Hi Jules,
I think that a cycle with OCP and synarel and a cycle with just synarel are very similar - they are both GnRH agonist cycles - both a type of down-regulated cycle, where synarel works on your pituitary to eventually stop your ovaries from producing oestrogen, which in turn stops you from naturally producing the hormones you need to ovulate (FSH & LH), allowing your FS to have control of your cycle and stimulation of your ovaries.
The OCP can help "down-regulate" or "quieten" your ovaries in addition to your pituitary gland switching off your normal cycle hormones via the synarel. It's like a doubled affect, of sorts. OCP helps your ovaries quieten down prior to synarel and stops you from ovulating (if you do ovulate) in the cycle before you start the stimulation phase. Synarel then carries on the work of getting your hormones to continue to be low or "baseline" and stop you from ovulating during the stimulation phase. This can be helpful from the point of view that it assists the down-regulation, or suppression and control over your hormones to be more effective overall, and it is also a good way to ensure that a patient doesn't have any simple ovarian cysts (by quietening your ovaries) before they start stimulation, which can be problematic during stimulation.
Some patients respond too well to down-regulation with both OCP and synarel (there are a number of ladies here who this has happened to) and are unable to be "woken up" from down-regulation and their bodies don't respond to the stimulation phase properly - this perhaps could be a reason why your FS has decided not to use the OCP with your cycle and only the synarel - but I think you should ask your FS about why he has chosen this cycle for you if you have any concerns.
I hope the information has been helpful - I'm not sure of the reason in your situation of why your doctor has chosen this type of cycle for you, but I'm sure they will be able to tell you - it could even just be the way that they choose to do down-regulation with all their patients.
Good luck, and I hope your upcoming cycle is a success!
Miss C
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