NuvaRing and Weight Gain: What Users Say (Page 5)

• Cam...
• March 18, 2014

For Birth Control "I started using NuvaRing back in 2010 after trying many different birth control pills. I gained around 7 pounds, wanted to sleep all the time, and lost completely my sex drive. I had to stop using because the last 6 months I started experiencing severe migraines. So, the only good part about it is that NuvaRing didn't make me feel angry or in a bad mood all the time like the other pills I've tried before."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 26, 2012

For Birth Control "I've been on NuvaRing just over three months, and I love it. Had a little weight gain at the beginning, but that can happen with all birth controls. I only just had my first period on it, and it was short, painless, and no moodiness with it! Great! Also, my sex drive has increased, and both my husband and I don't feel it! No loss of ring or falling out! Wish I had heard about NuvaRing years ago!"

• Abb...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 7, 2020

For Birth Control "Like a lot of other people on here, I didn’t get any side effects until a long time (4 years) on NuvaRing. I’ve taken this since high school through college, and for the first 3 years, never had an issue with sex drive or weight. Without changing my environment or diet, I gained 30 lbs over the last year. I also had no interest in sex whatsoever during this time - would have sex once, MAYBE twice a month. Sometimes not at all. This is compared to my partner and my previous ~2 times a week. I’m not sure what happened last year, but the side effects sucked. I stopped using NuvaRing on my last cycle. I’ve only been off it for a few weeks, but I’ve already lost some weight and have returned to a normal sex drive. I’m sad to conclude that these, while they may not have been caused by NuvaRing, were worsened. This was my favorite birth control, but I’m now going to be looking into a copper IUD."

• Vre...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 23, 2017

For Birth Control "First 2 weeks emotionally draining. Uncontrollable mood swings. Breast enlargement, up two cup sizes. Bloating. Weight gain. Nightmares. Cravings. Going on my third week, crazy mood swings have stopped, still up two cup sizes, bloating is going down, no weight gain. Nightmares rare. No cravings. I eat healthy and exercise daily. So the bloating is frustrating, but I see it lessens as days pass. The mood swings were scary, but it started the first week and it's over now. Thank God. I keep in mind it's a big hormonal change for my body, and I'm hopeful the side effects completely stop when my body gets used to it. I'm giving it 2 months."

• LNC...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 13, 2015

For Birth Control "I have been on NuvaRing for a little over 4 years now. Very effective birth control. Pros: No weight gain (I actually dropped the weight I gained from the pill soon after I started), very clear skin, even moods with no major mood swings, don't feel or notice it, no daily remembering required, periods significantly lighter, shorter, and with less discomfort, effective immediately at regulating my cycle and has continued that way throughout use, it even has enough hormones in a ring to leave it in and skip your period if you prefer. Cons: Can be a little costly but totally worth it (and the brand website lets you print a 50% coupon), intercourse can be uncomfortable with your 'more endowed' partners (just remove it and replace after)."

• Chi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 3, 2015

For Birth Control "I don't like it! Bad depression, bad temper, bad cramps, sensitive breasts, weight gain, tired, and not in the mood for anything. The only reason I'm doing this is to regulate my periods, and it's the only thing that's working."

• RMo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 27, 2017

For Birth Control "This has been a horrific 3 months for me. Let me start by saying I have gained about 15 lbs in 3 months, and my breasts have grown 2 cup sizes. They are tender, to the point where hugging my boyfriend hurts. I am extremely athletic and just couldn't understand why suddenly I couldn't work out. I have no energy, I've been drinking triple the amount of caffeine that I usually do. My biggest change was a COMPLETE loss in my sex drive. I've barely touched my boyfriend in 3 months. I am moody, emotional, feel drained all the time, and literally hate myself. I read all these reviews, ran to the bathroom, and took it out! I do not recommend this to anyone!"

• Dsh...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 6, 2015

For Birth Control "Went on the ring two years ago. Was okay with it. No babies. But after about a year, I noticed I gained about ten lbs. Then my moods got very odd. I hadn't noticed, but everyone around me did and thought I was going crazy. Then my hair started falling out. My doctor says that the dosage was too high for me. I switched. But for what it's worth, no babies in two years, so there's that."

• Lau...
• September 5, 2019

For Birth Control "I started this at the end of my postpartum bleeding after having a baby. I was told it wouldn’t make me gain weight, it would help keep me acne-free, and as someone with a history of depression and anxiety, I assumed (since I was asked) that it wouldn’t interfere with my mental health. However, I haven’t even been on this birth control for three weeks yet, and I already started my period. What’s normally four days of light bleeding has been a week of heavy bleeding. I’m bloated, I’ve gained weight, my face has broken out horribly, and I fly into a rage over the littlest things. To be clear, I do not have postpartum depression. I am able to be happy and enjoy being a new mother again (I have two other children). Not to mention, it’s hard to even be confident that you have it in correctly. I’m assuming it is, as the instructions are simple: shove it up there as far as you can. It falls out during sex, it’s extremely painful with a tampon. I wouldn’t recommend it."

