NuvaRing and medication

I have been on NuvaRing for almost 4 months and it has been awful. I have been extremely tired, stressed to the max, a horribly angry person, never want to have sex, plus it hurts to have sex when we do, headaches, and feeling anxious and nervous about everything. I gave birth 7 months ago so I though most of these side effects where just from that, but I though by now things should be getting better, and they haven't been. They have gotten worse. My relationship with my fiance has went down hill due to my anger issues, my not trusting him because of messed up visions and ideas in my head, and not wanting to have sex. I also have a history of migraines and battled them for 5 years before having my son. I was on a medication called Topamax, which helped, but also caused my to lose a bunch of weight. I am little to begin with so the weight loss was not a positive thing for me. My migraines with the NuvaRing have been so horrible that I have been thinking about getting back on the Topamax, which I do not want to do. Now that I have read this I am pretty sure the NuvaRing is causing my problems, so I am going to take it out today and hopefully this will help and my relationship will get back to where it was and I won't have as bad of migraines, and won't need to get back on Topamax.

I have only been on it for 6 weeks, but two weeks into it i became very dry, itchy and irritated down there. I figured it was a yeast infection, so I treated over the counter. Did nothing. I went to the dr. who said it could in no way be the ring and did urine and blood test. Until the blood test came back they put me on a cream in case it was a yeast infection and was not all gone on the outside. The blood came back that I had the cold sore form of herpes (will duh I get cold sores) and so they have me on an antiviral mediation. Three days into a five day medication the itching is worse. I keep telling my husband I think it is the ring, but the dr. says it does not do this. Does anyone else have this problem? I do not have to be on the ring for birth control, they are using it to treat something with my cycles that I am realizing would be better to live with than the itching and burning. Please tell me if anyone else has this side effect.

There are so many of us with depression/emotional issues from the NuvaRing.

For me, the NuvaRing saved me, only by revealing the MESS it created.

I was diagnosed bipolar in 2000 and spent 5 years on heavy medication in an attempt to manage it. In 2005 I went off the medication and my oral contraceptives in order to become pregnant. Following the birth of my son, I never returned to oral contraceptives AND never followed the typical path of a bipolar mother. There were no PPD issues, and I ended up not returning to the bipolar medication. I was symptom free without an explanation.

In May 2009, after years without anxiety symptoms, I went on the Nuva Ring. Within 12 hours, all of my old symptoms had returned. Within 5 days, I realized there could be a correlation and removed the ring. By the next day, I returned to myself.

With a call to my psychiatrist, who I hadn't seen in over a year, I described what had happened. She explained that the hormones do not process through the liver with the NuvaRing, unlike the oral contraceptives. This direct route into the body made the effects of the LOW dose hormones that more apparent. Thankfully, I learned that my issue all along was the hormonal birth control, and not my mental health.

My option is now a non-hormonal IUD, which has it's own messy issues, but I embrace fully in exchange for the emotional instability.

I feel that I have one of those stories that women need to hear. I do believe we are not realizing the full effects of these hormones. I took it as far as one can take it, with a full diagnosis and years of medication. I have to wonder how many women are experiencing milder effects and just don't realize that it could be the hormones.

I have been on Nuvaring for 2 months now and after the first month I went back to the doctor and she said that the side effects were normal and would go away after a few months. I don't think I believe that, cause I just feel so bad. I use to never fight with my boyfriend and now it is an every day occurrence. I get headaches all the time now it seems almost everyday. I feel so depressed and before I got on it I was happy go lucky and the peaceful one and now I am just on edge all the time and I hate it. I get nausea and for a moment i was thinking maybe I am pregnant but I am not and it is just frustrating and irritating. The best things about the ring is I don't really get cramps and no period pimples and no weight gain and no pill everyday. I never had there problems on the pill lo overall or on the patch. I must say though that it feels great to know I am not alone cause I was beginning to think it was just me and also i don't know if anyone has this but does your chest or heart feel tight at time like a palpitation? I am 24 and I never had this until now and I am so tired that all I want to do is sleep and I feel faint from time to time. I feel like i have all the bad symptoms except a few and no yeast. I honestly think this is my last month on this and thank you all so much it is such a relief to know I am not alone. Oh and I do get hot too and everything.

NuvaRing is HORRIBLE! I had my baby in February and decided to give NR a try. Since then the side effects I have experienced daily are: dizziness, nausea, constant bloated feeling, stomach pain, leg and joint pain, insomnia, extreme fatigue during the day, weight gain and hair loss. This is way to huge of a list to continue this medication. Too many of these side effects feel just like I did when I was pregnant, I am SOOO done with NuvaRing.

I am 31 years old. I had my daughter when I was 24 and developed pregnancy induced hypertension. After her birth my high blood pressure never went away. My doctor and I went around in circles trying to find a birth control that wouldn't make my blood pressure crazy. We finally came across the NuvaRing. I was so excited that it worked. My blood pressure was regulating and it was so perfect because I didn't have to remember a pill and I didn't have to worry about the patch showing in my bathing suit!!! I've been on the NR for almost years now and I'd say the first year or two were good. But I've had all kinds of problems that I just didn't know what was wrong with me anymore. I've had terrible headaches, nausea, severe depression, fatigue, anger issues, crying uncontrollably and lately my hair is falling out in the shower (in chunks). I actually went to a hospital and sat in the parking lot for hours because I thought I was going crazy. Every now and then I thought MAYBE it could be my birth control but then I thought, surely not! The only reason I finally started checking into this is because my boyfriend and I,who I've been with for a year and half, are having some serious issues in the bed. I have lost all desire to have sex. He keeps asking me what he did that made me not like sex with him anymore. I've tried to explain I have no idea what is wrong with me. Now I know. I hate to get off the birth control especially since I had such a hard time finding on that wouldn't effect my blood pressure, which I still take medication for, but this is killing me. I literally feel terrible. I don't wanna get out of bed and my head always hurts. I'm only 31. I shouldn't feel like this. Im so glad I found this website and Im not alone.

