NuvaRing and sex drive

i've had the nuvaring for 6 months now and not once have i had all those negative side effects. i've gained 3 pounds, not too bad. it hurt my boyfriend the first two times, he got use to it. it made my boobs noticeably bigger, no one looses with that.
i honestly feel like everyone is just saying all this because someone else has. the nuvaring is amazing, no itchy dry vagina like some of the other people claim to have. and my sex drive has defffffffffffff not gone down. but ive noticed my arms get itchy, although i doubt they are related in anyway . so i would refer this to anyone. but i would rather have the rod that goes in your arm for three years..

I started NuvaRing 3 weeks ago yesterday after having the Mirena IUD removed (kept in all 5 years). I removed it yesterday as planned. 1 week ago, I felt a terrible pain in my right side under my ribs. I started having very slight trouble breathing, pain when laughing or coughing, etc. I applied heat and the pain subsided over the weekend and I could breathe easily. On Monday, I decided it best to go to the doctor since I had trouble breathing, I didn't want to assume it was nothing. I went to a doc in the box (bad idea) and I was told that I had a swollen rib cage (the cartilage). I'm certain I was misdiagnosed because the dude didn't even do xrays, even after I explained that I had just started NuvaRing. I wanted them to be aware of everything. The doctor dismissed it.

On Tuesday night, I was in so much pain and my difficulty breathing was worsening that I cried myself to sleep. Wednesday I went to work and was in so much pain that I was in tears and headed to URGENT Care, as my primary care physician could not fit me in. They xrayed, ran a urinalysis, a CBC to check my white blood cells and found nothing except for a bit of what appeared to be constipation, though I have regular bowel movements. My white blood count was slightly elevated, but distributed normally. I was prescribed a laxative and Lortab for the pain, which was excruciating. The doctor told me to come back the next day (today) to retest my white blood count. It went down a tad, as I had taken the Nuvaring out yesterday evening. The doctor seemed puzzled, but gave me my CBC results and urinalysis just in case I developed a fever or an infection of some sort, but told me that she thinks I am having side effects from the NuvaRing. She asked me to not put it back in.

On a side note, I had called my OBGYN on Wednesday before I headed to Urgent Care and explained the situation and they advised me to remove the NuvaRing as well.

I'll have to bite the bullet and pop the daily bc, such as Ortho Lo.

PS: One more thing I forgot to mention. My sex drive was zilch.

I started taking NuvaRing after my son was born, 15 months ago. I loved the relief of not having to take a pill at the same time every day, I had a hard time remembering. I had no problem with the NuvaRing, I loved it! I don't have medical insurance, so i switched to a cheaper option. I had been rapidly losing my sex drive when I was on the NuvaRing, but i had just assumed that it was due to the lack of sleep from having a toddler. Within one week of taking the NuvaRing out, I had regained all of my sex drive. It has been AMAZING. I truly loved the NuvaRing, but this is a side effect that was just not worth the convenience of the NuvaRing.

I am a healthy 38 year old woman. I started using the Nuvaring about 2 years ago. Ever since I have had a drastic decrease in my libido...and by drastic I mean virtually no desire to have sex at all. I've also had frequent headaches that last for days at times, leg cramps, depression, and I've gained almost 15 lbs that will not budge no matter what I do. I work out five or six days a week with absolutely no decrease in weight or increase in muscle tone. I am so glad I found this site!! I've been thinking that something is wrong with me and I've been really down on myself. The lack of sex drive has been very difficult for my fiance'. He can't help but take it personally that I NEVER want to have sex. This has been a tremendous eye opener for me. I'm going home tonight to take this thing out and I'm never going back on hormonal birth control again! Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to share their experiences!

omg i am soooo glad that i came across this website.
i was beginning to think that i was the only one with this problem.
i have NEVER EVER had problems with vaginal dryness..... but after about 6 months of using NR that all went to hell!!
i have lost of my AMAZING sex drive :( and that has made me feel really down... i love having sex, but with a dry vagina it is very painful to have. after i finish typing this i am going to take out my nuvaring. but i have one question for those of you who have gone to the doctor? will my vaginal lubrication ever come back??

I have been using nuvaring for three years and all I have is yeast infections no sex drive and bad headaches at times. I have been thinking that I am losing my mind, very angry. Depressed isn't the word. I thought maybe I needed a psych evaluation. But now after reading all these comments I will be done .

