NuvaRing side effects

I was only on NuvaRing for a month and had/have experienced serious side effects. I am currently fighting a second ovarian cyst with severe abdominal tenderness. I know these are typical, however, my first one came one week after stopping NuvaRing. As did many others, I experienced a lot of pain during intercourse and my husband could feel the plastic rubbing him which caused quite a bit of discomfort. In addition to the side effects, insurance does not cover the product well and it cost me $47.50! I wouldn't reccomend the product but I think it is necessary to keep in mind that all forms of birth control work differently for each individual. If it works for you great, but if you begin to see any signs or symptoms out of the ordinary, take it out and consult your physician. (Remember when you take it out to use a back up method.)

I have been on the NuvaRing for about 3 months. Just after I started it...maybe two weeks later I got the worst case of heartburn ever. I had never had heart burn before. I had just eaten a big meal so I thought it was that. Then a few weeks later I had another severe case of heartburn that lasted all day. I threw up and by night time my back was in so much pain I almost went to the ER. Finally fell asleep and woke up the next day and it was as if nothing had happened.
Went to the doctor and they tested for ulcers and found nothing. Had a few more minor bouts of heartburn in the next 2 weeks. Then this morning...same thing. Strong heartburn which has gotten worse through out the day and not my back is in serious pain. Just hoping to get to sleep. Called my doctor and told her about this possibility and she had never heard of this. She told me to remove the ring to see if there is a correlation. Removed it a few hours ago. If the heartburn goes away and doesn't come back I will have an answer.
I eat quite healthy and am not overweight. I exercise regularly and don't take any other medication. Has anyone else experienced this with the nuvaring?

I'm 20 years old, a wife and a mother to a beautiful 1 1/2 old baby boy. I've been on the NR for 4 days now, before that I was on the Depo-Shot for 1 1/2 yrs. I choose to get on the Depo b/c i got pregnant with my son while I was on the pills. So far I've been experiencing REALLY bad breast tenderness, and Swollen nipples along with BAD veins going around my nipples...and I have MORE discharge coming out of my nipples( Even before I got on the NR i had some discharge and milk that never dried up from having my son ) Is this normal???? My chest hurts soooo damn bad that i have to hold my chest and keep my arms from brushing against them. I could understand getting side effects later, but not this soon....maybe I'm just crazy, but this really hurts, and the veins aren't very attractive. Not to mention, I have really bad nausea. If anyone could please reply to me, and let me know if this is normal or not, I would really appreciate it a lot.

I've been on NuvaRing for over one year and last month I missed my period and now this month my period has not started. I'm not pregnant and am starting to experience extreme headaches and nausea. I'm calling my doctor tomorrow.

I have used the NuvaRing for a little over a year. I've been getting yeast infections almost every time I have sex. yeast infections and Bacterial vaginosis. I have had over 8 in the past year. I get the same medication. it goes away, but comes right back after I have sex. I don't know if it is the Ring or if it something else that is serious.

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 am set to begin taking Nuvaring as soon as I get off my period this week. I got it from my campus health center and the resident ob/gyn said it had the same side effects as other forms of BC. This is the first time I will have started BC and am honestly a little nervous after reading these reviews. I am in college so any unwanted weight gain is the last thing I need. Also, I don't have sex that much but I am worried about the sex drive issue. I have issues with fatigue and insomnia already so I am also worried about these side effects. The ob/gyn never said anything about this stuff to me, so I am just going to try it and see what happens. I'll let you know!

Hi there. I was researching possible side effects with Nuvaring and found this board.

Lately, I've been irritable, I've been sleeping so much, I have no energy to do anything.. I went on Nuvaring due to my fiancee and I needing some kind of protection against pregnancy, since we're both in college and (well, you know the drill). I thought that my decreased sex drive was stress related.. until I found this board.

I love my fiancee. We make some great love together. Lately though, I haven't wanted him to touch me.. In fact there's been fights about it. It's only been since I got on Nuvaring. At first it was great.. the increased lubrication etc. But now, I really think this is more of a hassle than anything.. It hurts when we do have sex, it's decreasing my sex drive insanely.. I hate it.

I'm gaining weight.. I used to be 112 pounds, I am now 120 lbs. I have only been on this for two months.. I'm afraid on what could happen if I stay on it any longer.

I have mood swings, headaches, and sleep 12 hours even if I go to bed early.. The headaches are severe, and I have weird stomach pains.

