Treatment of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome using a dopamine agonist and gonadotropin releasing hormone antagonist: a case series.

OBJECTIVE: To describe an outpatient treatment protocol for ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) that results in rapid normalization of symptoms with minimal side effects.
DESIGN: Case series.
SETTING: Midwestern academic reproductive endocrinology division. PATIENT(S): Four consecutive patients, diagnosed with OHSS, who presented after oocyte retrieval but before embryo transfer. INTERVENTION(S): All embryos were frozen and each patient was treated with the same dopamine agonist and GnRH antagonist protocol. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Daily weights, days to resolution of clinical symptoms, side effects of the treatment protocol, and whether or not acute care or hospitalization was necessary. RESULT(S): The most rapid weight loss was within the first 5 days of treatment. The average time to resolution of clinical symptoms was 5.75 days. No side effects were reported and no patients required acute care or hospitalization. CONCLUSION(S): Dopamine agonists and GnRH antagonists, when given together at the time of diagnosis of OHSS, appear to work rapidly and effectively to diminish the clinical symptoms of the disease. The potential benefit of finding an outpatient treatment for OHSS with rapid onset and minimal side effects warrants further investigation into this protocol.