transfer cut short due to ovarian hyperstimulation

[pincushion]

Hey has anyone experienced ovarian hyperstimulation? It was our first cycle with ivf and after taking religiously synarel and gonel injections, the ultrasound on the tuesday before our friday egg pickup it was thought i had 20 eggs for collection. After waking up from theatre with the egg pick up my doctor told me i actually had 30+. I was in utter disbelief.. I have since been living in hell with the pain in my body, feels like i have been run over in the stomach by a car or something. I then found out Doctor cannot do the embryo transfer as of the risks associated with it. They will have to be frozen and put back in another month. Can anyone tell me if they have experienced this or what am i going to expect with the frozen transfer? I am so emotional right now, in pain and anxious..

[esor]

I think I would describe my symptoms as moderate OHSS. I am over 40 years old and on 10 Nov 07 they collected 30 eggs, fertilised 22 of them. Because I was a boarderline OHSS, they continued with the treatment and put back 3 embryos on Mon 12 November. None of the rest were worth keeping. The last week before my EC was really really uncomfortable. I felt as though I had some huge balls in my belly. Since EC, I have had 7 days when I have had an absolutely huge tummy. Had to buy a pair of trousers 2 sizes bigger and really struggled to maintain a professional image at work. The pain subsided today and my tummy is going down - but this is one side of IVF which I hadn't read about before. Anyone else had this experience and knows what is around the corner? Have sore boobs too. Daren't do an HPT test and am on the 2ww. BBT is high, but I don't read too into that because of the hormones my body is pumped full of. Anyone who has been here before, please respond!

[Grace35]

I had mild OHSS on this cycle... 30 follies, estrogen 4400 and 27 eggs. I think the description "having your stomach run over by a truck" is very accurate. They did put in 2 blasts at the ET, and I was glad to have 5 days of healing before the ET (also froze 2... rest weren't good). I drank tons of water and gatorade, which seemed to help a lot.

The swelling went down at the end of my 2ww, and today is one of the first days I can button my pants (wore long shirts or pajama pants since a week before ER). The good news is, all of us had a lot of eggs - I'd rather hear that than get cancelled for not producing enough. Pincushion, how many embryos resulted? Hopefully you'll have a lot to freeze.

The best news is... I got a bfp. My first beta was a 7 but it quadrupled today so nurse says its a late implanter. So despite all that soreness inside, it worked!! Good luck with your 2ww esor, and pincushion, you should have good hopes for your frozen cycle!!!

Grace

[esor]

Grace - great to hear your news and to find someone whose experiencing the same. My doctor told me to drink 3 litres of water and take 1/2 pint of milk a day.

Pincushion - OHSS can be a very serious - the most serious complication of IVF. I know that it is dis-heartening to have your treatment cancelled for the time being, but they have your best interests at heart. Severe OHSS is a life threatening complication with nausea, vomiting, fluid accumulates in the abdominal cavity and chest and urgent hospital admission required. To get you back to health they sometimes have to terminate the pregnancy. So, your doctors are really looking after you and giving your body a chance to recouperate before they carry on with treatment. It must be hard, but stick with it. We'll be here for you when you're back in for your ET. It's my first cycle of IVF too, so I don't know what to expect with frozen embryo transfer. Sorry I can't help with that bit. All the best xx

[beachbaby]

Hi Ladies, sorry i can't help with the OHSS, but hope your all feeling better soon.
However frozen transfers are much easier on the body, and have similar success rates to fresh cycles. For one there are much less drugs as you aren't stimming, no Ec either.
I have done three and got a positive every time, i feel more relaxed and much calmer on a FET, less trips to the clinic. From start to finish it takes about 6 weeks, (4 to transfer).
Hope this helps and good luck to all.

[esor]

Great - thanks for the info. Good luck for your little one. Not long now. 4 out of 4 aint bad, heh! In fact it's a miracle. You are kicking the pants out of the statistics. Gives us some hope!!

[HopefulMe]

Hi Ladies,
Hope i can jump in here. When DH and i did our last attempt at IUI, i was on Gonal-F dor 17 days with really no response so re upped my dose for 4 days and when i went back the U/S showed A LOT of huge follicles. My estrogen hit it's peak somewhere around 18,000. I had minimal side effects and experienced mild cramping. By rights i should have had severe pain and swelling, but i didn't. Needless to say our IUI was cancelled and re suggested we sustain from intercourse unless "You want sextuplets!" he said. But all is well and were off to try our first IVF. Good luck ladies, for those of you who have had OHSS, i truly feel for you, i hope it is something i never have to experience!!