My suggestion to anyone who comes to this board, is to forget about Nuvaring. It's a hassle; more of a hassle than it's worth. If you read up on google more, you'll find there is a lawsuit against the makers of Nuvaring as well.

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.

Boy I'm glad to have found this blog today. And I'll have you know that after reading through all the terrible side effects everyone has had, including myself, I went straight to the bathroom and took that darned ring out. Here I was thinking that something was wrong with me not wanting to have sex with my wonderful man, and why would I when it hurt like hell when we actually did. So I'm looking forward to sex twice a day again, WOO HOO!
Stupid ring!

Oh, and I was just recently in the hospital with severe abdominal pain. I had been in pain for about 6 days so went in to get checked out. They found that I had 2 massive cysts on my ovaries that had ruptured. I think the Ring may have had something to do with that. I had never once had that problem prior to now....

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 have been on Nuvaring for almost 3 years now since I had my second child. I haven't had many issues with it and actually really enjoy not having to remember to take a pill every day. However, in the past few months out of nowhere I am now experiencing extreme dizziness, which I've never experienced before. I am not sick nor have a cold or sinus infection. I have not changed my eating habits and work out regularly. Now after reading this I am really tempted to take the ring out and look into other options. Since the birth of my second child my sex drive has been nothing - so I don't even really need it because I don't even have sex because I don't want to. I've always had mild depression but I am definitely more irritable and depressed now - of course I also have an extra kid and more stress in my life - so I'm definitely not blaming my mood on the ring. However, the dizziness is just strange! I think I'll definitely talk to my doc after reading these posts!

I googled Nuvaring and side effects and so glad i found this sight! I have had external vaginal itching and thought maybe it was due to dry skin. The last time I had sex it was uncomfortable. I feel great when it's time to take the Nuvaring out. At first it was great because it was somewhat lubricating and sex was more pleasant. But after being on it for 6 months, things have changed. I too have to wear a pantiliner 'round the clock because of discharge. I'm thinking i'm better off going back on the pill. I was on YAZ and the only problem with taking the pill is REMEMBERING to take it!!!
Thanks to all of you for your posts!

This nuvaring is making me CRAZY! I've been on it for two months for which I can say has been the worst two months of my life. I hate everyone and I think everyone hates me now!

I have just about every side effect that everyone else has listed..lets see: crying..yelling..screaming...not wanting to get out of bed...depressed out of my mind...bad dreams...sweating in my sleep...chest pains...vaginal stuff..pain after sex...discharge...itchy...you name it! NO SEX DRIVE at all. We used to have sex 2 times a day..now I could care less...sex drive gonzo~!

My boyfriend thinks I am crazy..he suggested me to see the side effects. (I have been on an anti-depressant for about 4 years).

I am so grateful to have stumbled across this website.

I will try and do an update after I get off of this RING of HELL!!

I totally agree, most people come to sites like this to complain, if you liked your BC then you would not spend the time to come to a site and say hey I am happy. I have never had a problem and I have used it for 6 years....like I always say, one size does not fit all...find what works for you....there is NO way I can take Oral BC....too many problems, side effects etc...to each their own

OMG! I had to write again! I cannot forget about the yeast and bacterial infections! Wow!

After reading this I feel inclined to write. I am a 35 year old mother of 2. I decided to use NuvaRing as my bc after having the morena (sp?) IUD taken out due to weight gain and excessive acne. I was really excited about the ring as pills make me feel pregnant i.e. go to bed early and force myself to eat saltines.
I have in the past 4+ years of being on this drug noticed huge mood swings and definite lowered sex drive. This is suppose to be my sexual prime and man, I feel like a dead fish. I am recently separated and filing for divorce so it is interesting to think that all my husbands comments about my mood, over the years, may have been directly due to the NuvaRing. I thought that he was being insensitive (which he has always been guilty of).
Don't get me wrong...my marriage was abviously not strong enough to withstand such hormonal turmoil especially for this length of time, however, this is all very interesting. I have felt rageful around ovulation time. I cannot keep from yelling. Also prior to my period I am again feeling a little crazy. I had excessive eating and drinking due to depression but some of that could be my unhappy relationship.
I did have leg cramps mostly at night that I did not understand. Nausea seems to hit mostly at night and headaches were something that happened off and on. The fatigue I remember off and on over the years.
I believe that I was one of the first people to try this drug and was very happy with it. I always recommend it to others. I thought it was wonderful. I did go off at one point and remembered why I need regulation...My periods are long, heavy, painful, horrible and irregular.
I am due to put the ring back in tomorrow, however I will be heading down the road of recovery alone, with out my beloved NuvaRing that may have led me astray long ago.

