NuvaRing and having sex

omg i am soooo glad that i came across this website.
i was beginning to think that i was the only one with this problem.
i have NEVER EVER had problems with vaginal dryness..... but after about 6 months of using NR that all went to hell!!
i have lost of my AMAZING sex drive :( and that has made me feel really down... i love having sex, but with a dry vagina it is very painful to have. after i finish typing this i am going to take out my nuvaring. but i have one question for those of you who have gone to the doctor? will my vaginal lubrication ever come back??

Sooo happy to find this site! I started the nuvaring for the first time 2 months ago after my daughter was born. I was happily on the patch before but my husband and I still got pregnant so I decided to try another BC. The past 2 months have been hell! I went from being very sexually active (we even started having sex regularly 2 weeks after my baby was born) to never wanting it. I was never an angry person before and now I go off at anything. Ive cried several times to my husband begging him to not judge how I am now and told him I have no idea why I have changed but after reading these im thinking its my BC...so Im going to take it out and see how I feel after a few weeks...

I have been on the Nuvaring since about July of 2008, so just over a year. I am glad I found this sight because I didn't even connect some of these things, but they seem pretty common. I noticed after I had been on the ring for a couple months I was just exhausted and had no energy. I would sleep as late as possible and still go to bed earlier than I ever did before. I just thought it was because we were in a basement apartment without many windows. But now we are in a new house and I still have that. Has anyone had problems with dryness? It seems that no matter how long we foreplay or how much lube we use...I am always so dry and I am getting to the point of hating having sex and it is hurting my marriage. I have a lot of viginal discharge, but never any itchiness or infections. I have actually really liked the nuvaring because it is simple and I haven't had to worry about it. But with the dryness and pain with sex, I am contemplating taking it out to see if it helps. Advise?

I'm 25 yrs old. I started NuvaRing about 2 months ago. I've been on Lo Ovral for about 9 years and never had any issues other than having a hard time remembering to take my pill everyday. So I thought NuvaRing might be a better option for me. It's not!
ACNE: About a month into the ring I noticed my face began to break out. I've had occasional pimples here and there and some bacne. Well, my back is so bad I haven't worn a tank top all summer. And my face looks like I’m going through puberty.
DEPRESSION: I've been really bummed out about life lately. I have a business degree and a great job but lately I feel like I should just quit my job and live a life full of hopelessness and despair. I told my friend I feel like a troll that should hide in a dark corner. I’m normally the office cheerleader but lately I keep my door closed and my conversations short. I haven’t answered my cell phone in a month! You can’t even imagine how many unchecked voicemails I have. It’s really sad.
WEIGHT GAIN: I normally live in the gym. I run, swim, lift weights, do yoga and play sports. Now, instead of going to gym I go home upset that I'm a loser with no motivation to do anything- I eat fritos and any other carbs I can get my hands on for that matter. Then I take a nap (because eating can really wear a girl out). Wake up, eat dinner and go back to bed.
NO SEX DRIVE: The thought of having sex makes me cringe. They said you shouldn't feel it when you have sex but I sure do! And things get real crowded up in there when we're doing it. It's not pleasant and I feel like a contortionist trying to find some comfortable position. My husband gets frustrated with me and then I just get upset and then it ruins the entire mood.
Basically it took me 2 months to tie all of this to the NuvaRing. I just thought I was going through some sort of quarter-life crisis where everything was falling apart. So, I start my pills today and hopefully my life will be back in order again.

I am so relieved to has found this page. I had no idea how many people on the NuvaRing were having the problems I've been having. I started using the NuvaRing a few years ago soon after starting to have sex. I wasn't very good at remembering my pill everyday, so I thought it would be a good option. I was so happy in the beginning because I could depend on it.

However, the first major thing that happened a few months later was IBS symptoms, which has put a big damper on my life since. I never know what food item will cause me to cramp and bloat next. It changes every day. I have always doubted this symptom attributed to Nuva until now. I thought my metabolism was changing because I was entering the workforce and exposing myself to new levels of stress.

Next, I never expected that it would diminish my sex drive. I have to convince myself that I'm in the mood, feeling responsible for maintaining a healthy sex life with my husband. That sounds so horrible, and it is. I'm almost never in the mood, not even to masturbate, and I have to keep a calendar to keep track of the last time I pleased my husband. I have not had a real orgasm since before starting the nuva.

It doesn't help to not only be not in the mood, but also when I do have sex, it's uncomfortable, burning, and very painful urinating afterwards. On many occasions, the ring gets pulled out a little during sex, causing a moment of uncomfortable prodding plastic for both of us, and I need to stop long enough to take it out and put it somewhere so I remember to put it back in again. Sex is more comfortable without it after that, but the irritation is still there. It takes a few days to heal before having sex again.

The last straw is more recent. I began to get discharge - a lot - starting the second week in the cycle. It wasn't a yeast infection, as I had a physical and pap at this time and the doctor would have picked it up. There was some itching, but mostly, I've had to wear panty liners 3 out of 4 weeks, including my menstrual cycle. This makes me feel less appealing, and much less interested in having spontaneous sex because I have to clean up first.

