NuvaRing and intercourse

I used NuvaRing for 1 year and 5 months before I threw in the towel. At first it was great. No weight gain, no change in my cycles, no problem during intercourse, everything was perfect... a great alternative to a pill. Until I started taking NuvaRing in 2008 I had not been on any birth control. The last time I was on anything was in 2000 after the birth of my only daughter. In 2000 I used Depo Provera (spelling?) and had horrible side effects from that. I had extreme hair loss & the worst mood swings you could imagine. I knew that his time around I didn't want the Depo shot & I can't remember to take a pill everyday. I struggle to take a full round of antibiotics without accidentally forgetting a dose. After talking to my Gyno in 08 I decided to try NuvaR. After getting my 6 mo. checkup with my doctor we decided to keep me on it since I was pleased with the results. So months went by, still no problem. Then one afternoon I started getting a pain in my left side that was the worst achey/uncomfortable nagging pain I had ever felt. I started to keep a log of when my pain would come & how long it lasted before it finally subsided. After a few weeks I began looking through the internet to find out more of my anatomy & try to come up with an idea of what was causing my strange pain. As it turns out the pain was in the same area as my spleen & a little piece of the liver comes across to the left side as well. I knew that this was not a kidney issue since I am prone to kidney infections at least 3 times a year. I know kidney pain & this was not it. My boyfriend started complaining about how I was always complaining about not feeling well. When we started dating in July of 08 I was somewhat outgoing, always going here or there for any get together-friends from work, daughters cheer stuff, jazz shows, beach etc. He was tired of me being tired. That is when we started wondering if I had anemia. The spleen pain could have been explained by that. Or maybe it was my gall blader we thought. I started looking for signs & symptoms but nothing was obvious. I just dealt with the pain in my side and wondered too if I was developing a stomach ulcer. Then one day my shins started hurting for no apparent reason. Then it was the forearm bones. I literally hurt inside my bones. The shins were the most painful of all. It hurt to walk, I couldn't get comfortable sitting, lying, standing, sleeping & I was at my whitts end. After talking about it with my boyfriend he said that I needed to go ahead & make an appointment because my quality of life has been reduced to zilch. I was always uncomfortable with pain or aches or moody. I went to see my doctor. Of course when I went I had a UTI, as usual-nothing abnormal about that. I told him about all my pain so we ran some tests. He did some blood work & saw that my white blood cells were through the roof. We decided to culture my urine specimen & a few days later we found I had a MRSA staff UTI. Typically you get these if you are catheterized but I fell into the unlucky 5% that just get it w/o any reason. (In the back of my mind I still wonder if NuvaRing had anything to do with it.) So, I took all the antibiotics making sure not to miss a dose. 14 days later at a check up I still had a little bit of bacteria in my urine & we ran more blood tests. My white count was even higher. Now my doctor takes my bone pain & side pain more seriously. The infection was getting better but my body was fighting something else or was it? He decided to check my kidneys by ultrasound to make sure there were no cycts. They also did a full abdominal ultrasound to look at the spleen & liver for enlargement. No enlargement but possibly a little kidney stone. Then I had an appointment with an infectious disease/internal medicine Dr. He made sure my infection was gone. I told him about all my weird pain & he ran a lot of blood work. White count still high, did a lap stain to look for leukosytes for leukemia, all was clear. So, after a week, off for a CT I went to check on the stone. Of course no stone on CT. Finally my boyfriend said hey, don't put a ring in this month & see if that's the problem. Sure enough after spending soooo much on all the tests after I took it out I was back to my old self in about a months time. I still had a pain in my side once in a while for the first 2-3 months but I have been completely symptom free now for 4 mos! The only worry I have now is that I started gaining weight after I stopped taking it. I have gained 20 lbs (some of that is because I got lazy & lethargic for so long) and my hair is beginning to come out more often in clumps again. I have an area thinning in my eyebrow & my nails are breaking more easily. I think I need to go get my thyroid checked. Yet again, I can't help but wonder- was it caused by the NuvaRing? Have I damaged myself thanks to what was supposed to be a great easy alternative to a pill? I guess we'll see how it goes. Never again will I use it, nor will I recommend it to anyone. Oh, and my love life is great again, I go places & do things again now. It's amazing how far I spiraled down before we realized it was preventable. DON'T USE THE RING!

Hi
I first used the ring 3 years ago when i got married. ever since then, I've had extreme pain upon penetration. Basically, we haven't had intercourse for 3 years. My vagina burns like crazy, like sand paper every time my husband penetrates. I also haven't menstruated in 3 years. So far, doctors have not been able to treat the problem. I am going to an endocrinologist now who will prescribe hormones short term for my period. Has anyone had a similar experience? I would appreciate any feedback, advice, doctors, etc.

