IVF & Migraines

Hi. Anyone else have experience with this? I’m on my 2nd round of fresh IVF cycle. I had 2 massive migraines just after egg transfer in the first cycle which sadly didn’t work. Now just a day or so from egg collection and bam, 2x more. I’ve been taking sumitriptan. It’s just debilitating. Thoughts and advice welcome. Thanks

[Carelia]

Hi there, yes, migraines are a common side effect, specially if you taking any progestogen, such as cyclogest (pessaries) to help/maintain the lining of the womb. What worked for me (and yes this is boring but I also did a few IVF rounds to find solutions) was making sure I was taking lots and lots of liquids (water etc) daily..i.e the 2l mark, making sure you had good sleeping pattern (8 hours of sleep per night, no skipping), and generally taking it easier than normal.... it is quite stressful few weeks so you need to focus on minimising triggers.

Secondly, the actual trigger medication can also be a "migraine trigger" so if you are walking into the egg collection (or subsequent implantation) with an already built-in headache, please do mention to your clinic and get them to take your bloods to check you are not over stimulating. If your headache is combined with a tender tummy, again mention both, and they are likely to give you a drug that minimises risk of OHSS developing.

Hang in there

[Hidden in reply to Carelia]

Thank you. It was leading up to the collection. Being stimulated with 225 Gonal F. They say you can take Sumatriptan reasonably safely which is a relief! Now 2WW after transfer today

[DianeArnold Partner Nurse Fertility Network UK]

Hi Incognito. Oh dear not nice! There's a lot going on in your pituitary gland in your brain just now with hormones etc. Try drinking extra water as this can often help. Hope you soon feel better. Diane