ohss and other postive thoughts

[Mia]

Hello Everyone,
I am brand new to the board and to ivf. I am towards the end of my fist cycle. The plan is to do a 5 day transfer on Friday. I had a good number of eggs and a good plenty fertilized. However, the cycle was not "textbook", and I had to squeak by being cancelled on more than one occasion. Thank goodness the RE wants to get his stats up as much as I want to have a baby.
I discovered this board late in my cycle, and have been reading almost daily. It is nice to "listen" to other women who understand the crazy IVF rollercoaster. All my friends have to do to get pregnant is drink a couple glasses of wine and light a candle or two.

How am I ever going to maintain the illusion of sanity why I am on the 2WW?!

Anyway, before IVF I thought I knew my body etc., and was very keen on all the little cues it sent me. Now, on my first IVF I feel like I don't know anything about what my body is telling me. Of course, this brings me to my questions. I hope that some of you may be able to help.

I am at risk for OHSS--very high estradiol---lots of follicle etc. I have tried my best to keep this at bay with lots of water and a low-sodium diet.
My question is if I have OHSS I will know it right? I have been extremly sore since the EC on Sunday and I have been having lots of pain from my right ovary. Is this normal?
I have not gained any weight or had any other sympotms of OHSS, but you know how we worry.
The RE is still plannig to transfer even though I am high risk, if I can keep the OHSS at bay. Therefore, I know this is crazy but I don't want him to know just how bad I feel.
A second question is, if I do transfer and get pregnant does anyone know how long I will be at risk for OHSS?

Finally, I just want to thank all of you ladies. I have enjoyed reading all of your post, and I began drinking water becasue of your advice!

Thanks,
Mia

[Sand]

Hi there Mia - Nice to talk to you.

I've only had 1 previous cycle, and didn't have OHSS - but I did have sharp pains on both sides after EC, and couldn't stand up straight for almost a week because it was too painful. I believe the more follicles they cut open, the worse it is (which I suppose makes sense).

... and don't even try to "maintain any illusion of sanity" on 2ww. It's a definite no-go.

Keep drinking the water !!

Sandra x

[sophiejane]

Hello,
I am no expert but can tell you how I felt on my first cycle. I had really bad pains up to ec and after egg transfer. I couldn't really walk and had to lay flat for days. You need to rest your ovaries and sitting up or walking makes them worse. I was in a lot of pain for up to a week after et. I had quite a few follicles - 16 eggs. How many follicles have you got at the moment and how big?
Lots of water is very very good.
I've read that ohss does not affect the embryos / babies.
Hope this helps some ...
From Soph-Jane

[Susan L]

Hi mia and welcome to the board

Im sure you will get a good few peaple reply to your Questions
what i no from my experience of having ohss for one its not nice and i did not get it too bad but enough to keep me in hospital for a week and i think if you feel you are getting signs of it you really should get a scan done just to check before you have ET as mine got worse after ET and if you get pregnant and have ohss it can be really bad as the Doc kept telling me as i kept trying to escape from the hospital.

I too found out about the drink loads of water on this board which i think stopped me getting it again the second time as i over stimmed again but i just kept drinking and drinking and felt fine day of ET but a few days past and i got a little bloated so went for a scan and had a little fluid but was ok and my bloods came back a little high so i panicked and drunk even more water and i ended up going back for alot of scans and blood tests but managed to keep it away.

now i will stop going on but all i can say is drink drink drink and yep have some more water and if you really feel bad go and have a scan just to be on the safe side to make sure everything is ok

take care and Good Luck

susan

[Mia]

Hi everyone,
Thank You All for the info! I guess I did not expect to feel this bad after EC. I am weighing myself everytime I go to the bathroom, and there has not been any significant weight gain yet.
I had 33 folicles and we retrieved 18 eggs, so maybe it is normal to feel a little bad. I am still scared, however, the OHSS will sneak up on me and ruin my plans for a ET this Friday.

Drinking water like a mad!
Mia

[AMITHIS]

Hi Mia,

Like you, I was petrified of OHSS. I had 17 eggs. I was in major pain for a few days before EC as well as a few days after. I was actually very glad they didn't do a 3 day transfer as I didn't think I would be able to tolerate it! I had to take prescription painkillers and couldn't even stand up straight. I also felt bloated and my stomach was distended but the scale showed no weight gain. I think that what you are experiencing is pretty normal given the number of eggs you had so I wouldn't worry too much. I think part of the problem is clinics as well as information on the internet generally tell people they should feel fine after EC and should even be up to going back into work the next day. It seems that is definitely not the case for a large number of people! Thus, those of us who do have pain and feel miserable afterwards, think there must be something abnormal going on.