Hi I'm 19 years old, I've been on the NuvaRing for about 4 months now and I'm taking it out this weekend to switch to the pill. I loved the convenience of it and not having to worry about taking a pill everyday and it was always comfortable. But I've noticed in the past 3 months or so that all I do is sleep! I've experienced the worst fatigue of my life and I've been really depressed for no reason and have no interest in doing anything which is not myself at all. I've had crazy mood swings where I'll be screaming or crying one second then laughing the next, absolutely no sex drive and always dry during sex, every little thing irritates me, i'm always hungry but have only gained about 5-10 lbs, I'm bloated, my skin is always itchy and extreme vaginal itching, I've had a yeast infection, a urinary tract infection and bacterial vaginosis all in one month of using NR, and I've noticed I've been stuttering here and there as well? I was always recommending the NR to my friends because of it's convenience but after reading this I realize that all of my symptoms are due to NR and I do not recommend this anymore!

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

I have been on the ring only 2 months but have decided to take it out and be done with this medication FOREVER! First of all-I have lost my sex drive completely. Also, it came out during intercourse (gross) and my breasts have grown and are very sore. The main reason though is my intense anxiety-I have been snapping at my husband and others around me...becoming VERY angry quickly-and have been extremely paranoid. I took the ring out yesterday and I am hoping for the symptoms to subside any day now. I got on this BC b/c I thought that it was easy and no fuss-what a JOKE!

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.

After all the bad ratings on the nuvaring, I am suprised it is still recommended for use. My doctor told me to try the nuvaring because I have a history of having break through bleeding every day and he didn't want to put me on the medicine (northindrone) that will stop it and straighten me out quickly. Not sure why but I might have to switch doctors. The first month I had break through bleeding every day during the 2nd and 3rd week. When I took it out for the 4th week, the break through bleeding stopped which I find weird. My cycle didn't start until 3 days later. I'm currently on the 2nd month and I experienced large amounts of discharge the first week and just moving into my 3rd week I am starting to experience break through bleeding, cramps, and bloating. I have never bloated before in my life. During these past two months I have also experienced episodes of extreme hunger and then episodes where even the thought of food makes me sick. I have ZERO sex drive, am extremely dry (doesn't make sense with the increased discharge?), and there are times when it is too painful to even have intercourse. I have not experienced the real bad mood changes/ depression but I am tired all the time. The tiredness gets to the point where I can barely stay awake and I always get more than 7 hrs of sleep a night. I'm going to give nuvaring one more month and if it straightens out my breakthrough bleeding I will stick with it because bleeding every day is the most frusterating and depressing thing I can think of. It doesn't even compare to the side effects I experience while on the ring. I have tried 6 different forms of BC with no avail and bled for a year straight once before.

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??

If somebody's just getting the info online about the nuvaring thinking about switching to it, I would not recommend to do so!
I started using the nuvaring 1 1/2 month ago after 2,5 years of being BC free thinking it has less hormones; and I'm totally disappointed in the nuvaring and the health care provider who recommended it to me. Well the first month of use I experienced the worst yeast infection ever with burning and itching and abundant discharge.
It seemed to go away by the next cycle, but my sex drive was almost completely gone (which is not like me at all) accompanied with the dryness and dull pain after intercourse, i gained weight and started feeling like blah. I wear contacts and i started experiencing dryness and blurred vision prob. I still decided to leave it till the next period cycle. But then my husband and I came across a different problem, this time with him. He got a cluster of achy pimples at the base of his penis- that made the decision clear for us. I took it out the same day and tried to find out what exactly was wrong with him, my result for yeast inf. was negative and we are 100%negative for other STI's.
My health care provider could not help me at all, just suggested switching to a pill. BTW i couldn't find any info on side effects in men, but did come across some other comments on other sites left by men with the same prob.
I'm only 25, in a good shape (or at least was before the gain and stopping going to the gym, coz it didn't feel like that any more) and without bad habits, no allergies either; so the side effects have nothing to do with the age, your health condition or the lifestyle.
Well, now I don't see why even try the nuvaring? I see it as a costly damage of your body and letting you man suffer with you.
We usually slip the side effect part thinking it's not gonna happen to us, but i learned my lesson and I really don't know what else to try now.

I thought I was going crazy. I am engaged and so happy to be getting married! But since I started NuvaRing in November, lots of these symptoms listed in this blog have crept up on me. I too thought this was the most wonderful birth control... Put it in, take it out. So easy! But the past 2 months, I started having serious break through bleeding. To the extent I need to wear a tampon with it. I immediately figured it had to be because of the nuvaring, because in 31 years, I've NEVER had this. Well, the stupid ring fell out some how the beginning of this week. And I had kindof decided to change to a different method of birth control and just forget about it after that. So that whole bleeding, falling out episode led me to do a bit more research on the ring, rather than just reading their website. I came across this blog. I now looking back realize that I have been experiencing depression, crying, anger, all the emotional related side effects. I dismissed it as just extreme stress. Now, I realize that I think it was the ring because prior to getting on it in Nov. I wasn't feeling like that. I'm also an avid exerciser, gym lover, runner, biker... Not since November. I've just wanted to go to sleep. I just want to sit on the couch. Going to the gym is so hard! I gained about 8 lbs since Nov. too. I thought it was me going crazy. Now I've stopped the NuvaRing. Hopefully I can get back to my happy go-lucky self. Can anyone tell me how long it took them to feel better? If you had breakthrough bleeding, did it stop after you were off the ring? How long did that take?

