The Hormone Rollercoaster....

[Acacia]

Hi Kel,
I'm hoping your ultrasound has gone well today and that it's excellent news and you have a definite time for EPU.
Look forward to hearing from good news,
Miss C

[sushee]

kenziesmum,

welcome to BB! Please come join the rest of the LTTTC crew here in the LTTTC discussion thread, where you can post questions, chat about your situation, give us updates on your progress and get invaluable support from those going through the same thing as you are.

As for the hormone rolleroaster (to get back on topic ) I do believe the emotional aspect of IVF plays far more havoc on your mood than any drug will ever do. What do you all reckon?

[Acacia]

I think I agree with you Sushee, but I also think that's it's more blurry grey than black and white, from my humble experience so far (all 3.5 weeks of my first IVF cycle so far). I think that the hormones are able to impact on what your normal emotional state is (that's what they're so good at doing!!) and hence the emotional aspect is heightened. So when you combine your natural emotional reaction to the difficulties of going through IVF and you combine it with the emotional reaction that occurs from your hormones being twisted about, it's lots and lots of emotions, for sure!

P.S. oops and sorry for getting off the topic! I also didn't realise that the link to direct to the LTTTC & AC I put in a few posts ago only directed back to here anyway : sorry Sushee!

[sushee]

Miss_c, it's okay, my sweet.

As for drugs vs emotional toll, yes I do think I agree with you, in part, that probably in most cases, the drugs do heighten the emotions. But I think in my case, doing natural FETs (no meds at all) I do think my mood was as impacted in those cycles as stimulated cycles, so perhaps for me in particular, I do feel like the meds didn't play that big a part in my overall mood during the cycle. I actually discussed this with my DH yesterday and he was the one who pointed that out to me.

[Acacia]

Ahhh, that's a very good point.
I was thinking in terms of my own cycle now which is that highly medicated down-regulation type. I suppose I don't know (yet - who knows?) what it would be like with my emotions without the hormone rollercoaster going at the same time.
I wonder how other women having natural FETs have found their emotions in comparison to being on the hormone rollercoaster with down-reg and stims, if they have done both before?

[Acacia]

Wow

Without intentionally meaning to bump this thread up being one from so long ago (and a thread I started, to boot! ) and after having gone back and read through my comments on my first cycle and the hormone rollercoaster, 5 months ago now, I just thought I would add the perspective I now have given that I'm going through a natural FET, that being the last point of discussion in this thread.

I can honestly say that the emotional and mood impact that the range of hormones from IVF treatment, and in particular progesterone has had on me has been enormous.

I guess my personal proof of this is my current FET, being a natural one, has been like a breath of fresh air. I feel like I've come out of a artificial mood swing fog I've been in for months! I can however admit that my mood is swinging more now during the TWW, and I've become more emotional, but I do believe that I can separate that down to the stress of the TWW. I just no longer feel the fog I have in the TWW of the medicated cycles I've been through.

It's been interesting to read my original comments and note the experiences I've had on the hormone rollercoaster since.

Sushee had said a few posts ago that she didn't think that the hormones had much of an impact on her emotional state as she felt as emotionally/mood affected during natural FETs and I'm just interested to hear whether other people's experiences of the comparison emotionally and mentally (hence mood) between different types of IVF cycles with different hormone protocols have differed? In particular between stimulation cycles and FETs, both medicated and natural.

It's still such a grey area to contend with - how to separate your natural reactions and emotions from the affects of hormones and treatment. I don't think it's something that will ever have a clear answer, but I now believe there are ways to understand the separation between the two, and would love to hear others comments on what they think also.

Feeling a little silly for bumping my own thread from 5 months ago , but really think it could continue to be an interesting discussion.

Miss C

[belle333]

hey miss c

I had my first stim cycle in Feb, was ok for most of it but lost it after EPU, completely haywire hormonally I was eating really creamy/cheesy pasta then creamy cakes (not food I would normally eat) all the while thinking of walking out of my job which I actually happen to like a lot.

Couldn't have ET (not well enough) waiting for FET, i am up to day 38, am sure AF will start but stim cycle has completely thrown me out.

I will be having a medicated FET and am not looking foward to meds (estrogen & progesterone) hopefully i won't lose it too badly!