NuvaRing and uti

I have been on the NuvaRing for over 2 years. At first it was great! I loved not having to take the pill everyday. Im so happy I found this wedsite and read everyones stories. I thought that I was not having any side effects until now. For the past couple years I have had an uncountable amount of UTI's. I also experience painful burning and redness after having sex for a short period of time. I would even have swelling. Its horrible. I didn't think these things were related to the NuvaRing, but now its all making sense. Even though I have been on the ring for 2 years it seems like more side effects have popped up in the past 6 months. I have felt more moody since iv been on the ring but im now having crazy mood swings that are totally out of character for me. I have also gained 20 lbs in 5 months. I didn't think that the ring had anything to do with this until last night after having sex with my boyfriend he told me that his penis burned. When we turned on the light he had a red rash right under the head of his penis. This redness looked like the same thing that would happen to me. After reading everyone eles storied Im going to get off this ****** ring as soon as I can. Im sick of the pain and I hate that its effecting my boyfriend too.

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

So I decided to stop my nuvaring this week, and while I do agree that every person has a different experience with hormonal birth control, this route was just not for me. I have been on BC since I was 15 and have had mixed experiences. Started with Ortho-Tri Cyclin which made me crazy, went to orthocyclin which was great until my insurance stopped covering it, did lo dose Apri for 6 years and found that it made me very lethargic and moody with use over time and i think caused me migraines, switched to the patch and ended up in the hospital with elevated blood pressure during the first week (I was 23 and 130lbs), then tried nuvaring for the last 6 months. Started off well, my period became predictable to the hour and my migraines disappeared. However, I gained 15lbs! I am 5'3" and I know it is the nuvaring because I have been training for a marathon, running 4 days a week, 2 days of weight lifting and eating perfectly! Also, my sex drive is gone, like non-existent until my no ring week when I have my period. I am tired all the time and even though I sleep 8-10 hours a night. I also seem to be waking up once or twice a night. Worst of all, I am depressed and moody for no reason, all the time. I feel so bad for my poor boyfriend who has been walking on egg shells around me because he knows I cry and snap at anything. So I am stopping for a few months to see what will happen, and then maybe consider a copper IUD. I will update this post in a few months and let everyone know what happens.

where do i begin? i started the ring three weeks ago my gyno put it in for me. she convinced me for my age (20) this was the best method for me and she'd feel better, because ppl. my age are so careless! I've taken the pill before and stopped for over a year because ortho killed me, and i had no insurance. I should also fill you in that before I had the ring put in I had two utis back to back. I obviously can get them very easy, so i don't understand why my doctor would push this on to me! Anyways, I just suffered from a horrible uti and was so excited to feel "ok" again and honestly from day one or maybe two of the ring being in place I felt irritation! I have felt these awful cloudy adomonial cramps(all day long), pelvic pain, chest pain, sore throat, discharge, carpel tunnel, depressed, crying, mood swings, anxiety, bad dreams, tired, not sleeping through, loss of appetite, and god knows what else..It just seems never ending! So today I just happened to pick up and read "welcome to NuvaRing" and all it had listed for side effects were the commons ones such as vaginal infection, irritation, and vaginal secretion...thats it! I couldn't believe that I was feeling this horrible and this is all the information I had! So thankfully I found this website! I told my mom and she made me take it out today(supposed to take it out Friday) and honestly I feel better already and its been a hour! I have an appointment with my gyno tomorrow anyways so hopefully i'll find a better method of bc. I just wish we didn't have to go through all of this! They need to make a bc for men!!!!!!! LOL

I have overall been pleased with the nuvaring, but last week i experienced my first UTI. I thought it was just from sex but now after reading all these experiences, i think it might be from the ring. I decided to take it bc my boyfriend insisted i was on some sort of birth control and i was previously on the pill but never could remember to take it so i figured the ring would be convenient. I just got an antibiotic today for the infection so i hope it goes away and i hope the nuvaring doesn't give me anymore problems!

