Ethinyl estradiol / segesterone and Nausea: What Users Say

• Liz...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 29, 2020

For Birth Control "Fabulous. Better than Nuvaring (which is hard), this ring has a soft, squishy texture and is comfortable. No side effects. No weight gain. The progestin is NOT androgenic like others. Good for a year, you remove it, wash it, and store it for one week a month - only one trip to the pharmacy per year. Skin is great and glowing. No acne. Does not give me migraines, which is huge! This thing is perfect. Day one had mild nausea, then it went away. That is it. No bad moodiness."

• Mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 23, 2020

For Birth Control "I have been on Annovera for only a week. So far, so good. I did feel nausea for a few days, but nothing unbearable. I gave it an 8 because it's great so far, but I need more time to say it's worth a 10. I just figured that with any new medication, your body may throw out some sort of side effect as it adjusts. I have been monitoring it closely because I'm not a big fan of BC and have not been on it for at least 5 years. I will follow up and share my experience because I'm pretty sure others are just as curious as I was looking for reviews, being that this is new. I can say I don't feel it there. No cramping when I first inserted it or anything. During intercourse (sorry if TMI), everything felt normal and my fiancée didn't complain either. Hope this helps!"

• Anonymous
• September 20, 2020

For Birth Control "I did a lot of research to try to find a birth control method that wouldn’t cause a million side effects and was really optimistic about this one since the progestin isn’t androgenic/antiandrogenic/anti-estrogenic/etc. Unfortunately, it’s making me so nauseous I can’t get past the first couple of days before it’s just unbearable, and I’ve tried on three different occasions now. It also gave me a yeast infection pretty quickly. This could change if I deal with puking like a pregnant lady for a week or so, but frankly, I don’t want to, lol. There are very few patient reviews out on this one yet, though, so I figured I’d share my experience."

• But...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 16, 2020

For Birth Control "I’ve been on Annovera for a little over a month. Initially, it worked extremely well. I started it on day 2 of my period, and it completely stopped my flow and my cramps. I did have a few mild headaches and nausea in the first week or so of using it, but nothing bad. The period week was a nightmare of heavy bleeding and excruciatingly painful cramping. It was much worse than my normal period. Since re-inserting the ring for the second cycle, I’ve been having mild to moderate cramping every day, and I’m so nauseated that I’ve completely lost my appetite. That said, I’m planning to stick with it because it has been extremely effective for my endometriosis and has already reduced the size of my endometrioma. I would still recommend this birth control to anybody because you never know how your body is going to react to it. It’s so convenient that you don’t have to take a pill, and I haven’t experienced any change in libido like I have with other birth control."

• Ame...
• October 28, 2020

For Birth Control "Overall, I have had a positive experience with Annovera. I took Tri-Nessa for 4 years and stopped for a year due to increased anxiety/crying and lack of sex drive. Three months ago, I started Annovera because my OB/GYN found several ovarian cysts that were causing me pain and irregular periods. So far, it is much better side effect-wise than the pill for me. The first month was rough with nausea, but has lessened with each reinsertion. My period is now predictable, and I have experienced 0 breakthrough bleeding. I have noticed a slightly lower sex drive, but not as severe as before. Also not prego, so it’s doing its job!"

• Pea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 28, 2020

For Birth Control "Haven't used hormonal birth control in years. So I was expecting the extreme effects. Kinda odd inserting the ring. It was very bendable that I thought it was going to slip out of my hand and fall on the floor. The first evening, I noticed a little itchiness. Couldn't feel the ring, though. I woke up the first 3 days in a row with a slight headache. Slight nausea, more fatigue. My biggest concern was an upset stomach. I would use the restroom more than normal and had lots of bloating, upset stomach. I started to eat smaller portions. Slight intolerances to foods were worsened, so I'm almost avoiding them completely. A few years ago, I tried the NuvaRing and took it out and threw it away after 3 days due to major vaginal irritation. Having tummy issues is keeping me from sleeping regularly at night. No mood swings, no cramps, no spotting, no breast tenderness yet."

• Bec...
• January 15, 2021

For Birth Control "I inserted ANNOVERA for the first time at the beginning of Dec 2020, and so far it’s been good up until a week ago. Personally, I haven’t really had any nausea, but I have had a lack of appetite. I’m not losing weight or anything, but food is not something I constantly crave anymore. The real red flag is recently I’ve begun having random cramps pop up, and it’s so painful that I’ve had to remove my ring (you’re given a 2-hour window to reinsert every month). I wait about 5 minutes and then reinsert, and I’m fine. I’ve also really developed breast tenderness that has not gone away. I’m still going to try it out for a few more months because the pros outweigh the cons. By the way, for some reason this has actually enhanced my sex life versus my BCP. I don’t know if it’s the feeling of the ring inside or the hormone change, but it’s really helped out that aspect quite a bit. Now, if I can get the cramps and breast pain to subside."

