side affects of ivf

[rebeccajv]

hi i was wondering if any one could help me, i have several problems trying to concieve, i am 33 i have 1 child but with severe problems in delivery, 2 ectopic pregnancies and 2 miscarages so i decided to try ivf, it didnt succed and that was 7 weeks ago and i've been bleeding ever since, my doctor said i have a cyst and gave me pills which look like the contraceptive pill but i only stopped bleeding for 3 days, he now told me to take another pack, i am English but live in greece, although i speak greek i dont feel he's explained enough to me, can this cyst be a side effect of ivf, should i still be bleeding? should i go elsewhere. please advise me as i feel since the doctor got his money he dosnt have interest in me now, i just want to get back to normal.
Thx
Becky

[Shayne Plosker, MD]

Dear rebecca - it is unusual to bleed for 7 weeks. It is unlikely to be due to the cyst. Cysts are common after fertility drugs but usually resolve pretty quickly. What size is the cyst? At any rate, moving forward one approach you could take would be a short term course of the birth control pill which should stop the bleeding. If the bleeding persists then a specialized ultrasound called a saline ultrasound could be considered - this is an ultrasound where the uterine cavity is filled with saline and this allows more accurate ultrasound imaging of the cavity - sometimes irregular bleeding can be caused by polyps which are easy to remove if present. Finally, sometimes women bleed while on the pill and if the medicine you were given was a birth control pill while on the pill it just might have been a side effect of the pill. If the bleeding does not stop, and the saline ultrasound is normal, you might want to just stop all medicines for a period of time and let your body recover on its own.

[VictimOfMRSA]

After 8 IVF attempts I can say the fertility medications CAN definitely cause cysts on the ovaries, especially if all follicles are not aspirated or you have PCOS.  I had a huge one through my pregnancy (8th attempt)  which was 26 cm at 4 1/2 months, it grew along with my son and was fluid filled. It was opened at the time of my section with as much fluid as there was amniotic fluid.  During that last IVF attempt I definitely hyperstimulated (kissing ovaries) 14 eggs were retrieved and 14 embryos were viable for transfter back in early 1989.  I originally conceived two, one was resorbed with a lot of bleeding and my beta sub unit dropping then came back up.  I carried my son close to full term with a history of PROM and premature labor 9 years prior where I lost my first son. I did adopt in between those two pregnancies, no way I was banking on IVF or any ART to become pregnant. I had secondary infertility due to a myomectomy gone bad after my first pregnancy.  Children are 24 24  23 and 18 today. (3 adopted 1 biological)  :)  College costs are insane but I wouldn't have it any other way.

I wish you the best of luck, its not easy physically or emotionally.  Use the best doctors you can even if you need to travel for a cycle do so if possible.