I have been on the nuvaring for a little over 3 years now and have never thought to search for possible side effects until now.
I am constantly tired, I never want to do anything, My body aches. I have NO sex drive. I'm always dealing with depression. I randomly cry for no reason. I've ruptured a cyst on my ovaries which landed me in the ER...
Finding this site is making me really rethink my bc choice. I love the convenience of the Nuvaring, but I miss having energy :(
Any suggestions on what i should switch to?

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?

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

I am feeling such relief right now- I'm not alone. After having EKGs and Cardio-pulmonary stress tests, CAT scans of my lungs and chest, an abdominal ultra sound, and stress echocardiograms (all of these were normal or negative, mind you), not to mention months of anxiety, I finally started talking with a cardiologist to see if I had done/started anything around the time my symptoms started. I realized I had switched from an oral (orthotricyclen) to nuvaring birth control about two months before I started my symptoms of no sex drive, difficulty breathing, exhaustion, and severe anxiety. To elaborate- I was a national champion soccer player, I've always been in great shape, and I couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without being exhausted. I couldn't hold a five minute conversation without chest tightness and difficulty breathing. Everyone kept saying I was stressed (new job, new house), but I know I wasn't doing anything that unusually stressful. I love my job, and my house, and while I realize they may cause some stress, I shouldn't CONSTANTLY feel like this.

The most pressing issue, of course, was the breathing stuff. The doctor suggested, even though he wasn't familiar with the nuvaring side effects, that I take it out to see if there was any change. After reading what all of you have written, and after being off it for two weeks, and beginning to feel a change, I'm pretty damn sure it was Nuvaring. I already remember that my husband is sexy, and I'm able to go on dog walks without getting winded. I also am happier, and feel more awake, than I have in a year.

THANK YOU ALL for posting. I'm going to warn my girlfriends of this stuff- I wish my doctor (who is no longer my doctor) had said more than "there really aren't any side effects except some discharge- nothing different than the usual pill side effects".

I had just gotten married and never been on any type of birth control. i decided that since i was a forgetful person the best option was the nuvaring and my husband agreed. my gyno gave me the script and i swear not 8 hours after i put the thing in i was more sensitive. i stayed on the nuvaring for 8 months. i had serious depression, i slept the majority of the day, i'd even sleep at work. i had no sex drive, which doesn't make since, b/c i was a newly wed. i would be angry with my husband if he didn't say i love you in the right way. i had never had any problems in the vag department, and then all of a sudden i had cramps that you couldn't imagine, yeast and bacterial infections and itching that could not go away. i thought my body was just transitioning or something. i had to eat like 24/7... i was always snacking and i have hyperthyroidism so its hard to gain weight but i gained like 15 pounds one week then dropped 20 the next. i hated my life and my family. when my husband would ask me what was wrong i just couldn't tell him b/c i barely knew who i was.

ive been on sronyx for about 3 weeks, and besides forgetting to take it here and there, i am back to my old self, i can have fun and i don't cry if someone tells me i look nice. lol i would definitely caution anyone who is even thinking about the nuvaring, to really do your research!

Oh my goodness, I have been having these very symptoms and I never related it to the NuvaRing, at least not until my fiance mentioned my birth control and I started researching it. I gave birth 5 months ago and have been on the ring since May 2009 and it was wonderful at first. No worries, just pop it in and I'm good. But this past month has been hell. I have had countless migraines so bad that I was unable to walk because every step made it worse. Yesterday I was so depressed that I was washing dishes and started to cry uncontrollably. I didn't want to be bothered with at all. Today I am so tired and weak and feel as if I am going to pass out. My body aches and I feel as if I've worked out but haven't. All of this PLUS the weight gain. I'm 5 foot 9 and weighed 130 lbs and I have gained so much weight that I feel horrible and I have absolutely no motivation to workout. I also have NO sex drive what so ever. My life sucks and I can't wait to get it back under control.

I though that it was just me but apparently it's not. I just called my gyn and can't wait to tell her what's wrong with me.

