NuvaRing and yeast infections

I am 25 and all of the stories sound so similar on here...just like mine. Love the NuvaRing or at least I did. My sex drive has gone down, and now when I have sex I seem to get asked "What's wrong? Are you okay?" because I have such dryness that causes extreme itching and burning during intercourse. I have had yeast infections since 2 months after being on it (Been on it for about a year)...that never seem to go away. Just recently my breasts have been so swollen and sore, and suddenly I have this brown discharge (no odor) its just as though I have been on the end of my period for two weeks now...not fun!...sound familiar at all? I understand so many people can react so differently, so for those of you who have not been on it, try it, it may not effect you in such a negative manor, but for me I have got to find something else...I have my appt in two weeks...having tried so many other forms of BC this is a real disappointment to me because remembering to take a pill is not my style...=) Let me know if this sounds familiar to anyone else...Thanks!

Thank goodness for this sight. If you are thinking you're crazy and can't figure out what's wrong while you're on Nuva, scroll down, you will feel like you're getting a big hug!

I am 27 and have been on the NuvaRing for coming on 8 months and everything has changed. At first I had severe migraines with nausea, a day after starting, that kept going and still occur. They will last all day long and I can take 8 of my migraine medicine and nothing will help. The headaches ruin days, make work difficult, and ruin weekends.

Second: I gained weight around my middle, so perceptibly, I thought I was pregnant. The bloat and gas is constant, I'm always popping Gas-X extra strength but the gas doesn't quit. It was funny at first (yes, I'm immature) but now I'm so uncomfortable, and my pants are tight around the middle but nowhere else. Boo!

Third: ANXIETY. I've been the most relaxed, calm person until I started on NuvaRing, and now I have a prescription for Valium just to keep me from having nervous butterflies all day. The anxiety goes hand in hand with depression, which sucks because I got engaged literally 2 weeks after starting NuvaRing and am always nervous, anxious and sad, and I'm so in love with my fiance but our home life is strained! I sometimes wonder if it's cold feet, but I know it's not. Which leads me to:

Fourth: NO SEX DRIVE. Gone. Dead. Zilch. Zero. I have been the horniest person I know my whole life. I love sex. But I am almost scared of it now. I have no desire to have sex, recoil when my fiance touches me, and get butterflies when I think he's going to try to have sex with me. I sleep as far away as possible, never masturbate anymore, never feel sexy and the idea of sex just doesn't even pop into my head. So unlike me. This causes anxiety, too.

Fifth: Yeast infections and pain during sex. I've never had either of these before. I'm extremely hygienic, and my underwear are constantly filled with discharge. So gross and painful.

I'm going off of it in 5 days and I cannot wait!

DO NOT take antibiotics unless it is a Life or Death situation!
I have been diagnosed with CYSTITIS, based in my breasts & bladder, and now I'm scheduled to go in for other tests because I have had excessive bloating, IBS & pain in my gut.
I thought the Nuva Ring was causing my extreme random cramps, my breast soreness (Extremely Painful, making me want to inject them with novacaine, if it were a good idea...), my Pain During Sex (esp. since I have a lovely sex drive) and most recently, the constant urge to pee when I didn't, but it was NOT the birth control.
ANTIBIOTICS CAUSED THIS!
In the last month I have met 3 more women (& 1 man) with the same/similar problems and diagnosis, All on heavy antibiotics in the last year.
The good news is that it is Not cancerous to my knowledge, there are foods you can eat, like those that are good for reducing swelling, and it's a good idea to Avoid certain foods such as soy, anything too acidic like tomatoes, cranberries or citrus fruits & juices, preservatives, additives, really spicy foods, etc. **It is Very Important to take a Pro-Biotic capsule with At Least 4 different types such as Acidophilus, Bifidum, and others, depending on your symptoms & areas of concern (look up what bacteria does what). Taking these only during antibiotic usage Is NOT Enough!
The bad news? If a few months to a year of partial/full diet change does not help, it is considered either too late to help (get used to the pain, it's not going anywhere) or it may be an auto-immune disease, though this is quite rare.
PLEASE, LADIES -- Take Care when dealing with antibiotics, they are much more dangerous than many people/doctors know/are lead to believe. (And as for the yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis? Take 1 part Hydrogen Peroxide, 3 parts water, douche (rinse, do not let it set for more than 10 sec's) once a day before bed/naptime for a few days, splash Outside Only with cool water if needed, but Not inside. Burn/irritation for about 1 min. but Absolutely worth not waiting for a doc's prescript. or spending endless $ on crappy worthless ointments/creams. Totally safe when Diluted -- Hydrogen peroxide is made naturally on its own in All Vaginas, this just helps to kill yeasts and bad bacteria which are Anaerobic (do not like oxygen).)