• Kei...
• December 8, 2020

For Birth Control "I’ve been using this vaginal ring for 6 months, and everything was fine at first. My gynecologist switched me to this one from Nuvaring, which I loved but got rid of my sex drive. At first, I had no side effects besides slight nausea the first two days after I inserted it. After 4 months of use, the nausea persisted sometimes with a headache accompanying it, and the most excruciating cramps of my life! Prior to using birth control, my periods have always been awesome. Light flow that lasted 3-4 days and minor to no cramping at all. Now, after being on Annovera, I always get my period 2 days after removal (a necessary plus so I can predict and prepare for it), but the cramps are so bad. Like I just want to lay in the fetal position and can't do anything. I can’t walk, I can’t even take a deep breath in. It’s the worst. I plan on discontinuing use because of the cramps. It works, though. No pregnancy scares, sex drive remained the same, no depression. I’ve actually never felt calmer, but the cramps are bad."

• Tjs...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 21, 2021

For Birth Control "I used oral contraceptives for about six years, followed by three years of IUD. I found daily pills inconvenient and didn’t want to worry about compliance issues, and while the IUD was more convenient, I never got past the unpleasant side effects. Annovera has been the perfect compromise for me: long-acting, self-administered, but no daily hassle and only one trip to the pharmacy per year. My cystic acne from my IUD cleared up immediately. I was so nauseous I could not sleep or eat for 3 days after starting, but that went away and has not come back. My periods are about 5 days long and very regular. No weight gain attributable to the ring itself. Sex drive has maybe decreased a little, but no pain during sex like there was with the IUD. My cramps are very minor, unlike when I had the IUD. Very happy with my experience so far and will plan on getting another Annovera once the year is up."

• Viv...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 8, 2021

For Birth Control "Convenient. Lowest dose of estrogen available. I don't feel it. Better than NuvaRing. Cycle one, I had 2 days of slight nausea. Cycle two, one day of slight nausea when reinserted. Cycle three, zero nausea. Been good ever since. Love not having to go to the store every month or remembering to take a pill. No other side effects. Better than any other hormonal product I have tried. Just refilled! $64 for the entire year..."

• 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."

• Kri...
• March 30, 2021

For Birth Control "I was on NuvaRing for over 10 years, and it worked well for me. The only con was having to wait in line at CVS every 90 days to refill the prescription, or hope that the mail-away option arrived in a cooled package. I was searching for a similar birth control option that didn't need to be refrigerated, and I saw commercials for Annovera. I asked my doctor about it, and she told me it was new and she wasn't sure of the side effects. I figured I would give it a go. I switched from NuvaRing to Annovera in September 2020. I have been on Annovera for 6 months and have been experiencing several side effects. The worst of them all are the severe yeast infections and terrible itching. I have been in and out of my doctor's office, and it's embarrassing and painful. I am also experiencing fatigue, sporadic nausea, irritability, and pain during intercourse. I am so annoyed that this ring has so many side effects. I am making the decision to stop taking Annovera. It's not worth it."

• Tik...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 22, 2022

For Birth Control "This ring is amazing. The first month I was on it, I experienced a very heavy period following removal, however, this wasn’t out of the norm for me. My periods have been so heavy and painful these last few years that I have to take off work. Now, my periods have decreased to two days (down from four), and my cramps are almost non-existent. My mood is better, and I have better energy overall. The only other side effects included some nausea during the first week of use, which I no longer experience. My breasts do become quite swollen and tender after I put it back in for about a week, but that also goes away. No noticeable skin changes, but my appetite has decreased (not in a bad way), and I haven’t gained any weight. I’ve tried every BC under the sun, and this is literally the only one that hasn’t destroyed me mentally and physically. Highly recommend."

• 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."

• Cin...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 24, 2022

For Birth Control "I switched from birth control pills to Annovera, and I love it! On the pills, I was having irregular periods in the middle of packs and having to take the tablet daily. I had awful acne, bloating, and was always irritable. On Annovera, my skin has cleared up so much it looks wonderful, it helps keep my period mild and actually shortened my cycle to 4 days! I have had little to no side effects (slight nausea the first month of use), and I don’t have to remember to take a daily pill. On top of that, I can leave it in for intercourse and not worry about using any backup method with my husband. I am very happy with Annovera and plan to keep using."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 5, 2021

For Birth Control "I’ve been on Annovera for about six months now, and I have a mixed opinion. It is really easy to use, and it’s convenient for use, but I’ve been experiencing a lot of side effects: I get random cramps in between that feel a lot like period cramps, headaches from time to time (never really had them before), nausea, and the main thing is that it’s affected my mood a lot. I already had anxiety before, but it’s so intense now, I feel incredibly moody and sad a lot, and my sex drive has never been this low. Probably going to see it out for the rest of my year, but probably won’t take it for another year."

