NuvaRing

sdtjwp

Hey ladies! I started using NuvaRing about 2 1/2 years ago because I had some hormonal imbalance after I had my son. Since then I have gained a lot of weight and have started to get a lot of headaches recently. I saw that these were side effects. Does anyone have these problems as well? I also can't seem to lose weight either. I am eating a lot better and exercising and it is just not coming off. HELP!!! Thanks everyone!

N4monsters

I had the NuvaRing for 3 years and didn't have any side effects with weight gain. It just simply didn't work for me (I got pregnant on it twice). I hope someone has some helpful answers! Have you tried a different birth control?

weighlossforbaby

Have you tried the IUD? I have the 5 year one and it has been great!!! With the IUD you have little to no periods a month but nothing other than that.

xarla16

I just came off of NuvaRing (two months ago) after about 5 years on it. BEST DECISION EVER. I was having mood swings and headaches. I gained 48lbs while I was on NuvaRing, while I'm not blaming NuvaRing for this, I now believe it wasn't helping the situation.

KristysLosing

Have you tried the IUD? I have the 5 year one and it has been great!!! With the IUD you have little to no periods a month but nothing other than that.

I have the IUD because of medical issues with super heavy periods. :-( But my insurance company, as I found out too late, doesn't cover birth control! (still fighting, since it's for another problem) So these suckers can be expensive, but they work.

soontobesam

I just started using the NuvaRing three weeks ago and was freaking out about the weight loss side effect but it hasn't seemed to effect me negatively. I have been losing steadily since I joined MFP (I put the NuvaRing in about a week after) so either it effects everyone differently or I haven't had it in long enough?

I just moved in with my boyfriend and we absolutely do not want a baby for 3+ years so I want to switch over to something else. Any good suggestions out there?

rf1170

I used the NuvaRing for several months, and while I didn't have any serious side effects, I decided to forgo hormonal birth control altogether since I don't want to increase my exposure to estrogen (and thus increase my risk of developing many types of cancers). I fell much better overall now that I've been off for more than a year, and I use Natural Family Planning (in combination with male condoms) to avoid getting pregnant. If you're interested, I'd recommend Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler (http://www.amazon.com/Taking-Charge-Your-Fertility-Reproductive/dp/0060937645). It's easy to understand, and it's been a great tool for me this last year!

xarla16

I just started using the NuvaRing three weeks ago and was freaking out about the weight loss side effect but it hasn't seemed to effect me negatively. I have been losing steadily since I joined MFP (I put the NuvaRing in about a week after) so either it effects everyone differently or I haven't had it in long enough?

I just moved in with my boyfriend and we absolutely do not want a baby for 3+ years so I want to switch over to something else. Any good suggestions out there?

I loved NuvaRing for most of the 5 years I was on it. I never had any scares. I just started noticed that it was like the week I didn't have it, my body felt like I was in withdrawal. I couldn't wait to put the ring back in, because it relieved my horrible headaches that I was getting and having for sometimes almost the entire week. After being off of it, I've read up on it, and I would never use it again. Losing weight without it, seems a lot easier to me, but that could be a variety of factors that have changed. I have switched to Aviane which has a lower does of estrogen.

HerroEmma89

Whatever you do don't get the mirena. I gained massive weight. And sex was excruciating. Ugh it was seriously a suckfest! Lol

j1wright

Two of my really good friends got pregnant on it last year. Doesn't sound like it works the best for what it is suppose to do. I have tried it for a couple of months myself so glad I never kept with it.

I have the Mirena IUD or actually IUC. Stays in for 5 years. They say you gain up to 10 pounds. I am still losing on it. I think the only way I gain on it, is if I go off plan and start eating badly but that would happen anway. I love it, this is my second one.

MsPopRouge

NuvaRing is the devil. I am sure your "okay" by now, but my doctor prescribed Nuva Ring for me and after 6 weeks I was faced with a diagnosed DVT (Blood clot in main artery of my leg). After this happened I discovered Nuva Ring is at higher risk for several complication vs standard bc pills. Ultimately, I was forced to have surgery to treat my condition, and I am no longer eligible to take any form of hormonal replacements. This will come back to haunt me in a few more years (I am currently 44). If I were you I would strongly think about taking a different BC for this problem. Many of the nurses and health care practitioners I speak with tell me they would never take Nuva Ring. Good luck to you.

LilacDreamer

I gained 30lbs while on the 3 different BC pills (they kept changing the pill type) for about 5 months. Hormonal BC is the worst....but I could never tell people that was the reason that I gained...they would just scoff and insinuate that its just an excuse.

annameier8706

I just came off of NuvaRing (two months ago) after about 5 years on it. BEST DECISION EVER. I was having mood swings and headaches. I gained 48lbs while I was on NuvaRing, while I'm not blaming NuvaRing for this, I now believe it wasn't helping the situation.