My clinic told me most women do get a very mild form of OHSS which resolves on it's own. Severe OHSS requiring treatment is supposed to be very rare....especially now that clinics these days are so careful not to incur it.

Hope you are starting to feel better!

Staci

[DonnaF]

Hi Mia,

Sorry to hear you aren't feeling too good, but fingers crossed it will all be worth it in the end

I thought I would write from an OHSS perspective. I had EC 2 weeks ago yesterday and got 13 eggs. The second I came round from the general anesthetic, I knew that there was a problem. I went home, but 2 days later ended up in hospital with moderate OHSS, and believe me you know you have got it. My first signs were soreness, but I had this on my previous 2 attempts. More alarming the night I got home, I started to be sick and couldn't keep any water down and soon became very dehydrated. I went to hospital and they put 4 liters of fluid into me and admitted me for a few days.

OHSS is really really nasty, but if it is caught early enough, luckily it is very short lived (I am already back at work).

All I can say is drink, drink, drink, but please listen to your body, if you show any signs of feeling sick or having trouble breathing, please please contact your clinic and they will advise you.

Thinking of you.

Donna
XXX

[Dagny]

Hi Mia

As a victim of OHSS I can sympathise with you and try to help you through a terribly tough and painful time.

You are doing the best thing for now by drinking so much water you could pee like a race horse. Drinking and keeping you hydrated is paramount to keeping OHSS at bay and even away completely - keep it up!

In my 1st TMT I got OHSS in the worst possible way. I was naive and didn't read any of the leaflets about it, always of the opinion that 'It won't happen to me'! Well, it did and my ovaries were the size of melons and my stomach was ENORMOUS! I collapsed 5 mins after ET in the middle of London Bridge whilst DH was getting the car. I pretended that I was fine to the staff at the clinic so they would put the embies back. I was in agony and could hardly breath. They did put them back and it nearly killed me.

I was rushed into hospital and immediately put on countless drips, catheterised, morphine pump, oxygen 24/7 and worst of all a stomach drain. I don't remember the first week at all. I couldn't move, breath, eat, drink, sleep, and talk. I have never known pain like it and by the second week seeing the looks on my families faces and especially DH's face I realised I was looking pretty dire. I was told that IF the embies embedded I would get worse before getting better. I was beside myself and realised I my decision to have the embies put back whilst knocking at the door of OHSS was the worst decision I could have made. I had no idea what would happen and I am very aware of the possible dangers now. To add insult to injury my test result was negative and was let out of hospital after 2 weeks. It took me months to recover fully. My liver was damaged and now it flares up each time I have a treatment.

I don't want to scare or worry you Mia but I was not aware of what OHSS was and got myself into an awful situation which can be fatal. I have since managed to keep OHSS at bay and with the fertility team giving me constant monitoring I haven't had that experience again. My last cycle I had 40+ follies and was at risk of OHSS my estradile levels went up to 22,000 but I drank so much water which really helped as well as a lot of rest.

Hopefully you will be monitored well and that you keep OHSS at bay.

My advice to you is NOT to make out you feel OK just to get to ET. I did that and it was the worst thing to do. Better to have the embies frozen and put back when your body is 100% than now when it could cause all sorts of problems.

Good luck

Love Dagny xkx

[Mia]

Thank you everyone again! Especially, thank you Dagny for such a long and detailed reply. Your entire ordeal was really horrible. I expect you are a very strong woman.
I did go in for a scan and bloodwork and I have not yet developed OHSS. I am going in for the transfer today, but I am only transfering one. I have plenty to freeze, so that makes me okay with just transfering one. Plus, transfering more than one would increase my risk to much to make even me or my RE comfortable.
The RE thinks it is likey that I will develop some degree of OHSS. Lets just hope I can keep myself out of the hospital.
Everyone wish me luck ! I will keep you all updated on how everything goes.
By the way I am feeling much better now. Last night was the best night of sleep since the EC.
Lots of hope to all that is going through this same experience. I hope everyone's dreams come true.
Mia

[Susan L]

HI mia

glad to see you are doing well and that ET is going ahead
do keep drinking im sure you are going to be just fine
hope the 2ww does not drag to much for you

wishing you all the luck in the world
Take care

susan

[hope2004]

Mia,
I hope everything went well!!
I was also at risk for OHSS my estrogen was soaring, they gave me lupron even after transfer to quiet the ovaries. I had 21 eggs and was really sore, before, during and after.

Good luck!!!