The worst birth control option out there! I started the nuvaring three months ago when I decided I was too forgetful for the pill. The first month was fine, then after that everything started to get messed up. I was bleeding a ridiculous amount, I would spot the week before and the week after my period, and practically every time I had intercourse! (not so great) The cramps were so intensely painful, I didn't want to move. I also became a crazy woman, I was so moody, emotional, and irritable, and even started to feel depressed. My husband was getting genuinely very worried about how I was acting. Something always felt wrong, I either had a headache, cramps, fatigue, or was just pissed off for no reason. I am glad I found this site and can now convince myself I am not crazy, and it is that cursed nuvaring. I took that mothah effah out.

DO NOT, I REPEAT DO NOT START THE NUVARING.

you'd be better off just having a baby then dealing with these stupid symptoms. :)

i took it out and it better be the end of it's crap....

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

I've been on the NuvaRing for over 4 years now. Initially, I absolutely loved it as I didn't have to worry about taking a pill everyday and I had nearly no side effects. Well just recently all of that has changed. I went from being a highly sexual person to not wanting sex at all, I've had headaches nearly everyday, nauseated, when my husband and I are able to make love, there is some moderate pain; however the unexpected happened about 2 months ago when I realized that half-way through my nuvaring cycle, it was no longer in place inside of me. It had come out during intercourse and we had never even noticed. It wasn't until a few days later when I got a full blown period that I knew something was up. I was very afraid of getting pregnant because we were not using a condom and relied fully on the Ring. I hesitated, but went back on the Ring and have had all of these problems since. I have really liked it during the time I've been on it, but I'm considering stopping the use of it.

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

I have had I terrible live changing experience with Nuvaring. I experienced the a loss in sex drive and vaginal pains during intercourse. I was on the ring for over two years, and have been off it for almost a year now. I went off because my husband and I wanted to try to get pregnant. I knew that the drug can stay in your system for a while after it is removed, but nearly a year is impossible. I also know I wasn't infertile before the ring because I had been pregnant before. So I shouldn't be infertile now. I have seen numerous doctors and they can't find any thing wrong with me. I have never had any diseases and my husband hasn't either. We have always been completely monogamous healthy people. There is not outside reason we shouldn't be pregnant. I am going to a fertility specialist next week and I am very hopeful that I can still have children. I don't know for sure if my problems are from the ring, but it seems too likely. I highly suggest that anyone contemplating using the ring look for something else, and if you are on it get off as soon as possible. It's so much easier just to not have to deal with the problems.

I was put on Nuvaring a little over a year ago. I was like a lot of you and can't take the pill daily to save my life, so I thought this was amazing. I liked it for the first four months, except for having to push it back constantly. The fifth month I was really short on cash and went off it for a month, I was single and not seeing anyone so I didn't figure it would hurt. Boy was I wrong! The next month I went back on because I could afford it and I started dating someone. The first month back on was fine, but the next two months my sex drive plummeted dramatically. I went off it to see if my want for sex would come back, but it didn't. It actually got worse. I started having burning and sharp pains during intercourse. I went to see my doctor and neither she or another doctor could find anything wrong. They prescribed and suggested several medications and supplements that haven't helped To this day I am still having pains, though not as severe as they were initially, and I am still wondering when my sex drive will come back.

I have only been on Nuvaring for about 9 months now, but I can not handle this any more. Since I have been on the ring, my periods have actually become more regular and shorter - yay - my problem is that since I started using it, I have been experiencing cyclic emotions, severe leg and foot cramps, almost constant sinus infections, and severe headaches.
The week before I remove the ring, I am a complete and total basketcase, thinking everyone hates me (including family and friends) and I almost constantly cry for no reason at all. The rest of the time, I am fine. I talked to the doctor and he told me it is not the ring and put me on an anti-depressant. Two months later, I talk to him again and he ups the dose on the anti-depressant and tells me I need professional counseling. I went, an was told these cyclic symptoms seem to be more hormonally related since it is at the same time every month.
After about the first month of use, I started getting HORRIBLE leg and foot cramps at night. I have had my potassium tested, it's fine, I was sent to a podiatrist who put me in leg and foot braces to sleep (which cost a bundle and did not help!) I have added additional potassium to vitamins and started drinking 64 oz of water a day (even put a bar of soap at the foot of the bed and a knife under the bed!!! I was willing to try anything). Still having problems.
As for the sinus infections, they have been almost constant, which previously I rarely got, but since starting the ring I am almost constantly have. Same with headaches!!! I REALLY don't get it.
Oh, and did I forget to mention that EVERY time my fiancee and I have intercourse I have to check to make sure it is still there?!? The first time I lost it, I got a call from him later in the day telling me I had lost my "braclet" (he had no idea about the ring). I didn't worry because it was the day to remove it anyway. As time has progressed, the ring will either end up in the bed or on him (!?!). I could understand if we were doing something odd, but we are pretty "normal."

