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Nuva Ring, Mood Reaction

I am considering switching from the pill to Nuva Ring, however much of the research I have been doing on nuva ring has turned up mixed reactions.  While I understand that this is true for any medication, I still have questions I can't find the answers to.  My biggest concern is the effect of nuva ring on emotional stability.  Of course, the company's website warns that mood swings are a possible side effect (I think that is a side effect for any form of hormonal birth control).  What I would like to know is whether the nuva ring is more likely to cause negative emotional side effects than the pill is.  I have heard mixed reviews, some people emotionally crash on it and others notice nothing; is this just something I am going to have to buckle down and test for a month?  If so, how do I monitor my own side effects to decide if it is having a negative effect on me?  
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Avatar universal
I just started my 3rd month of Nuva ring and i had noticed in the last month I had become very anxious and depressed to the point I started seeing a therapist. I thought it was due to my boyfriend and I breaking up 3 months ago but I had been fine up until this point. I threw crazy tantrums (about dumplings???) and was paranoid to the point of pushing everyone close to me away from me and screaming at them and cried hysterically over everything and nothing and couldn't concentrate on anything. The weeks where i took it out for my period were amazing and I felt fantastic and normal. Ive tried 2 types of the pill that made me depressed and anxious but no where near the extent of the NuvaRing! Its out now but jeez they really should warn you!!
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Avatar universal
I just took the nuvaring out after 2 weeks into my second month. At first I had having irritation around my vagina but I stuck it out as it was too bad.  I’ve been stressed out so the down days I had didn’t  really phase me until last Friday. I could not stop crying. I just laid in bed sobbing - trying to hide it from my boyfriend in the next room... which made me cry more.  Which made my think about our relationship and look at every flaw and problem in it. Which made me cry more. Then I thought about myself and my job and friendships which lead to another downward spiral Of uncontrollable crying.  I’ve never been a crier, definitely not an emotional person. The following day I had thoughts of suicide while standing on my balcony.  THIS is when in clicked that something was wrong I immediately took the nuvaring out and after 3 hours was able to stopped crying. It’s hasnt stopped completely I’m still having points in my day of feeling extremely depressed. Don’t let your doctor pressure you into taking this like I did. I’ve been on other birth control options that did not effect me like this. If you start to feel not like yourself it’s probably because you aren’t!  The only thing I got out of taking the nuvaring was a new respect and understanding for peopl dealing with mental health problems. I never thought in my life I could feel so low.
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Avatar universal
I started NuvaRing 2 and a half weeks ago and my boyfriend told me we needed a break from our relationship because I was being so mean. About a week after inserting NR I became super depressed and couldn't even get off the couch for a whole week. I would get mad and super defensive. I would pick fights over stupid stuff where as when I'm not on NR I'm really chill and don't really get mad a lot. I haven't been able to sleep until 4 am and sleepy during the day. I started to cut myself and even had thoughts of suicide constantly. I just took it out because this is insane and I don't even feel like myself anymore.
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Avatar universal
I am beyond happy that I found the forum. Doctors are quick to make you feel crazy and not let you know how many people this has happened to. I have been on NR for over a year now. Interestingly enough, my symptoms have been gradually increasing but I never put two and two together. I was beginning to think I was bi-polar because I would get mad or upset then look at what was upsetting me and think, that's not right. It has to be me because that would never upset me before. My symptoms have gotten VERY bad in the last two months. Extremely emotional, thoughts suicide, irritated vaginal walls, terrible dreams, insomnia and my left foot is constantly cramping up. I was so happy to find that I'm not alone. It really is terrible that this many people feel this way. BCP work differently with each body type so while I can't say 'say no to Nuva Ring' I can say please monitor your changes. It's not worth it. Thank you everyone for sharing your stories!
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Avatar universal
I am SO glad I've come across this. I started using the nuvaring in October and I've been suffering ever since. I'm not motivated, sad or irritated more times than not, and my once ravenous sex drive has literally vanished. Like, GONE. I workout 6days a week, lifting weights, etc and it's been like I've been in a slump not caring to go work out or anything but in the same thought literally hating myself with an extreme disgust. This is not me. I've had such low lows that suicide has entered my mind, just wanting to stop feeling!! You guys may have just saved my life. Thanks for posting. This ring is coming out NOW.
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Avatar universal
Everyone here just described my issues almost exactly. I felt like I was a mental patient. Extreme highs and lows, emotional reactions to little tiny things, lots of crying, etc.
