NuvaRing and weight gain

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

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

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

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

I have been on Nuvaring for 2 1/2 years now and have just realized that alot of the symptoms I have been experiencing are related. I guess I was not educated before hand about this product...but now realize that my moodiness, weight gain (that occurred without any change in diet or exercise habit along with not being able to lose it after cutting calories and exercising more), headaches, and lethargy are caused by this product. I have already begun the steps towards getting an IUD insertion (sans hormones of course). However, I probably won't be able to get the IUD for another month considering I have to find a day that works within my work schedule. I am on my off week for the Nuvaring but am now thinking that I will not put another one in before getting my IUD. I cannot take the side effects anymore and want to start progressing toward a healthier life without nuvaring messing up the works. I guess I'm also disappointed in myself for not researching into the products I've used before putting them in my body. Now I know...especially with the help of these websites.

Can anyone tell me what to expect when I stop the nuvaring? Should I expect irregular periods? relief of symptoms? etc?

I'm so glad that I found this site because I was beginning to think that something was seriously wrong with me. I started taking Nuvaring almost 2 months ago. 5 more days and I can take it out...FOREVER!!!!

At first, I thought it was the best thing since sliced bread...and then the weight gain began. My husband said maybe it was just that I was eating junk. Maybe...so I started back on Weight Watchers. I can not lose a single pound, and when I have counted points in the past the pounds fell off the first week or two. I've gained 15 lbs since I started Nuvaring. The strange thing is that it is all just around my stomach. It is like a big spare tire. I've gained very little in the rest of my body.

I also noticed pretty bad cramping after I put it in. It was pretty much all the time, not just during certain parts of my cycle.

Then I started to get headaches. Not little headaches, but debilitating migraine headaches. The sensitivity to light is almost unbearable when I have one of these. Many times I find myself going to bed at 8 pm when I put my son to bed. Pretty much all I ever want to do is sleep. Sex? Nope, not interested. (Very different from how I was in the past.) Huh, I guess it works as birth control because it promotes abstinence!

The worst part is that I am soooooo depressed. Like major depression. I have usually been a pretty even keel personality, but since starting Nuvaring I find myself wondering what I have to live for. I've come to the conclusion that if it weren't for my husband or son, I'd rather just be dead. I've even found myself thinking about how I would want to die. It has gotten so bad that I haven't been to work in almost 2 weeks. I have so much anxiety that I actually feel scared to go. My husband finally called a doctor for me on Wednesday and I start therapy on Monday. I hope that the side effects will go away soon after I take the ring out, but I am very afraid that I might be like this for a while.

I question how so many of us have these HORRIBLE side effects and yet no one in the medical profession has even questioned whether something is amiss. It seems to me that I better just have another child and then have my tubes tied so I don't ever have to mess with all this awful birth control stuff again. (I was bad about taking pills on time, so I ended up having spotting most of the month, which kind of defeated the purpose.)

I'm thankful that I found this site and now I know that I am not alone!

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 ******

IN RESPONSE TO THE PREVIOUS POST:

STAND UP FOR FELLOW WOMEN

Because this is exactly the type of thing M.D.s will feed you as they're pushing pills. "I used it myself, it worked great for me... it must be something with your lifestyle change... it can't possibly be the hormones!"

Isn't it lovely, how even female doctors can so inadvertently seek to compartmentalize what should be a free-thinking, myriad of personalities and body types?

Here is my reply:

"you: "...I have not gained any weight...of course I diet & exercise about 5 days a week....do those of you who have experienced weight gain exercise regularly?..."

The NuvaRing does not cause weight gain. That's absurd. There's only one way to gain weight (as your self proclaimed fit self must agree) and that is to take in more calories than you burn.

But, the hormones in the NuvaRing, however, DO cause appetite change, and DO cause dizziness associated with these changes if the "food" (for lack of a better word) the hormones causes one to "crave" is not consumed. As you can imagine, this messes with a work out routine.

Which leads me to this, SWEETHEART... I DO exercise regularly. I'm a healthy size 6, 140 lbs, 5' 8" I am 21 years old and graduating from the University of Pittsburgh. I have helped my friends and family with diet and exercise plans since I made the goal to become fit (I was not a healthy weight in high school). I run a mile every week, and work out at the gym every other day with a trainer.

First of all, why are you even on the "side effects" page if you're so happy with the product? There are ongoing investigations as we speak concerning NuvaRing related stroke and death, and incident reports are on the rise. I have always been a stickler for healthy sex lives, hormonal birth control that works in conjunction with a woman's body, and safe sex practices. Let me just give you my two cents: I assure you, I am as in touch with my body as I am in touch with my inner self. And I will not hesitate to let you know... that I KNOW when something's off. NuvaRing was great for me for a while (we're talking a good 8 months... how long have you had yours?)... but then it took over my life. I am not young and naive, I am not unfit or unhealthy, I don't smoke or mess with drugs and rarely drink, I am a not mentally unstable, nor do I have any unmentioned medical conditions. I'm glad that the NuvaRing works for you, but to begin a post so cheeky as to assume that those of us who have posted here are unnecessarily blaming hormones for our own unhealthy lifestyles is infuriating. You think everyone here hasn't considered that it may be "something else"? Something eating at us?

you: "ALL birth control effects everyone differently. I'm not saying this for everyone, but sometimes a lot of people like to blame certain actions & physical changes on something & maybe this is the case...for some people. I've been on the pill before & I always got off it b/c of weight gain....well, it was b/c I wasn't eating properly or exercising. I liked to blame my mood swings on the pill as well, but once I thought about it, I still had those before & after taking the pill."

