NuvaRing and nausea

I started NuvaRing 10/25, I wanted a birth control that could regulate my periods and was something I wouldn't forget to take. The first two days were fine, even though I didn't have much of an appetite.Then by the third day I woke up with horrible pains in my bladder/anal area.Keep in mind through out all of this I was getting chest pains (which just may have been from stress) and was not sleeping well at all. So last night I couldn't fall asleep until 2am, woke up every hour with nausea and chest pains and my left arm ache. I took the ring out around 5am and by 8am I puked. If my symptoms don't in prove I will call my Gyno. NuvaRing: great idea, rough side effects, and not for me.

I don't have too many side effects with the ring. It does not give me nausea as pills, I don't have spotting or severe depression as with patch.
But I still have some serious fatigue and a low-grade fever, similar to cold. But no cold can last 3 weeks. I cannot make myself to do anything and that's the biggest problem. I am considering quitting NuvaRing.

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.

My experience with nuvaring:
I thought it was good at first. I have been on it for 3 months (with no break). I have skipped my period, but I did have some spotting after the second month. Actually it was thick dark old blood mostly on and off. I have noticed I my sex drive has significantly decreased, but I thought it was because I started taking Zoloft around the same time and I know that is a side effect of zoloft. After reading this, I see that the nuvaring must be a factor if all these other people are saying the same thing. The reason I was doing a search though is b/c I have had reoccurring symptoms of BV. Once was really bad but the other times were mild (including now), but I know when something is not right.
I just took it out (today) b/c I thought maybe not having my period could be a factor or the ring itself. Im going to give it a break for awhile to see if things change.
I do not seem to have the mood problems like the pill has affected me in the past, but I have had nausea, and stomach problems on occasion; yet I don't know if the nuvaring is to blame. I have lost my sex drive, and have had a problem with dryness about the second month of using it (or earlier), yeast infections, and BV symptoms.
Has anyone else had BV more frequently since using the nuvaring?

I just had a baby about 8 weeks ago and started nuvaring and have only been on it for 2 days and i am already feeling nausea, headaches and severe cramps. i took it out and felt a relief of pressure immediately. i don't know if it is just because i just had a baby but it was not fun and i don't think i will use it again, it is not worth the effects you get from it.

I have been on the Ring for 4 years. I have had minimal side effects compared to other birth control (BC). IT IS A HORMONE. The nausea, tiredness, weight gain, moodiness is because we are elevating the hormones in our bodies to make our bodies THINK its pregnant. All BC have these effects to some degree. If the Ring doesn't work, try a different kind of BC and then different levels of hormones, or types of hormones. You have to "shop around" to find the BC that gives you the least side effects for your body.

I have had weight gain and a reduced libido but that is nothing compared to the side effects I had with pills (crazy nuts, sore breasts, pain with sex, constant periods). And I am getting older (now 33) so I expect some of the changes are likely part of me aging and if not they do not out way how easy the Ring is to use and my assurance I am protected ea. month. I have been very happy with the Ring.

Now to my problem. My husband and I decided the possibility of blood clots (I am a smoker over 30) is not worth the risk to be on BC at all. So, after my last cycle I stopped the Ring after 4 good years.
I am soooo sore now. I feel like someone punched me in my ovaries and uterus. I hurt so much I can't hold in my stomach. Is this common when you stop BC or just the Ring?

i have been on the nuvaring for about five years, at the start before i put it in had sever acne and fluid retention, i started on the NR and i did get nausea and breast/nipple tenderness the week i put it in for about three months then i loved it, skin came good and the weight came off. in the last maybe year or two i have been had these problems, anxiety, heart palpitation, diarrhea like IBS symptoms with cramps and pelvic pain, bladder pain, stomach upsets, dizziness and yeast infections continuously, also the total loss of libido like im a dead fish!
i have since decided to go off it, im a week off it now and i have had spotting and some dark brown bleeding, bloated, aching muscles and pelvic area, nausea, and sleeplessness with a raised heart rate at rest. the main problem at the moment is the tiredness, i just cant do anything! im struggling to get out a bed and even when i do i feel lik im falling asleep and my body and limbs are lik rocks..
i hope this doesn't last long its taken over my life!

I've been on the nuvaring since march and it has work pretty good for me. It has cleared up my acne, i just have a few bumps here and there when my cycle is on.it also has my cycle a lot shorter. I have been having pains in my hip and knees to the point where i don't want to do anything but lay in bed all day, it use to been all the time but now it pain only when my cycle comes on and a week or two after it ends. Recently I just started to get real bad migraines,tiredness, nausea and numbness in my legs from time to time. sometimes my legs give out on me. Also i started to itch and i been scratching to the point where i have cuts and its burns when use the bathroom.

