Side Effects of the NuvaRing...Other BCs
 

I've been on the ring for almost three weeks now and the first week I was a total wreck, I felt completely depressed and sad. Finally that went away, my breast grew a little bit I was a small C now a fuller one. I've been reading reviews on another forum about this method of BC and several women pointed out their emotions got totally out wack, crying spells over nothing, depression, feeling tired and headaches.
I've experienced the depression, which has diminished, breast soreness, crying spells, being tired and having headaches the past few days, present time included (my inspiration for this thread). I couldn't tell where the headaches were coming from, maybe the birth control, stress over school, or maybe caffine withdrawal. My breast have been sore a good chunk of this month, maybe still growing from the influx of hormones.
I took it for two months about two years ago with no problems but now I'm seeing signs of symptoms common for women on it, myself included.
I don't mind the breast growing, but the headaches and over-emotional status is kind of annoying. I love the convience of it, and my partner and I have taken advantage of that, I just don't like the extras associated.
Usually I don't get headaches or cry over stupid things.
I realized I'm more prone to start bawling then I usually would, typically I'm pretty thick skinned. The doctor said it's a lower dose of hormones, but hopefully after a few cycles my body will sort itself out.
I was wondering if anyone has been on this for an extended time and had similar side effects or advice?

Yeah... and sorting itself out might involve you throttling your doctor! S/he's not the one having to live with this!

I hate hormonal BC. Hate it hate it hate it- because it's pushed so hard as a contraceptive method in the US, overshadowing other options, and because rarely if ever do women realize the far-reaching effects the hormones have on their lives, ESPECIALY their sex lives and libido.

If your BC is not working for you, don't wait a few more months, stop taking it now and look for something else.

I can't recommend any one brand, but I have heard lots of good things about Yasmin- it uses a totally different type of hormone than everything else and has been getting rave reviews. But, like I said, some of the other ladies will have to jump in with opnions about BC because mine is decidedly biased :)

Compared to most of the other forms of birth control, the ring was not only the easiest, but the one that messed with my system the least, even relative to the same hormones in a pill form.

The first week of it the first couple months were a bit odd as I was coming off of a tri-cyclic pill (which has different phases, or strengths, of pill in the same pack) and so moving to a more or less monophasic form of birth control was different. After my body got used to it, the hormonal side effects went away. The one that lingered was the breast tenderness, which is a very common side effect for any hormonal method.

However, if it doesn't work for you, it doesn't work for you. Go out and shop for a new method of birth control. Seriously, though--the best thing about the ring is not having to take a pill every day. For me, I was willing to take the breast tenderness in order to have that ease. And the possibility for less human error is appealing too :)

I never had a single issue with the ring. I plan on using it again right after I have my baby. I used it for over two years with no problems.

Everyone is different but what you have said has rang too true for me!

I was on the ring beginning at the end of January. After about the first month the headaches started. By the end of the third month I was living on motrin, midol and aleve.

Bawling for no reason, yeah I had that too but it got worse...

I began having severe mood swings. I would throw pringle cans against the wall shattering them, I broke a phone, a large cordless one by throwing it against the wall. I felt badly for poor Pan. I would scream insanely at him for the most minor things or things he hadnt even done. I scared the poor man half to death and while I knew what I was doing was wrong I felt no remorse.

Not to mention the nearly 100 pound weight gain that I am now losing! (After having lost 133 pounds before using that damn thing.)

I have been ring-free since September 29th of this year and the headaches are gone, the mood swings dont exist anymore and I no longer feel like I am going to have a nervous breakdown.

It was definately the ring. I loved the shot with all my heart but I have used it for 2 years already and any more than that can cause bone loss. So December 4th I will have a uterine ablation to destroy my uterine lining and my tubes will be tied and I will (hopefully) not have these problems ever again!

Hope this helps to know someone else went through it, and what I did to fix it. :)

I used birth control pills for years & years and I gained the weight and had all the horrible mood swings and head aches. It wasn't worth all the pain. The best thing I ever did was to stop using any pills for birth control and just carefully monitor my periods. Sounds old fashioned but it worked for me. Granted, I was happily married and OK if I got pregnant...but that never happened. Guess I wasn't meant to have kids. Happily, I feel so much healthier now. This post won't help those of you who want the ease of a pill or ring. But the rhythem method does work if you learn to watch your mucus and the calendar.

