Hi every one. I haven't posted here for a over a year, I've been off the fertility round-a-bout for a little while; and have been getting support from an ectopic pregnancy board in the meantime. I have had three ectopics and I only have one blocked, scarred tube now.
I am just about to make a decision about whether or not to go through with an egg donor cycle (we are so lucky to have this opportunity) ...but before we jump in, my DH and I are considering getting a second opinion about the possibility of using my eggs. Our FS refused to put me through an IVF cycle because my FSH levels were too high. Does any one know if any specialists ever give it a try, or is the general consensus that there is no point in taking follicle stimulating drugs if the follicles are already being naturally over stimulated and ovulation is not regular etc?
Hi Rae
I think it depends a lot on your history of EPUs and FSHs. There may be some FS around that are willing to give it a go, but it may be a lot of work and take time to find out if they are willing (with referrals, appointments, tests etc).
I know the overwhelming feeling of wanting to give it 'just one more go with my own eggs'. Does your FS know you have a donor in the wings and you want to go one more time yourself before resorting to donor? I am in a similar situation to you although my donor has already done two full stim cycles for me (no frosties).
Last edited by dusty; January 16th, 2009 at 02:56 PM.
: mistype
No. He doesn't. I haven't had any contact with him since he tested my sister's FSH as well and said her levels were too high to be a donor. He only tested her once, but we are twins so he assumed that she would be in the same boat as me. He has said that he won't put me through an IVF cycle with my FSH levels, so I would be approaching someone new.
The time factor is a pressure, I have been agonizing over this decision for nine months and I don't want to keep my donor waiting for my decision for too much longer. I know that I am very lucky that two people have been willing to donate to me, but I find the non-blood related donor to be a harder issue to work through.
There are lots of things to think about aren't there, but not enough time necessarily .
If you don't mind me asking, how old is your other donor? If they are young then there is less time pressure for you as it depends mainly on the donor egg age, not the IP (intended parent). Although I understand your donor may not be able to wait around and may have plans of their own to make.
I can understand there are things to work through in relation to a non-relative donor, however, it is amazing how far our thinking can come when faced with the realities and our desire to have a child. I was never going to do IVF and here I am many cycles later and now with an egg donor. Family can be defined in so many ways.
ETA: I know a woman who wasn't quite ready to give up on her own, but did a donor cycle and froze all embryos and then waited on the outcome of her own last cycle. She is now pg through the frozen donor assisted embryos on her first try, after many many tries on her own.
Last edited by dusty; January 16th, 2009 at 03:43 PM.
: ETA
I meant to say thanks for answering my post, dusty!
My donor is 37...so time will become an issue. I am 38, but my body seems to think it is more like 48!
It really is very confusing, I thought I had moved on from wanting my child to be biologically mine, but it seems I haven't. Do you, or anyone understand why they don't start an IVF cycle if the FSH levels are so high? Is it dangerous or just very unlikley to work? I thought I understood but I can't seem to get it completely clear in my head.
ETA: I am a bit worried that I may have offended mums, dads and parents to be because of what I wrote above...I was speaking about how I felt right then in relation to donor versus non-donor eggs, I was having a difficult day yesterday-- and I wasn't making judgements about any one else's family, every child is a blessing and a miracle for every mum; and one day I hope to be one! Sorry if my tone came across as flippant or selfish.
Last edited by rae; January 17th, 2009 at 08:58 AM.
: clarification
I am sorry you're having a difficult time. I recently wasn't sure whether I should start an IVF cycle as my FSH was 9.7 - my FS does IVF cycles up to a FSH of 11 and recommended I start.
I have now heard from other women who had succesful cycles with an FSH of up to 14 and was also told by the IVF nurse that while the FSH is an indicator it's in no way foolproof, she also quoted a successful cycle from a women who had an FSh of 14 and said some women with really good FSH levels don't have many follicles/eggs etc.
In my understand a high FSH means that you may not have many eggs. Found some info here Day 3 FSH Fertility Test
In any case if your not sure abotu the advice from you FS I would go to someone else to get a second opinion.
My FS told me that my ovaries are very small naturally. I think he probably did tell me I don't have many eggs come to think of it, or the ones I do have are either "old" or not great...I was so emotional at the time that I don't remember much about it--I just went straight to "It's ok my sister will give me eggs!" in my mind and kind of tuned out--it didn't help that I went straight from the appointment in which I was told that it was very unlikely that I would be able to go through IVF (after he tested my FSH levels the first time and looked at my ovaries) to the nurses appointment to get my injection kit, plan etc...it was just such an awful experience.
