Ethinyl estradiol / etonogestrel and Depression: What Users Say (Page 3)

• 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."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 15, 2012

For Birth Control "I have only been on it for a little bit, but I love it! There are so many pluses to the NuvaRing. You don't have to remember to take a pill, you can easily take it out, you can't feel it, you don't need to be off it for a few months in order to get pregnant! I just recently changed over to this because Yaz was making me severely depressed. We originally thought I had to go on an antidepressant, it was so bad, but we figured it was this. I am so glad I got something with low estrogen and something that is so easy. The pills were also lowering my sex drive, but with the NuvaRing, all my problems are gone!"

• DoN...
• July 17, 2015

For Birth Control "I've been using this for three months, and I'm finally taking this emotional draining mister out this next cycle. I was so excited to use this at first, but as each month went by, I felt more and more depressed and miserable. My libido went down incredibly low, to the point where the thought of even having sex would just give me headaches. I was never like this, and I've become an emotional beast using this, and it has affected the relationship I'm currently in. I don't recommend this, although it has amazing perks and it's convenient, it's not worth destroying you as a person and possibly your relationship and own overall happiness."

• kks...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 21, 2016

For Birth Control "After hearing a lot of good things about NuvaRing, I've decided to give it a try. At first, I have to say I absolutely loved it. No side effects, easy to use, and helped with period pain. Now I am 4 months in and I lost my appetite (which all in all is not a bad thing), I have terrible mood swings, and got extremely teary and depressed. I cry approximately 70% of the day. I constantly feel very sad and poorly, lost my enthusiasm for life, and feel worthless and hopeless. The last time I felt this way was 16 years ago when I was on the pill. I stopped it immediately after I realized I was capable of harming myself. I've only today stopped NuvaRing, and hopefully will start feeling better soon."

• kks...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 21, 2016

For Birth Control "After hearing a lot of good things about NuvaRing, I've decided to give it a try. At first, I have to say I absolutely loved it. No side effects, easy to use, and helped with period pain. Now I am 4 months in and I lost my appetite (which all in all is not a bad thing), I have terrible mood swings, and got extremely teary and depressed. I cry approximately 70% of the day. I constantly feel very sad and poorly, lost my enthusiasm for life, and feel worthless and hopeless. The last time I felt this way was 16 years ago when I was on the pill. I stopped it immediately after I realized I was capable of harming myself. I've only today stopped NuvaRing, and hopefully will start feeling better soon."

• Ash...
• December 10, 2016

For Birth Control "I started using NR because oral contraceptives made me extremely nauseous, so my Dr. suggested skipping the GI tract altogether. I'm on birth control and also take metformin to help manage the symptoms of my PCOS. I had chronic sharp pains in my abdomen for years, and the NR has been the first thing to help. I can't explain how thankful I am to not feel like I'm being stabbed from the inside every day. That being said, NR has given me extreme mood swings and depression and also very low libido. I find myself not being able to feel any emotion but anger. I took the ring out because I would rather deal with the physical pain than the psychological pain. Back to the drawing board for me."

• Han...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 24, 2019

For Birth Control "I was on the pill for 8 years and went off it for 2 years for a natural lifestyle - holy cow, I didn't realize while on that pill how depressed I was and had zero sex drive! Now being 25 and single, I thought I would be more responsible and try the NuvaRing to ease my mind. Being very in-tuned with my body, I knew after 1 month this was NOT for me. I’m very active and eat healthy, so within 1 month I gained 10 lbs, got extremely bloated, was always constipated, and I began feeling extremely unmotivated. My appetite was through the ROOF! The mood swings were severe too, and after just a month I knew I couldn’t put myself through this. I took the NuvaRing out last night and already feel happier 24 hours later. I would rather rely on condoms/my cycle than jeopardize my happiness and health. This forum helped me so much knowing I’m not the only one that had these symptoms. Listen to your body, ladies!"

