Nuvaring

Z

ZT27

Cathlete
Hi,
I was wondering if anyone uses this form of BC? Also, I was wondering if it's a higher risk of cervical cancer since it's "inside"? I'm so sick of my pills and not being able to lose the weight. Thanks!

P.S-- If you feel more comfortable PMing me, please do so. Have a great sunday! :D

Lisa
 
Back when I used to use it (about 2 years ago), I loved it. No weight gain, no nausea, no trying to remember if you took your pill. They even give you a little electronic hourglass to let you know when it's time to change it or take it out. Plus, you don't feel it, so you aren't constantly being reminded that it's there.

My OB/GYN never said anything about an increased risk of cervical cancer. I can see how that may concern you, but I would think (and this is my opinion based on no medical training whatsoever)that the hormone dosage is so low as to not be a problem. Some people have to take certain meds in suppository form as a different way of getting it into their blood stream, this seems like just a variation on that theme.

I know there's at least OB/GYN affiliated person on the forum. I hope they can give you a more educated answer.

Good luck!
 
I have used Nuvaring for a little over 2 years. I was able to loose weight I had gained in the last few years while using Nuvaring. I don't think the weight gain was a side effect. No other side effects at all like the BC pill I tried years ago. I don't believe there is any higher risk of cervical cancer but yes there is a OBGYN here that hopefully will post...:)...Carole
 
Thanks for replying! I'm not sure if I'd want a nuvaring or a paragard IUD. From what I've been told by a couple of people, inserting the IUD is quite painful. Since I had a BIG baby, almost 10 lbs, do you think I'm stretched out so much down there I won't feel a thing? LOL (stupid humor, I know)

I sent Autumn an email a few days ago. She's been busy with work so she's slow getting back to me. I just wanted to get others' opinions first before calling my gyn. to prescribe it for me. I'm so tired of weight gain, not losing weight, water retention, being moody a week before my period, etc....Enough is enough!
 
if you have had a baby then you should be just fine for an IUD, it is usually painful for those that haven't had a baby yet.. hence, we 'try' to put them in when they are on their period and the cervix is a little more open, but that still doesn't always work. the problem with women who haven't had a baby and want an IUD is that the lip of the cervix is still there, after a baby, that goes away. if you aren't wanting to have children for a while, or ever, the IUD might be a good option for you. the one thing with the paragard IUD that you should be aware of is that you may have heavier periods and more cramping because it has no hormones. these are just some of the normal side effects, so if you have heavy periods already, you might want to consider the mirena IUD.

at work, the main reason girls don't want the nuva ring is because it's 'inside' them. but really it's an awesome form of birth control. i've used it for two years now with no problems. it's a bit of a lower dose than some of the pills. the one thing we recommend to patients is that you remove the ring every 4 days or so (and after intercourse) and rinse it with cool water (no soap, no hot water). we recommend this because the one downfall of ring seems to be a little more discharge.

good luck with whichever method you try! if you need any more info before autumn gets back, feel free to give me a pm :)

maddie
 
I have been ussing the Nuvaring for about a year now and I would kill anyone who tried to take it away from me.

I did not start taking it for contraceptive purposes, so that is for me an additional benefit. I suffer from depression and mood disorders and my PMS was so bad it was ruining my life, I suffered it like clockwork each month for up to 2 weeks each month. I couldn't keep living like that and a knowledgeable, female gynecologist finally recognized my plight and that the best thiung for me was Nuvaring, not BC pills which aggravated my PMS with terrible bloating.

The Nuvaring delivers a constant level of the estradiol and progestin, so it helps to keep your mood on an even keel throughout the month. It has worked like a dream for me.

My gynecologist told me to use the Nuvaring continuously with no "off" week because that would help me stabilize my mood even more, So that's what I do aand she's right. I ws told to use 3 or 4 rings continuously, then have an "off" week, then begin the cycle again. I loathe the "off" weeks. All my PMS symptoms return, including now the addition of headaches 24/7 that acetominophen cannot shift. So, I take as few "off" weeks as possible.

My body craves the hormones in exactly these levels. MY skin has improved trmendously. I used to wonder wwhether I would have spots for the rest of my life. I do not have any anymore. I look so much better, it is incredible. My body really needed the Nuvaring, and so did my brain.

I have experienced a 10 pound weight gain over this Winter, but I think that is because I did not exercise for 4 months last Fall/Winter because I was so depressed, not because of the hormones, after all, I started the Nuvaring last April......

I would say, give it a go! Much less invasive than an IUD. I like completely reversible forms of birth control. I hate the idea of IUD's (my sister's fell out and she got pregnant and had to have an abortion, my other sister had terrribly heavy periods and became anaemic) and hormone injections that last in your blood stream for months. If bad symptoms come along, it will take a while before action can be taken to end them.

The only thing I would say to remember is: if you are having a little break through bleeding and you are using a tampon, be careful when withdrawing the tampon because it can dislodge and remove the Nuvaring along with it. This happened to me last week and I did not realize it had happened (because the Nuvaring is so comfy, you cannot feel it) until I found myself bleeding more, with stunning 24 hour headaches and shouting at my children because the whole world irritated the piss out of me. Guess why?!?!?!?!?!

Regarding your cancer concerns, I do not think it matters where the hormone comes from, whether orally or vaginally, it always enters the bloodstream, and since Nuvaring uses a lowered dose of estradiol than most BC pils, I would conclude from this that the risk of cancers is diminished, not increased. I am certainly not worried about it.