I have now changed to a different doctor who told me I am not crazy, he has had other similar complaints about the ring, and is putting me on Depo, which I used several years ago with no problem). Three days and counting...

Hi my name is Brenda
i just placed my nuvaring inside of me 2 days a go and the first day i put my partner and i had intercourse and today i woke u and my vagina has this weird burning sensation i really don't know what to do should i remove it or is it something that is normal for a first time user??? l feel like i have a lighter down there so if anybody knows any USEFUL INFO please Email me ******

Thanks
B.

I started using the NuvaRing about 14 months ago to help with acne, cramping, and PCOS. I have always enjoyed the convenience of the Ring, as has my husband. No worries about a missed pill and the scheduled insertion and removal have always been key for us. The first few months I didn't notice any changes--good or bad--and I had a noticeable decrease in ovarian cysts right away. But over the last several months, I have noticed several changes in my body that I think may be related to the NuvaRing. I have gained 21 pounds since January.

I eat very healthy, and am mild active. However, nothing changed in January to cause such consistent weight gain. I get terrible and painful acne while I have the ring in, but it disappears within days once I remove the ring. While my face clearing up is a relief, I spend days feeling terrible and VERY moody. My poor husband doesn't know how to handle me those days. So now, in place of mood swings from PMS, I get them even worse during my period while the ring is out. I also have a very decreased sex drive, and experience pain from intercourse during and after. I have abdominal cramps most days that are similar to menstrual cramps, and extend into my digestive system, causing nausea and stomach cramping.

I just started Ocella (generic form of Yaz) two days ago, in hopes of decreasing these symptoms. I did warn my husband that he may be doing a lot more condom shopping in the coming weeks if I don't notice improvement. He says he actually welcomes using a condom if it eliminates all of the moodiness and crying over my weight and acne, even if it isn't as pregnancy-proof as BC.

Best of luck to all of you ladies!

I was on the Nuvaring for a little over a year and am now on the Mirena IUC. The first six months of using the Nuvaring were great! I loved it and told all of my friends who were getting married to try it out. Then all of a sudden I started developing chest pain and sometimes my heart would feel like it was going to rip right out of my chest because it was beating so fast. I also had this milky white discharge ALL the time. This was so embarrassing because I would have to wear panty liners everyday and WHAT is sexy about that? I have always had pain with intercourse and then afterwards even using lubricant I felt a burning. I also noticed that while I had the ring in about week 2 or 3 I would start feeling an itching inside and then when I took it out it would clear up and then start all over again. I also would get so nauseous about once a month that I would throw up. I'm so glad that I went off it! My GYN told me that the Nuvaring couldn't be causing the chest pain after no symptoms for 6 months, but then when I removed it and started the IUC I am chest pain, icky discharge, and itching free. I didn't notice any mood changes while on Nuvaring and thank goodness, because as a newly wed I think my husband would have run screaming WHAT DID I GET MYSELF INTO?

Hi girls! I just wanted to write and let you know I am a 27 year old female who started using the nuvaring about 2 1/2 weeks ago. I am taking the ring out tonight and am not recommending its use to any of my friends!

Since I have started using this product I have had severe pains in both my knees and have had discomfort and incredible irritation while trying to have intercourse (when I can find the mood which hasn't been very often in the past few weeks and being a Scorpio that just isn't like me!!!). My mood swings have been ridiculous and have put a damper on my birthday weekend in Montreal! I went from being a very friendly strong outgoing person to and irritable unsocial bitch that breaks down and cries for no reason at all! I cant believe the side effects have hit me so hard and so quickly and I couldn't imagine using this product for more than a month.

Im happy to have found this site and to find out I am not the only one dealing with these side effects! What surprises me is there is a commercial on Canadian television promoting this product when im not sure it should have made it to our markets to begin with! Nobody at the clinics I have been to nor the doctor I have talked to have informed me of these side effects either and I encourage us all to let our fellow female friends know this product does indeed come with some nasty side effects!

Thank you to everyone who has written a testimonial on this page I appreciate your input and hope mines has been even a little bit of help!

