Egg freezing effects on emotions

November 23, 2019 12:00 AM

This was me I decided a few months ago to do a cycle and am currently on my second round of egg freezing. I’m just noticing the last few months that my emotions seem to be on a hair trigger, and I wonder if it could be the egg freezing hormones making things worse? I have had very few physical symptoms so I’m not sure if I’m on a particularly high dose. I am still looking for a therapist, but just wondering in the meantime.
posted by EatMyHat to Health & Fitness (7 answers total)

All of the hormones involved in IVF or egg harvesting can mess up your emotions something good, even on not a terribly high dose. I had little in the way of physical symptoms, but I was a different and much more volatile person on the drugs.
posted by frumiousb at 12:40 AM on November 23, 2019 [3 favorites]

I’m just noticing the last few months that my emotions seem to be on a hair trigger, and I wonder if it could be the egg freezing hormones making things worse?

Oh holy shit YES. Did they not warn you about this? If you are a weepy angry hot mess, it's probably not because everything is terrible, but because Clomid is terrible. Like, THE WORST.
posted by DarlingBri at 1:11 AM on November 23, 2019 [7 favorites]

Yes, I was a mess. I am not even sure I want children, but while I was on the shots, I would see children on the subway and nearly cry about how I didn’t have a baby of my own in my arms right then. Seeing a woman my age sitting with her father made me actually cry. Then I was also hugely irritable and mad at everyone (I was absolutely furious with the person I was dating at the time because he wanted to buy me ice cream one night - totally irrational), scared to death, upset I was doing this to my body, and in pain. A friend of mine went through egg freezing a few months after me and also was an angry, mad mess. Luckily it all went away (including the feeling of wanting kids) soon after the eggs were harvested. So I think you’ll be fine very soon.
posted by umwhat at 1:26 AM on November 23, 2019

Just a resounding YES they do.
posted by AlexiaSky at 2:41 AM on November 23, 2019

Yes, absolutely, everyone I know who’s been through egg harvesting was an absolute emotional wreck.
posted by Stacey at 5:52 AM on November 23, 2019

Nearly every anecdote I’ve ever heard about egg freezing includes either a Long aside or a short aside about the emotional havoc. People have quit jobs, initiated divorce from much loved stable relationships, moved, and otherwise endured upheaval as a result of emotional, well, upheaval.

Hormones are powerful.
posted by bilabial at 6:28 AM on November 23, 2019 [1 favorite]

Yes. I was essentially a feral five year old when I did ovum donation. Once you are done with cycle it will get better.
posted by supermedusa at 8:11 AM on November 23, 2019 [1 favorite]