No way. Sorry, but your weight gain was FAR more likely due to quitting smoking rather than quitting the ring--especially considering the symptoms you got while on the ring, as those are symptoms that, had you not just quit smoking, would have actually made it more likely for you to LOSE weight when you quit the ring (in other words, if the ring had worked for you the hormonal imbalance of going off it would've caused weight gain but you claim it made you bloated and gave you acne the entire time you were on it was actually MAKING you hormonally imbalanced while on it).
Anyways, I wouldnt argue this in anyone elses case (well, not unless they just quit smoking after quitting the ring too), but the fact that you continued to eat and exercise the same after you quit smoking were the real reasons you gained weight! Smoking speeds up your metabolism (some estimate as much as 200+ calories a day) and let's not forget it's an appetite suppressant--all those little snacks you find yourself taking after quitting smoking add up--so when you quit for good, you can gain a lot and FAST despite having a healthy diet and exercise regimen. This is especially true (not to mention upsetting) if you had that same healthy diet and exercise regimen while you were a smoker. Most people gain at least 8-10lbs according to scientific studies--and contrary to popular belief it aint because they're lazy and have unhealthy eating habits! Like I said, smoking speeds up your metabolism. Hopefully you managed to stay smoke free and get a handle on it.
Did you manage to lose the weight after you started the NR again? I stopped it a month ago and have gain 8lbs already and with summer round the corner I don't want to gain anymore :/
I know this is a very old post but....
I've been off the ring for about 2.5 yrs. I put on 35+ pounds in that time. I haven't felt right since stopping. Out of sheer desperation/and another medical issue where I can't get preg right now. I've decided to start the ring again. I'm hoping/praying that maybe I will drop the weight.
I am in the same boat. I have been on Nuva ring since 2002. I recently stopped on 5/7/14 bc I am ttc. It is now 6/19/14 and I have gone from 147lbs to 156lbs and the only change in my lifestyle is an increase in working out and a better more balance diet!
** note** it am not only experiencing weight gain but an increase in inches only in my abdomen (not pregnant).
I am super depressed about it all and don't know what more to do!
I stopped using nuvaring 2 years ago (after using it for approximately 8 years) after having a pulmonary embolism. I had developed a blood clot in my leg (while training for a marathon no less) but I had no symptoms and was therefore not aware that it was there. While I was out running one day in November 2012, I started to feel like I was going to pass out. I just happened to see a police officer and flagged her down to ask her for help before actually passing out, which I did shortly thereafter, before the ambulance arrived.
Long story short, after they did a chest CT in the ER, the doctor told me that it showed multiple clots in my lungs and she believed one large clot had broken off from a clot in my leg, briefly cut off blood flow to my body, and then hit my lungs where it broke into smaller pieces. She said I was lucky to be alive and the only reason I didn't die was because I was very healthy so my heart and body were able to sustain the lack of blood flow for the time it took for the clot to get through my heart to my lungs. She told me to stop the nuvaring immediately. The next morning they did an ultrasound of my leg veins and found the source of the clot(s) in my lungs--a rather large clot in the back of my left leg.
They tested me for all kinds of genetic clotting disorders and other diseases associated with increased clotting and found nothing. They attributed my clot to the nuvaring. I can never take hormones again. I now use the Paragard (copper) IUD for birth control.
Anyway, almost immediately after stopping the nuvaring I noticed weight gain, especially around my abdomen. Like everyone else, I didn't change my eating or exercise habits. My abdomen had never been a problem area for me until stopping the NR. Now all my pants are tight around my abdomen and when I sit I have a fairly large roll that hangs over which I never had before.
All my adult life, from age 18-28, I maintained my weight from 120-126 Lbs even during times that I cut back on my exercise routine for whatever reason. Since I stopped the NR, I was up to 135 at one point. Now I'm at 133, but it seems practically impossible to get below that. Even after cutting calories and increasing my cardio a good deal.
Another problem I've had since I stopping NR is hair loss. My hair has become very thin and fragile. I would say I've lost close to 50% of my hair over the past 2 years. That has been very upsetting as I liked my hair before. It has never been thick, but I was happy with the amount I had. Now I feel self conscious about it and worried that if it continues to shed, I may need a wig at some point. After 2 years of shedding, i still don't see any regrowth happening. I've also grown several hairs on my chin (very mild hirsutism).
Another problem I experienced when stopping NR was cystic acne. That was horrible! For the first year I kept getting one or two cystic pimples every month, which maybe doesn't sound so bad, but those things hurt like heck and they take forever to go away because they are so deep in your skin. As soon as one would would start to disappear, a new one would start to appear. And they left big scars, even when I left them alone. A couple left the ice pick type scars on my cheeks and others left these dark spots on my chin that I can still see a year later. Fortunately, the cystic acne eventually stopped. That has been the only thing that's stopped over time. I no longer get those, thank god. But my hair is still as thin as ever and the weight will not come off.