The hormones can even themselves out over time and it is worth waiting at least one or two more cycles, but only if you are able to continue your normal life activities. If the depression is interfering with things like eating, showering, or maintaining social relationships, then it would qualify as a major depressive episode and could be very dangerous, so don't wait any longer.

That said, my experience is that the nuvaring made my periods ten times worse, with cramping and bleeding much more severe. Also, my partner could feel it and it annoyed him. Also, the patch was too heavy a dose for me and made me quite ill, and the shot made me have my period for 6 months straight. That got old fast! So it's the pill for me.

I thought about switching to the ring. The pill made me experience all those things, and still is. I keep hoping it'll sort itself out, because I didn't have any problems until about a year into taking it.

My doctor recommended that I take a B12 vitamin. Apparently it helps diminish the negative effects of the hormones. :)

I started out on the patch and enjoyed it but when people started realizing the extra risks associated with it I was forced to stop taking it. Since then I have tried at least five different kinds of pills all of which either made my periods worse or caused me to be overly emotional. I finally got tired of that so I had tried to get an IUD but couldn't and so now I am back on the patch until I get the IUD.

I was told to try the ring or the shot but I am cautious about that because my sister blames her problems such as cysts and difficulties getting pregnant on them.

So far my vote is for the patch but it does have extra side effects, I've heard good things about iuds. Yasmin 28 didn't work for me though I've heard alot of people say they like it. It's the smaller amount of hormones that people like about Yasmin I believe.

As far as problems getting pregnant with the ring......I got pregnant two weeks after I stopped using it.

My doctor said the IUD is completely underutilized and very effective. She recommends it over all other forms of birth control and has had one herself for 15 years.
She said the hype around more severe periods is really no more so than other forms of BC.
Maybe you could look into it.

I throw my hat into the ring with hagatha. I have an IUD and it's the greatest thing ever. I don't have to worry or even think about birth control for TEN YEARS. And it's even more effective at preventing pregancy than anything else except for a tubal ligation.

However, it's not for everyone, which is why I didn't mention it the first time around. Also, my husband reminded me that when I was all wonky from BC and about to drive him crazy, I was on the nuva ring. I don't really remember precicely how it affected me, but it did drive me insane (quite literally).

I think the point I would like to make (that somebody has probably already made) is that everyone is different when it comes to BC. I have not tried the ring, but I sure as hell tried Depo Provera shot and I seriously hated that piece of shit.

I was moody, depressed, unhappy. I gained weight- nearly 15 to 20 pounds. I lost all of my libido, and life sucked ass.

Then again, many people on this board have said Depo rocked for them. So...try a different form of BC. Hopefully you will find one that works for you.

I considered the shot also...but the doctor didn't advise.
So far my first cycle of the ring has ended, got my period (yay..) and I feel pretty much like myself. School is completely stressing me out, but it happens. I did notice a weight gain...but only in my boobs which can be a good thing. Otherwise I've actually lost some weight just because I'm so consumed in schoolwork and I keep forgetting to ear dinner, which is not a good method or habbit. Once this week is done I can go back to normal for hope.
I totally recommend the ring, it has been really awesome.
After two complete cycles it is effective immediately after the 7 day break for your period, so no waiting a week after your period. Hooray!
Early on I was so depressed though, I hope that doesn't happen again. I think my body has or will sort itself out after another cycle.

Anyone know if BC lightens your period? Shortens by days?

That happened to me too. Every time I get my period, I feel so clearheaded.

And yeah, it does for me definitely. Mine would last for two weeks, then I'd have two weeks off, then I'd bleed again for two weeks. Heavily, and my cramps brought me to my knees. Or my bed...I usually couldn't go to class or anything, so I'd just try to sleep all day. Was terrible.

Now, on BC it lasts about 3-4 days, I have minimal cramps, and a tampon lasts more than an hour. I think that might be the best part, and knowing when everything's gonna happen.

