worried about how I'll cope

**Kelloggs** · 09-01-2011 21:21

Hi all,

My finance and I are about to start our first IVF cycle, I pick up my drugs on Wednesday and although I'm so excited that we are finally starting I am really really worried about how I will be emotionally on the drugs. I am a very sensitive emotional person who gets upset easily and stresses pretty much all the time. I am worried about the effects of the gonal f, cetrotide injections and the crinone cream I'll have to use, - I mean its all hormone related drugs and I am frightend they will make me depressed and a moody cow around everyone especially my fiance

I would love to know other peoples experiences with these drugs and how they affected them emotionally etc and whether the drugs had a large effect on them etc.

I hope this doesn't break me, I'm so frightend about all of this its just so huge, such an involved journey and I want a baby so bad and nothing is going to stop me doing it but I'm frightend about it, its just so overwhelming sometimes

**Kelloggs** · 09-01-2011 21:35

thank you hun

We are seeing Bill at TasIVF

are you in the Hobart area?

**buffysatine** · 09-01-2011 21:40

Hi & good luck with everything

I have not found any problems with the drugs. After 4 cycles my moods have all been to do with the stress of ivf in general. I get very stressed/moody during the tww. And obviously after if its a bfn it is hard to cope with and also I am having difficulty at present having had 2 m/c in a row.

**SimpsonDesert** · 09-01-2011 22:03

Hi Kelloggs,

I had exactly the same concerns as you leading into our first IVF cycle. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the drugs did not mess with my moods whatsoever. I did use Gonal F, and the only side effect was twinges/cramps while my ovaries were busy making eggs. I used orgalutran (alternative to Cetrotide), and although I had irritation around the injection site for about an hour, there were no other side effects that I noticed. I used progesterone pessaries instead of crinone gel, and also had no dramas. However, I have heard of ladies being affected by crinone... feeling flat, mild depression, cramps, etc. There's bound to be numerous threads about crinone, so you could try a search on that.

The hardest things I found were recovery after egg pick up (EPU) and the anxiety of the two week wait (TWW).

Just remember that everyone's body is different and your experience with the drugs will not necessarily be the same as other peoples. Best of luck to you!

**wannabb** · 10-01-2011 06:27

hi Kelloggs- i also have not had moody effects of the drugs but am single so may have slight ones and dont notice. I think the knowledge that it may occur should help you and Dh be aware of the cause and try not to take swings personally. Lots of people use accupuncture to help with moods and relax through the cycle too.
good luck hope you can be one of the lucky 1st time BFP

**mlks** · 10-01-2011 07:03

hi kelloggs, in the beginning, I thought I would be ok about IVF as I had been doing IUI's... so I thought i was kinda prepared... UMMMM sooo not.... everyone's circumstances are different... but, I seem to have turned into a horrible mean nasty person... but only with the ones who know I am doing IVF.... I have said things I regret, but they have taken offence to... but I thought at the time they would understand its the hormones/stress of it all.... but nope... my mother in particular has been quite inconsiderate to my feelings, even though I need her to look after my business whilst I am away for the week of epu/et.... and I have told her how much this hurts me to go through it..... she still insists on saying uncompassionate things about me and babies in general.
I have come to love my ipod, which i have a heap of relaxation music and meditation stuff on it... and I jsut took them out of my ears to write this. The stress (for me) whilst owning a demanding business is overwhelming, but the people closest to me think Im just horrible....

Good luck, do everything in your power to remain calm... because it can get stressful and upsetting....

**jayemkayare** · 10-01-2011 11:34

Hi Kelloogs,
I was on Gonal-F 300 and orgaultran. I found the Gonal-F made me extremely tired for the first week, this did make work quite difficult, I was falling asleep sitting up! Hot flushes were also in force. Side effects to gonal-F I understand are very dose specific, (300 is quite high). I personally found in the first week I was just too tired be overly nice and small things did fustrate me more than usual. I took it as all part of the jouney though and really was only the first week at the most, then things settled down. Its true the worst part is all the waiting and not knowing if it is all going to be worth it.

I wish you all the best, it is a nerve wracking experience but taking one step at time helps, don't look too far ahead. It definately will not break you, just remember to look after yourself and have plenty of time out. Doing something and moving forward is the best feeling for me when I start an IVF cycle, all side effects aside.

I wish you all the best and hopefully one cycle will be all that you need.

Jaymie

**second baby not so easy** · 10-01-2011 12:07

Hi,

I have not done the drugs that you are doing but I have done the needles with ICSI/IVF and it didnt make me as moody as I expected. I was feeling very fragile during the whole cycle and ended up with OHSS, the actual needles everynight I dreaded and then at the end of it all I got a BFN!!

So I think the first cycle for me was very unknown and scary - but my desire to have a baby overuled everything

So even though the cycle wasnt ideal I just took it easy on myself and tried not to let it over rule my life.

I am currently on my 2nd fresh ICSI cycle and I feel like an old hand at it now

, the needles are not that bad, just realising my bad days and I take time to chill out.

So sending

for you

**Kelloggs** · 10-01-2011 12:41

Thanks for all your own experiences guys, its nice to hear varied results of the effects of drugs on everyone, it sounds like it could go either way for me, I'm hoping I'll feel my normal self without too many dramas -

!

I found with the clomiphene for IUI's I thought I was a little more moody than usual -I was taking it while on my period so PMS is generally guarenteed really no matter what when I think about it! so I'm not sure whether being on clomiphene changed my PMS levels more than usual or not!