I was on NuvaRing for 3 yrs. I lived with a CONSTANT headache, had MRIs and brain scans done, nothing was found. I finally googled tha ring and found out that headaches are a bigggg side effect. I also had 4 abnormal paps, 2 cryosurgeries, weight loss, hair loss, 9 yeast infections, vaginal itching, extreme moodiness, depression, pre-cancerous cells on ma cervix x 2 and almost anything else u can think of. NuvaRing is a nightmare!!!! the minute i decided i was done with it and popped it out, the headache went away, never had an abnormal pap since and every other thing that was wrong immediately righted itself. NEVER NEVER again!!

Ive been on NuvaRing for the past 1 1/2 years. I was on the patch - or Orthro Evra. I had consistent vaginal problems including yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis (BV) - at least once every 2 months - not fun! Since starting the NR, I haven't had any bacterial problems or yeast infections, but I have noticed the lack of sex drive and depression. Once a month when my menstrual cycle comes around I'm like a loose canon. I could be very moody, snappy, or just down right sad - about nothing. I guess you have to sacrifice somethings to achieve others. I'm glad I don't have infections anymore, but is there something else I could do to help with the emotional side effect?

I am so glad I found this website. I have used the Ring for 5 months now and felt so depressed and tired for the past 3 months. I didn't want to get out of bed and isolated myself from my friends. I have been snappy and nasty to my co-workers because I just felt so irritable - like I wanted to crawl out of my skin! I now realize why I have gained weight even though I have tried diet and exercise for the past few months. My skin has broken out with acne which I have never had, even as a teenager. (I am 33) It was nice to forget about taking a pill every day and actually the ring increased my sex drive. But now I'm getting yeast infections and feel like my entire vaginal area is swollen and itchy when I take the ring out for a period. I won't be renewing this prescription!

I was on many pills over the past 5 years, all with really bad side effects. The pills would cause me to have a period every two weeks, give me CRAZY yeast infections, cause all sorts of mood swings, and completely took away my sex drive. After giving me so many different brands of pills, my gyno decided that my body metabolized the hormones too fast and not enough of them were getting into my blood stream. He put me on the NuvaRing because it totally bypasses the digestive tract and the hormones get absorbed directly into your blood stream. I've just come out of my 1st month and feel great! My boyfriend and I both don't even notice it's there. I'm actually starting to regain some of my sex drive back and couldn't be happier with my new BC.

I was on NuvaRing from February 2007 to August 2007. The first 3 months I experienced spotting and brown discharge after sex. I almost always experienced vaginal burning during, and after intercourse (as many of you mentioned), and had about 6 different diagnosed yeast infections (which I have never had before in my entire life), but I felt like they were constant than 6 and they never went away even after mega doses of expensive medications.. I took Acidophilus supplements, bought cremes from the store, took tons of rounds of Diflucan, but I was never feeling good and healthy down there the whole time I used it. Sex was usually painful and uncomfortable afterwards, and for the next few days afterwards even not having sex.

I also experienced extreme depression and lack of confidence, whether that was chemical, or due to how the was the ring made me feel physically (unattractive and incapable of acting as a sexual being).

I tried to tell my doctor I knew that the NuvaRing had caused these side effects, but she said that "There are no studies that suggest NuvaRing causes yeast infections or creates similar symptoms." This was very shocking to me. It felt like she had said it many times before to other women, but when I researched I couldn't find any information on negative side effects until now.

Thank you all so much for sharing, I'm glad I wasn't the only one who went through this.

Well, I thought that I was really enjoying the NR until yesterday, there was a Lawyer from NY in the hotel that I work with a women. They were discussing a case against the new stop smoking drug and he said something about the Nuva Ring. I tuned in to hear that he has had cases over the NR as well as the patch. I thought that my dizziness was just because I hadn't ate anything in a while. I haven't gained weight. I have actually went down a pant size but I am really lazy and I do like to sleep a lot more now. I get dizzy and head aches. Sometimes I get the burning sensations like I am breast feeding. I have horrible mood swings. I feel really bad because I am so mean to my husband and kids. I get cramps and back pain. and I have no sex drive. Yeast infections and discharge. I feel like you name it I have the symptoms. I thought that I was going to have to have my blood sugar levels because the dizziness is getting so bad! I am about to call my DR.

I was on this for about 9 months. When I first started it, it was soooo much better than my previous B/C (Ortho Micronor. I had a migrane and nausea nearly every night for a year, but I was breastfeeding at the time so this was my best option then)

So when I first started this I was so relieved that I didn't feel sick and felt pretty normal. After a few months my relationship started to get worse & worse. Everything my boyfriend did irritated me and I'd pick fighs with him all the time. I'd cry at the drop of a hat, and I'd scream and yell when I was mad (I am usually a very soft spoken person) A couple people actually said they were concerned and thought I was depressed.