It just sucks that this has effected me for almost my whole relationship with my husband. Our dates, our honeymoon, our first anniversary vacation last month. All this time, and I find that the only prescription drug I'm on is what has caused me so much stress, sexual tension, and digestive ailment. One can only imagine what all these other happy commercialized medicines have in store for us, and in multiple amounts!

I started the nuvaring back in Nov 2005, Dec 2005 I found out i was pregnant. Since then I delivered that baby in aug '06, tried to get pregnant again but it took 6mo of trying but finally worked, delivered baby number 2 in jan of '08, and then had an IUD inserted but within 5mo of that was pregnant again!! I delivered my 3rd daughter just 2mo ago on June 6th '09 Now I have 3 babies under 3 and my doctor is completely at a loss for what might work for me. So we decided that I would go back on the IUD and also use the NUVARING as a backup since the IUD was non hormonal. I started the NuvaRing and I am due to get my IUD inserted this fri, but tonight i finally said enough is enough and took out the NuvaRing. I put it in on the 22nd of July but will not be going back for month number 2. I am so short tempered with my 2 older daughters all of the sudden, I was steadily losing weight and now im at a standstill, my husband and i were having sex once a day and now i barely want it once a week, and i was having severe pain in my right calf, and headaches that were unbearable, and most importantly and most obvious is severe severe depression. I am constantly questioning my self worth and whether or not my husband loves me and if im a bad mom and so on and so on... Im really scared now because i am so afraid the IUD wont work again and I honestly don't think i could handle yet another pregnancy. Being pregnant every other 9mo for 3 yrs has taken a major toll on my body and emotional level alone, i don't need my birth control to do it too... So i guess my question is, are there any other forms of BC like The IUD that are non hormonal and could possibly be taken along with the IUD? I just don't trust only one since 2 of my pregnancies were conceived while on bc... any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

I have been on the NuvaRing for over 2 years. At first it was great! I loved not having to take the pill everyday. Im so happy I found this wedsite and read everyones stories. I thought that I was not having any side effects until now. For the past couple years I have had an uncountable amount of UTI's. I also experience painful burning and redness after having sex for a short period of time. I would even have swelling. Its horrible. I didn't think these things were related to the NuvaRing, but now its all making sense. Even though I have been on the ring for 2 years it seems like more side effects have popped up in the past 6 months. I have felt more moody since iv been on the ring but im now having crazy mood swings that are totally out of character for me. I have also gained 20 lbs in 5 months. I didn't think that the ring had anything to do with this until last night after having sex with my boyfriend he told me that his penis burned. When we turned on the light he had a red rash right under the head of his penis. This redness looked like the same thing that would happen to me. After reading everyone eles storied Im going to get off this ****** ring as soon as I can. Im sick of the pain and I hate that its effecting my boyfriend too.

I am 24 years old and have been on the nuvaring for more than 3 years. It has been pretty much impossible for me to have sex for most of that time. Although I have not noticed hair loss or weight gain since use, I do experience a burning pain when having sex. The pain almost feels raw, as if there were an exposed cut splitting in my vagina. I have had multiple tests for STDs and all have come out negative, and am in a stable relationship. I have often been diagnosed for possible yeast infections, and the medications prescribed have not relieved this pain. It is until now that I have associated the nuvaring with my problem, and I will try removing it to see if I notice any difference. I hope that those who have tried this method and noticed positive results will keep in touch and let me know how long it took them to see results. Thanks for posting your stories.

thanks all for sharing and i'm so glad i did research and found this site!

i'm 30... my 1st birth control. been on it for 6 months. it took my body a few months to adjust to the ring... i had constant bleeding for the 1st month... i called it permanent period. it was gross. and then everything was rosy for the next 2 months. until slowly i gained weight and now i've gained 10 lbs. being 5'2" it's very noticeable. at first i thought it was because i'm not walking as much, but it doesn't make sense since i'm probably eating less.
also i feel nausea frequently... almost on a daily basis. i've completely lost my sex drive... which i've never experienced before so took me a few months to connect it to the ring. sex became painful and burned. i feel bad for my boyfriend because i don't feel like sex anymore, when i used to LOVE it. my energy level is low and i noticed my hair falling out a lot and easily.
be mindful of your symptoms... don't explain it away like i did. pay attention to them. i'm taking mine out!

I am so glad that I found this site! I have been on the NuvaRing for about a year and have noticed side effects that I couldn't pinpoint the cause of.

I'm a very petite girl. Only 5 feet tall and usually about 94 lbs. Well since going on the NuvaRing my weight has gone up to 112! Not a big increase to the average person. But I am so small boned and so short, that all of this extra weight went straight to my tummy, butt and thighs and now I look so un-proportioned that it's ridiculous! 18 lbs. is a HUGE amount of weight for me to gain.

I've also had terrible headaches that (if I don't take anything right away for them) sometimes cause me to pass out or vomit because the pain is so intense. I have crazy mood swings that go up and down minute by minute and this has caused many fights between my fiance and I that start over stupid little things.