One more thing, the depression wore off for me 3rd cycle, but after I got back to school it was back. I'm pretty sure stress has a lot to do with it. You should be feeling a lot better this next time around :)

I just started using the NuvaRing a few months ago......and have had the same experience that my body was completely out of whack for the first month, but I am slowly returning to normal. I am still not totally myself. Has anyone else had this kind of experience?

The first month my body was just a little out of whack, but now 3 months down the road, it's wonderful! I feel less of the cloudy effect I did when I was on Ortho Tri Cyclen - much more clearheaded now, plus some of the desire to have sex has returned. It's nice to not feel drugged up anymore. Plus, my periods are MUCH lighter than before. All in all, it was the right change for me.

GG I was on the ring for a whole year, loved every aspect of it except that I had no sex drive! Trying something new, but I wanted to warn you that it happened to me but everyone is diff.
The thing I especially loved about it was a whole year with no yeast infections! A positive side-affect of the ring. I've been off of it for almost a month and I have already had one, I'm super stressed so that explains it. Something about the ring though makes your body tend to ward them off. I forget what side-affects label said exactly.
Good luck on the ring and enjoy not having to take a pill everyday.

Holy crap. I know this thread is old, but I had to respond... I had a yeast infection every month on the Ring! I'm jealous of you! I actually go in to get my IUD in 3 weeks, so wish me luck.

Wow, because on the side affects listing it states that it makes some women make ?bacteria? that inhibits yeast infections. I miss the ring for that reason. Not even off a month and I already have one, tho I think its because of my traitorous bitch roomie!!!! (Sorry ranting) A different story for a different time.

I would love to go on the IUD but can't afford it! So far YAZ has let me feel sorta back to normal. We will see tho. I miss my sex drive, but I feel it creeping back, dreaming of sex with my fiance since I haven't been able to have sex for a week.

I've been on the ring for nearly 3 years now, and I only ran into problems when I was using it to purposefully mess up my period (I would leave the ring in for 4 weeks instead of 3--which is safe, my doctor has told me so--but after about 6 months of that, my uterus freaked out in the middle of the cycle and bled heavily for about 6 days!). Other than that, I think it's absolutely fantastic. The first few months were not different because I had switched directly from the patch (which I had been on for a year, and THAT screwed me up badly). So I'm a big fan of the ring, still. :thumbsup:

***FAST FORWARD 1 YEAR AND 4 MONTHS***
I can't believe how much time has gone by since I started this thread...
Crazy! Well I'm still on the ring to this day! I'm still not as happy with it as I could be...but what can you really expect out of something that's scrambling your hormones around.
The yeast infection stuff I've never really been prone to it...however...UTIs are the worst for me. For some reason I'm really prone to getting those! I keep a lot of cranberry juice on hand for that reason (it's a total lifesaver).
My prescription is good until next October or November so I'll stick with it until then and then after that I have to go get another annual UGH, I hate them more than anything but I know they're completely necessary.
One thing that I had noticed though was....a lack of sex drive recently. I've wanted too...but its not the same as it was before when we were using condoms. So I'm tempted to maybe get off the ring for a while and see if something changes.

Also...James and I have discussed me getting an IUD. I'm ok with the idea but reading the possibilities of it falling out or getting caught on tampons etc. kind of freaks me out beyond belief. The convenience would be wonderful though plus no more birth control on a monthly basis. So...yea...that's an update on my BC 15 months later. I will miss my boobs though. Also I'd kinda like one that would clear up my face too..that ortho tri cyclin stuff is supposed to do that.

Do you go pee immediately after having sex (within 10 minutes), every time? That should take care of IUD's beforehand... especially if you pee a lot. I try to drink a glass of water before I have sex, so that by the time it's done, I have something to pee out.

Ditto on the peeing. I'm also pretty prone to UTI's, ALL the time, so I have a prophylactic script for 10mg Macrobid. I take one after every bootycall. Dr. says it's not enough abx (antibiotic) to cause secondary issues like yeast infections, etc., but I've only had one mild UTI since I started!

As for the libido, yeah, I found that my sex drive was much reduced on the Ring. It picked up pretty quickly after I dropped it.

As for IUD horror stories... wow. Caught on a tampon? That's just bullshit. There's nothing hanging out that could be caught. It CAN be spontaneously ejected, but that's pretty rare. Make sure your dr. leaves the string LONG and doesn't cut it - to avoid poking James in the midst of lovin'. If it were to eject, it would feel like really bad cramping (in the beginning, getting used to it, I thought I *had* to be ejecting it b/c my cramps were so bad).

