# 23 years old about to start IVF and worried



## JandT (May 22, 2016)

Hi, I am 23 years old and about to start IVF but worried about it and wondering if iui would be my best option? 
My boyfriend has no sperm so we are using donor sperm. I have had my scans and have a lot of follicles and everything is looking well. However my doctor said I would be at risk of OHSS (which is worrying me a lot) and reading possible risks is making me terrified.
Not sure whether to do IUI or continue down the IVF route. 
Any advise please ?


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## Franny80 (Apr 10, 2016)

Hi JandT,

I have PCOS so was at risk of OHSS too, but it was fine. If they know you are at risk you will be carefully monitored and they will probably play it safe with your drugs levels too. Just make sure they keep an eye on you with lots of blood tests, and drinks lots of water. I'm sure you'll be okay, buI know your first cycle can be scary. 

If you are having second thoughts whether to do IUI before IVF then I would book in to see your clinic and discuss it with them. You want to feel comfortable with your decision before doing any treatment. Have you looked at the stats for IUI vs IVF at your clinic? You can find them on the HFEA website. This might help with your decision too.

Best of luck


x


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## Dory10 (Aug 6, 2013)

Hi JandT 

Welcome to FF 


The best thing would be to talk to your clinic and ask why they've proposed IVF rather than IUI, there could be many reasons and by chatting to them and raising your concerns they'll be able to explain things fully and make you feel a bit less apprehensive.

Good luck  

Dory 
Xxx


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## JandT (May 22, 2016)

Thank you  I am going to call and speak to them. They basically said to me on my last appointment that it was up to me which option I choose.. IUI is 18% successful and IVF 50%. But the doctor said to me if I have IVF I am at risk of OHSS because oh my weight (I am only petite 6stone 7) and the fact that my body is already producing all of the right stuff at high levels. I had over 33 follicles on my first scan so. When can ohss kick in is it whilst doing the injections over the 12 days? Also is it painful after the egg retrieval? 

Thanks for replying x


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## JandT (May 22, 2016)

Hi, I am 23 and about to start IVF treatment. My doctor told me I could be at risk of OHSS and I am reading various stories and getting quite worried. does anybody have and advise? Also my doctor told me I could try IUI or IVF and I am unsure what to do. IVF has a higher success rate however the risks with IVF are worrying me. Advise would be appreciated.  x


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## marty123 (Dec 26, 2015)

Hello, JandT! 
Hope you're well. My case was egg donation but I have some rough thoughts got from a friend of mine. During their IUI cycle she had OHSS. The cycle was cancelled because of it so she didn't make it to the IUI. I do remember she told her Dr. telling her that her ovaries were about 5 times the size they should have been. Her symptoms went away once AF came. 
What stage are you on now? Also, I keep an eye on your breathing. If it becomes hard to breath, call your Dr. right away. I can only imagine how badly people survive OHSS. 
Excuse me but do you have PCOS? I read somewhere that women with PCOS have a greater risk of having OHSS. I really hope everything will be alright! Keep in touch!


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## Dory10 (Aug 6, 2013)

If your clinic have already identified you may be at risk of OHSS then you will be very closely monitored whilst on stims prior to egg collection.  I don't have any identified fertility issues either we needed ICSI due to male factors, on 2 of my cycles my response showed I was at risk of developing OHSS but careful monitoring made sure it was noted early and I took cabergoline tablets, drank lots and rested and it didn't develop.

In only a very small minority of cases does OHSS become severe enough to require hospital treatment.  Mild to moderate cases of OHSS are unpleasant and often mean that transfer is postponed and a frozen transfer takes place at a later date when your body has recovered but are not life threatening.

All fertility treatment carries side effects sadly but the possibility of a baby certainly outweigh these.

Dory 
Xxx


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## Me Myself and I (Dec 30, 2012)

From a totally different angle, have you considered home insemination from a bank like cryos? In theory as you can insrminate more you would have greater chance than iui...