Hey ladies, been on Nuvaring for about 3 weeks now... at first I really loved it... hardly notice it is there(had to actually check to make sure it did not come out) and my fiancee does not feel it and it does not cause any discomfort in urination or intercourse. The major problem I have with it, is the discharge it leaves behind! Everyday since I inserted it, I have had a thick darkish red discharge, i have never had an infection and it does not hurt, but I literally had to go out and buy walmart panties because I was ruining all of my expensive panties! Totally embarrassing, feels like my panties are damp all the time,,, and since I work out everyday after work, I feel sooooo disgusting and dirty while I am working out. Other side effects are bloated feeling, weight gain, and a bit of irritability... I am normally a very easy going gal, but I have noticed I can switch my mood in a second these days... man scary to read all these other horror stories... is it worth it?

I guess we are all in the same boat.

I do not like any type of BC. They all have serious side effects.

The symptoms I have notice are:

~spotting during the off weeks of my period
~abdominal cramps
~infections (yeast/fungus)
~burning when urinating
~burning and itching all the way to my behind (its even painful when I sit on the toilet)
~cramping in my uterus during intercourse (the doctor just said that his private is touching my uterus)...that seems really weird
~muscle cramping in my calf and chin(I have cramps in the middle of the night)
~nausea (i have taken numerous pregnancy test, just to make sure)
~increase in appetite
~bloating

These are the symptoms I have notice and I am not to happy about. Every method will have its own side effects.

So, as I continue with the ring, I just keep an eye on the symptoms. If they get any worst, I will continue to contact my doctor or consider another method.

The things we go through....

I just realized I am not alone.... what a trip! Birth control. I think I have tried a lot of things in the market, pill, injections, IUD, NUVARING; I am 35 years old and I am exhausted of this never ending pregnancy avoidance. But it is inevitable. I want to live my life the way it is.
I have used Nuvaring for over a year now, and it has successfully helped me avoid pregnancy, however, in the last couple of months I have had an increase in the frequency of the migraines accompanied by weakness, shakiness and deep emotional struggles. I get super irritable, or super sad; which is not very normal for me, I am somewhat balanced, I have noticed this marked mood swings around the times of my migraines. I am just exhausted, because I am intolerant to higher levels of hormones and also intolerant to latex. My boyfriend said we should just be "natural", but I think that would just make me more scared than anything else.
Another side effect is that sex is somewhat painful sometimes, I enjoy sex more on my week off the ring, it might be psychological, but I think it is also physiological.
Oh, well, I am glad I am not alone, I am going to talk to my doctor about it. I just want to be at peace with this.

I am so happy that I found out what was going on with me... I've been on NR on and off for 2 years. Last year I decided to go off of it for a few months. The symptoms I was getting were:
- No sex drive
- Headaches
- Mood swings
- Uncontrollable anger surges
- Cramping
- INCREASED breast size
- Pain and burning after intercourse
I stopped for 3 months.
the first month, I was ok, got my period at the right time but then, it took 2 months for me to get another period and I was PMS-ing for about 3 weeks.
I then decided to go back on NR just to get a regular cycle. All symptoms came back. Plus now, I end up with MONTHLY vaginitis just before my period. I took a test with the gyno yesterday and she found out abnormal levels of Fungi in my secretions and prescribed fluconazole to get rid of those.
I am thinking of going off it again but NR has the lowest hormones count on the marketand I have a history of not reacting well to other birth control pills (Cyclen, Yasmin, Alesse).
thanks everyone for sharing.

The gynecologist examined me and refused to insert a copper IUD because he said my uterus was too small. After I got dressed, he handed me a FREE SAMPLE of NuvaRing. I said : "But I don't want to use hormonal bc." He said : "This has less hormones and doesn't go through the liver." Well I guessed that was a GOOD thing, which he wanted me to believe of course. The mood swings, serious anxiety, irritability (I would go as far as to say, anger and impulse control problems) and burning vaginal pain during sex seriously affected my relationship with my boyfriend. We may even be broken up now and I blame it partly on NuvaRing and other hormonal bc I took after my 2 months on NuvaRing. I am so sad that I had to go through all that! I wonder how many gifts the doctors get for giving us the prescriptions of bc. Anyone interested in non hormonal bc? There is the cervical cap in many varieties and sizes. It doesn't affect sexual spontaneity because you can insert it several hours before sex and you can have intercourse several times with it on. You can even keep it in for up to 3 days.

Hi, I have been on nuvaring for 5 months and I have had some side effects but none of them out weigh the feeling of not knowing wether or not I could be pregnant bc of a missed pill or something. Recently I have had mild problems with pain during and After intercourse.Lub and removing the ring usually helps. My sex drive has dropped drastically and vaginal discharge sucks because you cant always pin point the problem! For me NuvaRing is too convenient for me to even think about switching bc i am a full time student and the mother of a 20 month old!