As I said my sister can't give me eggs according to my FS. She is my age 38. My levels were always about 20, once they were within the "right" range but another level (maybe my oestragen?) was way to high which indicated that it wouldn't work.
I wonder if any one else has gone through IVF with levels more like 20. I think I will get a second opinion, but it seems unlikley that it will work, my period seems to be on its way out... I only get a period every six weeks or more instead of every three and a half these days.
ETA: I just had time to read through the link you provided, Sara. Thank you. I haven't even heard of flare protocol or any of the other options for women with elevated FSH or reduced ovarian reserves...I wonder if these are not available from Sydney IVF or if I wasn't suitable. My FS jumped from "this won't work" straight to egg donation.
Last edited by rae; January 17th, 2009 at 12:27 PM.
: Avoid double post
Hi Rae,
Sorry to hear about your troubles. I too have high FSH, my FSH level before I started my first stim cycle was 12. This has come down some in subsequent cycles but is still around 9.
I take Sharkeys Healing Centre herbs, I saw Stacey Roberts last month and was talking about FSH levels and she mentioned that a woman had come to her with an FSH level of 150, and after taking the herbs got her FSH to under 10.
I am not saying this is the solution, but might be something you want to investigate. I am not sure if you are going ahead with a cycle, you mentioned getting your injection kit, plan etc, if this is the case I hope you prove the Dr wrong. Best of luck with what ever you decide. xx
I really hope someone responds to your Q: Has anyone done IVF with high FSH levels? I want to know too...desperately. I am in exactly the same situation as you.
I have searched forums - but can't find much positive news of high FSH'ers having success with their own eggs.
According to my FS levels under 10 are still ok. 10-12 borderline and 12 and over poor odds for IVF success. My first FSH floored me. I had routine baseline bloods before commencing treatment, went home with my esky pack of drugs and was told to wait for their call to greenlight me. Not in a million years did I think I would get an FSH reading of 33! Even the FS thought that there had been some stuff up in the lab and got me back - it was 44, then 32, 23 and then a month later 6 (we did IUI), next month FSH 13 (we did IUI) and January IVF was cancelled with an FSH of 21.
I'm now holding out until Feb baseline and FS is hoping it's under 10 - if it's high he said that he may still go ahead with IVF (short flare) and see what happens. Mainly, b/c he continues to shake his head at what my body does, eg: with FSH at 44 I produced a follicle and ovulated, he rushed an IUI.
I feel very confused about the FSH too. I had a blighted ovum January 2008 and this is consistent (but not conclusive) to high FSH. Technically, I should have hot flushes and not get AF with readings as high as mine. My AF is regular 26/27 days (though getting on the light side). I think the biggest thing with high FSH is egg quality and I read that "eggs are only as good as your highest reading" - well if that's the case I question why my FS would even suggest a cycle of IVF for me? I need to ask more Q's.
Just yesterday, my amazing sister (36) offered me her eggs (she already has a family). I don't know what to do. Do I try with my own or do I go straight down the donor path. I'm 39 this year so I don't have time to be doing cycles which have no 'real' chance of success - success = viable pregnancy, not chem pregnancies. I just wish I could find the info to help me decide. I don't know whether FS is suggesting one cycle of IVF as a matter of process only - even though he knows it won't work??? I will talk to FN more next week. She's good and I feel is honest with me - sometimes I feel FS sugarcoats it and gives me tooooo much false hope.
Deep down I feel like my high FSH readings are a death sentence for having a child with own eggs, but I am trying to stay positive. I'm eat super healthy, do acupuncture twice/week, yoga, exercise and have reduced my responsibility at work - given this the latest reading of 21, really set me back mentally.
I did read a book called "Inconceivable" by Julia Indichova and she had FSH of 42, and after embarking on a health blitz (yoga, meditation, wheatgrass shots, juices etc) had 2 children naturally in her 40's. This book gave be some hope...but I wish I could find more high FSH success stories.
I did drink wheatgrass daily in the month prior to he '6' result, but haven't since. I have started again this month so we'll see if that makes any difference.
Rae, do your levels bounce around or are they constant?
I will keep searching for info and will post if I come across anything, please do the same - would love to stay in contact on this journey - ours seem very much alike.
