Steps to IVF Treatment – Administration of drugs

04:04 6th November 2013 | In-Vitro Fertilisation

IVF Egg Collection Embryo Transfer IVF Drug Prescription IVF Drugs Buserelin Naferelin

There are several steps to IVF treatment and instructions to patients undergoing IVF. This article will help to alleviates some of the myths associated with IVF. Adhering to these instructions while undergoing IVF will increase.

Steps of IVF/Instructions to Patients undergoing treatment
a) Administration of drugs
b) Egg collection
c) Embryo Transfer
d) Pregnancy Test

Supply of Drugs
You will be given a prescription for different types of drugs, that stimulate or suppress the production of eggs. It is strongly recommended that you purchase these drugs before you start your treatment. You will be able to purchase most of your drugs at affordable rates from recommended chemists.

Administration of Drugs
You will be taught how to “self administer: your injections. This may be daunting at first but is a simple technique to learn. After a few practices you will find it much easier. If you simply cannot administer your own injections, our client co-ordinators will assist you. You may have to arrange appointments for Sundays. Alternatively, we can train your partner or friend that would be able to administer these injections for you. A subcutaneous injections technique is used. The drug is drawn up from the ampoule, through a needle into a special syringe, injected into the upper thigh or stomach area, at a 45 degree angle. It is of critical importance that once drug treatments have commenced, that you stick closely to the prescribed injection regime. hould you not take your drugs at the appropriate times you will be affecting the outcome and success of the whole treatment. Your client co-ordinator will explain why each drug is used and the effect it is expected to have. If you have any queries or concerns on the administration of drugs, please speak to the client co-ordinator. Before using any of the drugs, please check the expiry dates. Each individual ampoule/bottle has an expiry date printed on the label. Discard any expired ampoules.

Drugs used in Assisted Conception Treatment

GnRH analogues: Buserelin or Naferelin, these drugs work by “switching off” the woman’s ovaries, giving us complete control over the menstrual cycle. They should be started on the first day of your period and continued all through the treatment cycle, until you have had the HCG injection. Buserelin is taken as a subcutaneous injection at a dose of 0.5ml once a day. Buserelin is usually administered for a minimum of twenty-one days, however it may be necessary to take it for a longer period.

Side Effects: Once the ovaries start to ‘switch off’ and the woman’s own hormones are suppressed, menopausal symptoms may be experienced, such as hot flushes, headaches, forgetfulness and feeling slightly depressed. These are normal and you should not be worried if you experience any of these. For headaches, paracetamol or something similar may be taken. Some women may notice their period is different from normal or may notice further bleeding after their period is finished. Again, this is
not a cause for concern and will not affect the treatment. There are as yet no known long term side effects after Buserelin. If the IVF treatment is not successful, you may find your periods are irregular for a couple of months before returning to normal.

Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) Treatment: This drug should stimulate your ovaries to produce follicles. It is administered by daily intramuscular or subcutaneous injection. Follicles are tiny fluid sacs that grow on the ovary and that contain the eggs. Not every follicle contains an egg, but approximately 75% do contain eggs. In your normal monthly cycle, only one egg is produced. To
increase the chances of pregnancy with IVF treatment, we need several eggs. The amount of FSH required varies between patients, but in general older women need more than younger women. We will count the number of follicles developing on the ovaries and measure them using ultrasound. When the follicles reach about 16 -20 mm in size, we would expect the egg inside to be mature.

hCG (late night injection):
When the follicles are large enough, we will tell you to stop the FSH injections and have the hCG injection. This drug prepares the eggs for collection and fertilisation. It is usually given 32 – 39 hours before egg collection, which is another reason why it is so convenient for you to be having your injections at home. Your partner will need to ejaculate just before the injection and then refrain from intercourse or masturbation until the day of egg collection when he will need to produce a semen sample for the insemination of the eggs. Please stop buserelin when you have had hCG injection.