Side Effects of IVF Stimulation Drugs
You may wonder what the side effects of IVF stimulation drugs are. Rest assured knowing that most of the IVF stimulation drugs are very safe and do not have symptoms that you should worry about. Some of the stimulation drugs have related side effects. If you are feeling anxious about them, contact your nurse or provider.
While some medications are taken orally and others are injected, the goal of stimulation drugs is to help your body to produce as many eggs as possible for an IVF cycle. Oral birth control is often used to prepare your ovaries and so the provider can have control of your menstrual cycle. Here is a list of some of the IVF stimulation drugs and their side effects:
The common side effects of Clomid and similar IVF drugs are:
- Headaches
- hot flashes
- blurred vision
- nausea
- changes in cervical mucus
- bloating
- higher risk for multiple births
The common side effects of injectable IVF medications such as Menopur, Gonal-F, Luveris, and Follistim are:
- rarely blood blisters at the injection site
- swelling at the injection site
- possibly ovarian hyperstimulation
- very rarely multiple births
- ectopic pregnancies
The common side effects of hCG injections are:
- irritability
- breast tenderness
- bruising at the injection site
- hot flashes
- headaches
- nausea
- blurred vision
Some ways to reduce these side effects are letting your nurses and provider know when you are experiencing them and also doing a single embryo transfer. Schedule an appointment with one of our fertility experts or email Aspire with any questions. You can also schedule an appointment at any of the Aspire Fertility Clinic near you or call the:
- Houston Clinic at (713) 425-3003
- Dallas Clinic at (214) 414-3806
- Austin Clinic at (512) 456-9827
- McAllen Clinic at (956) 300-3557
- San Antonio Clinic at (210) 981-3572