I love my NuvaRing. But don't get me wrong, I have had severe side affects (vaginal swelling tenderness, chronic yeast infections, Vaginitis, painful sex, gas, bloating, fatigue, anxiety, weight gain, no sex drive, engorged breasts, clear skin, leg cramping, you name it I have probably had it) with it some of the effects are just normal for birth control or my not so perfect lifestyle). I have been on NuvaRing for 2 and a half years. I have had many drastic changes in my life while on the medication. I will not blame it on the Ring, but I won't say it was something else.
I loved the NuvaRing when I first got on it. It was strictly for BC, not to regulate my cycle or bypass cramping or anything else. The first year I was on it, I was a sophomore in college. My stress level was normal for a college student on scholarship, I was anxious and sleepless even before starting the NuvaRing. So when I started it, I remained the same. The first few months were fine. After a while, I began to get easily irritated and snapped easily. Again I was a college student, handling more than I should have. I had 18 hrs. in courses, a full time job, and a part-time job. So I just thought it was me, it couldn't have been my BC. Again sleepless and anxiety were a way of life.
I have always struggled with weight. I'll admit I was 198 lbs. when I started NuvaRing. I am slightly ashamed to admit that I now weigh 255 lbs. Granted: I have poor eating habits and exercise for me is walking to my car.
But this year something changed. I graduated college (cum laude) and started my career. I don't feel the stress of college anymore and I thought I would have no anxiety, my sleeplessness would dissipate, my patience back, and frankly would return to what was normal for me
Now for some of the negativity.
My parents have noticed my irritability and my weight gain. (who hasn't its pretty obvious). They never said anything, until I one day just couldn't take it anymore. I yelled at my parents (I have never done anything like that before) and I cried all night. The next day, my boyfriend called and I for some odd reason did not want to talk to him, yelled at him, and hung up. Not really a nice way to treat someone you love so dearly.
I have been short tempered and honestly don't see why anyone puts up with me. After I yell at people (the anxiety and short temper) I always feel so bad and end up crying for hours. Even the little things will make me cry. I was always an emotional basket case, but I was never a crier. I now cry for no apparent reason at everything.
Because of my gift of forgetfulness: a few months ago (5 to be exact) I forgot to take my ring out for the one week. I put it in a week late. Ever since then my body has been out of whack. I have suffered major depression. I struggle to get out of bed in the mornings. I can't wait to get off work to come home and crawl back into bed. Not exactly the thoughts for a new college graduate doing her dream job. Some days my depression will control my life. Other days I feel like a normal person. If you ask anyone who knows me typically; I am a fun loving easy going patient person. I mean I gotta be: I became a special ed teacher. Lately I have suicide thoughts, as I lay awake for hours.When I fall asleep, I feel I could sleep for days. I attempt to get 8 hours of sleep a night, but usually end up with 2 maybe 3. Then there are days I will sleep all night, come home from work and go to bed at 4pm and sleep all night again.
I also have noticed that I crave food 24-7. I kept attributing it to my way of coping with everyday stress and my eating my emotions (emotional basket case, I know) I feel like I am constantly starving.
Why is it now that something has changed so dramatically. It is just me and my chaotic emotional basket case life or is it something directly linked to my method of BC? I have no honest idea, but I feel much better knowing that others out there have had great experiences with NuvaRing, and something then goes wonky. (for lack of a better word).

Does anyone know if maybe they changed the formula or something?

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.

I think it is very important to point out that most people posting on here only come with bad experiences, as those are the ones people are passionate enough to write about. Personally, I have been on the Nuvaring for several months now, and I absolutely love it. I experienced no nausea or headaches. The only thing I experiences was mild fatigue for the first month or so, but that resolved itself. I understand that not everyone has the same experience, but just recognize that everyone is always going to have some sort of problem with every single birth control method out there. You will never know what works for you until you try it. I know several women who use the Nuvaring and not one of them has a bad thing to say about it. So really, give it a try!

