Vaginal ring vs Progestogen-only / Mini pill

I have had the Nuva-ring for years. It's brilliant, no side effects, it gives the hormone dose at the point in my body I need it so I know less hormone is swirling around my body and going through my liver. Surely that's a good thing. I don't think GPs prescribe it here in the UK nearly enough as possibly more expensive than the pill? I was living in Europe after the birth of my second child, initially I was put on the mini-pill and immediately fell into a very low mood which I hadn't felt the weeks after the birth so knew it was the mini-pill that had effected me. I was taken off it straight away and it was suggested I avoid progesterone-only contraceptive as I am probably progesterone-intolerant (beware anyone on the Merina-coil - so many don't realise progesterone can give you depression). I was then given the Nuvaring which I have been on ever since. Oestrogen and me are happy bed fellows. I am also now on HRT which I can take with the ring. When my oestrogen levels dipped as I hit 50 yo the oestorgen in HRT once again lifted my mood. It's all trial and error but only we know what works and what doesn't.

NuvaRing greatly affected my mood, at one point I thought I had depression and got prescribed antidepressants by incompetent doctors. The second I stopped using NuvaRing (based on INTERNET RECOMMENDATIONS), all my mental problems went away

I used the NuvaRing/Syreni ring for over a year without any apparent issues until I began experiencing severe stomach cramps. The pain was so intense that it often woke me up at night, leaving me unable to move or sleep for hours. Despite multiple doctor appointments, my concerns were repeatedly dismissed, and I was left feeling anxious and on edge, uncertain about the cause of my pain. Frustrated with the lack of answers, I decided to take matters into my own hands and removed the ring myself. Remarkably, after five months of excruciating cramps, they stopped immediately upon removal of the ring. It's been five weeks now, and I remain cramp-free. While I cannot say with absolute certainty that the vaginal ring was the cause, the timing feels far too coincidental to ignore.

I would HIGHLY recommend this contraception. In my opinion it is one of the best, if not the best and has worked for me 100%

This is the WORST. My mental health plummeted on this pill, crying nearlt everyday. Not to mention i was bleeding medium heavy for 30+ days every single day. Really terrible effect i would not recommend. My doctor said to wait another week but after bleeding for a month straight i couldnt.

this was my first contraceptive pill i tried. in the first three months, i did struggle with lower mood and had consistent light bleeding that would last for over a week. later on, i adjusted better and eventually stopped having a period, with the occasional light bleeding from time to time. i experienced decreased sex drive and mentally has not been great but it has been manageable. i decided to stop this after 10 months due to suddenly getting worsened acne, which is not something i have struggled with since i was a young teenager

I’ve gained some weight but I don’t think it was the pill alone, other factors such as other medication and enjoying food are at play! I’ve enjoyed having a regular cycle (still ovulating) with less intense highs and lows emotionally but no impact to libido. Has been helpful for PMS overall. Some side effects are headaches and tender/larger breasts. I’ve adjusted the 3 hour window to take this pill a few times with ease too.

Tried the mini pill because combined contraception scared me and I knew I had to go on something as I had recently got an abortion and suffered badly with period cramps. So far I’ve had very few side effects in the first month I had a couple of acne spots popping up due to the change in hormones but they stopped towards the end of my second month. I’ve been keeping an eye on my weight and it’s had no effect and I haven’t had an increase in appetite as I take the pill before I go to sleep at 9:30pm which I recommend so much. Overall my mood hasn’t been affected at all and I have stopped bleeding pretty much, I have had a small period recently on my 2nd month of pills but no cramps or bloating. Overall I’m super happy I started this pill of course it’s different for everybody my advice go with what you think is best for you and regularly check in with your doctor. It’s trial and error but don’t read into it online as everyone has different side effects this pill may work really well for you and not for others! I defo recommend though 🫶

Hi in my experience the breakthrough bleeding was too much for me. I had to change pill due to starting on hrt. Previously used microgynon which was great periods were like clockwork. Short 4 days and fairly light. I stopped using it and now use noriday.

The first few months have been rough. Originally went on this pill to alleviate symptoms of Endemetriosis but I’ve had worse side effects then my natural cycle with Endo. I’m giving it one more cycle and if nothing changes then I’ll go off the pill

I’ve been on multiple brands of pills, Cerazette, Yasminelle and Microlite. Microlite was the bane of my existence , it made me extremely hormonal I was constantly crying and a very irritable person but I’ve been on Cerazette about 2 years and have found it’s the one I agree with the most

Generally happy with this pill, which I'm now able to get from my GP. It's much better than Desogestrel for me. I haven't had a period since I started it and no breakthrough bleeding either. My skin is great on this pill and my weight hasn't changed - if anything I lost a bit of weight, which unfortunately made my boobs smaller. I read this pill has a diuretic effect but I haven't noticed that at all. Initially I had headaches and some disturbed sleep, but these went away after the first month. My sex drive is lower but not to the point of it being an issue. I love that it has the safety of a 24-hour window, plus it's made my mood really stable and has stopped my periods.

I have been taking Hana for 4-5 months now. Generally I have enjoyed the effects of taking a POP, but the specific effect Desogestrel had has led me to trying Slynd instead. Aside from the contraceptive effect, I mainly started taking this pill to combat low mood, hormonal headaches and to hopefully lighten my period. I did find all of these things improved on Hana, but I found that inconsistent and increasingly frequent bleeding was killing my sex drive, making it a touch redundant and prompting the switch. I would have likely reluctantly kept taking Hana (or tried a different brand) as I do feel my mood has benefited overall, and it is advised that bleeding can settle down over time, but now that Slynd was finally available in the UK, I see no need to compromise. In my first month on the pill, I had no bleeding at all (as you would expect). I also generally didn't notice many other side effects. I did have some mood swings - which took me by surprise, but were easier to handle once I identified what was happening and generally settled down after the first month. I also noticed slight vaginal dryness (not uncommon for me in my luteal phase and nothing a bit of lube can't fix) but have been unable to determine if this has also settled. As I got to the last week of pills in my first pack, I had a withdrawal bleed, which again was not unexpected. I was pleased to note that this was much lighter than my normal period, even if it lasted longer, because I could essentially just wear period underwear instead of my normal underwear and that would last all day. In my second month, I noticed some light but otherwise entirely manageable spotting. This alone would not have dissuaded me from taking this pill. I again had a withdrawal bleed around the start of the last week in the pack and would have been happy with that cadence. This is where the problems started, however. Through the course of the third month, I noticed that the light spotting was turning into more prolonged bleeding, which by the end of the month was almost constant and in some cases led me to leak through my clothes. Having done some research online, I decided to try taking two pills instead of just one - this did seem to make the bleeding lighter but it has continued. While I feel that the hormones have overall had a positive impact on my sex drive, it is very hard to feel attractive or think about sex when you are constantly bleeding.