I am writing this because my girlfriend is currently in a rehab facility for Alcoholism and depression. Tonight we came to the realization that the severe depression, suicidal thoughts, and alcoholism all coincided with her starting the NR. She has suffered from depression in the past but since starting the NR it has become so severe that she had to be admitted to rehab facility. Reading this makes me realize that she is not the only one suffering from such adverse side effects. I believe that if anyone is suffering from depression or anxiety that it would probably be a good idea not to use a medication that messes with your hormones.

This is the biggest relief. I am sure you can all relate finding this website. I started using the nuvaring back in February and the side effects started soon after, I just haven't tied it to the birth control until now. The first month I started using it I was planning to move from my home in boise to Orlando Florida to live with my boyfriend.. which is very stressful so needless to say my high anxiety stress irritability and anger all seemed to be pointing to the stress of moving from my home although it is what i wanted it was still scary. I have been here in Florida for 3 months now and still experience the same things adding one to the mix as living with your boyfriend should spark an instant sex drive when you haven't been living in the same city for a year. NOPE no sex drive at all. Maybe once in a blue moon i get in the mood but i literally have to talk myself into it which is pathetic. There are times when i am laying next to him and i have to tell myself if he wants i should go along with it. but though of sex just drives me away. Also the depression is unbearable I am a very happy goofy person and it is a struggle to keep my temper in check or to try and work up motivation to leave bed. I am constantly tired and have no drive to accomplish anything anymore which is out of my character.
Headaches I have always had and migraines i have had before the nuvaring about once a week now i have migraines at least 3 times a week and a headache every day in between. My breasts have been extremely sore so much that i thought maybe i was pregnant in combination with my extreme mood swings. I have thick hair and i shed a lot never thought that it may be due to the birth control. I am getting somewhat angry that this is the way we all have to find out. It is frustrating to feel like a crazy person and wonder what happened to the person i use to be. I have not experience any weight gain fortunately, but since have no motivation i am not in the shape i once was because i have no desire to go to the gym.
The itching sensation i didn't realize as a symptom before reading others stories. Now it is so clear how aggravating. One month my cramps were so bad and a couple of months in a row i felt so nauseous that i would get sick. One time i was driving to a friends house when all of the sudden i knew i was going to be sick and ended up vomiting all over myself... so embarrassing and i couldn't figure out what happened. Tomorrow morning im calling my doctor to see what we can do. This is my last day with the Nuvaring Thank god for this site and thanks to you all sharing your stories it brought me peace of mind knowing ill be myself again soon.

I have been on the NuvaRing for over a year. I chose it because the medication I was taking for a neck problem was not safe for pregnancy, but I wanted to have the ability to get pregnant quickly once I was off the medication. I had no side effects or issues at all while using NuvaRing. Of course there was spotting and irregularity when I first went on it, but that is standard when there are hormone changes. Periods got lighter and shorter over time, and that is one of the stated side effects. My neck problem is resolved and now I am going off of that medication. So I did not re-insert a NuvaRing this month. Wow, what a change! I am having horrible hot flashes and night sweats. So two possibilities as I see it: 1) these perimenopause symptoms are with me for the next few years and the NuvaRing was holding them at bay, or 2) my body was expecting NR and its associated hormones but since it didn't get them, the resulting hormone changes are causing short-term hot flashes and night sweats. I sure hope it is the latter. But either way, I can't see where NR is at fault. I would recommend it.

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 have been on NuvaRing for about 3 years now and never really noticed any side effects. Normally, I have bad cramping and a heavy period, but NuvaRing relieved me of that. But for the past couple months, right before and during my period, I will get the most intense 3-4 day migraine/headaches. I have to constantly take Excedrin or something, the pain doesn't stop. So now that a couple months have gone by, I spoke with a girlfriend of mine she said that her old b/c used to give her headaches. I googled Nuvaring and headaches, and here I am at this site. I am so happy I found this site because I have had NO sex drive at all and I really thought there was something wrong with me. I am young, happy, in a beautiful relationship and my fiance thinks Im not attracted to him anymore. It makes perfect sense though, this has happened ever since the NuvaRing, i really just have no want or need to have sex at all-like its a task or something. Its horrible. And I saw several mention the discharge and the yeast infections and the UTI's. Wow. I have unlimited prescriptions that my gyn had to write me because I get UTIs. I keep asking my gyn what causes them and he tells me sex and not urinating after sex and blah, blah. I''ve heard every single reason and believe me, I avoid all of them and still get them. I am the most careful person ever because my UTIs are horrible. I wont have one, then BAM, it burns to urinate, i urinate blood, i go to the bathroom every 5 seconds, horrible cramps, paint in my back. Horrible.
Seriously though, I am in shock that it took so long for the headaches to start and for me to look into this medication more. I was 118 pounds when I started this pill (around 17 or 18 years old)...at 21 years old...I am 150 pounds. All of which, I definitely wouldn't blame on the ring, but never in my life have I gained so much weight for no reason. I was even working out at the gym and couldn't loose a pound. I feel like giving up, because by the time I get out of work all I want to do is sleep. I have zero energy, I am always tired and never want to do anything. And it seems like so many other people on this site have had these issues to. I hope my story helps someone else in their decision to stop NuvaRing. Thankfully, I just took out my last one on Sunday and didn't spend the $150 for a 3 ring refill. Crazy prices, especially when you pay good money for insurance.

