IVF with very high FSH?

Thanks so much for the reply. We have also been karotyped and given the all clear. It's just so hard to know what to do isn't it? I think I'll start to pursue donor option. My sister is only slightly younger, but has already had her kids. She wants to donate - FS would like her to be younger, but will approve her as donor. I still waiver between being ok with it and not being ok with it and wanting to continue with my own eggs...oh, if only someone could give us all a conclusive answer as to what we should do...

I know all too well how you feel. I am trying to gather as much information as possible. I do wish that someone would tell me what is right for me and my DH. My sister is too old - she too has her children and has offered her eggs but she's over 40 (and in America). I really do not have any confidence in my own eggs at this point and I think our choice will be not to have children or use a donor - realistically I think this is it.

If I had more time at the moment, I'd write more - but work is extremely busy at the moment.

Hi ladie's thank's for all the info it has helped i am concentrating on getting my estrogen level's down while we wait i am back on liquid vitex to balance my hormones and promote ovulation and it is supose to help lower fsh i am on organic meat,milk,cheese,vegie's,fruit ect and am trying to avoid food that contains natural estrogen so we will see if it help's if not we get one more shot in dec then we throw in the towel and we will have to TTC the natural way and hope and pray the baby will be uneffected with SLO it would be nice to get one cycle and try the pgd ivf i hope i get to that stage but the way i'm feeling right now i wonder if i will even be able to fall pregnant again how do you go through this over and over it is soooooooooooooo stressfull anyway goodluck tigga and buliej i hope you get your much wanted BFP's.

One more question in July i had an u/s at cycle day 7 to check my follicle's i had 14 good size follies is that a good number?

Ferrals - I'm assuming you had an 'antral follicle count' done at that scan...if so, 14 is a great number!! A really great number - you've got nothing to worry about there. Don't lose hope...you WILL fall pregnant again...I hope you get your December PGD IVF miracle!

Buliej - I'm hearing you. Every now and then I feel ok at the thought of a child-free life, but I just can't quiet accept it just yet. But, if that's what it ends up being after I'm done with all this - I will accept it and DH & I will have a fantastic life non-the-less...yes, different, but still great! (Ooooooh! There'll be some even more spoilt nieces and nephews :)

ferrals4- As Tigga has said yes 14 is a fantastic # esp as they were all good sizes. Last cycle I did, I had 13 but once again they all varied in size...greatly and that's not so flash :shakehead: so I would be very encouraged by your last response. I hope all the effort you are putting in pays off for you and you get a BFP soon.

Tigga- when is your first stim scan hun?

Thank's girls you have given me hope.

anyos- ((hugs)) hun and thinking of you today during what must be an emotionally very hard day.

Hi Dutchie, I had first scan and BT today - Stim Day 6 (I can o early so they get me in earlier). BT all good and scan showed 4 follies (2 on each ovary) at 10-12mm. I start Orgalutran tomorrow and back for BT & Scan on Monday. 4 is a cancelled cycle for some, but 4 is good for me.

Buliej - My FS today changed his mind about me taking DHEA all the way through cycle and wants me to stop DHEA when I go for pick up. I told him that from what I'd read it's better to keep taking through cycle. He was adamant that he felt I should stop at pick up to prevent the "potential androgenising of a female fetus" - he said DHEA is a male hormone and too much of it in the early stages of female fetus developed can be detrimental. I hadn't heard that before, but have decided to go with his advice until I have other conclusive research. I'd read of someone else who has been on it not stop for 4.5mths while cycling and only just stopped at 7 weeks after BFP. I suppose it's all new and experimental still.

hi to anyos & ferrals.

Tigga - your FS is right. What I was trying to say is that my FS had me stop on Cycle Day 1 (first day of AF) and I think that I should have taken it until day of pick-up. I've done a lot of reading on DHEA and have read findings consistent with your FS' opinion.

I'm a bit concerned because AF is 4 days late for me - and I have POAS and am so not pregnant. It's just not making sense.

Afternoon ladies.

Tigga-good to hear your cycle is going great i am following your progress to see how it turns out i have my fingers crossed for you.

