Low LH level wHAT IS IT?????

[collo04]

Hi everyone

Had my first ultrasound today and blood test and I only have 7 very small follicles and my LH is pretty low said the nurse so they are putting me on Pregnyl. What is LH and how does it help fertility????????????????????

[monnie]

Hey collo04

I got this information from the Fertility Friend website...you can do a free charting course (which is excellent) which helps you understand the whole ovulation/conception process...

Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and Your Fertility Signs


Luteinizing Hormone (LH) is the last hormone to peak before ovulation and is the hormone responsible for triggering the rupture of the ovarian sac that releases the egg at ovulation. This hormone can be measured by ovulation prediction kits (OPKs) and fertility monitors that use chemicals to identify its presence in your urine.


The presence of increased amounts of LH in your urine, as detected by OPKs, usually means that you will ovulate within 12-24 hours but this can vary slightly depending on your own hormonal profile. LH is not released all at once, but rather it rises and falls for about 24-48 hours. The LH rise usually begins in the early morning while you are sleeping and it takes 4-6 hours for it to appear in your urine after that. For this reason, first morning urine may not give the best result. Testing mid-day is usually recommended. It is important to follow the instructions of your OPK for maximum results.


Many women like ovulation prediction kits, even though they are not able to confirm or pinpoint ovulation precisely, because they can tell you that ovulation is imminent. It is important, however, not to rely exclusively on OPKs for timing intercourse and identifying your most fertile time. This is because you may already be fertile before your OPK turns positive. You may like to use them, however, to cross-check your other fertility signs and to offer additional clues about impending ovulation. They may be especially useful if you have ambiguous charts. If your cycles are irregular or very long, OPKs may be very costly because you may need to use several tests to be sure to catch the LH surge.

[sammy88]

Hey collo04,
I always thought that pregnyl was like a trigger shot and you had it when the follicle was the right size. The pregnyl would make the follicle pop (so to speak) about 36 hours later and release the egg??
SAM

[sammy88]

Hi again....I just looked up Pregnyl on the net and found....

The name of your medicine is Pregnyl. It is an injection and will only work as an injection. It contains a naturally occurring sex hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin. This hormone is important in fertility for both females and males. It may be used to treat a range of conditions as follows:
Females
* Fertility problems associated with poor ovulation. Pregnyl may be given to you as part of treatment to stimulate ovulation (develop and release an egg from your ovaries).
* It may also be given to you for a limited period of time to support the lining of your uterus during fertility treatment e.g. after transfer of your fertilised egg in IVF.

HTH
SAM

[kim.b]

Hi there collo04

During my IVF cycle I too had low LH. I was not given pregnyl, I was given Luveris which was very expensive at $160 an injection. Anyway, low LH means that the follicles are not maturing enough, or at the rate that they would like...many people have this and it is quite common...it also can change through each ivf cycle. So you might need it this cycle and if it doesn't result in a BFP (hope it does) then in your next cycle you mightn't need it.
Having extra injections just boosts the follicles, gives them a little extra something...otherwise your eggs might not be mature enough on EPU. I would definetly take the injections. I ended up with 10 mature eggs, I mightn't had if I didnt take the Luveris!

A lot of clinics don't look for this...what clinic are you at?

I think I took pregynl after my EPU...yes just checked I did...they were my trigger shots!

I tried to find out about this on the net too as a lot of people on this board didnt know much about it...my clinic specifically does a BT just to check the LH

Hope this helps!

[collo04]

Thanks for the info everyone it has made it clear why I am taking it now..

Kim B Im at westmead fertility Centre.

[suzy]

Hi ColloO$,

Just wanted to let you know my experience.

I have one ds from my first attempt at IVF who is now 2. I then had three stimulated BFN cycles. On my fourth, my doctor said that he had noticed that my LH levels had been low in previous cycles, and if you supplement with pregnyl during the stims then pg rates can be increased. Pregnyl apparently acts like LH, and is given at much much lower doses than the trigger. He also said that you could use another drug, which I think is synthetic LH (must be luveris as KIm said) but that it was very expensive and pregnyl was equally as successful.

So I used pregnyl at minute doses - I think it was about 0.25ml - during the last few days of stims. I got 12 eggs, normal for us, but only 2 fertilized - very low for us - but I got a bfp, and am now about to deliver in four weeks - also will be the day before my 41st birthday. So I am a big fan of pregnyl as you can imagine.

The only prolem is that there is no proof that it was the pregnyl that made a difference or just luck. I also took aspirin on that cycle, and hadn't on the others, so that might have made a difference.

GOod luck,

Suzy

[collo04]

Wow that is very encouraging to here. Thanks for that Suzy. I had ultrasound today and it looks like I have 11 follicles all very mature so egg pick up is Thursday. Not looking forward to it lots of people say it is the worst pain they have felt. Im such a sook so I HOPE THE DRUGS KNOCK ME OUT HEHEHEH. Congratulations on your BFP and good luck for your delivery.