NuvaRing and severe headaches

I just removed Nuvaring in May after almost 2 years of being on it. The main reason was due to the lack of sex drive and when i did have sex, there would be a pretty bad burning sensation to me and my husband. However, now that i read through your comments, i am realizing that a lot more is attributed to my health now because of the Nuvaring.
Mainly, when i was on it, i had severe headaches, couldn't lose a pound to save my life and was very moody.
The big problems I have are now, almost 4 months being off Nuvaring. My doctor informed me that i may be going through premature menopause - i'm 38 years old - due to a malfunction with my ovaries. What!?!? My mom had her period until she was almost 50 and that is a good indicator of what you will have. I also have really bad joint pain, tingling in my fingers at times, hot flashes, sleeplessness and NO period since coming off it. I am hoping that this is just my body trying to battle the jolt of being on Nuvaring and i will return to normal. My advice - if you're on it, get off it and if you're considering it, don't do it. Even a well-known radio personality here in Chicago has said the Nuvaring did awful things to her body and she experienced a lot of bleeding. This product needs to come off the market NOW!

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 the first time I have actually looked up side effects to NuvaRing. I have been on it since March of 2006, so about 2.5 years. I never really noticed side effects, and I have been to the doctor more than once and told them about the same side effects that have been discussed here. They blamed it on lack of vitamins, lifestyle changes and other random facts of life. Maybe that is the cause of my problems, however, why would they all happen at once???

Until today, I was soooo happy with NuvaRing, and I still am. I am just more aware of why I feel the way I do....It is soo easy to use!! I would NEVER remember to take a pill everyday, I would not like the patch, and the shot wouldn't go with me very well either.

Seems as if every birth control has side effects...here are mine from NR

EXTREME fatigue..
I asked my doctor about this. It has been going on since January. I sleep for 13 hours a day and am still exhausted. I cannot get enough sleep. I am a 20 year old that used to lead a pretty active lifestyle, but it seems the last few months that I have slowed waaaaaaay down. It isn't like me. I usually stay busy

Weight gain
I can accurately say that I have not been as active as I was in the past...but in one year I have put on about 17 lbs, and no matter what I do, the scale keeps climbing....I joined a gym for about 4 months, and I didn't lose a single pound. Before, I was able to LOOK at a treadmill and get in shape, now I spend an hour a day on it, and it does nothing for me.

SEVERE Headaches...with sensitivity to light and sound
I have not had this bad of headaches. EVER. It usually starts in the back of my head and moves to only one side. My doctor told me to wean off the caffeine. I did and they are still there. I drink no caffeine daily and I still am getting these terrible headaches. I work at a casino, so sometimes it really interrupts my daily life, with the lights and sounds and everything.

I AM ALWAYS THIRSTY!!!!!

I have NO sex drive
My boyfriend and I used to have sex every single day when I just started the NR, but now I NEVER want to. I have to pretend that I want to have sex, just so his feelings are not hurt. Sometimes I even catch myself thinking "is it over yet??" That is SOOOO not like me. I was an animal the first few months I was on NR. Now I have no desire.

I feel as if I am just living the motions of life sometimes instead of participating in it. Like I am just here everyday, not always feeling what is going on around me. I am semi moody, but nothing out of the ordinary. Week 3 of the ring is ALWAYS emotional, but the week before my period has ALWAYS been like that. I find it very normal.

My periods are WONDERFUL. I used to have a full 7 day period from hell. Now they last only 3-4 days, and I can basically tell you when I am going to start to the hour. It is AMAZING.

All in all, I love NR still. I am not going to stop taking it yet. I am just glad I found this site so I know the reason behind all of these changes in me. I have never put two and two together....that NR was causing all of these things...but now I know it could be. Or maybe it isn't. Who knows, but as long as I keep an eye on symptoms, I think I will be okay...