The above paragraph you have written may have redeemed the post, were it not for your still underhanded tone in relation to the "healthy lifestyle" aspect or - as it seems - "theme" of your post. And, yes, I too know and understand depression and anxiety as it has personally affected me through its looming presence in and around immediate family members. Hormones can affect seratonin reuptake and such and do very much affect the mood in many instances.

So, if you are so certain that "some" of the women here blame their sorry unexercised asses on hormones, I will return the favor and say that perhaps it may be a good idea for YOU to look into cases of depression and anxiety as you are so SURE that the nervous system of your brain has not in any way been affected by hormones.

Thank you for placing the women here in such a pigeon hole! This is so easily a perfect example of something I'd hoped our society would work on... All of us are built differently, of different ages and gene pools... how can one expect a mass-produced commercial drug to work "as directed" to a world of unknowns?

It might be a good idea to examine your female conscience. But, I suppose that might be hard to do from the point of view of the interior of your ass."

I cannot disagree with these negative postings more. I absolutely love the nuvaring. I have not gained any weight...of course I diet & exercise about 5 days a week....do those of you who have experienced weight gain exercise regularly? I have also had an INCREASE in my sex drive...I have been with my fiance for 5 years, and for the past 3 of those, I have had no sex drive whatsoever. I got on the ring & bam, it's there with a vengence...the only problem with that is that we're getting married in 2 weeks & I wanted to make it special & stop having sex a couple of months before the wedding...but I just can't get enough of it. I have dealt with depression & anxiety my entire 27 years of life, so if the nuvaring is causing that...it's not any worse than normal. The only side effects I've had is the discharge, (which yes, is very annoying) and tender breasts...but I can deal with that. Although I have noticed that I cry a bit easier...but I was always a crier as well. I cry when I'm mad, sad, happy...always have, so nope...guess that's not from the ring either. ALL birth control effects everyone differently. I'm not saying this for everyone, but sometimes a lot of people like to blame certain actions & physical changes on something & maybe this is the case...for some people. I've been on the pill before & I always got off it b/c of weight gain....well, it was b/c I wasn't eating properly or exercising. I liked to blame my mood swings on the pill as well, but once I thought about it, I still had those before & after taking the pill. The only reason I quit the pill was b/c it did give me acne. Anyway, just my thoughts....& I wanted to post something positive for the ring.

I've been on the nuvaring for about a year now. I had been on the Nuvraring from November of 06 thru May of 07. When I broke up with my boyfriend, I stopped using it (giving my body a break) from May until August when I started seeing somebody seriously enough to consider having sex again. I love the ring because it just has to be inserted once a month (although I HATE the feeling I get taking it out...). My periods take almost 4 days to start once the ring is out and then it lasts for about 5 days. The cramps during the first day or two are almost unbearable, but the periods are light. SOOOO many pros and cons.

I have gained back the break up weight and then some. I was blaming it on being in the "comfy relationship" status where you eat out a lot and blah blah blah... my boyfriend and I started working out together and he was dropping pounds like it was his job and meanwhile I was working out with no results. I'm a solid 10lbs heavier than my normal "I'm not working out" weight. My breasts were always a full C now I'm a small D. The week before I take out my ring I'm ready to kill my boyfriend for not cleaning out the litter box or for leaving me dishes to wash when he's been home... normal things that I'd just make a comment about and move on become HUGE events (for example: eating my leftover burrito= WWIII).

I was on the pill (can't even remember the name) and spotted all the time. I found it hard to take it at the same time... and I spent more time not having sex because I was always bleeding. I'm only 24 so I won't use the "I'm not as young as I used to be" excuse.... I wish there was a way to prove it is the ring causing me to gain weight without having to stop using the ring,. I really don't feel like messing up my cycle only to find out I'm just chunky now-- nothing to do with the ring.

I have only tried the pill a couple of times in my life and the side effects were too much for me to handle. My OB suggested the nuvaring. I've been on it for a year and a half and I'm glad I found this sight. I've experienced the 2 week heavy periods, fatigue, weight gain, the headaches, I had unexplained swelling in my groin area, severe depression and anxiety (which my doctor dismissed as she stated she never heard of anxiety being associated with the ring). I'm glad that I'm not the only one. I'm getting married in November and plan to stop using it then. My general practioner put me on prozac because the anxiety got so bad. I'm lucky that my fiance is a patient and loving person and that this craziness hasn't driven him away.

I am 41 and like another poster, I use the ring to help regulate my period as I am in perimenopause. I have had no sex drive, fatigue, extreme change in discharge and a lot of vaginal pain. This is my 4th ring to use, and I am considering taking it out and talking to my doctor about something else. Maybe I just need to deal with the side effect of extremely long amounts of time between periods, but it sure doesn't make me feel secure since I can still get pregnant!