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

For Birth Control "I have been using NuvaRing for approx. 8-ish months. I had used it for a month previously a couple of years ago, but after a depression scare on the pill, any mood swing scared me off. This past 8 months have been great, some weight gain and a little more grumpy, but overall worth it. Periods have shortened slightly and cramping lessened a bit. Only issue is an increase in discharge and inflammation, which can hurt during intercourse. For these two reasons, I'm going to try out the Implanon, but if that doesn't work out, I'm definitely going back onto the NuvaRing unless I choose something else."

• Ale...
• February 19, 2016

For Birth Control "I was on the NuvaRing from 18-20. I took a break from it and went on the Mirena. Now I am back on NuvaRing, and it was nothing like I had experienced the first time. CRAZY PMS. Tender breasts, weight gain, mood swings where I don't even recognize myself. I don't know why I all of a sudden am having negative side effects with this medication when I didn't before. The only plus is my periods are really lighter. But honestly, I think I'm done with it. Worst birth control experience I've had. Not a fan of the crazy."

• Fre...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 29, 2016

For Birth Control "I have been on the combo type of birth control since I was 16. I started with the Ortho Lo (the basic one in movies in the round case). Yaz came out, and I switched to that. I was so tired of remembering to take a pill every day. During my yearly pap, my OBGYN told me about the patch. I used it for a few years, and I never gained weight on the pill or ring, but for some reason, the patch did make me gain some weight. I was always worried I put it in the wrong spot and it wasn't going to work. Taking it off weekly hurt like an extra strong Band-Aid and left purple, gluey sticky stuff I had to scrub off with alcohol. After those years, I was put on the ring. My weight went back to normal, I have no pain, insert 3 weeks, period, insert again. So easy! Love it!"

• CKu...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 27, 2016

For Birth Control "I started NuvaRing 3 months ago and really enjoy it compared to the pill. I was formerly on LoLoestrin Fe and had horrible, horrible mood swings and a complete disappearance of libido. On NuvaRing, my sex drive has somewhat returned (of course not as much as if I wasn't on birth control), it's easier for me to 'get there,' and I don't have PMS nearly as bad. It's not perfect, but a definite improvement for me. However, I will say I've had minor weight gain and some minor hair loss. Honestly, I prefer those side effects over the moods I was feeling while on the pill. Hoping that with continued usage, the side effects go away as I've only been on this for 3 months. Even better that my insurance covers it 100%!"

• Pun...
• July 9, 2015

For Birth Control "I have been using NuvaRing for about 6 months now. In the beginning, everything was great. I loved that you could always know which day you were going to start your period. Was easy to use. But over time, I noticed my face start to break out a little more, had weight gain, and my vagina was always dry, which led to problems within our sex life. My sexual drive also decreased. As soon as I showed my husband all the side effects, he agreed that I have been experiencing all the side effects listed, and he said I was getting off of it ASAP."

• 915...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 19, 2015

For Birth Control "My problem with this birth control is the side effects. I have times when I get depressed, I had mood swings, felt like throwing up, and even when I didn't eat, I gained about 15 lbs. Oh yeah, and worst of all, it made me bleed a lot. I don't mean heavy bleeding. I mean it made my periods longer than before when I was taking it. I read a lot of reviews saying the same thing but tried it anyway. The worst was I had a period that lasted a whole month one time. My doctor put me on Seasonique to see if that would help better."

• Amz...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 22, 2015

For Birth Control "I was on the Nuva Ring for approximately 9 months and feel so good that I've cleansed myself of it. I became depressed to the point of wanting to place myself in an institution at times, had a massive fight with loved ones, put on 8 kg, lost my passion for life, was always tired, needing to eat ALL the time... Need I go on? So I went back on the pill for 2 months following, before my sister-in-law convinced me to try other contraceptive methods such as condoms with my supportive (yet freaked out at first by the idea) fiancé. For 2 months I thought I was going to lose it with anxiety from 'coming down', but I am pleased to report I've never felt better in my life, and my partner doesn't even know he's wearing a condom! He literally has to check!"

