Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome is noticed in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF), ovulation induction or intrauterine insemination. This usually happens to egg donors as they take injectable hormone medications to stimulate the development of eggs in the ovaries. It is a myth that Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) affects the health of egg donors vastly. As a matter of fact, only 1% of egg donor’s experience OHSS and it can be quickly be controlled by medication.
It is a known fact that egg donors go through a series of hormone medication. At times, this can cause swelling to the ovaries and the egg donor might experience:
• Restlessness
• Shortness of breath
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
In rare cases, egg donors can also gain a little weight. This is a short phase of discomfort that can be easily eased off by proper medication.
OHSS occurs to few egg donors during fertility treatments using medications that are taken by mouth. However, OHSS can occur spontaneously in women and is not entirely related to fertility treatments.
Symptoms of OHSS
The symptoms of OHSS begin within 10 days after taking injectable medications to stimulate ovulation. These symptoms are usually mild to moderate and improve over time.
The symptoms of mild to moderate ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome include:
• Mild to moderate abdominal pain
• Increased waist size
• Abdominal bloating
• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Tenderness in the ovaries
• Sudden weight gain
Egg donors who are on injectable fertility drugs get a mild form of OHSS, and it goes away after about a week of proper medication.
Immediately Report to the Doctor
It is important for the egg donor to immediately report about her discomfort to the doctor. In case she is experiencing symptoms of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome during her fertility treatments, her designated coordinator from the egg donation agency takes the charge of fixing her appointment with the doctor and arranges for a quick medication. In order to have a quick treatment, it is important for the egg donor to not delay in communicating with the egg donation agency she is enrolled with to get immediate medical attention. Egg donation agencies always have their doctors prepared with medications for any sort of discomfort of the egg donors at any point of time. In case she is facing physical troubles at night, she can call the agency and talk to the doctor over the phone.
Nothing Life Threatening or Harmful In OHSS
As a matter of fact, there is nothing life-threatening or harmful in OHSS. There used to be a time when people were not much aware of how to handle OHSS during their fertility treatment, but now the time has changed and medical science has relief for all the discomforts an egg donor faces during her fertility treatment.
Things for an egg donor to do as she experiences OHSS:
• Contact your doctor right away
• Be conscious and notice if you develop breathing problems
• Keep a track of pain in your legs and report urgently to the doctor if it increases
• Ask for prompt medical attention by the egg donation agency
Instead of panicking about a certain situation, if the egg donor is she conscious of her body and the changes she is going through during her fertility treatment; her combat to these discomforts becomes easy. We as an egg donation agency emphasize on the fact that each egg donor should be aware of the entire procedure and how it changes her body for the time being. This helps her to understand if anything goes wrong in her.
Alert Doctors to Handle Any Kind of Discomfort
Doctors are always alert to handle any kind of discomfort raised in the egg donor, be it OHSS, or any other syndrome. Hence, immediate medical attention can control all such discomforts in the egg donor and she can smoothly complete her fertility treatment and contributes her part in the journey of bringing joy in a childless couple’s life!