I started taking nuvaring because it worked well for my sister and my husband and I are not ready for kids. I've only been on it for 6 months but i've had all sorts of issues, like chest pain, feeling very negative and just sad for no reason. Hair loss (i wouldn't have even thought to put that on if it weren't for this site) weight gain which i thought was because im a newlywed.... and no sex drive (which has been devastating as newlyweds are supposed to really enjoy themselves) I already didn't like or trust medication and this has just made it worse. My sister has had hers out for 5-6 months and has been rendered infertile because of nuvaring, shes very healthy too! and she wants another baby! I took it out about a week ago (for good) but it was earlier than i should have according to the calender and I've been a wreck. I've always had bad cramps (runs in the family) like the type that you literally cant stand from, but today its been so bad i felt like i was gonna throw up and had to go home from work. This is ridiculous for my body to react to negatively!! My sister is now trying a natural birth control method that is more scientific than the normal chart that tells you when your fertile and when your not. Im waiting for the book to show up, its called "Taking Control of Your Fertility, by Toni Weschler" Which involves taking your temperature every morning and charting yourself every day, checking your cervix, as it moves up and down based on weather or not your fertile. Then you know when you should use a condom (since im not fond of them all the time) and when you are infertile. Its not for everyone since it isn't easy, but im not willing to mess my body up anymore, i want my energy back, my body back, and my sex drive and if i have to sacrifice 5 minutes a day to do it I WILL!!

I only used the Nuvaring for one month because I could no longer handle the side-effects. Physically, it was great. I did not gain weight and my boobs became noticeable larger. However, the mood swings were unbearable. I cried all the time. I went on vacation and the entire time, I felt fat, ugly, and just DEPRESSED! I fought with my boyfriend non-stop, fortunately, he was very understanding and knew that these mood swings were not me, but my medication. I hated him seeing me become this monster that was completely hormonally induced and not at all a reflection of who I am. All I wanted to do was drive in my car, listen to sad music, and cry. I have one of the most fun jobs in the world and I LOVE it, but I suddenly hated going to work. I grew increasingly resentful and then depressed by my own behavior.

I kept the NuvaRing in for the full three weeks, then took it out. When I awoke the next morning, it was as if a haze had been cleared away. The sun was shining and I felt a thousand pounds lighter. The familiar feeling of MYSELF had returned.

My doctor really wanted me to stay on Nuvaring for another two months, but I refused. I've had problems with low-dose hormones in the past, so I switched back to a high-dose hormone and have not had problems since. I'm back to loving my job and no longer cry because the wind changes direction.

I have been on the Nuvaring in the past. Got off of it since I didn't have a boyfriend for a while. Recently started back on it. Been on it for about a month and a half now and have been experiencing extreme breast tenderness. All day long. To the point massaging them myself doesn't even seem to help. I have been having really bad mood swings, and anxiety, and depression since i've been on it. To the point I got started on depression medication the same month I started it. Never really thought these could be side effects to my birth control. Since I've never had depression issues in the past. My OBGYN keeps telling me to wait the full 3 months to see if these symptoms go away. I'm not even sure I can wait another month in a half. My breast tenderness is getting the best of me. I will probably wait it out b/c that's the type of person I am. But I have a feeling i'm going to have to switch to the pill again. Which I hate b/c I hate swallowing a pill everyday. But if I don't have breast tenderness and these mood swings it'll be worth it to me.

Does anyone have any thoughts on after stopping the nuvaring. I was only on it for 2 months but the extreme moods and depression made me stop and never look back. Its been 6 months since I stopped, I have not used any birth control since. My hair started falling out when I was on it, but it never stopped and is now getting worse. I am not feeling well and seem to have all the symptoms of hypothyroidism, I just had a blood test today and am waiting on the results. I am 25 yrs old and otherwise healthy besides this. I feel like all my symptoms, physical and emotional started with the nuvaring, I am wondering if anyone else has developed hypothyroidism after being on and stopping the nuvaring???

I started the ring and about a week later got intense itchiness and break through bleeding. It was supposed to be time for my period, and I thought since I timed it wrong possibly I was going to have it anyways. So I took the ring out. The itchiness went away immediately. Also, I could NEVER get the ring all the way in. It dropped down considerably, and I made many attempts to move it. Two days after I took the ring out I had HORRIBLE depression, thoughts of suicide and self harm. Also I was exhausted but unable to sleep. I feel a bit better, and I have no idea what it's half life is and if it will wear off, or if a new medication is needed to rebalanced the hormones. I hope not, as I had a bad experience with hormone balancing medications in the past.

