Hey NuvaRing gals.......question for ya!!

 

Hello all!!

   So I had my surgery march 16th....started my period while in the hospital (on the 18th)  Didn't have my NuvaRing on me to start it.....so I waited...and waited and waited to see if *she* would show her face this month.  No dice. (which isn't unusual for me, my cycles have ALWAYS been screwed up.)   Anyways, I waited until monday (the 27th) which put me @ CD 41 i believe, and called my OB/GYN office.   I wanted them to fill my Provera script, so I'd get my period and could start my NuvaRing.   Well the nurse up there, said "if you're sure you're not pregnant, you can just insert the ring, and if by some odd chance you don't get your period when it's time for it to come out, call back up to the office".    Umm..okay...odd, but whatever. I KNOW I'm not pregnant, so I put it in on monday.

Now I'm reading up on their site....


http://www.nuvaring.com/Consumer/commonQuestions/index.asp

and it's saying NOT to refrigerate it! WTF!?! I was under the understanding that it was to be refridgerated!!! It's been sitting in mine since march 3rd!!!!    ......Anyone else aware of this? Or am I just a clueless fool?!!? Between the nurse, my OB/GYN and the Pharmacist NO ONE ever said how it should/shouldn't be stored.  They gave it to me out of the fridge, so I just stuck it in mine. I DO know the shelf life is only like 4 months...but UGH!! Sooo annoyed!

Thoughts/comments?!


Thanks ladies!! :0)
~kris

i have a nuva ring but i haven't started it yet either.
i did not store mine in the fridge because i read the outside of the package/storage instructions.
no on ever mentioned how to store it though...

where did you hear the shelf life is only 4 months?  each nuva ring package has an expiration date and mine is more than 4 months from now...

Hello!

  Yeah I do believe they should be slightly more clear on storage for it!  As for the shelf life, the pharmacy sticker that was put on mine said : Date filled: 3/3/09   Discard after: 7/1/09   So i was just going off of that.


Thankx for the reply!!


~kris


**EDiTED to say: I was re-reading the back of the foil packet, and  it said it can be stored for up to 4 months , and then under the "For the Dispenser" part it said "The expiration date should not exceed either 4 monhts from the date of dispensing or pre-printed expiration date, whichever comes first........
  So then I look @ the LOT && EXP pre-stamped date  and that says 9/2011.

LoL. whatever, right?!   Thankx again for the reply!! :0)

Everytime I have ever picked mine up from the pharmacy it has been in the fridge and when I get there they get it out of the fridge and give it to me!!!  

That's how they were doing mine. This last time hubby picked it up for me. When he got home (we only live like 10 minutes away from the pharm.) it didn't feel cool to the touch. So I asked him if they got it out of the med. fridge when they gave it to him...of course the answer was " well I don't know I wasn't paying attention to that."   LoL. whatever!!


Thankx for the reply :0)

~kris

I store mine in the fridge as per my doctor's orders. Been doing that for 5 months already and it has been working fine. I wouldn't worry. But if you want to double check call your doctor.

Good luck!

Thank you! I had just assumed because they gave it to me out of the fridge, that's how it should be stored!!  Then I go and read on the NuvaRing site not to, and I'm thinking to myself, well what the heck!?! hehehe.    As long as it's been working fine for you, then I'll just continue storing it the way I've been.


Thank you soo much!
~kris

I use the NuvaRing and keep mine in the frige.  I just ordered some from Canada and it came wrapped in a Jelly cooling system.  Your post worried me so I started looking online.  I have found contradicting information.  Here's what I found from the McKinley Health Center:

• Unopened NuvaRing^® packs will expire in four months unless stored in the refrigerator. (Refer to the package insert for additional information or talk with the pharmacist.) 

• If unopened NuvaRing^® packs are stored in temperatures greater than 86° the effectiveness may be lessened.
  
  I think I will still keep them in the fridge.  It doesn't say anywhere I can find that storing in the fridge will "harm" them.
  
   

Thank you for the reply!!

When I was reading up on their site last night, I went into panic mode like "ohh no, I screwed it up, what am I supposed to do now?!"

I just believe they should come up  with set instructions, and leave it as that!! :0)  As to not worry/scare people!!


I'll be keeping mine in the fridge as well.

Thank you again!

~kris

I get mine mail order and they show up in a cooler packed in ice.