Overall, the Nuvaring gets a 100% thumbs up from me.

Clare
 
I am not familiar with this form of BC, but might look into it. I have been on the pill since I was 20 (17 years now!). We have decided to remain childless. I have been trying to talk my DH into a vasectomy, but he is resistant!! My naturopathic physician advised me to go off the pill because I have a mild elevation in one of my liver enzymes. My OBGYN advised me to stay on the pill until menopause to regulate my periods. Not sure who to believe. I have often wondered how much the pill affects a person's ability to lose weight?! I guess if the Nuvaring has hormones in it, it may not be much different than the pill? Anyway, looking forward to more discussion about this subject.
 
the ring really isn't that different from pills. i think a lot of people forget that there are lots and LOTS of different pills. there are triphasic pills, which are probably the kind that drove clare nuts, they have three different levels of hormones throughout the month and try to mimic what you body's hormones do naturally. then there are monophasic pills which have a steady level of hormones throughout the month, just like the ring.
maddie
 
Yeah, I was gonna say, how is this really different from a pill? Isn't there a birth control pill out there with these exact levels of hormone? I gotta say, I would much rather pop a pill than put something in me. Like Clare, in your case, weren't you technically "unprotected" during that time when you got all moody and your Nuvaring became dislodged? Weren't the hormones not getting into your system? I would be afraid it would dislodge and I would be unprotected.


And what about the cost? How much is the Nuvaring, say for a one months supply? Assuming insurance does not cover?
 
Janice,

Sans insurance, the ring runs about $35-40 a month. And when it isn't inside your body, you aren't protected so that is a drawback. One time, when mine came out at a rather inconvenient moment, my ex-husband commented that he didn't know I came with a prize inside! :7
 
the effectiveness decreases (this doesn't start for 3 hours, you can keep it out for three hours no problems), but the ring becoming dislodged is pretty much the same as when people forget to take their pills. they need to use back up and do what's necessary to find out if any 'accidents' happened. also, it's quite hard to the ring to become dislodged on it's own. it doesn't just fall out, similar to how a tampon doesn't just fall out. the ring is a ring, and in order for it to fall out on it's own it would have to be squeezed back together to then come out. i've only encountered one woman who had hers actually fall out, and she wasn't a good candidate in the first place as she had had some rather large babies and hadn't 'tightened' back up (she was very inactive).
the one thing i only partly understand is when people say they don't like having something in them...well...you have intercourse don't you? use a tampon? anyway, everyone has their reasons, there are girls who don't like the patch simply because they don't like it on their skin. even thought it's like a band-aid. lol
the ring is available at planned parenthood for much cheaper than you will be able to buy it at the pharmacy. we get things at a cheaper rate.
maddie
 
For those who don't have Planned Parenthood, I just want to add that contraceptive methods (even condoms) are often available cheaper at family planning clinics, health departments, etc.

Edited to add a couple of links... this is a link to a page of product links... oh and the ARPH site has other info that may be of interest
http://www.arhp.org/healthcareproviders/resources/contraceptionresources/productprov.cfm

this is a link that may be helpful explaining pill dosages, hormone activities, etc.

http://www.wdxcyber.com/ncontr13.htm

Autumn
 
Exactly Maddie. You sorted out all the questions.

I am no good with pills of any kind. I always forget to take them. BC pills, apart from the fact that they made my life so bl**dy miserable, are therefore a bad option for me. The Nuvaring suits me perfectly. I change it once every three weeks and the packets come with delicate blue stickers which I put on my calendar to remind me when I am due to replace my ring and it is as simple as that. If I ever have gastro problems, I don't have to worry about not being able to swallow a pill and thereby being unprotected.

With the Nuvaring, as Maddie said, the ring can be left out for 3 hours and you do not lose protection. After that, you will and will need to reinsert it and use a back up method for 7 days, as with BC pills. I have never needed to do this. During your "off" week, you are still protected so there are no worries there.

With my insurance, I pay $36 for a 4 month supply. For the supreme well-being it brings me, it's worth every penny. Once you find the birth control that works for you, you soon know!

I believe my husband likes this method of birth control also. He says he cannot feel it and likes the fact that he now has his loving wife back again rather than the Wicked Witch of the East who took up residence 2 weeks out of every 4!

Clare :)
 
I used it for a few months on a trial basis, because I was no longer comfortable with the idea of BCP's now that I'm on the second half of 30. I didn't like it. I found it to be a pain to take out and put in, and one time I ended up with some internal bruising after a night putting it to use with my husband.;)

I started using the Mirena IUD after that and am very happy now. The IUD insertion is not really painful. It's more like you having menstrual cramps for a few hours, but nothing you can't handle. And a great side effect of the Mirena IUD is that it's very common for your periods to end. I haven't had my period since last September. I think I got the IUD inserted in July.
 
I have been using this BC for about 4 months now... I really like it. I was on and off the pill for about 20 years and REALLY hated it... I had a lot of side effects despite using all different kinds. I find the NR really easy to use and you forget it is there. I haven't had any side effects at all.

Has anyone tried that pill that only gives you two periods a year?

Marie
 
seasonale is the pill you are talking about. this is something you can actually do with many methods, including the ring. just use the ring continuously. same with certain pills (skip the placebos and start a new pack). even with seasonale they say to expect breakthrough bleeding for the first year. you won't just suddenly stop having regular periods, it takes a while for the body to adjust. it's kinda all hype since you can do this exact same thing with most all regular pills, some better than others.
maddie
 
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