[solemnversifier]

Thank you for your warm welcomes! I greatly appreciate them!

I have a question regarding birth control. I am currently using the Nuva Ring, which is a small plastic ring you put in once every 3 weeks that releases hormones to prevent pregnancy. My OB/GYN recommends this for her patients with mental disorders because it is the method that affects moods the least.
The first 2 weeks I had it in, I was perfectly fine. Now that the 3rd week is coming to a close, I am weepy and deeply depressed. At the end of the 3rd week, you take out the ring to have your period. Maybe it's PMS? I really don't know.

I just want to know, what are YOUR experiences with birth control? I know it's different for different people, but I would still like to know your feedback on this. Thank you!!!

[Amazonmom]

I have never tried NuvaRing, but any method that involves hormones makes me severely depressed. I have friends that say the IUD is their favorite method because it doesn't affect their moods at all. Even the Mirena, which has some hormones in it....I guess they really don't get into your bloodstream.

I think I am going to try the Mirena myself.

Good luck choosing a method, because it's not easy is it.

[1963.Susan]

i'm currently celibate (sigh), so i don't have a need for birth control. that said, i do have a problem with the time period around ovulation - all my suicide attempts have been in that time period, and it's when i feel the worst. once i ovulate i'm fine. so i went on the pill as a PSYCH med because it prevents ovulation & therefore smooths things out for me. i had to go off it because i started lamictal, but now i'm off lamictal & am considering going back on it.

the biggest problem with it is when i go in the hospital they don't consider it a "necessary" med, & therefore won't provide it. so if i don't think to bring it along, i get all screwed up in my cycle & end up with multiple periods.

hope that's of some interest to you!

[Navygrrl]

I have heard a lot of bad things about the NuvaRing, almost as many bad things as I've heard about Depo. I have a really bad reaction to hormonal birth control, though, so my opinion may be skewed. Plus, hormonal birth control can affect how your bipolar meds work, and vice versa, making them less effective.

[gravyyy]

Nuva RIng is a great method for a lot of people. I don't use any birth control right now but many, many patients where I work choose the Nuva RIng as their birth control method. They all seem to like it, however any birth control that uses hormones (which is basically any of them) can significantly negatively affect people with bipolar disorder. The IUDs are usually the recommended method. There are 2 types, Mirena which uses some hormone is inserted and can stay in for up to 5 years. The other is called Paragard and it has absolutely no hormone and can stay in for 10 years. Talk about this with your OB/GYN though. My OB/GYN will only use an IUD in a patient with a mood disorder. It's worth discussing I think. You don't want to keep feeling depressed that 3rd week! That's no fun at all clearly. Good luck with this!