The upsides: no hormones w/ copper (libido intact, s/e from BC gone), less UTIs (no condoms), no other BC needed (in my life!), almost foolproof in effectiveness, immediately effective, no long term effect on fertility

The downsides: heavier cramps/bleeding (bad if you already have those, fine if you don't), possible scary shit: ejection, higher risk of ectopic pregnancy, perforation of uterus. All of those = very low odds. Read up on the stats.
This means that if you get the copper IUD, your chances of an ectopic are no greater than they were before you got the IUD.

Re: spontaneous expulsion and perforation:
The summary: IUD is a good option, but you have to know that as a "nulliparous" woman (never gave birth before) and a young one, it is a higher risk that you'll expel the IUD. The first 6 months are an adjustment - your cycle will be heavy and crampy, but it will settle down. That's also when you're most likely to expel if at all. Advil is your friend - it works almost perfectly for cramps. (ibuprofen blocks prostaglandins, and those are the source of the pain and crampy during your cycle.)

Other than that... go forth and get an good gyno - one with a lot of IUD experience. One who is not stuck in the middle ages.

Oh yeah, and if you've had any PID (pelvic inflammatory disease, and you'd know if you had), forget it! :)

GG I hated Ortho tri cyclin. That one really messed my hormones up! Crying at random, getting really upset over nothing, I actually felt more normal on the ring. When you go in ask about Yaz or Yasmin. Yaz is none for clearing up the skin and I don't feel crazy on it.
When I told my gyno that I had no sex drive the first thing he suggested was the IUD. Problem is he said that since he has moved to California, the insurance companies won't reimburse him for them. They cost like 300-500 dollars for the device and inserting and the insurance comapany would only give him like $100 back. I can't afford that so I have to wait. Maybe its different elsewhere.

Go to a Planned Parenthood. They charge on a sliding scale, and they use whatever state/local/federal funding they can get to make it as cheap as possible for women to get the birth control they need. From what I've read, Planned Parenthood participates in a program in California called Family PACT, which is meant to provide free family planning services to low-income women and men:

A lot of states have similar programs; here in Oregon it's called FPEP, and it pays for everything. I love it.

This is for the college students: use your student health center! Because of the population they work with, family planning is one of their primary concerns. Most of them are very IUD-friendly, and again, they typically try to subsidize their family planning services to make them as cheap and as accessible as possible.

$15 copay. That's it. I'm so glad!

After a few conversations, I've decided to give up on the ring and go back to the pill. I'll miss the convienence of it, but hopefully I'll start feeling back to normal. Thanks for all of the advice!

I use the bathroom immediately after sex...actually it's kind of funny to imagine.
After we finish usually James carries me over to the toilet so avoid messes. So it's 2 in 1.
As for the UTIs...I don't know whenever I begin to think about them I seem to develop the symptoms which is probably a psychological thing but either way they suck and I hate them. Once my ring prescription is out we'll pursue the IUD route..but until then the ring is totally fine. Just a lack of sex drive sucks.

Wow, this is an old thread. I used the ring for a year when I was 19/20. I loved it and I don't remember any side effects. I know that I still had a very healthy sex drive. Now about 3 years later I'm back on the ring. I was off BC for a while then on Yasmin for a year - off BC for about 6 months and I've been back on the ring for 3 months now. On Yasmin I didn't really notice much except a huge decrease in my sex drive and I gained some weight. Back on the ring I haven't really noticed any side effects, but there's a lot going on in my life right now, lots of stress and huge changes, so the mood swings could be from either the BC or the changes. Since I'm not sure I'm going to stick with the ring for the rest of my prescription to see what happens. I hope I don't have all the issues everyone else has mentioned. But I can say that my period is much shorter on the ring and my cramps aren't nearly as bad as they used to be. That's part of why I went back to it, plus I hate taking a pill everyday.

I'll have to look into the IUDs. I know they are expensive so that's why I never got one before.

