# First Time IVF - Drugs and Weight Gain?



## clara42 (Apr 10, 2006)

Hi, i'm hoping to start my first cycle of IVF in October and I was concerned that I might put on a lot of weight with the drugs.  This mainly worries me as I haven't told anyone about the treatment and a friend of mine put on 2 stone with IVF - just concerned if all of a sudden i'll go up in size and i'm normally quite slim, I think people will question why the weight gain and I'm desperate to keep the treatment secret.

Did anybody else put on lots of weight with the treatment??


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## TJSK (Dec 2, 2004)

hi clara42

i am going through ivf at the moment and i started on the buserelin on the 1st of the month. i have been really ill taking this and have felt rotten from day one of the injections. i started the menopur yesterday at the hospital also.
i was fine for about the first week and now i have bloated up quite a bit, i feel so fat and bloated (normally dont worry about my weight) but it has been hard. so all i can say to you is everyone id different and try not too worry or think about it too much (easier said than done i know) hopefully you will be fine and neither up or down.

goodluck!

tracey x


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## clara42 (Apr 10, 2006)

Hi Tracey,

thanks for the advice, Good luck and fingers crossed for you..  I was surprised that i would be on burserelin rather than the nasel spray - i'm really glad i've been on here to know what to expect.  Hopefully it wont notice much, going to try not to worry too much and go to the gym more during the week hopefully that might keep my mood up too


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## TJSK (Dec 2, 2004)

hi there

im sure the gym will do you no harm, rather you than me i have to say!
you may well be put on the nasal spray as everyone is different, i hope all goes well for you.
keep me posted!

tracey x


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## EmmaL (Aug 4, 2006)

Hi Clara

I didn't put on any weight during my treatments (I have had 2 IUI's and 2 IVF's).  Just to warn you that your clinic might advise you not to exercise during your treatment as all your blood needs to focus on producing eggs and then keeping the embryos after ET.

Hope this helps, please don't worry about the weight gain.

Emma


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## Dif (May 22, 2006)

Hi Clara,

Just wanted to say that i also put on a lot of weight during tx (about 1.5 stone). I think it depends on how long your tx takes and how long you stim for. I had OHSS and then coasted on buserelin for 4 weeks before stimming again for 21 days. After being bloated from OHSS, by the time I got to EC i was huge. When i got my BFP i already looked pg and started 'showing' from about 8 weeks!

With regards to your work, most people who see people every day don't notice weight change. It's only people you haven't seen for a long time that pick up on it. I think during tx you will have so much on your mind (appts, inj's etc) that you won't even think about what other people are thinking. 

On good tip my doc told me was to say that you are taking steroids for a virus. nothing serious but something that needs monitoring a couple of times a week. That will explain away all your appts etc and keep nosey parkers at bay!

If you have one person you trust or you get on with your boss, it might be an idea to tell someone though, just so you have a bit of support. It can be pretty stressful trying to keep it from everyone when you're going through it. I know cos i on;y told my boss who is lovely but i found it quite hard work keeping it from the others.

Anyway, I hope it all goes well for you.

Take care.

Much love,

Di x


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## mazv (Jul 31, 2006)

Hi Clara,

I recently went through my first IVF cycle, 8 weeks in total and I put on about 5lbs. I did get quite bloated as a result of all the drugs but didn't put on much weight as such. What I did put on was mainly as a result of pigging out on the 2ww  

So long as you eat sensibly and healthily for you and the development of your eggs and embies then there is no reason that you should put on weight. It is an emotional and hormonal time though so it's easy to see why many women do put on wieght during treatment cycles.

Good luck for October. Hope you get your end result  

Maz x


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## Panda (Mar 21, 2005)

Hi Clara - I had my first ICSI in June and didn't put on any weight at all!  I did feel quite bloated during d/regging but that went as soon as I had my AF and started stimming.  I am normally slim and was also worried about it but my clinic just told me to carry on as normal and to exercise as normal so I carried on going to the gym until 5 days before e/c and only stopped cos my ovaries felt too uncomfortable.

The treatment affects everybody differently so fingers crossed you will be fine x


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## sibbs (Jun 12, 2006)

Although I was told the treatment (1 IUI 2 IVFS) wouldn't put weight on, I've put on about a stone,  but I've got boobs now- so not all bad


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## prija (Apr 24, 2003)

Hi there,
I put about 10 pounds on at each of my ivf cycles (in a twisted type of way, i'm pleased I'm not the only one who gains weight!). I am really struggling to lose about half of that weight in anticipation of a new ivf cycle, but it's what I really want to do therefore I'm trying not to worry about the weight gain. The down side was when I had my successful ivf pregnancy, I was almost a stone heavier to start off with. The things we will go through!!
Best of luck to you!
Prija


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## TJSK (Dec 2, 2004)

hi clara

it's true what di has said it's more likely to be the people that you don't see too often that would notice if you did put any weight on.
i ran into a old work friend a few months back uptown whilst shopping with dh. she come over and looked me up and down and her exact words where to me "tracey you haven't have got fat" well as you can imagine i was struck dumb! i was so mad!!  i just said to her do you think so but if you do i have health issues and im on drugs for them and that put her in her place. i was still a little down about it though, dh was so mad he could not believe that someone would say that! i have seen her again but i turn the other way before she sees me, i can't bring myself to speak to her. hoefully the next time i do speak with her i will have had a bfp.
i don't tell anyone except close friens/family the truth so i just use the health issues i am not lying as i do have such problems. if you feel you want to keep it private just use a similar excuse yourself?

goodluck! 

tracey x


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## collymags (Jan 3, 2006)

Hi Clara

well its certainly true about us all being different.  in the year and a half that we underwent 3 cycles my total gain was 14kgs.  i'm now the heaviest i've ever been (however if ye read my signature at the moment i don't mind).  for me it was the progesterone that did it big time.  but then years on when on progesterone contraceptive injection i had a massive gain.  annoying though it is, if the outcome brings our dreams to us, then its a small price to pay which can be worked on afterwards.  i don't think most folk would associate weight gain with ivf unless they themselves have gone through it. there's so many other more common reasons for weight gain if it happens.  anyhow theres a high chance if ye continue with the gym when ye can and sensible eating all should be ok.  good luck with it all


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## bendybird (Apr 12, 2005)

I didnt put on any weight during treatment, infact i have lost 15 pounds because i have been eating so healthy!  I also went to the gym as normal but stopped when stimming and on 2ww as tummy was a bit tender.  

Bendy.x


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