NuvaRing and Depression: What Users Say

• spi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 11, 2019

For Birth Control "I just recently switched from the pill (Sronyx) to the NuvaRing. Not going to lie, I got on this website the day I got prescribed the NuvaRing and I scared myself half to death...all of the reviews were so scary, and I was terrified. Needless to say, I still tried it. I've been on the NuvaRing for about a month already, and I absolutely love it. I've pretty much forgotten about it, my boyfriend can't feel it during sex, and neither can I. People complain about a low sex drive on the ring, but if anything, mine has gone up. Everything is more enjoyable now than ever because I don't have to remember to take a pill. When I got on the pill, I gained 15 lbs and was literally psychotic and depressed, but with the NuvaRing, I feel normal again!! Do NOT let these reviews scare you. People are more likely to leave a review if they have a bad experience, and if all is good, they forget about it, move on, and never return to the website to leave a positive review. Don't be scared, try it out!"

• Anonymous
• December 3, 2009

For Birth Control "For those of you experiencing negative side effects... I was on NuvaRing for 4 years. During that time, I became depressed, and cramps and back pain were unbearable. I have discontinued use of NuvaRing and feel better. All side effects are gone! When I discussed this with my doctor, she stated that some women naturally produce a normal level of hormones. When these women are on birth control, it can cause all of these side effects due to having an elevated level of hormones. The opposite effect happens to women that don't naturally produce a normal level of hormones, leading them to actually feel better and not have all of these side effects. This is why some women do well and feel great on birth control and others don't."

• Tha...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 4, 2021

For Birth Control "At first, NuvaRing was amazing. I’ve been on every kind of birth control imaginable (all with bad side effects), and this was by far the best... until it wasn’t. I had a major depressive episode and felt absolute despair for months without realizing it was caused by this medication. I was in the process of finding a counselor because I felt miserable and was making everyone around me miserable. I was so angry all the time and had no interest in doing anything, ever. I had chalked it up to stressors in my life until we decided to try for a baby. After about a week without it, all of a sudden, it was like the sun was shining and the birds were singing again."

• Tha...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 4, 2021

For Birth Control "At first, NuvaRing was amazing. I’ve been on every kind of birth control imaginable (all with bad side effects), and this was by far the best... until it wasn’t. I had a major depressive episode and felt absolute despair for months without realizing it was caused by this medication. I was in the process of finding a counselor because I felt miserable and was making everyone around me miserable. I was so angry all the time and had no interest in doing anything, ever. I had chalked it up to stressors in my life until we decided to try for a baby. After about a week without it, all of a sudden, it was like the sun was shining and the birds were singing again."

• Don...
• December 30, 2020

For Birth Control "I am 31 years old, and this was my first time using BC other than condoms. I do not recommend. I am naturally a very relaxed and happy person, and this ring made me extremely depressed and contemplating suicide. I was so angry after only about 3 weeks of use, and it scared both myself and my partner. The NuvaRing shook my relationship and caused my partner and me to fight so much because of my uncontrollable anger. The night I removed the ring (3 weeks in), I remember feeling suicidal. That’s terrifying! I hope no one ever feels this way—especially due to birth control. Stay safe out there and please do your research! This ring is way more harmful than I ever expected it to be. Now (1 week out), I can finally say I feel happy and so relaxed again. Never again will I use the NuvaRing."

• A O...
• November 12, 2019

For Birth Control "I was recommended the NuvaRing by a friend, and I have been on it since the beginning of August (so 4 months). At first, it felt fine, no noticeable side effects. My skin looked really good, which was a huge plus for me. But then I started noticing a general malaise. A deep sadness and anxiety that would wake me up every single morning around 4/5 a.m., and a sadness that would linger throughout the day. I attributed this again to stress (job change, applying to grad school, long-distance relationship). But I felt really different. I started to feel like my personality was shifting, like all my happiness and joy completely disappeared and I was becoming a shell of a former self. I've been extremely stressed and depressed before, but this is a whole new level of feeling anxious. Crying at the smallest things, feeling so sensitive to anything. Of course, it could just be stress, but how can you differentiate between what is real and what is hormonal? You start to go crazy!"