Also, my periods are alot heavier since I've gone on the ring. I used to have to change my tampon once every five hours or maybe even every six and never, ever leaked. Since going on the ring my periods have changed drastically and now I'm lucky if I can go two hours without leaking through a tampon! When I have my period I'm on constant guard.

Lastly, my sex drive is non-existent. Completely 100% gone. It's awful! I never, ever feel like having sex and that is NOT the normal me. Normally my sex drive is through the roof, but since going on NR I've noticed my sex drive drop more and more every month, every week, every day. This has hurt my fiance because he thinks it's him, which obviously it never was. Now after finding this site at least I can assure him of that.

After all of these side effects I decided to go off the NuvaRing. It's a form of birth control that I don't feel is safe for my body and is damaging to my relationship. I was on Ortho-Tri Lo before and will happily be going back on it again. After all I've gone through with NuvaRing, taking a little pill every day doesn't seem like that much of a hassle anymore.

I tried Nuvaring for about 2 months and it was horrible!! The thing would never stay in while my fiance' and I were having sex! He would take "it" out and the Nuvaring would be sitting right on "it"! HA awkward right? YEAH. And after a while of this happening, he would just start taking it out before we had sex, and I would put it back in afterwords. Which basically defeated the whole purpose of this birth control really. So i ended up just taking it out before the 3rd month, then missed a month of my period completely. And by the next month I began to have uncontrollable bleeding. And after a few weeks of this, I ended up in the hospital and they concluded I had a miscarriage :( and I believe it was all because of this Nuvaring. It may sound convenient, and easy. But it will hurt you in the long run. try, Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo!!!

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??

okay, so i was just reading everyones posts on here, and everything on here i have been experiencing. I immediately took out the NR. The sex drive, actually the lack there of, was the thing that hit me the most. One of the posts read that she was avoiding her husband because of the fear that he might want to fool around, well i have done the same thing only not my husband but with my boyfriend. I had to pretend to fall asleep because i didn't want to have sex. And my boyfriend is gorgeous, and before the nuvaring we were having sex at least 2 times a day. But what was most concerning to me was bleeding. I started to bleed about a month ago and i am still bleeding now. The blood is not red though, it is brown. I looked this up and apparently it is blood that has been there for a while(old blood). Depression is also something that has been happening to me, crying, even sobbing, was something that was an everyday thing. I was over analyzing everything in my life to something negative. I am not this kind of person either, im positive and always smiling, and i didn't notice any of this until i red all of your blogs. So to finish this up, i want to thank you all for this, and i hope that we can help someone else too :)

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.

I last posted here that I started the ring March 6, 2008 that everything was going so far so good with the NuvaRing and its now April 5, 2009 and I'm getting off of the ring in one week and never putting in another one. In the past 6 months I have had no sex drive, few orgasms, a sharp pain underneath my left breast that comes and goes, and a 10 lb weight gain. I'm a 24 year old professional figure skater and should not be going through those side effects. I'm in excellent health and active daily. I have not had any headaches, no nausea, no depression, no fatigue, no acne problems, or spotting. I did not get on the NuvaRing to help my acne nor my periods, I got on the ring because I got into a relationship where I was having sex. I'm still in the relationship and its ruined our sex life. Not to mention I was paying $25 dollars for every ring and now its gone up to $54. I thought it was a smart idea to get on the ring because of the convenience but now I can do without it. Everyone should try the ring once to see how you react to it because EVERYONE is different. I'm just not interested in the aggravation anymore.

I am 18 years old and I have been on the NuvaRing for about a week and a half...already I have been extremely emotional. I am the kind of girl who never crys, and lately EVERYTHING makes me cry or upset. Granted, I do have a lot on my plate right now which adds to my anxiety and stress levels so that could be it too. My boyfriend doesn't like the feeling of it when we are having sex either, and it causes a burning sensation for me when we are finished. Ive experienced sleeping problems as well. Im not quite sure if it is because of everything going wrong in my life right now..or if it is because of the NuvaRing. I have also been experiencing back pain.

I just took the NR out today. I have used other birth control methods and have never had too many issues. I did have some break through bleeding with depo, but it subsided fairly quickly and then I didn't have my period at all for almost a year. I decided to take the ring out after 12 days because I am experiencing bleeding every day, breast tenderness, and most uncomfortably cramping and pelvis pain. My husband and I don't have sex during my period, so in effect this has turned out to be the ultimate contraceptive because we're not having sex at all. I'm just glad that I haven't used it long enough to be experiencing some of the horrible side affects that some of these other women have had. I think I will go back to using foam and the calendar method. It worked for my mother and it has been successful for us so far!

II just got off of the nuvaring a few weeks ago.
I was on it for 3 months, and a few weeks into it i started having symptoms..
i am a generally happy individual, and i began crying all the time, going from happy, to sad, to angry. I felt depressed almost.
I'm 18 and i've been with my boyfriend for two years, we went from having sex almost everyday, to maybe twice a month, and when we did i was in so much pain..especially after. Nothing would turn me on (and just being with him used to), it felt like i was on fire almost. Most of my symptoms have gone away but i still don't have my sex drive back. if someone with the same symptoms could e-mail me i'd really appreciate it. I want to know when i'll get it back..hopefully soon.
-N.