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 21 and I've been using nuvaring for 4 months now, as of yesterday i have cramping that is extremely painful, i don't know if it is the nuvaring or not, i have had no sex drive, nausea, and i'm pretty depressed. I don't know what to do so maybe it is the nuvaring after reading this!

It has been only the third day that I started using NuvaRing. I'm already considering to take it out. First, I lost all my sex drive, and I feel nausea, headache, depressed and fatigue. However, the yeast infection has not happened yet, which I worry the most before I started it. I thought the side effect might go away in a week or so. Should I take it off and just stick with condom?

Im 18 yrs old. I have been on nuvaring for almost 2 yrs now. I just started getting side effects recently. I have "Dizzy spells" that are on and off,i can be sitting watching T.V and I will have one. I get "nausea" during the day and night, on and off. I have recently been told I have cervicitis,but I think there's more then what the doctor is seeing. I feel more "fatigue", and more "mood swings" then usual,and 15 pds added to my weight,which I don't like.

About 4 months ago, I decided it was time to try birth control for the first time. I am 23, and I'd been having terrible heavy periods, with cramps that were so bad I couldn't move or function at work. It felt like a little alien was trying to claw its way out of my uterus. I chose NuvaRing because I know I am terrible at remembering pills, and the doctor suggested this as an alternative to pills. The first 2 months on the ring, my period started and never stopped... for two months straight, every day. The third month it seemed to have leveled out, and my fourth month is going fine so far, as far as the period is going. I went from a 6-day heavy painful period to a 3-day light and easy period, which I love. I do not love, however, the other side effects.

The last month or two, I've been experiencing headaches almost every day, nausea, dizziness enough to where I have to steady myself, and some crazy roller-coaster emotions. The nausea I can deal with, as well as the dizziness (sometimes), because they only happen once in a while. The emotional roller-coaster I've been on is killing me though. I'm the kind of girl who normally shows emotions with crying - I can't help it. But lately, it's like anything and everything will set me off crying, and the more I try to stop myself, the more I cry. Then I hate myself for crying so much, especially when it makes my boyfriend cry to see me like that. Life has been good for me - not the best spot I want to be in right now (I hate my job and wonder whose life I'm living sometimes, because it sure as hell ain't the one I wanted), but lately it seems like everything is just horrible and I'm feeling so depressed and I just want to get out of here and leave it all behind, including the birth control. And to make things worse, it feels like my sex drive has just suddenly *poof* gone away. It makes me feel terrible and wonder what's wrong with me. What's wrong with me that I'm crying all the time (damn near everyday, now) and get depressed about my life more than ever before, and am suddenly never in the mood anymore?

I really wonder if the benefits of the ring are worth all those side effects I'm experiencing. Though, it seems with any birth control you run the risk of those side effects, so I guess I'm just at a loss as to what to do.

I am 24 years old. I started using the Nuvaring about 9 months ago, back in November shortly after my youngest son was born. In January, only two months after starting it, I was beginning to have severe stomach pains and a lot of nausea that would come and go throughout the day. I went into the emergency room one night because it got so bad and they told me that I was going to have to have my gallbladder removed due to large stones. I'm trying to figure out whether anyone else has had any similar issues with the ring. I have read here and there that gallbladder disease is a side effect but I also have issues with it in my family. Has anyone else had a problem with this? I have also dealt with a lot of depression, headaches, slight weight gain, mood changes (just as bad, if not worse then while I was pregnant) and I am going to have to schedule an eye exam because it seems like the past few months, my eye sight has just gone down hill fast. I have never had to wear glasses or contacts.

Has anyone else out there had issues with their gallbladder and eyesight? Most of the posts that I see are saying issues with hair loss and depression. I am seriously thinking about talking to my doctor about changing methods, I was just wondering if there are people having symptoms like mine or whether I need to attribute them to something else. Any information would be helpful, Thanks.

I have been on NuvaRing for a little over a month now and I'm going to take it out probably today. I have been extremely nausea. I feel like I did when I was pregnant with my daughter. It's horrible. I kept taking pregnancy test because I really thought I was pregnant. Thankfully I'm not but this is a horrible side effect from the NuvaRing. I'm also experiencing daily headaches and occasional migraines. I have been very tired and have no energy or sex drive. I would never recommend this to anyone

I started the Nuvaring about 2 weeks ago, and I've been an emotional mess ever since. About 3 days after I put the ring in, my breasts started to grow and get ridiculously sore and I got unbelievably moody and sad, to the point of crying all the time- at work, with friends, everywhere. I've been getting severe nausea every day, and despite not eating a lot, I've gained 5 lbs. I can't BELIEVE how suddenly these symptoms came on and how incredibly emotional I am about it. Even though it's only been two weeks, it feels like FOREVER. Part of me wants to rip it out, chuck it in a blender and destroy it forever, but another part of me thinks I need to be reasonable and give my body time to adjust to the hormones. I really like the idea of the nuvaring for birth control because it's so easy, but the way I'm feeling right now is SO not worth it. I'm wondering if my symptoms will subside over time. Has anyone had that experience?

