Side effects of Stimulation

[Madeline_1986]

Dear All.

What are the side effects of the stimmulation for IVF? I am so scared what impact can high dose of the stimmulation can do. I have been on birth control microgynon for about 3 years in the past and I developed migraine.

Thanks xx

[MrsOrangejuice]

This may not be helpful, but I think it's so individual and dependent on the protocol you're on. Some women get very little/any side effects and others can be quite unwell. I didn't get on at all well with one type of med (bad stomach, swelling, just felt rubbish) but that cycle was cancelled for other reasons and they just said they'd put me on a different sort the next time. On my two rounds where I got to collection, and I was on the highest dose of stims by the end and for ages, I luckily didn't develop any symptoms that were unmanageable - more things like being very bloated, uncomfortable and feeling just a bit off - not hugely different to PMS. I got bad headaches from oestrogen on my FET round but not on the collections. I also got taken off microgynon years ago due to one really bad migraine episode (never had before or since) and I think it's a relatively common side effect of the pill generally. So provided you tell your clinic about your migraines on microgynon, they should be able to find something that is ok for you and keep you monitored. Best of luck.

[DianeArnold Partner Nurse Fertility Network UK]

Hi Madeline. Most f the fertility drugs work on the pituitary and hypothalamus glands in the brain. This is why you can sometimes get headaches and mood swings. Good luck! Diane

[AuroraXen]

Hi Madeline, it's so individual. Many women don't have a bad time at all on stims, others struggle a bit. Personally I've always been fine with them. Very minor side effects (at least during the cycle itself!), on doses between 250 and 375. I also suffer a lot with headaches but haven't found IVF made things much worse really. Just make sure you drink lots and lots of water and feed your body with good healthy foods. Fingers crossed for you xx