The IVF Club

A Personal Blog About IVF Treatment & Infertility

Side Effects of IVF

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Before I begin I want to clarify that these side effects shown below are from my my full blown IVF treatment for natural killer cells. Most people would not get these symptoms or the arduous treatment that I have gone though.  The images below are the result of what I believe are withdrawal symptoms from steroid treatment. The thing is that shortly after (well immediately) after stopping steroid treatment, my feet started to swell up.This is a treatment you undergo if you have natural killer cells.

A few week later I went Christmas shopping. I was out for the whole day and noticed as the day wore on that feet were increasingly sore. Latter when I came home I stripped off and discovered that my legs had swollen again and had develop this massive rash. It took ages for the rash to disappear – probably about a month. However I am still left with a slight discoloration on my right leg.

 

IVF Round 15: New Treatment

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As I prepare for round 15 (which my clinic thinks is round 14), I am amazed at how much the drugs I am on have increased over time. This time, although I am doing a natural cycle, I am still doing something different.  I will be taking hormone replacement tablets three times a day called Prognova as well as a steroid Dexmethasone and aspirin. The aspirin thins my blood.

Apparently I continue to take this for a while.  However, within a week of my cycle I am due back in hospital for another dose of Intralipid. This is where you are drip feed this creamy liquid into your veins to reduce your immune system to combat my problem natural killer cells. I have written about this previously and it is worth checking out my tips on how to handle it if you have trouble with this treatment.

As some point unknown to me, I am required to have an Ultrasound to measure my lining on my uterus. It needs to be 16mm or thicker. I don’t think I need to do ovulation tests for this round although maybe this is something I should check. Since I am not a virgin at this treatment anymore maybe they think I will do this automatically.

Anyway once instructed, I will then need to have Clexane injections and augmentin duo. The Clexane thins my blood and from memory the last time I had these injections I have massive bruises on my belly. Lucky I have a big belly otherwise there would be no belly to inject.  I am also required to use pessaries to help build the lining of my uterus. Pity I am using these as I still have about two boxes of  Crinone gel at home which I would like to use at some point because they are expensive and I would hate for them to go to waste. Although I might just change my opinion if I get pregnant.

So that about sums it up. My next cocktail of drugs involve:

  • Aspirin Tablets
  • Dexamethasone Tables
  • Progynova tablets
  • Intralipid Infusion via the vein
  • Clexane Injections
  • Augmentin Duo Tablets
  • Prosgesterone pessaries

Probably not to bad this time around. Of course I still continue taking Elevit, Omega 3 tablets, CoQ10 and Vitamin C tablets.  Imagine if this doesn’t work, then it would mean that I would probably have to take all of the above medications (probably with the exception of the progynova) plus the standard injections (Puregon or Gonal F and Ovidrel) and the antagonist injections (Orgalutron). Phew – imagine that. It means I could be injecting 2-3 times a day at various points in my cycle – now that I am not looking forward to. Better get pregnant this time around I think.

IVF Round 14: Another Flop

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I know it has been some time since I last wrote. The bad news is that I didn’t get pregnant. This is despite being treated for Natural Killer cells and doing the Colorado protocol. This was disappointing but it happened some time ago now so I have had a chance to recover. I had high hopes to some extent. I had a new doctor and we were doing a new treatment for my natural frozen embryo transfer – something different from my previous Doctor. Unfortunately this round was another failure. My period also came after my blood test but confirmed what I had again suspected – no go.

About one week into my treatment I found myself in hospital being administered Intralipid. What Intralipid is, is a creamy substance that is drip fed into your veins to reduce your immune system so the natural killer cells don’t do their job. This treatment normally takes most people 2 hours. However, it took me much longer as my veins are quite small and I was getting a build-up of fluid in my arm. My tip if this happens to you, is to rub your arm from where the needle is and massage the arm so that helps the fluid to move down your veins rather than get stuck in one place which can be a little painful. I remember fretting at the time as I needed to get home so I could get my new Miele Condenser Dryer delivered.

While I was in hospital I met a lady in a very similar situation to myself. She was older at 43 and a nurse, however this brave woman was undergoing IVF alone with the help of a sperm donor. Seems she had been waiting for Mr Right only he didn’t show up so she decided to fulfill a lifetime desire to become a mother. I don’t know what became of her but I sure hope she got pregnant.