Well, I am so glad I found this website. I am 39 yrs old and my husband is fixed....so I have no reason or desire to take any form of hormonal birth control. I never liked the idea of inserting a ring or taking hormones after the many female issues I have endure. I only agreed to this because I have painful ovarian cysts chronically, at least 6/year and 3 or 4/year that take me into my OB/GYN for a scan. I have previously had a tubal pregnancy (tube was saved because my OB/GYNs also specialize in fertility) and have had endometriosis. I have had 3 laperoscopic surgeries and 3 miscarriages. First for the tubal, second for follow-up endometriosis and third to remove a GOLF ball sized ovarian cyst to prevent ovarian torsion. Finally, I agreed for the 4th time to take birth control (previous attempts were thwarted by side affect from oral products. I used the nuvaring for 3 weeks and removed it today. Five days into the use I started cramping and bleeding AGAIN (10th day of my cycle). I have been bleeding, heavily for 11 days now, suffered dizziness intermittantly, have had a headache for the last 6 days and been more anxious, moody and tearful. I removed the ring today! I see my gyno on Tuesday. My cycle was predictable before, albeit painful and with ovarian cyst. Just want to say to all who took the time to share. Now I know it isn't in my head.

Thanks ya'll,
~ Texas Pharmacist

i also have been having pains in my back, i just cant wait for the day to end, some days i feel like i worked out all day. The things that i used to i don't do anymore like dancing,exercising and being more energetic. I haven't had trouble with the sex drive actually i want sex more and i don't have drywall either. I really have a sexual drive the week i take out the ring. this past two months have been the worst the for me, i taking to my doctor soon but every time i tell my doctor and i get checked for the problem the results are always the same that nothing is wrong. so what can i do

I'm 25 yrs old. I started NuvaRing about 2 months ago. I've been on Lo Ovral for about 9 years and never had any issues other than having a hard time remembering to take my pill everyday. So I thought NuvaRing might be a better option for me. It's not!
ACNE: About a month into the ring I noticed my face began to break out. I've had occasional pimples here and there and some bacne. Well, my back is so bad I haven't worn a tank top all summer. And my face looks like I’m going through puberty.
DEPRESSION: I've been really bummed out about life lately. I have a business degree and a great job but lately I feel like I should just quit my job and live a life full of hopelessness and despair. I told my friend I feel like a troll that should hide in a dark corner. I’m normally the office cheerleader but lately I keep my door closed and my conversations short. I haven’t answered my cell phone in a month! You can’t even imagine how many unchecked voicemails I have. It’s really sad.
WEIGHT GAIN: I normally live in the gym. I run, swim, lift weights, do yoga and play sports. Now, instead of going to gym I go home upset that I'm a loser with no motivation to do anything- I eat fritos and any other carbs I can get my hands on for that matter. Then I take a nap (because eating can really wear a girl out). Wake up, eat dinner and go back to bed.
NO SEX DRIVE: The thought of having sex makes me cringe. They said you shouldn't feel it when you have sex but I sure do! And things get real crowded up in there when we're doing it. It's not pleasant and I feel like a contortionist trying to find some comfortable position. My husband gets frustrated with me and then I just get upset and then it ruins the entire mood.
Basically it took me 2 months to tie all of this to the NuvaRing. I just thought I was going through some sort of quarter-life crisis where everything was falling apart. So, I start my pills today and hopefully my life will be back in order again.

I've been on the ring for about 3 days. I've had headaches, heavy nausea, light cramps, and no sex drive, today i came home from school and slept for 5 hours and still feel tired. I'd gotten plenty of sleep. When i had sex the ring kept slipping out and I had to leave it out till we were finished. I felt a little better after the ring had been out for about 45 min. I thought that i just needed time to adapt to the ring but after reading this site i'm happy to see that it might be the ring and not me. Thank You!!!!!

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

I am so relieved to has found this page. I had no idea how many people on the NuvaRing were having the problems I've been having. I started using the NuvaRing a few years ago soon after starting to have sex. I wasn't very good at remembering my pill everyday, so I thought it would be a good option. I was so happy in the beginning because I could depend on it.

However, the first major thing that happened a few months later was IBS symptoms, which has put a big damper on my life since. I never know what food item will cause me to cramp and bloat next. It changes every day. I have always doubted this symptom attributed to Nuva until now. I thought my metabolism was changing because I was entering the workforce and exposing myself to new levels of stress.

