Written by
Monica Karpinski
Medically reviewed by
Kelda Gould
Fertility Nurse • BN in Adult Nursing
IVF is considered very safe. Still, like any medical treatment, it can come with potential risks and side effects that are worth knowing about.
The main side effects people doing IVF might get come from taking hormonal fertility medications. These can vary hugely from person-to-person, and some might not have any symptoms at all. It’s rare for these side effects to be serious.
There are some possible risks to bear in mind, too. If IVF treatment is successful, one of the main risks to your health is that there is a higher chance of carrying more than one baby (called a multiple birth). Clinics in the UK take multiple steps to minimise the risk of multiple births.
Here’s what to know about the risks and side effects of IVF.
Generally, IVF is seen as a safe, low-risk treatment. While there can still be complications and symptoms to watch out for, most people won’t experience any long-term effects.
When you do IVF with us, we will monitor you regularly (usually daily) to see how you’re responding to treatment. If there are any potential issues, we can pick up on them right away. Our team of specialists will be with you at every step.
So, what side effects can IVF bring on? It’s typically the hormonal medications given during stimulation that cause symptoms. But it’s possible for the procedures involved (egg collection and embryo transfer) to cause side effects, too.
Here’s what you might expect at each stage of your journey.
You will start taking fertility medicine during the stimulation phase of your treatment cycle. These medicines work by altering your hormone levels. Side effects can vary depending on the specific medications you are taking (and in which doses). They can also be different for different people.
Read on for an overview of what you might expect, depending on the medications you are prescribed.
As the name suggests, these medicines work by stimulating your ovaries to produce more eggs. Commonly used medications include Fostimon (urofollitropin) and Meriofert (menotrophin). Both of these contain the hormones FSH and LH. Clomid (clomiphene citrate) is also sometimes used to support ovarian stimulation.
Some of their side effects can include:
These medicines suppress your body’s natural hormone production, so that we can tightly control your levels throughout your treatment. This also stops eggs from being released too early.
Cetrotide (cetrorelix acetate) is one example of a down-regulation medicine. Another is buserelin.
Side effects are usually mild to moderate. They may include:
Buserelin is generally taken longer-term. Because it suppresses your hormones over a longer period of time, it can sometimes bring on menopause-like symptoms, including hot flushes/night sweats, mood swings, irritability, fatigue, and more.
This is a hormonal injection that prepares your eggs for collection. It prompts them to enter the final stage of maturation, so we can collect them at precisely the right time.
Zivafert (human chorionic gonadotropin) is the trigger shot injection that’s usually used. And its possible side effects may be:
You’ll start taking progesterone support when it’s time to prepare the lining of your womb to receive the embryo. This ensures the lining is nice and thick so that the embryo can attach and burrow inside it.
Progesterone can be taken as an injection (given either under the skin or directly into the muscle) or pessary.
Potential side effects include:
The above are just a few of the medicines that can be used during your treatment. At ARGC, what you’re prescribed will depend on your unique biology and medical history, as well as what protocol you are using and whether it was a fresh or frozen cycle.
Most of the time, IVF medication doesn’t cause any serious problems. But there are some complications to watch out for that need quick medical attention.
It’s rare, but possible, to have an allergic reaction to IVF medication. If you experience:
Call your clinic’s emergency line or head to the emergency room.
What about egg collection? This procedure is generally very safe, though it’s common to have some mild and temporary discomfort afterwards. You may experience:
Because this is a surgical procedure, it comes with a small risk of infection, bleeding, or vaginal and cervical tears. But most of the time, you should start to feel better after a day or so of rest (with plenty of hydration).
Contact your clinic’s emergency line if you have:
Learn more about what happens during egg collection.
Some people have symptoms following embryo transfer but others get none at all. Symptoms you may experience include:
If you do have some side effects, contact your clinic if bleeding becomes heavy, if your symptoms get worse or don’t go away.
There’s a few other potential risks to be aware of when doing IVF.
Sometimes, the ovaries can react too strongly to fertility medicine. This is called ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Most cases are mild, affecting up to a third of IVF cycles. In this instance, your clinic will monitor you and possibly adjust your medication to prevent it from getting worse.
Though in rare cases, OHSS can be severe, which does require treatment. If you have any of the symptoms below, call your clinic’s emergency line right away:
If you can’t get through to them, go straight to A&E.
Getting pregnant with more than one child comes with increased health risks for both you and your baby. The chance of this happening is higher when you get pregnant from IVF than via natural conception.
To reduce the risk of a multiple pregnancy, clinics in the UK will usually just transfer one embryo at a time.
Though there are some specific cases where transferring two would be appropriate. For instance, if they had a lower chance of success. It’s something your clinician will discuss with you directly.
Learn more about the chances of having twins with IVF.
This is when a fertilised egg implants itself outside the womb. It’s a possible complication of IVF but it can happen during natural conception, too. In the UK, 2-3% of pregnancies are estimated to be ectopic. For those doing IVF, that figure can range from 0.8-8.6%.
Unfortunately, if this happens it’s not possible to save the pregnancy. Sometimes, the egg dissolves by itself, but other times you would have to take medicine or have keyhole surgery to remove it.
This is something that researchers are still looking into. But here’s what we know from the scientific evidence we do have:
Studying the long-term effects of IVF is tricky because some people might have underlying conditions like PCOS or endometriosis affecting their fertility. It can be difficult to figure out whether any health problems down the line are due to IVF or one of those conditions.
It’s important to know the risks of any medical treatment you have. But remember that your doctor will only recommend that you go through with it if the benefits outweigh those risks.
And at ARGC, we are right there with you for every day of your treatment. We’ll monitor your progress and check in with you daily, giving you advice and adjusting your plan as needed. If there are any potential issues, we can deal with them right away.
Our process is intense: some call it “IVF bootcamp”. But we work in this way to give you the best possible chance of becoming a parent.
Wondering whether ARGC is right for you? Our advisory calls are free, no-obligation, and led by someone who can answer your specific questions about treatment, costs, and what to expect. Book a call to get started.
Fertility Nurse • BN in Adult Nursing
Kelda Gould is a Registered Nurse specialising in fertility care. She holds a degree in Biochemistry and has over a decade of clinical experience spanning general nursing, outpatients, first response, and fertility care.
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