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[brook]

Has anyone had any experience with the Nuva Ring?  My doctor has recommended it to me for several reasons, but I don't know anyone who has ever used it.  My husband and I are done having kids, but are not yet ready for him to get the big "V".  I also have hypothyroidism and take medication to correct this.  My OBGYN tells me that the Nuva Ring will not interfere with the meds since the hormones from the ring will not get absorbed through my liver the way that the pill would.

I was on a low estrogen pill for years before I had kids and did not have any significant problems.  These days my cycles are heavy and short (23 days average - ugh!) and I am looking for some relief.  If anyone has any experience with the Nuva Ring I am all ears!!  Thanks!

[prof_smartypants]

I love the nuvaring. I was on a number of pills from college on and hated them all. Ortho-tricyclene made me crazy, and the lo-dose ones never really "took".  I was never very good at consistently taking the things, either. Don't ask me why I couldn't pull off taking a pill every morning, but I was always forgetting. It got so ridiculous I was off the pill for years and we used condoms. LAME.

I've been on the nuvaring for a year now, and I love it. No symptoms (none - zippo). Replace the ring once a month (once!!!) The only downside is the cost. With insurance it costs me $30 a month, where a month of pills would usually run me $10. I'm guessing a generic or competition will come out eventually, though, and lower the cost.

[menotti]

I used it for awhile and liked it a lot.  Only had to think about it twice a month!  I didn't have any side effects beyond some discharge the first month (not smelly or icky, just heavy), but I never had any problems with the pill, either.

[brook]

Thank you for the responses so far.  I have not checked into the cost through my insurance company yet, although I would expect that it would cost me more than the pill.  My cycles are really giving me a hard time so I think that I would rather pay the extra money than go through these short, heavy cycles for much longer.  Not to mention that we've been using condoms for 3 years now and I am tired of that as well.  I've been putting this decision off for some time due to cost and then my thyroid, and am now at a point where the Nuva Ring is doable (and very desirable.)

[prytania3]

Why not an IUD? It goes in for 5 years, and you don't have to worry about it for 5 years.

[brook]

I discussed an IUD with my doctor and she does not generally recommend IUDs to her patients.  She has concerns about infections with the IUDs, and will not implant the copper IUDs since even the manufactures of those IUDs don't really explain how they work.  The copper ones give the appearance of aborting any fertilized eggs, and she won't implant those due to her own ethics.  They do have a nurse practitioner in the office who will implant IUDs (hormonal or copper) but overall she steers women away from either of them.  I have been seeing this OBGYN for years (she delivered both of my kids), so I do trust her judgment.  Nuva Ring seemed like a good alternative to a daily pill and IUD.  I guess you could also say that its the hot new thing these days, so maybe that's why the Nuva Ring has come up more than once in our discussions over the past couple of years. 

[t_r_b]

This may not be helpful in the least, but if your husband is done having kids, he should get snipped. If he won't get snipped, that's either because he hasn't yet accepted that he's done having kids (even if you have) or because he's got a stupid hangup. And given the relative cost, both financial and psychological, of getting snipped vs. having an additional child, this particular hangup is far more stupid than most.

This is a guy talking. I understand the reluctance, believe me. But that makes it no less stupid.

[brook]

Thanks for your input, t-r-b, although I do feel the need to defend my husband here.  The fact that he has not been snipped yet has more to do with me than with him.  Without going into a lot of detail, I suffered a significant loss early on in life that has affected me my entire life.  Because of this I am very aware of life's fragility and am not ready to make such a permanent change in our lives.  My husband and I have talked about this a great deal, and have decided together that he would get snipped once I get closer to 40.  I am fully aware that if we (heaven forbid) experienced the death of a child, that a new baby would not ever be able to replace the life that is lost.  But due to my personal experience, I am not ready to completely close that door at the age of 34.  Things happen in life, and I just can't make a permanent birth control move at this point. 

In addition, the hormonal birth control is one of the few ways to help me with my cycles.  I'm pretty sure that you don't want to hear the gory details about them ;) 

[prytania3]

The younger generation is so much more conservative and backward than my generation.

Sorry, but it's true.

[brook]

What exactly is conservative and backwards about my post?  My OBGYN and her feelings about IUD?  My doctor may be conservative, but has been practicing for 25+ and is in her 50's.  Younger generation she is not.  In fact, she retired from OB last year and now only does GYN, so perhaps I should refer to her as such.   

Or is it because I don't want to make a life-altering permanent birth control decision at 34? 

[marigolds]

I thought NuvaRing sucked; if you have trouble with hormonal methods of birth control, it's entirely possible that you'll have the same trouble with NuvaRing, though it's smaller dose and targeted.

[prytania3]

What exactly is conservative and backwards about my post?  My OBGYN and her feelings about IUD?  My doctor may be conservative, but has been practicing for 25+ and is in her 50's.  Younger generation she is not.  In fact, she retired from OB last year and now only does GYN, so perhaps I should refer to her as such.   

Or is it because I don't want to make a life-altering permanent birth control decision at 34? 

I was just waiting for the time when the Copper T would become unethical.


Bwahahaha.

[knitknat]

I loved the NuvaRing, and I had struggled with pills for years. Something about the gradual release of the hormone (and not having to try and take the pill at *EXACTLY* the same time every day) worked really well for me. Try it for a few months and see how it works for your system. My insurance covered it, but I also had really good insurance. If I remember correctly, when I started it, my doc slipped me a couple of samples to "test"....doesn't hurt to ask.

[brook]

Thank you all for the comments.  Years ago I was on a low estrogen pill and did not have any real side effects, so I am hoping that I will have a similar experience.  I looked into the cost and it is affordable to me, so I think I am going to try it for a while.  After 7 years and 2 kids I hope my body still reacts well to the hormones, otherwise I'll be back to square one!

[august_leo]

I absolutely LOVE IT! I was on it for a couple of years in the US and had no symptoms or side effects. I love the convenience - my doctor told me I could put it in and leave it in for 28 days, then put another one in. NO PERIODS. (Though I would try to have a period every 4 months just because I felt like I should, so would remove the ring after 21 days, then put in next ring after 7 days). You can often get a 3mo supply at once.

When I moved to the UK they didn't have it released here yet, but I didn't feel I could "be bothered" to going back to trying to take a pill at the same time every day. So, we used condoms until the NHS released (is that the word?) the nuva ring, which is not available here too. I HIGHLY recommend it.

On rare occasions (rare for me, at least) the ring can come out during/after intercourse or our partner might feel it. You may remove it for up to 3 hours (according my doctor) while you enjoy uninterrupted sex.