Nuvaring symptoms and conditions

I had been on Yaz for almost a year. I have tried EVERYTHING!!! I went to Yaz after trying even the Nuvaring. It seemed like everything from regular Ortho was too strong and the ring was too little. I've been on birth control since I was 17 (now I'm 26) and have tried it all. I mainly stayed on because of cramping and digestive trouble I used to experience around my period. For about 3 months Yaz was great- no mood swings, my cramp pain was cut in half, and my sex drive lost on the ring came back. However, after about the 5th month, I started to notice the same side effects as other posters; headaches, night sweats, fatigue, numbness in my legs, moodiness, zero libido, and the carpal tunnel in my wrists would increase in pain by 10 fold, etc. In fact, it was getting so bad, that my husband was getting annoyed with me saying I was always tired even though I would sleep 8 hours and not have any other outside stressors impacting my sleep patterns. We almost divorced over the stupid, but outrageous, fights I would pick for no reason at all! I would get so irritated at the smallest thing. It was like a switch would flip and I couldn't turn it off! I couldn't figure out why I was so fatigued- I exercise and eat right (I'm a nutritionist)and have played sports for years!. The depressing feelings bothered me because I know that eating right and exercising keeps serotonin levels at an even keel- that's what I do for a living! Mine were way off for no reason! It got to the point that my friends noticed a huge change in my personality- I used to be the life of the party, and now I would rather stay in instead of go out and socialize with my best friends and husband! Thank you for writing these blogs. I can't wait to feel normal again! I'd rather deal with the cramps or take some homeopathic remedy than deal with this horrible drug. There is a great article on cnn.com about birth control pills and libido/ side effects. Just search for "the pill" and the article should come up.

Shame on me... I had read similar reviews when I was prescribed NuvaRing a year ago, and thought "Side effects vary among women", but the general consensus seems to be that WE are the majority, not the "occasional" exception.

I have been experiencing many of the same disastrous effects of the Ring for the past 12 months I have been on it. Depression, ZERO SEX DRIVE, headaches, intense mood swings that lead to physical aggression, frequent (nearly daily) uncontrollable crying, anxiety, more vaginal discharge, pain after sex (on the rare occasion that it DOES happen) and overall a poor outlook on life. It's ruining my relationship with a wonderful man, who (bless his heart) is nearly at the end of his rope dealing with me and all the tribulations listed above.

To those of you who thought you were crazy, BEFORE you blame yourself, consider that the Ring may be a contributing factor.

I am a 31 year old mother of a beautiful 13 month old daughter. From the age of 15 to age 23 I was on a birth control pill (I do not remember which one...I think it was Ortho Tri-Cyclen.). When I decided to stop taking the pill at age 23, I noticed a HUGE change in my personality. I felt much better/happier and had an increased sex drive. Going forward, I decided not to take hormones if I could help it.

Prior to the birth of my daughter, we tried the diaphram with spermicide and I had a reaction to the spermicide. My boyfriend would lose his erection any time we tried condoms. I did try the NuvaRing (hormones) and HATED that; it made me feel like my head was going to explode. I ended up pregnant, had my daughter and, after the birth of my daughter, tried the copper IUD. My body rejected that and it was a bad experience. I felt like I had no other choice, but to try the birth control pill again. I approached it with a positive attitude and was hopeful.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH LOESTRIN 24:

Dear women and concerned spouses,

Today is the sixth day I have been on Loestrin 24. I started taking YAZ and had diarrhea so bad that I had to switch after day two of taking the YAZ product. On day three, I started Loestrin 24 and (like I said previously) have been on it for almost a week. I went from being energetic, happy and sensual to the polar opposite.

The signs of depression and anxiety were almost immediate, but I was trying to give it a chance. It is not worth it to me any longer, as I have been upset with my boyfriend and crying almost every day. You might think it is coincidence, but it is not. I know my body and my mind; this behavior is not me. I have not been reacting rationally and I have been extremely emotional. I am an emotional person to some degree, but this is REDICULOUS. I have a constant feeling of irrational fear in our relationship and severe anxiety. I am aware enough to recognize that these feelings are not natural and that something is wrong and the problem is NOT with me.