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## JandT (May 22, 2016)

marty123 said:


> Hello, JandT!
> Hope you're well. My case was egg donation but I have some rough thoughts got from a friend of mine. During their IUI cycle she had OHSS. The cycle was cancelled because of it so she didn't make it to the IUI. I do remember she told her Dr. telling her that her ovaries were about 5 times the size they should have been. Her symptoms went away once AF came.
> What stage are you on now? Also, I keep an eye on your breathing. If it becomes hard to breath, call your Dr. right away. I can only imagine how badly people survive OHSS.
> Excuse me but do you have PCOS? I read somewhere that women with PCOS have a greater risk of having OHSS. I really hope everything will be alright! Keep in touch!


Thanks for replying, I am just about to start IVF, I start my injections next Wednesday, our doctor told us it was totally up to us though whether we wanted to do IUI or IVF, so we chose IVF due to the success rates. I am worrying about the needles as I have a real fear of them, hopefully after my 'tutorial' on Monday with the clinic I will feel more comfortable about injecting. It is all new to me and I am trying to get my head around it all. I don't have PCOS no but the doctor said I am producing a lot of follicles at the moment and I am also only tiny (6 stone 7) so he said I would be at rush of OHSS. I think I can cope with mild OHSS it's just reading people's severe stories are quite scary. Have you had IVF ? Thanks, Jess x


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## JandT (May 22, 2016)

Me said:


> From a totally different angle, have you considered home insemination from a bank like cryos? In theory as you can insrminate more you would have greater chance than iui...


Sorry I'm not sure what this is? Please help


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## JandT (May 22, 2016)

Dory10 said:


> If your clinic have already identified you may be at risk of OHSS then you will be very closely monitored whilst on stims prior to egg collection. I don't have any identified fertility issues either we needed ICSI due to male factors, on 2 of my cycles my response showed I was at risk of developing OHSS but careful monitoring made sure it was noted early and I took cabergoline tablets, drank lots and rested and it didn't develop.
> 
> In only a very small minority of cases does OHSS become severe enough to require hospital treatment. Mild to moderate cases of OHSS are unpleasant and often mean that transfer is postponed and a frozen transfer takes place at a later date when your body has recovered but are not life threatening.
> 
> ...


Thank you, so have you had IVF? I am just a bit confused as to why I have injections if my body is already producing all of the right hormones and I have lots of follicles etc? I think that is why he said I could develop OHSS, because I am underweight and I have lots of follicles already, (which is where the confusin comes from as to why I have the injections) I'm still trying get my head around it all before I start my first Cycle next Wednesday. But yes hopefully they will keep a close eye on my then and try to avoid me developing OHSS. And I will take note of all your tips thank you, Jess x


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## Dory10 (Aug 6, 2013)

Hi Jess

The reason you have to take the stimulating medication is to optimise the number of follicles and so eggs and also so they can control your cycle, so you don't ovulate before egg collection etc.  It does all seem daunting at first but once your into the cycle it will seem far more normal, I've had 3 cycles so far and they do keep a close eye on you.


Good luck  

Dory
Xxx


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## Me Myself and I (Dec 30, 2012)

JandT said:


> Me said:
> 
> 
> > From a totally different angle, have you considered home insemination from a bank like cryos? In theory as you can insrminate more you would have greater chance than iui...
> ...


I think the colloquial term would be turkey basting method! Eg sperm and syringes at ovulation time. Repeated .


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## DollyBlueBags (Aug 5, 2014)

Hi,

Why does your Dr say you are at risk of OHSS?

Ive just finshed my first round of IVF, Im overweight and I have polycystic ovaries. Because of this I was put on low doses of drugs to prevent OHSS and I am fine. 

xx


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## Katie791 (Nov 1, 2013)

Hi JandT, 

I can understand your concerns about OHSS because it is scary when you read about it. But like Mrs peach, I also have polycystic ovaries which puts us at higher risk of OHSS and for that reason they use the lowest dose of stimms and keep a close eye on you. 

If they think you are at a higher than average risk then they might do extra scans/be extra cautious with your drug dosages so you'll be in good hands. I had 30+ follicles on my ovaries before they started the stimms but because I was well managed, I got 9 eggs at egg collection and they were all mature. As you can see from my signature, we had 1 great blastocyst put back and it was successful. 

I can't comment on IVF versus IUI because the latter was never an option for us. I know it has a lower success rate but then again it's cheaper and has less overall risks. Your clinic should give you some more guidance about the pros and cons so you can make a more informed decision. Good luck whichever you decide!