This is so interesting. I have been taking NuvaRing for over a year now, and for about a year I absolutely loved it. Recently, however, things have changed. In Feb. I accidentally left the ring in for one week too long and then put it in one day late... I didn't think much of it, but then in March my period was really light. In April, my breast began to swell and got very tender and I started having headaches and a lot of nausea and I started gaining weight. At the end of the month, my period was just spotting. I, of course, took a pregnancy test, which came out negative. In May and June things have continued to be bad...spotting periods, extreme fatigue, a lot of weight gain, constipation, bloating and pain in my abdomen during sex. I took two more home pregnancy tests and even went to my doctor for a blood test...all negative. Today, my family doctor suggested that it could be my nuvaring. I had no idea! That's why I googled NuvaRing side effects today and found this sight. I've scheduled an appointment with my OBGYN so I can change my BC method. Looking back, I have noticed that I am much more aggressive than I was 1.5 years ago. I used to have great relationships with my students and used to be such a patient person, but over last 1.5 years I have started to get aggravated really easily...I even honk my horn at people. That is really not who I am! So hopefully after I take the NuvaRing out, I'll go back to being myself and feeling healthy.

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!!

I thought I was going out of my mind! I had been on NuvaRing for almost 1 year, then quit (b/c of insurance reasons), then went back on it in April. While off it for over 6 months, I noticed my sex drive increased and I lost some weight without even trying. I went back on it because I have severe cramps in the middle of the month, and NuvaRing really helped.

I had no problems (that I can recall) the first year except for slight weight gain, 8-10 pounds. But these last 3 months have been awful! I am short with my husband and kids, and I worry about things non-stop. I am SO tired, but I get in bed and cannot sleep. I lay awake worrying about things like car accidents. I am not normally a worrier. I also have felt very down and cry often. I was starting to think I had an anxiety disorder.

I have no reason to feel depressed, and have not struggled with depression in the past (I am a mental health professional, so work with mental illnesses on a daily basis; enough to know there was something not right with me!). I have also put on 10 pounds in the last 3 months. Partly due to low energy. My hands even get tired when I color with my 3 year old.

I have taken 1-2 Excedrin Migraine a day to ease (not cure) my headache that has lasted for over 30 days.

Just this weekend, it occurred to me maybe it was the NuvaRing. After reading all these posts, I took it out a week early. I would rather live with some cramps instead of all of these side effects!

I went on the ring a couple of years ago.I never had a problem with feeling it inside me or falling out. My boyfriend cant detect it either. It is convenient and easy to use. Around the same time of starting the Ring, I felt like I was starting to lose myself and sense of personality. I have experiences almost all of the above symptoms: major depression, acute anxiety, sleeplessness, weight gain, acne, fatigue, loss of sex drive, and now I'm learning that NuvaRing is linked to 12 deaths. Blood clots. Scary stuff. I am getting off this thing strait away and hopefully I can rediscover myself and my health. I guess I'm lucky my boyfriend stuck with me thru this. It can only get better from here....

I went on the NuvaRing because it would regulate my hormones- I have IBS and get sick a few days before my period. The NR was great for keeping my IBS at bay. However, I gained over 15 pounds while on it. I had not changed my eating habits or activity level. The only thing I could associate to the massive weight gain, enlarged, swollen, and sore breasts was the ring. Even after hiring a personal trainer, eating healthier, and working out multiple times a week, I couldn't lose weight. I finally decided to take the ring out. After two weeks of being "ring free", people can see a difference in my weight- and I haven't gone to the gym to work out in over 3 weeks. Now I have to suffer through painful periods and digestive problems because I can't bare the weight gain that comes with the ring. If anyone knows of another form of BC that does not cause weight gain, please let me know.

This is a weight of my shoulders.
I have been experiencing many of the symptoms that have been posted here and cannot begin to tell you what a relief it is that I'm not alone. I have been using the Nuvaring for 6 months. Some of the pros were convenience, larger breasts ( I went from a full C to a DD), and more lubrication. My side affects were extreme leg pain, excessive weight gain (about 30 pounds), increased appetite, fatigue, head aches, irritability, heart rate increase, dizziness, gas, bloating need I say more? Last night I took it out immediately because I finally put all the pieces together. It's amazing to know that I'm not alone in all of this. The weight gain was so fast that I have stretch marks that are extremely deep and I have belly fat for the first time in my life it has sprung right on my stomach. I'm only 19 so this is quit concerning for me... I went from 165 to 195. I have stayed around 165 for 5 years and the fact that I put on this thirty pounds was extremely concerning. I am grateful I know what's the issue, and hopefully with more energy and a decrease in appetite, I will be well on my way to my old self.

Hello,
Just thought I would add some pro nuvaring commentary to the chorus of horror stories here. I've been on the nuvaring for about two years now and so far I have no babies (yay!) and no side effects I could confidently link to the ring. Like most women I get headaches (about once a week or so), experience pms, and my sex drive is not what it was in the first few weeks of my relationship but I'm unwilling to ascribe any of these 'side effects' soley to the ring. In particular I find it difficult to believe as some of your postings indicate that the side effects of the ring seem to be worse than the pill- depression, weight gain (in one post 40-50 lbs!), headaches, etc. when the dosage or hormones is lower. So I guess simply put, I am satisfied with the ring and although it's not my place to criticize another woman's choice of birth control, I wouldn't let these posts scare you away from what is, in my experience, the best form of hormonal birth control based on its user-friendliness and lower dosage of hormones.