I'm getting off the ring soon.
I'm so emotinal, I cry when I'm just slightly upset over something. Definately affecting my life in a negative. James says I'm less indepedent, clingy, and just over-emotional. Which is insulting. But I agree that the ring is probably the cause. It seems the longer I've been on it the more my emotions go crazy. Not in a good way.
It's straining the relationship to a point where he's so frustrated about it he's losing his kindness.

So after 5 years, i quit using birth control. I have started losing weight and discovering my long lost friend MY SEX DRIVE! i want to fuck everything and everyone. its wonderful.

Save yourself, save your relationship, and save your sanity. Pay attention to what youre gaining and losing. thanks =)

I hear you...I have lost my sex drive gradually..which was hard to notice while we were in extended long distance.
This is the last month I will be on the ring.

I was forced to go off bc this month and immediately I could feel the difference. But for me it's a bad difference. I'm a lot more emotional, cramps already and they are much worse than they are when I'm on bc that works. And yeah, I did just get off so that makes it a lot more of a rollercoaster.

I saw a new doctor and we decided the ring won't work because of my anatomy but I'm going back on a pill after this next week or however long it takes.

I have noticed a change in my sex drive for the better but that can definitely just be because of relationship ending and all that fun stuff.

Just to point out though, no two women are the same and so birth control options both hormonal and non hormonal are hit and miss. If only it were simple :rolleyes:

Well, the IUD is in... that hurt like nothing else. Holy crap. The cramps are gone, I'm not bleedy anymore, and I still can't get over the fact that I don't need to take a pill again! Hee!

I've always been very irregular. I had 1 to 3 periods a month, then I'd skip anywhere from 1 to 6 periods in a row. Very moody, from happy to hostile in no time flat.

BC pills made me regular, with short periods. Was only very moody certain times of the month. But it about killed my sex drive completely.

Condoms tend to give me UTI's for some reason. Maybe an allergy, who knows? But I'm married and gave them up.

First IUD, 8 years ago, was the old fashioned copper kind. UGH! Painful cramping, on a heavy period for 5 months straight. Sex drive was low with all the cramping. I was extremely tired, possibly from all of the blood loss. Called it quits after 5 months of trying to control it all with BC pills on top of the IUD.

Second IUD, 5 months ago, is the Mirena. I think it is plastic, and releases a low dose hormone (like the mini pill). Very short, very light periods 0-2 days each month. Minimal cramping during that time. My moodiness seems to be gone. Even tempered, and actually happy most of the time. Sex drive has gone through the roof, all month long. Now I just have to worry about wearing out hubby, poor thing.

You guys are freaking me out about the IUD...
I'm going to talk to my doctor sometime this week or next week.
James and I are planning on getting me an IUD as opposed to the NuvaRing.
I wish it wouldn't have destroyed my sex drive.
Does getting an IUD really hurt that bad when they put it up there?!

Are you absolutely sure that it's the ring that's causing you all these problems, and not the long-distance in itself? As I mentioned in your journal, for me it was my inability to cope emotionally with the long-distance relationship that caused all kinds of havoc with my mind and body, and it wasn't related to the BC at all, as I discovered.

Have you ruled out all hormonal BC by trying other forms first (the pill, etc)? Do they all depress your sex drive? To me, that's something I would consider before going for the IUD, but that's because I'm not a fan of huge amounts of pain and bleeding in my nether regions before I give birth to children. So I plan to wait until after having kids to start that method. But each to her own. I know JustJess has an IUD (no kids) and she could tell you about how to minimize the pain of insertion somewhat, as I recall.

It might depend on your doctor. But neither of mine hurt more going in than a pap does. Not sure if it makes much difference, but I had 3 kids by then. I could swear they applied something to numb the cervix, though. My cramping was afterwards, during what should have been my period. And just with the first one. Stay away from the copper ones and look into the Mirena.

*side note* FYI... The IUD has a string, like a tampon does, that 'hangs out' of your cervix and into your vagina a little bit. The string feels like fishing line. It can feel sharp to men and poke, actually leave small scrapes and punture marks on him. It kills the mood. It can take up to 6 months for the string to finally soften and wrap itself around your cervix, after which it does not hurt him. You can use contraceptive sponges until that time. They work like a padding for him, protecting him from the string.

Consider what Abaya said about other reasons for being emotional. I think you've been through alot of stress with school and separation.