I met my fiance a little over two years ago. Initially our sex life was hot and heavy as is the case with most new relationships so we decided to look into some sort of birth control. Like most of you, I was attracted to the idea of not having to worry about taking a pill and the potential consequences of forgetting to take one. We started using the NuvaRing and I went from having an absolutely healthy and fulfilling sex life to now avoiding my fiance like the plague... The decreased libido side effect associated with using the NuvaRing is seriously life altering. It has been approximately 1 year now since I discontinued using it and I still have not regained my sex drive. Its definitely ruining my relationship and I don't see a wedding anywhere in the near future. I cannot urge enough women to avoid it at all costs... Find something else to use if you cherish your libido as much as I did. Best of luck ladies!

HI MY NAME IS NOEMI IM 27 ,MOTHER OF TWO 1 GIRL 4 YEARS OLD AND 1 BOY 1 YEAR OLD ,I USED THE NUVARING FOR THE TREE WEEKS THEN I TOOK IT OUT,AT THAT TIME I REALIZED I WAS VERY SCARED OF BEING PREGNANT BECAUSE I WAS FEELING VERY WEIRD I HAD THE CRAMPS MY BOOBS WERE BIGGER FEELING LIKE WHEN I WAS PREGNANT I WAS, WET ALL THE TIME SO UNCOMFORTABLE,FEELING SAD TIERED, SLEEPY .THEN I STARTED BLEEDING AND PASSING VERY BIG CLOTS ,THAT REALLY SCARE ME,I THOUGHT I WAS HAVING A MISCARRIAGE,I DID A P TEST IT CAME OUT NEGATIVE,SO I RELAX AND PUT ON THE NEW RING THE BLEEDING STOP ,THEN IT GOT WORSE WHEN MY BOOBS STARTED TO HURT ,I SQUEEZED MY NIPPLES AND NOTICED A WHITE FLUID COMING OUT I GOT SO SCARED I WAS SURE I WAS PREGNANT & DID ANOTHER P TEST ,NEGATIVE RESULT I TRIED TO CALM DOWN BUT AT THAT MOMENT I WAS SO MAD ,DEPRESSED HAVING TERRIBLE MIGRAINES ,TAKING EXCEDRIN 2 TIMES A DAY FEELING EXHAUSTED,SO I STARTED THINKING IT MIGHT BE THE NR I TALKED TO MY HUBBY AN HE AGREED HE SAID HE WAS GOING CRAZY ,NO SEX AN DEALING W A CRAZY BITCH SO I DECIDED TO TOOK IT OFF, AFTER 2 WEEKS ,2 DAYS LATER I HAD MY PERIOD W A DARK BROWN RED COLOR AND VERY BAD SMELL ,CRAMPS AND MORE CLOGS ITS BEEN A WEEK NOW AND I STILL FEEL MY BOOBS ENLARGED STILL FLUID COMING OUT IF I SQUEEZED THEM MY MOOD ITS GETTING BETTER AND I HAVE MORE ENERGY NOW BUT SOME HOW I STILL FEEL LIKE IF IM PREGNANT ,I NEVER ,NEVER GOING BACK ON NR, SO FAR ITS THE WORST EXPERIENCE EVER PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU FEEL THE SAME WAY....

So, after my boyfriend and i used condoms and it ruptured due to the fact we used a warming lubracant that wasn't water soluble.
I got pregnant and we aborted. this was 2 weeks ago
I started the nuvaring that planned parenthood gave me.

well, i've been feeling tired, depressed and not hungry.
i barely eat any food these days
and i fear my weight is slipping, i used to be 112 lbs, and i;ve been exercising for lean muscle gain (since i had very little) and now i'm up to 118.
I'm scared i'm going to lose all that lean muscle i worked hard to put on.
i haven't been working out for 2 weeks since the abortion and all.

but anyway, ive been feeling very depressed lately.
i feel ugly and unworthy and i know that neither of those are true.
i feel like i'm a terrible person, i feel sad all them, i cry so easily (like i'm doing right now)
the other night i had a breakdown when felt horribly down on my self, i felt like i'm worthless and i felt ashamed because i feel like i always want sex from my boyfriend and i feared that i i don't love him, i feared that my sex drive is out of control, and then i felt like because he doesn't want to have sex with me everyday, i felt like i must not be worthy or that i'm ugly, stupid, a pain, and that he doesn't love me and then i thought things like 'well would you want to have sex with you? who could blame him?"

today i started feeling those feelings for no reason again, this time i started feeling like i hate my life and wondering why i'm alive

when i had thought perhaps i was suffering from early adult bipolar (im 24 btw)
i had an epiphany and realized, WAIT, it probably ISN'T bipolar, if all this just happened RECENTLY
and before the ring i was really happy. AND my boyfriend never does anything to make me feel unloved or unworthy.
he always takes his time and he's very sweet to me all the time.
he treats me to almost everything and he's so patient and loving.

