IVF - Medications and Side Effects/stories

I'd find out which medications your IVF specialist prefers and then get their opinions on common side effects they see in their practice.

Every patient is different, and no one will have the same response to a medication as someone else.

The FDA requires any side effect (Adverse Event) that is present in more than 1% of the population be published as part of their Package Insert. All prescribing information about all medications is available online. The FDA also legally requires side effects be reported during and after clinical trials - which is why you hear of drugs being recalled - once they open to the general public, side effects may occur in more of the population than in clinical trials.

A pharmacist should be able to help you with what common adverse events are. I will add, though, that while I haven't done IVF, I did go through chemo and had completely bizarre side effects no one else had with some of the drugs.

So, while it's nice to have an idea of what may happen, each person is completely different and will respond differently based upon levels of medication, frequency, etc.

Good luck.

My protocol involved a long Lupron supression followed by a Follistim/Menopur protocol.

For me, the Lupron suppression was the worst part. Lupron essentially puts the body into menopause. My mood swings were awful!

When it came to the Follistim/Menopur combo, I felt a bit bloated. I, like you, get pretty bloated around my period. If I were to compare the bloating, I would say that the physical manifestation of the bloating was the same, i.e. my period related "fat pants" were the ones that fit towards egg retrieval. The feelings were a little different in the lower abdomen though. The best way I could describe it is that my ovary areas actually felt heavy.
Psychologically, being on the combo was a relieve. After I started those stims its like my moods returned to normal.

First of all, best of luck in your journey. I can only speak from my own perspective but I didn't find many side effects to the medications. I had 2 rounds of IVF to have our now 3 year old daughter. The inital injectables have extremely small needles. Once you get over the sticking yourself part, it isn't bad. The worst part was the cramping/discomfort just before egg retrieval. Instead of your body getting ready to ovulate 1 egg, you produce many, many more. Once they are removed, the discomfort is gone. I felt larger/distended but my clothes still fit the same. Aside from just the emotional nature of the process I don't remember any emotional side effects. The progesterone injections were a bit more difficult. It is a more viscous fluid and thus requires a larger and longer syringe (intramuscular vs. subcutaneous injection). I definitely recommend using your backside. I used to sit on a ice pack for a few minutes before my hubby did it. My hubby was away over night one night and I had to do it in my thigh and I DON'T recommend it. Otherwise, the process was pretty "easy". You do what they tell you when they tell you and just keep moving forward. If you have any other questions about the process, please feel free to e-mail me. Best of luck.

I went through an IVF treatment and I took Clomid and Follistim and HCG. The process took a few months with taking the medication (including starting a month with birth control pill and med combination). I did not have any issues with moods, or extreme emotions. I also do not recall any weight gain. I stayed in my regular clothes a few months into my pregnancy. Each person's body reacts and processes the meds differently. I also only had one course of the egg collection and implantation and it took. This is not the case for everyone either. I was nervous about the shots before we started, and my husband was nervous about giving me the shots when it was his turn to help (torward the end of the treatment I had the shots end up in your rear end and you cannot do it yourself!). If you are only taking the meds for two weeks, your program may be different. The doctor should be able to tell you the good, bad and ugly of what their plans are with you. My experience was very good and I did not have any difficulty.

I also had a tubal ligation in 2007. I'm curious to know did you have to have a reversal and the usual protocol after a reversal is IVF? I can only share regarding the meds that in 1999 I helped a couple get pregnant (donating eggs), and I used the meds, Clomid and Follistim and then an HCG injection if I recall correctly and I honestly don't remember any side effects too uncomfortable. Good luck to you :-)

After my first pregnancy we went 5 years without conceiving. So, I did 5 rounds of Clomid (which had the worst side effects for me - I was so mean and unhappy it was unreal). Then I did two rounds of Follistim shots and IUI. The first did not take but the second did and we ended up with 3 eggs. Two took and my twins are now almost 6. I had no side effects from the Follistim or the trigger shot. My only suggestions are to stay away from Clomid if you can and give yourself the shots quickly. If you depress the plunger slowly the medicine burns. Good luck!