Annovera and Mood Swings: What Users Say

• Bel...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 29, 2022

For Birth Control "I absolutely love Annovera and would highly recommend it. I was nervous about Annovera because I’ve had such bad side effects in the past on BC (weight gain, severe depression, anxiety, loss of sex drive, mood swings, you name it, I had it), and I also currently suffer from occasional migraines and am prone to yeast infections, so I was nervous this would make them worse. But after doing a lot of research, I still felt like this was what I wanted to try. I have had very minimal symptoms on this, if anything, it’s actually lessened my period symptoms and made me feel more mellow. The worst side effects I’ve had are breakthrough bleeding, which is annoying, but I’m only on month 3, and it seems to be getting better, if that’s the worst symptom I get, I’ll take it! I do get headaches the week I take it out, but they aren’t unbearable, just annoying. And I did have one spell of anxiety when I took it out and had to put it back in. But weirdly, anytime it’s in, I’m a happy camper!"

• JBa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 7, 2021

For Birth Control "So I normally have an incredibly hard time with birth control. Extreme nausea, dizziness, mood swings. I always end up having to stop after just a couple of days. With Annovera, I only had mild symptoms the first couple of days. Lack of appetite, a little bit of a stomach ache, fatigue. But by day 3, I felt completely normal. Really, the only complaint I have about it is that it's so big and sometimes moves out of place, so I have to adjust it, so it's not the easiest to handle. I haven't had sex with it in yet, so it's a little bit of a concern having it stay in place."

• 19...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 20, 2021

For Birth Control "I have been on ANNOVERA for a year and 1 month. I just got my new ring this month. The first 9 months went very smoothly, no side effects, no mood swings, no pregnancy scares, no spotting. At months 10, 11, and 12, I noticed spotting happening about a week before my period. This was frustrating and made me feel like I was bleeding for half the month. Getting a new ring solved this issue. Maybe the amount of hormones was becoming less? Regardless of the spotting, this is the best method for me (the pill and Nexplanon made me moody and my periods were more irregular)."

• Sar...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 22, 2021

For Birth Control "I was on Annovera for a year. I’ve been on NuvaRing and the implant before, and this is magical compared. No side effects, no mood swings. It makes your period really light, like a day or so of spotting. I'm off of it now, and I feel more mood swings and PMS symptoms than when I was on it. I'm not sure if it has anything to do with it, but just an observation."

• CMi...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 22, 2022

For Birth Control "I used NuvaRing for 15 years without side effects and changed to Annovera because of its annual prescription, no refrigeration, or monthly hormonal waste (more environmentally friendly). I like the concept and have used it for 9 months but confirmed my suspicion on symptoms on this platform; for the past 3-4 months I’ve had on-and-off breast tenderness (on NuvaRing only prior to menstruation), near-daily cramping, more painful periods/PMS, and recently, hormonal acne which hasn’t happened since college and spotted for the first time ever. My immune system is weakened/compromised as soon as I've taken the ring out and find I must take it easy or catch colds. I've been exercising more/dieting but have been unable to lose any weight whatsoever. If I stray, I actually gain weight. The cherry on the cake has been my emotional sensitivity as I cry more easily – I will be changing back to NuvaRing next cycle and am curious to see how long before symptoms dissipate."

• Rac...
• November 3, 2020

For Birth Control "I was really hopeful that this ring would work for me because I've tried three different pills and quit both because of slight nausea and mood swings, but this ring was worse than either pill. I inserted the ring at 4pm on a Monday. It was fine until I woke up at 2am on Tuesday with slight nausea. I couldn't fall asleep because the nausea started getting worse, and I began having chills. Got up again and took it out. Woke up at 6 am feeling hot and sweaty, nauseous, and threw up. I also had a headache. I forced myself to eat some cereal, which helped my stomach, but I spent the morning alternating between chills and hot/sweating. Took my temp because I thought I was coming down with something. It was very low at only 96.7. Started feeling better around 10 am; not sick feeling anymore, body temp back to normal, but having extreme mood swings. I know you are supposed to give a new birth control a few months to adjust to, but I can't imagine being this sick every day until I adjust."

• Bad...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 26, 2022

For Birth Control "I wanted to really like this option, and I still think it's a great one lifestyle-wise. This was my first time trying hormonal birth control. Insertion was easy, and neither my partner nor I felt the ring (it also worked well in terms of the birth control indication). The first cycle went fine with very minimal mood swings. The second cycle, I started to notice that my skin was very dry (which I didn't note as too abnormal), but then my neck started to get this horrid rash - not scaly but red and intensely itchy. I had to sleep with an ice pack on my neck, and my eyelids also became intensely dry, sensitive/itchy, and red. I had about three incidences of this rash in the same places over the course of my second cycle on Annovera before I decided to quit it. In the following month without Annovera, my skin barrier slowly began to recover, and the rash on my neck cleared immediately, while my eyelids took a while to adjust. I would not go on this again."

• pvs...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 13, 2023

For Birth Control "I tend to be very sensitive to medications in general. Prior to using Annovera, I was off birth control for 2.5 years because I couldn’t find one that I could tolerate. I started having short cycles that were painful, so my OBGYN suggested trying Annovera. I took Annovera for one cycle - I had it inserted for three weeks and then out for one to get my period. At first, I didn’t notice any side effects, which I was thrilled about given my generally bad experiences with medication. I had a day or two of nausea and was a bit tired, but that was it. Around week 3, I started to have significant mood changes. I found myself being incredibly irritable and feeling more negative/depressed. By the time I removed the ring, I had spent 3 days in a row crying at work and after work, having two anxiety attacks at work, and feeling very depressed. After I took out the ring, I felt normal within a week. Please beware of any sudden changes in your mood!"

• And...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 15, 2021

For Birth Control "I’ve been on Annovera for almost 4 months. I have mixed feelings about this birth control. I love the fact that I don’t have to worry about birth control for a year. I know the instructions say to take it out after 21 days, but my doctor told me to just leave it in, and it’s been fine. I haven’t had a period in the 3 months that I’ve used it, and I don’t have any spotting. Sometimes I do get very mild cramping every now and then, but nothing bothersome. What I don’t like is that I did get a yeast infection the 1st week of insertion, and my sex drive is completely gone. I have absolutely no desire for sex, and I’ve never had this problem before. Sex is actually kind of painful due to extreme vaginal dryness, which I’ve never experienced before. I had to stop using the IUD due to the unpleasant side effects, so I’m still searching for the right one. I kind of want to stop using this now due to the lack of sex drive. I do also get the mood swings, but not that often."