Next, I never expected that it would diminish my sex drive. I have to convince myself that I'm in the mood, feeling responsible for maintaining a healthy sex life with my husband. That sounds so horrible, and it is. I'm almost never in the mood, not even to masturbate, and I have to keep a calendar to keep track of the last time I pleased my husband. I have not had a real orgasm since before starting the nuva.

It doesn't help to not only be not in the mood, but also when I do have sex, it's uncomfortable, burning, and very painful urinating afterwards. On many occasions, the ring gets pulled out a little during sex, causing a moment of uncomfortable prodding plastic for both of us, and I need to stop long enough to take it out and put it somewhere so I remember to put it back in again. Sex is more comfortable without it after that, but the irritation is still there. It takes a few days to heal before having sex again.

The last straw is more recent. I began to get discharge - a lot - starting the second week in the cycle. It wasn't a yeast infection, as I had a physical and pap at this time and the doctor would have picked it up. There was some itching, but mostly, I've had to wear panty liners 3 out of 4 weeks, including my menstrual cycle. This makes me feel less appealing, and much less interested in having spontaneous sex because I have to clean up first.

It just sucks that this has effected me for almost my whole relationship with my husband. Our dates, our honeymoon, our first anniversary vacation last month. All this time, and I find that the only prescription drug I'm on is what has caused me so much stress, sexual tension, and digestive ailment. One can only imagine what all these other happy commercialized medicines have in store for us, and in multiple amounts!

I have been on NuvaRing for many years and have been in an on-again off-again relationship for 6 years. I have been experiencing head aches, heavy depression, NO sex drive, no motivation to do anything. Like many others, I have stressful things happening in my life that I was blaming for the depression, etc. I cry---easily. I have panic attacks. I overreact to small things. Recently is has been worse than ever. I decided to skip my period by using NR back-to-back, I think that has put me over the top. Um going to remove my ring and keep it out to evaluate for improvement. I am nervous though since reading others posts regarding bad cramps post NR.

Same here girls, I can tolerate the unusual rash on my vagina because I thought it had something to do with my boyfriend being too rough on me, but no, it is the NUVARING. But what I can't live with is my decreased libido, I HAVE NO SEX DRIVE, and I have always been the exact opposite. This has been a nightmare, and the dryness, what's up with that!!!! I would not advise a girl to use it, not at all.

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

I 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!

I am 18 years old and ive been on the nuvaring for about 2 months.. Ive been depressed, angry for no reason, snappy at my boyfriend and on top of that- my once amazing sex drive has dropped off the face of the planet. Ive been on edge and anxious, ive had constant headaches all day, plus calf/foot cramping. Ive woken up in the middle of the night almost every night since i put the ring in.

I just took it out this morning after researching and looking on multiple websites, and im so so SO happy i found this website.. Already im noticing a difference in myself this afternoon and its awesome.

I find it sickening that when i brought this up to my gyno she had no idea about the symptoms i had been having and i type in "nuvaring" in google and it brings up thousands of pages of symptoms, side effects and even deaths.. Its scary.

Ladies, do your research, no more nuvaring for me.

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, bloating, 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?

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?

this is B again.18 yrs old. Also my sex drive has raised.I also suffer from Anxiety. I have been have cramps when im not on my period or near cause the NuvaRing im on stops my periods.I also thought I was pregnant but the all turn out neg.

I was on the pill for years and eventually decided to have a break from pumping hormones into my body... After about a year my boyfriend and I were getting sick of condoms so I decided to ask my gp about other possible options as i didn't want to go back on the pill due to the weight gain I had experienced previously. I started on Nuvaring about 6 months ago and originally loved it. No weight gain (except for my boobs which wasn't something i was going to complain about!) and no crazy mood swings etc. But about a month ago I realized that my sex drive was COMPLETELY GONE! I had always had a really high libido and was constantly pestering my man about how we needed to have more sex! Now I have no desire for sex whatsoever. I just cant be bothered at all. and when we do have sex im so dry, even when I feel turned on I have no lubrication down there at all. Also over the past 3 months i have developed really really dry itchy skin on my face that is only getting worse and nothing i do seems to help, so Im wondering if this could have something to do with the nuvaring...?
Im taking it out tonight because i cant stand my total lack of interest for sex and am also hoping it has been causing the problem with my skin... fingers crossed!