I realized that my sudden mood changes MUST be because of the damn Nuvaring!

i have a follow up from planned parenthood tomorrow, so i'm going to tell them everything i've felt and i'm only going to continue this damn ring until nov 24th.
i get my prenup for my tubes to be tied.

my boyfriend and i don't want kids ever, (if the recent abortion is ANY proof to that one)

anyway, i would NOT recommend this ring to ANYONE
i know everyone is different, but still.

and i do realize that i COULD be having early adult bipolar or some other sort of depression/anxiety issues that i might just THINK are ring related.
I will continue to monitor my health and if i ever feel like this again i will seek help

I was on the Nuvaring for a little over a year and am now on the Mirena IUC. The first six months of using the Nuvaring were great! I loved it and told all of my friends who were getting married to try it out. Then all of a sudden I started developing chest pain and sometimes my heart would feel like it was going to rip right out of my chest because it was beating so fast. I also had this milky white discharge ALL the time. This was so embarrassing because I would have to wear panty liners everyday and WHAT is sexy about that? I have always had pain with intercourse and then afterwards even using lubricant I felt a burning. I also noticed that while I had the ring in about week 2 or 3 I would start feeling an itching inside and then when I took it out it would clear up and then start all over again. I also would get so nauseous about once a month that I would throw up. I'm so glad that I went off it! My GYN told me that the Nuvaring couldn't be causing the chest pain after no symptoms for 6 months, but then when I removed it and started the IUC I am chest pain, icky discharge, and itching free. I didn't notice any mood changes while on Nuvaring and thank goodness, because as a newly wed I think my husband would have run screaming WHAT DID I GET MYSELF INTO?

My blood pressure was sky high and i couldn't sleep for 4 nights in a row then realized it was the nuvaring too!
It has been 10 days since Ive removed it and pressure is down a little but still have chest pain arm pain and shortness of breath. Was in the ER over the weekend!
Do you know when (or if) things should go back to normal? I went through this with bc pill in the spring and was totally fine in 3 days!

Well, I have fibroid tumors and I also just lost an ovary because it had a large dermoid tumor. My doctor suggested the ring for me because it could help balance the hormones from the fibroid and keep me from ovulating which could contribute to me developing cysts or another dermoid on my one remaining ovary. I have been on the ring and I loved it at first. Before the ring my period was coming every 14 days with horrible symptoms. With the ring my period was coming once a month, with very little cramping. Then other side effects have started, first my hair started thinning, every time I washed my hair I would pull out a bunch. Then I gained almost 8 pounds. Now I have terrible insomnia, moodiness and depression. I seriously have not understood what was wrong with me until I came to this website. I will call my doctor tomorrow.

I'm a 29 yr old with poly cystic ovarian syndrome. Which means I don't ovulate regularly. I normally have 2 periods a year which is a good thing since I'm not trying to have any children right now so on my annual visit to the OBGYN we decided that since I don't have any periods or not enough that I should maybe start birth control again. I was using the nuvaring about 4 yrs ago with no symptoms what so ever. Now it's only been 3 weeks and I feel as though I've been impregnated. My breast are constantly hurting and feeling enlarged. My sex drive isn't the same any more. I have constant mood swings and I'm not my normal "happy about life" self anymore. And I can't even think about the cramps. Or the over chocolate eating. I don't even like chocolate now my skin is breaking out in the worse way. Not only that but I sleep my life away. I can't even go to a club without getting a nap in first. Oh yea let's not forget the painful intercourse. If he ejaculates inside of me it burns with the ring in or out. It's just very uncomfortable I thought he might have been cheating and it's just another side effect. This is the most horrible experience I've had with using birth control other than the patch but that's for another website. I hate I've already gotten my 2nd one. If I had known I would feel like this I would have saved my 30 bucks. And told him let's take that chance.

I cannot believe that I have been using NuvaRing for such a long time and Torturing my body. I am 25 years old mother of two, I have been using it for about 2 years now and for the last 1 1/2 year I have been suffering from constant chest pain, anxiety, panic attacks, lost of breath, depression. I can seriously tell you that as of today I am removing the NuvaRing and every chance I get to explain to people the harm this thing can do I WILL. I hope that once I remove it I can live my life like a normal person....

