NuvaRing (vaginal ring), BPD, and hormones

[JoeBPD81]

Hi,

I wonder if someone else has experience. It seems to us that the symptoms of BPD get worse while using this birth control thing.  Maybe it's because my GF is severely underweight, but maybe it isn't.

She felt instantly better when she quit it, and we weren't having sex anyway. But some time after leaving it, the sex drive came back. So one day she wanted to try the ring again, and very quickly her stability came out the window, and no sex drive again.

What do you think? Science, coincidence?

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[Tattered Heart]

That's a possibility. I've heard of many woman getting overly emotional while using birth control. It does change a woman's hormones.

[isilme]

Hope this isn't TMI:

All hormone-based contraceptives can and usually will mess with a woman's emotional state.  Whether it's any of the version of The Pill, a Patch, an IUD (inter-uterine-device), Depo shots, or something like the Niva Ring, it works by tricking your body into thinking you are already pregnant, so you won't ovulate (no eggs will be released to be fertilized).  So, of course she is moody and emotional - her body "thinks" she is pregnant, to prevent her from actually becoming pregnant.  She can have some early pregnancy symptoms, like morning sickness.  With the Pill form, you can mitigate this by finding what time of day lets you take it and not get queasy.  The patch, IUD, and NuvaRing are "supposed" to keep your hormone levels constant through the month, heloing prevent some of these symptoms, but ti takes time for the body to acclimate.

These hormone contraceptives take about 3 months of continual usage for your body to adjust.  Taking the NuvaRing in and out just delays this.  And not all formulas work well for everyone.  I was on one that worked great, lost my insurance for a while and took the cheapest one I could get and was a weeping basket case in pain most fo the time, breaking out, gaining weight.  As soon as I could, I switched back, the pain got better, my complexion got better, and so did my moods.

Basically, she needs to wear the Nuva Ring every single day except the week she's supposed to take it out to have her "withdrawal period" (it's not a "true" period since she did not ovulate), and then put a new one in.  After 3 months of solid use, her moods "should" stabilize, and her cycle should be predicatable (a big reason most women use it, contraception is often a footnote).  Like when I went on my honeymoon, I was able to control when my period came (and did not) simply by skipping one week of the placebo/iron pills and moving to active pills a little early. 

If, after 3 months have passed, or less time if she can convince her doctor, she still has more extreme than usual moods and other problems (pelvic pain, unexpected bleeding and spotting, acne, weight gain or loss, morning sickness nausea, etc.) she can ask to try another hormone birth control.  I like Minastrin Fe - it's a pill taken daily and works well for me.  Just so you can say you heard about something for her to try if she needs to stop using the ring but a regular cycle is important to her.

If hormone contraceptives just aren't going to work for her, then you need to look into ALWAYS using a barrier method of contraception (condoms, diaphragm).

And one last thing - if you decide to have a child someday, and she goes off the medications for that purpose, there can be a whole new slew of side effects as her body goes into withdrawal.  NuvaRing and the basic Pill aren't really known for this, but the uterine implants and Depo shots have hurt some of my friends. 

[JoeBPD81]

Thanks! That's very informative.

She used it regularly for 2 years, but she lost too much weight, and then it was too much for her. Or maybe it was from the beggining. When she quit some months ago, she felt better very soon.

In her weight she doesn't have her period any more, the ring forces it, and maybe that takes some needed nutrients.

I believe malnutrition also affects severely her mood, her energy and her mind in general. But she needs to want to live, before she cares about eating to live. Regarding health and food she only cares about losing more. And you already can see all her bones under a thin skin. She forces herself to maintain, conciously (not eating healthy, just enough calories to not lose too quickly), but under the smallest amount of stress, she sees herself very fat, and wants to drop another 6-8 pounds. Then she calls herself weak and pathetic and any nastiness for not having been losing faster. It's a nightmare.