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Complications in Fertility Treatment
Some women get pregnant easily while for some it may take some time. There are various factors at play. It is advisable that the couple visits their doctor if the woman is unable to conceive even after one year of trying. The doctor will do tests and start treatment.
No medical treatment is entirely free from risk and fertility treatment is no exception. Most women go through IVF and other assisted reproductive treatments without any serious problems. However, some infertility treatments can cause complications which may include stress, multiple pregnancies, or some other side effects of the fertility medicines.
Side effect of medicines
Fertility drugs are an important part of treatment. Medicines are often used to treat Infertility. Fertility drugs are very important and play a critical role in women who suffer from ovulation disorders. These can be injected or taken in oral form. In general, these medications work by releasing hormones that either trigger or regulate ovulation.
Some medicines can cause side effects. These may include:
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Stomach pains
Headaches
Hot flushes
The side effects of clomiphene, a very common fertility drug, are generally mild. These include hot flashes, blurred vision, nausea, bloating and headache. Chlamydia can also cause changes in the cervical mucus, which may make it difficult to tell when one is fertile. It may also inhibit the sperm from entering the uterus. Fertility drugs like clomiphene may tend to cause multiple pregnancies, though the chances are much lower here as compared to other injectable hormones.
Ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome (OHSS)
The ovaries are stimulated during the IVF treatment. This is done with a purpose so that more eggs are released than normal. When the ovaries are strongly stimulated, there is a possibility of developing OHSS. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) may appear after taking medicines which are given for stimulating the ovaries such as clomiphene along with gonadotrophin. OHSS causes your ovaries to swell and produce lots of follicles (small fluid-filled sacs where an egg develops).
The IVF cycle is regularly monitored so that any early signs of OHSS can be detected before it is too late and corrective steps are taken. The IVF treatment may be modified or canceled if reports show that OHSS is likely. Depending on the severity, the treatment may be changed or the stimulation may be reduced. Also, the eggs may be collected but the embryos would have to be frozen as pregnancy will only worsen the OHSS.
Around one-third women tend to face OHSS in a mild form post completion of one cycle of IVF. Close to 10% or probably less than that, count tends to develop moderate or perhaps severe OHSS after one circuit of IVF.
Mild symptoms can include:
Nausea
Vomiting
Abdominal pain
Bloating
Constipation
Diarrhea
Dark urine, which is concentrated.
OHSS in its extreme and severe form can be a very dangerous and risky life-threatening condition. There can be several problems with the following lines:
Thrombosis
Liver along with dysfunction of the kidney.
Respiratory distress (difficulty breathing)
One should seek medical attention immediately if one experiences from any of the symptoms of OSHH.
One may need to go to the hospital so that the condition can be monitored and taken care by healthcare professionals.
Ectopic Pregnancy in India
Ectopic means inside the wrong place. An ectopic pregnancy occurs if your fertilized egg implants exterior in your womb. More than 95% of ectopic pregnancies occur in the Fallopian tubes.
If a fertilized egg implants itself with your Fallopian tube and is still growing, it can result in the miscarriage, and there is a risk of the tube bursting. Signs of an ectopic pregnancy include:
Pains low down in the stomach area
Vaginal bleeding
If you are receiving fertility treatment, your probability of having an ectopic pregnancy is approximately 4%. This is higher when compared to a rate of ectopic pregnancies, which is around 1%. You may be more likely to come with an ectopic pregnancy when you have already had problems with your Fallopian tubes.
Pelvic an infection
The procedure to get an egg from an ovary may spark a painful infection developing inside your pelvis. This possibility is increased if there is an endometriosis cyst in the ovary at the time of the treatment. This complication may lead to pain in the pelvic area. Infections may also develop post the procedure is done and it may happen even weeks later. However, the risk of serious infection is quite low. For example, there may just be less than one serious infection for every 500 procedures performed.
Multiple pregnancies
Having more than one baby might not exactly seem like a bad thing, but it does significantly enhance the risk of developing issues for both you as well as your children. Multiple pregnancies can happen whenever there is any treatment which involves using drugs to stimulate the production of eggs. It also happens when multiple embryos are placed in the uterus to increase the chances of pregnancy during IVF/ ICSI or egg donation treatment. Multiple pregnancies are one of the greatest risks associated with fertility treatment.
Possible complications of multiple pregnancies include:
Babies born prematurely or having a low birth weight – that affects 50% of baby twins and 90% of triplets.
The baby dying inside the first week of life – the risk of this happening is usually five times higher intended for twins and nine instances higher for triplets, than for any single baby.
The baby having cerebral palsy (a condition that affects the mind and nervous system) – the risk of this happening is usually five times higher intended for twins and 18 instances higher for triplets in comparison with for single babies.
High blood pressure (hypertension) through pregnancy – this affects up to 25% of women who are carrying more than one baby.
Developing diabetes during the pregnancy (diabetes is often a condition caused by excessive glucose in the blood) – the risk is 2-3 times higher for women carrying more than one baby than it is good for those carrying a single baby.
Stress and Depression in Fertility Treatment in India
Dealing with infertility can be extremely stressful. There is stress related to the outcome, expenses as well as other aspects which can make one very anxious.
Infertility can be stressful and strain relationships. It may be helpful that one should join a support group and talk through their feelings with others experiencing similar problems.
Finding out that one has a fertility problem can be traumatic and lots of couples find it helpful to speak to a counselor. The counselors are able to discuss treatment options, how they could affect the individual and the emotional implications. The doctor should be capable to refer the individual to a counselor in the fertility treatment.
It is important to learn to take care of self, make sure that one gets the support that you need and manage emotions in a way that one’s self-esteem and outlook on life remains positive.
Infertile women have reported higher levels of stress and anxiety. Effects related to infertility tend to impact work, family, financial as well as sexual life. One needs to find ways which will help in getting rid of the tension and anxiety and make the individual feel better.