• No...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 17, 2014

For Birth Control "2 months into using NuvaRing, I found myself never wanting to leave the house, everyone and everything annoyed and frustrated me. After a fight with my best friend, I had realized that I wasn't myself. NuvaRing was the only difference in my life, and I stopped using it that day. Within days, my mood adjusted back to normal. But I will never put up with that depression again, not saying that happens to everyone."

• she...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 1, 2014

For Birth Control "Pros: ease of use, decreased acne, reduced headaches, which was wonderful. Cons: 15 lbs weight gain in 6 months, unprecedented! Reduced sex drive and slight depression. Discharge and yeast infection for the first 2 months, terrible breakthrough bleeding."

• Anonymous
• February 7, 2009

For Birth Control "It's been one week, and I feel EXTREMELY tired and depressed. I really want this to work, so I'll give it a little more time. It's easy to put in, and I don't feel it at all. But I'm sleeping like 12 hours a day and feel like I'm swimming through mud. Also, I've been having random cramps or sharp pains in my abdomen."

• ups...
• January 23, 2010

For Birth Control "NuvaRing is effective in pregnancy prevention. However, the side effects were bad. The first month was fine, with only one bad side effect (diarrhea), and I wasn't too sure if it was even from my birth control that month. It was never listed as a side effect. When I got my period, it was light and lasted only about 2 1/2 days. After 2-3 months, side effects started to kick in: more abdominal cramps, normal discharge, extreme bloating very often, nausea, and headaches. Along with these, I became extremely irritable/very grumpy, had a major loss in appetite, and when I did eat, the diarrhea would hit (severely). Eventually, I had horrible back pain and became very depressed, which negatively impacted my life."

• Gra...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 6, 2020

For Birth Control "I had a horrible experience with NuvaRing. I’ll admit it was nice not having to worry about taking a pill every day, but I experienced awful side effects. It caused me to become extremely depressed and anxious and lowered my libido. My doctor told me I wouldn’t be able to feel it during intercourse, but I could, and it was so uncomfortable-sometimes even painful. If needed, you can take it out for up to 3 hours, but it’s inconvenient to have to do that. I also had severe period cramps while using this. I personally do not recommend NuvaRing."

• Ste...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 17, 2014

For Birth Control "I'm gonna keep it short and sweet; I've been on about a week, taking it to help with PMS. No initial symptoms other than a slight increase in random emotional upheaval. After about 3 days, exhaustion kicked in along with unnecessary bursts of anger, frustration, or sadness. 4-6 days, mass fatigue, appalling headaches (I promise you, I'm not exaggerating!), crazy outbreaks of spots, nausea, and lightheadedness. I'm going to stick it through for at least another week and will update. I would obviously prefer to follow through to see if it settles down, but I have rather a lot to do in the next few months and would rather not be impeded by my hormones. Good luck! It's worth a try - you can always take it out if it disagrees with you."

• Sin...
• March 15, 2014

For Birth Control "My partner and I finally decided to try some alternate methods of birth control. NuvaRing was my first choice because I'm too forgetful to try pills, and I must say I've had a mixed experience. I love the fact that I can insert it and forget about it. I don't feel it during sex, and it doesn't slip out. It got rid of my recurring yeast infections, I even grew a cup size. However, I can't help but notice that I've gained weight, especially around my waistline, which almost never happens, and my sex drive has decreased. I exercise regularly, so I know it had to be the hormones. I experience extreme mood swings, I'm a lot more angry, I find myself depressed, have random urges to cry, and my periods are just as painful as before. I just may switch soon."