I am so glad I ran into this website. Thanks ladies. I got on the NuvaRing last Tuesday (one week ago) and I already started feeling most of the side effects you all are explaining here. I got cramps in my calves, weight gain, my right breast got much larger than my left breast and is highly sensitive. It hurts when I lie on my belly. I have been sleeping a lot more too and feeling drained. 2 days ago i said forget this. I took it out and i feel so much better now - truly. it's amazing how quickly those hormones can get into your system and make you so different. It's not worth it. it's not natural and feels highly risky. I feel much better now after having read all of your side effects. Thank you.

My profile: I'm 31. Asian. Never had BC before this. Have 1 5yr old son. The type of person that would 4get to take the pill if need to do so everyday. Been on Nuvaring for 6 months now.

I read thru the post here and was intimidated, but I have to say it's working out better than I thought. I didn't notice any serious side effects like blood clot, dizziness or weight gain. Though, I noticed now I have shorter and shorter period duration as the month passes. Now, it's just 1.5-2d where it used to last me 6d: 3 heavy, 3 light.

Another side effect is a decrease in sex drive and being dry... but since my husband is aware of that he help me be stimulated and give more fore-play time. Also, we make sure to stock up on lubricant.

Overall, I can compromise with the side effects that we observed so far, therefore it's not a big deal. The relief of having to worry about unexpected pregnancy is certainly outweight the little inconvenient side-effect that Nuvaring has on me.

I must say I love the NuvaRing. I've been on it for almost 3 years. It is extremely convenient. I do have some issues with weight and depression, but I've had those for a while so I don't think I can blame them on NuvaRing. I was previously on Depo for 3 years, and before that various pills (which I could never remember to take). I loved the Depo for it's convenience, but I think it caused a lot more weight gain and loss of sex drive than any other birth control method I've tried. I also tri-cycle my rings (I only have my period after every third ring cycle). The less periods the better in my opinion. I have very very light bleeding during my period. The only drawback is I have one day of horrible cramps that I never used to have. I just take some Ibuprofen and remember that it's only one day every three months.

Unfortunately I have crappy health insurance that won't cover NuvaRing, so I'm thinking about switching to Mirena. I'll miss the Ring, but hopefully Mirena will be good to me.

I have been experiencing the same side effects. I asked my OB if it could be caused by the NuvaRing, but she said it wasn't. I'm not so sure. I have been treated for BV every month since I started. The smell is horrid and I feel awful. I haven't noticed any weight gain and I have been married 5 years so I don't know about losing my sex drive, but I have noticed when we do have sex it's painful as all hell. I just started my first week of this cycle...and already I have the smell and itchiness. I'm so fed up! :( I can't take the pills, or the patches or the shots, I thought this would be my savior...I guess not...

I have been on the 4 months going on 5. i may have gained a little weight but just water weight. My skin has cleared up and i am not getting the PMS breakouts anymore. I just turned 29 and still get acne so anything that helps is welcome. however i have been noticing slight headaches here and there. i typically don't get headaches and from what i have read on these blogs the ring may be to blame...other than slight weight gain and a headache or two it's been good using the ring. i also don't get ravenously hungry before my period anymore which is a blessing, i would eat anything and a lot of it-lol! i am going to be paying more attention though, and come to think of it i have noticed been tired and i workout a lot so i usually have tons of energy. tough call, i guess every birth control method has draw backs.

I am a 29 year old healthy woman and have been on the NuvaRing for 3 years now. I LOVE it... I joke with my Dr that I would do a commercial for them if they asked me to.

I was placed on the ring after Ortho Tri-lo's hormone dose was too low to keep me from having breakthrough bleeding. I would get sad before my period, (like cry at a Pet-smart commercial) but since being on the ring I have been fine.

I haven't had headaches or weight gain in all these years. I also had a full physical this past fall and was found to have the best cholesterol reading my Dr had ever seen.

I think that every birth control out there effects us in one way or the other. You can search any pill out there on this site and find 100 women who have had VERY bad side effects. I guess it's all about trial and error and compromise. I wish you all luck with your method.

I have been on NuvaRing for about 9 months now. I really love the convenience of it. I have had no complaints until now. About two months ago I was having some issues with insomnia. I tried a prescription sleeping pill (rozerem, I'm not sure how to spell it) for about a week and after I got off of it I was back to my usual sleeping habits. It didn't even cross my mind that it could be the ring. I thought it was just stress from school. I might have been that and not the ring.

I have put on about 15 pounds but again I attribute that to my eating habits, not the ring. However, the past month and a half I have been on a strict diet and meeting with a personal trainer 2-3 times a week. On top of meeting with the trainer I go to the gym for a least an hour everyday. In spite of all this, I gained 3 pounds (on top of the 15). My doctor said it could be my thyroid but I just got the results of my blood test and my thyroid is normal. So I think it must be the ring.

The problem is that I really like the ring and I don’t want to get off it. Has anyone gained weight from the ring but been able to lose it while staying on the ring?

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 took out my NuvaRing about a week ago. My doctor first recommended that I try NuvaRing because I was experiencing side effects like weight gain and moodiness with Yaz and other low-hormone birth control pills. Since the Ring has the lowest hormone dose possible, I thought it was the perfect solution. I used the ring for about six months and have to say that at first, I didn't have any side effects. However, with every month that I used a new Ring the side effects started showing up and then became increasingly worse.