Xx


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## JandT (May 22, 2016)

mrs peach said:


> Hi,
> 
> Why does your Dr say you are at risk of OHSS?
> 
> ...


Hello, thanks for replying. 
I am at risk because I am young (23) in underweight, weighing only 6stone 7, my AMH level was 53.7 which he said was relatively high, and on the last day of my period when I had my ultrasound scan I already had 13 follicles one side and 18 in the other so looks like I will have quite a lot as I go on. So he said I would be at risk of OHSS, when he told me I didn't realise how serious it can be and now the more and more I am reading about it the more scared I am, I start my injections next Wednesday and I can't sleep at night now with worry 

Did you not get OHSS then? That's good to hear. I know he did say I am only having a low dose of meds. When is it you can get OHSS do you know? Is it whilst you are injecting or after the trigger shot? Because I have read there are two different trigger shots you can have as well and apparently one is a weaker version but rules out OHSS. I'm just really worried at the moment.

Thanks Jess x x


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## JandT (May 22, 2016)

Katie791 said:


> Hi JandT,
> 
> I can understand your concerns about OHSS because it is scary when you read about it. But like Mrs peach, I also have polycystic ovaries which puts us at higher risk of OHSS and for that reason they use the lowest dose of stimms and keep a close eye on you.
> 
> ...


Hi Katie.

Congratulations on your success! Wonderful news. 
I don't have polycystic ovaries, but I did have a lot of follicles on my first scan and I am underweight and only young so he said I would be at risk. Oh and my AMH level was high. I read about mild cases of OHSS and I'm like 'okay I can deal with that' but then I read about people who have ended up in hospital or had blood clots etc and I go into panic mode. I had no sleep last night worrying 

Basically my partner has no sperm so we are using donor sperm. 
As I have no health issues my doctor said that the choice was totally ours as to whether we go through IUI or IVF. When I asked his opinion he said to me if you want the honest answer... 'If you were my daughter I would advise you to have IUI, but if you have enough money then I would advise IVF' so I thought okay we have the money so that's settled were going to do IVF, now the more I think about it I keep saying to myself why would he advise 'his daughter' as such to have IUI, is this because IVF is unsafe? obviously success rates are only 18% for IUI at my clinic and 50% for IVF, so me and my boyfriend have said right we will do IVF, I start my meds on Wednesday. But I'm just stressing and constantly worried now.

When you say the risks with IVF... What do you mean? 
And we're you all okay with OHSS then did you not get it? Can they see if you are going to get it or not? I rang my clinic and spoke to one of the nurses there about my concerns and I said to her, I have read that it can be fatal... And she responded with 'it can be fatal I can't sit here and say it isn't because it is' and I was like oh great this hasn't filled me with confidence. I struggle a lot with worrying about everything as it is, but I feel like me worrying about OHSS is taking over and that's not what I want  any more advise would be much appreciated!!

Thanks for replying to me. Appreciate it, Jess x


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## DollyBlueBags (Aug 5, 2014)

I had the trigger shot that stops you producing anymore eggs 24-36 hours after taking it - this prevents OHSS.


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## Dorey25 (Oct 3, 2016)

Hello,

My OH has been told his concentration is Zero. I know there may be a chance for us to get pregnant with sperm retrieval but I'm struggling with the other option and thats sperm donation. How did you guys get to that decision? I keep thinking i couldn't do it, because maybe my OH would spend his life thinking about this child not being genetically his? (BTW, I'm not criticising your decision at all, I'm intrigued how you got to that decision, if that makes any sense what so ever?) Im off work with stress at the minute and i just keep thinking about all the options including sperm donation.

Hope its all going well!?    x


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## ColleenH (Oct 25, 2016)

I'm also 23, I'm on buserelin to start my second cycle now! This is my second ICSI/ IVF cycle but for many reasons we decided to stick to IVF and skip IUI.. a big reason was the success rates and the chances of it working. Has your partner been told he can have his sperm surgically removed? Sorry if I've missed this in the previous comments. 
Do what's best for you! 
XO


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## miamiamo (Aug 9, 2015)

*JandT* - Good luck with yr cycling x


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