• Sop...
• June 8, 2019

For Birth Control "NuvaRing caused anxiety and depression for me. After 3 years of the ring, I was experiencing severe anxiety and feelings of loneliness, restlessness, irritability, fatigue, sadness, and I could not understand where it was coming from. After putting two and two together, I removed the ring and within 24 hours that awful fog lifted, and I'm back to myself again. I think NuvaRing is a super alternative to the conventional pill, but please watch out for signs of anxiety and/or depression. The difference after I took it out was shocking, and I really wish that I had been told this could happen. I hate to think how many women are suffering from this debilitating mental health issue without realizing that it is their contraception. In terms of application, wear, and comfort, the NuvaRing is easy, convenient, and overall great. It is easy to apply and causes no problems whatsoever, it has never dislodged or caused discomfort."

• Sad...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 15, 2019

For Birth Control "I had used the ring for years and years ago and don't recall it impacting me the way it did this time. I have it in for almost a week, and yesterday I was so full of self-hate. It was awful! I have never felt so depressed, and I know myself - this is not me! I couldn't stop crying. I just wanted to be in bed. I was beating myself up so badly. Leading up to yesterday, I definitely noticed a sharp decline in my mood within a day of putting in the ring. It came out today. No thank you!"

• jjj...
• May 25, 2015

For Birth Control "First and foremost, before I went on the NuvaRing, I was a complete skeptic. I did almost 2 months of research and read almost every review on Drugs.com. My current boyfriend (who is a pharmacist) suggested and educated me on this BC. I have not been on BC for almost 3 years prior to starting NuvaRing. I've tried everything, from Depo, every pill-formed BC, and nothing has worked for me. NuvaRing is by far the only thing that's worked, from the first 3 months, when your body starts adjusting, everything was fine! No weight gain (lost 10 lbs), no depression, increased sex drive. There are definitely more pros than cons. Highly suggested! Good for those who have a hard time remembering to take daily pills."

• Sal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 21, 2019

For Birth Control "I am an 18-year-old who was relatively healthy before starting the NuvaRing. (I had the Nexplanon before I started the ring.) I kept the ring in literally for 2 weeks, and I will have to say that this experience has changed my whole view of birth control. I immediately experienced depression and anxiety, both of which I’ve never had a history with. My legs would swell up, I felt dizzy, and I had pains in my chest. I had been to the doctors three times in the past two weeks because of these things, and I could quite put my finger on why it was happening until recently. I also never thought that vaginal dryness would ever be an issue with me, but it was. My sex drive completely disappeared. My body immediately hated this birth control, and I am still suffering from the effects of it a week later. Please look at all possible risks and side effects for this birth control before taking it, because if I had known, I would have steered clear of it."

• Mea...
• July 11, 2019

For Birth Control "I was on hormonal pills that caused anxiety and OCD tendencies. My now husband was a saint through that. After becoming pregnant due to a faulty IUD (arm did not fully deploy, and luckily I did not need a surgery), NuvaRing was recommended. I almost made it through my 2nd ring. Over the last few weeks, I noticed an increase in anxiety, being quick to anger, and intense depression. After having days of panic attacks (exacerbated by reviews and thinking I had blood clots) and feelings of complete misery, I decided I needed to remove it. It’s been over 12 hours, and overall I feel better, just exhausted. Everyone reacts to medications differently, and maybe I was more sensitive to it, but I thought it was important to share my experience because I wonder how many people feel that way and think it’s them when it’s not. Even this time, it took my husband to point out there was something altering my system and snap me out of it because I was convinced my feelings were all my fault."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 24, 2017

For Birth Control "Giving it two stars because it does serve its purpose-birth control. But it's so not worth the side effects I had for the first week after putting it in place. I had horrifying dreams on the third night and woke up in terror. I was mostly depressed and hated people around me. I was easily irritated by small things. I was negative and wanted to be alone. After noticing the change in my mood, I took it out five days later. Just in half a day, I have noticeable improvement in my mood. I wanted to be around my friends again. I'm happier. I wouldn't recommend this form of birth control to any of my friends."

