Long Protocol Advice - effects of down reg, stims, egg collection and transfer/tips for time off work

[Rosey2020]

Hi all, I'm looking for some advice based on previous experiences on the long protocol please. Basically I'm two weeks into downregulation injections now for my first fresh IVF cycle and I thought this part would be the easiest but I've really struggled at work with bad headaches. I've been emotionally all over the place too. I work from home but on the computer the whole day which is really hard with headaches! I feel like I only started to feel a bit better over this weekend.

Has anyone else had this and it has got better once you've started stims?? Or is the worst yet to come?!

Also, I'm wondering how much time I should take off work for the egg collection and transfer. I read some advice to take off the whole time between collection and transfer so not to get too stressed out e.g. with calls and updates from the clinic as to how the (hopefully!!) embryos are progressing. I'm torn between wanting to go to work to distract myself, but not wanting to get overly stressed because I'm not well enough to function or distracted by thoughts of embryos! If the last couple of weeks are anything to go by I don't think I'll be able to do much work if I feel even worse with the next lot of drugs.

Any advice welcome - thanks!

[Melonay1987]

Hi Rosey.

I've just had my transfer on Saturday.

I went straight into work after my down regulation injection (had it in the morning and then had a clinic after lunch). I was fine on the down regulation, think I may have been lucky.

I worked throughout my stims, again no major side affects that prevented me working.

Egg collection - i was told to self isolate a few days before my EC and me and my partner had a covid swab. The egg collection was the hardest part for me. I was at risk of OHSS and found the procedure uncomfortable. I was quite uncomfortable for about 4 days after EC, I was off work and so glad I was. Had the transfer on Saturday and that was a piece of cake! I feel fine now just a few little cramps, im working from home this week and ill be back to clinics next week.

So overall my personal advice would be definitely take a good few days off after EC and take some rest. Good luck with it xxx

[Rosey2020 in reply to Melonay1987]

Thanks for your reply Melonay1987. It's encouraging you were able to work through without much trouble, especially as it sounds like you needed to go to work (as opposed to work from home) for some of it. Thanks for your advice about the time off after the EC. I hope your two week wait is going ok and wish you the very best!! xxx

[Melonay1987 in reply to Rosey2020]

I hope you breeze through it my lovely, wishing you all the luck in the world xxx

[Bexarama83]

Hey.

I’ve had ET today (a breeze) and found stims to be the hardest part, symptom wise....Until after EC; I’ve had lots of crazy symptoms since due to the progesterone, like fatigue, shivers, sweating, headaches etc... I took EC day off work, but was back the next day (working from home).

Best advice I received is to up the fluid intake if you’re getting headaches. Means going to the loo all the time but it definitely helped with the symptoms!

Best of luck!

xx

[Rosey2020 in reply to Bexarama83]

Hi Bexarama, I hope you're still breezing along after your ET! I'm bracing myself a bit for the next lot of drugs. I'd forgotten about the progesterone to be honest and remember now reading a few things about how that can effect people. I'm not down to take that with the stims later so I guess that's after the EC. One step at a time eh?!

Thanks for the tip, I thought I was drinking plenty but I probably need to drink even more. Luckily I'm working from home so nipping to the loo is way easier than if I was in the office!

Thanks for the luck, same to you!! xx

[LisaBeatrix1980]

Hi! I’m in week 1 of down reg, this is my 2nd cycle of IVF after a successful cycle but a later miscarriage. First time round like you I had headaches and was very emotional during down reg, I tried to drink 2-3 litres like they told me but I still had them. It did disappear when I had stims and I didn’t have any side effects with that at all so hopefully you’ll be the same. I had 2 days off after EC and I’ll do the same again this time, I didnt need any more than that and just wanted to be distracted and like my old self. During the 2WW I did force myself to relax as much as possible but get out once a day at least for a walk.

Hope that helps, wishing you lots of luck xx

[Rosey2020 in reply to LisaBeatrix1980]

Hiya, I'm sorry to hear your last round ended in miscarriage LisaBeatrix1980. It's reassuring to hear you felt the same and it got a bit better with the stims. Fingers crossed! You sound similar to me in that I want to just carry on as much as possible. I think I've booked the day off for EC and the day after, but leaning towards having one more after that to chill (I can always do some work if I get the urge/need distracting!) and then go back. Good tip about the daily walks, I'll definitely do that. Thanks, and wishing you all the best for this cycle!! xx

[SR90]

Hey! I started to get down reg side effects after about 5 days, headaches, night sweats, dizziness but increasing my fluid intake did help slightly. The headaches were pretty constant but it’s short term.

When I started stims (Gonal f) my down reg side effects did ease off a lot. I got very few effects from my stims. Heart palpitations were the main one but only a hand full of time and it was always after eating a heavy meal so once I realised, I swapped my eating habits in an evening and it was much better.

Time off- I didn’t have any time off through taking the meds. I took the day of egg collection off, I found the actually EC really painless and straight forward. I left the clinic feeling like nothing had really happened. Throughout the day I started cramping ever so slightly (nothing more than minor period pains) but I did feel very nauseous all day! I went back to work the following day.

I had light cramping and tender breasts for approx a week and then it all disappeared.

Unfortunately I didn’t get to transfer so cannot comment on that.

Hope everything goes well for you. x

[Rosey2020 in reply to SR90]

Hi SR90 - similar to me with the down reg symptom timings. I thought I got lucky and was symptom free and then bam it hit me! I'm not taking gonal F, but hopefully the stims will have a similar effect and the headaches ease.

That's so interesting about the heart palpitations and meal size. I'm going to do my best not to symptom spot (!) but if I do get that I'll try changing meal sizes.

That's good the EC was relatively painless for you, I'm really sorry that you didn't get to transfer though. Thanks so much for replying xx