The first day I took Loestrin 24, I had the shakes and felt very cold. Anxiety accomodated these physical effects. The second day of taking the YAZ product, I noticed a cramp in my right leg. By the time I was into my second day of Loestrin 24, I felt an aching in both my legs and lower back pain...both of which have NOT gone away. My periond stopped by the second day on YAZ, but started again with the first pill of Loestrin 24. This may be due to a change in pills, but it has not stopped since.

If you or someone you know is experiencing sadness and unusual behavior, or even a relapse in depression, the birth control pill may have something to do with it. I have been doing quite a bit of research on all birth control pills and the effects of depression that they have on women. I am speaking from experience and, so far, Loestrin 24 has been the worst at causing me symptoms of fear, depression, anxiety and just an overall helpless feeling. These leg cramps have me fearing blood clots, as well. Some of the other women on here have noted these leg and back pains, as well.

If I could find a non-hormonal solution to birth control (other than abstinence) I would use it.

Some women do fine on the pill and, obviously, some do not. I say, "Give it a try!", but listen to your body and that little voice in your head telling you that something might be wrong...it is usually right.

I have taken 4 Femcon pills. I only eat homemade salads. I ate one at 6pm. At 4am the next morning, I began vomiting for 4 hours straight. Toast, crackers, pepto - nothing helped. Yesterday, I couldn't even eat anything. Today, I couldn't even push down 3 bites of salad. After FOUR days only, I cannot fit into the jeans I have been wearing since 9th grade. I am 22 and my hips are the size of kansas. My husband has noticed larger breasts, but I can't tell. I am very very moody, my headaches have been terrible! I take 2 Excedrin migraine every 4 hours but no relief. It's Christmas time so doctors are closed, but I will not take anymore. Fortunately I got samples. Who hs left femcon for something else and found a better product? There was no discussion between doctor and I about what pill would be best. I just told her I can't swallow pills and she gave me this. I just got married and this is my first BC pill. I do not like condoms. Someone please recommend something good!!

I used loestrin for a little over a year. The first 6 months of taking this pill were great. I had a 1-2 day period which was wonderful. After 6 months I started with this abnormal discharge that was itchy. The itching turned into burning and everything down there would get swollen and red. I was tested for every STD there is and everything was negative. The doctor did find yeast a microscopic exam every time I was there. All these symptoms started in the second week of pills each month. I am now using the nuvaring and praying that the same thing does not happen with this. Did/Does anyone else have this problem?

ok so here is my story, mostly i just need to get stuff off my chest... i'm 25 and have been on some form of birth control since i was 16 - i was having 12-15 day periods and horrific cramps and back pain. i tried to take the pill and was on it til i was about 20 but i never once took it correctly, i missed doses all the time. so i went on the patch for 2 years and that was much easier to take but i started having numbness in my limbs and heard horror stories so i stopped that. tried the pill again, bad idea still couldn't take it right so i was very excited when i heard about the ring. i've been on it for about 2 years and it's so convenient and i really love it for controlling my period. but now as i read other people's posts i think it may be adding to my depression/anxiety. the hard part for me is depression is very prevalent in my family, all of my immediate family members are medicated for it. i've tried some medications but did not like the side effects and taking it and then forgetting it is worse so i stopped. so now i'm wondering and really confused as to whether my depression is more due to my family or my ring. i figure the easy way to find out is to take the thing out but i have no idea what my periods would be like and i do NOT want kids at this point. but i realize that my depression has been worse since about the time i started the ring, and the hard part is that i drive people away when im' depressed and am sabotaging to my relationships with family, friends, and bfs. the way my life is going right now i should not be feeling like this - i finally started grad school so i am doing what i love, i bought my first home and i have a man who is head over heels in love with me. i don't want this ring to make me into this monster and ruin all the good stuff i have going on.

to those who stopped using the ring, about how long did it take before you felt less depressed? i'm a little worried it will take longer since i've been on it for so long but crossing my fingers it won't.

thanks for listening to me vent!