I lasted for one week on Nuvaring.... put it in on 7/26, took it out on 8/2. I expected some slight hormonal type side effects while my body adjusted to the ring... this is my first hormonal BC ever.... Saturday, I couldn't keep my legs still... jittery and anxious, cramped and so uncomfortable. Yesterday I got a very bad dizzy spell while in the shower. Over the next several hours, the dizzy spells came more frequently and got stronger, to the point where I felt I was going to faint. My heart was pounding, I was sweating, my chest felt heavy, and the room was spinning. First spell was at 6:30 am, I took the ring out at 11:00. The spells continued for the next 1/2 hour or so, and I noticed a huge welt above my ear.... hot and sore to the touch, radiating pain down into my neck. I've also had a stiff neck for days, which I didn't attribute to the ring until reading someone elses posting here. I'm feeling better today, though the symptoms have not completely gone away. I presume it will take 7+ days for this crap to get out of my system.

My husband stumbled across this website and first I would like to thank everyone who have posted their experiences on the NuvaRing. Because of you guys I now know I'm not losing my mind.

I started the NuvaRing March of 2008 and I started getting dizzy spells May 2009. I actually got my first dizzy spell when I was driving. Everything started to spin very fast!! My husband had to grab the wheel and tell me how to slow down and how fast to do it. That was the scariest thing ever!! My head felt a numbing sensation in my head. I had a pain above my left eye and it would shoot up my head and down my neck. The dizzy spells would come whenever, once every 8 days to twice in one day. I have had an MRI and an MRA done and nothing. The docs have had me on so many migraine meds to try to get a handle on this and nothing has helped. My longest migraine lasted for 14 days, that was in May. This month (July) I got a migraine on the 13th, took the ring out on the 21st, and had a dizzy spell this morning but this afternoon and especially this evening I feel amazing.

Since getting on the NuvaRing, like so many of you, my sex drive does not exist. It has caused so many fights between my husband and I. Its hard to tell him that he is still attractive but I can't explain why I'm not excited. So thank you for writing your experiences. He got to read that I'm not the only one and I wasn't making it up.

These last three months have been hell for my family and I. I have been like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. So much tension has caused everyone to walk on pins and needles when they are around me.

So lets sum it up here, after being on the NuvaRing for 14 months I started getting dizzy spells, migraines, nausea, neck pain, twice I've puked because of the room spinning so damn fast, and very very VERY low sex drive.

I'M NOT CRAZY!!!! :)

I decided to google "nuvaring side effects" after putting two and two together today...

Due to some complications, I switched from OrthoTriCyclen Lo to NuvaRing about 5 months ago. Having been on OrthLo for so many years (about 4, and Ortho regular for about 5 years), my uterline lining was shedding, which in turn caused bleeding in between my periods. I had heard good things about NR, so I asked about switching to that. First month seemed good... then I started noticing changes in my body and emotional state of mind.
Started with nausea, then I ran the gamut - headaches, back pain, fatigue, mood swings, LOSS OF SEX DRIVE & WEIGHT LOSS (the worst two).

Being that I am generally a pretty stable 27 year old woman, all of these little things stood out but I couldn't figure out what was going on. The weight gain got me good... I gained about 8 lbs - which is A LOT for me. I work out 6 days a week and have a very healthy diet - nothing had changed except my birth control, i.e. the ring. I even started up'ing my cardio 30 more minutes a day to get back to normal, but to no avail. Traumatizing. And the no yearning for sex thing is horrible too... my poor fiance.

While there is no way to tell for sure that NR is the cause of all these side effects, it only seems rationale. It would be too much of a coincidence that so many of us women have these neg effects - all similar.

After reading most of these reviews, I got on the phone and called my gyno. Plan is to stay off everything for one full period (plus the withdrawal period), then to switch back to an oral contraceptive. Just have to use condoms in the meantime - small price to pay to avoid all the nasty sides effects.

NR has already been removed. Thank you all for sharing... this made me want to share, as well.

I just started with Nuvaring, this is my sixth day with it. I feel HORRIBLE, MISERABLE, NO ENERGY, NO MOTIVATION,i've cried everyday since day 1. I've had nausea, palpitations and insomnia.
That's how I ended up in this forum......
This is my first time with contraceptives and I am taking them because I have some kind of hormonal unbalance. I am calling my doctor to let him know about this.
Hope he can find something milder.

