NuvaRing and horrible headaches

Where should I begin? Yes, as it has been said everyone reacts to hormones/medications differently but how is it that I am finding all my symptoms on this board and there's plenty of other women out there feeling the same thing? I am driving my friends/family insane telling them that I think I'm pregnant. It's been nearly 3 months. since I last had intercourse, I haven't missed a period and have had TWO pregnancy tests come out negative! I started Nuvaring the 2nd of July (1st day of my period) and pulled it out by the 13th because I was literally SICK of it! Three days later I started my period again, horrible cramps and all. I had hot flashes throughout the day and night sweats in my sleep. I have felt bloated constantly, today I just noticed a tiny amount of clear discharge from my nipple when I squeezed it, horrible headaches that don't go away, nausea. Anything you would link to pregnancy symptoms, I've felt all of it! And my friends are sick of hearing me think I am, hell! I'm sick of thinking it. But as I've read on here, it seems even weeks after the Nuvaring has been removed women are still feeling out of whack. My only other option is to take blood test to confirm that I'm going insane and that this birth control really threw my hormones off balance. Oh yeah, and did I mention I've been suicidal lately? And have random bouts of crying or depression? This is just the beginning...so if anyone out there has thought they're pregnant because of this thing, you're probably not, but please let me know if you've felt the same, thanks!

I am 25 years old. A mother of 2, and i have now been on the NuvaRing for 5 years. I got on the NuvaRing the day of my postpartum check up after i had my second child.. I loved the NuvaRing at first thought it was the best thing in the entire world, hell all you had to do was put it in leave it for 21 days days leave it out for 7. Go on your period and other then that everything was great. About 2 months into using the Nuvaring i started having HORRIBLE HEADACHES that would last 3-5 days at a time without letting up. I could not stand to be around noise, light or anything that had a strong smell or it would get my head pounding to where i just could not take it anymore. So i called my doctor and told him about the horrible headaches that i have had. Explained to him that before a bad headache would come on i would have this horrible burning sensation in my head that would make you want to die.. And the doctor told me just hang in there and give the Ring time to work, so i did and then as time went on i started having other side effects along with the headaches.. Such as BAD ACNE that scars after clearing up which has made my completion not so good. Breakouts on arms, back ,chest. So i got some neutrogena soap to help with that and it has worked.. But then i got more side effects such as BREAK THREW BLEEDING right after my period was suppose to be over and after intercourse.. Then i totally HAD NO SEX DRIVE which caused lots of problems in my marriage cause my husband began to think i wasn't sexually attracted to him anymore.. And i began to think that also. Cause i had lost my sex drive didn't want to do it, the thought of it made me cringe. After being on the NuvaRing after so long you began to develop this THICK DISCHARGE that is annoying then as time goes on you get another type of discharge that is thin WATERY DISCHARGE that is aggravating cause it almost feels as if you have peed your pants a bit almost feels like a yeast infection with out the smell. Which brings me to my next awful side effect which is the Yeast INFECTIONS and the number of UTI's i have had while being on the NuvaRing never had a UTI or a yeast infection before the nuvaring. Not having a sex drive because you cant because intercourse is too PAINFUL sex it hurts like FRICTION and STABBING because of the DRYNESS the Nuva Ring causes. So i called the doctor he told me that i would have dryness at first and to just use lube so i tried that. Didn't work still had pain from the dryness so i called the doctor again and told him about the pain so he wrote me a prescription for a numbing jelly that you use right before intercourse and that was suppose to help with the pain.But that didn't work either just made everything numb till where you couldn't feel rather anything was out or in so i quit using that and hoped to god that my body would adjust to the Nuvaring. Still today after intercourse it causes STOMACH CRAMPS similar to the ones when your on your menstrual cycle,and PRESSURE similar to the pressure you have when your 8-9 months pregnant. Going to the bathroom after intercourse is a total NIGHTMARE i have had times it has burned so bad that i have pinched my stomach as i peed to take some of the PAIN AND BURNING away.Dont always work! Another side effect that i have had is DEPRESSION i have noticed that i have been unhappy and just got to where a lot of times i don't care about things that matter to me because i don't feel that i have the energy to do so.. I also have ANXIETY ATTACKS which i have never had until i got on this NuvaRing. CHEST PAINS that i thought the first time i was having a heart attack it hurt so bad. I had to take little breaths to breathe which would then lead into a PANIC ATTACK cause i felt like i was unable to breathe like i am suppose to.. So yet again called the doctor who told me that i need to be on prozac to handle this. Never got on the prozac just delt with it hoping that it was just a little side effect and that my body would adjust to the NuvaRing, but guess what NO never did.. Another side effect that i always hate is getting SICK AND THROWING UP caused by a medication, guess what i still have this after 5 years i get to cramping so bad and headaches tied onto being MISERABLE and BLOATING and DIARRHEA and DRY MOUTH so bad that you cant stand it seems no matter what you drink to get rid of dry mouth nothing can quench your thirst and this is all hours of the day. So i would take Midol which would only help for a few hours and then i was right back to square one with the B.S caused by the NuvaRing. So i call the doctor and get told "well you will have that." the side effects will be less obvious the longer your on the NuvaRing." So stupid me stays on the NuvaRing hoping this is true! Which i have found out is not. The only good thing that i have noticed is the NuvaRing is easy to use and you don't have to remember take a pill everyday! I never had any weight gain or loss while on this dang thing. Pretty well maintained the same weight as i have always been. I have tried to get off the ring several times, but always get back on it, Because while the ring is out for 7 days i am miserable mostly with a headache that last 3-5 days untop of the TERRIBLE MOOD SWINGS that i get. i truly think that my body has been on this hormone so long that i have HORMONAL WITHDRAWALS when i don't have the ring in. Cause i am fine after the ring is inserted again. People can say what they want and say that this is a issue and that they haven't had problems and that is understandable and different people adjust to hormones in different ways but the time that i have my ring out i always get my sex drive back 1-2 days before i start my period. I am not asking anyone to believe me about any of this and if the ring works for you then great, i thought that it was going to work for me also but it didn't. . I have taken the nuvaring out this last past Sunday and have no intentions on putting another ring back in.. Yet again i have had 3 days of a SEVERE HEADACHES some thing that i believe is HOT FLASHES or NIGHT SWEATS,BLOATING,DEPRESSION,CHEST PAINS,ANXIETY ATTACKS,YEAST INFECTIONS, and BAD MOOD SWINGS and i am hoping that all this will pass and my body will go back to the way it was before the NuvaRing came along... I would not suggest anyone to get this as a form of birth control i would actually tell then that the pill is better off to have in the long run.. This has caused me nothing but a miserable life that i have tried to deal with and i am just not going to do it anymore. I hope to see in the near future the NuvaRing go off the markets and not able to sale anymore.. The only reason that i was put on the nuvaring is because my doctor had a hard time finding a birth control method that my body would accept I was on Ortho- Tri- Cyclin and got pregnant and had a girl... My postpartum check up with her i was given the Orthra- Evra patch and i got pregnant with my son. Tried IUD and my body rejected it. So the doctor says" lets try this new birth control"you insert yourself leave in for 21 days leave out for 7 and have your period," the longer your on this NuvaRing the lighter your period will become and the side effects which aren't many will fade also.". "So how bout it." Well i thought this NuvaRing was a dream come true, BUT IT WAS A NIGHTMARE WAITING TO HAPPEN..

