IVF Medications & their Side Effects

August marks the month this all begins, folks!! I'm honestly really excited to get everything started. I feel pretty prepared after doing my injectable/IUI cycle which helps to eliminate some nerves regarding mixing and injecting meds. I've had a full month off of meds & doctor appointments and I have never felt more like myself. Everything arrived yesterday for my IVF cycle this month and after getting organized with my mini pharmacy, I'm all ready for my baseline U/S and bloodwork on 8/11 in hopes to get this party started. I must admit, I'm dreading the hormonal garbage ahead. The extreme bloat, discomfort and weight gain from the follicle stimulating hormones are the worst of it for me & I can't say I'm excited about the anesthesia & egg retrieval part either {just when you think going under is exposing, imagine going under while naked with your legs up in the air!! eeeek!}. Nobody going through this is excited to have to go through it. We all just have to accept this is the card we've been dealt & the hand we have to play while making the best of it. I'm focused 100% on keeping my eye on the prize through this. I allow myself to daydream about all the positives and plan to completely assume pregnancy post transfer until otherwise notified. I figure "cautiously optimistic" will leave me with regrets & with the financial, physical and mental investment of IVF, there's no room for regrets.  Below are the list of the medications I'll be on & their side effects. Brace for impact! ;)

Cetrotide - Hot Flashes

Cetrotide is used during the early stages of IVF cycles in order to decrease a woman’s production of her naturally occurring reproductive hormones. This sends the body into a post-menopausal state. Cetrotide rapidly decreases estrogen, which can cause moodiness. Other side-effects are insomnia and hot flashes (yikes, I have these normally!!). It's important for one to remember that the side-effects are a temporary and normal part of a really wonderful process.

Follicle Stimulating Hormones (FSH) / GONAL F + Menopur and an Expanding Waistline 

The purpose of FSH is to help the body release as many eggs as possible in a single month. During my injectable/IUI cycle, my body expanded so rapidly that some of my clothes would not fit me after only a few days. God bless wearing scrubs for a living!! Bloating, weight gain, and mood swings are the most common side-effects of FSH. The mood swings can be attributed to the medication, which is causing estrogen to rise rapidly. When the body makes an egg on its own, the estrogen level is around 200. On FSH, the body’s estrogen level is in the thousands. Feelings (and looks) of abnormal heaviness come from enlarged ovaries. Ovaries are normally about the size of walnuts (approximately 2cm). But during an injectable cycle, thanks to FSH, they become the size of a plum, and then a grapefruit, and possibly even bigger. Although closely monitored during my last cycle I produced too many & overstimualted, luckily "too many" isn't a bad thing when doing IVF.

Hyperstimulation

I am pretty afraid of this one & praying this doesn't happen to me during this IVF cycle. In about 2% of women, FSH will trigger OHSS, where excessive fluid from the ovaries leaks into the abdominal cavity causing extreme bloating (we’re talking 5-10lbs per day), nausea, and shortness of breath. There are different levels of severity for OHSS: mild, moderate, and severe. If you experience only mild or moderate hyperstimulation, the symptoms will be less noticeable, and easier to control. It was hard for me to roll over in bed at night and hard to take a deep breath during my overstimulated cycle, so this one definitely scares me. In severe cases, the excess fluid is drained from the ovaries while the patient is sedated (paracentesis). Please pray that this doesn't happen!

Novarel

Novarel is used to stimulate egg release (ovulation) and is taken subcutaneously 36 hours, on the dot, prior to egg retrieval. Basically all of these hormones are mimicking the bodies natural hormones that ones has when conceiving naturally. Since IVF picks up at the uterine/implantation portion of the pregnancy process, all of the natural hormones that take place during the follicular phase and even into the early stages of pregnancy in the fallopian tubes have to be mimicked. Fascinating right? I used to be so "anti-pharma" until this process. Maybe i'll leave medical device sales & get into the pharma sales/Reproductive Endocrinology sector of the world. Lord knows I now believe in them. 

Progesterone- Moody and Bloated

During an IVF or FET cycle, it is necessary to take the progesterone injections for ten weeks post-transfer in order to create a more robust uterine lining for the growing baby. Progesterone causes moodiness/edginess, bloating (usually at least a few pounds-worth) and heartburn, but can be minimized with lots of fluid, fiber, and antacids. Progesterone injections can also make the body a little sore, and it may be uncomfortable to walk for a little while after each injection, but the discomfort does go away. It is also normal for the injection to create lumps under the skin near the injection site. Awesome. Bring on the lumpy booty baby! 

The Ultimate Side Effect, Pregnancy!

I am believing with all of my heart that these side effects will alllll be worth it when I get to finally hear the words "You're pregnant!!" from my favorite nurses at the fertility clinic. This journey is nothing like the norm, so I plan to take you all through it with me. The good, bad and ugly baby! I know you're all sending prayers, love and good thoughts our way & for that I can't thank you enough. The support from friends and family who know what we're going through is very appreciated. 

xoxo,

Andi