I gained no weight while I had my Nuva ring, but gained 10 lbs in the first 3months I had my IUD... Weight gain is a side effect of all birth control. Talk to your Dr to help you find the a better fit.

soontobesam

good lord. will need to come back to this post and re-read everyone's comments and do some more research. Thanks for sharing everyone

thefreebiemom

I have never tried the NuvaRing, but during my BC research after my son was born it really didn't seem like a good idea for my needs.

I have Mirena. It works great. Haven't gotten pregnant and I am coming up on the end of the 5 yrs. I have gained weight since my second anyways so hard to tell if 10lbs of it came from Mirena.

A couple of things about Mirena though (IUD/IUC). This is my last year before it needs to be switched out. Last year over the summer after not having any time of month for 4 years I had it EVERY day for months. Actually went to the dr thought something was wrong. She said it was probably because the hormones were lowering in it because it was so close to the end. Every day stopped and now it is more like once every couple of months but for that 4 or 5 mon it was soooo annoying, and usually not as heavy as off BC. Definitely haven't had a problem with sex, still want that as often as usual.

So far Mirena is the only thing that has worked for me to keep from getting pregnant. My first child was born when I was on the pill and my 2nd was born using natural methods (I was breastfeeding and didn't want to take hormonal BC).

Side note about the DEPO shot. My best friend was on that in HS and it screwed her body up royally. So much so that she ended up with cysts on her ovaries needing to be removed in surgery. Bad idea on that one, but I didn't see anyone else mention that so looks like everyone already knows the bad deal with the shot.

sdtjwp

Thank you so much for the great advice everyone! i really am looking forward to reading more and talking to my OB/GYN about switching this out. I don't think I need the hormones anymore (or at least as much) and i would rather NOT be putting things in my body that may be harming me! I really and truly think that it is stopping my weight loss because the week that I do not have it in (my period week) I normally lose quite a few pounds! then I gain it back for 3 weeks, then I lose more the week I don't have it in...

My husband is definitely supportive of finding another BC so I am thankful for that. I think I am definitely going to stop using this!

Nikki_856

I was on Nuvaring for years and never had any problems or side effects whatsoever. I also lost 30 lbs ( through diet and excercise) while on it. Although I loved it I have been recently looking into different options... Has anyone tried Perra guard? it's an IUD that uses copper instead of hormones. I am interested but hesitant because I have never hear of anyone who's had it.

LiddyBit

Ugh. I do not understand feeding women hormones when they don't have hormone imbalances. I won't use hormonal BC and frankly the copper IUD doesn't sound like a picnic either so my husband and I use condoms.

k8lyn_235

i have been on the nuvaring for 3 years and i love it! no weight gain, no headaches, no mood swings, no pregnancies (hope i didn't just jinx myself!). just goes to show that everyone is different. if you don't like it, you definitely should discuss other options with your ob/gyn, but bc is not a one type fits all type of thing.

HMVOL7409

I have used Nuvaring for over 9 years now and have had absolutely no issues. There are risks involved with any BC. You can get blood clots with any brand or type so it's best to see what works for YOU. I actually gained more weight when I went off of it trying to get pregnant and then enter fertility drugs and it was downhill. Since being back on it my life is 100 times better.

rachellosesitall85

I'm on the fence with NuvaRing. I've had it for about 6 months now. In the beginning I had horrible cramps and sex was painful as I hear it thins out the lining of your uterus. Flash forward 6 months I have very light periods and barely any cramps. This is awesome for me as I've always had very heavy periods since I was 11. I just recently found out that I'm on the low end of anemic so that could very well have been the issue. Here's where it gets tricky. I have mood swings right before my period and during the first few days of having a new ring in. I'm talking b*i*t*c*h mode! Also, my sex life is suffering because the NuvaRing has really lowered my sex drive. I feel bad because now I don't enjoy sex and just go through the motions because my husband has a high sex drive and he's noticed it before I did. I mean, I don't even initiate it anymore and it makes me "dry". I have noticed that once I'm on my off week, my hormones start rushing in and I'm back at my normal peak. Also, my weight is fluctuating a lot, like 7lbs up and down. I'm seriously thinking of switching. Pros: I'm not preggers, easy to use Cons: No sex drive whatsoever, dryness and I notice after sex I get headaches. Also, when I have to pee really bad, I get serious cramps on occasion, or if I'm seated/laying down a certain way.