I was using every excuse possible for what I have been experiencing. I started NR in May, now it's December, I was scheduled to take it out. Since I started I noticed acne, which I never had even in my teen years. I blamed it on the towels in the gym, stopped using those, then on the sweat from workout... kept trying new acne treatments, but acne magically disappears during the ring out days. I'm not sure if I can call depression, what I felt, it was like I'm never happy with anything and many days in a month my thoughts were very dark, unhappy. I noticed serious decrease in energy, blaming it on 2 children, but my son was a year old when I started NR and I had more energy before with newborn and a toddler daughter. Again I thought, he's so active... I have hard time getting out of bed, sometimes sleep is ok, sometimes no sleep for hours, but this happens to many people. night sweats I was blaming on the blanket, the thinnest one we have(my husband uses 2 at night), I was waking up many days in a month drenched in sweat. No discharge, yeast infection for me, lower sex drive. Even more interesting- I noticed the smell of my partner to be less attractive... Then I read in a magazine that BC messes up with the smell as well. I had horrible headaches, feeling I'm going to pass out< dizzy< especially if I was trying to rush(blamed it on rushing too much). I was growling(like my daughter said) at the kids with the smallest mischief, it's like a little bomb heating up and bursting in my head, I felt rage, not anger, total rage.Life has lost any appeal for me, this is not living, just suffering, I thought all the time. But here I am at home with two little children, hardly ever see friends, always doing work around the house, laundry. Hot flashes during the day are frequent and I feel like I want to tear my clothes off. Recently I started to have a lot of pressure in my chest, like it's hard to breathe. Just last week I almost went to the ER, because I was laying on the couch unable to speak out loud, just whispering, could not move. Then couple of days ago my heart started to ache, it aches now, so last night I looked up the side effects of NR, because I didn't even know where to start with this condition, that has all these symptoms I have been listing. I was planning to go to the doc for all the test. My stomach has been hurting slightly in the last 3-4 weeks(I thought it was food, but no one in our family had any problems). I am 28year old in great shape(I cut back on my food intake to keep th weight the same), I work out 2 times a week and have a very active lifestyle. My relationship with my husband is great, my children are well behaved for their age, So I'm stopping NR before I get divorced like some other women did. If you want to try NR go ahead, it's really convenient, but be aware of all these side effects, so you know, it's not something else, before it's too late.

Hi, i have been on NR for only 5 days, these 5 days have been VERY hard for me, my emotions are screwed all up, i feel sad and depressed when i have absolutely no reason to be. I have never felt this way before, not even during pregnancy. I have been getting headaches, i feel bloated and hungry all the time. I have even experienced flu like symptoms...shortness of breath along with body aches, unable to concentrate. I have been feeling VERY tired. I am a very active person, always on the go doing something... ever since i began NR i do not have the energy to do anything at all. I can not wait to go home and take this thing out of me!!!

I was on Nuvaring for one month and things were okay but not great - nausea and cramping. Then after taking it out for a week and putting it in for the second week I only made it 3 days before I thought I was going to die. I did the patch years ago, which admitting that raises eyebrows but that was a cakewalk compared to this! I feel like it's ruined me for good because I took it out two weeks ago and the symptoms aren't getting better - they're just changing. I feel pregnant and I know I'm not. I feel like I have cysts or something and I know I need to see a doctor. I'm so scared that using this for a grand total of 3 weeks 3 days has ruined me. I have heartburn, cramps, abdominal pain, swollen breasts, weight gain in the mid-section...this was THE worst idea ever!

I have Crohn's disease and have been on birth control since before my diagnosis. I use to have flare-ups of the disease every now and then (I was on Mircette). Then last year, I was put on Nortrel and my disease started acting WAY up. I was put on the NuvaRing two months ago and I am having even more flare-ups now. Is there anyone who has a digestive disease and have had their symptoms worsen with the NuvaRing?

I had my mirena inserted in March of 2008, after talking to two different doctors and doing a lot of research about my options. I had been on the pill but was really irregular about taking it (which renders it almost worthless). Next I used Nuvaring--a GODSEND when I was in college! I never had to worry about timing and just sent for another three month supply through the mail. I decided to get Mirena when I knew my insurance would end when I graduated. I and 23, and have been in a monogamous relationship for six years which means my risk of contracting an STD which would lead to PID (which can be very very serious when you have an IUD, and the IUD makes it easier to develop PID) is low. My docs also told me the reason they usually only like to insert Mirena into women who have had children is these women's cervixes aren't as tight and closed as a woman, like myself, who has never had kids. This didn't effect insertion for me--it was a breeze after a few ibuprofen.