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

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

I started the NUVARING around Christmas time. My boyfriend had just come home from Iraq, so I thought it would be a good idea to get on birth control. I was excited about the NUVARING, but after a few days I felt as if I had a UTI and a yeast infection. I also had a decreased libido. The fact that every time I sat down it started to fall out was a pain in the butt. With all of the side effects I started to get a mild form of depression, which still continued after I took it out after the first month. I am a nurse and just recently after I stopped using the NUVARING a young patient came in with a Pulmonary emboli from smoking with the Nuvaring. So ladies be careful and aware of these side effects.

Birth control has been such a headache for me! If I wasn't married I would probably just give up on sex period. I'm 20 & it depressing to think this is what I will be dealing with for the next 30 years. Of course at some point either me or my husband will be "fixed" but we do want one more kid a little farther down the road. Bottom line, I HATE THE NUVARING! Yeah, its more convenient than taking the pill but after only 3 weeks I found too many things to hate. I'm already clinically depressed and take medication so I can't tell if that's been a side effect. I never feel like its in all the way. I'm constantly trying to shove it in farther. Over time it slowly slips down. I followed to instructions thoroughly & believe me, there's no way to get it any farther up. I'm already sensitive to tampons at times & sometimes sex but the NuvaRing was awful! Immediately I got a yeast infection & a UTI at the same time. Miserable. If you have recurrent UTI's like me, don't use the NuvaRing. Me & my husband have tried to have sex about 10 times now over the past few weeks to no avail. Its like my insides are swollen & raw... it stings! I could barely handle it for 30 sec. My husband says he can feel the ring & his penis will start to sting a little bit. He also says I feel extremely tight & swollen to the point where it almost hurts. So I know I'm not crazy. What's the point in using it if you can't even have sex? Also, no sex drive ladies. I have sex because he wants to. And I feel awful that I can't help him out there now. Hmm, wonder why they birth control is so effective... of course it is if you're not having sex!! If me & my husband are only going to have sex twice a month anywhere I just don't see the point in putting all these hormones in your body... I've just about had it with birth control.

So I have only been on the NuvaRing for about 3 weeks and just took it out. I feel SO down but I didn't feel down till about a week ago. Would the depression hit that fast? I keep getting in fights with my boyfriend and I'm feeling like we aren't going to last even though before this we've never had any real issues and I was positive he was the one I would marry. Now I feel like I'm doubting us but I have no reason at all to doubt us, nothing has happened except I started using the NR. I keep denying that it's the ring but the more I look back on it I feel like it could be since only a few days after I started using it I felt very irritable. I guess it's time to switch again? I don't like feeling like this and I don't want birth control of all things to be the reason our relationship fails. I feel so down and depressed but it isn't constantly, it just comes on randomly and stays till I go to sleep pretty much. Has this happened to anyone? Do you think that the effects would happen that soon after starting the NR? Any help would be great! Thanks!

I feel so much better after reading this site! I've been on NuvaRing for two months and have had serious bouts with depression for the first time in my life. I mean, I've felt down before, but never like this. Just today I wanted to cry for no reason about 90% of the time. I've had abdominal pain and back pain that I never had before. The mood swings are really the worst (just ask my boyfriend). I relate to what another girl said; that her mood swings range from white hot anger to serious depression. On days like today (less than a week before my period) I just want to sleep the day away. I don't want to interact with anyone and everything makes me miserable. Also, it's changed the way everything smells down there. My boyfriend is really good about it, but even he admits that it's unpleasant to him. I've asked my gyno and she said that I don't have a UTI or a yeast infection, so right now the only explanation is this new birth control. Thankfully Monday is the day I take it out, and I'll be taking it out for good. I hope more women review this site before trying out this birth control because everyone should know the real side effects...the ones your doctor won't tell you.