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 have been using Nuvaring for about 5 years now and I'm surprised to see all these posts about people being very unhappy with the method. I have nothing but positive things to say about the ring, except that it's an annoyance to have to take it out during intercourse (not due to the ring itself, but I think b/c of the size of my bf). Of course, as long as it's back inside in s not fair to blame every crying spell or pounds gained on the method. Take a good look at your mental/emotional health, physical health, stress levels, stressful events, medicines you are taking...these can all effect our bodies just the same as any hormonal method!!!

i have been on the ring for a week now, i havent had any side effects, yet. I had to get on the ring because the high estrogen level of the pill was making my hormons go crazy and creating nuts in my breats. After reading all the side effects i dont know if i want to keep using the ring. I have not had intercorse with the ring on because im scared its going to hurt me or my partner.... any help on how to avoid pain during intercose while using the ring??? will my partner feel the ring ??

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?

I was on NuvaRing from February 2007 to August 2007. The first 3 months I experienced spotting and brown discharge after sex. I almost always experienced vaginal burning during, and after intercourse (as many of you mentioned), and had about 6 different diagnosed yeast infections (which I have never had before in my entire life), but I felt like they were constant than 6 and they never went away even after mega doses of expensive medications.. I took Acidophilus supplements, bought cremes from the store, took tons of rounds of Diflucan, but I was never feeling good and healthy down there the whole time I used it. Sex was usually painful and uncomfortable afterwards, and for the next few days afterwards even not having sex.

I also experienced extreme depression and lack of confidence, whether that was chemical, or due to how the was the ring made me feel physically (unattractive and incapable of acting as a sexual being).

I tried to tell my doctor I knew that the NuvaRing had caused these side effects, but she said that "There are no studies that suggest NuvaRing causes yeast infections or creates similar symptoms." This was very shocking to me. It felt like she had said it many times before to other women, but when I researched I couldn't find any information on negative side effects until now.

Thank you all so much for sharing, I'm glad I wasn't the only one who went through this.

I was on the NuvaRing for about four months and I loved it until I asked myself why I was even on it considering my boyfriend and I had not had intercourse for as long as I could remember. I realized every time he wanted to I had no interest and would make up excuses and could not achieve an orgasm for the life of me. That's not all, I began to noticed a very unpleasant, potent smell that became increasingly noticeable as the days led on and it got to the point where I could smell it when I was fully dressed out in public and I can assure you I have never smelled anything like this. I have been off for a about a month and a half now and the smell has disappointed, and my sex drive is back but the smell won't seem to go away in full and it soaks into the skin of my partner and he has to wait for days for the smell to go away after he spends time scrubbing himself. This is no way to live! It's humiliating!! I also feel that since I have been off I get extremely tired and pass out in the middle of the day not even realizing that I've fallen asleep! I sleep for hours and I was late to work yesterday because of it. I know that I am not pregnant, and nothing has changed in my life except the NuvaRing

I was prescribed NuvaRing about three months ago. It's funny, I had a bad feeling about it as soon as I saw it. I liked the idea of just worrying about it once a month though. I tried the ring right before my wedding - bad idea. I could feel the ring during intercourse and it tore me a couple of times. But since my libido no longer exist that really isn't a problem any more. So here I am a newly wed and I don't want my husband to touch me, I have constant mood swings, I'm irritable all day, I have zero energy and I've had a headache for about a month now. I actually left work early today because of my headache. (and I can no longer go the gym)
Finally I had enough and Monday I went to the GYN and said get me off this ring. She said that these side effect do occur in some women. I asked to be put on the Yaz pill. I haven't started it yet, but I'm hoping that my life will go back to normal (before NuvaRing) and that my husband and I can start acting like newly weds. Luckily he hasn't threatened to divorce me after the three months of hell I put him through.

9/25/07 (Previous post)

I am 26 yrs old and I have been on Nuvaring for about 3-3 1/2 years. I thought this was the greatest thing not having to remember the pill and the short light periods. I have always sworn by this BC! I have been having side effects I never thought came from the ring until now. I have read a lot of the side effects others are having and I think my lack of sexual desire for the past 1 1/2 yrs. MAY be due to Nuvaring and not my getting married 2 yrs. ago. (lol) I also have headaches often, not bad ones but enough to carry Tylenol in my purse. And another is dryness before intercourse, that I never had a problem with 2 yrs. ago. I never put two and two together until I racked my brain and wondered why I struggled so badly with my lack of sexual desire. I could care less if I have sex or not! That just wasn't me 2 yrs ago! I just couldn't figure out what had changed, going back on any medicines I had taken the past 2 yrs., the Nuvaring is the only thing that was constant. I have a Dr. Appt today and I am going to discontinue use of the ring and see if the side effects subside like they have for some others. I will post again when I have an update. Please let me know if anyone else is having the side effects more than a year after using the Nuvaring!! Thanks!