I am 25 years old and have been on nuvaring since July of 2007 (so 2 full years now). I didn't really start to notice any symptoms until June of 2008. I didn't have any of the weight gain (I actually lost weight--probably due to a battery of other side effects I'm now noticing-- I was 125 in college and am 114 today).

In June 2008 my periods started to get REALLY BAD! I mean I would put a tampon in and an hour later be leaking like a river. I was at a movie one night and actually had to tie my sweatshirt around my waist and run to the bathroom because I had bleed through my jeans SOOOOOOO bad. For the last year I've had to change my tampon every 2-3 hours and always, always, always use super sized pads to make sure I don't bleed through any more clothes! I've noticed clotting the past few months as well. Before that I had NEVER passed clots during my period.

Since April of 2008 I've been in a serious relationship with a loving man who recently became my fiance. We are deeply in love, but I have ABSOLUTELY NO DESIRE to have sex, none. This is worsened by the fact that sex causes me UNIMAGINABLE pain and burning to the point I try to avoid it at all costs (we've tried condoms, water based lubes, silicon lubes, gels, you name it, all to no avail!). I went to the OB/GYN in February of this year (2009) to tell her about my painful sex experience, because this was something completely new to me. She said I had vestibulitis (very similar to vaginitis) and gave me pills and creams to take everyday twice a day for the rest of like forever to try and help me. From reading some of these posts I'm thinking that getting rid of the nuvaring might just help more than those pills and creams (and the nuvaring probably gave me the damn vestibulitis to begin with!). I am also hoping to get any of my sex drive back at all. Please!!

The past two weeks is where the headaches, neck pain, dizziness, fatigue, nausea have really started to become noticeable. I almost couldn't finish making the bed yesterday and I've had a headache and neck pain for the past 8 days straight! I am constantly tired and have realized looking back that I've been constantly tired for pretty much the past two years. I've also realized that I've had some mild depression for the past two years as well. I pretty much haven't wanted to get out of bed or eat anything for the past few months and have no desire or energy to do pretty much anything.

I also think I have the mood swing issue. I cry, and I mean to the point I can't speak, over the stupidest things. And the crying comes on with no warning. I can be talking and fine one minute and a sobbing mess the next. I get really angry with my fiance for what seems like trivial things a lot lately. I get very irritable really easily and it seems. This is strange for me because in the past I have normally been able to stay pretty stable and even keel emotionally.

I took my ring out today, even though I really have like 10 days left for this month. Back when I was 19 and started on the Pill I did so because my cramps and periods were so bad I missed class or work. I am hoping that the next couple months aren't quite that bad, but I'm hoping to detox my system of this ring and start over. AND GET MY LIFE BACK!

I started the ring because of it's easy "put it in and forget about it for three weeks" convenience. When I was younger I was always forgetting to take the pill. I am not sure what kind of birth control I'll go back to when in a couple months, but I know it isn't going to be this EVIL RING!!!

I'm grateful to see others have the same experience with the ring. I started it last month. I had told my doctor that oral BC made me sick. She recommended the ring since "it rarely has side effects". I had it in for 10 days and couldn't take it anymore. I was having hot flashes, headaches daily with nausea and bouts of dizziness. I was also moody and extremely fatigued. I call the office last week and doctor wasn't in, but the nurse said to take it out. Doctor called yesterday and said she felt it was just the flu going around and wanted me to try it again. So I put a new one in yesterday and 2 hours later started with headache. I've been tired and today I'm already having hot flashes. I had my period 6/25, and 7/9 (since I took the ring out). It sucks because I don't think I can handle the ring and when I take it out, I'll have another period. I feel awful on it and my friends say it's "in your head" but reading these validate my symptoms.

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

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

Thank God for all of you.... I thought I was just crazy. I have been on NR for a little less than 2 months. I started using it because I am dating an awsome man but he is not ready for a child ( of his own I have one that he loves dearly).
I have had the chest pain, headache, nausea, lower back pain, mood swings, depression. I put it all together at work today( has to be the NR) and come home and found this site. The crying is driving me crazy I cry easily anyway but the last month has been so bad. I find myself saying I'm sorry to the ones I love for stuff I did in a mood swing. Like not understanding that boyfriend was stressed I usefully pick up on and understand, but I ended up having "a little fit" as he called. Not good since we only get to see each other about every other weekend if we are lucky.
With all that being said I want to take it out right now but I'm scared too. Why?? If I take it out will my period start.... I just put this one in on the 4of July? Really don't want that to happen boyfriend will be home this coming weekend and have not been able to have sex with him in about 6 or 7 weeks. Last weekend he was home I was on my period so we couldn't have sex, I would hate to tell him no again just 2 weeks later.(He is a Marine so I value every minute he is home)
I know this thing is coming out of me very soon and I hope and pray I can save my relationship and at least one friendship that is one the rocks because of the mood swings. The mood swings/ depression has affected every part of my life.
Thank you all for listening and I will be checking back in. Maybe let my boyfriend read some so he knows I'm not crazy.

