Yesterday there was an article in the New York Times regarding a very serious complication of IVF called Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS). (The most famous recent example I can think of is when Giuliana Rancic did IVF. She unfortunately ended up with this condition and had to be hospitalized.)
According to the article, there is some debate about the high level of medications used in some IVF cycles and whether or not they are needed to have a successful cycle. This article intrigued me because my particular protocol, designed by my doctor, is very medication heavy. It requires high doses of stimulation meds and very fine tuned doses of suppression medications.
While this concerns me, especially since I ended up with so many follicles the last time (22!), I trust my doctors and the monitoring they do. At the height of my cycle, I will be making clinic visits nearly every other day. At these visits, I will have blood drawn and an ultrasound done to check my progress. Based on these two tests, my doctor will determine if my medications need to be adjusted (they frequently are).
I would advise anybody considering IVF to do their homework very carefully. While it's important to trust your doctor, it is also important to be educated, and ask questions. The low dose method of IVF that is described in this article would not be appropriate for me, but it may appropriate for you.
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