If any of you have any questions I have been on NR for quite a while, so feel free to email me at ******

I am happy I read these comments. I started the nuvaring two years ago and things have happened to me and ive been thinking I over react about everything. The big thing is that I've gained 65 lbs!! I couldn't figure this weight gain out. I went to the doctor over and over and she only could recommend working out. Which I did and no weight loss, not to mention I have never been overweight. The other thing is, I would take the nuvaring out during my 3rd week and would have such huge clots I would have to go to the emergency room. They said it was not from the nuvaring. Also, I have no sex drive and my boyfriend of 3 years and my family say that something is wrong with me because I am always high strung. I have noticed myself withdrawling from people but it's because I am constantly tired. I get nausea real easy and severe headaches. Since reading these I told my boyfriend and he completely agreed with me it's got to be the nuvaring. So, Yesterday night I took it out... I just really hope I don't have worse side effects from coming off it. Thanks guys!!

My cholesterol went from 180 to 245. I also experienced severe headaches and have gained 40 lbs. I went off of the NuvaRing 7 weeks ago. I haven't had a headache in 6 weeks and I just had my blood work done and my cholesterol is now 209. I can't seem to get the weight off which could be because of me being hypothyroid. You can't imagine how great it is to not have a headache 3-4 days a week. This is just what happened with me. I have a couple of friends using NuvaRing and they have no issues what so ever.

I've been using Nuvaring for about 8 months and have gained at least 10 pounds. Also, my cholesterol went from 200 to 250 and LDL from 120 to 168. Has anyone else experience increase in cholesterol? I too have expererieced memory problems and have noticed that I wake up more often feeling as if my arm or hand "fell asleep".

I have only been using the NuvaRing for about 2 weeks and have noticed a ton of side effects that my doctor didn't seem to mention. My boobs hurt really bad, it's very painful to even put my bra on, I want to eat everything in sight, I have been on my period for 12 days and it doesn't look like it's going to let up any time soon (I'm 25 and have never went longer than 6 days), and I get raging mad or really sad over nothing, when normally I am very patient and unemotional. I also am very tired during the day and cannot sleep at night. I have had severe headaches, but didn't think anything of them until I read the comments on this site. I'm definitely going to take the NuvaRing out and try something else. I want to try an IUD, but the insertion kind of freaks me out.

I had been on BC since I was 19 yrs old (Early 1999). I started off on Depo shot. I liked it at first. I stayed on it until early 2001 when I started to get severe anxiety attacks right after I got the shot. Then my Dr put me on Alesse. I had problems with it within 2 months of being on it. I had severe headaches and by the end my period was lasting almost 2 weeks at a time.

Finally my OB put me on the NuvaRing in 2004. I really did not want to go on it because I just did not feel right having to wear it inside me. For the first 8 months, I had no problems. Then right at the end of 2004 I started to have breakthrough bleeding. I did not know that this was just the beginning. I started to have IBS. There were times I had diarrhea and then I was constipated. I thought nothing of it. Then in April 2005, my body went crazy. In one night I had 3 anxiety attacks within 45 minutes. For the next two weeks I had heart palpitations. I could not sleep. My doctor checked me out for everything. My heart was fine. All of the blood test came up negative. Then while all of this was going on I started my period a week early. My Ob told me to go ahead and take it out then put it back in a week later. I did what my Ob said and after having it in me within 5 days I started to have a hot flash. I took it out immediately.

My OB said not to use it anymore. It took 6 months for almost all of my symptoms to go away. They were so severe that I actually lost my job. My ob told that bc are now out of the question for me.

Before you decided to go on the ring..you have to wonder can too much of the medicine come out of the ring? They say it is timed release..but can too much be released....I recommend taking the pill before you use the ring.

I have had the worst case of severe tension headaches, I would classify them as migraines due to the sensitivity to light and feeling of such disorientation and nausea, followed by loss of appetite. So when I finally eat my stomach goes into shock and I have severe "stomach issues" to put it lightly.No matter what I do I cant shake this feeling of fatigued headaches and Nausea. I am tired of feeling like I am on this emotional rollercoaster. I always feel like I am drugged up and its an awful feeling. The ring is out and I will never go back to using it! I realize each person reacts differently to certain birth controls but I did my research prior to starting the NuvaRing and 8 out of 10 testimonials that I read said Severe headaches, nausea,stomach and bowel problems followed by depression. I would not recommend this to any of my girlfriends. Good luck I hope I can help some woman out there from my experience.