I am 22, and a newly wed. I have been using NR since i was 18. I have been pretty happy with it until this last couple months when i have started to have some severe side effects. I actually ended up in the ER the 29th of may. i had some weight gain at the beginning but i figured that it was normal and didn't think too much of it. When i went to the ER it was because of how much pain i was in with my lower abdomen. They said they THOUGHT it MIGHT be a ruptured cyst. I went to the doctor the next day and she said that it wasn't. Since then i have noticed that my hair has been falling out, im a very thick haired blond. (not fair!!) the pain in my uterine area has been crippling. I ended up quitting my job due to nervous break down because of the pain and the not knowing why. I have abnormal pap smears the months that i used the nuvaring. Body aches, massive head aches, depression, moodiness, heavy excruciating periods, back aches, nausea, breast tenderness, and more and more weight gain. I have gained about 50 lbs since starting NR. I used it because i am AWFUL with pills. So that leaves me with nothing other than condoms, and they hurt me. When my husband and i have sex, WHEN we have sex, it hurts before, during and after. To the tune that my husband is afraid to have sex with me, for fear of causing me pain. So what to do?

I used NuvaRing for 6 months, and during that time i cried all the time. I was very depressed, I would get upset for every little thing, and i was not in the mood for sex. My boyfriend told me that i should take the NuvaRing out and i did. I felt better, but i gained weight while using NuvaRing, and even more after i stop. I always weight 120 pounds and right now i have 138. Its been 6 months since i stop and did not lose weight. While using NR i had painful periods, spotting between periods, headache, nausea, and depression, and i thought i was pregnant. I went to see a doctor and everything was just fine. The food i loved had different taste while using NR. I would get sick from some food that i loved before using NR. It felt like food poisoning. My doctor told me it is going to take some time until my body adjusts back to normal. I am afraid that my weight is not going to get back to normal. I look like during my period. I always had flat stomach, and now my stomach looks like i am 4-5 months pregnant. I would not recommend NuvaRing to anyone. I would recommend pills, my friends that are on the pill did not have bad experience that i did.I only hope my body is going to get back to normal.

I had tried the ring back in august or September of 2008 for less than a week. I went without a period and a pregnancy till March of 2009. No dr knew why on either. I bled for 3 months. I kid you not. I have finally started to taper off and was diagnosed with bacterial vaginosis, cervicitis, and pelvic inflammatory disease. (PID) Up until the other day, I was still throwing clots. Luckily, they were much smaller than when it all started because those clots were as big as my fist. (About the size of a baseball, maybe a little smaller) But the last few days I was hurting so badly I had to go to the ER today. I was also having horrible depression to the point of wondering why I was even with my husband! I love him with all my heart and our daughter as well, why would I want to leave them?

I have a 2 yr old and I could not function enough for my husband to be able to leave the house because of the pain. I was put on two antibiotics and an anti nausea pill because the antibiotics prescribed are known for that side effect. But better nauseated than sterile since mu husband and I are wanting more kids. I don't suggest the ring for anyone because it's played hell with me especially knowing that the ring has even caused menopause and sterility as well as other worse issues.

I used the nuvaring for 2 months stopped and started again three months ago. The first time I used it I had no side effects this time is TOTALLY DIFFERENT! I thought it would be convenient since u only have to worry about it every three weeks unlike remembering to take the pill everyday at the same time, but all the side effects make it not so worthwhile. I have
nausea, headaches, dizzy spells, mood swings (I literally can cry at the drop of a dime), stomach cramps on and off my cycle (I can't get out of bed sometimes), and recently i've had diarrhea but i'm not sure if its caused by the nv. I'm not recommending it to ANYONE. I think i'm about fed up anyone have any suggestions for a better BC?

I have been on NuvaRing for over 3 years now. When I first went on birth control I was using the ortho evra patch however, I was suffering from side effects such as nausea, always feeling sick and tired. I eat a lot and everything but while using the patch I felt TERRIBLE eating the blandest toast. I am not a heavy drinker but even one cocktail would cause me to be extremely sick. I switched to NuvaRing and since then I was back to my normal self. Not only that but while on the NuvaRing my period is like CLOCKWORK, I know exactly when I am getting my period. I did not experience any breakthrough bleeding and my periods are extremely light. Overall the switch to NuvaRing was so worth it.