From what I've heard, that makes ALL the difference. Not having had a large bowling ball forced out through one's cervix (3 times, in your case!) makes a huge difference in what kind of pointy/sharp objects are able to be pushed up there (a hole normally the width of a pencil eraser or something, from what I saw during my colposcopy viewing) without pain, I think. As I said, though, JustJess survived to tell the tale, so maybe she could give some more helpful advice on the pain aspect.

And yeah, like I said, I would consider other forms of BC before you do the IUD. Not that I am a big fan of hormonal BC either, but as I said, almost all of my emotional instability/sex drive came as a result of the relationship dynamics, not from the hormones.

I just remember my colposcopy...and how AWFUL it was.
I need to talk to my doctor, I'm horrible at remembering a pill everyday and it will in no way compare to the rings convenience except maybe retrieving my sex drive.

What about the Patch? I know it's not a huge favorite of some women, but I used it for a year or so and survived. I liked it because I only had to think about it once a week, though I guess the hormone dosage is higher than the Ring. That's the thing about the Ring... it has one of the lowest hormone dosages available.

And then there's always condoms... I know it's not fun, but ktspktsp and I used them (along with BC) for basically 2 years straight, since we were serious about never wanting to get pregnant. We basically stopped thinking about it after we got used to it... just became part of our routine.

About not remembering a pill every day... why not have both you and James set your watches/cell phones to remember, so that you're both involved in reminding you to take the pill? You talk every day anyway, right?... so it would just be one more thing to talk about at the same time every day. :) Just a thought.

Oh, I don't know if I mentioned this before, but having free counseling through my university was one of the saviors of my mental state and probably our relationship as well, throughout the long-distance period. I was able to work out a lot of my insecurities and emotional instability about us being so far apart, and how that translated into our relationship. Something else to think about, if you have free counseling at your school.

I saw this thread the other day and have been thinking about it...the this morning I got an email about Lybrel and a woman who had dies of a blot clot because of it. It looked like a job for Snopes. It is actually partially true. Here's a link to the Snopes page which includes the email I received.

http://www.snopes.com/medical/drugs/dishuk.asp

I tried to cut and paste parts of this article for you, but for some reason it's not happening for me. Sorry, Gals.

As far as the IUD goes... man, I have posted all over the place about it.

Yep, it hurt to get it. At least for me - I had never had much in terms of cramps before, and boy did I when they inserted it. However, advil or motrin are your friends, and your very bestest friends. They are the *perfect* med for cramps. So take about 4 an hour before you have it actually inserted. If you lived through the coloposcopy, you'll live through this. It's frankly similar. (I've had both.) The first few days, you will be a crampy whiny thing, so have plenty of advil on hand and don't make plans that involve a lot of walking. I know, I'm not reassuring you. But I am telling you the worst that it could be - it's not going to be worse than it was when I did it, because the cramps were such a revelation for me, never having had them before. If you've had cramps before, it won't seem like as big a deal to you.

Things to know: if you're cycle is heavy now, it will only get heavier. A light cycle now means a medium to heavy cycle after the IUD. The first six months, very heavy. Cramps: if you didn't have them before, you will now. Advil works wonders - seriously, half an hour after taking it, you'll actually feel giddy b/c the cramps are so gone. Just keep up with it as long as you have them, and you'll be fine. Once I figured that out, I was set. Now, a year and a half later: medium cycles, occasionally very light, occasionally really heavy. Cramps: mild to medium, easily managed with Advil. Sex: whenever I want it, no concerns ever. Oh yeah - make sure your doc leaves the string LONG, NOT cut, for James' sake. And if you've ever had PID, they won't do it (too risky to your health). If you don't know what PID is, you probably never had it. (pelvic inflammatory disease)

Ideas: try the progestin-only pill. See if it works. If it does, and your libido is fine, you could get the Mirena IUD instead - all the joys of an IUD with no heavy cycle or cramps to go with. Get over the "not remembering" part - put them with your toothbrush and you'll remember. Or your contacts. Or something like that. I'm actually not a proponent of hormones anymore, but they work for a LOT of people.