I was on the NuvaRing for about a year, and in that time I had recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs), one which developed into a kidney infection (this required taking antibiotics, which I generally avoid, because it's a rather dangerous infection). I had never had a UTI before, so I asked my doctor more than once if the near-chronic UTIs could be related to the Ring and she said that it was very unlikely; she wasn't aware of that ever being a problem. Shockingly enough, when I finally got fed up in May and threw my NuvaRing in the trash, my problems disappeared: I have had one very mild UTI since then. I'm mad at my doctor, and at the doctors of all the women who have responded to this site. I'm not so naive; I know doctors take money from pharmaceutical companies, but how could so many healthcare professionals ignore many repeated complaints of similar side effects?

I am on my 3rd NuvaRing, and my last NuvaRing. This thing has cause me more pain and problems than anything I have ever used! The first time around the only problem I had was an increase in UTI's and extreme discomfort in my vagina and urethra, especially during and days after sex. I was told these side effects would go away within the next trial of the NuvaRing. Boy, were they wrong. After Taking out my second NuvaRing my period lasted from JULY 5TH to JULY 18TH! I also had to face the heaviest period of my life. I would go through a super plus absorbency tampon and panty liner in less than an hour. How embarrassing, inconvenient, and uncomfortable! I have had two ultrasounds, and 3 pelvic exams since starting the NuvaRing just 3 months ago. I have also had to face headaches, stomach pains, MOOD SWINGS, IRRITABILITY, and depression. This thing has put a damper on my sex drive and my relationship with everyone around me including my boyfriend of 3 1/2 years. I would not recommend the NuvaRing to anyone!!!!!!!!

Glad to hear I'm not alone. After being off birth control for three months (to regulate my cycle after missing pills, etc), my doc started me on NuvaRing since I had trouble remembering to take the pill. I noticed that since I've had the ring in (1.5 months), I have been the Grouch. Moody, excessively whiny, and a very bleak outlook - despite a very pleasant and fortunate future ahead of me. My boss noticed it at work and I have since noticed, after taking a step back to evaluate, that I have been utterly irrational, to the point of b**chy.

Over the last week, I've noticed that the second ring that I put in has been sliding out. Not all the way out - but to the point of where it's uncomfortable and slightly painful - almost as if my body won't accept it and is, in way, trying to purge it from my body. Sorry to be graphic, but has this happened to anyone else?

I took it out yesterday and am experiencing major discomfort (dryness?) and UTI like symptoms. The nurse practioner gave me two new NuvaRing's to try. However, after reading this page, I'm questioning whether I should just buck up and force myself to remember to take the pill everyday.

Other side-effects include increased acne (when I was on the pill I noticed decreased acne - not increased!).

Thanks for your posts - very insightful.

I'm glad to have seen this site, because I thought it was just my fault that I wasn't "clean" enough after getting 4 UTI's during the time I have been using the ring (2 years). And there were numerous times when I felt I was about to have a UTI that I was told I did not have one. I used to be on the patch before the Nuvaring and did not have any of these problems (although I was a bit moodier on the patch.) When I brought my concerns up to my obgyn, she brushed it off, saying "oh, no, that shouldn't be happening." When I also mentioned that my partner felt the ring during sex and that I felt the ring was increasing the amount of discharge I produced, she denied any connection to the ring saying "He shouldn't feel the ring and I'll do an STD workup on you." I thought it was offensive and assuming of her to think that maybe these things are linked. However, I am really considering switching my method of birth control because it seems that many other women are complaining of very similar side effects.

I have been on the nuvaring for 1 year now. Over the past 4 months, I have been getting what feels like a UTI, blood in urine and increased white blood cell count (per urine tests), but doctor's say it is not a UTI. I thought it could be the nuvaring, so I took it out 8 days ago, but the pain with urination has not gone away. Has anyone had a similar experience?