I am twenty one years old and I started Nuvaring when I was nineteen and at first experience only one side effect, nausea. In the past two years, I have gained about 15 pounds, despite the t fact that I've been eating less and working out more than I ever have. But perhaps the worst side effect for me is migraines. I have had migraines since I was a kid but I would get maybe 4 a year. Since I have been on NR I get about two a week and the longer I've been on it, the more often I get them. I've had a migraine for the past four days. My main concern is that I love having my period regulated. Before I was on BC I worried constantly about when I would start my period. I never wanted to wear white or a bathing suit in case I would start my period randomly, which happened often. Now I am at a loss of what to do. I have to stop the NR because the migraines are making it impossible for me to function at school or work, but what about the periods?
In response to people's questions about IUDS, I have never used one but I do know people who have. At first it can be nerve racking because it has been known to fall out, but if you are using NR, you know it too can fall out. I'm going to try an IUD and look for a more natural way to regulate my periods. I encourage women to stay away from BC that is hormone based. It's very bad for your body, causing not only these side effects, but blood clots, tumors and cysts. There are other ways and I think we all need to look into them.

I have been on NuvaRing for 2 years. At first I thought it was wonderful. But now two years later I am connecting all my health problems back to when i started taking this BC. For two years I have had horrible nausea and digestive problems and weight gain.I also have had horrible mood swings and emotional instability. And worstly I have had horrible sinus problems. In fact I had sinus surgery which did not help. I also got a therapist and started considering seeing a doctor about the digestive problems. But after some research and connected the dots on the time frame of all these sudden health problems.... I am pretty sure it is the BC. I stopped taking it yesterday. I hope I go back to my healthy self from2 yrs ago. Please do not ignore side effects of drugs.

I started NuvaRing 1 week ago. After 3 Days I started having Horrible Migraines, next I started having these really bad stomach pains. I started to vomit and have diarrhea after 1 week. The vomiting and stomach pains were so intense my body was really weak. I had trouble taking BC before so when my OB told me NR was a better form of BC and I wouldn't suffer from the same side effects I had before I believed her.

The first couple of days I was fine, like I said after 3 days the migraines started. I'm taking this out because my body can no longer endure the pain. I had to miss work and stay in bed all day. I would not advise the NR to anyone who has had problems with BC before or anyone who has had hormone imbalances. The pain and side effects I've felt with the NR are the worst I have felt. Nausea, Vomiting, Diarrhea, Stomach pains, mood swings and no sex drive is not worth it. I'm taking this out tonight I can't take the pain anymore.

Death. A 30 year-old Visalia CA mom of three (one is eight weeks old) started having side effects just after she started using the NR. She stopped and got pregnant. During her pregnancy, her side effects returned for about three months. Later in her pregnancy, she seemed to improve. Her baby was born March 8 and both were healthy. She was suffering from headache, nausea, stomach pains, depression, throat constriction (she could no longer eat solid food). She died May 1. The coroner hasn't been able to determine a cause of death. Every medical "professional" she saw told her she was "just depressed" and "there's nothing wrong with you." Now, she's dead.

day # 3 ive got the worst yeast infection i was fine b4 i put it in now im uncomfortable ........bloating,fatigue, nausea,headache,.. all after 3 days called the doctor he said to give a month just use some monistat but it is now midnight and i just took it out, and you know what...... instant relief im not putting that thing back in ( from my fiance.....fellas don't let her do it you will be sorry)......well back to the pill : ) keep posting this was very helpful

Hi everyone...

I thought I did all the research I could by going through medical journals but I think I'm going through the symptoms mentioned here. I haven't really gained weight but I'm super hungry all the time. The last time I had sex it burn like hell (I thought the guy I was with just sucked but it looks like it could be the ring), I'm sleepy all the time, and I'm having MEGA itching- an online doctor just told me it could be a yeast infection- my very first one :-(. Honestly, I'll be willing to stick with the ring if these symptoms go away over time since it did lighten my super heavy period (I used to wear an Ultra) but beware because my blood was dark brown for a few days. My nausea lasted 20 min after I put the ring in for the first time and I never had a migraine. Hope someone finds this post just as helpful as the others have been to me...