******

thank you!

I don't know how many of my problems are associated with NR, but after reading your posts, I am seriously wondering. Here's what I've got:

--tired all the time - no problem found with my thyroid, I've had it checked multiple times

--weight gain. I don't know how much of this is because I got married when I started NR and of course eat more complete meals rather than on-the-go kind of meals, or how much because I am so tired it is hard to make it to the gym. I will say, though, that for a couple of months I was really good (exercising for about an hour each day, four to six times a week, plus eating much better) and still gained weight. Disappointing. I don't try as hard now - what's the point if exercise and diet don't help?

--no sex drive or much enjoyment while having sex

--pain when having sex - not sure if that's cuz we only have it about once a week (I have to force myself for the sake of my husband). Now I take a bath after sex to alleviate some of the pain. Still annoying, though.

--nasal issues - I know someone mentioned having to take sudafed, I take it every day and also nasonex and mucinex... no apparent nasal problems to the doctors to explain this... I think it's overkill on the meds, but I take them because otherwise I am miserable with nasal problems

--headaches - I have never had headaches bad enough to take even tylenol or asprin before using NR, now I take ibuprofen about 5-6 times a week. I don't know if it is related to the stress of being married or not. I have graduated, so it is not related to stress at school, and stress has never given me bad headaches before. Basically unexplicable for me.

--problems with contacts

--pain in area right below breasts. Very tender. If I touch, it feels as though it will leave a bruise. It doesn't, but it hurts for about a minute before it goes away, just from pressing lightly.

--can't keep the nuvaring in. Not really a side effect, but very frustrating. I also have to keep pushing it in each time I use the restroom. I can't seem to get it in far enough, I guess.

--periods seem to be getting later and later. At first they came like clock-work, the day I took the nuvaring out. But after a year, the period seems to come about the day I put it back in, which leaves me freaked out that I'm pregnant. And they aren't even lighter. They still last about five to six days and are just as heavy, just late.

--muscle stiffness. It is a little hard to walk sometimes.Not sure this is related, but quite a few of you have listed it. Not many cramps though, which is nice.

I have been on NR since a couple months before I got married (about 17 months ago), and hadn't had sex before NR, so I don't know how much NR has affected some of these things since I don't know any different, but as I said before, these are some of the symptoms I have had while on NR, things with no apparent other cause. I am seriously considering another BC option, since I don't really like having no energy and no desire for sex (biggest problems for me).

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.

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 on the NuvaRing for 4 months. And I have to say, Ladies beware!! My story is basically this... I had two children during the age of 25 years old, so my midwife wouldn't release me from the hospital unless I had a birth control plan because if I have another child again so soon it will put my health and life at risk (2 c-sections with back to back children is apparently a bad thing no time to recover!).... I had problems with having anger with other forms of hormonal birth control so I was very nervous about taking the pill or trying the depo shot again. So she suggested the NuvaRing and warned me that because it is hormonal that I may have the same problems with this that I had with the others. She told me that it would take being on the NuvaRing for at least 2-3 months before my hormones would regulate and we would know for sure how my body would handle it and I would react to it. These have been my side effects so far:
Explosive Anger: Every other day my husband and I are fighting in which I over react blow everything WAY out of proportion and threatening to leave.... And I have no right to do this because I literally am treated like a princess.
Depression: Generally after feeling the anger I hit an extreme low.
Sleeplessness: Feeling horrible about myself for acting the way I have, small issues bother me that shouldn't and I'll stay up all night thinking about them not being able to sleep, always feeling like my mind is racing.
Loss of Libido: I have sex because he wants to and it's a rarity at that. When before we were having sex 3-4 times a week, now, it's been about once a month.
Unable to reach orgasm: He knows how to get me there, and I know how to get me there and all of a sudden, neither one of us can get me there no matter how hard we've tried.
Vaginal Itching: Mostly external to the point where it's red, swollen, sore to the touch.
More Discharge: (which is probably causing the above problem)
Headaches: Almost daily and completely out of no where.
Chills and freezing: I live in Sunny Arizona in the South West corner where the average coldest temp is around 70 degrees out and I'm constantly freezing when every one around me is completely fine or way too hot.

All of these side effects started with in 1-2 weeks after I started the NuvaRing. I gave it 4 months to see if my body would regulate and change, and some of these issues would go away and they haven't, if anything they are getting worse. So with that said, we're going to good ol' fashioned condoms!! No more NuvaRing for me.

I hope this helps someone else who might be questioning to stay on it or not... I know you guys helped me! Thanks to all these responses!