My then boyfriend (now husband) was literally ready to leave me at that point. I was really that much of a mess. I went to my Dr and she advised me to take it out. Almost immediately, I felt like myself again. I haven't looked back since. I do NOT recommend the Nuvaring. The only upside is the convenience, other than that, it is NOT worth the mental health side effects
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Avatar universal
I've been dealing with the same symptoms yall have! My boyfriend thinks I've gone crazy cause I've been so emotionally unstable! I've been using the uncaring for 3 years and I'm jus now starting to experience all this..I'm glad I found this blog
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Avatar universal
Wow! What a relief! So glad I found this forum. I am a 20 year old college student, who works out 6 days a week and eats somewhat healthy, and have always an extremely happy personality and confident and easy going. I was on the Implenon for years, and recently i switched to nuva ring. i liked the implenon however, when i got the nexplanon, my sex drive was absolutely non-existent to the point where i didnt even want my boyfriend to touch me. so i switched to nuva ring, since my ob-gyn told me it has even less hormone than the nexplanon. WELL. suddenly, i have the most outrageous mood swings, feeling very very anxious, bad dreams, depressive mood swings, and just not like my normal self. these things would all come and go, im still mostly happy, just with these stupid symptoms. not sure which birth control to switch too since i cant do the pill..... and i seeing as i have a boyfriend a sex drive is a nice thing to have. the nuva ring also makes sex SOOOO painful. very frustrating!! Luckily my boyfriend is so supportive and reassuring, i get more upset and he doesnt at all! kudos to him for putting up with mymood swings.... honestly, im thinking about getting my tubes tied. i just feel that my ob-gyn does not understand when i tell him im experiencing all these things. has anyone tried the IUD??
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Avatar universal
I am SO happy I found this page. This past year has been absolutely horrible for me (and my bf), but up until today I thought it was just me. I've been using the Nuva Ring for a few years now, but 2014 has been a living hell. I've dealt with depression in the past, but it was never this bad. My emotional instability has gotten out of control. I'm always angry, snap at everything (including my cats, for no reason), cry too easily, I've thrown things (need to patch the wall in a few places because of it), broken things, night sweats, zero motivation to do anything, have zero sex drive, very dry when I do try to have sex with my bf, etc. I also got fired this year from my job of almost 2 years because of my craziness. Like quite a few of the women on this page have said, my "fits" felt like an out of body experience. I know I shouldn't be freaking out so bad, but I can't control my actions or my words. It's as if my sex drive has left me, even though I'm still very attracted to my bf. Sometimes I don't want him to even touch me in a non-sexual place, like my shoulder. I could never understand why this was happening. I've holed myself up in my apartment and rarely leave, even to check the mail. I can't stand being in public and easily get panic attacks in the car or out running errands. After reading all of these comments, I took my ring out about an hour ago and have emailed my OBGYN to see if there are any other alternatives out there. I've been on the pill (multiple brands and doses of estrogen), the patch, and the depo shot, all of which (save for the depo shot, but that gave me osteopenia) have made me feel like a raging psycho. Not sure what else I can try, but I'm happy that I found the probable cause for all this. I just turned 30 last month, as well.
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Avatar universal
I am a 39 year old woman, who works for a Fortune 500 company and am physically fit and have a healthy diet.  I started using the NuvaRing in 2005 and stopped in 2011 to give my body a break.  I started using it again last November (2013) and just recently my boyfriend noticed a change in me.  According to his description, which after a lengthy discussion I realized he was absolutely right, I had become aggressive, impatient, perpetually agitated, sometimes violent.  I also noticed in my myself that I was could not sleep through the night and has lost interest in sex.  Most recently I noticed that when I try to go to sleep I would start either hearing voices as I dozed off or I would see faces as if I was dreaming but was wasn't really fully asleep and it would scare me and I would immediately wake up.  Also, most recently I decided to go see a therapist because I felt I was suffering from depression.  My boyfriend suggested that maybe I should stop using the ring because maybe the hormones were affecting my moods.  Again after a lengthy discussion and going through months of incidences I realized that I was not the person he had met 2 years ago when I wasn't on the ring.  I am due to insert the ring again tomorrow, however I am not.  I want to see if in fact the ring has caused these emotional changes.  I can almost guarantee that this will be the case based on what I have read on multiple websites (including this one) that cover this subject.  Also, when I was on the ring from 2005 to 2011 I was depressed and had no interest in sex and displayed mood changes and aggression.  If you are on the NuvaRing or are thinking about starting please have someone monitor your behavior to help you notice any changes or keep a log of your behavior, your moods, etc.  It is very possible that the side effects associated with this product could have ruined my relationship with a man that I absolutely adore and who adores me.