I've been on the Nuvaring for almost a yr to date & could not be more excited to be getting off it next week!!! No sex drive the 3 weeks I'm on it, horrible migraines, sinusitis, upper respiratory infections followed by the excruciating pain of costochondritis, leg pains, neck & back tension, extremely tired all the time, nausea, horrendous cramps, angry mood funks as we call them, bloatedness to the point it appears I'm 5/6mths pregnant, acne returned, weight gain, discharge is out of control & the newest symptom had a yeast infection for a month that just seems impossible to get rid of not to mention attempting sex was very painful. I only switched from the pill b/c of acid reflux and my body not digesting it promptly or correctly but I'm switching back to a diff pill. The only positive things I can think is the irritableness was not not AS extreme as the pill & you don't have to remember to take the pill every day. That's it. I really wish I had discovered this website a year ago as it probably would have changed my decision.

I have been on the nuvaring for almost 3 years.
The first year was great! I hated taking a pill everyday, so at first i opted for the Depo, which was great for a year, but i really didn't trust it and not having periods made me uneasy.

The nuvaring seemed like a blessing! I had no trouble for the first year and a half. I recommended it to all my friends. I didn't have any side effects, and I loved the convenience!

However, now i am experiencing some serious side effects, and thanks to this website I realize I am not the only one. I have two concerns that i link to the BC: depression and no sex drive. Some days I just want to lay in bed, and sleep. I do not want to leave the house, or see anyone. I have told my BF (of 3 years) that i just need some "me time". I am fatigued and show many symptoms of depression.
I am only 24 years old, and i have NO sex drive. It has taken a tole on the relationship with my boyfriend. Many nights i try to get in bed before him, so i can appear asleep. There have been so many nights where i would tell him "i'm sick", "i have cramps"... sooo many excuses. When we do have sex it is usually forced, and i do it because i haven't in a week!

This past year I have also had digestive problems, which seemed to have appeared out of no where. Im not sure if I blame them on the nuvaring, but I've noticed a few other people have mentioned it as well.

im not alone. i have been so concerned about low sex drive. I have also had increased digestive problems and received every test possible to only be told Im ok. Well, I don't feel ok. It has been 1 month. I am now experiencing light headiness and nausea. Maybe my body is getting used to not having the hormones. I wish I would have looked up this earlier to know I wasn't going crazy.

I'm almost done with my third month on the NuvaRing. My first week, I started getting overly emotional and crazy, but that thankfully subsided for the most part. There are moments when I get overemotional but I can keep it in check and stop myself before saying anything out loud or reacting a certain way. I have gotten some bloating the second and into the third month, but it seems to be subsiding lately. Another side effect I have had all three months is breast enlargement and tenderness. It was the worst during the first month and a half, but has been better slowly since then. I had nausea the first two weeks but it seems to be returning now. It's very tolerable, and I'm a person who cannot stand being nauseous, so that's saying something.

Overall, I am fairly pleased with the NuvaRing and am glad I gave it a shot, even though so many people give it awful reviews on here. I say give it a shot because everyone's body is DIFFERENT. What one person hates might be perfect for you. I am going to keep going with the NuvaRing since I like it. It's very convenient and the side effects are very mild for me. You need to wait it out at least the first three months before making a decision.

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

I 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.

Hello everyone,
I have tried the Depo shot, copper IUD (what a nightmare that was), and am currently on the NuvaRing. First, I will admit that my body is very sensitive to hormonal drugs. I started the NuvaRing 3 months ago and loved it initially. During the second month I started to realize that I was more tired than usual looking forward to bed as early as 8pm; 2 1/2 hours earlier than my regular bedtime. My appetite started decreasing but I still gained weight. I could only rationalize that my sudden fatigue was adding to my weight gain. I started experiencing nausea that got increasingly worst in time and my hair started to fall out. I am also having horrible nasal problems. I had a yearly physical January 13th and as usual all of my blood work and vitals were normal. I have always been in great shape so why am I feeling nausea and tired and having hair loss? I saw my gyn February 27th and ordered another round of blood test. She made me 2 appointments; one appointment for the GI doctor and one for the Dermatologist. I also took a pregnancy test that came out negative.I am not sure if the NuvaRing is the cause of all of these symptoms but I am taking it out and will see if the symptoms go away. I noticed that some women have stated that they experienced a decrease in sex drive. I can't say that I have but then again, maybe I have been to busy to notice.
Gook Luck to all of you!!

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 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.

Well ladies let me tell you what... I must be super sensitive to this crap!! I started the ring because I had used it years ago and LOVED it!! I mean LOVED it! It WAS the only bc that didn't give me any issues... they really must have changed it... I'm gonna list my new symptoms and reasons for taking this crazy thing out...

