OHSS

I was trying to be honest, but not be too brutal with it. But, having been there, done that - freezing all is honestly the best way to go. I'd had so many dramas up to that point (not responding to drugs - the pill, synarel, a trigger shot - lots of bleeding, 36 out of 50 days in fact) that it was a relief just to get to EPU, and even more of a relief that we weren't transferring then. I knew my body had been through too much and it would simply be a waste of an embryo.

Good luck with the EPU - I'm not sure if it helps any to know what you are in for, but I'll certainly be hoping and praying you come through it a lot better than me! Keep the gatorade on hand, and make sure you can rest a lot.

BW

I appreciate the honesty. I find IVF such a mental juggling act between staying positive but being realistic with expectations that honesty is what I need to be realistic (if that makes sense).

After going through all of what you've described it's no wonder you are taking a short break. I hope it's going well for you.

It's gone very well - I've spent some time seeing a psychologist to help deal with some severe anxiety issues which were aggravated by the IVF and miscarriage. I've found it has improved so many aspects of my life and I'm actually genuinely happy for the first time in what feels like forever. More relaxed, more at peace and no longer worried and stressed about everything. Major life improvements that would never have happened without infertility, IVF and miscarriage so it's hard to feel too down about being in this situation.

I'm glad I didn't scare you too much. Although, I do know of one woman who was deemed to have OHSS and wasn't allowed to transfer, but had no symptoms and especially no pain like me. So it may not be as horribly unpleasant as what I experienced. But I think it would have been a little less scary if I'd had some idea of what to expect.

BW

Well I was hospitalised for 8 days with severe OHSS, transferred to ICU, drains and albimum transfer, 16 kilos gained in 6 days, 3-4L of fluid dripped in daily and only 10mL/hour output, pulmonary embullism ???, and my blood clotted so badly they couldn't draw blood except from my arteries (and they had up to 3 attempts each blood collection to get 1/2 vial) which hurt like absolute hell.

Each cycle bar the last one I had mild - moderate ohss with a BFN, and this one I didn't have any ohss symptoms and my blood levels were only slightly higher than normal. With your levels (slightly lower than my first and second cycle levels I would not recommend transfer.

If you fall pregnant from the transfer, which I did, your OHSS disappears for a few days or is relieved until the pregnancy HCG kicks in about 5-10 days after transfer. Then you'll go downhill very quickly.

Take it from me, pregnancy HCG increases the OHSS severity 20 or 30 fold. the pain is enormous. I was living on pethidine, morphine and panadeine forte alternated and was trying as hard as possible to hold off the painkillers.

Put it this way, I was borderline critical OHSS, which involves the kidneys and liver shutting down, draining the fluid from your lungs too, and an abortion of the feotus for the mothers safety as this immediately reverses OHSS. This isn't an optional abortion either. All of these things I did not want.

I'm not trying to scare you, but you haven't heard half of the agony I went through, but sheesh I was scared when I was having 15 min obs in ICU. with your levels and if pregnancy occurs you'd be hospitalised very quickly and be in a lot of pain.

I've now been out of hospital 3 weeks and only just drove my car. I still can't shop, bend, stretch or carry anything heavy (agony on the ovaries). I can only walk slow, I can't use my tummy muscles to sit up or roll over for the pain and certainly can't walk far.

I found in my cycles that the meds seemed to pass over to the next stim. cycle so I needed much less each time. I wish you luck and NO OHSS.

Hi Girls,

I am currently in my First IVF cycle after 4 failed IUI's and have just had my 2nd ultrasound... It showed 20 good sized follicles, 12 on the right and 8 on the left.. My EST on Saturday was 6600 which they told me was pretty high for that stage of my cycle... Increasing my changes of OHSS. I've had another blood test today and wont get the results back till tomorrow afternoon which is when I will be told whether the cycle is to be cancelled or not... If my level doesn't go up much or stays put (which I doubt), then EPU will be on Thursday...

I just wanted to see if anybody has been in a similar situation, where you've had a large number of follicles and high EST and what you were told... Im stressing out thinking it'll be cancelled, but at the same time don't want to end up getting OHSS and end up really sick... Has anybody had a really high EST level still went through with EPU?

