- The Ring

[Guest guest]

,

Thank you for another heads up on the Ring. I love the depo shot because it

completely took away any monthly cycle at all and no side effects for me monthly

pms or otherwise.

BUT - a new study came out in the past six months and because your own body is

not producing estrogen it is being pulled from the bones which will make them

brittle in the long run so I do need to find something else.

The ring seems like the best alternative. Some have said the patch releases too

much estrogen at times and can make you sick but that the ring was the best

choice. I took pills for about ten years and would spot because I would

sometimes miss a pill so that was rather irritating. Thank God science is

working with the female body more these days!

So you only allow yourself a cycle every three months? My friend says she takes

hers out every three weeks to allow for a cycles. Did you doctor tell you that

you have a choice? I would certainly opt for what you are doing

I've been lurking for several months because of the end of nursing school (2

more weeks

to go!!!), but I had to chime in on the Ring. The Nuva Ring is awesome!!! I

leave mine

in for the entire month, then immediately put in a new one. I do that for 3

months in a

row, then give myself a break for a week. I have to do something like this due

to such

severe cramps (I was taking Vicodin...you know they're bad when 2 Vicodins don't

get rid of

the pain). I've had horrible cramps since I was 13 and it's not uncommon for me

to miss

a day or two of school or work because of them.

I was going to get the patch at my last annual but my Gyn talked me into the

ring. He

gave me one for free (inserted it in the office) and after the month was up, I

loved not

having to think about the pregnancy thing at all, I filled the prescription.

Mine cost $38

per month, unfortunately, due to my insurance not covering any birth control

under $40

(that's where my insurance kicks in), but it's worth it not to have to think

about taking

the damn pill everday. Plus, I was missing pills all over the place because I

work 2

nights a week from 6:45pm until 7:15am and I can't take the pill unless it's

right before I

go to sleep due to the severe nausea I get. So on the days when I would work, I

would

take the pill at 8am after getting home, but then I would have to switch back to

10 or 11pm

on the days when I had to be up at 5am. I was getting me all screwed up and I

was afraid

I would end up pregnant (not quite time for that yet!).

The Ring is a wonderful form of birth control. I refuse to go on Depo because

of all the

side effects it causes me and I like the idea that the hormone in the Ring is

right where

it's supposed to be. It doesn't have to travel through the rest of your body to

get to

where it has to do its job. I recommend it for anyone who is busy and doesn't

want to

have to think about BC every day, or every week...or for those who don't like

getting poked

in the butt or arm once every 3 months!

= ) (who will be back on the boards once school is through..not to

mention back

on BFL)

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