I am just turned 24 years old. I have done the ortho evra patch before and had no problems.. well two weeks ago i started the nuvaring.. i though it would be good as much as my doctor talked good about it and meaning it cost me 50 dollars for 1 ring.... well the first few days went okay i didnt have many symptoms.. well then i started noticing a yellowy discharge and had to wear panty liners and it made it feel like i was always wet there.. well then there ended up a smell there and yet i was washing the normal amount of times a day.. then i ended up with a uti that lasted a week.. as well as it was my birthday weekend and i spent most of it with mood swings.. mainly i was very depressed and spent alot of time crying or angry for no reason at all.. like every little thing got on my nerves.. i ended up feeling very tired and wanting to sleep alot but then would wake up in the middle of the night with cramps... Then ever since i started the ring my acne has been terrible.. i wash my face and use proactive but it didnt work.. well i had a pimple near my lower lip of my face and it hurt really badly well then this morning i woke up and the whole area around it was swollen and my lip was massive.. and right that moment i knew it was the ring.. so i took it out.. and since ive taken it out ive felt happier, still a bit tired but not as much, and the swelling in my face and lip finally went away.. and when i took the ring out i felt nausea and had a headache.. which was a typical ever day thing since i started the ring these werent like typical headaches they were very painful...

i do not recommend anyone to use the nuva ring no matter how good the doctors talk about it.. it causes depression and everything that everyone else puts out there.. i read this website after i had just put it in and i regret not listening to all the other woman on this site...

I have been on Nuvaring for 11months and wasn't on any birth control previously. I was prone to migraines before going on Nuvaring and they worsened to the point of 3 days straight in bed, but my doctor told me it wasnt because of the ring. And I'd never had a UTI before and had a LOT of them in the first 5 months. I also got depressed and really emotional, and I am not usually very emotional or moody. If I skipped a period, I would get period pain and symptoms but no bleeding anyways, and when I didn't skip them, I had crippling period pain, and have also gone up a clothing size since being on it. Lately I realised I had a really decreased libido, so I removed the ring and got the mother of all UTIs. Now 3 weeks off it, I'm getting headaches and absolutely no libido so I'm not sure if it is still the effects of Nuvaring, but I'm defiantely going to try something else

I've been on NuvaRing for 2 months and I noticed the side effects right away. I feel so depressed the first week after inserting the ring. I cry spontaneously, nausea, I feel fatigued, I'm gaining weight, my boobs are larger and feel heavy (not really complaining about that), I've had 2 UTI's while using this ring and my memory is shot. I'll walk into a room to get something or do something and forget. I have to stand there for at least 3-5 seconds before I remember. And, taking it out...what a pain. I can't even find the thing. Had to get my boyfriend to remove it for me. I've decided, the side effects do not = the benefits. I made an appt. to see my dr. next week. I guess I'll be going back to the pill. :(

I've been on NuvaRing since December. I was put on it for extremely bad cramping and excessive bleeding. My ob told me to put one in for 28 days, take it out and put another one in, she was trying to stop my period, and told me I would only have a period once every three months. In Jan. I developed a UTI which I have never had in my life, (I'm 31). I started spotting which lasted a week then turned into a full blown period that lasted more than a week. My ob told me to take it out, which within a couple of days my period stopped. I have been having hot flashes, I will go from being extremely cold to sweating and burning up, I have been bloated more times than I can count. I've had vaginal dryness, irritation, which is unusual. I kind of figured it was the ring, but I wanted to give it the benefit of doubt. I took my ring out tonight and am supposed to put another one in, but I rather live with my symptoms than deal with what I get with the ring. I would not recommend this to anyone.

This site is like a moth to a flame for me.

I took my damned ring out a week & a half ago after finding this site & reading so many testimonies & side effects I could have written myself that it wasn't even funny. This makes me so mad that a freaking pharmaceutical product could make so many women this sick without being recalled. And what the heck is wrong with all the doctors not being able to tell any of us what was causing all these problems?

In the fifteen months I was on NuvaRing I have seen every type of doctor you can imagine. Including TWO neurosurgeons who wanted to do TWO different types of surgery on me. BOTH docs sent me for MRI's of my pelvic region/lower back & KNEW I was on NuvaRing. I mean, I know it was CLEARLY right there in the middle of both the results of those MRI's!