Birth control has been such a headache for me! If I wasn't married I would probably just give up on sex period. I'm 20 & it depressing to think this is what I will be dealing with for the next 30 years. Of course at some point either me or my husband will be "fixed" but we do want one more kid a little farther down the road. Bottom line, I HATE THE NUVARING! Yeah, its more convenient than taking the pill but after only 3 weeks I found too many things to hate. I'm already clinically depressed and take medication so I can't tell if that's been a side effect. I never feel like its in all the way. I'm constantly trying to shove it in farther. Over time it slowly slips down. I followed to instructions thoroughly & believe me, there's no way to get it any farther up. I'm already sensitive to tampons at times & sometimes sex but the NuvaRing was awful! Immediately I got a yeast infection & a UTI at the same time. Miserable. If you have recurrent UTI's like me, don't use the NuvaRing. Me & my husband have tried to have sex about 10 times now over the past few weeks to no avail. Its like my insides are swollen & raw... it stings! I could barely handle it for 30 sec. My husband says he can feel the ring & his penis will start to sting a little bit. He also says I feel extremely tight & swollen to the point where it almost hurts. So I know I'm not crazy. What's the point in using it if you can't even have sex? Also, no sex drive ladies. I have sex because he wants to. And I feel awful that I can't help him out there now. Hmm, wonder why they birth control is so effective... of course it is if you're not having sex!! If me & my husband are only going to have sex twice a month anywhere I just don't see the point in putting all these hormones in your body... I've just about had it with birth control.

i also 4got 2 add that i use to have sexual urges all the time. i loved having sex & now nothing turns me on i don't even like when a man touches me!

I just put the ring in two days ago I have been sleeping nonstop and out of control bitchy. I was using it a few months ago and stopped and my face is finally clear. I am not even having sex but I hope to be having it soon with my ex and I want to be prepared for any holiday surprises! I don't know If i should put my body through this for only possible encounter. I was on the ring for two months had chest pains, leg cramps and a yeast infection. My energy was very low and I gained 7 pounds. I did love the boobs!

Wow, some really interesting stories about NuvaRing on here. I had never head about it until 3 weeks ago when getting my annual, I brought up using Seasonale birth control and my doctor told me about the Ring, so he gave me a sample and sent me on my way. It was really convenient - except when I started having sex, I would take it out and put it back in afterwards. Not sure if that was smart or not. I took it out Friday of last week, and Monday started spotting brown blood - thought this was normal. Tuesday morning around 9:30 am I had severe cramps, headache and could barely walk when the cramps came. I got lightheaded and short of breath. Finally, when I went to the bathroom I had wiped and noticed pure blood (Im sure most can tell the difference between period blood and bleeding from an infection of some sort), when I looked down I saw a large mass of some sort. I freaked out because a friend had had a miscarriage and this looked exactly like it. I called the doctor who advised me to collect it and come in asap. I did have sex that weekend I was off it so I freaked out.

When I went in I was advised it was a side effect of the Ring. It was called a decidua cast, basically a linin of your uterus that is formed when pregnant, a lot of times this is shed due to an ectopic pregnancy. Ever sense then I have had the worst period EVER! Constant bleeding, I have to change my pad every 1-2 hours instead of 3-4 (I am afraid to use a tampon right now after this). The blood clots are just horrible.

I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND NUVARING!

I started at the end of June. And I started having symptoms during sex similar to the only time i have had yeast infection...never made the connection either - glad I'm not the only one. I also had the burning, really really painful feelings during and after sex and it burned so bad when I had to use the bathroom. Sometimes I was nearly in tears. I just chalked it up to us having sex so much. (we were newlyweds and living together full time for the first time) Now I wonder if it wasn't the ring, but I'll have to wait til May to find out cuz he is deployed! :P :( Definitely not going and refilling the prescription though I don't think - and will definitely be making a doctor's appointment with a good gyn to find out my alternatives (like some of y'all I have a finicky body when it comes to hormones)

Ladies, ladies, ladies...have I got a few stories for YOU!

I will never forgive myself for wasting three months of my otherwise fabulous life using the Nuvaring.

Nuvaring Nightmare #1: The Slingshot Incident

One night, my boyfriend and I were making love in an unusual position when his member slipped out of me. After an awkward pause I turned around and saw a look of shock and confusion on his face, with the Nuvaring sitting on his chest. Apparently the naughty Nuvaring had gone soaring out of my vagina like a slingshot during all the action and had bounced off his face to land on his chest.

BUT WAIT...it gets worse...

Nuvaring Nightmare #2

Boyfriend and I were in the bathroom for a quickie one day with all the lights turned off, when we realized that the floor was strangely slippery...our feet were slipping all over the place. We turned on the lights to find ourselves and most of the bathroom covered in blood! After a few seconds of searching for the source of the blood, we quickly realized that the evil Nuvaring had badly nicked the head of my poor boyfriend's penis. Needless to say, the mood was killed. Worst of all, it took two weeks to heal...and then it happened again on my brand-new mattress. There are still blood stains under my bed. After that, my boyfriend said, "Either you STOP using the Nuvaring or we STOP having sex!!"

My roommates said I was a moody monster for the entire three months that I used the Nuvaring...and I suspect you would be too, if this had happened to you. If you value your sex life, you relationships with others, and your personal safety, DO NOT EVER TRY THE NUVARING!