• Sup...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 20, 2017

For Birth Control "My doc prescribed NuvaRing because I would like to use something that does not give me a stomach ache and is also simple to use. So at 5 days, I felt the happiest woman ever. I consider myself a very happy person, but after 10 days of using it, it's been a daily conflict within myself. I feel sad, lonely, hopeless, worthless, and ugly. I also gained some weight. Yesterday I finally took it off. I hope I feel better very soon. I DO NOT RECOMMEND."

• San...
• August 25, 2017

For Birth Control "I was on NuvaRing for 8 months. Starting in January, it was great, I was mostly acne-free and wasn't having too many mood swings. At about June, my acne became cystic, extremely painful, and I could barely move my face without pain. I gained 20 lbs and could not lose it with dieting and working out. I took it out two days ago because I'm positive that things will change."

• Nel...
• May 29, 2013

For Birth Control "I used the NuvaRing for 3 months before (it was just a sample supply), and I loved it. I was not on insurance at the time and couldn't afford to continue to use it. I have been on the NuvaRing again for about 3 months. I mostly love it. I have gained about 6 lbs (from 110 to 116) in those three months. I also gained a cup size, and my breasts are CONSTANTLY sore/tender. I also have been experiencing hard/cystic-like breakouts, mainly on my jawline, but also a few times on my cheeks. They are incredibly painful and don't pop well and just turn into big sores that itch and hurt. I wish that part would go away because, aside from that, I LOVE my NuvaRing."

• cra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 4, 2012

For Birth Control "I am twenty years old and have been on birth control since I was 15. I have been on Tri-Cyclen, Yaz, Alesse, Depo-Provera, and Mirena! In five years, I was desperate to find something that worked for me. I had symptoms from weight gain, mood swings, acne, debilitating cramps, and even serious depression. Trying NuvaRing was my last hope. I LOVE IT! It has not given me any mood swings, it has BOOSTED my sex drive! My periods are ridiculously light, 2 days long, and I have no cramps or PMS. Amazing. I know every girl's body is different, but I totally recommend NuvaRing!"

• Mer...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 25, 2017

For Birth Control "I'm really happy with the NuvaRing. I used to get awful PMS, terrible cramps, and ovarian cysts that would land me in the hospital. I used to think it was my Crohn's flaring, but by the time I got to the hospital, I would get my period. The pain was so severe. My periods were never regular since I was 14: I'm 28 now. I would get so emotional, moody, and scared all the time because I never knew when it was coming. After coming across a fantastic OBGYN, she decided to put me on the ring. It's great! My periods are REGULAR. I did gain a little weight, but I figure it's normal because of the hormones. It's a little tricky to get inside-patience is key. I'd like to go on a hormonal IUD, but this is working so well. I'm afraid to try anything else."

• Ste...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 30, 2019

For Birth Control "I did not last long on NuvaRing. It's not worth waiting the few months for your body to 'adjust' to it. I couldn't even last a few weeks before taking it out for good. It made me terribly ill to the point of feeling like I was going to die. I've been on the pill (both forms) and would experience nausea in the morning since I took my pill right before bed. And I've also had the implant that goes in your arm, which caused spotting every day and weight gain. Out of all four birth control methods, the NuvaRing is the worst (at least for me). It also made my vagina very irritated to the point of not wanting to have sex. I wouldn't recommend the NuvaRing, but everyone is different, so you may or may not have the same experience I've had."

• Jaz...
• September 5, 2015

For Birth Control "I only used NuvaRing for 8 days. I didn't have cramping or anything, but in the first 5 days, I gained 5 lbs despite exercising 5 days per week. I also started salivating a lot more (on the verge of drooling), had a much-increased appetite, was nauseous, and on the day I decided to remove it, I was very dizzy for most of the day, nauseous, and had a headache. I think I'll be going with a copper IUD."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 25, 2015

For Birth Control "Did its job preventing pregnancy, however, side effects were not worth it. Crazy anxiety a few days before period, weight gain (15 pounds in 3 months), constantly bloated. Had to adjust frequently. I will be going back to a pill."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 14, 2023

"My doctor prescribed NuvaRing to address possible endometriosis, ovarian cysts, and painful periods. However, the experience has been challenging. I pay $300 every three months for the medication, but I've experienced month-long bleeding and period symptoms every other month, even though I'm supposed to skip my period on this birth control. Initially, I also experienced massive mood swings, alternating between anger and crying. But after taking it for five months, my anxiety has skyrocketed, and I'm always angry. I've gained significant weight despite not changing my diet, developed random rashes on my face and body, and become almost asexual. Even when I'm able to have sex, it's excruciatingly painful, leading to tears. Additionally, I've experienced ocular migraines, bloating, nausea, and a significantly increased heart rate. To make matters worse, none of my regular pain has subsided. I would advise avoiding this drug if possible."