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 have been on the NuvaRing for a year now and this was the first month I skipped by my own fault in forgetfulness. I went on the ring to regulate my hormones and thought it was useful to have a birth control method that overcame my pill-taking forgetfulness. It has worked really well not only in the hormonal department, but with period regulation and cramps. So many have had adverse reactions with their sex drive and emotions, but I was a lucky consumer. BUT THEN I forgot to insert the ring this past month; I was traveling and one day led to the next and you know how it goes. I brushed it off as a "medication free" month and proceeded with making my plans to move from the West Coast to the East Coast.

Last week was the week before my period and I began to experience HEAVY anxiety. Though I was happy and life was great (even with the large change in my life) my body was reacting in distress. At first I dismissed it as anxiety from moving, but then when I got my period it dawned on me. Usually I would experience heavy cramps before my period but the anxiety replaced it. I didn't even know my period was coming. My regular body clues were off base and this anxiety lead to a heavy chest feeling, short breaths, dizziness, headaches, breast soreness and general feelings of depression. As a woman I can be perfectly honest and say this is entirely hormonal because

Today I went online to research and was more than happy to see that I am not alone in the symptoms this birth control has caused me. Oh my goodness, I am almost excited to get back on it after my period to see if it dramatically changes on the flip side. I cannot continue feelings like this.

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 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 used the NuvaRing for 2 months, and had a bad experience the whole time. Within the first couple of weeks, my sex drive was gone. I didn't even want my husband to kiss me. I was extremely hormonal, as well as nauseous. I had cramps and spotting for three weeks the second month I used it. It was awful! As soon as I got rid of the thing, my sex drive was back and I feel so much better now!

I have been on NuvaRing for 3 years now. I was using Depo Provera shots for 2 years prior, but struggled with consistent weight gain, mood swings, and no sex drive. Since I have been on NuvaRing, I have had none of those side effects. I have been very pleased with this product, except for the 2-3 times a year that I get a yeast infection as a side effect. I do also get a headache the first day I take it out. I love not having to remember a pill. I never feel the ring at all. I am a happy customer!

I'm seeing my OBGYN in a few days and will give him a laundry list of problems I've had with this bc. What a nightmare, and just now am I coming out of it. The worst anxiety and paranoia I've ever had, no sex drive, horrible neck aches and migraines, bladder control issues and depression are just some of the side effects. I hate taking anything at all, but was told this was an easy, and mild birth control. I'm never taking BC again after this experience. How this thing is still on the market, I dont know.

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'm 21 and I have never been on any kind of birth control method. I decided to get on the Nuvaring because I had a pregnancy scare. My boyfriend and I have only ever used condoms, but one broke and that was enough for me. I've been on the Nuvaring for about 2 weeks. I normally get my period every 35 days and the only cramping I ever experience is the first and second day of my period. After the first week I noticed I had some light cramping and thought nothing of it, but as time went on the cramping only seemed to be getting worse. I told my doctor about it and she advised me that it was probably my body trying to get used to the ring. Never having used birth control before, I tried not to worry. Then, I noticed some other changes that concerned me since it wasn't like me to feel that way. Aside from the cramping, I had been feeling very depressed about my life and where I was headed for some reason, and my sex drive was depreciating. My boyfriend noticed of course and I had no idea why I was feeling that way. It wasn't until I came across this website that everything started to make sense. I thought I was the only one experiencing these changes. I'm definitely going to change birth control methods. I just don't know what is the best out there. Can anyone help me?

I am so glad that I found this website!...I have been using NuvaRing for about months now...The 1st change I noticed was that my sex-drive had gone out the window....the 2nd change I seemed to be having a lot of mood swing, I would just start crying out of the blue....and until i came across this website, I thought it was just me...so I am going 2 stop using it and talk to my doctor about a different BC...

This is a sad yet enlightening day for me. I can't believe the things Nuvaring has caused for me. I am so glad that I questioned it earlier and found this site as a result. I originally tried NR in February 06 and continued for about six months. I don't really remember side effects from that time. We had a newborn and I was finishing my last semester in college, so I wasn't exactly sleeping a lot. I will say that my libido fell off the face of the earth. It has taken a while to get it back even a little bit. Ever since then I have asked my doctor what could be done and she just would tell me it's normal to lose my sex drive after having a baby. So in May my doctor put me back on NR to help shrink an ovarian cyst that she is worried about. She had me stay on the NR for 6 weeks straight through. I just took it out last Saturday and I will be done with it forever.