Hey Ladies! Finally! I know whats wrong with me! I have been on the NR for almost 2 years now, and I'm taking it out today! I have gained almost 15lbs in the past two years and I am super emotional I never pmsed before NR, me and my bf fight so much more because i always seem to find something wrong with what he did and after talking about it i see how freaking ridiculous my reaction was. We were having sex like 3 times a week and now I'm lucky if I'm in the mood every 3 weeks. Ladies if you don't care about the side effects spair your man and get off the NR!

I went on NuvaRing when it first came out a few years ago and loved it! No side effects that I can remember, but went off of it as I wasn't actively having sex. Fast forward to Mar 08, I decided to go back on as my periods were very irregular, PMS was lasting for two weeks or more and my period was very light and went on for another two weeks. While NuvaRing eliminated all these symptoms, I'm now wondering after reading all these comments if it is responsible for my incredibly low sex drive. I had been suffering from depression after a very hard year in 2007, but although my depression is under control, my sex drive is still non-existent except during the week of my period when NuvaRing is out. I think I'm going to go off and see if it helps.

Hi all I am so relieved to find out that I am not completely crazy. My main problem is absolute no sex drive and my breasts go mental at the slightest touch. having sex is so painful and like the rest of you have had to use lube. It has got so bad I was dreading having sex because of the horrible burning sensation and dryness. Also I have been on an emotional roller coaster with the last 3 months since I started using it.

I think its the end of birth control for me i am 26 and I have tried the pill, and implanon and both caused be to have irregular heavy periods like every second week. was completely worn out. I thought nuvaring was finally the answer because my periods went back to normal but thats the only good thing about it!!

Wow, reading all of this has got me kind of scared. I've been taking Ortho-Tri-Cyclin-Low for almost 3 years, my doctor put me on it, to help with my extremely painful periods, and it worked like a charm. I wasn't sexually active, so I never really worried much about taking it at the same time each day. Other the last several months my life has gotten pretty busy, and its become extremely hard to remember taking the pill each day. I started having sex with my boyfriend earlier this month, we've been using condoms, but they are uncomfortable for both of us, and we don't really want to use them (we were both virgins before this, so we're not worried about STDs). So Friday I went to see my doctor and she suggested Nuvaring, and gave me 5 months worth of samples to try.

I was supposed to have my period this week, I actually quit taking the pill last Tuesday or Wednesday (today is Sunday) because I kept forgetting. So my doctor told me to go ahead and have my period then put the first ring in next week. After reading the information packet and on the nuvaring website I decided to put the ring in last night (Saturday night), and skip my period this month.

I had a headache last night, and its still here (though not quite as bad) today. Today I also started having spotting and mild cramps.

The headache could be from me just getting over the flu (I had that Friday & Saturday), and being tired from the flu. And I'm sure the spotting is probably normal, considering I was supposed to start my period in the next few days, and I've only had the ring in for about 12 hours.

I'm going to be on the look out for side effects though. I sure hope it works for me, because I really am horrible about remembering the pill.

I came upon this site while trying to search about people's experiences with sex while using the ring, because I'm kinda nervous that it will be uncomfortable for my boyfriend and/or I. So if any of you have any input with that, please reply to this. Thank you

I started NR about 6 weeks ago. Within the first few hours of inserting the ring I immediately noticed how dry I became. This in turn made sex with my boyfriend extremely uncomfortable. For the first time in my life, I've had to use lube. Now, I'm finding that it's extremely uncomfortable to have sex, no matter how much lube we use. Prior to NR, we were having sex at least twice a day. Now, I can only stand to have sex about every other day...and it's almost unbearable even then. I've noticed some slight bleeding after sex. I have chronic headaches, diarrhea, and mood swings. After reading all of this, I'm wondering if I should take the ring out immediately and call my doctor first thing on Monday morning. Suggestions?

I also tried the nuvaring a couple of months ago, I loved the sound of it at first, put it in and don't worry about it for 3 weeks. However I too had many side effects including severe depression, rage basically an emotional rollercoaster. I had some sharp pains in my abdominal area as well and vaginal discharge. Soon after being on the ring I also noticed a spotted skin discoloration on my wrist that looked like freckles and did not itch or hurt in any way, but just looked gross. After having sex with my husband he got a blister on his penis from the friction against the ring, which made us unable to have sex until that healed. Within hours of removing the ring the spotted rash started to fade away. I was unable to get an appointment with my doctor right away so I put in another ring planning on removing it during sex, but after 2 days of having it in I grew so depressed and even suicidal, I removed the ring after realizing this and within hours all those black clouds went away, I bled heavily for about 4 days after removing it. But I am certain that I will never use the ring again, I would rather be normal and happy!