Buliej-The best thing to bring on AF is plan a raunchy night with hubby AF always shows up when we have the night off together and no kids.

AFM-I did my OPK early today and it was still neg so i went to see my acupuncturist(spelling) and went over possible reasons for my high estrogen and not feeling myself ovulate last month which has never happened before anyway she did some extra things to me to help destress and gave me extra needles to bring on ovulation by the time i got home this arvo after picking up the kids i have have slight period type cramps so i went and done 2 more OPKs and got a real strong positive line on both so thank god my body is working right on que so much for the FS saying i will ov early i am on day 13 so i should ov tomorrow what a shame we have to avoid getting pregnant until this next BT but i am happy that i am back on vitex and my body seems to be doing what it is supose to do God i hope i get to start next month i am prepared to get the bad news as this whole thing has been bad news from the begining i told DH if we cant start next month that is it for me i wont go the ivf way we will do it the natural way i just cant handle that we cant do anything because of my hormones when all this time wasted (6months) we could have been pregnant by now if i had any idea that this could happen or cycles could be cancelled i would have still tried naturally as i am 36 in 5 months the clock is ticking so FRUSTRATING!!!!!.

AF arrived - all it took was the usual email to my nurse fretting about "where is she" and a booking of a bikini wax...making myself look like a neurotic former NY-er plus having to reschedule a hard-to-get wax appoint never fails to bring it on...

Ferrals - glad AP helped get things back on schedule. I hope that you can start jabbing next month. I know all about the ticking clock - mine is so loud it wakes me up at 3am almost every night...

Just a question last AF when i was waiting for my BT result on day one i opened my puregon cartridge and put it in the pen and put the needle on to get it ready seeing as i didnt end up useing it i have read once it is opened you have to discard it after 28 days i took the needle off straight away will it be still good to use or should i just use a new one when the time comes

Hi all

I've just read this entire thread (took me a while) and I learnt a lot from it. I am looking to start my second IVF cycle but my CD1 test showed FSH 19 and my FN has said to wait until next AF. I asked her what I can do to lower the FSH and she said nothing. Having read this thread, I'm going to run out and buy some wheat grass in the morning! I only got 2 mature eggs from my first IVF cycle and only one fertilised, so I guess I'm definitley in the non-responder category...

Does anyone have any idea whether excess kilos has any effect on FSH? I've put on maybe 4 kilos since my first cycle (which was down reg) and thought maybe that might have raised the FSH. My previous FSH test in April this year was 2 so I'm wondering what I've done to raise it to 19? Too much chocolate? The other thought I had was that i've been on a gluten free diet since Sept 2008 and just last month I was away from home for three weeks and ate a lot of gluten filled foods... could this have caused a rise in FSH? Is anyone else on gluten free and experienced this?

Thanks.

Daisie

hey girls,

Dutchie, thank you for your message honey :hug: how are you going?

Tigga, how are you going with your cycle? When is EPU?

BulieJ, hope things are travelling well, are you cycling this month?

Ferrals, its such a difficult, confusing road isn't it? I'm glad the accupuncture is working well for you, let me know how you go with wheatgrass, that seemed to make all the difference for my FSH levels.

Daisy, welcome to the thread! I'm on a mainly gluten-free diet (wheat + dairy intolorence) and I haven't noticed a particular difference in my FSH levels if I 'indulge', but I haven't been taking too much notice of the two things either. I don't think it can make such a big impact and FSH levels tend to fluctuate month to month. You'll probably have a better idea with next month's results.

AFM was a terrible week last week and of course everywhere I went all I saw were little four-year-old girls. DH & my family & friends were amazing and I'm so grateful to them. Feeling a little better this week, hoping that I can stay focused on work, xmas hols and other non-ttc things.

Hey everyone

Anyos-confusing and frustrating to say the least the acupunture is making me feel so much calmer anyway im not taking wheatgrass(to scared have heard it can increase FSH im taking vitex a natural hormone stabiliser i also have read on quite a few sites that it mildly reduces FSH hormone and seeing my estrogen is the main problem i went back on it as i was on it for ages when i fell pregnant with my daughter i don't know for sure if my FSH is actually high 9.6 on day two then 8 on day three FS said that is normal and she is happy with it but as i said before i have read high E2 can supress FSH so it does have me a little worried i am praying it helps i am also trying to avoid high estrogen foods and avoiding meat and chicken and dairy with hormones and chemicals so i will let you know if it works.