• BCa...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 2, 2014

For Birth Control "Birth control pills make me extremely nauseous, and the shot made me gain a ton of weight and caused bad acne, so the only method I can use consistently is the NuvaRing. It keeps my skin clear, is easy to use, doesn't bother my husband during sex, and it grew my breasts a cup size. Unfortunately, NuvaRing makes me so tired that I gained weight due to inactivity since all I want to do is sleep. I suspect it has caused anxiety and depression (although I can't be sure), and it gives me a terrible headache and nausea the first three days I put a new ring in. It dulls my sex drive a bit, but nothing major. I will probably stick with this method for a while unless something better comes around."

• Lau...
• June 1, 2022

For Birth Control "I had a terrible experience with NR. At first, I felt good, amazing skin; after about two weeks, I started feeling very depressed and anxious. I couldn’t leave the house, palpitations, kept waking up in the middle of the night, suicidal thoughts. I had to take a month off from work to recover, and now I feel a different person."

• Ang...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 26, 2019

For Birth Control "Got the NuvaRing about 10 days ago, prior to it, I had been on Depo for over 17 years until 2015 when I went off it. I had the ring in for 7 days, I was extremely fatigued, fell into a dark hole of depression, gained about 8 pounds of water weight, so much water in my hands that I could barely bend my fingers. I became unmotivated and started to cry over everything. I had gas and bloating, and my breasts swelled up. I took it out 2 days ago and tried to go to work today but only lasted 3 hours and had to go home sick. What a horrible experience, I need my life back!"

• Kas...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 14, 2015

For Birth Control "The ease of use is great... Unfortunately, I have to give it up... I get the worst of the side effects: severe moodiness, depression, roid rage, bitchiness. I'm always angry and depressed at the same time. My sex drive is gone... And my face is broken out to the point where I get new blemishes daily. After reading reviews from people who suffered for months, there's no way I can handle another day, let alone week."

• Mel...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 25, 2016

For Birth Control "I've never written a review about BC. I've been using NuvaRing for 2 months now, and I'm enjoying it. I think I've found the right method that works for me and my body. I was nervous about it because I still have not found anything wrong. This might just be the one! I was on the pill before, and I definitely felt the side effects... I was hungry all the time, breakouts, moodiness, and depression... and weight gain. With the NuvaRing, my weight has been stable (I did start a workout/diet plan, so this may be the reason why I haven't gained any weight). No moodiness, no nausea, no headaches. I don't feel it during sex, neither does my partner. Very easy process. The only thing I've noticed is that my libido has decreased significantly!"

• ban...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 23, 2019

For Birth Control "(21 yr old) I've had the NuvaRing in for almost a year now, and I'm taking it out. The first few months I loved it because I had minimal side effects, so I thought my body needed some time to adjust, but it's gotten worse. I'm moodier, have low motivation, ZERO sex drive (I used to have such a high sex drive, now sex is repulsive). Constant debilitating cramps and bloating, headaches, chest pain, depression, and anxiety. I've also gained about 10 lbs recently, despite eating the same. The heavy discharge I can handle with some pantiliners, but sometimes there's a strong, horrible scent. I've always had heavy periods and cramping (lasting 7-8 days), but now it lasts about 14 days. I've never been able to skip my period on this because I bleed when the ring is still in, it just gets heavier on the day I'm supposed to take it out. I liked the ease, but it's taken a toll on my body, mental health, and life. I wish I had taken it out sooner."

• ban...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 23, 2019

For Birth Control "(21 yr old) I've had the NuvaRing in for almost a year now, and I'm taking it out. The first few months I loved it because I had minimal side effects, so I thought my body needed some time to adjust, but it's gotten worse. I'm moodier, have low motivation, ZERO sex drive (I used to have such a high sex drive, now sex is repulsive). Constant debilitating cramps and bloating, headaches, chest pain, depression, and anxiety. I've also gained about 10 lbs recently, despite eating the same. The heavy discharge I can handle with some pantiliners, but sometimes there's a strong, horrible scent. I've always had heavy periods and cramping (lasting 7-8 days), but now it lasts about 14 days. I've never been able to skip my period on this because I bleed when the ring is still in, it just gets heavier on the day I'm supposed to take it out. I liked the ease, but it's taken a toll on my body, mental health, and life. I wish I had taken it out sooner."