I've had my Mirena for over 8 months now, and after the first 3 months or so my cramps (which were in my lower back and were very sharp) and my bleeding (which lasted about a month) were gone. I had periods for a few more months..but I have been COMPLETELY period/cramps/bloating/mood swing free for the past 4 months. I'm very happy about Mirena! A little acne, but NOT a big deal. Please remember these posts are almost all by women who have had bad experiences...What about those of us who have had good experiences? Mirena, like any hormonal contraceptive, effects different women in different ways.

Wow, some really interesting stories about NuvaRing on here. I had never head about it until 3 weeks ago when getting my annual, I brought up using Seasonale birth control and my doctor told me about the Ring, so he gave me a sample and sent me on my way. It was really convenient - except when I started having sex, I would take it out and put it back in afterwards. Not sure if that was smart or not. I took it out Friday of last week, and Monday started spotting brown blood - thought this was normal. Tuesday morning around 9:30 am I had severe cramps, headache and could barely walk when the cramps came. I got lightheaded and short of breath. Finally, when I went to the bathroom I had wiped and noticed pure blood (Im sure most can tell the difference between period blood and bleeding from an infection of some sort), when I looked down I saw a large mass of some sort. I freaked out because a friend had had a miscarriage and this looked exactly like it. I called the doctor who advised me to collect it and come in asap. I did have sex that weekend I was off it so I freaked out.

When I went in I was advised it was a side effect of the Ring. It was called a decidua cast, basically a linin of your uterus that is formed when pregnant, a lot of times this is shed due to an ectopic pregnancy. Ever sense then I have had the worst period EVER! Constant bleeding, I have to change my pad every 1-2 hours instead of 3-4 (I am afraid to use a tampon right now after this). The blood clots are just horrible.

I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND NUVARING!

I was so amazed to see so many people having the same side effects as I am. I thought I was just stressed out from working full time, being a full tine student in college and a single mother of a 3 year old. I have not had this much acne on my face since I was in high school and I am 28 years old. I have gained so much weight that most of my old clothes don't fit anymore and I don't have the money to buy new clothes. My mirena was inserted in May 2008. After reading these blogs, I think I will get it taken out, but I would hate to get back on the birth control pill and I had a bad experience with Nuvaring too. I read in a magazine that what Mirena does is make the uterus uninhabitable for the fertilized egg to grow, so this means we are pregnant every month and pass the fertilized egg out with our menstrual cycles.

so happy to have found this site! I have been taking loestrin 24 since mid July, making it almost five months on this medicine. IT IS HORRIBLE. to say the least. for almost a year and a half I was on NuvaRing, which surprisingly I liked, aside from the almost 20 lb weight gain and virtually no sex drive. Who needs birth control if you don't have a sex drive? So anyway, I switched to loestrin 24 in July. BIG MISTAKE. for the first few weeks of this pill I lost all appetite and hardly ate a thing. In the past few months I have been experiencing incredible anxiety, uncontrollable thoughts, and depression. This pill is messing with my head! It almost cost me and my boyfriend of two years our relationship because of the way it makes me crazy. I experience increased heart rate, especially when I wake up and strange leg cramps. I have always been funny, outgoing, and upbeat about life until this pill. This past weekend I was a social recluse and just felt like being alone. I cry over the littlest things and am so irritable when someone says the slightest things. I have been overly mean to my mom, sister and boyfriend over the simplest things. Something is not right with this pill. I thought I was just losing my mind until I read all these other posts. Thank goodness I'm not alone. I had an appt. with my OBGYN today, told her all my symptoms, and she gave me a trial pack of Femcon FE. I am very wary to start them because I have read it has very similar side effects to Loestrin. Has anyone found a good birth control that actually makes them a happy, normal person?! Jeeze, I am ready to swear off hormonal birth control for good! Please let me know if anyone has any experience with switching from Loestrin to Femcon? I just want to be my old, happy self again!