The bottom line is that every woman is different and every medication will potentially have a different effect on each individual woman. I have been on low dose birth control for 12 years. My most recent was Loestrin 24 Fe which was fabulous, until I started spotting all the time. I was on LE 23 for years before this happened, so I just figured it was time to switch to a new brand. Two of my friends have been on Nuvaring for a long time and loved it. I'm forgetful, so I figured the ring would be a solution to my spotting and forgetfulness. I've been on it 2 months now and haven't noticed headaches or diarrhea or anything like that. But here's the deal - I'M HUNGRY ALL THE TIME and I've been eating to fulfill my hunger. I've gained 7 lbs in two months, which is a lot for someone who works out 5 days a week. The fat in my belly area (which is probably bloating as they call it) is out of control. No matter what I do, I can't make it go away, sit ups, cardio... And sucking in doesn't cut it. It's disgusting. I'm calling my GYN in the am to inquire about switching to a lower dosage option. I don't discourage any of you from changing, because for me it was necessary to make a change, but I'm just warning you to be cautious and ask your GYN if you're switching from a low dose BC to NR. I feel like a cow, right in my midsection. Ugghh! Anyways, hope this was helpful.

I'm 17 years old and I started nuvaring in October 2008. It didn't occur to me that I wasn't myself until February 2009, and I honestly believed I was going crazy. I became so anxious and depressed about everything, especially my loved ones. My boyfriend is my best friend and my biggest support alongside my parents. I've been reevaluating every friendship/relationship i've been in. I've lost interest in my hobbies and passions. I've felt indifferent about everything, not to mention I have absolutely no sex drive. And I'm devastated that I did not enjoy my senior year of high school. I didn't think about the nuvaring until 2 weeks ago. I came on this website and read all of the stories of depression, mood swings, anxiety, etc. You have no idea how relieved I felt. I took out the ring on Saturday as usual and got my period today. However, I will not be continuing nuvaring. I still feel anxious, irritable, and I'm even second guessing that the ring is the cause, however I very much hope that it is and that I feel like my carefree outgoing self again soon. I'm angry that I didn't make the connection sooner because it made my senior year very upsetting and has slowly been hurting my friendship/relationship with my boyfriend.

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??

I have been on NR for 3 weeks now. I'm 23 and haven't taken any form of BC in a few years but now that I am in a serious relationship I wanted to protect myself. I was so excited about NR because I didn't have to remember to take a pill everyday and my GYN told me that there are virtually no side effects. YEAH RIGHT!!!!! I thought I was crazy for the way I have been feeling lately but after reading all of these posts I am soooo relieved to learn that i'm not!

The first side effect I noticed that came on immediately and has not stopped since I started NR is a cramping feeling in my lower abdomen. It feels like period cramps only not quite as bad. It doesn't really hurt it's just annoying. The second side effect I noticed which started about a week after I began NR was that I lost my sex drive almost entirely! My boyfriend and I just spent a week on a cruise together alone and we didn't even have sex once!! The other side effect I have is migraine headaches. I got my first one the 2nd week after starting NR and they are horrible!!! I'm also constantly hungry! I have gained 10 lbs in the last 3 weeks! And every time after I eat I get really nauseous for about an hour or two. The last thing is that I have been super moody lately. Things that normally don't bother me I am getting really irritated and annoyed about. I'm already on medication for anxiety and mild depression which I started way before the NR so I know that the NR is what is causing it.

I was recently tested for a hormone imbalance which came back negative a few months ago so all of these problems HAVE to be coming from the NR. They all started within the last 3 weeks which is when I started using the NR.

For any woman out there who is considering taking NR PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE seriously think about. I have heard more bad than good about this product!!!

I have been on the NuvaRing just over a year and didn't realize it was causing a lot of problems for me. I just went to see an new GYN after watching a Doctor Phil episode on hormones, and he's going to test me for imbalances. However, he did tell me that the NuvaRing is an estrogen based birth control, so for many women, it's too much estrogen. He said NuvaRing is a good birth control and that he likes it, but some woman's bodies just don't deal well with the extra estrogen. I had made my appointment with him because after watching the episode where Robin talks about hormones, I thought I might have an estrogen imbalance. After he told me NuvaRing was estrogen based, I thought about the timing of my problems, and they all fit perfectly around the start of NuvaRing. I started on it last March, and by July I was on Lexapro for depression. I've been gaining weight, getting headaches (which I never ever got before), been incredibly moody and forgetful, and had no sex drive. If you research estrogen dominance, you'll find those exact symptoms. So for those of you who haven't tried it, it's not that it is a horrible medication. It's just that some women may already have a little higher level of estrogen to begin with, and using the NuvaRing tips the scales too much and causes these problems.

Hi everyone. I am a medical professional and former user of the nuvaring. It is true, birth control as well as most medicines does affect everyone differently. However, I was an absolute emotional disaster (frequently contemplating self-harm) while I was on this medication. I initially attributed the mood swings to my then current stressful situation. When I finally graduated from NP school and my stressors were alleviated, my depression persisted. Within a week of stopping the NuvaRing, I was back to my old self and have not had any of those symptoms since. It is a rather large dose of hormones so if you're feeling these symptoms as well, perhaps you should contact your provider about a more appropriate method of bc.

i've been on the NuvaRing for over a year and i have a really low sex drive now, im on topamax for headaches from it, and im also having awful side effects from it too. i suck with medication i guess. haha

I have been using the NuvaRing for about 6 months now. I thought it would be a blessing because I would not have to take a pill everyday. I am 23 years old. Have a fantastic serious boyfriend. and NO sex drive. I have always been a happy person, so this behavior has been obvious to not only me, but others. I have been considering going to see a therapist because i just can't seem to get out of this "funk". And thanks to all of the posts, I now think I have a legit answer to my behavior. Besides having little, to no, sex drive.. I have been having waves of depression, headaches, moodiness, feeling anxious, fatigue, weight gain, (looks like someone put an air pump in my face, ugh.) and plain weird thoughts. I really just feel out of my body, just not with it at all. I have tried diet changes, regular exercise, etc. Basically, trying to fix my depressed feelings/anxiety without having to see a doctor or get on another medication. Does anyone know how long it takes to get the NR out of your system. Just ready to get back to normal!!!

