NuvaRing and Depression: What Users Say (Page 2)

• JLa...
• June 20, 2019

For Birth Control "After my first month's removal, almost immediately my mood coming down from this was very angry. I take birth control to help with cramps and a heavy cycle. The cramps were there with the ring. The second month, which is currently my situation, is I'm 11 days in, and I haven't gotten out of bed in 2 days. I'm a happy person, not angry, never depressed. These past 2 days, I'm angry, sad, and depressed. I removed it today for fearing it getting worse. I do not recommend this to any woman."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 20, 2017

For Birth Control "I have been on NuvaRing for about 6 years. PROS: I've never gotten pregnant. My boobs went up 2 cup sizes. It's not uncomfortable at all. It regulated my period. Much easier than the pill, you put it in, then you can forget about it for 3 weeks. But the BEST THING for me was that it cleared my acne. CONS: I am moody, more depressed, will cry for any little thing. I have always been 110 pounds my whole life with tiny fluctuations, now I'm heading towards 125 pounds! No sex drive at all. Broke up with my boyfriend of 5 years because we never had sex. It gives me constant BV and daily vaginal discharge, which is the worst side effect to me. I have decided to stop it. I'm sick of having BV, and I don't want to gain any more weight."

• the...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 6, 2015

For Birth Control "The first 12 months were great. No noticeable side effects, and I didn't get pregnant. Then I started having side effects. I couldn't wear contacts anymore, they would literally fall out onto my cheeks. I had them refitted, and the problem persisted. At the same time, I started experiencing what were likely aura migraines. My forehead, upper lip, and hands would go numb. I would experience large blind spots and large dark moving objects in my vision. These problems happened multiple times a week. I was extremely fatigued and depressed. I stopped using the NuvaRing when I realized I didn't have the symptoms in the off week. None of the doctors I saw thought to recommend going off NuvaRing. Symptom-free for 6 months. Off NuvaRing 6 months."

• KMP...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 12, 2021

For Birth Control "I thought at first that this medication would be the holy grail... no problems the first week and the second week a few changes, some anxiety and increased discharge. The third week is when it all drastically changed for me. I started going from being ruthless and uncaring to crying and being overly emotional the next. I was getting horrible migraines and did not feel like eating. I got severely depressed and anxious very quickly over the smallest things. I was numb, almost like how an antidepressant would make you feel. I have since taken it out, but it says it can take up to 2 menstrual cycles to get the hormones cleansed from your system... so be cautious about if you are experiencing signs and symptoms now that they do not just go away when you take it out. It was very scary and upsetting... I would not recommend."

• Eri...
• September 1, 2019

For Birth Control "I am 33 and have been on NuvaRing for 3-4 years. There are some positives and negatives which I will list: Positives: - Clear skin: I have always struggled with acne, and my skin became very clear. - Light periods and no cramping. - Convenience, and you don't have to remember to take a pill every day. - Easy to use. - Effective in prevention of pregnancy. Negatives: - Highly increased appetite: I have gained 30 lbs in 3 years (start weight was 140, now 170). - No sex drive: Sex became miserable to endure because I had no interest in it. - Increase in mood swings, aggravation, depression, anxiety, and laziness. - Headaches: Occur very frequently and sometimes lasted for 2-4 days. - Sharp random pains in cervix. - Increase in discharge. I have been off the NuvaRing now for a little over a month, and I feel like my personality is back to normal. I feel like myself again. I have lost weight (6 lbs in one month, and I notice I’m not as hungry and don’t have severe cravings anymore)."

• Swe...
• May 20, 2019

For Birth Control "I originally had the Nexplanon implant. I had been on this birth control for six years. After the second renewal expired, I decided I wanted a birth control that was not long-term. My doctor recommended the NuvaRing. The first week, everything was fine. I was starting to like it. I couldn’t feel it, and neither could my partner during sex. Week two, the depression was through the roof. I couldn’t bring myself to get out of bed for work. I ended up missing two weeks of work because it had gotten so bad. All in that time, I was in the darkest place in my mind. After the first month was up, I came to the conclusion that this was not for me. I would not recommend this to anyone."

• Sam...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 24, 2019

For Birth Control "I started NuvaRing 8 months ago after being on 3 different IUDs the past 17 years. At first, I loved it. It did make my vagina swell the first week, but it wasn’t irritating or a problem. Periods are kind of all over the place, and cramping is worse than ever before. Had me laying with a heating pad 3 out of the 5 days. After 8 months, I have gained 16 pounds, and my anxiety and depression are through the roof. I had 3 panic attacks in the past 2 weeks, and it is definitely from this birth control. On a positive note, my cystic acne completely went away, and my skin is, for the most part, really clear. Also, I have not gotten pregnant. I would recommend this product but to pay close attention to your mental health. If you feel anxiety and depression coming on, you need to stop using it and contact your doctor. I’ve also had brief suicidal thoughts. I stopped taking this and am trying the mini pill. Wish me luck. I am writing my review because I feel birth control side effects are extremely underreported."