UPDATE 11/8/07

I took my Nuvaring out for good on Sept 29. Started on Wed Oct 3rd. And with the advise of my OB/GYN this would be my last period with the Nuvaring. We decided to go hormone free for a while. I no longer have the dryness I did before while on the ring and my sex drive is coming back around, I actually enjoy sex again. Daily head aches are a thing of the past. Things seem to be much better now off the Nuvaring. I started this time just a few days late with a fill blown period. Not the little light "Nuvaring Period" that I had for over 3 yrs. Welcome to life without hormones! Any side effects going off the Nuvaring?? I have had is a few days of my nipples being sensitive, that went away. I am looking forward to seeing what this next month brings without all of the bad side effects. When I decide to use birth control again, I guess I will choose to choke down the pill again. Until then....I'm FREE!

I am 26 yrs old and I have been on Nuvaring for about 3-3 1/2 years. I thought this was the greatest thing not having to remember the pill and the short light periods. I have always sworn by this BC! I have been having side effects I never thought came from the ring until now. I have read a lot of the side effects others are having and I think my lack of sexual desire for the past 1 1/2 yrs. MAY be due to Nuvaring and not my getting married 2 yrs. ago. (lol) I also have headaches often, not bad ones but enough to carry Tylenol in my purse. And another is dryness before intercourse, that I never had a problem with 2 yrs. ago. I never put two and two together until I racked my brain and wondered why I struggled so badly with my lack of sexual desire. I could care less if I have sex or not! That just wasn't me 2 yrs ago! I just couldn't figure out what had changed, going back on any medicines I had taken the past 2 yrs., the Nuvaring is the only thing that was constant. I have a Dr. Appt today and I am going to discontinue use of the ring and see if the side effects subside like they have for some others. I will post again when I have an update. Please let me know if anyone else is having the side effects more than a year after using the Nuvaring!! Thanks!

well...well...I am not too pleased with the Nuva Ring either. I have been on it only for about 6 months. I got on it because I didn't want to have to take a pill every day, and due to the fact of everything being said about the Patch I switched to this ring. Well.....I got it at a local clinic and there when you get more of your prescription they ask questions. I told them that I have absolutely NO....ZERO----0---- sex drive Ya, know it's pretty horrible, and disatisfying when your parents to whom are in their 50's are having more intercorse than me at 23....yes TWENTY THREE YEARS OLD! So....I have discharge really bad, they didn't give me anything at the clinic they just said "yes, that is a side effect." I told them that my sex drive has gone from like 5 days a week to maybe if me and my parenter are lucky( to which most of the time we are not.)once a month ONE TIME and I'M 23!!! I have gained weight. and...I sleep ALOT! So.....If you want to have to wipe out your panties, every time you use the bathroom due to your increased discharge, hide your panties when you are in the process of having intercourse and having no sex at all....go ahead!!!! Be my guest, because I'm going back on the pill.

At first I thought this was great but after 18 days I awoke with some stomach tenderness & it moved to horrible back pain. I did notice a lil burning after intercourse at times. I figured it was just irritation but also got a bit concerned of UTI as they are so not fun.
The back pain though was severe so I went to check online side effects. I decided I was in too much pain to wait till the 21st day & just took it out..I've decided its definately not the method for me. I am disappointed cause it seemed initally seemed like the miracle method. Yes I too say the back pain probably is like labor even though I've not had any kids. I have been uncomfortable no matter what I have done. Its like cramping in conjunction with it. Felt like it was internal organs like Kidney's or something, I feel miserable. I had a DNC once to merely scrape the uternine wall this pain is worse than the cramping associated with that. With that they tell you not to intercourse a duration.

I have been taking the nuvaring for probably 4 years now. I had terrible side effects with the pill in terms of nasea and pms...the nuvaring elleviated these and I swore I would never try anything else. This past year, sex has been difficult, sometimes a little painful and sometimes a burning afterward...but i had thought perhaps it is just because I'm not having much sex and thought perhaps I wasn't having sex much because my husband and I are both stressed about work. People easily get under my skin but i'm not sure this is any different than my usual personality. This past week I actually had jury duty and lucky me, my period. It is rare to not go to my job and not have the nuvaring in. Surprisingly, I have seen a real difference in my mood and my desire...my husband even commented that I have been a lot of fun this week and that I really should get a new job. I'm beginning to think maybe I just need to get off the nuvaring. I just can't deal with a pill everyday and the side effects I have from that. Maybe it is time to give my system a break from hormones all together. I have been taking some kind of birth control for about 15 years now.

At first I loved my nuva ring, it was convenient, simple and I never even noticed it was there. Then I started having problems, I am very moody (although I thought I might have been bipolar before), I have depression (more severe than before), anxiety attacks (quite frequently), nightmares almost every night except for the week when I take it out. The ring has started slipping during intercourse causing some major discomfort, I am always achy and hot! I am sure there are other things that I have noticed that are different now that I have been taking it but I can't remember them. All I know is next week is my yearly appointment and I'm telling her I want to go back on the pill. ach why can't they ever get birth control right I was on the patch before this but as soon as I found out that it was no good either I stopped using it. Problem is I have PCOS and have to take birth control to keep having periods every month. Otherwise I only have them like twice a year. So yeah i wish they would figure it out!

i have been on nuva ring for 2 weeks.. i dont have any side effects, i like it alot.. im kinda worried though because i have been reading what these other women have been going through.. i guess eveyone is different right? but its only been 2 weeks.. i do get some what concerned about it coming out.. it dosent but my best friend was on it and she said it would always come out, during intercourse, while she would use the bathroom.. so im always checking if its still intact.. and it is.. so hopefully i wil get no side effects, and i will update everyone!! thanks..