• TTa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 21, 2021

For Birth Control "I started using this ring in November '20 and just took it out Feb '21. I don’t recommend using this birth control. This BC gave me multiple headaches/migraines, I was nauseous the first 2 days after inserting it in again and after I took it out. This BC also gave severe anxiety. Being someone in their 20s, I have anxiety already, but this BC took it to another level. I won’t be inserting this BC again because of these symptoms."

• Pen...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 27, 2022

For Birth Control "Used Jan. 2020-May 2022, Sept. 2022- Takeaway: So easy to use and stop using that I’d recommend it. Just monitor your mental health over the first months. My biggest symptom has been increased anxiety, but it’s hard to tell how much is due to this med. With this med as one of many possible factors, I developed OCD-like levels of preoccupation and fear three months after starting. Other Effects: - Felt mildly fatigued and achy for the first few days, like I had a stomach bug, and was slightly nauseous and sensitive to certain foods. - Period lightened, shortened, and became even more predictable. Cramps became milder. - Thick clear or whitish discharge. I often had to wear liners or swap underwear midday. Hasn’t happened the second time around yet. - Possible increase in screen headache sensitivity (hard to prove). - Decrease in libido and possible decrease in attraction to then-partner (could’ve been natural). - Skipping 2+ periods caused bleeding and darkened ring."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 4, 2022

For Birth Control "It woke me up from nausea in the middle of the night and made me throw up at 4 a.m. Not fun. Supposedly, only 5% of people have side effects like this. I have no noticeable side effects from the pill, so this was a shock to me. I also had trouble getting it in place. I don’t feel like I could ever get it to fit how it was supposed to."

• Eri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 24, 2022

For Birth Control "I have been on the birth control for 2 weeks now. I have had no problems so far. It’s the perfect birth control for me because I didn’t like taking the pill every day. I would forget. And it made me nauseous. With this birth control, I have no side effects. Before I decided to get on this BC, I read all the reviews. I have not experienced any stomach pains. My sex drive actually went up. No nausea or vomiting. I can’t even feel it. I forget I’m even on birth control. So everybody’s body is different. Just because someone went through something doesn’t mean it will happen to you. It was easy to insert and remove. I love this BC!"

• Eri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 24, 2022

For Birth Control "I have been on the birth control for 2 weeks now. I have had no problems so far. It’s the perfect birth control for me because I didn’t like taking the pill every day. I would forget. And it made me nauseous. With this birth control, I have no side effects. Before I decided to get on this BC, I read all the reviews. I have not experienced any stomach pains. My sex drive actually went up. No nausea or vomiting. I can’t even feel it. I forget I’m even on birth control. So everybody’s body is different. Just because someone went through something doesn’t mean it will happen to you. It was easy to insert and remove. I love this BC!"

• Lin...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 10, 2022

For Birth Control "I switched to Annovera because I was forgetting to take the pill often enough, and birth control that you don’t have to worry about as often was really appealing. I’ve been using it for 6 months now, and don’t really experience any major side effects besides headaches. When I first started, I experienced really bad nausea. That usually occurred when I would first insert it back in after the 7-day break. The nausea went away after about the 3rd month. I also experienced pretty severe headaches/migraines that I never got before. They were pretty bad, and I would get them as often as 2-3 times a week up until the 3rd month again, but they started lessening in severity and frequency since then. Now, I only get occasional headaches that aren’t too bad. I would definitely recommend sticking it out past the 3-month mark to see if your side effects go away because it seems like that’s the usual amount of time it takes everything to regulate out on Annovera."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 25, 2022

For Birth Control "I started using Annovera in October 2020 and used it for 1 complete year. In the beginning, there was some nausea and headaches. After a couple of months, I had no symptoms, except eczema! All over my ears and inner thighs. Yes, who would have thought that birth control causes eczema? I have never had eczema in my 34 years of living, so initially I chalked this up to stress and being a teacher in the middle of a global pandemic. Finally, once my relationship ended, I decided not to renew the prescription for another ring. I took the ring out, and almost immediately the eczema went away and has not returned. I have been 3 months eczema-free. I did like the ease of use and not getting pregnant, no weight gain, no acne. But itchy eczema patches were ultimately my decision to end usage."

• Joe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 3, 2021

For Birth Control "I was so excited to find this birth control after researching different birth control options. Five days in, I had to take it out. Very intense migraines almost all day long for four days straight, and I typically never even get headaches. I was nauseous and had bad body aches. The concept and idea of this birth control is genius, but I just cannot handle the migraines. Otherwise, it’s very easy to put in and take out, and I didn’t feel it at all."

• liv...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 16, 2023

For Birth Control "I started taking Annovera and was really nervous about weight gain. I’ve now been on it for about a month and a half and absolutely love it. The first 3 days of having it in, I was nauseous, but that passed pretty quickly. I get really moody and depressed before my periods, and this seemed to do the same thing. I haven’t gained any weight, and I feel like myself still, so I’m very happy about it."