I was put on NuvaRing in April 2008 because my DHEA Sulfate (our male androgen hormone) was way high. My doctor told me that the only way to get that hormone down was to use birth control. I had actually used NuvaRing before April 2008 but it was only for about 3 months. I asked my doctor to put me back on the NuvaRing because it was the easiest and I hadn't had problems with it before. Now that I have been on it for almost a year, I have noticed that I will just cry for no reason and that I get irritable quite often. I continue to have these depressed episodes, I am tired all the time and since the first of the year, I have had diarrhea. It has to be the NuvaRing as I am not taking any other medication. Has anyone else experienced diarrhea after long term use? I also got a yeast infection about 2 months ago. I am 34 years old and I have NEVER had a yeast infection until now. Also, I have gained a little over 20 lbs since I have been on it and I hardly ever eat. I can't seem to lose that weight either. When I am off the NuvaRing during my 7 days, I loose about 5 lbs but then gain it right back when I put the NuvaRing back in. Not mention, I have not had a menstrual cycle the entire time that I have been on NuvaRing. If you ask me, that's against mother nature.

I just started NuvaRing this month, and I have 3 days left until I have to remove the ring. After which, I will not be using it again. Only a week after I started taking the pill, I started experiencing fatigue like I have never had before, along with severe, random cramping. Soon after, I started to get INCREDIBLY emotional. Granted, that might be the medication interacting with an antidepressant I am on, but this FAR surpasses any mood swings I have EVER had. Now, this morning, I wake up to my entire body itching like crazy! I've been scratching ALL day, and now, at 4 am the following morning, I'm developing this extreme rash all over my body. I will be calling my doctor tomorrow to see what she thinks I should do, but either way, I WILL be switching birth control methods. This may work for other people, and I thought I was crazy with this whole rash thing until I got on a few sites, and noticed I'm not the only one. THANK YOU LADIES for posting your experiences, without which, I might still think I'm a nutcase with a random rash!

I recently began using the Nuvaring (about a week and a half ago). I've suffered from Migraines for 14 years and take regular medication that allows me to control the symptoms. Since beginning this BC method, I have been unable to manage the headaches. Taking my normal medication will work for a few hours, but then the headache will come back. My only options are to take more medication (and risk over medicating, thus causing other problems; liver problems, kidney problems, etc.) or deal with the pain. The migraines interfere with my vision and cause serious nausea, making it nearly impossible to continue with school, work, or anything else for that matter.
Additionally, I have been experiencing a dramatic increase in vaginal discharge, serious mood swings ranging from anger to depression with really no triggers, anxiety about my safety in strange situations such as driving or walking through campus, abdominal cramping in the region of my ovaries, what I can only assume is vaginal tenderness due to the rings presence, and I have been waking up at the same time in the middle of the night since I started the NR. I usually sleep an average of 9 hours each night, without interruption. Now I'm sleeping about 4 hours, waking up, and then sleeping another 4. I wake up feeling tired and with the feelings of an onsetting migraine.
The only benefit I have experienced is an increase in sex drive. I have gone from wanting sex an average of once or twice a month to wanting it several times throughout each day. I do have low levels of "free" testosterone according to my Gyno, so she recommended the NR.
Finally this morning I had enough of the symptoms. I took out the ring and within just one hour, my headache dulled, my abdominal pain lessened, and I feel slightly happier.
My question is, has anyone experienced symptoms like mine, that only lasted a few weeks when starting NR? I really love the convenience of the NR, but if I had to choose, I would not take the symptoms for the one benefit.

I started using the NuvaRing in 2003. I am still on it and now really having second thoughts. When I started usign the nuvaring I was already taking the anti-depressant Lexapro (not sure if it's spelled correctly). Since I started taking both of the medications around the same time, I could not decipher which symptom went with what medication. I was experiencing numbness in my face, hands and legs. I was also very fatigued, had a candida related rash for 6 months, and gained weight.

Yet, through these symptoms my period was easy, painless, and short. So I quickly assumed it was all related to my anti-depressant. My doctor prescribed me Prozac and most of the symptoms I had been experiencing went away. But for the next four years I had numbness in my face and hands the week after my period, the first week I had a new ring in. During that week my doctor prescribed me to double the amount of prozac and it cured most of the numbness and nausea. Yet taking more prozac seemed to really affect my short term memory.

Last November 2008, I decided to ween myself off of the anti-depressant. By January I was totally off of Prozac. It is now February 16th 2009 and it is the week after period and just got a new ring. Today I am experiencing major numbness in my face, hands, and legs. I am having terrible headaches, vision problems and have no energy. After reading all the posts tonight I realized that all these years I have been on the Nuvaring I have mistaken its side-effects for other medications side-effects. I am really trying to cleanse my body of medication b/c my stress level and lifestyle has changed.

I want to go to the doctor and discuss other alternatives since I feel terrible and have been on this for so long. If I hadn't had gone off the other medications I never would have associated my symptoms with the NuvaRing. But now it all makes sense.

