NuvaRing Side Effects & Drug Interactions

NuvaRing Side Effects & Drug Interactions

By John Curran

Medications, since they are chemicals, do different things to the body, but if a woman takes more than one, they can react in unexpected fashion. For example, it is commonly known that the vaginal birth control ring NuvaRing is less effective when using antibiotics. However, NuvaRing side effects can actually impact the treatments for several potentially debilitating conditions. Here are a few drugs to be mindful of:

Antidepressants and NuvaRing Side Effects

Since contraceptives change a women’s hormone makeup, one impact can be depression. Unfortunately, antidepressants can lead to reduced efficacy of the birth control and increase the likelihood of pregnancy. Worse, NuvaRing depression side effects may need to be treated with antidepressants, but women will have to increase the dosage by a drastic amount. In the interim, there can be a dangerous period where depression symptoms are effectively untreated.

Anti-epileptics and Bipolar Treatments

Many people use Lamictal (chemical name: lamotrigine) for one of two purposes: limiting epileptic seizures and treating bipolar disorder. However, one NuvaRing side effect is the decreased efficacy of Lamictal for either usage, with drops of up to two-thirds in the amount of the drug absorbed by the body. Considering the maximum dosage is 400 mg, this is problematic for women who take more than 150 MG for effective treatment. As with antidepressants, the antiepileptic drug Dilantin increases the likelihood of unwanted pregnancies when taken with NuvaRing.

Other Medications

NuvaRing interacts with a number of other medications used to treat a variety of conditions. However, many women may not think of the disorders themselves, especially if they are under control. That means risking problems that go well beyond NuvaRing depression side effects. It also does not include the hundreds of women who have filed claims with the help of NuvaRing stroke lawsuit attorneys because of clotting issues.