I am 45 y/o , and have been on the NuvaRing for 6 years and I love it!! Some months I get a little PMSish but I take Pamprin and it really does help. I have been spotting for a week before my period for several months now. ObGyn said it looks like peri-menopause, so I am going to stay on to help me through, plus the added bonus of helping to prevent certain cancers. I am sorry to hear that others have trouble with this type of BC. I tried pills, several different types and ALL made me sick. Tried IUD and I swear I could feel it in me. I just fold the nuvaring up into a little circle, insert and I don't have to think about it for 3 weeks! ..take it out...and a week later put a new one in. I will never use anything else!!

I am 29 years old and have SUPER heavy periods so my OBGYN prescribed me the NuvaRing. I have had trouble with pills and the patch making me feel crazy, she said this one would distribute the hormones much more evenly. HA HA HA, well I obviously don't need any more hormones than I already have. I put the ring in about 2 weeks ago and for the last 4 days I have been a raging lunatic. I am the most bubbly girl in the world, except when I'm PMS-ing. But this ring makes me feel like I'm PMS-ing 24/7. I feel irritable, sad, don't wanna get out of bed, i have hot flashes, headaches, wake up dripping from sweat, and now that I think about my sex drive has depleted. I just start crying for no reason, over-analyzing everything my sweet loving boyfriend says to me. Thought I was a freak because all BC i have tried does this to me. It makes me feel better to know I'm not alone, and I'm not crazy. I recommend talking with your Dr. before removing the ring. I'm calling tomorrow!!

Hey there ladies,
Well I am on week 4 of the NuvaRing and it is out. Everything was going just great until I needed to take it out.
After taking out the NR the emotions and depression had sky rocketed!
My fiancee and will be having a discussion and he will say something that I don't like and I will end up flying off the hinges as he is there looking at me like I am flipping crazy (which I am right now). Then I will go off in my room crying and then I will start balling wondering what the hell is wrong with my head and the way that I am thinking. It almost feels like there is a monster inside of me that controls how I feel and it scares me a lot.
Before I have always been a happy go lucky person.
Not these days.
I have not had any other side effects that others have mentioned except for the weight gain.
Please, if you care about your sanity and health, don't take the NR. As I have read so far, there are so many bad things that can happen to you.

I started using Nuvaring last month and I will never use it again. I had horrible headaches, cramps and for some reason I had a hard time going to sleep. I might have to go back to Yaz. It's is such a shame since it's so convenient to not think about taking a pill everyday.

I'm 18 and had never used birth control before. I used the nuvaring for 6 days last month and had to take it out. I had no sex drive, horrible headaches, cramps, sleep trouble and nightmares, my hair was falling out, and I was so depressed I thought I would commit suicide if I left it in any longer. It was a terrible experience and I don't recommend this to anyone.

I haven't actually started it yet but am seriously considering it. I been using normal pill BC and I have used the ortho evra patch before I got off BC to have a child. here is my story of why I want to try and for those who are still considering it.

First off, I usually get sick every month with the pill when I start a new pack, not all BC pill did it as I am on Loestrin now and on Yaz before that and they didn't make me sick, but they are lower doses. However, I loved ortho evra, it was great except for the sticky ring where lint get stuck on you from around the edges, but that was just a small negative for me. However, I got off it before all the controversy about how it has three times theh rate of blood clots forming than BC pills, so I am a little worried about going back on it and my docs don't really prescribe it either, and suggested the nuvaring.

Well I went on Yaz post birth and couldn't understand why I was so tired all the time, every one kept saying it is because you have a new baby but i don't believe it was that because my child is a really easy child who sleeps through the night and took her naps. i just wanted to sleep all the time and still feel this way even after switching to loestrin which is similar to Yaz. I wasn't tired like this on Ortho evra and my doc told me that the ring is similar in like the patch.

so I am sorry for all those of you who have had bad experiences and the only thing I think I can do is try it for myself cause, when something bad or negative happens everyone hears about it but that is not the case when something is good. Everyone's body is different and reacts differently to medication. So I am going to go ahead and try I think to see how it affects me cause I don't think I can get any worse and I am not ready to have another child yet. I am currently on an antidepressant for about 5 weeks now and still am having my constant tired wanting to sleep feeling, this is why I think it is the BC. Hopefully i won't have too many side effects but I am willing to give it a try as I do know women who have used it and said that they liked it.

