring. My doctor told me to just give it more time but i'm geting to a point where i feel hopeless. My family can see the change in me. I just put the 3rd ring in a couple days ago but all i wanna do is take it out because i'm so scared. I'm not concerned about pregnancy because i am not sexually active at all. My doctor prescribed this med because of my PMS. I'm using the ring every 3 weeks so i don't get a period at all. I'm afraid of how my body will react if i take the ring out and suddenly get a period again. My pharmasist advised me to leave it in until you would normally take it out but i don't know if i can stand using it anymore. Does anyone have any advice. I'm afraid to talk to my doc about the emotional symptoms because it always seems they never believe the med can cause them. Thanks for all who read this, wish me luck or send me a prayer. Everyone else who's miserable on this BC you're in my prayers :)

Update:
Another week has gone by with the ring out and i feel GREAT!
I'm not paranoid! I'm not sad, or antisocial... I haven't passed out once since it's been out!
I've been able to stay awake all day, every day. No naps, very very little fatigue (just a little at the end of long days, which i think feels normal).
I feel social! Sexual! I have self confidence!
Honestly, in the past month I feel like my life has completely turned around. I am getting along with my boyfriend sooo much better because I am mentally healthier and finally have a libido again!

I agree- if you're not experiencing weird symptoms, you're lucky! I loved the ring at first. Just be careful and aware!

As for alternatives to the ring... I don't know what to do really. I decided with my doctor to take 3 months off of hormonal birth control just to figure out how I feel naturally. After that though, I'm not sure. Just relying on condoms alone kind of freaks me out. Definitely not ready to deal with baby decisions...

Been on Nuva Ring for about 1.5 years...just now starting to realize the potentially bad effects its having on me. 3 months ago i started having wierd issues going on with my body. Nervousness, shakes, racing heart, trouble breathing, FATIGUE, constant "floating" feeling/dizziness. I am in good/normal shape, exercise about 2 days a week, but have had no energy. I went to a dr and had some blood tests done. My Thyroid numbers came back unusually high. My Dr recommended an Endocronologist to check out the possibility of Hyperthyroidism (the Thyroid controls the metabolism and hormones in your body). Went to the Endocronologist and am waiting for test results to get back. She said that it is a big possiblity that Nuva Ring could be the cause but wanted me to do further blood tests. I am being opened minded to what the real reason to my symptoms are, but i know that putting any extra hormones in your body has an effect on you, regardless. I took the ring out about 45 min ago and i'm hoping for no bad side effects...cant be worse than what i've already had. I have a boyfriend and he was totally ok with it (encouraged me to take out the ring to see if it helps)....he doesn't like the thought of using condoms, but its a small price to pay to see if birth control with hormones (NR) are causing all these horrible symptoms. I'm going to look for other non-hormonal contraceptives to use!

Oh my god!!! I just read through all the posts looking for someone else with this issue! After using the NR for a few months, i developed this horrible back pain that kept me awake at night tossing and turning trying to get comfortable. I also had a tightness in my chest and although i did not develop a rash, i felt itchiness all over my body. I started having flu like symptoms and wondered if I developed adult onset allergies since I never had them before. I even went back to my GYN and told him and he made me feel like I was crazy...I had stopped the NR for a month and then restarted and the back pain returned...So, i stopped again...strangely enough though, the pain remained for another month...I did also develop a severe migraine headache a few days before I had to remove the ring each month. I tried switching to an oral contraceptive but the naseau always stops me from taking it. Reluctantly, I went back to the NR this month. So far, I have naseau daily which comes in waves, bloating, increased discharge, fatigue...I feel pregnant...just figure my body just needs to get used to it again. Not ready for another baby so don't feel i have much choice right now. Any suggestions?

I've been on the NR for 4 months and was really happy with it.... A little discharge and I knew it was from the ring because I don't ever have discharge but it was not bad at all. This past month I started having the most horrible LOWER BACK PAIN. I started mattress shopping and ALMOST bought a $4000.000 mattress to fix the problem.. Then it came time to remove the NR and within 1 minute (or less) of removing my back pain completely went away and I'm again sleeping like a baby, when before I was up most the night with lower back pain. I haven't seen lower back pain as a side effect so I just wanted to post to see if anyone might have the same problem. Not sure if it was just in the wrong spot and I should try again this next month or not..

Hello all!! I have been on NR for around 9 mos. I think that this is a great method of BC for me, a person who forgets to take pills and gets rediculous nausea from pills. However, I'm wondering if anyone experiences NIGHT SWEATS? I sweat so much at night, that everything is soaked and I often feel like something is crawling on me and its just perspiration. This is gross! I've taken many 2am showers because I can't stand it. As I read some of your entries, I noticed that fatigue is mentioned. I thought I needed vitamins, more blood, or just 24hrs of sleep. I wanna continue to use this method of BC, but can't stand these two problems.

I've been on it now for about a year b/c it is a slow release in hormones and I get migraines from all the other pills. I've noticed a lot of what some of the other posts had noted such as:

- constant discharge (I always feel wet and dirty)
- a smell coming from the area all the time
- mood swings like crazy
- Absolutely NO SEX DRIVE
- fatigue (although this has been a new one I have come across in the past month, so maybe its not related)

none of this is really attractive at all, and I am seriously contemplating going off of it. Does anyone have an suggestions for people who get severe migraines from the pill???

I began using NuvaRing about a year ago not for birth control, but to help minimize heavy period. For that purpose, it was worked. However, during the same time I became very depressed and emotional. I thought it was all related to losing my dad. For the past few months, I have had edema in feet and legs, shortness of breath, racing heart, fatigue, and most recently excrutiating pain in my hips, legs, and feet. I have spoken to my OB/GYN about this and have seen my family doctor. No one has suggested NuvaRing as a possible contributor. I removed the ring two days ago and as of today, the symptoms have not subsided. I really don't want to use the NuvaRing anymore, but will have to ask OB/GYN for something else so I don't revert to the horrible periods. If someone else has experienced any of these symptoms, please let me know. I feel so out of control

My daughter is in her second year of college. She began using Nuvaring in her first year. Neither of us made the connection; she has experienced depression, fatigue, lethargy, brittle hair.... Do these seem to be common side effects of Nuvaring for some people?

I've been on Nuva Ring for 4 months and after the first month I got a terrible vaginal infection: bacterial vaginitis. It was horrible. I had to take a strong prescription creme to cure it. I've gained about 5 pounds, but the most troubling side effect is the fatigue and bouts of moodiness or the blues. If given the chance, I'll sleep all weekend and I feel slightly depressed. My family has issues with depression, so this scares me. My sister had issues with that birth control device that was inserted under the skin. She is bi-polar, can't take any hormonal methods. Furthermore, it kills my sex drive and gives me headaches. I feel my best towards the end of my period, when the device is out of my body. My doctor told me to give it a few more months. If I don't start feeling right soon, I'll be getting rid of the the device as well.

This will be my fourth month using the Nuva Ring. Thus far I have experienced some vertigo, fatigue, increased irritability, slight depression and extreme decrease in sexual desire. I have tried several forms of contreception including various oral bills, the patch and now the ring. I have seen better results with the patch and the ring. Except the decreased libido, which happens to be imperative. I think I may complete this months perscription and consult my OB for yet another option :(