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Avatar universal
I am so glad I found this page... Last year i was on Mirena and had bad side effects, caused cysts, horrible pain, anxiety..I had it removed in May 2013. In July 2013 I decided to try NUVARING. I thought it was the most amazing thing ever!!! I loved it, I still do besides the crazy, unbearable anxiety attacks Im having. I had anxiety way before starting nuvaring but never so much that i had an attack every day, multiple times a day. and the serious ones that came on out of nowhere, included fainting, blacking out, racing heartbeat? I had no idea what was happening to me.. in May 2014 this all started and hasn’t stopped since. I get hot, tingly, dizzy, nervous, weak in the knees, off balance I feel like i am dying. I also was just in a wreck(not a bad one either but hey ya never know); hands arms even feet got numb tingly, thought i had a pinched nerve? Wrong. and all this sometimes last for days at a time... I’ve been to doctor after doctor, chiropractor, just recently seen a cardiologist and had a 30 day event monitor placed on me to see if i had an irregular heartbeat also had an ECHO done, blood work you name it! Everything is perfect? absolutely nothing wrong? Last week was my week to have the ring out, i have started noting when i have attacks, I did not have one attack all week of my period which only lasted 4 days(unusual) but kept the ring out for 7 days(no attacks i actually felt great and normal). Yesterday it was time to put my ring back in. Once again last night i woke up to extreme anxiety and have been horrible ever since. Was up all night  decided to go back and track when i had the attacks and it clicked so of course i could not sleep and researched and now today i have found this, took my ring out 2 hours ago($69 wasted) but i already feel somewhat better? Guess I’m gonna have to give up the nuvaring and birth control for a while and pray this all goes away and i become myself once again! Scariest thing i have ever been through in my life. Mind you I’m only 21 and this has ruined my social life, and even caused big problems in my 5 year relationship because all i do is worry and complain about what is happening to me and its stressing my loved ones out just as much! Lord i hope this helps! Thanks guys!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
So glad I found this page, I thought I was going crazy.  Have been on Nuvaring for one month and took it out last night.  It is unbelievable how much better I feel this morning.....I am not someone that has ever really been depressed but the last month has been hell, agitated at the slightest thing, snapping at my poor husband and children, crying uncontrollably for hours for absolutely no reason, nausea and my sex drive was non existent.....I was not warned about the extent any of these side effects by my doctor......when I woke up this morning I felt like someone had lifted a veil or cloud off of me, I feel like myself again from the first time in weeks and feel like I need to apologize to a whole list of people for my behavior over the last month......If you are considering nuvaring as an option for birth control, DON'T, its not worth it.....haven't decided what other contraceptive we will use now, probably back to condoms again......not great but preferable to nuvaring.......
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Avatar universal
The nuvaring is the devil! I was on it for a month and I thought I felt so great but I was become agitated, having headaches that woke me up in the middle of the night screaming, numbness in my hands and feet and the scariest panic attacks that made me feel like I was having a heart attack. Then a few days before it was time for me to remove it for my period I became a total basket case, crying hysterically, falling into the deepest depression you can imagine, almost on the verge of wanting to hurt myself. I remained crazy for several days even after I removed it. I still didn't know it was the nuvaring so the following week I put it back in and the next day I was so nauseous and I lay in the fetal position with a heating pad for hours, I couldn't even take care of my two year old daughter. I was so irritable snapping at her. Then the same day I found this blog and removed the nuvaring right away! After a few hours I started to better. The next morning I woke up and I was back to my old happy self!!! NEVER USE THE NUVARING it is truly the DEVIL. No more birth control for this girl! Just condoms!
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1 Comments
I have exactly the same, how long took it until it was gone again? Since I took it out 1 month ago I felt perfect fine again but now 20 days later after I got my period everything came back. I have the same problems since 3 days again. Did it come back for you several times until the hormones are gone completely out of the body?
Avatar universal
I was on it for a few years before I noticed anything, but then I noticed that I would cry for no good reason.  I would just feel so sad and couldn't figure out why.  I figured out that it could be the Nuva Ring that was causing it, so I stopped using it and sure enough the sadness and crying stopped.  It worked great for me for several years, but it is not worth risking my emotional stability.  If you want to try it, just be aware that this could be a side effect and pay close attention to how you feel.  
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Avatar universal
I have been on nuvaring for the past 3 years. I have had weight gain (20 lbs) this last year, random sharp excruciating pain for the last 3 years, bad acne (did not have acne before), VERY moody (I'm generally a happy person). I have never ever had depression and now I have it. I can hardly eat yet I am still gaining weight. I still exercise too. I just took out my ring today so hopefully I will be myself again. I've felt trapped for so long. I am now looking for a natural birth control with no hormones.
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Avatar universal
I have been on nuvaring for the past 3 years. I have had weight gain (20 lbs) this last year, random sharp excruciating pain for the last 3 years, bad acne (did not have acne before), VERY moody (I'm generally a happy person). I have never ever had depression and now I have it. I can hardly eat yet I am still gaining weight. I still exercise too. I just took out my ring today so hopefully I will be myself again. I've felt trapped for so long. I am now looking for a natural birth control with no hormones.