I'm so glad I found this website. This is the first month I've used the NuvaRing and I will not continue to use it. The first week I experienced heart palpitations and felt very anxious and moody. During the following weeks I've been extremely fatigued, nauseous, have completely lost my sex drive, and have been having severe headaches. I've also have experienced abdominal cramping and vaginal irritation.
The crazy thing is that I called my health care provider to discuss my concerns and she blew me off and told me that something with such low hormones shouldn't be causing all these side effects. It really pisses me off that gynecologists are prescribing the NuvaRing when there is all of this negative information out there.
Thanks everyone for posting your story....I'm relieved to know that I'm not going crazy.

I was on NuvaRing for 6 months then got off. I started back again in Jan. I was having brown discharge every time w/ a odor. I tried washing constantly, didn't work. I got tired of the smell and got off of the ring. Symptoms went away. Got back on in Jan. and been having problems since day one with the severe headaches, then something new breakthrough bleeding. First it was spotting, then got my period while I still had the NuvaRing inside. I removed it and still have my period.

I broke out like a teenager after having NuvaRing in for about two weeks. Not only did my face break out but also my shoulders and back. Did anyone else experience this? I have also had severe headaches, nausea and depression. I thought I was going crazy. I used NuvaRing for a little less than three weeks but took it out because of the side effects.

I have gone to so many doctors to help me figure out what's been going on with my body the past 6 months, and now it all makes sense. I've had INTENSE pain in my right side that I had looked at, and northing's been found, been back to my gynecologist for the burning after and during sex, I've have NO sex drive for months and has almost cost me my relationship, I've been bloated every night, been depressed, lazy, school work and drive has deteriorated, my mind is so foggy, I've gained 10 LBS, had severe headaches, especially behind my right eye, been to an orthopedics for HORRIBLE back pain that I thought was hip pain- it paralyzes me twice a week to a point where I can't move for 10 minutes at a time, I've been irritable and just not myself ... I mean the list goes on and on--- and this all began, I recognize now, when I started using the ring. Every hell I have gone through since August, is due to this tiny convenience.
Thank you everyone for your comments- tomorrow I am making an appointment to have my liver checked out (cross my fingers)- I'm mad- I'm so upset. They should not have "safe" things like this on the market. I'm suing if I find something. I feel like I've been a test subject. I'm 21- I want my life back!

I was on nuvaring for 18 months and in that time and in that time i gained 40 pounds while watching what I was eating, my gyn said it was just how my body was processing the ring I also experiences severe headaches. Since being off the ring for two months my weight has plateaued and my headaches are subsiding.

I used the nuvaring for over a year. We had two children and wanted to wait for a while. I loved it, but did gain 25lbs while using it. Which is alot because I only weighed 115 when I got it. I look four months pregnant. Sa. So we decided to have our third and final child...then get my hubby fixed, so I tool the ring out. I tool it out in the middle of my cycle bcause the nuva site said it was ok. That was 6 days agoa nd I am bleeding so heavily still I cannot leave the house. am having bad back pain, and my boobs hurt so I can't stand it. I have broke out and my hair feels and looks nasty greasy no matter how much I wash it. I can't stay awake to care for my toddlers. I suffered from depression, severe headaches, and lost my sex drive completely while using the ring. I thought the side effects would go away when I discontinued use, but they have just multiplied! I hope these after effects stop soon. I am miserable and will never use the ring again. I hope my fertility is not effected...:(

I started the NuvaRing 2 days ago and since reading this site I have just run to the bathroom and swiped the thing out as fast as I could.
I did not really want to go to another form of hormonal birth control as I have had some severe side effects in the past on the Pill (Loette 28), which I took for seven years. I had no idea that all the symptoms I was having had anything to do with the Pill until I decided to stop taking it about 8 months ago. Since then, I have been a new person, according to my boyfriend. I no longer feel depressed, sad, anxious, or have severe nausea and vomiting. It's sad to think that for seven years I was doing so much damage to my body and my mind because of this.
The one other thing I noticed being off the Pill was an increase in yeast and vaginal infections. I have also been having abnormal PAP smears and have since discovered that I have mild dysplaysia.
So I went to the doctor and he told me that if I go back on the Pill or the NuvaRing, he thinks it might help the yeast infections. I was really skeptical and have been putting it off for months, but finally, I inserted it 2 days ago. The very first day I was having symptoms: Severe headaches (I NEVER get headaches!), nausea, depression, and the worst heart palpitations and dizziness I have ever felt!! I felt weird, like something was taking control of my body. Anyway, after trying to eat something last night and feeling queasy throughout the meal and then vomiting for the first time in 8 months, I am convinced that this is not me!!! It is the NUVARING!!!
Two days was enough for me- I am not going to wait it out this time. I want to be hormone free! If you really think about it, how can putting your body in a constant state of pregnancy be healthy?? We are not made for that. It is completely unnatural!!! We are inevitably playing with fire here.
My advice to any women out there? Seriously watch for ALL symptoms you are having with the Ring or any Pill and if there are any that are similar to this site, then please try and go off it and see what you feel. You may feel like a different person, like I did!!
Good Luck