Nausea,
Headaches,
Visual Migraines... spots in eyes
Dry Mouth
Breast Pain
ALL of my hair is FALLING OUT
in 3 days gained 10lbs!!
Mood swings
Think i'm pregnant every day!
Still get cysts (which was my need for the ring)
Horrible constipation/diarrhea... IBS like
Lack of energy
Itchy scalp
Leg pain
Hip pain
All the symptoms of thyroid issues!!
Circulation issues
Took Sudaphed and almost had a stroke!! BP was 180/110 WOW!!
normally is 117/67

My advise... GET OFF THE NEW RING... The old one was great...this new one is DANGEROUS!! I have worked with doctors for years... they prescribe things that the cute sales reps bring...

Contact me if you have felt the same... It's good to know there is someone out there that has been thought it too!!

This website had made me sane!!! I have recently become a crazy woman searching side effects of birth control like it was my job, it has taken up my entire head!.. I started nuvaring four months ago (first form of birth control ever) to help control my horrible pms and very irregular period, and it helped that out, HOWEVER, I have recently decided I would prefer the pms over these awful, AWFUL symptoms. Although little spurts occurred here and there, this month is the absolute worst. I have managed to gain 12 lbs in under a month ...(keep in mind I am a work-out freak and have made sure to burn as many calories as I take in each day simply because I just can't stop gaining the weight!) I don't fit into any of my clothes and I just do not like the way I look. It is as if my body has just gotten wider and larger. I used to love my body and now I cant stand looking in the mirror everyday. My eating habits are awful....I try to starve myself for periods of time because I simply cannot help myself when I enter the kitchen. I feel like a bulimic girl, without the puking afterward. My binges are DISGUSTING, I'm actually ashamed. The worst symptom of all, though, are the mood swings. I cry at the drop of a hat every single night, I'm 20 years old away at college, and last night I cried because all I wanted was my "mommy." That's embarrassing. Not to mention my boyfriend thinks I am absolutely nuts because I have "changed." When you tell a severely hormonal woman she has "changed" you better expect a shoe or the nearest object to fly at you, which is exactly what I did. I CAN'T HELP IT! I also have been having negative thoughts about life as a whole lately and have even entered the realm of slight suicidal thoughts, or at least thinking my life was worthless. I've been through too much with my cycle to stop it now (even though I feel like ripping this thing out ASAP) and have 2 weeks left before I can take it out FOR GOOD! If anyone has any feedback they want to share to keep me sane through these last 2 weeks PLEASE PLEASE share! Also, does anybody know how long it will take for me to get my life back?! =(

Hello ladies! I've been on the NuvaRing for about 2 years and have had experiences like everyone else it seems. Weight gain, mood swings, lack of sex drive, depression, nausea...and its all starting to take an impact on my relationship and it just isn't worth it anymore. So I just took it out last week. I was just wondering if anyone else has taken theres out who experienced weight gain and wanted to know how much time it took before you were able to lose all the NR weight?

I had been using the Nuvaring for over 3-years and took it out for a couple months (simply due to an insurance issue). Anyway, I JUST started using it again-- because i LOVE the Nuvaring, it has been great... up to now. I put it back in about a week ago and I am now experiencing serious tiredness, nausea, diarrhea, a brownish discharge (that I feel like might be due to the excretion the ring already causes and is maybe mixed with some old blood (spotting?)). Has anyone had a similar experience? Might you share and tell me what the outcome was?... please tell me it gets better and goes away!

I was on the depo-provera shot prior to using the nuvaring and I would definitely like to switch back! The first month and a half was fine but the second time I put in the nuvaring, it fell out the next day! I didn't realize it for a few days until I "thoroughly searched" and realized it was gone! I thought back and realized it must have slipped out the day after i put it in, (i had a particular instance in mind) well i put a new one in and ever since then (for about 2 weeks now) i have had the most awful cough! =( despite taking endless amounts of medicine, it's not getting any better and it's to the point that I cough so hard that i literally gag. I never would have thought that this could be caused by the nuvaring but after reading these other stories and re-glancing at the side affects, I'm pretty sure it's to blame. I am leaving it in until I get the prescription for the depo which should hopefully only be a day or two. Has anyone else had side pains associated with this? It just started today on my right side and hurts the most when I cough.

I just took the NuvaRing out..It was probably the worst thing I've ever said yes to. First off, I've only been on it for less than 2 months. I've been on a rollercoster ride since I put it in. I've experienced bloat, period-like cramping (when Im not on my period), nausea, lose of appetite, headaches, and utter discomfort. The discomfort for me was the worst. I am a small person of a small frame and stature. When I walk long distance or perform strenuous tasks, it would feel like the ring was tearing my insides away. I started getting an infection earlier this week. I guess my body was rejecting it. And I just starting getting a funny looking, thick discharge. So this morning, I threw the cursed thing away.. NO MORE NUVARING. Im going back to the pill..