I started the Nuvaring just about 5 weeks ago. I thought everything was going well. Two days before the "4th week", I was put on antibiotics and despite the doctor's reassurance, I used additional bc while on the medication. On the 29TH day of the cycle, I spotted some, but never really had a "period." My body told me I was (normal lower back pain, light cramping etc) except this time, I experienced a piercing headache along with it. Less than 24 hours later, the spotting was done. I asked the nurse practioner what was going on and the response was "the nuvaring can make your periods lighter". I told her "it's not lighter, it's not there!" I followed the directions precisely, used back up protection while on other medication and to top it all off, I've had a headache for days. This is not a normal occurrence for me. I haven't been depressed in well over a decade and all of a sudden, I feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders. I've noticed a very pronounced drop in my libido, too. These side effects are not worth the "convenience" of this form of bc. I will be taking a pregnancy test (to make sure and for my own piece of mind) and then finding another type of protection. I can't believe a bc would LOWER my sex drive this much. Between the mood swings and the lowered libido, the Nuvaring seems to do more harm than good for me.

I have been on the nuvaring since May of 08 to relieve my endometriosis. At first I loved it; less cramping, lighter periods, but then around November I started feeling stressed. Lots of anxiety during the first few days of every cycle to the point it was like I was paranoid. I'm not one to worry about what to do if my husband dies but with the Ring I was getting these feelings. I thought it was stress of work messing with me, maybe some winter blues. When I finally got around to seeing my Dr. he said it could be the ring and I needed to get off of it. He's putting me on the pill and I look forward to seeing if things change.

i am a healthy 21 year old and i really have not had any major problems, as someone said in one of their posts the good outweighs the bad, at least for me. My fiance and I are very sexually active and thanks to Nuvaring we are even more because we don't have to worry about condoms, or any other Birth control. One things i have noticed is that when i am suppose to get my period i get extremely moody and lash out at anything. i know that it happens because of the NR, but i also know when it's coming and how to try to normalize my mood. I was also instructed to use NR differently than most by my gyno. I'm not suppose to take it out until the 1st of the month and right after taking it out i out another in. the reason for this is so that i never get my period. this is done because of my really bad menstrual cycles to the point where i can not get out of bed for a whole week. i have been through a lot worse with my period so to me the NR is a walk in the park. For the first week i had it on i started to feel all the symptoms of a pregnancy (nausea, ovary pain, tiered, moody, emotional, crying) but i was told that is normal and it happens with all birth control. it did go away after about 1 month. with any medication there are side effects and sometimes the side effects are worth the pain and sometimes they aren't. i have not had anything close to some of the things i have read on here. i have never had a UTI with the NR even though that was a mina concern of mine. i have been getting those since i was 4 years old and i'm extremely susceptible to them. as far as acne i have never had such clear skin. not one pimple for a whole year. it's great.... i believe all this great fortune i have had is because of the way that i was instructed to use...

i still love it and hope that i don't get any other side effects now because i have been using it for a year only. hope everyone who is on it stays safe also.

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 was on the pill for about 4 years, but I got really tired of taking it every day. I got kind of lax with it so I decided it was a good idea to change. I considered depo, but I know it causes weight gain and takes a really time to get out of your system. My doctor said nuvaring was her favorite form of birth control for college students, so I tried it.I didn't understand my side effects at first either, the first two months seemed okay. Then:
-A month of bleeding.
-Monthly yeast infections (never a problem before.)
-Complete inability to orgasm (never a problem before.)

I am clinically depressed (on medication for 5 years) and nuvaring didn't seem to affect that.

I'm getting off this evil, evil thing next week and hopefully will get my orgasms back. Anyone know anything about implanon?

Hey Ive been on the NuvaRing for about 2 1/2 years and I had been hearing bad side effects of the NR like Pulmonary Embolism (A PE is a blockage of the pulmonary artery (in the lungs) or one of its branches by a blood clot) Symptoms include:Chest pain (hurts especially to breathe), shortness of breath, anxiety, coughing (may cough up blood), sweating, and fainting or passing out. The risk of PE scared the crap out of me so I took the ring out immediately. But the problem is I took the ring out after just putting it in for two days. I had already had my period and everything and now Im spotting or I just started my period again! Did this happen to anyone when they took their ring out permanently? Im kind of scared that this isn't normal!

Ha I know what you all mean when you say that the NR was hell, the first week of trying it I had nausea, spotting, and it hurt VERY bad to have sex. I thought this all was normal so I didn't even think twice about it until now!! Lately though I have been having an increase in chest pains, stomach aches and headaches and IM ONLY 18! But since I took the NR out about 3 days ago my headaches haven't been bothering me as much and neither have my stomach aches. These are the only things that bugged me while on the NR, I only had minor mood swings and I didn't have a decreased sex drive. But still I DO NOT recommend the ring to anyone because recently Ive heard of women dying from the NR. NUVARING HAS SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS AND ITS NOT WORTH IT!!

Hi I am 25 years old... I have been on the NuvaRing for about 2+ years. I have never had a problem with it... I actually thought it was the best invention ever for birth control until recently. I have been getting "Hot Flashes" or at least thats what I have been calling them for about 3 months now. I would be sitting at work or watching a tv and get extremely over heated to the point that if I don't cool myself down quickly I get dizzy and light headed. I didn't think it had anything to do with the NuvaRing at first but after going to the doctor and getting my blood test my Thyroid test came back basically normal. I am still waiting on the endocrinologist or gland doctor since i think i spelt that wrong. But either way I think i getting myself off of this medication. If anyone has any idea of what else this could be please let me know. I was told that it could be caused by something else. I do work with raw meat and seafood and come in contact with it on a daily basis. I also have a kitten at home. He has all his shoots but i got him when he was 8 weeks old with no shoots. Some people told me that thats a possible carrier of something that can cause this but its rare. I would like any and all impute on this if possible. Thanks and good luck to all that are having this problem. Oh and I definitely do not recommend the PATCH that made me doubled over in pain ever month.