• Anonymous
• October 29, 2009

For Birth Control "A very simple birth control to use. I couldn't remember pills, so I was on the ring for almost 3 years (I'm now 29). My sex drive has been reduced to nothing, except late in my period, not coincidentally when the ring has been out the longest. My periods are short, only about 2 1/2 days of light flow, but the cramps start 2 days before that and last right up till I put the next ring in. Worst of all is the depression and mood swings. I have a great life, but when my husband asks what I want for lunch, that has been enough to reduce me to literal tears lately. Also, I've gained nearly 40 pounds despite being more active than ever. I just came back from the gyno and got a copper (non-hormonal IUD) inserted today."

• Car...
• May 29, 2016

For Birth Control "I started NuvaRing on 5/15/2016 and took it out 5/28/2016. I am 38 and have 3 children. I felt so depressed, emotional, and aggravated for the past week. I am extremely tired, have a headache, and just feel off. I'm nauseous and hungry at the same time. I don't know if it's in my head or if my body needs to adjust, but I am scared of going forward or symptoms worsening. What really made me nervous was my eyes felt like I had a fog over them, I took it out and flushed it down the toilet. 30 minutes later, my eyes were clear again. Maybe I was being paranoid, I don't know, but that wasn't for me. I'm getting my tubes tied."

• ab7...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 23, 2017

For Birth Control "I thought since I had such a horrible experience, I would write a review. So I did give it a 2 out of 10 just because I didn't get pregnant an entire year on this medicine, so it is technically effective and also convenient. But the side effects were just not worth it. I literally turned into a crazy person. No libido. I was so unbelievably depressed for months, and it came on slowly, so I didn't really notice how bad it was until I hit rock bottom. I would cry for hours about nothing. I almost broke up with my boyfriend of 6 years because I was so depressed, and I didn't understand why I was so unhappy. Bad experience for me. Not worth it, in my opinion, but everyone is different!"

• Ano...
• November 4, 2016

For Birth Control "I love that I only have to think about my birth control twice a month. It's easy to use. That being said, after about six months of use, I realized that I was noticeably more anxious, depressed, and emotional. Where I've had problems with anxiety before, I more frequently have panic attacks, a rapid heartbeat, and a tight chest. I find it hard to fall asleep at night and hard to get out of bed in the morning. Maybe the worst part is that I have a very low libido. There will be times when I do have a desire to have sex with my SO, but my body doesn't respond or tenses up quickly. Otherwise, I don't think about intercourse nearly as much as I used to."

• Anonymous
• September 7, 2009

For Birth Control "I have always used Natural Family Planning until my husband and I started working at the same hospital, and our hours made it impossible to keep track of everything like we had previously. I decided I'd try the lowest dose of birth control, which is the NuvaRing. I had it in for less than one week because I became extremely depressed, had crying spells, was constipated, and felt nauseated. All of this mattered, but I felt like my body needed to adjust to this... until, after sex, I was bleeding, and the left side of my vagina was very painful."

• Car...
• October 19, 2013

For Birth Control "I have tried Loestrin Fe 24 & Ortho Tri-Cyclen, both to no avail. Mood swings, depression, weight gain *permanently* of 10 pounds each time. I was ready to give up. But my cousin working in an OBGYN office gave me four months of the NuvaRing as a trial. I CAN TELL YOU I'M IN LOVE! I lost 10 lbs the first month, my appetite was cut in half. My period was light, barely any cramping, & no spotting or ovary pains from my PCOS. These fantastic results continued into the 2nd and 3rd month, I continue to lose unwanted weight. My one complaint: the first 2 months of the ring I had slight vaginal pain, kinda like a yeast infection & an increase in discharge. But the side effects went away as my body adjusted after the 2nd month. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!"

• Ber...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 18, 2019

For Birth Control "The worst birth control so far. I do not feel in control of my emotions. I had depression with really negative thoughts. I turned to everyone around me for validation about myself, including my boss. I’ve suffered from severe paranoia, complex of inferiority, self-doubt, self-hate, and I would cry at everything. I also gained 10 pounds and have not been feeling like my confident self."

• Ber...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 18, 2019

For Birth Control "The worst birth control so far. I do not feel in control of my emotions. I had depression with really negative thoughts. I turned to everyone around me for validation about myself, including my boss. I’ve suffered from severe paranoia, complex of inferiority, self-doubt, self-hate, and I would cry at everything. I also gained 10 pounds and have not been feeling like my confident self."

• Jul...
• December 26, 2016

For Birth Control "I began NuvaRing in July, and OMG, I wish I hadn't. I've been depressed ever since I started, nausea every once in a while, but literally crying my eyes out every single day. I've thought to seek help, I've never experienced depression this bad or these thoughts before. I thought I was just unhappy, and I don't know what told me to check these reviews, but I'm glad I did, and I can't relate more. Took out my NuvaRing last night, I'm done."