Hi Daisy and welcome i am in a similar boat couldnt start my cycle because of high E2 sux big time doesnt it and from what i have read and i have read a looooooooooooot FSH levels can change from month to month and i have not heard or read anything to do with excess weight and high FSH it seems to be hormonal and the older we get our bodies try harder to produce mature eggs to ovulate so if the levels go up our bodies are trying to hard and that is not so good but you are 35 so am i and my FS seems to think i am a baby where ivf is concerned and i have plenty of time i am not so optimistic as after december we wont be going the ivf route to expensive for us as we are doing PGD IVF and one cycle for us is $14,218 so we get one shot if my levels are ok before then anyway the other ladies here will give you more info they have been doing this unfortunately for quite a while.

Hi all

Thanks ferrals and anyos for the feedback. I guess I just feel powerless and I'll do anything to lower my FSH. I guess i just wait and see what it is next month before i hit the panic button. I've got two more cycles before year end and end of saftey net, so I've got my fingers crossed for low FSH.

Daisie

Deleted a double post.

buliej - Hahahaha. I know exactly what you mean about AF showing up, mine's same...as soon as I contact clinic all worried, I find myself calling them back same day saying it arrived...it always reminds me about how much our minds are tied to the physical aspects of us. I'm trying to find out if DHEA resets itself each time you stop/start - or do the benefits continue on. If I find any info I will post.

ferrals - Your puregon should be alright, but maybe use a new one b/c then if the cycle has a hiccup - you won't needlessly worry and blame yourself about having used an old puregon. NOT saying that your cycle will be anything but perfect!!! But you know what I mean. I'm glad to hear acu is helping. (I go weekly). I've actually never read about wheatgrass increasing FSH levels - only the opposite. Do you recall where you read that? I'd be interested. My highest reading was while I was on Liquid Vitex & taking other herbs - though I don't think that was the reason. Your levels are ok and age is on your side - so stay positive and hang in there.

Daisie - Welcome, but I am sorry you find yourself here! High FSH is a horrible finding to deal with. Definitely not worth hitting the panic button...there's many high FSH success stories and I hope each one of us become more soon. I've had same result as you for 1st cycle - also just 2 eggs/1 fert. So, you're in good company ;) I've never heard or read of excess weight affecting FSH levels? I can't help on the gluten free info sorry. FSH can bounce around alot as yours has from 2 - 19 (mine from 5.4 - 44)...there's very mixed opinion about waiting for a low level to start IVF and whether it indeed makes any difference. FSH is about how you'll respond to IVF drugs - not about if you can get pregnant or not - waiting for a low FSH is a personal choice (although most clinics take that choice away by having a cut off - which I've learnt you can challenge if you want).

Anyos - Hugs to you!

Dutchie - How are you?

AFM, my cycle so far:
Stim Day 5 (Last Thu): 2 follies in each ovary, 10-12mm. All levels good.
Stim Day 9 (Monday): Scan showed, the two follies from Right ovary 'fizzled out' and 3 follies x 16mm ea in left ovary.
Est levels were good, but Pg and LH were on the rise (7 and 20 respectively) - very weird b/c Orgalutran is supposed to prevent this happening?
Stim Day 10 (Today) - another set of bloods today, show LH back down to 5 (from 20 yesterday)??? but Est level flat at 2400. I'm back in for bloods and scan tomorrow morning when the call will be made to continue or cancel this cycle. I'm about to Dr Google it - but flat/declining est levels don't sound promising to me.

EPU was pencilled for Friday - but now it's all up in the air. Fun and games :doh:...I'm just rolling with it this cycle - no expectations at all. I feel suprisingly ok about this bump in the road - I suppose I'm realising that there's not much I can do about it so no use crying over out of whack hormones. I'll continue to :pray: instead.