Sara69 - With what my FS has told me, I would definitely be giving it a go at those readings. He still hasn't given up on me and mine are way higher.
I'd appreciate any feedback and am happy to answer any Q's.
Also, re: flare protocol. My understanding is that some clinics prefer not to do them because they have to run to your bodies schedule and not theirs which they can control by using the pill in lead up. ie: the FS/Clinic cannot nicely schedule all their EPU's for one day.
Just quickly I am with SIVF too, and have just done an antagonist cycle, flare cycles are also available with them as my FS considered them but decided an antagonist one woudl be better for me.
My FSH reading of 9.7 produced three egggs which were of good quality producing one blastie. ET didn't happen since I have to test for a genetic condition and the one blastie unfortunately was affected.
Given that Tigga reports her levels bouncing around maybe it would be worthwhile if you do another test? With the flare cycle they normally test your levels on CD2 and then decide whether to start or not depending on the readings.
Sara69 - how frustrating to get a good embryo only to have it affected. Will you be doing another cycle? fingers crossed for you if you do.
Baby Dreamtime - how have you found your experience at Sharkey's? I've heard so much about it - but never gone there. What's their process & costs? I go to a naturopath and I wonder if it's not similar.
Rae - Hope you are well.
Dusty - Thanks for your post. It's always reassuring to read something and think, "hey, that's how I felt too" - it normalises this crazy experience. I too, never thought I'd be doing IVF. DH & I had happily resolved to a child-free life (after 18 years of no contraception and not one BFP - ever!). Then a surprise BFP, which ended in M/C shook our resolve and world up and here I am a year down the track contemplating donor. I am learning to never say never
Since my last post...My sister offered me her eggs. She's 37 this year - we're going to explore this option - I thought her age would prevent her being a donor but clinic didn't rule her out??? She already has children, youngest is 8 months - maybe that influences their decision. Anyway. I'm not sure yet how I feel about donor - but am processing the idea at the moment. Truth be known, I still have my fingers crossed for low FSH in Feb so that I can at least give it one go on my own. AF is due Mid Feb.
This week, I point blank asked my FN if I'm wasting my time and should I just move on with donor option her response was along the lines of "We only measure the FSH of women who have infertility, but who knows how many pregnant women had elevated FSH levels on Day 2/3". Fair point. I can pin some hope on that for a little while longer.
Tigga: keeping fingers crossed for you that you can do a cycle. Your sister as a egg donor sounds like a very generous offer too. My next AF is due Feb 20 and I'll also do an FSH test and then will see if I can start.
If you are interested in Sharkey's I would recommend only going with Stacey Roberts, as out of the 3 other consultants I have seen she is by far the best. The consult is around $70 for an hour, and the herbs are around $70. They go over your temp charts if you have them, your history, lifestyle, diet, state of mind etc etc and make recommendations as to how to improve your fertility, both you and DH. They mix the herbs on the spot (it is a liquid you take 5ml morning and night), and would be similar to naturapaths however have the ability to put all the herbs in one doses, rather than mulitple tablets. My forumla has about 15 different herbs, depending on what support I need.
For me, this obviously hasn't resulted in helping me achieve a pregnancy up until now, but I do feel that the herbs help put my body in the best possible place to hopefully conceive one day. Might be worth considering. I also take multi vitamins, thyroid support, CQ10, ifolate, antioxidants, fish oil etc on top.
Sara69 - hopefully we can 'cycle' together this month to BFP's!!! I'm feeling positive this time.
Baby Dreamtime - thanks so much for the info on Sharkey's. Sounds alot like what I am currently doing with naturopath & acupuncture so might persist with that until I feel like I need something new. I recently went back to a kinesiologist (I hope that's how you spell it), anyway I saw him in Sept 2007 and he did what they do (very weird) and said that I'd be pregnant within three months. Low and behold in January 2008 by total surprise I got a natural BFP (blighted ovum but still a BFP). My DH thinks it's all a bit weird and that it's all in my head - but nothing ventured, nothing gained I say...time will tell. Anyway, I don't have years to trial stuff so I figure I'll put it all out there and hope something works. I'm gonna keep my fingers crossed for your FET's.
Rae - if you're reading. I hope you're ok.
Last edited by Astrolady; February 7th, 2009 at 06:48 PM.