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Avatar universal
I am so so so happy i have found this blog!!!!

I have been on the NR for about 6 years now. I came across this site in a search to find out if there were any side effects from stopping the use of the NR.

I can't believe what i have found!

For the last 6 years i have had terrible spells of severe depression, mood swings, irritation, aggression, anger, sadness, uselessness, memory loss, headaches, being dry (down there), fatigue and lack of motivation for anything. I honestly have brushed it off as just being an incredibly emotional person who is not in control of her life or her emotions. Yes, I thought that i was crazy and very alone but I just thought i was messed up.... broken. Never once did i think maybe its my birth control making me feel this way.

I am 25 years old and my life has been a living hell since graduating high school which now that i am thinking about it was when i started taking the NR. I can now honestly say that i feel soooooooo much better being able to understand that the lack of control over my unpredictable and over the top emotions was not my fault. The NR has been a tornado destroying everything in its path for way to long!!! I am taking it out right now and will NEVER look back!
  
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Avatar universal
I've been on the Nuvaring for 3 months, but this is it. I'm done with it. I've been very nauseous, I've had chest tightness, anxiety, panic attacks. I've never had any of these symptoms ever before. My PMS symptoms have been alleviated, but it really isn't worth it at this cost.
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Avatar universal
Just started using NR a month ago. Im usually a laid back kind of girl. With my ocational upsets. But lately ive become this psycho crazy person. I thought it was the ring and figured its something to get used to. But now after reading all these comments now I know its the ring driving me crazy . I just hope I figured it out on time. My relationship has taken a huge hit due to my crazy psycho rants. I dont recomend this product at all. Especially if u are in a relationship. Lol. Taking this thing out today!  
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Avatar universal
My fiance just got on it about a week ago and she is going absolutely crazy. Saying she is going to kill her self accusing me of cheating, then finally tonight she just  it and just attacked me physically. I would never cheat on her or hit her but I am in shock of what just happened!  I can only explain it by saying that freaking ring is making her crazy.
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Avatar universal
I'm so happy I found this website. I tried to research side effects to the Nuvaring on their website and found nothing of this. I've only had mood swings like this when I was pregnant. They aren't normal mood swings like with PMS. It's definitely an out of body experience. You can watch yourself overreact and can't control it. I have had now two incidents with my boyfriend this week that's ended in an argument. I'm happy to come across this site and see that people are experiencing the same things as me. I will be switching birth control ASAP so I don't completely destroy my relationship. It would've been nice to have this knowledge before I started.
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Avatar universal
I'm 20 and I started Nuvaring about 2 weeks ago. I've always been a very rational and self-controlled person, but since I've started Nuvaring I started noticing some changes in my mood. I'm always about to burst in tears, for no rational reason. At first I didn't relate this mood swings to Nuvaring, but after reading your comments it started to make sense. I even thought I was starting some kind of depression.
Me and my boyfriend get along extremely well, but when I'm with him I have to make a big effort not to start crying. I feel like I'm not having the best time I could with him because of these meltdowns. Fortunately, my sexual apetite hasn't decreased neither I've become maniac or angry. The only side effects I have are the crying episodes and loss of appetite.
When I finish this Nuvaring cycle I'll check if I'm in a better mood (God, I really hope so). If so, I'll probably never use it again, I don't want to become a crazy person because of some stupid hormones.
I'm really glad I'm not alone :)
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Avatar universal
Hey man going through the same thing now.  If you get this how did it turn out?
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Avatar universal
I have been on the Nuvaring for 5 or 6 years now and if you asked me a year ago I would say it was awesome. I quit smoking 10 months ago because I was feeling pains in my legs (I didn't realize until reading this forum that leg pains were also a side effect of the Nuvaring, I thought I was forming a blood clot). Not long after quitting smoking I started to get severe panic attacks. When the first one happened I seriously thought I was having a psychotic episode. I was convinced I had swallowed a sewing pin and that it was going to kill me. I was so distraught I couldn't function. I knew it was irrational but I couldn't contain my emotions. Since then they have been getting worse to the point it feels like I'm having a heart attack. I feel numbness or pain in my left arm and chest and all I can think about is dying. My sex drive is almost nonexistent. When I take it out I feel like my old self again. I'm actually a happier person ON my period. Last night I was about to put it in and I said to my husband (jokingly) "Get ready for a marked mood change!" but it was no joke. As soon as I put it in it was like a switch was flipped. I told my husband to suck my ****! WTH?? I was instantly angry and then I couldn't stop crying. In a matter of moments I had gone from cuddling my sweetie to cursing him out for no reason. I just got off the phone with my Dr and she is calling in a new prescription for me. I can't go thru this anymore, so long Nuvaring!
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