Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (patient information)

Jump to navigation Jump to search

For the WikiDoc page for this topic, click here

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome

Overview

What are the symptoms?

What are the causes?

When to seek urgent medical care?

Diagnosis

Treatment options

Where to find medical care for Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome?

What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?

Possible complications

Prevention

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome On the Web

Ongoing Trials at Clinical Trials.gov

Images of Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome

Videos on Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome

FDA on Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome

CDC on Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in the news

Blogs on Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome

Directions to Hospitals Treating Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome

Risk calculators and risk factors for Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome

Editor-in-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S.,M.D. [1] Phone:617-632-7753; Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief: Lakshmi Gopalakrishnan, M.B.B.S.

Synonyms and Keywords: OHSS

Overview

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a complication occasionally seen in women who take certain fertility medicines that stimulate egg production.

What are the symptoms of Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome?

  • The symptoms of OHSS can range from mild to severe.
  • Most women with the condition have mild symptoms such as:
  • Abdominal bloating
  • Mild pain in the abdomen
  • Weight gain
  • In rare cases, women can have more serious symptoms, including:

What causes Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome?

  • Normally, a woman produces one egg per month. Some women undergoing fertility treatments are given medicines to help normalize egg development or increase egg production.
  • However, if the drugs stimulate the ovaries too much, the ovaries can suddenly become very swollen and fluid can leak into the belly and chest area. This is called ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). OHSS occurs only after the eggs are released from the ovary (ovulation).
  • You may be more likely to get OHSS if your doctor gives you an injection of a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) to help trigger ovulation. You may have an even greater risk of this syndrome if you receive more than one dose of hCG after ovulation and if you become pregnant during this cycle. OHSS rarely, if ever, occurs in women who only take fertility medicines by mouth.
  • OHSS affects up to 10% of women who go through in vitro fertilization. In most cases the condition is mild, but some women get a severe and dangerous form of OHSS.
  • Additional risk factors for OHSS include:

When to seek urgent medical care?

Call your healthcare provider if you experience any of the following symptoms:

Diagnosis

  • If you have a severe case of OHSS, your health care provider will need to carefully monitor your symptoms. You may be admitted to the hospital.
  • Your weight and size of your belly area (abdomen) will be measured.
  • Tests that may be done include:

Treatment options

  • Mild cases of OHSS usually don't need to be treated. You can ease your discomfort by doing the following:
  • Get plenty of rest with your legs raised. This helps your body release the fluid. However, light activity every now and then is better than complete bed rest, unless your doctor tells you otherwise.
  • Drink at least 10 - 12 glasses of fluid a day (especially drinks that contain electrolytes).
  • Avoid alcohol or caffeinated beverages (such as colas or coffee).
  • Avoid intense exercise and sexual intercourse, which can cause ovarian discomfort and may cause ovarian cysts to rupture or leak or cause the ovaries to twist and cut off blood flow (ovarian torsion).
  • Take an over-the-counter pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Tylenol).
  • You should weigh yourself each day to make sure you are not putting on too much weight (5 or more pounds a day).
  • In the rare case that you develop severe OHSS, you will probably need to go to a hospital. The health care providers there will give you fluids through a vein (intravenous fluids), remove fluids that have collected in your body, and monitor your condition.

Where to find medical care for Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome?

Directions to Hospitals Treating Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome

What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?

  • Most mild cases of OHSS will go away on their own after menstruation starts.
  • If you have a more severe case, it can take several days for symptoms to improve.
  • If you become pregnant during OHSS, the symptoms may get worse and can take weeks to go away.

Possible complications

In rare cases, OHSS can lead to life-threatening complications, including:

  • Blood clots
  • Kidney failure
  • Severe electrolyte imbalance
  • Severe fluid build-up in the abdomen or chest

Prevention

  • If you are receiving injections of fertility medicines, your doctor will monitor you carefully with blood tests and pelvic ultrasounds to make sure that your ovaries aren't over-responding.
  • If your estrogen level rises very high or very quickly while taking fertility injections, your risk for OHSS is increased. You may need to take a lower dose of the medicines or temporarily stop treatment.
  • Some women may be given a protein solution called lbumin to reduce the chances of OHSS.

Source

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/007294.htm

Template:WH Template:WS