I have been on the NuvaRing for about 3 months. Just after I started it...maybe two weeks later I got the worst case of heartburn ever. I had never had heart burn before. I had just eaten a big meal so I thought it was that. Then a few weeks later I had another severe case of heartburn that lasted all day. I threw up and by night time my back was in so much pain I almost went to the ER. Finally fell asleep and woke up the next day and it was as if nothing had happened.
Went to the doctor and they tested for ulcers and found nothing. Had a few more minor bouts of heartburn in the next 2 weeks. Then this morning...same thing. Strong heartburn which has gotten worse through out the day and not my back is in serious pain. Just hoping to get to sleep. Called my doctor and told her about this possibility and she had never heard of this. She told me to remove the ring to see if there is a correlation. Removed it a few hours ago. If the heartburn goes away and doesn't come back I will have an answer.
I eat quite healthy and am not overweight. I exercise regularly and don't take any other medication. Has anyone else experienced this with the nuvaring?

I have used the NuvaRing for a little over a year. I've been getting yeast infections almost every time I have sex. yeast infections and Bacterial vaginosis. I have had over 8 in the past year. I get the same medication. it goes away, but comes right back after I have sex. I don't know if it is the Ring or if it something else that is serious.

I haven't actually started it yet but am seriously considering it. I been using normal pill BC and I have used the ortho evra patch before I got off BC to have a child. here is my story of why I want to try and for those who are still considering it.

First off, I usually get sick every month with the pill when I start a new pack, not all BC pill did it as I am on Loestrin now and on Yaz before that and they didn't make me sick, but they are lower doses. However, I loved ortho evra, it was great except for the sticky ring where lint get stuck on you from around the edges, but that was just a small negative for me. However, I got off it before all the controversy about how it has three times theh rate of blood clots forming than BC pills, so I am a little worried about going back on it and my docs don't really prescribe it either, and suggested the nuvaring.

Well I went on Yaz post birth and couldn't understand why I was so tired all the time, every one kept saying it is because you have a new baby but i don't believe it was that because my child is a really easy child who sleeps through the night and took her naps. i just wanted to sleep all the time and still feel this way even after switching to loestrin which is similar to Yaz. I wasn't tired like this on Ortho evra and my doc told me that the ring is similar in like the patch.

so I am sorry for all those of you who have had bad experiences and the only thing I think I can do is try it for myself cause, when something bad or negative happens everyone hears about it but that is not the case when something is good. Everyone's body is different and reacts differently to medication. So I am going to go ahead and try I think to see how it affects me cause I don't think I can get any worse and I am not ready to have another child yet. I am currently on an antidepressant for about 5 weeks now and still am having my constant tired wanting to sleep feeling, this is why I think it is the BC. Hopefully i won't have too many side effects but I am willing to give it a try as I do know women who have used it and said that they liked it.

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.

I was on Nuvaring for 2 months and it changed my mood drastically. I recommend that women not go on this medication. Within 4 days of inserting my first ring, I experienced severe mood swings including hostility and anger and sadness. The emotional pain was unbearable. All my insecurities and anxieties were amplified and I found I became aggressive with mainly my boyfriend. I experienced severe anxiety. Then the sex: PAINFUL, BURNING during and after sex. Vaginal dryness, or more like the little lube I did have was very thick and unslipery. At first I thought I was making it up because I was nervous about being on hormonal birth control (I had wanted to avoid it but the gynecologist said my uterus was too small for an IUD). But several times we tried to have sex and the pain kept coming back. It felt like being stabbed. And then I had constant burning while peeing. I was finally put on some kind of special yeast medication. The NuvaRing severely impaired my life and relationship. I urge you to be CAREFUL and INSIST if your doctor tells you "it's not your birth control". I went of the pill after the Nuvaring and ended up being diagnosed with MAJOR DEPRESSION. I went off the pill 4 days ago and will NEVER ever use hormonal contraception again.

I wish I would have come across this site long ago. I have been on NR for about 6 months now and will be calling my doctor first thing in the morning to swtich back to my trusty old birth control pills. I have had no desire for sex at all, headaches, and heavy discharge. My husband says his only chance at sex is right after my period is over, which makes sense now because those hormones from the NR aren't in my system for those few days. I've been moody and depressed and just not feeling like myself. My doctor put me on anxiety medication, which I'm not very interested in taking long term, so I'm hoping that once I stop using the NR I can get off the other stuff too. I'm 34 so my doc doesn't want me on the pill anymore, buy due to endometriosis and ovarian cyst issues I have to be on some type of hormonal BC. I guess I better start looking into some other options. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I take nuvaring for a year by now, get a lot of symptoms but I just realized with my husband that my problems are just caused by my medication. After I have read all of yours posts, I REALLY think theses come from this. My symptoms are the following: shortness of breath, night sweats, trouble sleeping, nightmares, depression, anxiety and problems with my skin. Don't take that!!