IT HAS BEEN FINE FOR ME I HAVE BEEN ON THE NUVARING FOR ABOUT 2YR. ONLY THING I HAD WAS A LOW SEX DRIVE. THEN LAST MONTH IT STARTED HURTING. I WAS NOT SURE WAS GOING ON BUT I LEFT IT IN. THEN THIS MONTH IT FELT LIKE IT WAS FELLING OUT ALL THE TIME. IT CAME OUT ONCE WHILE I WAS HAVING SEX AND THEN TODAY I WAS CRAMPING REALLY BAD WORST THEN I EVER HAD. I THOUGHT I WAS IN LABOR ALL OVER AGAIN AND I TOOK OUT AND THEN IT WAS LIKE MY INSIDES
WAS HURT, I KIND FELT LIKE THE FIRST STAGE OF LABOR. I FEEL A LITTLE BETTER NOW

I thought I was crazy until I found this site... I've been toying with the idea of taking the nuvaring out because I've been so ridiculously depressed lately, exhausted for no reason, and my sex drive is basically at zero. I had almost convinced myself that I'm just depressed but started thinking about the nuvaring. I've been on it for almost 2 years now, and had minor problems at first but then after I got used to it, it seemed fine. Lately, it's been getting worse. Before I lived with my boyfriend (and in the same city), I worked at a horrible job that made me miserable and depressed and gave me horrible headaches... I thought it was just that, my job. But it's not any better, except the headaches are somewhat better... but I'm more depressed than ever, my sex drive is worsening, I'm crabbier than ever, all I want to do is sleep but when I do sleep it's not good sleep, I have zero energy, I can't bring myself to do the smallest tasks, and I'm so insecure and scared that my bf doesn't love me anymore. I even think I've developed anxiety. Sex hurts almost worse every time, I get that burning thing other people have been discussing, and it burns after sex when I urinate. I asked my gyno about the pain during sex and she almost acted like I was crazy. I think I'm ready to take this thing out. Condoms, here I come again. There were positives to the ring, like a way lighter period, I only have one sort of heavy day, and the rest are super light, and my cramps are nothing compared to what I used to experience. But those positive things do not outweigh my other experiences. The point of going on BC is so you can have sex without getting pregnant... well having sex once a month because I feel bad that my boyfriend isn't getting any is so NOT worth the money I spend on this thing and so not worth the side effects. It's so weird that for almost a year though I was fine on it, it almost makes me think that they changed something about it. And it's weird that the doctors seem almost brainwashed. I'm not the only one who had the gyno acting like they were crazy. I'm hesitant to take it out now, I still have 2 1/2 weeks until I'm supposed to take it out, but I don't want to wait another 2 1/2 weeks if I could start feeling better by then if I took it out now.

I thought something was wrong with me when I was irritable all the time I was constantly on edge. Thought of my husband touching or even having sex with me grossed me out and he thought it was him. I have been on the ring for 2 months after having my third daughter and I was excited because I could never remember to take a pill so I thought this was the way to go. I first started having vaginal burning and I thought maybe this was happening because this was something new. Then I have been having abdominal cramping and such. I am now deciding that I should take this out because some of you women on here are having these issues after using this for many years, and it's only been a few months and I am having theses issues. I would rather try something else then to have no sex drive what so ever.

I have experienced most of the side affects that have been posted on here. The burning during and after sex, the depression, the decrease in libido.I am the happiest person right now knowing that there are other people like me out there! I hate having sex at this point, I know that I will feel the vaginal burning during and after. It has taken it's toll on my relationship with my boyfriend, he believes that I am no longer attracted to him which is far from the truth. I cry for anything and everything which is not like me. I have been researching my symptoms thinking about discontinuing the NuvaRing, and now I believe I have made my choice. I'm going A DIFFERENT ROUTE. I am glad that I am not alone and appreciate all the comments that have been posted. I am looking for any responses with advise, possible birth control methods, and just the support. PLEASE HELP!

Hello, I have been using Nuvaring for 1 week but my husband has had the side affect, since I put it in my husband has had trouble holding an erection, I;m pretty sure it cant be anything else because it started the day I put it in, and hes 25 and I;m 24, and haven't had trouble before.. Please help I would like to know if there is anything scientific backs this up.

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

I've been on the nuvaring for about a year now. I had been on the Nuvraring from November of 06 thru May of 07. When I broke up with my boyfriend, I stopped using it (giving my body a break) from May until August when I started seeing somebody seriously enough to consider having sex again. I love the ring because it just has to be inserted once a month (although I HATE the feeling I get taking it out...). My periods take almost 4 days to start once the ring is out and then it lasts for about 5 days. The cramps during the first day or two are almost unbearable, but the periods are light. SOOOO many pros and cons.

I have gained back the break up weight and then some. I was blaming it on being in the "comfy relationship" status where you eat out a lot and blah blah blah... my boyfriend and I started working out together and he was dropping pounds like it was his job and meanwhile I was working out with no results. I'm a solid 10lbs heavier than my normal "I'm not working out" weight. My breasts were always a full C now I'm a small D. The week before I take out my ring I'm ready to kill my boyfriend for not cleaning out the litter box or for leaving me dishes to wash when he's been home... normal things that I'd just make a comment about and move on become HUGE events (for example: eating my leftover burrito= WWIII).

I was on the pill (can't even remember the name) and spotted all the time. I found it hard to take it at the same time... and I spent more time not having sex because I was always bleeding. I'm only 24 so I won't use the "I'm not as young as I used to be" excuse.... I wish there was a way to prove it is the ring causing me to gain weight without having to stop using the ring,. I really don't feel like messing up my cycle only to find out I'm just chunky now-- nothing to do with the ring.