Hey girls, I've been meaning to reply to this thread but just haven't.
I'm in the process of trying to find a clinic near my townhouse and talk to them as well about getting the guardissil vaccine. I'm still uncomfortable to the max about having anyone see me downstairs and ugh last time it was just humiliating. James mentioned me going to planned parenthood. I know they're a good place to go and all but it's still embarrassing, at least to me.

I was looking up the Mirena IUD and that sounds like something James and I would interested in for sure. Just need more information.
I'm supposed to be getting off the ring now..I took it out yesterday however I still don't like the idea of not being on BC while we're sexually active, even if we're not having sex that often.

Freaking out over Nuvaring side effect
 

Well, I have changed BC from the pill to Nuvaring.

The thing is, right after I put it in, I started to feel some abdominal discomfort. Almost like a dull ache, a very mild cramp.

It has not gone away. I am really worried and don't know if it's normal.

On the leaflet it says that it's quite a common side-effect. But if it doesn't go away, then am I supposed to put up with this for as long as I'm on it? I don't know if I can take it. It's not something I can forget, it's there constantly.

I am seriously thinking about removing the damned thing.

I have tried to contact my doctor but don't have a reply yet. So I decided to post something here and maybe get some advice...and it may help me to stay calm.

I'm freaking out a little. Thanks for any advice you can offer.

I wouldn't worry about it. There are so many things that cause the feeling you describe that it probably isn't the NuvaRing. When I started the NuvaRing, I had some breast tenderness, but it went away over time.

One thing to remember about Mirena, Depo and Seasonale... they all use the same type of hormone.
I'm going to talk to them about getting my tubes tied in February.
I've gained more than 30 lbs in the past two years when they were trying to help me deal with my hormones.
I'd rather have periods, cramps and mood swings but no baby than the roller coaster I've been on.
But it's just me.
Can't use the ring because I had severe dysplasia about 12 years ago and several more years of abnormal paps. Oh well.

Good luck.

Hey guys...so I'm having a problem that has lasted for months now. I have absolutely NO SEX DRIVE. None. Zip.Nada. Nothing makes me want to get it on. I don't know how to get it back. Very frustrating.I'm thinking my experience on the Nuvaring might be the cause?

HELP! Anyone else been through this and conquered it???

GG I LOVED LOVED LOVED every aspect of the nuva ring except for the fact that it killed my sex drive. I knew it was the ring cuz the week it was out I wanted to hump my dresser.

I told my gyno and he has me on YAZ. I like it, I feel more normal though I don't have my complete sex drive back but it is much improved. I think the lack of sex drive is just a horrible ironic joke of bc. You can finally have sex without worrying so much but now you don't really care is you do. *sigh*

The moment I can afford it I'm getting an IUD. I miss my sex drive. Granted I think lack of one affords me more time to study. I used to be so bad I didn't care if I studied to pass a test, all I wanted was to jump im2smrt4u.

This is scarey crap. Go see your doctor and try something else.

Okay, so I'm having kind of a random Nuva Ring problem...I switched to it from Seasonique, so I don't have any of the typical emotional/hormonal problems-it's basically the exact same hormones, but in a lower dose. So I'm loving it for that. The problem I'm having with it is it keeps falling out during sex. The first month it was in this never happened, but then we were having sex not too long after putting my second one in, and it just fell out. I figured it was just a one time thing and didn't think much of it, but then, about a week later I started spotting, which is really unusual, considering it was only about 2 weeks after my last period. I checked to make sure the Nuva ring was up there-turns out it wasn't. I put a new one in, and just this morning, it ended up around my fiance's penis (which was really hilarious, but still kinda frustrating). So has anyone else had this problem? Am I doing something wrong, like not pushing it up far enough? Aside from this problem, I'm really liking the nuva ring, so I don't want to switch, but I'm starting to think I might have to-I really don't want to get pregnant because I don't notice the ring falling out. Help!

I had it happen occasionally, and yes, once it ended up around his penis (I agree, completely hilarious). If it falls out during sex on a regular basis, hang on to the packet it comes in, and take it out yourself before sex. Just don't forget to put it back in (I recommend putting the packet somewhere glaringly obvious that you will see just after having sex). The Ring can be out for a couple of hours without any problems. By doing it yourself, you won't run in to the problem where it fell out without you noticing, and you'll be able to have sex without worrying that it will fall out.