Along with the emotional side effects, I started spotting in the middle of the month, and my periods were over a week long. For two weeks out of the month I was either spotting or on my period. (I tried just leaving the ring in to skip periods but I always bled anyway) I had 2 yeast infections in two months; both started a couple days after I inserted the nuvaring.

I threw out my nuvaring after my last yeast infection in July and decided to go hormone free for a while. Sure enough my moods improved, my relationships improved, my periods were more regular, and no more painful yeast infections.

The nuvaring was a great idea in theory, but the wrong mix of hormones for me.

I have been on NuvaRing for 4 months. I was previously on DepoProvera for 10 years, but due to bone loss, osteopenia, had to get off it. I had no side effects with Depo, no periods, no PMS, no problems.
I gained 12 pounds the first 2 months on NR. My weight continues to climb, even though I exercise and eat well. My breasts are swollen and sore constantly. I have excessive discharge, itchiness, and burning. I have also noticed I have gas more often.
I do not take the ring out for a week for a period, I just insert a new ring after 3 weeks and have experienced no bleeding. I have NOT experienced any of the other symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, mood swings, headaches, which is surprising since I have been estrogen-deficient for 10years and am suddenly on it.
Overall, my symptoms seem minimal compared to others' experiences, so maybe everyone is different. But it does scare me that these symptoms are possible in the future.

PROS:
easy to use, convenient
only have to take it once/3 weeks
big boobs!
no period

CONS:
weight gain
breast soreness
yeast infections, itchiness
excessive discharge
gas
cost $35 every 3 weeks (my Depo was free)

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

The Nuva Ring was giving me a yeast infection. So I talked to my doctor about it. Now I am on a regime of taking a diflucan (perscription to get rid of yeast infections) the day before I insert a new ring. Between that and taking acidophilus daily, I have not had any signs of a yeast infection!

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!

i've been on the nuva ring for a year now, and i started having complications about 6 months ago, when i contracted Bacterial Vaginosis, then after that cleared up, i got a bladder infection, and ever since i've been battling yeast infections non stop! i've gained 15 pounds in the past 6 months, always hungry, and in the past 2 months, my right breast has swollen tremendously and there is a constant pain on the side of the breast, i get strange headaches and find myself taking ibprofen for them 3 times a week, i get home from work at 2 am and sleep till noon/one and wake up feeling like i want to go back to bed or take a nap 3-4 hours later, i have a fiance and our SEX DRIVE IS BASICALLY GONE, i never want to engage sex, oral sex doesn't feel good, and when sex begins, it feels like needles scrapping my vaginal wall no matter how much lube we use, and after about 20 min when the session is over, i'm sitting on the toilet with a warm wet wash cloth, holding it to my vagina cuz it burns and stings so bad!!! my fiance just felt horrible and told me i bet it's the ring that is causing all these symptoms, i cried and cried cuz i'm thinking what is happening to me? i went from sex 3-4 times a week, to having sex once every 2 weeks only cuz i felt bad that we wern't doing it enough, and i suffered through it, so after we talked about it and going to see a doctor, i looked up the side effects for the nuva ring and found this site and my fiance and i are relieved to find out what the problem is, i just took the ring out and threw away my next 3 months of it, cuz i am DONE!!!

I was on the ring for about two years and after about one year I started getting little panic attacks but then they started getting really bad. i just to be a super happy girl who was always nice etc. I startd being bitchy to my friends and family for no reason...the panic attacks woudl come out of nowhere and they really scared me. so i took out the ring 5 months ago and since then my acne is out of control, i have gained weight that i cannot seem to lose and i have yeast infections (which i also had on the ring)...however i have not had a panic attack. my body just feels really weird...i feel gross all the time and i am constantly bloated. i thought going off the ring would help me...has anyone else gained weight or had weird problems after stopping the ring?

I began using nuvaring a year ago and discontinued it about 5 months ago because of the incredible amount of yeast infections I got. Trouble is, it messed up my pH so much that I still have a yeast infection. Nothing works to remedy it. I take 4 yogurt supplements a day just to keep going. This has happened to everyone I know who has used this medication. I'm trying a new remedy that has worked for my friend--gynazole cream plus 2 weeks (at least) worth of boric acid suppositories. If that doesn't work I'll throw myself off a building. Stay away from Nuvaring and spread the word.

I began using Nuvaring last year at around this time, and it was great for a while. Then I started getting yeast infections. And more yeast infections. In fact, they still haven't gone away, even though I switched birth control about 5 months ago. I've talked with two friends and they had the same problem. I have to take yogurt supplements up to 4 times per day to even function. Diflucan doesn't work, neither do the most commonly sold creams (Monistat, etc). I'm about to try a new remedy that worked for them and got rid of their chronic post-Nuvaring "beast infection" (what I have come to call it). It's gynazole cream 2 times for one week followed by 2-3 weeks of boric acid suppositories. Stay the heck away from Nuvaring, and warn all your friends. There's no excuse for them missing this hideous, miserable side effect.

