NuvaRing and lungs

Thanks to all of you who have posted your experience with the Nuva Ring. I have been on it about a year, and have had side effects that I never attributed to the Ring.

I have been trying to lose weight and have been unsuccessful, despite my best efforts. I have gained about 15 lbs. in the past year, though I eat well and work out often. I CAN'T lose a pound! Plus, I am tired all the time, have limited sex drive, and often feel seriously depressed. I even went to a general practitioner to have thyroid test done, and nothing is wrong with me at all. I am not anemic and my thyroid is just fine. So? What's the problem here?

I happened to glance at an article in my newspaper yesterday about a woman around my age (I am 28) who was on Nuva Ring. She began coughing up blood, and it turns out she had a few clots in her lungs that they said had to be caused by the ring, as the woman had NO history of this in her family. I know that this a severe possible side effect and doesn't happen to many people...so then I decided to do my OWN research. I found this page and realized that perhaps my symptoms are NOT caused by anything my body is doing wrong, but just from this birth control. I just put my new ring in yesterday, but now I think I should take it out and go back to the diaphragm, because it seems to me that if these symptoms came on around the time I started the Ring, maybe they will just go away after I am off it for a while.

Geez, and it's crappy because aside from the possible harm it's doing to my body, I LOVE the convenience of the Ring. I sure wish I could stay on it, but I am getting too old to be irresponsible about my health. I used to be able to ignore the side effects on the package, because I figured it would never happen to me. But it seems that it's happening to so many people, I just don't want to take the risk anymore.

Again, thanks to those that have posted. I appreciate knowing I am not alone here!

I have been on NuvaRing for a little less than a year. My OBGYN prescribed it. It was my first time using birth control. I noticed 2 things right away - I was a lot more calm/non-chalant and I had lessened sex drive. I thought the latter was due to my nervousness about my boyfriend pushing it up too far for me to fish it out again and maybe at first that was part of it. But it's gone from overactive to almost non-existent (little physical desire, mostly emotional & love desire). I think normally there such be a balance. Also it is difficult to have an orgasm now - I have to really concentrate. My calmness was great in that it balanced out my highs and lows, but now it's to the point that I mostly don't really care about anything one way or the other. Too non-chalant. I also am experiencing depression for no or irrelevant reasons - so bad that it's kept me out of work and even - yes - even the shopping mall! I have no desire to go outside and do anything - grocery shopping, shopping, shopping, walking around or anything - which I thought at first was a good thing for the shopping, shopping. Like most of the posters I could just lay around and sleep and eat all day. With the sleep - I can sleep, but I am NEVER tired. I can stay up until the wee hours of the morning without a yawn like it's the afternoon and I still wake up very early. With the food - I can eat multiple times in a row - full meals. I'm always hungry and never full/satisfied. I am constipated with hard stools. This was an issue until I got off of partially hydrogenated oils (about 2-3 years ago), however even with my altered diet I've still been having issues. My thighs have been falling asleep - weird. Also I can't remember anything from one moment to the next - which I blamed on stress and age. I discontinued NuvaRing as of today (the day I found these posts). Thank you for being so honest & for sharing your experiences. Hopefully these posts will help others in search of answers.

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!

Hi guys, I've been using the NR for about 8 months and i am experiencing very painful leg crapms in my claves. It happenes once a month or so, but they seem to be getting more frequent. Is anybody else going through this too? please let me know/

Guest #40983:

OMG if you are having leg cramps take the Nuva Ring out IMMEDIATELY and either visit the ER or call your doctor. I can't believe whoever gave you the prescription did not warn you that leg cramps are THE serious indicator of birth control-induced blood clots, which can and have killed young women on the Nuva Ring. The clots travel from your legs into your lungs and brain, causing a stroke. If one leg is swollen or red, or cramping severely, take the ring out!!!

The day after I put in my nuvaring, I got a sore throat which felt like strep, then a fever of 102.6, chills and flu-like pains. I could barely get out of bed to take care of my two month old. The next day I was severely moody, excessively hungry, the sore throat went away, but I got a runny nose, chest congestion, and head congestion as well. I couldn't be up and moving for more than 15 minutes before I fell back into bed again. The next day I felt like I had a head/chest cold and same with yesterday. My fever went down to about 100.5, but my nose would not stop running, my ears were hurting, my head was pounding, and I had stuff in my lungs that I couldn't cough up. I looked up side effects and saw that 5-14% of women get an upper respiratory tract infection, sore throat, fever and chills. I took the ring out and by the time I woke up, my head was not congested anymore and whatever is in my chest I'm having an easier time coughing up. My fever has finally gone down and I feel a lot better then I have for a majority of the week.