I stumbled upon this site looking for side effects of a new BC I am about to start called Loestrin and after reading the horror stories about it, I was about to throw it out. I decided to look at the Nuvaring board because I was on it for 2 1/2 years and was curious to see what was said about it. Had I read this prior to starting the Nuvaring I probably wouldn't have given it a chance. I loved Nuvaring. It was so convenient and I had no side effects at all from it and my cycle was so regular and predictable. I had a yeast infection and vaginitis in the 2 1/2 year period but I don't think it was due to the ring. Unfortunately, I have to change BC to Loestrin due to Endometriosis symptoms that the ring wont help with so I searched it and was discouraged by the reports but now I feel better giving it a try after seeing these posts because I had no problems at all with Nuvaring. I would recommend trying it if you are looking for convenience and regulation.

When the ring first came out, I used it for about 2 years. It was great. No problems, no side effects whatsoever. I recently had a child and decided to start back up on the NuvaRing after a 3 year break with no BC. It was not the same as before, I was sick to my stomach all month, very dizzy, nausea and felt like I was pregnant again. After that first month of torture I decided to try one more month, thinking that I was just adjusting to it. And second month just the same. I decided to switch to Pills, which I forgot to take constantly and made me feel even worse than the ring. I really do think that something changed with the Nuvaring because it had never done me wrong in the past, and it would be my only option of BC to go back to... but now I really don't know what to do. What a shame. It was so convenient too.

I responded to a previous post but don't see it here so I'll post again. The post I was responding to suggested that maybe it was a different ring than the past rings:

You may have something there, regarding a change in the ring's chemistry. I'm 47, and I've been on it, happily, for 4 years. Just this last month I had my period and, at 4 weeks am still having it with large clots coming out. (I went through 3 boxes of 40 tampons, 2 boxes of 20 and 2 packages of pads. I'm extremely dizzy and sleep 12-14 hours a day, still waking up exhausted. I went to my natural doctor and he gave me some supplements that usually help immediately, but still I bleed. I've decided to take the ring out after reading all of these posts. Have you stopped? I'm hoping to get my life back. I've had no energy to do anything, I love the beach (live 3 minutes from it) and went ONCE this whole summer. I've read that some women feel better within a day or so of taking it out - any thoughts? Also, I, too, went through a period in June/July of extremely high blood pressure. I'm normally 120/80 and I skyrocketed to 250/120....felt like I was going to collapse. I also couldn't sleep which is SO not like me. I love my sleep. I went to the doc thinking it was my hormones. He said "If you're on BC your hormones are regulated, so I don't want to do a panel." He then prescribed Ambien for a few days just so I could get some sleep. Three days later I couldn't stop crying and was extremely depressed. I thought it was the Ambien. I never thought about it being the ring, just thought it was my high-pressure job. I really wonder if they've changed it in the past few months. There are lawsuits against NuvaRing - does anyone know about these? Take Care.

Okay WOW! So interestingly enough, I was out w/ a friend last night and when I mentoned to him that I have Mirena-he pleaded with me to google it and find out the troubles that ppl were having. He said He almost lost his wife because of it(and by lost- I mean death) That got my attention. I told him, I thought I didn't have any problems with my Mirena... I don't even have a period ever-its great! I am truly glad he told me to look, and I am glad I read the other problems women were having. I had symptoms, that I didn't even realize I had; basically blaming it on stress or other things. I have Narcolepsy which is a sleeping disorder, and recently I was diagnosed with Fibromaylgia (s/p?) Anyways I have had my Mirena for a lil over a year; I chose it because I absolutely suck at remembering to take the "pill" everyday and I am a single mom, and I told myself I will not be in this position again with another child. (I know- a lot of "ands"...lol) Well Here is my symptoms that I didn't realize could be related. I had a nervous breakdown at Christmas last year.... I called my dad and told him he needed to go get my daughter because I didn't think she was 'safe' with me, I was balling my eyes out... I was so stressed and full of anxiety and the littlest thing would set me off-AND I knew it wasn't my babys fault, I didn't want her anywhere near me! I went to the doctor and got treated for - you guessed it manic depression/anxiety ( I have had a history of it- but NEVER this bad) She came home after a few days. However, I still get easily irritated, more easily then I should- normally I am a very patient person. I sleep all the time....ALL THE TIME, I suffer from eccessive Fatigue, and nothing I take seems to help. weight gain-yep I got that too... I am the heaviest I have ever been in my life! I weigh more now then I did when I was nine months preg. with my daughter. Bloating.... yep I got Bloating, I don't feel comfortable in any of my clothes- I absolutely hate to wear Jeans anymore, and Yes I do suffer the 'gas' problem too. I was completely embarrassed and thought I was all alone on the fear of making it to the bathroom on time... I am a grown woman of 30 (so I am still kinda young to have any problems like that!) Oh yeah...I do have the Hot flashes, people would tease me and tell me I was too young for that-DUH! I want to enjoy my daughter, she will be 4 years old in march, I want energy to do the simple things, to enjoy life again, I want to feel attractive again.... honestly right now I feel kinda hideous.... So I have two major positive I am facing... no pill to take everyday, and no period!!!! If I go have it removed; what will my cycle be like? will I bleed all the time, will it just last a long time at first and then regulate, I guess I would like to have a heads up on what to expect. then there is one more question... If I remove the Mirena and choose a different IUD; will it have the same side effects? I need a B.C. option that doesn't require me taking a pill everyday, and I already tried the depo-shot that was a bad one for me.... that was like one long, on-going period that never stopped(don't want that-lol) So if Anyone out there has any advice, I would greatly appreciate it! Thank you so much!