Here is what I experienced during my six weeks:
- Libido- zip. zilch. non. nuf said.
- 2 migraine headaches
- Severe neck pain to where I was about a day away from calling a chiropractor
- Couldn't wear my contacts for the past month- my eyes got really dry and itchy
- EXTREME burning during and especially after sex- and if I had to pee, my husband would have to give me a wet towel to ease the burning pain.
- Lack of appetite
- Really bad mood swings/ depression- I am a really optimistic happy person and for the last month I feel so negative and down about everything. I want to cry a lot and the anger has been awful. My boss and I got into multiple arguments and I wanted to walk out of my job. My son has been on my last nerve for no reason, and don't get me started on my poor husband.
- Waking up multiple times in the night and having trouble falling back to sleep.

Once I removed the ring, I have felt lighter and happier. I even sent my husband a racy text message because I was thinking about sex! And my neck pain has disappeared. Unfortunately, for the last week I have woken every night at 3am and stayed up til around 4:30am. My cramps have been awful. Usually they were really bad the first two days of my period. This time, they have lasted for 4 days so far and don't seem to be stopping. I have gotten extremely constipated and this is something that doesn't happen- I usually go the other way. So my stomach has been a wreck of gas pains and cramping. I have been exhausted.

I just wanted to share my experiences. My husband and I were talking the other night trying to figure out what was going on with me, so I feel a bit more reassured that I am not a psycho after reading so many others' problems. I took my computer in to him and read some symptoms to him and he was as shocked as I that this may all be from the NR.

wow...i must say i feel sooooo muh better now reading this website..this whole time i have been thinking i had fibroids or even ovarion cancer because what i have been going through...this is my 3rd month with nuvaring..i went bc free a month between those though only because my bf was out of state and the bc is expensive..anyway the first month was great i loved it and so was the second but my gosh..this month my period was normal at first..i had the usual 3 days then im done..then all of a sudden my period came back and it came back strong and for a long time i was on my "2nd" period for a total of 3 weeks and 3 days..and finally the bleeding has stopped but im still having the HORRIBLE cramps i have to have 800mg of ibprofn just to make them go away and even still ill still have a horrible headache..(usually in the back of my head) .my cramps are so bad they extend down into my legs..i finally took my ring out yesterday night to start my ring free week and i doubt that i will be paying for a new one...i have also been very moody and bitchy lol...sometimes crying for absolutely no reason...and as for sex drive...now that you talk about it..i haven't wanted to have sex...im just sooooo happy im done with this..and that i wasn't going insane lol..feeling so much better..well mentally lol...

WOW...i have been on the nuvaring since January 2008 and i must say...i had the heavy bleeding and cramps until like..last month
since last month i had a period that only lasted 3 days...which is crazy wince there usually about 5-7 days. it was short and light....and my sex drive is also decreased...like..a lot lol, it frustrated my bf sometimes...but he understands...

i just hope using the nuvaring and the pull out method are good enough! (condoms are painful for him, and not very sensual for me)

I have been on ortho tricyclin lo, and then tried Yaz, and now i have been on nuvaring for three months. The only weird thing that I have noticed is that there are times when I feel my mood completely change. My boyfriend even notices, asks me about it, and then I have sudden urges to cry. I am a nurse, and even cried on my way into work today. Not sure if this is because of the nuvaring. As for those that have no sex drive, I have one, and on the other pills was so dry. But with this, I actually noticed that it helped with the dryness. Anyone cry all the time like i do?

My doctor put me on Nuvaring about four months ago to prevent my rupturing ovarian cysts and to prevent pregnancy. I love the convenience of the ring, although I have experienced several side effects I contribute to being on the ring. First of all, my sex drive is now non existent, which is a large change for me. Also, my periods have become worse since starting, I have very heavy bleeding, primarily dark brown clotted blood and severe cramps which travel to my back and down my legs. I have also had three yeast infections in four months, which before the ring, I had one my entire life. The worst of the symptoms, which if anyone else is having this, PLEASE share with me, is I am leaking a small amount of urine. It doesn;t matter if I have to go to the bathroom or not, I just leak a few drops an hour. This has started a few weeks ago and I am not sure how or why. I do have to say, since starting the ring, I have not had any ovarian cysts rupture, which the several birth control pills I have been on for the past 12 years have not been able to stop. I am open to suggestions!!