I've been using the nuva ring for about 5 months now. At first my doctor told me that my body had to adjust, but I am experiencing more and more side effects with each cycle. I am experiencing:

severe headaches
brown dischard (the whole month)
depression (I don't care about anything or anyone)
moodiness (I am insanely angry. I think I could honestly hurt someone)
Urinary (kidney stones and frequent Infections)
No Sex Drive (I don't want sex, don't even want to think about it, its yucky!
Aches and Pains (back, neck, legs and chest)

I didn't realize all these symptoms were associated with the nuva ring. I was about to see a mental health professional, as I am scared I could hurt myself, husband, children, or someone. I have never been so angry in my life. I feel INSANE.

I have been taking NR for 6 months now. It was great at first. I didn't realize some of the symptoms I was having were even related to the ring:
severe headaches
nausea
swelling of hands and face to the point of severe pain
breakthrough bleeding
severe mood swings

I took the ring out last night and don't expect to feel better for awhile. I seriously thought I had something wrong with me I didn't put it all together until I didn't have a period this time and then last month I had a really bad one a week before I was supposed to. My family thinks i am insane. I have really depressing thoughts. Before I took it out yesterday I was crying one minute then in a rage the next. My husband said to take it out right now because he couldn't take dealing with me anymore. I woke up this morning bloated and tired but a little better.

I am so glad that I looked up this site. I am not crazy or dying of some uncurable disease. It was just my hormones and whatever else is in that stupid ring.

They told me I had to refrigerate the ring because it releases the hormones by the heat in your body, well what if it doesn't work right. How do they know that it releases the same amount daily like it is supposed to?. I truly feel poisoned and imbalanced.

I have been on the Nuvaring for about 3 years, i just recenlty got off the ring because i felt like i needed to give my body a break for a while. I am seeing a doctore because i have had severe headaches, i exercise 3-5 days a week, and had to actually stop beause the headaches were so severe. I am always exhausted, i wake up in the morning after sleeping 9-12 hours feeling like i don't want to get out of bed. I realized after getting off of it for about two weeks that the nuvaring may be causing my sypmtoms. But i also feel crazt off of it, i have been extremely emotional and feel like my boyfriend of 6 years does not care and he does! It is taking a toal on our relationship i am only 24 years old and should not have all of these sypmtoms. I also have experienced dryness, itchiness, discharge on the ring. Also no sex drive whatsoever I really love this method of BC it was so easy, i always forgot to take the pill, and i tried the patch but felt it made me crazy. I have no idea what to do now that i am off of bc because i do not want to get pregnant but I feel like my hormones were controlled while i was on it and i don't want to feel crazy. Any advice?

So what does work? I've had depression, yeast infections, no sex drive, and I need to get this thing out. Has anyone with these same problems with the NuvaRing had luck with another form of birth control?