I, like every one else am so glad I found this site, I have been on the ring for about 5 months. I got on it after having a baby, but my husband was deployed so wasn't having sex. When he came home I had NO sex drive, and last month (after only a month of him being home) I became so depressed I could hardly function. I would cry everyday before my husband went to work, I would cry for EVERYTHING good or bad, I have been extremely bloated, sick and no appetite- to the point of taking pregnancy test over and over cause I was positive I was pregnant (I have had 3 children so I know what it's like) very dry no natural lubrication, I like others have no reason to be depressed and have always been a happy go lucky kinda girl so this was all so odd to me. I am also 25, so fairly young and not wanting to ever feel like this again. I was getting worried, so I looked up side effects this afternoon and found this, so like everyone else I have already pulled it out.

Does anyone else feel discomfort when having sex? My boyfriend tells me that he can feel the ring and that he cannot go in as deep as he was before. And I also feel the ring getting pushed all the way to my cervix while engaging in sex with my boyfriend. Maybe he is just really big but it hurts really bad.

I used the nuvaring about over a year ago and since i stopped using it i've felt a whole lot better. When i first began the nuvaring i have a lot of discomfort with it. Placing it and taking it out was the worst, and while having sex with my then partner i had really bad pains. So when i met my fiance now husband i decided to get off of it and use some other method of birth control. When i stopped using the nuvaring i did not get another contraceptive instead i had unprotected sex with my now husband b/c i wanted to become pregnant, turns out that i wasn't becoming pregnant despite not using the nuvaring or any other form of birth control. So i just sat and wait to see what happened, it turned out that i began to not get my period each month well of course i was happy i honestly thought i was pregnant but after so many runs to Walgreen's for pregnancy test i gave up and blamed the nuvaring to my infertility issues. Its been over a year now and I finally got my period again. I know most birth control have a side effect concerning infertility but this was extremely bizarre that i did not get my period for over a year.

what a relief to read all your experiences! I too have been on the ring for about 5 months, while my sex drive was not totally shot - i too get these insane cramps in my calf muscles that wake me up at night on a regular predictable basis. to cure those i started taking vitamins and eating bananas more. weight-wise, i'm sure i gained ten pounds since i started but was too depressed to check so i waited until i knew i lost a few and now i'm 7 pounds heavier than when i started. of course I tell this all to my doctor and she's like "That's strange, it's such a low dose of hormones that shouldn't happen." FINALLY the worst of it is the first week I put it in I'm INSANELY emotional. crying hourly. today's been such a hard day - worsened by the fact that it was my birthday two days ago and one of the most pathetic birthday's of my life so i just keep thinking about it and crying. so i wonder if it's the ring thats exaggerating my emotions or if i'm really feeling depressed about having a lame birthday. does anyone else have this first-week slump? i hate it. i want to go off the ring now but i hate taking the pill and i feel like any BC has some hideous undesirable side effect. PLUS when having sex, it's popped out 3 times and i haven't been able to find it after!!! so annoying. what to do what to do...

after reading all of this, im amazed that nuva ring is the best birth control i ve ever had in my life. i had no problem with nausea, or any pain or weigh gain. but just that it fell out while having sex. so, i was on it for 2 years and half, and unfortunately i had to stop because of $$.it went up from $5 to $40 every month and im in college.

I actually started using Nuvaring a little over a week ago to regulate my periods. I had a tubligation after my last child, but I have PCOS and my periods had been acting up again. So, my doctor told me how wonderful this form of birth control was and that I would love it. Well, I don't and I actually removed the ring last night. I have been extremely irritable, cranky and VERY sad. I have cried alot and even thought about suicide. I am going through a divorce, but it is amicable and I have a boyfriend. So, in general I have been pretty happy until about two weeks ago. I have had NO sex drive and I am 34 and absolutely love having sex. I have ate everything in sight, gained weight and feel bloated and fatigued. I could sleep and eat all day and do nothing else. I would rather deal with my period 3 weeks out of a month than the side effects from Nuvaring. I DO NOT recommend it and wished I had read this sight before I started using it.

I'm glad to have found this site. I was beginning to think there was something wrong with ME! I've been on the ring for about a month and a half now and at first I thought it was the best thing out there. Once it was in I didnt think twice about it, no itching or discomfort. But I have started to notice I have almost NO sex drive! There was even one time when having sex with my boyfriend where I actually felt disgusted like I wanted to puke or something and normally I absolutely love sex especially with my boyfriend cuz he's great but lately I don't even wanna think about sex. Its horrible. I'm definitely getting off the ring but I dont know what else to try.

I added a post on 26 Feb regarding my decision to stop using NuvaRing. It has now been 2 weeks and I feel so much better. My relationship with my boyfriend is more loving than ever, I have my sex drive back, I have lost a little of the weight that I gained, I'm motivated again, I don't feel depressed at all and I'm not feeling borderline psychotic anymore.

We're using condoms now and I actually don't mind it! The latex free ones don't irritate me and there is something a little bit sexy about the process of putting a condom on!

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