Hello... and I want to thank everyone for thier comments. I am 23 and have been on the nuvaring since my son was born two years ago. Since I have been on it I am tired, irritable, and had no sex drive. Every doctor I went to said that the s/s were from being a busy mom. Over time things have gotten worse I never think about sex EVER (my poor husband). I have been gaining weight in my stomach, butt, and thighs for no reason. For the past 2 months my vagina is completely dry and it was always the opposite. I barely have a period. I freak out on anyone for no given reason, even to hear someone speak. I sleep 24/7 and it is not enough. I am nauseated 24/7 to a point I feel like I am going to vomit. The only plus is I use to be a large A cup and in 2 months am a large C cup. And I am not pregnant.
Sooo...I asked my MD to check my hormones. To find out my Estrogen level is 40. With low estrogen this causes all of these s/s I have been having. Did the nuvaring cause this? Am I going to be able to have anymore children? I am taking this nuvaring out and I never want to see one again!

I was on the Nuvaring for about 2 1/2 months. In that time, I put on about 5 lbs around my midsection. I am very critical with weight gain so I went off of it. I also had some other issues such as a little dizziness and waking up with night sweats.
Since I've been off of it for two months, I feel like I am going crazy because of 3 things. I am SO hoping they are all related to going off of this ring! First, I have severe edema (water retention). I am 39 yrs old and normally 136, so I don't have a big weight issue, but each morning I wake up and my fingers feel like sausages. Well, this Sunday I noticed my ankles and feet were very swollen, so called my doctor. He prescribed me triamterene.
Within one night I had lost 5 pounds. The next night, 3 pounds. I was finally back in the mid one thirtys. Well, I go off of it for two days, and the water comes right back on. Along with HBP which I've NEVER had.
Then, as I was doing my 3 mile walk the other night, my chest felt like something was squeezing and crushing it. I was very scared and had to take many breaks for it to calm down.
I am so scared that there is something terribly wrong with me! I am giving it one more week to see if my body regulates itself. I am like an elderly person eating all low sodium, etc. My whole life is being turned upside down and I am afraid I am about to have a heart attack or have diabetes or both. This is insane.

I am SO glad i found this website. I am 18 and have been on the nuvaring since i was 16. I have been off of it for almost 3 weeks and I feel amazing. I got the nuvaring because it was easy and I was bad at remembering pills. Since I have been on the nuvaring i feel like a totally different person than I used to be and im not exaggerating.I have absolutely NO sex drive, i have been severely depressed and low self esteem because of how much weight I have gained because of it. A total of 45 pounds! its DISGUSTING. I eat very healthy and exercise so there is no excuse for the weight gain and I seem the starve myself at times and not a pound lost. I am now off of it and my cravings have gone away, I am sooo much happier, and guess what! I want to have sex again! I would not recommend the nuvaring to anyone!!!

Now I am personally freaking out. I went to see my gyn this morning because I have had terrible anxiety and depression (I suffer from anxiety and depression anyway). I was hoping that it was due to a hormonal imbalance. Well..we didn't do any tests. She put me on the nuvaring to balance out any hormones...to give me a constant flow of hormones.
I am freaking out. I don't feel bad right now. I want this to help not hinder me.
Does anyone have anything good to say about it? I can't take any more anxiety or depression.

I've been on the NuvaRing for 2 years now. I think it reacts differently to everyone. It has made my life much better. My periods are shorter, lighter and less painful. I used to get sore muscles and sore breasts a few days before I started now I have none of that. I'm not moody and for the first time in my life I don't have to spend the first day of my period in bed. My body adjusted to it quickly and I didn't have any spotting. I still have my sex drive and there is no pain during sex. I have a lot of stomach problems (bad gallbladder) and if I were on an oral contraceptive I would likely be pregnant because my body wouldn't absorb the pill properly. This has been a lifesaver for me.

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!!!

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!