Tigga: How did you go this month? Also just read "Inconceivable" by Julia Indichova ( Thank you baby Dreamtime!) so kind of ironic that my FSH just got even worse - maybe I shoudl try the Wheatgrass?
Baby Dreamtime: Did your FSh level improve due to Sharkey's herb?
Rae: have you made a decision?
AFM Went for BT this morning and my FSH came back with 13, my doctors says she thinks I should wait a month and see if it gets better but it seems that I can go ahead with the antagonist cycle if I want to.
As you know from my other posts last time my FSH was 9.7 which they considered borderline but advised to go ahead, it turned out I had three eggs, one blastie, the blastie was affected and I didn't get to ET.
I am wondering if I should go ahead anyway as I am afraid the FSH might come back even worse next month? Was thinking that as soon as I have the first ultrasound we'll see anyway what the situation is and can cancel then if it's bad?
I'll turn 40 in June and don't feel I have can loose any more time.
Hope you all have a good weekend and thanks for letting me know your thoughts.
Sorry to hear about your FSH, I hope you can come to a decision about what to do this cycle.
Re Sharkey's herbs, I had already been taking them for approx a year give or take a few months, before I had my first FSH base line BT done, which was 12 at the time. So I have no way of knowing if it had had any effect. I have continued to take the herbs over the last year and a half, I think my last FSH in Nov last year was around 8. So something has brought it down. I think I mentioned in the past that Stacey Roberts from Sharkeys had a patient who had an FSH of 150, and after treatment this was brought down. It might be worth giving them a call. I don't know that they will be 100% of the solution, but surely it will help.
I too also heard about daily shots of wheat grass, I read some where a study where infertile animals (I think it was cows) were given wheat grass, causing them to become fertile again. I think I also read somewhere about daily fresh vegetable juice.
I agree with the others in that your FS should know what is the best way to treat high FSH, however I also believe that natural remedies can make all the difference.
Good luck with what ever you decided. Big hugs, xx
Sara: Sorry about your FSH reading. Do what you feel is right for you. I was prepared to give it a go this cycle (antagonist) even if it was 20 (FS had agreed to do it b/c my numbers fluctuate so much). I know how you feel, our ages (though I still feel 27!) and high FSH and a feeling like I'm racing-the-clock...all combined are the pits and do nothing positive for this journey, so I'm starting to place less emphasis on it all and my FSH numbers - they only do my head in and make me anxious and stressed. I try to keep a bit more perspective now, It might be more difficult but it's not impossible, women have gotten pregnant with FSH in 20's+. Hope you can find some reassurance in that.
BabyDreamtime: Good to hear from you. Hope you are well - when's your FET?
AFM, My AF was due 14 Feb but didn't come until 18 Feb the rest is weirder than you can imagine...
My Day 2 baseline FSH was 4.7**. however my estrogen was 1,000 (Pg and LH both normal). FN was concerned (me too!) because a high estrogen on CD2 traditionally gives an artificially low FSH - it supresses it artificially. So, next morning (Fri) I went for scan with FS and more BT's. And then the unexpected...my CD3 scan revealed one perfectly formed follicle 18-20mm and healthy lining which my FS just couldn't believe...that was the reason for the 1000+ E2 levels (by now AF was light and only spotting after a day of bleeding). The BT's showed that all my hormone levels were consistent with a CD14 even though I was on CD3??? I'd just finished a 28 Day Cycle (I'm usually 25) which started with a FSH of 21 on Day 3 and resulted in my IVF attempt being cancelled...again. Now, FS just can't understand it. He said it would appear that I had a 28 day follicular phase. By that afternoon, according to my bloods, I was surging naturally and FS suggested I do an IUI. (DH has sperm antibodies so needs sperm washed in medium). My head is still spinning, but I'm going to stop asking why and what this means for the future and just go with it for now. So that's it. I'm now in 2WW. I'm feeling relaxed and after the past 5 months experience, I'm prepared for anything!! Though, to be honest, all I care about right now is that my FSH was low and it wasn't being artificially supressed by the E2. The E2 was there because of the follicle. IT REALLY, REALLY IS CRAZY!
**I drank wheatgrass daily all month, but it's hard to know what (if any effect) it had - because of the weird cycle, ie: I don't even know if the FSH reading taken on CD2, really is a CD2 reading. PBT due 6 March. Hopefully , I can report with a BFP and prove that getting pregnant for those of us that battle high FSH might be trickier but it's not impossible.
IVF with very high FSH?
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