So why did it take me finally figuring it out by using GOOGLE?

I've had chronic lower back pain (diagnosed degenerative disc disease in JUNE), severe pelvic pain & cramping (diagnosed pelvic inflammatory in JANUARY), UTI's turning into kidney infections that were so bad I went to the emergency room in APRIL, another UTI & kidney infection in JANUARY, not being able to sit or stand for more than a few minutes without severe pain, leg pains & weakness that two neurosurgeons couldn't figure out WHY they were happening, anxiety, depression, terrible temper, severe fatigue, headaches, stinging painful feeling in my vagina, high blood pressure (that has to be treated with expensive blood pressure meds now) etc etc etc.

I can't believe my husband has stuck around through all of this. When they say the first year of marriage is tough, they weren't joking around huh? The person that said that must have used the NuvaRing their first year of marriage too.

Please, if you are thinking of using this product or are leery to stop it - JUST TAKE THE THING OUT! and DON'T USE THIS PRODUCT! It's just not worth it to feel this bad for convenience sake. Not even slightly.

PS - For those of you who want to say something like "Oh it works for me. You just had a bad reaction."...

That's like saying just because some people don't get cancer from cigarettes that they are still a good product.

Every time after sex, I usually go to urinate, which is normal, but since I've been on NuvaRing for about 3 months now, every time after sex I pee and it stings! I hate this, I first thought I may have a UTI, but after reading what others have said, I now can confirm it's one of the side effects of the NuvaRing. Besides the stinging affect, I love the NuvaRing, it is so convenient not having to take something everyday or every week. I think I will talk to my obgyn and comment on the stinging part.

after reading this site, I decided to get off the NuvaRing and see if any of my medical problems would change.
The weekend before I decided to take it out permanently, I passed out twice from ambiguous lightheadedness (much like anemia but definitely tested negative for that).
It's only been 2 weeks, and I feel so much better already!
NOTABLE CHANGES:
-I have a SEX DRIVE again! I'm only 21 and when I was on the ring I never wanted sex with my long term partner (or anyone, even my self, for that matter). In the 2 weeks it's been out I've felt my libido come back to life.
-I haven't been napping! I used to come home from school and sleep 3-4 hours every single day. I feel much more awake now, even after 2 weeks.
-I have developed a minor daily headache. I think this might just be my body adjusting to the lack of hormones.
-I'm actually losing weight! I gained about 20 pounds on the ring, and even when I worked out regularly I couldn't get rid of it. In the past 2 weeks I've already lost 3 pounds, on the exact same exercise plan that did nothing for me for the previous 6 months.
-My dreams are significantly more realistic and I can remember them- I take this as an indicator that my general mental state is much better. I honestly feel like I've been re-introduced to my imagination which has been in a NuvaRing hibernation or something.

i was skeptical that the NuvaRing was the cause of my problems until NONE of my bloodwork (and I had TONS done) turned up any other possible reasons for my chronic fainting.
In the 2 weeks since I've been off the NuvaRing, I've already seen an incredible shift.

I was hesitant at first to acknowledge this, because when I first got on the ring it felt like a godsend- lower hormones meant I was less depressed than I was on orthotricyclin and i felt healthier all around --- at FIRST that is.
After almost 2 years of being on the Ring I almost feel back-stabbed by it... I'm not sure what changed but I am definitely willing to attribute my medical and mental problems to this drug.

Be careful, and be aware of your body.
If something feels wrong, figure out what it is, and don't risk your health.

wow so i was completely freaking out because i just couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. My breasts were killing me-which i was beginning to think i was prego, but wasn't seeing ne real reason why i should be. I started having mood swings, feeling extremely depressed, and breaking down and crying over every little thing in my life. I keep getting migrains (which i have never had before) and feeling dizzy to the point of passing out, and nausea. Also i have excess discharge, and kept feeling like i had a yeast infection but realized that it was simply just the ring that is irritating me. Im completely fed up with feeling this way, and just dont want to deal with the emotions, or pain anymore. Im going to my gyno on monday to try and figure out a different type of birth control to go on. Its going to be rough sticking it out through the rest of this week!!