At the end (right before I took the Ring out) I was experiencing fatigue, diarrhea, gas, a lot of whitish discharge all the time (I was soaking through pantyliners several times a day), no sex drive and a slightly swollen and tender vagina. I actually thought I had a yeast infection at one point because of some of these symptoms and used a prescription medication (I am allergic to the active ingredients in Monistat) to try and "cure it." Needless to say it didn't help the symptoms.

After finding this website from a google search I read other people's comments and realized that the Ring was causing these crazy side effects. And only one day after taking the Ring out the discharge was gone, my vagina was not swollen or sore anymore, and my gas and diarrhea went away. My sex drive is back up and now I am back to my regular sleeping patterns and my energy level has returned.

It actually frightens me that I didn't see how all of these symptoms were interconnected until I'd been living with them for a few months. I have decided to return to condoms and spermacide for birth control because honestly, it is apparent that my body does not like being innundated with hormones and frankly, using the NuvaRing makes me never want to take a hormone ever again.

I am in my 4th month of using Nuva Ring. I have loved it (and recommended it to everyone) until now. The past two weeks, I have felt like I am "high" or something. The only time I have gotten any sleep is when I was on my week off last week. Since I have started researching side effects and reading others' experiences, I didn't really realize some of my symptoms may be related to my birth control. The weird, almost drunk, feeling just started last week, but the sleeplessness, cold hands, bloating, weight gain, nausea have been going on for a while. I'm really not sure what I will do b/c I really love how easy it is to use, but if these symptoms do not go away, I can't handle feeling like this every day. I have NOT experienced depression, lower sex drive, or any vaginal issues like some of the other postings mentioned. I do remove the ring during sex, then wash it and insert again afterward. Has anyone who experienced these side effects ever had them lessen or go away.....or is this permanent for as long as you use the ring? I guess I will be making a phonecall to my doctor today. Now I feel a lot less crazy after reading everyone else's experiences. I am sooooo glad I started researching this topic!

Found this site and read the postings for the first time today. I cried when I read the first posting because it was as though I had written it myself. I have experienced so many of the negative side effects such as, depression, apathy, loss of sex drive, crying almost every day, anger for no reason, pain, and more. I am 38 years old and have been using the ring for almost 2 years. I took it out today as soon as I finished reading other's experiences. I am looking forward to being my "old" self soon, and I know my husband and children are too.
Maybe the side effects are worse for women in their 30's and 40's versus 20's. Not everyone posted their age but I was curious regarding this possibility.

Crikey - I've been thinking about taking the NuvuRing on advice from the Family Planning Clinic. Thank you for everyone for sharing their experiences. I definitely won't now! While most people probably have great experiences, there are countless examples of side effects listed below that are too extreme to even risk having a good experience (blood clots, black outs, migraines, numbness, insomnia, lower sex drive, depression/suicidal thoughts, body swelling, painful sex/sexual organs, candida, weight gain and the list goes on and on). It's incredible that this is on the market and has gotten through the testing stages.

I took the pill for about a decade and went off it three years ago, mostly because I was over taking something every day and felt I was gaining a bit of weight and had a slightly lower sex drive. After going off it, sex changed (slightly elevated sex drive and easier organsms but less intense) but no change to weight (damn those extra three kilos!). I did lose the horrible brown pigmentation stain on my forehead (which was my initial only conern with the NuvaRing can you believe!) and my skin has remained clear. I have been much more sensitive to thrush/candida though since going off the pill, which my Dr said was due to changed hormonal levels due to such a prolonged time on the pill (10 yrs).

Since '05, I've been using a diaphram which has been fine. It's annoying to have to stop for that 60 seconds and put it in before sex, but I've had no major problems with vaginal skin irritations (very minor) and can feel it slightly during sex, but no where near the extent of condoms and the feeling is about 90%+ as good as without. Noting the issues raised on this site, I think I'll stick with the diaphram as I think I want to stay away from hormone options and the fiddliness before sex is a small price to pay by the sounds of things.

Sounds like the decision to take use the NuvaRing should be a carefully considered one.

I started using NuvaRing last year in June. I have two girls age 5 and 3. I am 34 years old and dont want any children. The NuvaRing is actually my first time using birth control. My period was normal and no weight gain. But I notice that I am very moody, tired and very forgetful. I would black out for 5 seconds. My sex drive is normal. I should remove the ring this friday but starting last week I started to have brown spotting and feeling cramps. I am still cramping and spotting but not bleeding. Does anyone know what is wrong? I called the doctors office and they said I maybe going under a lot of stress and probably due to my age. I started my new job and I am under alot of stress. I work full-time and I take care of my kids after work. Can anyone tell me if this is normal?

I have had several severe reactions to the nueva ring. First the weight gain and moodiness (which I expected due to hormones) but then some scary things began to happen. First my jay jay seemed to swell up and was very tender to touch. Then it feels like there is a cut or abrasion from the ring on the inside of me that while I still have my sex drive, has made sex impossible due to the pain. I have also experienced swelling on the right side of my body. It was so severe that it actually looked like I was preggo on just one side of my body. I went to the dr. and had a ton of tests before I realized that this could be the problem. I took it out a week or so ago and already the swelling is gone. I was on this a few years ago and had no problems with it before, I wonder if they had changed anything. I have decided that my husband needs to get a vasectomy. I would love to have my tubes tied but I can't find a willing dr. to do it to someone my age with no childre.