Mind you, all these things that started happening when I stopped using NR at 28 are problems I never had before starting NR when I was 20. I never had acne (certainly the occasional zits as a teenager but never, ever the cystic type), or dark hairs on my chin, or a problem with abdominal fat. These are all classic signs of a hormone imbalance.
I am convinced after the experience I've had and after reading so many similar stories from other women who have stopped using NR that one's body is not able to regain its pre-NR endocrine function after stopping NR. For the first year I figured it would just take some time for my body to adjust, but now after 2 years I am beginning to think my body is never going to be the same.
One thing I have read about and am going to try is using natural progesterone cream around days 14-28 of one's cycle. Some people use it for PCOS and claim it has reduced their symptoms. Since a lot of my issues match the symptoms of PCOS, which is essentially hormone imbalance (no coincidence there), I am hoping maybe the progesterone cream will help. Even if it produces only minor improvement in hair growth, energy levels, irritability, etc that will be something. I don't have any other options to try to regulate my hormones since I can't take any birth control.
Like a lot of people, I wish I had never used nuvaring. It is certainly not worth a permanent hormone imbalance, that's for damn sure.
I went off NR in January and since then have definitely gain about 10-15 pounds. I am trying to muster up the energy to exercise more but to be honest, I have never felt more tired in my life. I'm 32, 5'7" and usually around 130 lbs. All my body wants to do is sleep and eat. Thank goodness it is summer since now I can golf and cycle a bit, but wow I just feel like a giant lazy fatso. My husband and I eat relatively healthy and cook a lot from our garden and I have cut back considerably on processed food in the last 2 years. I literally cannot look at myself naked. Luckily my husband is still attracted to me, though he may just be being nice. I think I may sign up for a personal trainer at my gym. Then maybe I'll make a better effort to go since someone will actually yell at me if I don't. Wish I had a gym buddy. Turning 30 was a little hard for me, but going off the NR in order to try for a baby and the weight gain involved is making me a very sad, lonely person. Reading all these entries, it's comforting to know I'm not alone, but I wish this weren't a problem for so many of us. :(
Wow, seriously just thought it was stress and maybe a few drinks here and there but after having stopped taking NR in FEB, I have gained at least 15lbs. Please tell me there is someone out there that knows when this will stop.
This exact thing happened to me! :( I had regular 6-7 day cycles that occurred about the same time every month before Nuvaring. Then I went on the ring for 2 years straight (cramps, headaches, "dryness"). My husband and I then decided we wanted to start a family. So I stopped the Nuvaring and 2 weeks later my body swelled up especially my stomach and breast and I had severe cramps. :( My clothes are too tight. :( Before the ring I was around 130 lbs. Now I am about 154 lbs. About a year ago my between cycles were around 42 to 45 days. I am now starting to be more consistent with cycle lengths of 32 days and ovulation (according to the kits), but the cycles last usually 2-3 days. I have been off of the Nuvaring since late January 2014, still have the weight gain and no baby. :(
I had posted this as a guest before joining recently. Like many here with the weight gain issue after stopping Nuvaring, I would like to know why this happened, when will the weight go away, and how long did it take to conceive for those having this same issue? Thanks! :)
The same thing happened to me last November. I went for my annual check up. My cycle was about a week late so my husband and I thought we were pregnant. Instead the pregnancy test came back negative and the doctor gave me several sheets of paper to test for fertility. :( She disagreed that the Nuvaring had anything to do with it but it's the only thing I can think of that changed when I stopped late January 2014. :( 2 weeks after stopping I had swelling in my body esp. my stomach and breast and severe cramps. :( Thanks for sharing this information, esp. about water weight gain! :)
Wow! My hair has not been the same either along with the weight gain after stopping NR. So depressing. :( My weight has never been this high either. :( It was exactly 2 weeks after stopping NR that my body esp. my stomach, breast, and area under my neck swelled up. More recently my fingers have become swollen to were I cannot wear my wedding rings and have to wear substitutes. :(
I was on nuva ring for two years and I decided to remove it because I was gain to much weight even while exercise and healthy eating. I been off it for one month and I have already loss 6 pounds.
Thank goodness for this post. I got off NR a month ago and have already gained 10 lbs. I eat very healthy and work out 6-7 days a week.
I thought I was losing my mind gaining all of this weight.
Am now decreasing my kcals significantly and working out twice a day. Im 26 and have been the exact same size since I was 14. Hopefully this stops soon!!!
Several months ago it got to the point where I could not wear my rings. So my husband and I got on a low carb diet. I guess we loss weight or at least water weight because after a month and a half on the low carb, I am able to wear my rings, feel less bloated, and fit into shorts that I was able to wear before stopping (before getting on too) Nuvaring. We are also trying to conceive but taking a while. :( Hope things get better for you! O:)
Did you end up losing the weight once you were back on NuvaRing? I went off it a year ago and gained 30 lbs, despite there being no change in diet or lifestyle :(