I am just about to finish my 3rd month of nuvaring. I have never been able to take the pill (I either vomit, or bleed non-stop). I have been having side effects that are increasing daily. I have a bit of lower back pain, started bleeding the day before I took it out on the 2nd month. I have been spotting this month since Thursday of last week, and have 3 more days before I am supposed to take it out. I am using a tampon today because it is so heavy.
I have nausea that comes in waves for the first 10 days. I also have severe breast tenderness.
I have minor headaches in the early evenings. I am not a headache person; never really have them.
The worst part is is the panic attacks (which I have never had). It starts with me holding my breath, tightness in my chest, and severe anxiety. I have felt weepy and out of control. It is getting worse the longer I am on it. It feels like someone else is driving my feelings. I don't recognize myself, nor my reactions to things. I feel a bit paranoid about things. My fears have been irrational. I feel sad, and cry for no reason at some point every day. On the 6th day after I put it in, each month, I have cried the entire day. I am taking it out tomorrow after I speak to my doctor, and getting an IUD. This is a nightmare. I also have night sweats. I also think it is pushing on my bladder. I feel like I have to urinate all the time, and then I sit down to pee the tiniest amount imaginable, and I do not have the ability to push my urine out quickly, which I could do before the ring was in. I had my doctor check me for a UTI, or any other problem like that, but I was "fine."

I'm glad to know that there are other women out there with similar problems as me. I recently became engaged, sexually active and with that, became a new user of the Ring. It was reccomended to me by two family member s who love it and would never go back to all the other methods they'd tried in the past. I, however, am not as lucky as they are. I put it in on the first day of my period, as directed. My period lasted about 8 days when it usually lasts five and I had brown spotting for the rest of the month. Intercourse became very painful for me from the get-go. It was like a burning sensation and it was horrible enough that my fiance and I have not done it for two weeks. I went in to my gyno and she said I had a yeast infection and that the Ring was healthy for the vagina because the vagina LIKES the hormones in it and that the Ring should improve the atmosphere in the vagina, if anything. So, I've had two UTI's and a yeast infection since putting it in, bleeding after intercourse, maddening headaches, cramps, ACNE (which it is suppose to clear up), and severe mood swings. But, my doc won't switch me to the pill because she thinks that my body will adjust. I guess I'll just give it some more time and, if it doesn't straighten up within another couple of weeks, I'll demand something else because this just is not working for me as I had hoped it would!

At first I thought this was great but after 18 days I awoke with some stomach tenderness & it moved to horrible back pain. I did notice a lil burning after intercourse at times. I figured it was just irritation but also got a bit concerned of UTI as they are so not fun.
The back pain though was severe so I went to check online side effects. I decided I was in too much pain to wait till the 21st day & just took it out..I've decided its definately not the method for me. I am disappointed cause it seemed initally seemed like the miracle method. Yes I too say the back pain probably is like labor even though I've not had any kids. I have been uncomfortable no matter what I have done. Its like cramping in conjunction with it. Felt like it was internal organs like Kidney's or something, I feel miserable. I had a DNC once to merely scrape the uternine wall this pain is worse than the cramping associated with that. With that they tell you not to intercourse a duration.