i posted previously about my (possibly) bad experience with nuvaring. i don't want to discourage others from trying it. it seemed great the first year or so. its hard to remember now. i really like that i don't get so nauseous on nuvaring. i could barely take BC pills. i like that it is low hormones and i only have to deal with it every three weeks. it's so convenient. i do think it might have been affecting my emotional state but i can't be completely sure. it's also great for my skin. i don't break out like i did when not on BC. however, i'm beginning to believe it is the cause of my low sex drive (another thing that might have caused my breakup) i thought it was just that we'd been together for 7 years but maybe not. anyway, i also get the extra discharge and i do remember the burning after sex and that sex could be painful but i had a bartholin cyst that i was dealing with and i thought that was the cause but the pain/burning kept happening after the cyst was taken care of. Now after reading the other posts, i'm wondering if that is the cause.

anyway. i emailed the doctor about going off of it temporarily. i was wondering if it was unhealthy to take a break from BC. i heard in the past that it was but she said it was fine. so i think i'm going to finally go off of nuvaring. i wish i had tried that before but i really didn't make the connection till recently.

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 started at the end of June. And I started having symptoms during sex similar to the only time i have had yeast infection...never made the connection either - glad I'm not the only one. I also had the burning, really really painful feelings during and after sex and it burned so bad when I had to use the bathroom. Sometimes I was nearly in tears. I just chalked it up to us having sex so much. (we were newlyweds and living together full time for the first time) Now I wonder if it wasn't the ring, but I'll have to wait til May to find out cuz he is deployed! :P :( Definitely not going and refilling the prescription though I don't think - and will definitely be making a doctor's appointment with a good gyn to find out my alternatives (like some of y'all I have a finicky body when it comes to hormones)

I've been on nuvaring for four months now. I've been raving about it to my friends and only recently started to realize that maybe it isn't as great as I'd thought. Here's the thing... I have gained weight, lost my sex drive (which at 20 years old is terrifying), felt my self-esteem fall through the floor, and feel stress/sadness weigh on me even on days that I am truly enjoying myself. (Oh and excuse the ick-factor but I've now also have discharge everyday which is seriously annoying and frustrating!) I've been attributing all of this to my lifestyle of being stressed out in college, not knowing who I am, worrying about my relationship... I've felt so much self-loathing and disappointment in myself, feeling like I am failing myself and my boyfriend. The thing is that I'm not one to blame things like this on medications, and I don't think that there's any way of truly knowing if the changes I've felt have been due to the ring or just my life as a whole. I've tried every other birth control and hated it so now I'm conflicted if I should stop taking it or not. I'm way too paranoid to just trust condoms... so I don't know. Take it for what you will - in many ways it has been a great form of birth control (no babies, right?) but if these changes I've felt ARE due to the ring, then I would NOT recommend it.

I used Nuva Ring after the birth of my first child in 2003 until I decided to get pregnant again in 2007. I've always had a low sex drive, so I never suspected Nuva Ring could be the culprit, but after reading some of the testimonials, I'm wondering...By the way, after I stopped taking it, my sex drive soared - I was having the time of my life and so was my hubby. We got pregnant right away.

I just went back on the NuvaRing 2 months ago after the birth of my second child, which was a scheduled c-section (no harm done to the vaginal area in other words). We've had sex about four times since I started birth control again and it has been extremely painful every time. When I'm not on my period, I'm experiencing a yellow discharge accompanied by some minor irritation. I have been wearing a pad around the clock for literally 3 months! I started bleeding (a period I guess) the day after I started the NuvaRing for the first time. When I called my ob, she said it was a normal side effect of the Ring and to keep it in business as usual until I was scheduled to take it out again in 3 weeks. I bleed the entire 4 weeks until inserting my second NuvaRing. We've had sex twice since and it was almost unbearably painful both times. Now, I am experiencing a yellow discharge again accompanied by some minor itching and discomfort. My ob again said it is a normal side effect but just in case, prescribed a yeast infection med. I completed the course and still have the symptoms.

I loved this product and highly recommended it to my friends for the past 5 years - it is so easy! Now I'm wondering if they've changed it over the past year? Plus, the last thing I need is an even lower sex drive.