I have used the NuvaRing for approximately 2 years and been very happy with it for the most part, although I have started to realize some possibly connected side effects. Not having to commit to a daily pill taking schedule has been great and I liked the fact that it was a lower dose of hormones since it is close to your uterus and does not have to go through the digestive system like pills do. However, I have noticed a decrease in sex drive and I have been drier over time. Sex is still great, but I definitely have to work harder to get motivated. I have also noticed that my allergies have worsened over the last 2 years and I used to never get sick, but the last 2 years I have gotten sick several times. It may not be directly connected, but it is an interesting observation. I had a little weight gain and my breasts got bigger for about 2-3 months, but then it evened out and returned to normal and I felt great. I think I also was a little bit more emotional than usual the first couple months, but not drastically- nothing that caused any problems. I think I helped regulate my emotions by being conscious that my body was working to balance itself back out. However, because of the allergy thing, immune system thing, and sex drive thing, I think I am going to try going off it for awhile and use a fem cap and spermicide instead. I am ready for male birth control already! I will post again if there are any side effects with going off and how the new methods work. Thanks for everyone's comments; its so important to have this public information out there!

I just want to say that all the nuvaring is good for is regulating periods. I would not recommend using it if you are in a relationship. I have been using birth control since I was 16. I've been on ortho tri-cyclen and the low dose version before I switched to the ring only because I started to forget doses. I refused the patch because that is not cute on a black girl when she wants to wear a bikini. It's kinda hard coordinating a BC patch into your sexiest outfit. I've been using the ring on and off for five years. It's not until I got into a serious relationship that I noticed that I had no sex drive WHATSOEVER. I've been off the BC for a week after being on it for a year and have noticed that I'm horny as hell. My GYN and I have a lot to talk about. I haven't had any weight gain at all while on any BC, nor have I had to start anti-depressants. I should have though because I was having suicidal thoughts and moody as all hell and could sleep the entire day away and will be up all night wishing I could sleep. I know I have depression, just never found someone I trust enough to get help. Everything got worse these past few months. I'll say this though, I never had a day of nausea on the ring the whole time. I pray the depression and other things get better. No more hormones for me though. I'm DONE!

I have been on the NuvaRing for exactly a week and I can already feel the side effects. The biggest problem has been insomnia. For the past 3 days I have been waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to sleep until the morning, when I need to get up anyway. So for the rest of the day I'm tired, and unproductive. Second, I have not been able to deal with my regular problems, as I normally would. I'm sensitive, and have cried more the past 2-3 days than in the past few months. I have had a amazing increase in appetite, (and therefore probably weight gain, but have not checked), have breast tenderness, and absolutely NO SEX DRIVE as I normally do. Strangely, I've had this itching sensation everywhere when I wake up at night, specially in the genital area. I feel like I wanna get off of it immediately, specially after reading all your posts girls. What do you suggest???

NuvaRing is my 4th birth control in 10 years. I have been on NuvaRing for 10 months, ( began it the month before I got married) and have noticed a few side effects.
- I have gained 20 lbs since beginning NuvaRing.
- My energy fell, and it has been hard to walk for exercise. I was running 5Ks before starting this medication.
- I am very anxious
- The tiniest things get on my nerves, and I have to mentally count to 10 all the time.
- I have had a few very very nasty mood swings during PMS and yelled at my husband (for no reason.)
- Headaches.
-vaginal dryness
- I am hungry ALL the time
I went to see the doctor (afraid of the weight gain and moodiness) and she said it could be the NuvaRing that made me gain and prescribed "Yas" - however after reading THOSE stories on this website, I'm considering having her prescribe another pill. Mircette seemed to be good for me a few years ago.
Everyone reacts differently to different medications. This one hasn't worked well for me.

just wanted to share my experience with the NuvaRing. i was on it for about a year and stopped taking it about two months ago when my boyfriend and i broke up.

pros:
easy to use, although it took about a month to get totally used to it and not feel it at all anymore. and although my boyfriend said he could feel it, it never bothered him.

bigger boobs! waaaay bigger. :-)

cons:
abdominal cramping. not severe, but not fun.

decreased sex drive. on a scale of 1 - 10, 10 being my normal sex drive, it went down to a 6.

i attributed my weight gain over the past year to lifestyle changes, but in the few months i have been off the ring those ten pounds i have been trying so hard to get rid of just dropped off effortlessly. while on the ring i was heavier than i have EVER weighed in my life but didn't make the connection to the hormones until i stopped using it.

overall, not a terrible experience, but for me the weight gain is a deal breaker. oddly enough, i am one of the only women i know who did not gain weight while using depo provera, so i was surprised that this bc had that effect. when i was on Yasmin i had SEVERE nausea, so quickly stopped taking that.

i have several friends that love the ring, which is actually why i started it, but it's not for me. time to try another pill or talk to my doctor about the long term effects of depo. :-(

Dear friends,
After being on the NuvaRing for nearly two years, I just took my last one out two weeks ago and haven't replaced it. This site made me realize I wasn't going crazy and there wasn't something wrong with me. I really liked the Ring for the first year because it was easy, convenient, and maintained the secrecy of being unmarried in my culture and having sex. I'm 27 years old and am in an amazing relationship with a great man who is really understanding. This was my first form of birth control and maybe my last.