I went on the ring about a year ago and I have loved it. I have been having a problem when I drink too much alcohol though and I am not sure if it has to do with the ring. Whenever I drink to the point where I don't feel good and I have a headache, I get really suicidal and freak out. My boyfriend noticed a few days ago that these episodes started around the same time I got the ring, but we aren't quite sure. Has anyone else ever had any experiences like these? I would like to know as soon as possible so I can take it out. Also, I would like to know if there are any other birth controls that people would recommend besides the pill. I don't like having to remember to take them every day.

I've been on NuvaRing for 3 weeks now and I know after reading the other posts here that I am experiencing major side effects. I have been having horrible headaches off and on for 2weeks now. I've also been very depressed, isolating my husband and my kids. I can't seem to ever get full enough I could eat all day long. I also have random cramping and bleeding. I have no energy and could sleep all day and night if left to. I also have had the itching all over and low sex drive.The headaches are so awful I can't get rid of them, nothing works.I just pray that this headache and pain in my abdomen go away asap,I'm taking this thing out right now.I wasn't on it for BC I had my tubes ties 18 yrs ago I was having a lot of cramping so they said I have endometriosis so they treated me hormonally like that was smart I'm just gonna get a hysterectomy and be freaking done.Thanks to all and to all good luck

I've been on NuvaRing for 3 weeks now and I know after reading the other posts here that I am experiencing major side effects. I have been having horrible headaches off and on for 2weeks now. I've also been very depressed, isolating my husband and my kids. I can't seem to ever get full enough I could eat all day long. I also have random cramping and bleeding. I have no energy and could sleep all day and night if left to. I'm taking this thing out right now! Hopefully It doesn't' take long to stop experiencing these symptoms. I wish you all luck in your own situations and STRONGLY ADVISE AGAINST THE USE OF NUVARING!

I'm 22 years old... I'd been off of birth control for 2 years when I started NuvaRing in October. My gyno said it was great with very few side effects. I have always had really clear, pretty skin, but since I have started NuvaRing, I have had awful breakouts. I am constantly nauseated, have terrible headaches and the mood swings are unbearable. My fiance thought I was losing it - I'd be high as a kite one minute, then rock bottom the next.
Luckily I found this site... does anyone have any recommendations as far as other options? Is OrthoEvra (patch) worth it? Please reply... thanks, ladies!