Hi, Ive had the Mirena for 2 weeks now and it has been TERRIBLE, I have had terrible sharp pains off and on... I have never had kids but is a contraction like the pain that I am feeling? My doctor suggested that I have it put it since I felt sick with the pill and specially if I am not ready to have a baby yet. I've been married six months now.... I don't know if this will go away and I don't know what to do, the only thing good about this is that my sex drive is much better, lol... but this is terrible what should I do? Should I have it taken out and will it hurt?

I am very confused now what to do. I came to my computer because I have been so emotional lately I cry at everything. Commercials, songs, I mean EVERYTHING. Tonight I started crying and couldn't stop. I have NEVER been this depressed in my life. I thought maybe it was the weather, the change of life ( I got married May 31st) I admit that probably has something to do with it, but there is no reason to cry at everything. I haven't been feeling very well lately but did not contribute it to the mirena at all. Now I'm not sure. I got the mirena in June 2007. It was painful to put in for me but I have not had a child so it did hurt but I knew it would. Before I got it put in I did so much research, talked to the Dr. I work for, women at work who had one and the gyno that put it in. All had good things to say, it sounded perfect because I am bad at taking pills, allergic to latex and had horrible reactions to the NuvaRing so there isn't a whole lot left. At first things were good, I had messed up periods but nothing bad so I just coped. I have been feeling nausea, ab pain, cramps, pain in my sides and back, dizziness, bloating, the belly "pooch" , hair loss, acne, no sex drive, just really run down and so emotional. I have been contributing it to everything I could think of and didn't even consider the mirena for causing those symptoms until I saw this site. I really don't know what to do though because my husband and I are not ready for a child but I can't really use anything else. I want to give it more time because its so easy but I don't know if I or my husband can take these emotions. I really am crying over everything. I know these symptoms are rare and supposed to lessen but I can't put up with this much longer i don't know what to do. If anyone has feel like they got over these or they just get worse or if you recommend I remove them please let me know. Thank You

I started using Nuvaring 4 months ago. Im 26 years old. Nausea started like 2 weeks after I started using the ring, but I never related it to the ring since my GYN didn't tell me about possible side effects. The first 2 weeks the ring slipped out until it became really uncomfortable to the point that I thought it would come out when I sat on the toilet. So, I developed my anti-slip technique after reading the leaflet (that says it doesn't matter the shape inside), to fold it in two rings like an eight, so when it gets in, it would be open like butterfly and it wouldn't slip out. It worked out great and didn't slip out. I wasn't aware of the ring at all, not even when I had sex. It didn't bother my husband or me. However, the nausea got worse and worse with the time. There is nothing in the world that I hate the
most than to vomit and I try very hard to avoid it.

