Question about Nuvaring

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-01-2004
Question about Nuvaring
1
Tue, 06-15-2004 - 5:47pm
I have been on the Nuvaring for a little over three months now and am loving it. The only question I have is I was told by my gyno that I could leave it in all the time, instead of removing it for a week. She said go four weeks, take it out, and put the other one in right away. The only problem is, I have tried now for two months to do that, and my period starts anyway. Has anyone else had a problem like this??

Abby

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Tue, 06-15-2004 - 6:11pm
Yep! And the same thing happens, well, almost. I can go 5 or so weeks without a period using Nuvaring, but no longer than that. My gynecologist doesn't seem understand it (his theory is that you only have breakthrough bleeding if you miss pills), but it doesn't seem to be rocket science to me...

As you keep providing estrogen, you keep growing endometrium. The progestin in the ring is helping to sustain the endometrium, much like progesterone does when you're not using hormonal birth control. But if there isn't enough progestin to sustain the growing endometrium (like after ovulation or during the ring-free/inactive week when there's little to none), the endometrium degrades and leaks or sheds. More progestin is needed, but we're on a fixed dose, so....

For some folks (those women that don't grow endometrium as fast--our natural hormones seem to be somewhat present even if we're not ovulating), that probably works! But not for us...

Good luck!

Judie
Co-cl for Birth Control
Judie Cl for Birth Control