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 seriously had no problems with the nuvaring. in fact i LOVE it!! it has made my periods sooooooooo much lighter and shorter and i know the day every month when my period will start! i love that it is only once a month and it is easy to use. i would recommend it to anyone! i guess it just depends on what you can use and cant use... in the way of medications... but i will say that i am not allergic to any medications that i know of and i have been on a lot. i have noticed a little moodiness a few days b4 my period is due but it is manageable and it wouldn't change how i feel about it.

Tried NuvaRing for one month in 2006. It was comfortable and I liked not having to remember a pill every day. However, I gained 15 pounds in ONE MONTH on the ring. I have tried 6 different birth control pills and have never gained more that 1-2 lbs. I discontinued using it and it took me over a year to get the weight off.

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?

I have been on the nuvaring for about 3+ years now. I am 28 years old.

I am experiancing slight weight gain, vaginal dryness and nearly no sex drive anymore. This started about a year ago. I don't do anything else to my body. I work out and am very healthy. I want to possibly switch BC's but don't know which to try.

Any suggestions?? I know that everyone experiances BC's differently.

Thanks. Heather

I've been on Nuva Ring for 4 months and I've been having terrible night sweats for about 3 months. I wake up soaked. It's so bad that I'm developing rashes from the sweat. Every morning I have diarrhea. I had pregnancy symptoms. I also get severe headaches and dizziness. The week that I take the ring out I feel nauseous. I do have pain during intercourse and low drive. I tried to find something on line too for night sweats as a side effect. I'm very worried now and will be contacting my GYN!

So, I am a 23 year old who has been using nuvaring for I dont know, a year or so. I find it simply amazing that you all have had these problems. I've never had a lick of trouble while on it. I did however recently stop the nuvaring due to financial issues and ever since I stopped I've had spotting which is normal and uncomfortable pressure in my lower stomach which I doubt is too normal. How weird that my problems start AFTER I remove the nuvaring. I hate to hear that you all had problems with your nuvarings but I feel like this site is a bit too biased and might give girls who want both sides of the story an unfair view of the opinions. Nuvaring was not a bad decision for me, but may be for others. Girls, weigh your options and make an educated decision.

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.

Hi girls! I just wanted to write and let you know I am a 27 year old female who started using the nuvaring about 2 1/2 weeks ago. I am taking the ring out tonight and am not recommending its use to any of my friends!

Since I have started using this product I have had severe pains in both my knees and have had discomfort and incredible irritation while trying to have intercourse (when I can find the mood which hasn't been very often in the past few weeks and being a Scorpio that just isn't like me!!!). My mood swings have been ridiculous and have put a damper on my birthday weekend in Montreal! I went from being a very friendly strong outgoing person to and irritable unsocial bitch that breaks down and cries for no reason at all! I cant believe the side effects have hit me so hard and so quickly and I couldn't imagine using this product for more than a month.

Im happy to have found this site and to find out I am not the only one dealing with these side effects! What surprises me is there is a commercial on Canadian television promoting this product when im not sure it should have made it to our markets to begin with! Nobody at the clinics I have been to nor the doctor I have talked to have informed me of these side effects either and I encourage us all to let our fellow female friends know this product does indeed come with some nasty side effects!

Thank you to everyone who has written a testimonial on this page I appreciate your input and hope mines has been even a little bit of help!

i'm so glad i found this site. i've been using the nuvaring for around five years. i can't remember exactly. i thought it was great at first. i get really sick on other bc. but i started getting leg cramps recently and i also had a gallbladder attack and they found three small gallstones. i'm a very healthy person so i was concerned but i didn't relate these things to nuvaring. my boyfriend moved out of my apt. we had been together for 7 years and living together for almost 3. i'm starting to go back and realize the depressed feeling i've had for years now. i didn't realize it could be NR. i lost my motivation, i was performing terribly at my new job that i started 3 years ago (couldn't focus the way i should and i always do well at work) luckily, i still have my job but it's been a struggle emotionally. i wasn't' really interested in anything and couldn't get back into my own personal artwork. i thought i was depressed in my relationship and work but now i'm thinking again this might be the nuvaring. could all of the 'bad luck' i've had in these last couple of years be that? it's hard to blame it on that but reading everyone else's reviews is starting to really scare me. i knew something felt off but i didn't know what it was. as the years have gone on i have lost my excitement for things. arghhhhh! this is so frustrating. i only started looking up nuvaring side effects because i heard something about blood clots and i started getting bad leg cramps. i played competitive tennis when i was young through college and other players would get leg cramps but i never did. now i'm getting them and i work out a lot.