Also, I start getting really nervous for everything, first I thought it was because of the nausea, but then I started getting paranoid about vomiting in front of everyone or on the street. Then it started developing more and more to the point where I was so nauseous I couldn't be 15 feet away from a bathroom. The nausea was permanent, so I couldn't ride the subway. I also got subway-phobic, more like a claustrophobia mixed with nerves, and I felt I was about to lose my mind. I couldn't be around masses of people or the subway and that is kind of impossible in New York City. I has horrible panic attacks, e.g, fast heart beat, crazy sweating, nausea, dizziness and shortness of breath. I feel every time I was riding or underground with a bunch of people that I was running out of air. I cried all the time because of my subway phobia and felt it was nonsense, since I have been living in New York for a while and using the subway all the time. I barely went out of my apartment for almost three months and at some point I was really afraid of going outside just to my doctor appointments.

The paranoia, anxiety and nervousness was out of control. So anxious that I complained to myself about how slow I walked, even though I was almost running to get to places. I wanted everything to be fast with no reason. Not to mention that in addition I had some capillaries or broken little blood vessels in my legs they were blue and purple. I was previously been using Ortho Evra, which I stopped taking because I felt lots of pressure in my legs and when I was lying down or sleeping I felt like pins or needles in different parts of my legs. And I also broken capillaries. I was really concerned with my use of Ortho Evra.

The worst part of my situation was the severe depression I experienced with Nuvaring. I am a very positive woman. I love nature and being outdoors. I have always considered myself strong and I rarely if ever cry. Well these three nightmare months were all about crying. Once I was in a ballgame with my husband, we both love baseball. I start feeling so nauseous and bad that I start crying but trying hard to contain myself of expressing because i didn't want to make my husband upset. Thank god my husband is a understanding and patient person.

I spend almost all day at home waking up really late or sleeping all day, feeling nauseous but, don't get me wrong, I was really hungry. As soon as I ate I got nauseous. I felt in the top of my stomach really nauseous and in the bottom of my stomach really hungry. I became totally intolerant of wine or coffee, and eventually even water. I lost all interest in the gym, or making new friends or meeting my old friends, just crying and crying for no reason. I lost interest of everything, when I thought of something to do, 5 seconds later I was thinking of how negative that activity was even if my first thought was...this could be interesting. I lost interest in life, even though I love my life and love myself. I'm a newly wed, I didn't have problems of any kind. I'm a happy and positive person. My husband was looking at me weird at some point. When people were speaking to me I was like on Mars looking at the infinite. That is scary! I have never had mental problems or anything like that.

My husband told me I was completely another person and that he felt I wasn't the person he married. I consulted our family doctor who referred a gastro for my uncontrollable nausea. I was loosing weight really fast - 14 pounds in total - and I am very thin and that was concerning. The gastro prescribed some antibiotics, thinking was some kind of infection and
prescribed medicine for the acid, both of which made the situation even worse. I never talk to him about the depression because I couldn't identify my negativity and depressed feelings with my stomach. I got really constipated and even more depressed. Also I got night sweats that would wake me up. I didn't see anyway this would end.

The gastro told me that he couldn't figure it out and my lab test came out with good results. So his next step would be a endoscopy to see what was going on. Every day I was trying to return to normal activities like riding the subway, going shopping, walk some, etc. I went to a store one day. Like 10 minutes later, I felt really dizzy, couldn't see very well, sweating, nauseous and about to faint. I left the store really fast throught the elevator
(the fastest way to leave, so my problem wasn't quite claustrophobia) And I went home thinking of how miserable I have been these days and how much I hate it of course crying like a baby. I had to cancel at the last minute a wedding in the Caribbean of a friend that I really wanted to go. And the fact of missing the wedding was so sad that I started thinking of all the medications I was taking.

Of course the ring was not taken by mouth and I wasnt aware of it, just when it was time to change it. I start reading all the leaflets that comes with the medicines and voila the ring side effects are bloating, nauseas, vomit, depression, weight loose or weight gain, among other serious side
effects.

I took out the ring two Sundays ago, Oct 19, and the nausea considerably lowered down after a few hours after I took it out. It has been lowering down gradually since I took it out. The nausea comes like a wave, but is not constant as it had been, and is coming less often. I haven't feel depression since Wednesday, Oct 29. And I am getting better
every day. I don't know when all these symptoms will disappear, but I hope really soon. I just know that this hit me really strong and I don't wish this to anybody. Stay away from ,Nuvaring!! I know not all the bodies are the same or have the same reaction, but, If you have to choose, don't use hormonal contraceptives. Please look reviews before you try a medicine, so you are aware of the side effects. Make your family aware so that if you have strange behavior they could let you know. The doctor told me that it will take two weeks or more to get rid of the hormones in my body.