Thanks in advance..

I am currently on high alert with my clinic with OHSS. I was admitted into hospital last week overnight but now have to have a blood test every 2nd day. My OHSS was not noticed (or maybe even started) till day after my transfer 23/10 when a blood test was done to see what dose of HCG i should have. I had 16 eggs collected and felt fine during the whole thing. I was fairly bloated and really tired but otherwise fine. Because mine happened after EPU its a bit defferent to you. So thats all I can really tell you and I hope it helps. Just remember to drink 3 ltrs of water a day. It helps so much as thats what enabled me to get discharged from hospital.
If you have any question please do not hesitate to ask

Claire

Thanks for your reply Claire. Hope you are on your way to getting rid of that OHSS!!

What level was your EST at with 16 eggs?

I am trying to drink as much as possible... I'm on the toilet half the day LOL but trying my hardest to stay hydrated...

Any other comments would be appreciated.. thanks.

Lisa, I had a pretty bad case of OHSS with my stim cycle. I have previously posted what my E2 levels were, I'll have a search and see if I can find the info again.

Brief run down - my levels jumped from 283, to 2830, 9200, 13000 then 14480 (or thereabouts, I don't remember exact days or levels except for some) at the last blood test. I ended up on daily blood tests in the end, and my final dose of puregon was withheld. Day before trigger I had lucrin only, no puregon at all. My trigger was reduced to 5000IU instead of the normal 10000IU dose...

Egg collection saw us get 26 eggs - where the other women having EPUs that day woke up ok, I woke up screaming and crying because the pain was so bad. I also woke up to the words "freeze all" on my hand, indicating that I was so hyperstimulated they were not going to risk transferring at all.

It is scary - watch the hydration, keep up your protein intake and consider (especially after EPU) switching to gatorade/powerade instead of water. It really does help. Even taking all sorts of drugs to bring levels of something or other (VEGF?) down, it took three weeks to recover, and the only thing that kept me out of hospital was sheer bone-headedness and refusal to go.

Good luck with it all, and I really hope you don't end up as bad as me.

BW

Hi BW,

My last injection was today's, they are putting off tomorrows just in case... My clinic said anything over 15000, they will pretty much cancel it.... my issue is.. should I push for EPU and just not have the transfer... It all depends on how high my level is tomorrow I guess.. I really DONT want OHSS in the end... but having the cycle cancelled before EPU is messing with my head..... I just think - what a waste?? But I know I have to put my head first and think about my health...

Thanks for the tips and well wishes, hopefully I get to EPU stage, and then I can go from there..
xo

Even having been there once before, if I were in the same situation again... I'd push for EPU and freeze all again. Just keep in mind, it does impact on egg quality, but even the two embryos that made it through blast, freezing and thawing to get transferred both took. Sure, both miscarried, but one was for reasons totally unrelated to the OHSS and the freezing. The other was a much earlier miscarriage, and we're not so sure on that one yet.

It's a tough call to make, but I'd do it again.

BW

Thanks for your opinion BW, I really appreciate it.. I think I'll just wait to see what the nurse says tomorrow then I'll weigh up my options if they give me any! Hope all goes well for you, good luck with it all..

Anybody else who has been in a similar situation??

I dont know what my levels are as i didnt even ask....im a bit slack when it comes to that sort of stuff...so sorry cant help you there. Hope all goes well for you though

Claire

Hi Lisa,

My 3rd cycle and two days before the scheduled pickup my estrogen level was 16300. Anything over 13000 at my clinic (so I was told) they get concerned about. I was given the option to cancel the cycle then and there or continue to pickup but they were saying to 'freeze all'. I opted to go for the pickup because I had gone so far and didn't want to loose all hope of the cycle acheiving something. I got 10 eggs - compared to some this is not many but for me it's the best i've done so far.

I was a bit sore about 3 to 4 days after the pickup and every little twinge made me worried that it was the start of OHSS but I managed to get through without it (or no symptoms worse than previous cycles). I just drank lots of water and poweraide helped a lot too.

Anyway, this post may have been too late for your decision but I hope things are okay with you.