I'm 25 and have been on Nuvaring for a little over 2 weeks now (because I suck at remembering to take the pill every day). I'm overweight so I thought the chest pains and left arm pain was because of that --- for the first time in my life I have high blood pressure. I thought, seriously, that I was showing signs of an impending heart attack. The chest pains come and go but I'm getting really concerned. I haven't had any noticeable mood swings. I'm just wondering when is the time to stop wondering if the chest pains will get worse and actually say something to my gynecologist.

I am 30 yrs old and have been on NuvaRing for a year or so. When I first started the NV, I was healthy and had no health problems. Since then a gradual onset of multiple symptoms.

It started with pain during sex, then not wanting to have sex, and now I haven't had sex with my husband in a few months because it hurts and I have no drive. I have gained weight. I went to the doctor and they told me that my blood pressures were sky high.

I have never ever in my entire life been sad, depressed, or had any mental issues. I feel so depressed, sad, and tired all the time. This past month I have wanted to do nothing but lay around the house. I force myself to go to work and drag though workouts at the gym. I have no reason...my life is great! NuvaRing is the only thing that I could think of. My family MD conducted a physical on me and found no cause other than NR for these symptoms.

My hair is seriously falling out, I have nausea frequently in the morning, bad mood swings, feelings of rage, vaginal discharge, vaginal pain, painful urination, sex drive is totally dead, I hate sex, I'm tired all the time, I'm often constipated even though I eat a healthy diet, I have to take stool softeners, my stomach always feels swollen, I get TERRIBLE headaches 1-2 days before my period starts, cramps are worse, bleeding is worse, and I feel like crap physically/emotionally.

I am taking this out of my body next week. If you read this please spare yourself from the damage this medication can do to your body.

Well...i'm only 17 years old and i have been trying EVERYTHING to get rid of my 2 week long heavy period and extremely severe cramping. I have been on 3 different kinds of oral BC and i would still bleed for 2 weeks. So i tried the Mirena IUD and that was the worst idea of my life. It went in fine but about 10 minutes later i was in a extreme amount of pain (and i have a very high pain tolerance, broke 3 ribs and didn't cry) i called my gyno back and he prescribed me a pain medication but it didn't work. After trying 3 different pain medications and an antibiotic i had enough. I went to the hospital and was prescribed percocet and that helped. I went back a few days later and had it taken out so now i am trying the NuvaRing. I put it in and a few hours later started cramping and having back pain. The next morning i had very bad nausea and cramping. Its about a week later now and i am experiencing headaches, nausea, quite bad cramping, bloating, tiredness all the time and i just don't feel myself anymore. I am calling my gyno back to see what he suggests but i'm looking for any ideas or suggestions until i get a hold of him. Thanks

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

I was just put on the nuvaring and I am not so sure I like it. I suffer from mild depression, now that I am on this I am even more so... I am angry, agitated and yell at my kids often. I don't like this. I have also started to spot and feel crampy and bloated. My periods weren't bad before but is this a sign of bad times to come? I don't like feeling like this and my doctors says stay on it and to go on a antidepressant, not what I really want to do.

I was on the Nuvaring for about a year, never had any problems with it until this last month. I started having spotting 3 weeks before I was supposed to get my period (which i actually wasn't supposed to get because i just switched rings instead of having my period) then that turned into break through bleeding, fairly heavy and I bled for the whole 3 weeks. I was worried that i may have been pregnant but after taking a test and finding out i wasn't, i talked to my gyno and said i wanted to switch to the pill. I have now been taking Loestrin 24Fe for 5 days and haven't had any side effects. But as far as side effects I did experience with NuvaRing, i would get terrible headaches when i did have my period that would last for the entire time i had my period (i'm talking about a constant headache for 5 days straight). I had absolutely NO sex drive what so ever, and sometimes would get slightly depressed. I always just thought that was the way I was but after reading these comments and comments on other birth controls it makes sense as to why I felt the way I did. I realized that I started having depression around the same time that I started taking birth control (15, i am now 20) ((how come the doctors would rather load you up on different medications for anxiety and depression and migraines, rather than link the problems to the birth control? hah)). Basically what I have collected is that, it doesn't matter which birth control you take, you're going to eventually run into some problem with it. Also, EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT. we all react in different ways to different medications. many people forget that birth control IS a medication, sometimes you just have to give your body time to get used to it. if problems still persist after the 3rd month i would suggest switching.

This is my second time on NuvaRing. The first time followed 6 years of pills. I first switched to NR because I always had breakthrough bleeding on the pill. I had no side effects. Loved it. I got off birth control because my husband and I wanted to try for our first child. I am now on the NR again. It is the 2nd ring since I started on it again. The first month I had some cramping..on and off and never bad enough for medication. I also had some vaginal irritation. During sex, the irritation caused some pain. But I was determined to see it out because I had loved it before. Well am I glad I did!! I have had no cramps, pain, irritation, no vaginal dryness, no mood swings, no weight gain...nothing except for not having to worry about taking that pill every night.

Birth control is like any other medication. Everyone reacts differently to each one. Look at codine...some people do great on it then you have people who are fatally allergic to it.

Dont go by what people say happened to them. You maybe completely different.

I am sooo glad I found this site; I have been thinking I am going crazy. For the last six months (since starting NuvaRing for the first time). I have had a mild case of depression (I am not one to struggle with depression , NO sex drive which is unusual for me, my boobs have gone up two sizes, I ma always tired and I am a fairly energetic person. My stomach is always bloated and I can not loose a single pound and I have been doing weight watchers and working out. I have one week left with the ring and I will NEVER use it again!!