Freaked out about potential IVF side effects

[BreakfastOats]

Hello all, I’m due to start the short antagonist protocol soon - first round ever. I have low AMH. Since my consent appointment, I started googling OHSS and ended up reading about cases where things went really wrong during IVF. I don’t want to list them here but reading about all this made me panic. I feel extremely upset and looking to start counselling about this, hopefully tomorrow. I wonder if anyone has felt like that before their IVF and how did they deal with these feelings?

Hey lovely

I have severe health anxiety so my first round of IVF was so daunting. I was scared I’d have a reaction to the injections, find the scans painful, die during sedation for EC. I nearly bailed several times!

Honestly, the worrying and waiting and our shit outcome was far more stressful. The sedation was like a snooze! Injections were fine.

Trust me when I say you’ll do this, smash it and feel like a boss b!!!

Hey @BreakfastOats so if it reassures you, I was warned a few times gradually i might be at risk of OHSS. I appreciate every clinic is different but being warned gave me chance to prepare mentally somewhat. And i’m now experiencing mild OHSS post egg collection, and i’m okay. Yes i’m tender but nothing debilitating and I know what signs to look out for to escalate it. There are of course risks with everything but chances are very, very slim.

One step at a time. As @ivfjourneyandme says the sedation for me too was instant and issue-free. You’ve got this 💪

@ivfjourneyandme Thanks for your message! I am so sorry that the outcome wasn't positive :( You are really brave for going through with it despite wanting to bail. I hope I can be like you. The concerns you describe are exactly the kind of things that are stuck in my head now. For the first time in a long time I feel blessed for the life my husband and I have and genuinely worried about ruining it because of an extreme (completely made-up) medical emergency 😥

Thank you so much @SeeTheHope Congrats on completing the egg collection stage! I hope the tenderness goes away soon! What did your clinic spot and raised the risk with you? Also, how long did it take for OHSS to appear? I spoke with a nurse earlier who told me that with my low ovarian reserve, it's more likely to get hit by a bus than get OHSS. I know how ridiculous it sounds that I worry about the worst possible scenarios, even for OHSS when I am not even high risk! The nurse also told me to call the clinic if I have questions and not google things but too late for that 😶

@BreakfastOats on one hand, I personally feel that women should be more aware of side effects of ivf (short term and long term) and I think people shouldn’t just do like, 10 cycles because it is risky. For that very reason, I’m only having max 3 cycles in my life; I matter as much as a hypothetical child.

On the other hand, I have low AMH and IVF was basically a walk in the park for me. I didn’t experience any pain except for constipation after the egg collection. But senna tablets sorted that out. The egg collection operation seems scary before you do it but I massively enjoyed the sedative; it’s a lovely trip you’ll have. I was extremely scared before having IVF but now that I’ve had it, I won’t be scared next time.

I hope that reassures you? You’re not wrong to consider the side effects on your body as you matter too. However, I really think you’ll find that you’re way less likely to have issues because of your AMH levels.

@BreakfastOats So the medical team noticed my follicle count was relatively high from my scans and my ovaries were large, and the high count / swelling puts me at risk of OHSS. i appreciate high count doesn’t mean quality either, just over-production of follicles and fluid in my abdomen.

And from my scans it went from ‘you might need a freeze-all due to current numbers’ to ‘you’ll definitely need a freeze-all’. They explained they didn’t want to put my body at risk and risk any pregnancy by not being at a healthier level.

To be honest I could feel the tenderness before my egg collection, but the symptoms kicked in pretty much after that. Mild but still noticable.

aw your nursing team sound reassuring - that’s good. And yeah as much as google entertains our curiosity, it doesn’t help our anxious minds does it.

good luck with everything 🤞 and look after yourself!

I had severe OHSS after my first round of IVF, following a fresh transfer.

My clinic and the hospital team were absolutely fantastic at getting me the care I needed and making sure I was properly monitored. OHSS gets worse as your HCG levels rise, so I was comforted knowing that I was pregnant and for me it was just part of the process.
I did have to have extra scans and appointments to monitor my ovaries and follow strict guidance in order to avoid ovarian torsion or a ruptured ovary.

Now I've been through it, I just view it as a necessary part of my journey to get pregnant (I'm due in March! ) and a few weeks of discomfort is far easier to tolerate than the 7 years of heartache trying to conceive naturally.

Thanks @Feliciacat for sharing your experience.. It’s helpful to hear that IVF was less intense than you expected. It’s definitely important to be cautious and informed. I think there’s sometimes an assumption that it’s better not to scare people before starting treatment or showing symptoms, which works for some I guess but not for me as I go digging and dwell on things! Good luck with everything you do next!

Thanks for explaining @SeeTheHope It’s great that your medical team was on top of everything and took steps to protect you.
Google is definitely a rabbit hole and I’m staying off it for good! I used to feel gutted when I found out I had a low AMH at 34 because I was comparing the average per age group but then my doctor told me what you said, a high count isn’t necessarily always the ask with IVF. I hope you’re feeling better by the day and things go smoothly for you moving forward!

Thanks @Goldpanther it’s great to read about your medical team that also acted so well to keep you safe. I can’t imagine how challenging it must have been to experience these symptoms during your pregnancy but it’s inspiring to see how you’ve turned it into part of your journey. Congratulations on the upcoming arrival of your beautiful baby! I’m wishing you all the best as you approach March!

I feel so grateful for all the support, your stories make me feel so much better ❤️

I’m at v high risk of OHSS (AMH off the charts), yet in two rounds have never had even moderate symptoms. Just a bit of bloating around collection day each time. Didn’t have any side effects during stims otherwise and was able to carry on completely as normal both times.

If your oestrogen levels were to get very high, it’s also possible to get medication from your clinic to bring levels down again following retrieval. (If they thought it was necessary.)

Speak with your clinic and explain your concerns and ask what your risk profile is and what measures they have in place to address these kinds of risks. This is something they are very aware of and manage all the time.

Haha, the sedative is great! The first time in particular I was in a fantastic mood for the whole of the day afterwards 🥂😆

Thanks for sharing @yassos Good to know that despite being at high risk, both your cycles went perfectly well. I’ve spoken with my clinic and they reassured me but will defo get back in contact to ask another thing or two 😅

Yes don’t worry about asking anything that comes to mind, I’m sure they’ll be happy to answer any questions you have :) Best of luck for your first round :)

Thank you @yassos I appreciate it xx