Fertility treatments

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Side effects and risks

Fertility drugs can have side effects, such as hot flushes, mood swings, nausea, breast tenderness, insomnia, increased urination and heavy periods.^1,2

Rarely, your ovaries may get over-stimulated, causing ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) which can cause very serious problems.¹ Symptoms include nausea and vomiting, severe stomach pains and swelling, shortness of breath, faintness and reduced urine.²

There have also been concerns about a possible link between stimulating ovaries with drugs and ovarian cancer, but the link remains uncertain.¹

As with IVF, you are at risk of having a multiple pregnancy which carries a higher risk of complications.¹

Currently one in four IVF births in the UK results in twins or triplets, compared to one in 80 births following natural conception.^2,5

In 2008, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) asked clinics to reduce multiple pregnancy rates from an average of 24 to 10 percent over the next three years because of the risks to mother and child.^2,5

If you are under 37 and have several high quality embryos, then best practice is to transfer a single embryo and freeze the others.^2,5

Risks of multiple pregnancy include increased likelihood of miscarriage and death, prematurity and low birth weight.^2,5 It can also lead to long-term health problems for children, such as cerebral palsy, and risks to mothers such as pre-eclampsia, diabetes and heart disease.^2,5

You have an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy with IVF, especially if there is something wrong with your tubes. Symptoms include vaginal bleeding, miscarriage and risk of the tube bursting.⁵

With intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), little is known about the risks because the technique has only been used since 1992. There may be an increased risk of miscarriage because the sperm might not normally have been able to fertilise an egg.²