IVF with very high FSH?

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.

Tigga-not sure where i read about wheatgrass can increase fsh i surfed so many sites but i did read on a few fertility forums of women who went on wheatgrass to lower there fsh but it went up higher i also read that wheatgrass can increase estrogen thus masking fsh by pushing it down i wont go on wheatgrass as i already have high estrogen and my fsh is supose to be ok but i have read heaps on a lot of sites that vitex mildly supresses fsh levels and balances out estrogen and progesterone and seeing i fell pregnant with abbi on it not long after i started taking it i will keep on it.
You are the first person i have heard of having high fsh on it but it might not have been because of it ( well i hope not ) all i can do is wait and see what my levels are i also go to acupuncture weekly it destresses me.
I hope all goe's well tomorrow and they don't cancel your cycle what do you mean by flat estrogen level what is it supose to be on day 10 and Dr google can be good for info but can also freak you out when you read the stuff we don't want to hear.

Hi Ladies.
A quick update on my progress. Had EPU on Friday where I was told there were 5 eggs.
Yesterday lab called to let us know - it was in actual fact 4 eggs (go figure!): 2x fertilised normally, 1x abnormal egg and 1x abnormal fert. I'm just waiting for todays update on the progress of the 2 that fertilised. All going well I will have both transferred tomorrow. :pray: :pray:

ferrals - It's very likely that Vitex had nothing to do with high FSH. It did work in regulating my menstrual cycle and I did get a natural BFP, after I'd started it the first time around.

Hope everyone else is well.

Tigga-good luck for your TF i will have my fingers crossed for you and i will be waiting to see your post with some good news.

Just one other question regarding high FSH what does SIVF consider normal levels i have read a few things some say under 10 is good and others say under 12 is normal then some sights say under 9 is what you should have i am panicing that if my E2 goes down that my FSH will go up i am not looking forward to this next BT.

Well done Tigga, BOL for your TF tomorrow! Sticky vibes coming your way.

Hi Ferrals, I was talking to my FN this week (from SIVF) regarding my FSH which was 19 last cycle. She said under 10 was a go. Having said that, I've been doing a bit of research on the subject (since reading what Tigga had to say below) and personally, I would be pushing to go ahead if mine 12 or 13 next time around.

Tigga, Good Luck with the transfer, I hope all goes well. :2ww:

Daisie

Tigger good luck today!

Daisy-thanks for the info so i supose my Day 2 level of 9.6 is cutting it close my Day 3 level was better at 8 but my estrogen was pushing it down so i wonder what it would be with normal estrogen levels.

Ferrals - I'm not with SIVF sorry - but my clinic's cut off is 12 (though they can be pushed).

Dutchie - Thanks and I hope you are well. Where are you at?

Daisie - I had a cycle cancelled with a FSH of 21 & est 160 and then next one was 7.6 and est 142 (my first cycle). Second cycle FSH was 10 and est 287 - got a BFP but m/c at 7 weeks. Sometimes, I wish I never ask for the numbers and just go with what the clinic tells me. You can find yourself obsessing too much about them for nothing. Your age is in your favour - even if you do have higher FSH. Even so, I hope it's lower for you next time.

BulieJ, Anyos - How you ladies going? Hope you're ok.

AFM, I have 2 embies back on board, one a 8-9 cell and the other 'lagging'. BT is 13th November - Friday 13th...a lucky omen!!

Good luck Tigga for the TWW i hope this is it for you fingers crossed.

Best of luck Tigga - PUPO!

I have read or been told that DHEA leaves your system pretty quickly - thus I think that breaking up the 3 months isn't the greatest thing to do - but I've done it too.

Does anyone know much about estrogen levels? I have a feeling - based on my fancy-schmancy fertility monitor from the US that measures both estrogen and FSH (clear blue easy in case you want to google) that I am starting my cycles with unusually high estrogen levels. This would be a recent development for me and I'm wondering what this means and whether it matters.

Hi to everyone else - hope you are all going well.

buliej-that is my problem high estrogen to early in my cycle and from what my FS and the PGD nurse said it means either my cycle is out of wack or that i have a lead follicle that has started to grow to big to early which she said if fine for my fertility it just means i ovulate early (which is about right i usually ovulate on day 11 or 12) but for ivf it is no good because having a lead follicle means when they start the fsh injections that greedy follicle will absorb all the hormones and they smaller one wont have time to catch up and with PGD i need lots of eggs to test my FS said we will just wait and see how it goe's this month but i went back on vitex which helps balance out hormones lowering fsh and estrogen and increasing progesterone and i switched to organic meat chicken and dairy and also tried to buy paraben free products as paraben is in almost all beauty products cleaning products and plastics and is a synthetic estrogen which we absorb and it binds to our natural estrogen making it higher and is also a risk for cancer i thought i would try anything to help lower it and my naturopath and acupunturist also recomended the changes i have made because many women have estrogen dominance i was told estrogen should be under 100 my FS said they would be happy for it to be between 100 and 150 mine was 360 so i hope it has gone down a bit anyway i hope i havnt raved on to much.

Time for a new thread ladies