LOWER BACK PAIN!!!
Since having my son 4 yrs ago, I've had horrible PMS. My Doc recommended using the ring and replacing it every 28 days without a "bleed week" to reduce my hormonal roller-coaster. The first month was great - no significant PMS and no period. But the last few days (25-28) before replacing the ring I had horrible headaches. Month #2 was the same but with the addition of lower back pain. Month #3 the lower back pain increased. I just inserted my 4th ring last week and the lower back pain is still tremendous. It hurts to bend over or cough. I'm beginning to wonder if I have an infection of some sort instead of just a side effect.

I have been on the ring for two weeks today. At first I thought it was great...but the past few days I have had horrible headaches, breast tenderness, and nausea. These headaches are so bad even my migraine meds do not help! I did just get the Gardasil shot on the 26th of Dec. The breast tenderness and the headaches are going to cause me to remove the ring. At first I was worried that maybe these were symptoms of being pregnant... I don't think that is the case (hoping it isn't the case!) Does anyone know the effects of taking the ring out a week early? Any advice would be great!

Hello! I have been diagnosed with chronic daily migraines. Yes, a migraine everyday for 5 months straight. Next comes swelling of fingers, hands, arms, legs, ankles and feet with major pain for the last 5 weeks. I have gone to the neurologist, ob-gyn & family Dr. I had 4 Dr/ER visits of testing to see what the problem could be. Tested for heart failure, liver disease, kidney failure/disease, lung, lupus, ms, chest x-ray, ekg and a brain CT scan...all to be negative THANK GOD! All of my Dr's including the ER staff said....hmmmm I think its the NUVARING! After some research my symptoms matched the nuvaring side effects exactly...the part that says...if you have any of these...then call the Dr. immediately. It has been approx a week and 1/2 of the removal of the Nuvaring and the headaches are no longer everyday or a "10" in rating. I was so busy typing that I forgot to mention that I match quite a few of your symptons as well...like no sex drive, depression, nausea, dizziness etc. I'm not sure about what happened and if my symptoms will go away without the nuvaring. I can say that it is worth a try. I also want to tell you all that no, you are not crazy and please listen to your body. Nuvaring came along when I really needed to regulate my periods...so I know the feeling of being relieved, but I wish I had taken a break from a 3 year run with the "Nuvaring". Please take care!

I have been on nuvaring for about 9 months. I have the followin symptoms:

-tired all the time
-horrible headaches
-smelly discharge
-lower back aches
-hate having sex
-weight gain
-very very moody

I havn't had any of these problems until after getting on the nuvaring. I never thought it would be the nuvaring until i found this website. I have 2 kids so i always thought that stress and work was making me tired. I seem to never catch up on sleep! I have low thyroid so i even thought it was that so i went and saw my Dr. but my thyroid was fine, but i was still soooo tired! I am soo mean to my husband and other people. I snap so easily now! I get soo agravated! This is not me!! I have the worst headaches ever! My back hurts all the time & when i stand up too long it hurts really bad down there. & again, i thought maybe because of having kids, but i never had these problems before i got on nuvaring & my oldest child is 3! This discharge is discusting! Alot comes out when i pull my ring out! & it smells reall bad! I smell all the time because of this discharge! In the past 4 months i have gained weight, so bad i even thought i might be pregnant! Oh & i got my 1st yeast infection being on nuvaring! I have never had one in my life before!! & i hate having sex, i just hate it!! I get soo mad when my husband even mentions sex! This nuvaring has messed my life up! I just took it out a few days ago b/c im on my period! I'm not putting it back in and hopefully things will get better!!!!

I'VE BEEN ON NUVARING FOR 8 MONTHS NOW. I WAS THINKING ABOUT GETTING OFF OF IT BECAUSE I AM GAINING WEIGHT BAD. SO I WENT TO THIS WEBSITE & READ EVERYONE'S & REALIZED ALL THESE OTHER SYMPTOMS I'M HAVING IS BECAUSE OF NUVARING TOO. I HAVE HORRIBLE HEADACHES, IM VERY MOODY, IM TIRED ALL THE TIME, NASTY SMELLY DISCHARGE, I HATE SEX, ABSOLUTELY HATE IT, MY BACK ACHES ME BAD & IM HUNGRY ALL THE TIME & I GUESS THATS MAKING ME GAIN WEIGHT ALSO. I WILL DEFINATELY BE TAKING THIS OUT!! I LOVE THE SHORT LIGHT PERIODS, BUT I HATE ALL THESE SYMPTOMS!!

I've been on the NR for about 6 months now and since I've been on it, I've had horrible headaches and absoutely no sex drive. Not worth it in my opinion. I've already consulted my doctor and I'm getting off of it.