Looking for an alternative I found a natural way called cycle beads that I will try, and there is also the rhythm method. The only good thing about the ring it is that keeps you from getting pregnant and you just think of it once a month when you're taking it out. That's it! I felt I have wasted 3 months of my life, but I am willing to recover and enjoy my precious health these future months.

I have been on the NuvaRing for about 6 months or so and have not experienced any real significant symptoms until this week. Wednesday night I had pain that started in my left leg. It was sharp, tingling, radiating pain that ran up and down my leg. The pain then went to my chest. The pain was a burning, sharp pain and I felt a lot of pressure in my entire chest wall; the pain extended all the way to my back and it go worse when I breathed in. This chest pain lasted for about 15-20 minutes. Then, it sort of became intermittent--it would leave, and come back and then leave and come back. Eventually it completely went away, but I was scared so I went to the ER to be assessed. My admitting blood pressure was 173/110. I was SHOCKED! The thing is, I have been having high BP readings consistently for about a month, averaging about 145/85 ish. They did an EKG, Chest Xray, and lots of blood work and took a urine sample. Everything came back normal! My first thought before I went to the ER was that it could have been a blood clot, but my leg didn't swell at all. They told me it could have been an anxiety attack, but I've experienced those before and chest pains associated with it, and this pain was unlike any pain I have felt before. I was just wondering if anyone else had similar symptoms? I have an appointment with my doctor on Monday and I'm thinking I'm going to take the ring out.

I have tried the NuvaRing off and on over the past year. My journey started because every pill I tried gave me mild to severe headaches for 3 to 10 days a month. I have not had headache issues with NuvaRing -- yeah!!

BUT -- here is the kicker. I take Zoloft too. When on the pill and taking Zoloft, my anxiety was under control. When I use the NuvaRing and Zoloft I spin into anxiety mode again, almost as if the Zoloft doesn't work at all.

I am 39 and my spouse won't do something permanent. I feel really trapped.
Does anyone have any suggestions?

My gyn wants me to get the mirena. I am 28 and have a blood clotting disorder for which I take blood thinners. I had an embolism while on Nuvaring in March. Anyway, because of the blood thinners I bleed 25 days out of a 28 day cycle and there is nothing they can do about it...so the gyn suggested MIRENA. I'm a bit scared because I have not had any babies yet and I DO want to get pregnant within the next 5 years and start a family. The gyn assured me that I would not have any fertility problems and that Mirena was a wonderful device. I am still skeptical. What if I become depressed? What if the cramping is too much? It seems like a lot to go through ...the insertion, the risks etc. and what if I hate it? I am leaning towards asking for the mini-pill instead (progestrin only). The idea of having something inserted into my uterus frightens me.

I havent tried Nuvaring yet.... I just got back from the doctor with some free samples. I'm on the Ortho Evra patch currently and I have side effects that made me concerned enough to try something different. I was on the Depo shot for 4 years. I decided to get off of it after I had cycts removed from my ovaries and had pre cancerous cells removed. Which the doctors said would lower my chances of having children. I decided to take a whole year off of birth control. To give my body a chance to "recover". The only problem I had was my periods kept getting longer and longer and more frequent. Next thing I know the doctors tell me I have Polycystic Ovarian Disease. Which also lowers the chance of having children because of the irregular bleeding. The pill makes me so nautious I couldn't stand it so I thought I'd try the patch. Now I have menstrual cramps when I'm not ovulating, I'm so moody its not even funny, I'm eating all the time and tired 24/7. The only thing it did do was regulate my period. Which is what I wanted... But I've only been on it for two months. My doctor told me you cant even feel the Nuvaring and it has a low dose of estrogen so I wont be moody. But reading all of the comments and stories.... I think I'm just going to not be on any birth control and see if my body naturally regulates itself. If I was using the birth control just to avoid pregnancy it would be different, I would want to be on at least something. But I'm glad to know I'm not the only one that thinks birth control is evil and causes alot more problems than doctors tell you. So I think I'm just gonna toss my free samples of Nuvaring, get off the patch and see what my body does naturally.