I always got into the habit of checking myself afterward to make sure it was still in there. It was rare that it wasn't.

I know, old thread, but I figured I'd add.

I start NuvaRing a week ago. No real problems, although I did have some bad cramps the first couple of days. At the risk of TMI, I will note that I was also kind of constipated at the same time. So far, so good. Granted, it's early.

I've been on various BCs over the course of my nearly eight years as a sexually active woman; Ortho Tri-Cyclin, The Patch, Ortho Lo. The Patch was definitely my favorite--I hate taking pills, and I definitely have trouble remembering to take a pill at the same time every day. I've never had a lot of major problems with BC. At least, none that I can definitively attribute to BC itself. For instance, I had a low sex drive on my stint on Lo, but I was also in a failing relationship with a man to whom I was no longer attracted. So....hard to say. I've been off BC for a long time, so I'm eager to see how my body reacts.

Cheers!
SF

My friend said it made me bitchier than usual.


I hate how I have to take it out every time I have sex, too.

OK, so the dose of hormones is having a very annoying side effect--my pubic hair is growing like wildfire! I keep a "mowed lawn" as it were, and just noticed that I"m sprouting dark curlies that weren't there before--like between my crotch and my legs! I'm not thinking this is a direct result of the Ring so much as it is going on birth control after a long hiatus, but was wondering if anyone else had this problem?

You don't have to--only if it's getting in the way.

Fortunately for me, mine never gets in the way, unless we're trying some wacky position wherein it ends up around him when he pulls out. No biggie.

Nope, can't say I've had this problem either. Of course, any additional growth of pubic hair on my person would be difficult to assess. I tend to just let it grow :D

I started the Nuvaring back up this week. I'm so relieved to be back on it. BCPs are awful things. When I had kidney stones a few weeks ago, I couldn't keep anything down--including my pill. Since I was on Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo, my period came super-early as a result. :( But with the ring, I don't have to worry about that. It's nice.

It totally gets in the way when I have sex. My partner can feel it. I can't, though.

Wow, I know it's an old thread, but I'll bump it up anyway. I just got my first NuvaRing (haven't put it in yet) from Planned Parenthood yesterday. (I've never used any kind of birth control before.) I'm getting married in 4 weeks so right now I'm trying to calculate the best time to start so I'm not either really cranky and/or on my period for the wedding. Lol. We're the old-fashioned "no doin' it before marriage" type so I don't have anything to worry about there. The Ring is effective after seven days, right?

Anyway, I'll let you all know how it goes with me, if I'm overly moody or crampy or what. Although, I AM in the process of planning a wedding right now so any symptoms may or may not be accurate. *sigh*...I can't wait for this stupid thing to be over! haha

quick update: 2 days on the ring and i feel great! a bit nauseated, but today i've felt less cranky than normal - don't know if it's from the ring or not, but i'll take it! lol

4 years later...I renewed a prescription for the Nuvaring and not even 2 weeks in my boyfriend is commenting on my lack of sex drive! SHIT! I hadn't noticed it, I did not remember how bad the headaches were. That and the fact that I am very emotional. I'm going to repeat history and try it for another month and if it does not improve I'm going off it. The problem with the monthly counting system we had was due to the Depo shot fucking up my system. I had my period for 3 months straight after getting the shot. Not doing that again. Maybe if I do the ring for a while it can regulate everything and we can start the monthly system again.

If the ring doesn't work out, you might consider an IUD. There are a number of us on here with them. I have the Mirena (low dose of progestin), and some of the other women here have the Paraguard (no hormones).

http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/ladies-...-you-know.html

To be honest, insertion hurt and I've had some cramping since then, but it doesn't seem to be anything a couple Aleve doesn't handle. Looking out over the long-term, the pain has been worth it for a birth control method that lasts 5 years; the Paraguard lasts even longer.

I can't take regular BC in pill form because it makes me sick. In fact, most of the symptoms you mention + horrible month long cramps are me on BC. I haven't had any problem on the Nuva and am glad I found it. I was on it a few years ago when it first came out for about a year, then I started back up about 4 mos ago and have been happy with it so far.

Good luck. I hope you find something that works for you.