I've been on nuvaring for over a year. At first, after having kids, me and my husband decide to wait until we have more. My GYNO recommended NUVARING, I've never used any other birth controlls before, because of the side effects.
The thought of controlling ur own period and its 99.9% safe. We get started.
The first week of having it in, I felt like I was in another person's body. It felt so strange and unusual.
I called her to request something else, she said these side effects will go away after 3 months.
DID I MENTION ITS BEEN OVER A YEAR???? Still waiting for the side effects to go away.
BUT now that I'm reading these effects, I know I;m not crazy after all.
I'm always feeling DEPRESSED, suicidal thoughts.
Trouble sleeping, and when I gets up in the morning, I feel like I'm pregnant with MORNING SICKNESS.
UPPER RESP. INFECTION. (thick mucus off my chest in the mornings, alot of runny nose, flu like symptoms). My doctor prescribe antibiotics.
CRYING for no apparant reason.
SEVERE HEADACHES.
BREAST TENDERNESS.
SENSITIVE TO LIGHTS. My husband do all the driving at nights, just to be on the safe side.
MOOD SWINGS that I just cant control, and blaming my husband for everything. Which cause arguments and searartions.
Discomfort during and burning sensation after sex.
Me and my husband were very sexual, atleast 12 times a week, NOW he'll be very lucky if he gets it twice. This NR definately decrease your sexdrive by 100%.
I have severe cramping and burning sensation/indesgestion in my stomach. My doctor says I have ACID REFLUX, AND prescribe PREVACID.
And the main thing, is the yeast infestion. I'm 25yr and I've never had a burning itch or skin irritations in my groins until I went on NR.
I'm still having vaginal discharge and after removing the ring after having it in for 3weeks, on my fourth week, I have a brownish discharge before my period.

I love the ring, but the side effects are CRAZY and they don't just go away after 3 months, as what people would say. I have an appointment with my GYN to get off NR. I'm just gonna stick to non harmonal contraceptives. Hope it works for you.
The good thing is, it increases my bust size..:-).
Good Luck

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

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

so far i'm loving it. this is week 5 (my dr told me to change every 3 weeks to prevent endimitriosis so i'm not getting a period). Last week, however, i started getting the most AMAZING leg cramps. I'm just wondering if this is a side effect of the nuva ring or just really bad dehydration (i was in the carribbean working for the past 2 weeks). Any information you have on leg cramps related to nuva ring usage would be greatly appreciated.

I have been on the NuvaRing for a little over a year now. Up until a few months ago it has been fine. I have gained a little weight but I don't know if I can blame that on the ring since my activity level has changed. But now I am having SEVERE headaches with sensitivity to light. They started out coming once a week or so but now they are almost everyday. The doctor has given me a CT Scan to rule out anything else but she thinks its my ring.

i've been using nuvaring for 8 months...it's taken me this long to realize that it's the ring that's making me feel CRAZY...wow!! Most symptoms I have are already mentioned here....but, i think it's all horomonal birth control! I will mention my top two positive and negative side effects:
POSITIVE: No weight gain, bigger boobies. NEGATIVE: Extreme moodiness to the point i feel evil and that's sooo not me, chronic severe headaches.....and the list could go on.

I will stop taking this in a couple weeks...I wish everyone here the best!!

I am 31 years old - I was on the pill (4 different ones) for 14 years. I decided to stop last year and start using a diaphragm. It was great - even lost 5 pounds! My doctor asked if I had ever considered using NUVA Ring b/c fertility can return quickly when stopped - I gave it a shot. First mistake was to go back on horomones....but, the side effects of NUVA Ring were horrible. After 4 months, I removed it. I had severe headaches, nausea, weight gain of 5 pounds (and I work out 6 times a week), dizziness, extreme lower back pain, acne, facial puffiness and terrible moodiness. How about the total lack of sex drive too? It was so bad that I removed it mid-cycle. It's back to the diaphragm for me - it's a little messy but well worth it - especially to go horomone free!

I have been on the Nuva ring for 8 months, I cannot take it any longer. The effects for me have been horrible. Here's the list:
Extreme mood swings
Anger for no reason or petty reasons
Any excuse to vent the anger, fights with loved ones.
Severe Depression, I have actually had sucidal thoughts.
Severe headaches and Migraines
Extremely hightened emothions
Crying all the time and for little or no reason.
Weight gain, and that's just a few!!!
As an insight of who I was before I started using the Ring. I was happy and fun, my moods never lashed back and forth with such force. I have never been depressed and for me to think of suicide is absolutely absurd, I have always been against, I think that is the most selfish thing anyone could ever do. As far as emotions go...I have always been an insecure person, as much as most women. But, like this..no way. Every emotion known to human kind was just magnified to the 1000th power. It's insane what these hormones can do to a womans body!!! They can make us think we're crazy. We should all be warned. I have stopped the Nuva Ring and am now using a diaphram and spermicide. It has only been a short while and I feel so much better, I smile now. To anyone who is using the ring and feels the way I felt, in my opinion...take it out NOW. Don't wait it only gets worse.