Here are some side effects I experienced:
Numbness in the legs
Loss in desire to have sex
Pain while having sex
Sinus issues
Feeling sleepy and tired all the time
Anxiety and emotional problems

I know people react differently to medication and I was fine until year 2 but if you're taking this or considering it, please do all the research you can and also pay attention to your body. You're not going crazy and you have to know that so you don't medicate for all the symptoms caused by the Ring.

I saw a Neurologist for the pain in my legs. I had an MRI taken. I never took the prescribed medication but there are women on the Ring going through surgery and countless medication treating the very things caused by the Ring. It's an endless cycle.

I don't think there is any form of hormonal birth control that is safe and symptom free. Just be careful because it's not worth losing your loved ones, your work, or your sanity over.

I'm Ring free for 2 weeks and I'm afraid of what that will cause but hopefully one day my body will be back to normal and hormone free.

I'm still tired all the time and am experiencing some spotting. I hope that's the worst of the after effects.

Take care of yourselves....

I've also experienced many of the same side effects. I was on NuvaRing for 3 years and on the pill for 5 years before that. For me I found the changes very subtle. My sex drive was not effected right away, but it just kept getting lower and lower. I was doing grad school so I was getting more and more stressed and thought that that had something to do with it, so I ignored it. I was also much more anxious, depressed, short tempered, unmotivated, fatigued and oh, did I mention depressed! I honestly thought it was all due to the stress I was experiencing in grad school, but I did feel like something may be up. A lot of my symptoms were similar to hypothyroidism (oh yeah, I also gained 30 lbs after switching from the pill to NuvaRing) so I got tested, but my thyroid was fine. I had heard about the increased risk of blood clots for the patch, so I wanted to find out if the risk was also heightened for NuvaRing, so I googled a bit and came across some other sites like this one and saw how similar other peoples situations were to mine. I went off it 3 weeks ago (after only having a new ring in for one week) and I got a really long and heavy period right away. Since then I've been having mild cramps until today where they are the worst I've ever had. On the bright side, everyone has noticed how much happier I am - I really feel like my old self again. I haven't been depressed or stressed since I've been off NuvaRing!! It's so awesome. We've switched to non-hormonal contraceptive methods - I wanted to give my body a break and I may be trying for babies in the next year. Anyway - for those of you considering going off - TRY IT!! It can't hurt (except maybe for some cramping :D) If you don't start to feel better you can always go back on. It has made a huge difference in my life. I too was considering suicide at 26 when I'm normally a really happy person. My mom has also noticed that my moods are much more stable - apparently I was going a bit bipolar before!

I started the NuvaRing on Jan 28th. My Doctor told me to put it in on the second day of my cycle, so I did. 17 days later I am still bleeding! Not heavy, kind of like the muddy end of your cycle. DR said since I haven't been on BC for awhile, let my body get used to it. I haven't been on BC for many years and thought I'd give it a try. Everything else seems fine, some mood changes,no weight gain, no loss of sex drive.

I'm really scared now!!!

I've been on BC for about five months now but I've been incredibly "hormonal" as you girls can relate...except an extreme. So crazy. crying, no reason.

so i said...maybe the NuvaRing. my friends on it...I'll try it. i put it in and immediately inside my vagina started to feel irritated.

I don't want anything related to depression/weight gain/etc because i already have that shit going on.

I'm also worried to completely change personalities. Witch could be a good thing.

DOES ANYONE! have anything good to say about this thing?

so yeah, I have been deciding whether or not i want to continue my use of the NuvaRing which I've been on since December... I've gained 10 pounds.. all i wanna do is Eat, which i NEVER have a weight gain problem, not since I've started NuvaRing. I always have had depression, so thats just blah, but I've noticed i have had extreme irritability. I have had heart palpitations, which is just WEIRD. I get sick feeling anytime i eat or don't eat. I always have had itchiness down there, and every time I go to the doctor they tell me i have a Yeast or bacterial vaginosis...which I've never had!! so idk but if NuvaRing causes these symptoms, BLAH to NuvaRing

I'm so glad that I found this site and know that I'm not going through this alone. I started the NuvaRing after not being on birth control for 2 years. Previously I've been on the pill and the patch. I'd heard great things about the ring and thought I'd give it a try. The first three months I loved it. Around month four, I started having pain during sex. It felt like I wasn't getting lubricated enough. Then on top of the pain during sex, I would have a burning sensation after sex when I went to the bathroom. I've also been experiencing a lot of hunger and weight gain around my stomach, which hasn't ever been an issue before. The past month I've had little to no sex drive, and have to wait at least a day after sex before I can attempt to do it again. I'm only 27 and know this isn't normal. Last week I had my period for only 2 days. I thought there was something psychologically wrong with me, especially having no sex drive when I'm with someone that I'm incredibly attracted to. After reading everyone else's similar experiences, I'm taking this ring today and voicing my concern to my doctor first thing tomorrow. Best of luck to everyone in getting back to how we were before the ring.

