The effects of IVF medications on your body

What your doctor might not tell you, and what other women have had to say. There are a number of medications that women take when pursuing IVF. These medications are safe generally speaking, but do have some typical side effects and maybe some not so typical ones too.

1. Leuprolide acetate (Lupron), is a subcutaneous shot that blocks secretions of the pituitary gland, and allows doctors to artificially stimulate or control when ovulation occurs. Hot flashes and headaches are common as is redness or irritation around the injection site. Some women complain that the injection site will remain permanently dry and itchy even after injections have stopped. Bone discomfort has also been report though very rarely. And if you happen to be allergic to this or similar medications watch out, benedryl may clear up the reaction but does not prevent anaphylactic shock.

2. Human menopausal gonadotropin (Pergonal or hMG) or Follicle Stimulating Hormone (Metrodin or FSH), these are fertility hormones. They are used to stimulate multiple egg growth from your ovaries. Nausea, breast tenderness or pelvic discomfort is common. Because this to is an injection, generally done for 6-10 days, redness, swelling and irritation at the injection sight are again common. Some women experience flu-like symptoms, develop ovarian cysts after ovulation or develop ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. As is common with any hormone treatment most women suffer mood swings or become irritable as well.

3. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone that is used to induce ovulation, it is injected 34 to 36 hours before retrieval and may be used after retrieval to supplement natural progesterone production. It has the same side effects as number 2 above.

4. Progesterone, yet another hormone that enables the uterus to support pregnancy, and may be used as a daily injection after egg retrieval, can cause heartburn and some women have reported dry itchy bumps that come and go for months.

Many women also complain of weight gain. Though really everyone I know denies the mood swings, this isn't an easy time for us. So for those of you that love those of us on this journey, we really aren't crazy, we really don't hate you, we do know we are over reacting but it really isn't our fault, we just want a baby like everyone else and this is the price we pay in our quest to obtain what comes so easily to so many others.