After having a long discussion with your fertility expert, he informed you that in the last cycle of your fertility treatment, you will use Ovidrel shot. You trust his judgment and you didn’t ask any questions as you needed to attend to an important meeting. Later on, you asked yourself, what is it? It is a fertility drug given in the form of an injection. It enables the eggs to mature well and be released. The drug comes in a prefilled syringe containing a hormone in the form of a liquid. The hormone is known as HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin). The drug is also referred to as trigger shot because it triggers ovulation.
How to Give a Shot
The nurse will give the Ovidrel shot or you can do it in the comfort of your house. The doctor will teach you to do it at home. Ensure you follow the medication instructions given by the doctor outlined below:
Assemble all the required materials in one area, namely, prefilled syringe, a disposable container, alcohol swabs and gauze and let the prefilled syringe adjust to the room temperature if you had stored it in the refrigerator
- Wash the hands thoroughly
- Hold the syringe with the needle pointing upwards, remove the cap and avoid touching the needle, also, don’t let the needle come into contact with any surface.
- Tap the syringe gently until all the air bubbles rise and settle at the top
- To remove the air bubbles at the top, push the syringe plunger carefully, you will note a small amount of liquid at the needle tip as it has replaced the air bubbles you have just removed
- Select an injection area on your stomach, if possible the area surrounding the belly bottom, but one to two inches away.
- Use the alcohol swab to clean the injection spot you have just selected. Give the area few seconds to air dry.
- Hold the syringe with one of your hand and pinch your skin with the other hand on the spot selected. Make sure you hold the skin firmly
- Insert the needle inside the skin as demonstrated by the doctor
- Free your skin and press the needle plunger slowly but steadily till you inject all the medicine.
- Pull out the needle gently after confirming you have injected all the medication.
- Press the injection site firmly using the gauze pad. If bleeding persists after a few minutes, place clean gauze on the injection spot and use adhesive bandage to cover the area
- Throw the injection materials you have used in the disposable container. You may ask the doctor to give you the disposable container or refer you to a pharmacy to buy the container. If you don’t discard the needle well, it can harm your family members
Always take the injection as directed by the doctor. You can contact him to fully understand the process. If you don’t comprehend the process well, it wise to allow the nurse or your physician to give the injection.
When to Take
You are conversant with Ovidrel instructions; the next step is to understand the perfect timing of the drug shot. When it comes to this medciation, timing is critical. Knowing the precise time to give or take the shot calls for experience or proper training and a great deal of vigilance. If the injection is given too early, the eggs will be underdeveloped. On the hand, if it is administered too late, the egg will be over developed. It is important to note that this injectable drug is given after other medications have been used and failed to induce ovulation. Before the Ovidrel, your doctor will prescribe other drugs for example, Clomid or HMG (human menopausal gonadotropin) to aid your ovaries develop the follicles needed for ovulation, although some medics argue that HMG is better than Clomid since it makes more eggs and the more the eggs the higher the chance that the sperm will find your egg.
The doctor will carry out several ultrasounds to check the progress of the growing follicles. The health care provider will measure the size of your follicles to predict if the eggs can be released (that is if they are ready).
What Does the Drug Do?
This medication assists in the last stage of egg maturation and makes sure the fully grown eggs are released by the follicles. In simpler terms after the eggs are fully developed, Ovidrel provokes ovulation that’s why it's termed as ovulation shot since it triggers egg release. If you will inject yourself, follow the procedure outlined above.
Ovidrel Shot Timing IUI
Are you going through IUI (intrauterine insemination)? Well, if that’s the case Ovidrel shot timing IUI is of importance. Timing will depend on when ovulation occurs, therefore, the big question is, when will you ovulate after the injcetion? After the injection, you are likely to ovulate within 24 to 36 hours. Thus you must have sex within this period. On the other hand, if going through IUI, you will undergo insemination the next day or the second day after the injection, though it will depend on fertility specialist.
Side Effects
The use of the drug is not without side effects. Your doctor is aware of the negative effects and will give you detailed information concerning the unwanted effects. However, you can be watchful for the following side effects:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Mild abdominal pain or swelling
- Headache
- Restlessness
- Irritability
- Water weight gain
- Depression
- Breast tenderness or swelling
- Reaction on the injection site such as pain, swelling, bruising, redness and irritation
- Allergic reactions signs like difficulty breathing, hives, and swelling of the face, lips tongue and throat
- Blood clot symptoms for example confusion, pain, warmth, redness, extreme dizziness, numbness and severe headache
- Signs of ovarian hyperstimulation which may be fatal or mild, the symptoms are severe pelvic pain, shortness of breath, stomach pain and swelling, diarrhea and weight gain
The undesirable effects of Ovidrel are innumerable, the doctor will give you a full list of what to expect and when to visit a health facility. Ensure you differentiate the common and the severe side effects; the common effects clear after some time, but if they continue, see the doctor. For the severe side effects, you must seek medical intervention.