The treatment was ok, although I was overloaded with drugs . The clexane and aspirin that I had been taking really thinned my blood so I was more prone to bruising. As luck would have it, I seemed to bump into everything that month – I fell down the steps after having acupuncture and I fell a few weeks later of my back step when I was sweeping pavers. Oh – I also walked into a park bench. Not great after I had been warned to be careful to avoid bumping into things. So really, the most eventful thing that I remember from that cycle was the lady I met in hospital, the fact that I now know how to alleviate pain from the drip and also the fact that I had bruised legs (from falling over a few times) as well as a bruised belly from those terrible injections.

Natural Killer Cells Intralipid Infusion

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Interesting day today where I had to pick up my prescription for my infusion.  This is final piece of puzzle and complements the other medications I am taking. Here is the latest one that adds to the already fascinating cocktail of drugs I am taking. This is the medication where I fed intravenously. I had no idea this could get so involved!

It was quite a story just getting this little baby. First I had an early morning meeting with a Manager and then I had to duck out to the clinic to pick up my medication.  So I fronted the usual clinic only to find that I had to get it from the hospital pharmacy down the road. So off I trundle to the hospital.

Once I finally located the pharmacy, presented my script and waited for the product to arrive, I discovered that I had left my purse behind so I couldn’t pay for the blasted stuff. So I had to leave medicineless and go back to my car which was parked at the other clinic. Fortunately when I got to the car, I found my purse filled with the money that I had pulled out of the bank to pay for the medicine. And back to the pharmacy I went.

Upon collection, I discovered that this little concoction actually contains 1000 calories – nearly my daily allowance of calories. I guess there is no chance of sticking to a diet tomorrow. Wish me well. This is sure one hell of a ride.

Frozen Embryo Transfer with the Colorado Protocol and Treatment for Natural Killer Cells

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Wow! I thought the drugs when you do a full on IVF cycle quite tough. I reckon just counting the drugs you need to take when you have natural killer cells and are doing a Frozen Embryo Transfer amazing. Imagine if I have to do both full on IVF and treatment for Natural Killer Cells. I reckon doing that would be the end of me.

As I am about to commence another frozen embryo cycle, I am amazed and what my treatment will now become like.  Here is the sequence of events:

  • Dexamethasone and Astrix / Baby Aspirin (day 1 onwards) – one does things to reduce your immune system and the other thins your blood
  • Book in for intravenous feeding of Intralipid – I get lay down for half a day while the anaesthetist drip feeds me.
  • Pee on Ovulation test kit from daily day 10 until you detect a surge
  • The day after the surge, commence Augmentin DUO twice a day for 5 days
  • The day after the urge, start injecting yourself in the tummy with Clexane
  • Have intercourse the night before transfer so it upsets the endometrium and makes it more receptive for the embryo to stick
  • Commence Crinone Gel for 15 days on the day after embryo transger
  • Commence Estradot Patches on the day after transfer

Amazing collection isn’t it. Imagine if I have to do both full on IVF and the treatment for Natural Killer Cells.  The drugs I would have to take would more than double!  That is mind boggling – I never expected to take so many drugs at my age.  I thought it was just something my people did when they got old.

I never thought of myself as being brave doing 13 rounds of IVG but now I really have to consider that I really am brave just doing this. I am not too happy about the effects it has my immune system and my blood.

I also need to be careful not to bruise myself because the aspirin and clexane thin my blood. And I can be quite klutzy. Lucky I happened to walk into a park bench yesterday and cop the big bruise on the leg (which is still sore) while I was just on aspirin and not clexane. I need to watch and bruising and be ready to report to nurse if the bruising does not subside.

The other good thing is that I am just recovering from a cold. The Intralipid and the Dexamethasone lower my immune system so I reckon I would be best off avoiding sick people.

If I am confirmed pregnant then I still have to continue Crinone, Estradot, Asprin, Dexamethasone and Clexane.

Meanwhile I still need to continue taking my naturopathic medicine such as Elevit, Omega 3 Fish Oil (EPA/DHA), CoQ10, Vitamin C and Chinese Herbs. Here are some of them pictured below. The Chinese herbs are missing from the picture and yeah I forget to mention the acupuncture treatment I also have.