It's been over 5 years since I was on hormonal birth control, and I'm excited about the ring... The first month I was very ANGRY - not like me at all; also sleepy all the time and taking naps (also out of character).

Now in month 2, I'm bloated all the time, gaining weight, and have acne BUT I'm not as angry as last month (thank God!). I'm still tired, but maybe I just need to get more sleep!

I'm going to give it one more month and see if things even out. I will NOT be hapy with weight gain. I've had no discharge, no slippage, but have had pain during sex. I've also experienced several days where I wondered if I was getting an infection - both months now, I was swollen / inflammed and slightly itchy for about 3 days. I only get yeast infections when I take antibiotics, so this is not like me either. We'll see.

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

Has anyone had any experiences with having more yeast infections/vaginitis since being on the Ring? I don't know if it a coincidence or a cause?

Although I am not a woman, my fiance is using nuvaring, and on her 2nd day, she's vomited 2 or 3 times. I went to a professional health web-site that listed the "COMMON" side effects of nuvaring, which are:

More common side effects may include:
Abdominal cramps, allergic rash, bloating, blood clots, breakthrough bleeding and spotting, breast secretions, change in menstrual flow, changes in the breast such as tenderness or enlargement, dark pigmentation of the skin, decreased milk production in nursing mothers, depression, emotional instability, gallbladder disease, headaches, heart attack, high blood pressure, intolerance to contact lenses, liver disease, liver tumors, migraine headaches, missed periods, nausea, problems with the ring, sinus inflammation, stroke, swelling, temporary infertility after discontinuing NuvaRing, upper respiratory tract infections, vaginal inflammation or discharge, vision problems, vomiting, weight gain or loss, yeast infections, yellow tint to the skin

These are DANGEROUS side effects. not to mention they're "common". i don't know what you girls must be going through, but I really don't want my fiance going through these things. she's always been really sensitive to medicine and changes in her medicine. I am not a gullible person and I'm usually pretty skeptical when it comes to things like this, but I honestly do not think that NuvaRing is a stable product. As one other girl on here mentioned, my fiance recieved a sample and prescription for it. we read through literally EVERYTHING she received, NO side effects listed *whatsoever* She's already had problems in the past with depression, this is really the last thing she needs.

This is more of a vent. sorry to waste space, but people need to know what they're putting in their bodies.

If this WAS a safe product, they would freely and openly tell the people they're handing these rings out to, the common side effects. BUT if they did that, no one would buy this thing. It seems more like quick release of a new product without proper testing.

Stay SAFE! just because a doctor gives it to you, doesn't mean its safe.

I was recently diagnosed with endometriosis. For the past 6 monthss i've been dealing with cramps so bad I had to be on percocet for weeks at a time just to be able to get through my days. After my laparoscopy two weeks ago my gyn suggested that I get on bc to help supress all fo the cramps and the cysts. As of right now i'm on day 7 and I'm miserable. I cry all the time and snap at my fiance constantly. I've been eating twice as much as i used to. I'm constantly exhausted and sex? What sex? No sex drive what so ever. It's completely gone. Not to mention I'm to tired to even bother anymore. And vaginal itching is very uncomfortable. No yeast infections, just itchiness. I'm calling my doc today to see if there's another bc that would make me a little less depressed. Last night I actually thought of suicide.
Ladies, you know your bodies the best. If something is not right, tell you doctors. Bug them until they listen and treat you properly. You do not need to deal with symtoms like this just because our docs got free samples from the drug companies. Tell your doctors what's going on with you. and good luck to all of you.

I've only seen one other comment regarding this, but I'm hoping it's worth a try. I've been on the nuva ring for maybe two years now, and I have non stop yeast infections. But the worst part is that ever since I've started it, I've had a serious relationship and have sex more, and almost ever single time I end up getting a urinary infection right afterward. This never used to happen, and I'm wondering if it has something to do with the irritation and the yeast infections that it does cause anyway. If anyone can help me with any information I would appreciate it, they're the most painful things in the world.

I wanted to post to this website because, unlike most of the women on here, I experienced very few side effects with Nuvaring and actually like it very much. I was on numerous types of birth control pills and experienced SO many different side effects (yeast infections, decreased libido, mood swings, weight gain, migraines, etc.). With Nuvaring, I only really experienced some headaches and that was mainly near my period. I didn't experience any problems with insertion, had no problems with any vaginal irriations, and neither myself nor my boyfriend had any problems during sex. I didn't feel a thing and neither could he. Like with all hormonal contraceptives, everyone's body will react differently. I just wanted to post this, to let people know that Nuvaring does really work well for some people and it is definitely my chosen form of contraception.