i've been on nuva for about 6 months... the first 2 weeks, i felt a little irritable, but nothing serious. within the past month, ive started noticing more serious symptoms. i went to the emergency room because i was having sharp pains when i breathe in. (this actually started months ago but it wasnt really that bad until a couple weeks ago) they did an x-ray and said i had "pleurisy"...ive also been having heart palpitations...both of these have been freaking me out but i never thought they had anything to do with nuva (and neither did the doctors apparently)...ive been flipping out lately...im usually pretty easy going and happy, but lately, i have been having severe mood swings...i get sad, angry, anxious and i cant figure out why...when i snap out of it im like "wow that isnt like me"...it was horrible and i thought i was going crazy. i have been exhausted during the day and i fall asleep soon after work (which i didnt think much of because i work with children all day) and i have had headaches daily...i was eating nonstop, none of my clothes fit me because i have gained weight and i am bloated every day. oh yea, and once i had pain so bad during sex i had to stop and i was in tears...right after, i felt like i had a UTI. the pain lasted 2 days and went away.

i took it out yesterday and i WILL NEVER use it again. i felt so good today. i am happier, not hungry and i have more energy. seriously, im mad that no doctors have mentioned any of these symptoms to me and when i went in for a check up at the gyno they didnt say that my symptoms could be caused by nuva.

Night sweats! Horrible! Depression and sadness, yes...but never linked it to the ring. On the ring for 7 weeks when experienced racing heart and shortness of breath. Friend who is a nurse suggested it could be related to the ring. So immediately I removed it. Started having horrible night sweats immediately and have continued practically every night for 2 weeks. Have had xray, ekg, blood tests....nothing abnormal found. Convinced it was from NR.

If anyone can help and let me know if once they removed the NR, if they were back to themselves and if the depression subsided.

I've been using the ring for a little over a month... My new boyfriend watched me go from really cool girl fun girl that he wanted to be around all the time to super moody, depressed and anxious :( I lost my sex drive .. which really sucks because I use to LOVE sex.
Just the other day i started coming down with a UTI and i noticed that if i adjusted the ring i felt a little better... and thought that that was strange. I decided yesterday that I didn't wanna use the ring anymore because of the emotional problems it seemed to be giving me .. But the strangest thing happened.. The UTI that i was planning on seeing a doctor in the morning for.. yeah It was gone after one night without that freaking ring in. I seriously think that the ring either caused my UTI or was just making it worse.

I wish i had read this site before i got it.

First off- i want to say thanks to everyone who has posted their side effects because now i know that its the NR thats been causing all of my symptoms. I've been on the NR for 1month-I have inserted my second NR 3days ago.

One of the side effects I have are headaches. It feels like i have a brick sitting on top of my brain. It gets soooo bad, but I take excedrin and it seems to help. Another side effect is abdominal pain, its not bad at all but i can feel alittle discomfort. Also, I have absolutely NO sex drive and during sex I am extremely dry. This was never an issue(I loved sex) but now I dont even think of it. I have also gained weight and increase appetite. As weird as it is, this is the only part I like. I am very skinny and always wanted to gain weight and this side effect is the only reasdon why i am staying on the NR, until I reach the weight I desire then i will get off. My breasts have gotten bigger-1cup size larger. And lastly, I always feel a discomfort down there. It almost feels like I always have a UTI or something but i have tested neg. for any vaginal infections, but still I feel REALLY irritated down there.

All in all, I would not recommend the nuva ring because I have never felt these symptoms before until i started the NR.

I have just started NuvaRing 2 weeks ago after having wanted to try it for some time. I have been on tons of different bcps, Norplant (which I LOVED) and most recently, the patch (which I hated - it was so nasty, fibers from clothing stick onto the adhesive, the edges quickly become filthy looking, and sometimes lift, making me question the effectiveness). So I loved the idea of the ring. Within a couple of days the excessive discharge began. Then the second week I am experiencing some vaginal irritation, possibly the beginning of a UTI? I am going to ride it out for a few mos if I can and see if the irritation clears up. It seems like the most convenient thing out there. I have not experienced any other sides, when my most recent bcps resulted in nausea.

I also used the nuva ring for more than a year but until about 2 months ago I also started getting a burning sensation. I thought it was a UTI but it was occuring everytime I was on the ring. I took the nuva ring out and within an hour I felt fine. Thats when I knew I had to get off it because it can also cause infections. The doctor switched me over to the patch.