I started the NuvaRing in October..since then I have constant breast tenderness and pains in my pelvic region. After inserting a new one each month I feel a burning sensation inside. I wear contacts daily and since starting the NuvaRing they have become intolerable to wear. The first month I used the ring, I bled for 4 weeks straight. I have also gotten nauseous in the morning when I'm working out. Have thought several times I was pregnant and taken tests that have all come up negative.

Has anyone else experienced the discomfort and eye irritations?

I stumbled across this site after googling "NuvaRing side effects." I began having this horrible cough a couple of days ago, but I don't feel sick. I'm wondering if I have a Upper Respiratory Tract infection? Anyway, other than this cough I've mysteriously developed, I have no other side effects after being on the NuvaRing for about a month. I haven't experienced any weight gain, moodiness, no dramatic increase in discharge, no abdominal pain or headaches. Overall I've had a positive experience with the NuvaRing so far, I hope it stays that way :) Honestly reading these reviews makes me a little nervous. I'm going to research other BC methods to see if they have similar complaints...

I want to thank all of the women who posted on this website ..this is how we found out what was wrong with our daughter. She was on the NuvaRing for 4 years..she was extremely sick,...severe back pain, day and night sweats, memory fog, extreme irritability, hand tremors, hair loss, uncoordinated, weight gain, breast enlargement..the list goes on. She was so sick she couldn't stay awake..we had to move her back home. finally, one night we read what other women were saying, we called her up at midnight and said TAKE THAT THING OUT! She did and now 4 months later she is back to normal!!! She does have liver tumors that we are having checked out. My advise: GET OFF OF IT NOW LADIES!

I've been on NuvaRing for a few months a few years ago and the symptoms were very mild. I had mood swings, weight gain, reduced sex drive, etc. but they weren't serious, and although I did notice them, they weren't strong enough to adversely affect my life. I stopped using the ring a few months later because I didn't need because anymore for a while.

Then I started it again about 2 months ago. The first month was pretty much ok. The only thing I've noticed is that my eyes are getting dry faster, but that didn't bother me too much since I don't wear contacts. I was surprised that instead of decreasing, my sex drive actually increased, which was a good thing. Everything else was normal, even my acne weren't as bad as before. The next month however brought me frequent headaches. They would start in the morning and be severe enough to make me stop whatever I'm doing. They do respond to ibuprofen and then they are sometimes gone for the rest of the day and sometimes come back later. I'm removing the ring in a few days, so hopefully the headaches will stop. If not, I'm going back to my doctor to get checked out. I do like the ring since it's convenient and the first month was pretty good, but I need to do something about these headaches, because they prevent me from concentrating on my work and everything else.

I was on NuvaRing since 2003 due to non stop bleeding. My doctor at the time figured since this b/c worked, to use it for the 4 weeks rather than 3. I too started to have the dizziness, panic attacks, breast lactation, feeling of bewilderment, weight gain, lack of sex drive and the list goes on. I did not attribute any of this to the NuvaRing until last month. What made me put two and two together was not only this website but the fact that I noticed I felt better while I was on my period. Also, a cousin of mine as well as a co-worker suffered the same problems while on NuvaRing, they too have gotten off.

I felt the need to tell anyone who might be considering NuvaRing and looking at this website that not everyone has problems with it! I am on NuvaRing and have nothing but positive things to say about it. I have actually been losing weight, my breast size has gone up (who could ask for a better combination?!) and I have had no experience with moodiness or depression. My sex drive is the same, and for sure have had no issues with dryness or pain during sex. I don't write this to make those who are having bad experiences feel terrible, I only want other women to know that there is another side to this. I cannot feel the ring at all, and my partner can't either, except with his hand, but not during sex. It truly is the most convenient and best birth control I've ever tried.

What a relief to see all these new postings. I took out the NuvaRing after a month and a half. I'm still experiencing terrible anxiety, paranoia, and some depression, but I think I'm a little better. I'm not seeing weird/disturbing images anymore, and the all over breakouts and immediate weight gain have gone away. About a week after I took the NuvaRing out I couldn't sleep for like two weeks. Then I could sleep, but I was still extremely anxious and depressed... incessantly crying, feeling completely hopeless. Mainly I haven't felt in control of my thoughts or feelings since the NuvaRing. I still feel anxious and paranoid and I can't sleep again. Hopefully this will run its course and I'll go back to normal, but I've been scared shirtless for so long. Please sent me a message if you have words of consolation or any idea how long it will take to feel normal again. I'm still pretty miserable and it's been two months since I've discontinued NuvaRing :(
PS: I had a horrible (but not quite as bad) experience on the pill too, though I didn't know that was the cause at the time.

All I can say is thank you ladies for posting all of this. I was on Nuva ring for almost 2 years. my boyfriend complained I was getting worse and worse in terms of my anger and mood swings. He called me a monster. Then days after my 20th birthday I experienced lots of itchiness and pain after sex so I thought it was a yeast infection. When I did not respond to over the counter meds I went to the hospital to get testing for STDS. When all the test came back negative I went back to my regular doctor two weeks later. Again, I was tested and a month later tested again. No one could figure out why I was having burning and itchiness with no other symptoms and all my STD test negative. Finally I gave up the ring and have been symptom free now for nearly 6 months. To this day the situation plagued me because the doctor swore I couldn't experience this from the Nuva ring. I spent a whole summer in pain because of this. Now I am birth control free but my boyfriend of three years and I would love to add to our family.