I have been on Nuvaring for 2.5 months... thank god i read this. I'm not someone who usually gets side effects to drugs but Nuva Ring is a whole different story. I'm tired all the time! I used to be able to stay up all night but since I started the ring I need to sleep all the time. I'm in college my roommate convinced me to get tested for mono beacuse I was always sleeping and couldn't even stay up to study for finals! I also have been getting horrible mood swings. I have always been the nicest most easy going person until I started the ring. I have also been having back and stomach pain (like acid stomach) as well as numbness in my hand, I'm not sure if this has anything to do with the ring but it started right when I started the ring.. has anyone else had these sideeffects.. Thanks!!!

I have been on nuvaring for over a year and have all sorts of issues that I never even considered to be linked to the NR. I suffer from bipolar disorder, severe anxiety and depression and all my symptoms have increased while on the NR. I have terrible headaches on a daily basis and have had alot of stomach problems. Nausea, cramps, vomiting etc but I just thought I was sick. I have also had issues with weight gain and I have absolutely zero sex drive. This has been really hard on my partner and I's relationship and is extremely frustrating. We've been together 3yrs this fall and this is really hurting us both.(I'm 20yrs old) We have been thinking my headaches were caused by grinding my teeth. I'm currently on a number of medications including lamictal, ambien CR, adderall XR, allegra. I'm always exhausted and ill tempered and just had several blood tests to try and determine what could be causing my constant exhaustion but nothing was irregular. I have an appt with my gynecologist tomorrow and I'm going to talk to her about other options but because all BC forms have about the same degree, if not worse, side effects I might stop the BC all together.

It really sucks that I am having so many issues from NR because it is by far the easiest BC I have ever used. I always forgot the pill and the patch hurt like BLEEP and always fell off.

I started the ring 3 weeks ago. I had to take it out a 4 days ago and here are the many reason:

I have been vomiting and bleeding
I have severe headaches
I am out of breath and I have numbness in my arms and legs
My parter and I felt it during intercourse and I had a constant pain in my vagina
Since I took it out, I have been bleeding full flow with severe headaches and nausea all the way to vomiting. I feel terrible and I am just hoping that it stops soon.

Wow - I have been lucky on the ring. I've been on NuvaRing for over a year now. My side effects are recurring yeast infections, spotting, and increased discharge.

I was on daily pill BC for 10 years (4 months on, one week off). I switched to Seasonale for a few months and I had terrible depression, weight gain, etc. Then I moved on to NuvaRing. At first I had some cramping and diarrhea, but it resovled quickly. I never had depression or headaches on the ring. However, I have been battling yeast infections. My doctor suggested that I clean well after intercourse and sleep without panties to keep the area as dry as possible. I've gone for 3 months without a yeast infection so I hope it continues to work.

I'm using the ring continuous, but after about 3-4 rings (9-12 weeks) I have breakthrough bleeding. The only way to rid it is to go off the ring for a week, have a light period, and then start again.

Good luck to everyone in finding a BC that works for you!

I get what Guest 14810 is saying about giving the drug a chance, but here is my scenario. I have been on the pill, and for the past 2 years maybe, the patch. The patch was a godsend because I kept forgetting to take the pill. My doctor said last month that since I had an instance of it floating away in water, to try the ring. I just took it out today which means I have tried it for one whole (3 week) month and I have not felt well at all. I've had a headache for about 2 weeks straight, chest pain, shortness of breath, extreme sensitivity in my breasts and down low, cramping, and inability to stand intercourse. There is no way I'm continuing this thing for another 2 months to waite for the side effects to subside! The weight gain and depression I can't account for because I am overweight anyway, and I have a history of depression. I havn't had any issues with the patch at all in its function, so I'm running back right away. I'm sure my effects aren't going to be the same for everyone- but here is my history: 25yrs, 210 pounds, currently taking zoloft and wellbutrin, no history of heart issues, non smoker. I hope it works better for the rest of you- sometimes it takes time to find the right drug.

I have been on "the ring" for 3 or 4 months now- I went on a couple of months after having a baby so my hormones were wacked to start with, but I have been a total crab-ass. I also had a headache for 3 days and it went away the day after I took out the ring. My husband normally has been the one with the lower sex-drive but now I dont' want him coming near me, not only is my sex-drive completely gone, but intercourse hurts. (I haven't bothered to take out the ring prior) I am going to go off for a month or so and see how I feel. Does anyone have any input on how long it takes to get out of our systems???