• tma...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 19, 2019

For Birth Control "I loved NuvaRing as birth control at first, far easier to remember than the pill and super effective. HOWEVER, it made me depressed, lazy, gave me a foggy brain, moody, and this caused many hardships in my personal relationships. I closed myself off from the world and thought I might be suffering from depression. Once I had enough, I decided to see if it was my NuvaRing, so I took it out and switched to an IUD. Within weeks, I feel like myself again! I am happy, super productive, love socializing again, and no longer moody. Would not recommend the NuvaRing to anyone. I suffered with the mood side effects and used NuvaRing for two years, and yet no doctor ever told me that it was even a possibility that's why I was feeling so horrible. I'd also like to add it also caused a lot of inflammation and made sex very uncomfortable for me to the point I'd be crying."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 4, 2016

For Birth Control "I was on Sprintec 28-day birth control for years. I got off of this because I started forgetting my pill. I wanted to try a different form of birth control that would be easier for me. My doctor immediately told me that the NuvaRing would be best, that I would have no side effects, and that I would be fine. I was NOT fine. I became extremely depressed, was crying all the time, and furious with everyone. I started to have suicidal thoughts. It was the scariest feeling. After a month of this, I couldn't take it anymore and got off of the NuvaRing. Being on this medicine was the worst experience of my entire life, and I believe that if another option would work for you, try it instead of this. Nothing is worth feeling depressed and suicidal."

• wis...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 26, 2019

For Birth Control "I’m 24 and have been on NuvaRing for 3 years. Today will be my last day. I have always loved this form of birth control, but I’m starting to notice the mental health issues it’s causing in me. I have never had such severe mood swings and depression in my life. I cry almost every day, and every time I get close to removing the ring for period week, I get these emotional crashes. My mental health is being compromised, and it’s not worth it. If you’re an emotional person like me, I wouldn’t recommend this."

• 2nd...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• October 3, 2018

For Birth Control "I'm 27, and I just started back on the NuvaRing a couple of weeks ago after taking a 6-12 month break from birth control. I had been on NuvaRing from age 14 until I was almost 27, and I had thought it was completely wonderful. I took a break to see what my body would be like without it and actually came out of my lifelong depression, anxiety, paranoia, and horrible sleep patterns. I had no idea that stopping NuvaRing was the reason until I started back on it again. After just two weeks, I am not sleeping, fighting with my partner, accusing him of all sorts of crazy things, breaking down in tears every moment, and feeling so tired and unmotivated. I took it out a few minutes ago as I read that many others like me loved it the first time (in our younger years) and have trouble with it now."

• Anonymous
• November 22, 2014

For Birth Control "Loved this method of birth control at first. Used it for about 9 months, took it out for two weeks, and slowly fell into a depression (never been depressed in life). I have put it back in and hopefully will go back to normal until I can find a way to slowly remove the hormones from my body without going cold turkey. It was great not having to remember to take a pill every day, but the side effects just aren't worth it to me."

• San...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 20, 2019

For Birth Control "Bloating, mood swings, anxiety, depression, no sex drive, made me dislike being intimate. I want to, but I can't make myself initiate sex with this birth control. It's so hard. I've never had this problem with any other birth control. I get sad too, out of nowhere, no reason, randomly. I like the ease of taking it, but it's not right for me. I gained weight, I like myself even less now. Thanks a lot, NuvaRing. It is still not as bad as Paragard, though."

• Not...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 21, 2017

For Birth Control "Inserting and retrieving the NuvaRing takes some getting used to, but after a few tries, you'll get the hang of it. The side effects, however, were so overwhelming I stopped using the NuvaRing after 2 months. The positives were I didn't have to think about it every day, and normally I have acne, but on NuvaRing, I didn't experience breakouts. The negatives were my mood. I was irritable, depressed, and cranky after about a week on the ring. Generally, I'm mild-tempered, sweet, and forgiving. Not on NuvaRing. I was overly emotional; crying, yelling, grumpy, annoyed. It was affecting my quality of life, so I removed it. I've been off of it for over a week now and feel like my goofy, playful self again. I'll never go back. It's not worth it."

• Ail...
• May 21, 2018

For Birth Control "If I could rate this a zero, I absolutely would. I’ve had the worst experience being on it. Severe mood change, depression, and anxiety. I never was able to put two and two together until recently due to the fact I had been off of it and felt a million times better, then got back on it a week ago. Immediately, the symptoms came back. The feeling when I was on it ruined my life, lost my job, eagerness to enjoy life, pushed family and friends away, hated who I was as a person. I’m not saying everyone will have this but, for me, I felt at my worst. On the positive side of things, since being off of this and going through a rough couple of years, it’s changed me for a better person, I no longer see things one way or the other, I see beauty in everyone and everything."

• Hea...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 6, 2019

For Birth Control "I have been using NuvaRing for about 10 months. In the beginning months, everything was great. I loved how easy the ring was and that I could just forget about it. I never experienced any irritation or dryness. I did use the continuous method to skip my periods. These last two months on the ring, I have been anxious, depressed, extremely quick to anger. I feel it is ruining my relationships with everyone in my life. I took the ring out to have my period and made an appointment with my doctor to get on something new. I really wanted the ring to work for me."