Ttopeka

I've had this for 2 years and I haven't had any problems with it. All forms of BC will carry some sort of risk with their side effects, but it's a matter of talking to your doctor and figuring out what would work best for you. I know women who have had to try 3-4 different kinds of BC before finding something that actually works for them. I would hate to see people scared away from what I consider to be a very convenient, effective form of BC simply because of the horror stories some of you experienced. Not that I'm implying those aren't important factors to consider, but I would hardly say that it's a horrendous method of BC for many.

amiscci

I used NuvaRing for over a year and had to stop. Loved the convenience, but experienced incredible headaches (full day migraines) on each Wednesday after my period started-- like clockwork. Could do nothing but lie in bed in a dark room. Stopped the ring, the headaches stopped. Told my OBGyn who said she was surprised, because NuvaRing was "low dose" hormones.
Have been on some kind of pills for my whole adult life, but that stretch with the NuvaRing was just awful.

MsPopRouge

I think the issue is not that all birth control doesn't carry risks. But nuvaring does carry some increased risk, and you aren't always told those INCREASED risks. There are many forms of BC, and depending on your lifestyle and stage, some more informed discussion is needed.

Since dealing with the medical issues of my being placed on nuvaring I have had numerous medical personnel from RNs to Doctors who said nuvaring for me was a bad medical decision, and I should have been more informed. I used other forms including bc pills for years, nuvaring was an obvious bad fit for me. But when my doctor prescribed it for me I was never informed of the more increased risks and would have probably declined and requested a more traditional form of bc or one with less hormones.

I wish it were just horror stories, unfortunately it is my real life. As for those other women who experienced negative side effects, it is what they honestly went though as well. I feel stupid for not doing exactly what the poster here is doing and asking other women for their results. I may have dug deeper and saved myself pain and expense.

I am glad you had a positive outcome with your decision, and wish you the best in your future health.

Added for clarification, study result:
"In relevant part, this new FDA study found that the NuvaRing was associated with a significantly higher risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) relative to standard low-dose estrogen birth control pills, with the estimate of relative risk for NuvaRing being 1.56 (95% CI 1.02 to 2.37).

One of the key points made in this October 2011 FDA study report is that continuous exposure combined hormonal contraceptives such as the NuvaRing "potentially result in higher sustained exposure to estrogen and hence, increased thromboembolic risk"."

Tzippy7

any hormonal birth control can change your body in relation to weight, but some may be better than others. There are some non-hormonal options though. They can really get you feeling back to normal. The copper IUC (paraguard) has no hormones and is 99.9% effective for 10 years. Planned parenthood offers them at differing prices based on your income, so long term its the cheapest form of birth control.

binglebandit

I know this thread is rather old, but I wanted to share my two cents. I got a massive DVT in my whole left leg after being on nuvaring for three months (only 18 yrs old and fairly healthy). Turns out I had a blood clotting disorder (genetics) that was triggered by the hormones. Even without that I'm 100% certain it was the nuvaring that caused my blood clot as I've never had any other health problems before or after. It has a much higher risk than other forms of bc because it goes straight into your blood locally rather than getting digested and also uses a different hormone.

Of course everyone's bodies are different and lots of people enjoy it. My biggest caution would be to listen to your body. If you are having migraines talk to your doctor right away. Like clockwork I always got a horrible migraine, after starting it up again every month, that would last several hours. I also had symptoms which I now believe were an undiagnosed mini stroke during the first month. Again, not really typical, but if you do have any of the side effects, tell your doctor as they may be a sign of something more serious.

avir8

My husband is definitely supportive of finding another BC so I am thankful for that. I think I am definitely going to stop using this!

hopefully he'll get a vasectomy. It's cheaper, outpatient, reversible, doesn't affect hormones, no side effects but of course women are left with the burden of taking care of birth control. It affects our hormones, weight, thyroid, vascular system, so on and so on

kali31337

I'm getting rid of mine. I've been in the worst mood and my period hasn't stopped since I put it in. This is my first month with it and I know that there may be adjustment periods but these side effects are a killer. No wonder it's an effective bc. It kills your libido and makes TOM never go away. Yep definitely not gonna get pregnant this way....

NareenaTheGypsy

I had the ParaGuard for years (10 + a few months when I couldn't get to the dr's . ) and I loved it.. I haven't tried NuvaRing, but like others have said, all hormonal BC has side effects to a degree, etc.. I have an IUD in again, after a couple years away from it (I was on Depo shots for 2 years) and I love having it.. My periods used to be really bad with cramps, aches and blinding migraines but on the IUD/IUC's I have had less of all it thankfully!! No pregnancies, no severe weight gain other than what was self inflicted.

SoDamnHungry

I've been on it for a few years. Definitely no weight gain from it.

Anaconda62

I've used it for years. I am older than most who've answered here, but I've always had good luck with it. I've never had cramps or moodiness with my periods, so I may be more of an exception. Also, no headaches to report