• Yog...
• September 25, 2019

For Birth Control "After reading all of these reviews, I feel like I was crazy for staying on the NuvaRing for so long (3 years), but for at least the past year, I have been wondering why I’m not myself. I started the NuvaRing when I was 18/19 and have gained an extra 15 pounds that I can’t seem to lose no matter how much I eat/exercise. I also have had LOTS of mood swings and went through a depression last year, I thought it was my schooling since I am an engineering major, but now I’m not so sure. And the worst was that I lost my sex drive. My boyfriend and I have been together for at least 2 years before I started the NuvaRing, but for the past year, he always wants to, and I just am not in the mood. I feel like these changes started slow but became more clear after the years went by. It wasn’t all bad though, I love its convenience and ease of use, but for what it did to my mental health and weight is frustrating. Thanks, girls, for all your input, I thought I was going crazy!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 14, 2014

For Birth Control "I started NuvaRing 3 weeks and 2 days ago. I loved it because I didn't have to remember to take a pill. That was the extent of my happiness. Within 1 week, I started to get complaints about my attitude, and people were genuinely concerned about what was wrong with me. Within 2 weeks, I had severe anxiety and depression with suicidal thoughts. I know people say it takes time to get used to, but I would've been dead by then. Prior to the 3-week mark, I had stabbing pain near/in my heart. That occurred for 2 days, on the second day, I said goodbye to my NuvaRing. I did research 2 days after I removed it and found out that it isn't recommended if you have ever had depression, and I had PPD very badly (psych ward for 3 days, yeah, bad)."

• MeS...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 18, 2014

For Birth Control "I switched over to the NuvaRing from Gildess FE 1/20 simply for the convenience. Gildess worked great for me, no side effects, so I figured I would try NuvaRing. I had to stop it after two months. The second month on the ring, I experienced off-and-on anxiety, depression at times, feeling unmotivated, and just not like myself. I attributed it to it being finals week in college... but when I didn't feel at peace at all during break, I knew something was wrong. I even flipped out on my boyfriend for no reason and ignored him. The final straw was the random crying outbursts I experienced. Nothing was bothering me, but I found myself fighting back random tears. Back to Gildess for me! Thank God! I can't sacrifice emotional stability for convenience."

• CRo...
• December 7, 2019

For Birth Control "This is my last round of the ring after over 12 years of using NuvaRing. I can recall the first few months of using it having depression. After that subsided, I noticed my bad acne had completely gone away but also my sex drive as well. I was told by my doctor to continue to use it if it works well for me in other ways. Fast forward to now, I’ve had an insanely difficult time losing weight. And it’s now come down to the possibility that it’s the NuvaRing. While it wasn’t the cause of my weight gain, I’m strongly wondering if it’s the cause of my weight loss resistance. I’ve been consistently working out plus dieting only to lose a few pounds here and there. I’ve tried so many diet lifestyles and would stick with it for several months to no avail. So now, after much contemplation, it is now time to do without the NuvaRing. And it would be nice to have a sex drive again! And it will be interesting to see how much it affected me in other ways that I hadn’t noticed."

• Bri...
• April 24, 2015

For Birth Control "I've been using NuvaRing for about 3 months now, and I thought that the extremely bad anxiety was caused by other problems and that it'd go away, but it hasn't and has only gotten worse. My face has been breaking out more than when I was in high school. My sex drive has decreased tremendously! I've never had depression until I started NuvaRing, and it's probably become the worst part of all of this. I started getting leg cramps, which usually never happen and are supposed to be a sign of blood clots, as stated in the side effects. I WOULD NOT recommend this to anyone. I could go on and on about other side effects from this, but I wanted to point out the ones that have affected me the most."

• Pin...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 21, 2016

For Birth Control "So I'm still currently on NR. And I'm not sure how I feel about it, I'm finding that I'm a lot more dry, harder to get turned on, and really not wanting to have sex in general. I also feel like I'm having crazy mood swings-angry ones. Since starting this form of birth control, my relationship has ended because I'm too angry (he says, which I kind of agree with). I feel depressed constantly, I can't stop crying ever. And I'm normally a very happy-go-lucky kind of gal. Not sure what to do at this point, if I should take it out or see how it goes..."