Can You Get Pregnant With Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome & Is OHSS A Sign Of Pregnancy?

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a severe problem of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) in assisted pregnancy stages. General medical practitioners and hospital specialists need to be aware of the clinical presentation, pathophysiology and current aspects of management of this condition, which has increased in frequency as assisted conception treatment has become more widely available.

OHSS arises when your ovaries over-react to FSH injections. FSH injections invigorate your ovaries to generate many egg sacs. When many follicles are generated it is most likely that your ovaries will expand and discharge chemicals into your arteries that make blood vessels release fluid into the body.¹

Although ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome is mild and not severe however the condition when left untreated can become life-threatening and result in serious complications. Early diagnosis and careful monitoring can lessen the risk of serious consequences.

Certain females are at an elevated danger of developing ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome than others. Following lower dosages of hormones, or using alternative treatment protocols, can reduce your risk. Studies state that ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome typically develops after the release of the eggs from the ovaries. These are often indicated by warning symptoms with which your doctor can closely monitor during the treatment cycle.

For instance, in some females, fertility drugs result in producing numerous follicles which in turn increases the estradiol levels. This eventually heightens the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. When the treatment cycle shows increased levels, your doctor suggests avoiding sexual intercourse and may probably cancel the treatment cycle. The primary objective for canceling the treatment cycle is because if you get pregnant, recovery from ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome may take longer. Pregnancy can worsen OHSS.^2,3

If you develop a serious condition of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and get pregnant, your chances of miscarriage may also be greater. In a nutshell, OHSS in its severe form is potentially fatal. However, OHSS is an indicator of high fertility with an ultimate pregnancy rate of 52.27% in those who develop ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.
Most of your ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome symptoms should resolve in 7–10 days. If your fertility therapy does not end in a gestation, ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome typically improves by the next period cycle. If you get pregnant, OHSS may worsen and persists for a few weeks or more. Pregnancy can make OHSS worse or last longer. When a female develops ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, forfeiting instant pregnancy by freezing her eggs/embryos for transmission later can aid the OHSS to resolve more rapidly and keep it from advancing.⁴

Pregnant ladies endure to develop symptoms for 1-3 weeks or higher after a healthy gestation examination. The warning signs disappear on its own, and the rest of the gestation is not impacted.

The syndrome occurs during either the luteal phase (events arise to prepare the body for pregnancy) or early pregnancy, this implies only after luteinization or following the administration of hormone produced by the placenta after implantation (hCG). However, seldom, it may happen naturally at the starting of a natural gestation and in the absence of any supported reproductive therapy. Spontaneous OHSS has also been identified in pregnant women influenced by PCOS (hormone disorder that affects the women’s hormone level), incapability to produce enough thyroid hormone, the abnormally fertilized egg or an overgrowth of tissue from the placenta, gonadotropin-producing pituitary adenoma, and multiple pregnancies.

Several studies were conducted to determine the occurrences of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome during pregnancy. The reports state that more than 90% of late OHSS cases occurred in pregnancy and were more likely to be severe than in the early cases.^5,6

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Also Read:

• Coping Methods For Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome
• How To Diagnose Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome & What Is The Best Medicine For It?
• What Are The First Symptoms Of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome?
• What Is The Best Treatment For Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome?
• What Leads To Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome & Can It Be Cured?