2 IVF cycles, too many eggs,OHSS, nothing to freeze

Hi
We found out we would have to do ivf/icsi due to issues with my husbands sperm.
I have been through 2 ivf/icsi cycles. I was put on synarel twice a day and gonal f injections - then crinone post transfer. The first one they got 23 eggs at pick up, one was ok to transfer as day 5 blastocyst, none made it to freeze. Bleeding started on day 7 then AF came.
2nd try resulted in 21 eggs, I got OHSS but recovered in time to have transfer,got one excellent blastocyst for transfer and again none to freeze. Bleeding again started on day 7 which turned into AF. Was really upset and found it hard to cope for several days. The egg quality is poor due to the high number of eggs which is supposed to be the reason we keep only getting one and none to freeze. Has anyone else been through this? Is this normal? What can you do to reduce the amount of eggs and improve the quality? I am 38 years old and I am overweight(trying to lose). We have no children and I am so scared this isn't going to work out.
Any help/experience/advice would be appreciated. Off to FS today to discuss round 3.

Hi Nicole i wanted to give you a big :hug: that must be very frustrating for you and your DH! My DH also has very bad sperm problems (no motility, very low count and alot of abnormal sperm) my DH is going in to give a sample for DNA fragmentation testing on wednesday, has your DH has a test for this? about the eggs i think the only thing to get less at collection is for them to drop your injection doses or have they already done this? Being healthy is an important role in concieving, DH and I are a healthy weight but we have been on a health kick for the past month and a half just to give our next STIM cycle the best shot we can, but i don't think this would be the reason as to why it hasnt worked for you yet. I also started to bleed during my cycles and i had really bad lower back pain which was frustrating, they thought it may have been that i had low prog but they monitored that on a natural FET cycle and it was fine, iv put it down to some ppl's body's just don't respond to the medication as well but i still did got one BFP but lost it. I wish you all the best and i hope you get your BFP very soon xx

Nicole :hug: here too, it's such a monstrous road and so very very heartbreaking to have to go through full stims time after time. I sincerely hope that things become easier for you soon.

Something non medical that people have used on BB is royal jelly (the icky jelly stuff is apparently better than capsule form)... And I can say from myself and a friend of mine, we certainly found our egg quality improved through using it. The additional trick to it though is for you and your partner to take it, with the idea that sperm and egg will be more compatible because they have similar make up iykwim...
Also people have recommended menevite for men's sperm issues... I have no personal experience but some women here have certainly reported improvements.

Thanks for the replies so far. What is DNA fragmentation testing oneday86? First cycle my eggs were not growing so they upped my dose of Gonal F, secound round they lowered it. I will find out today what FS is going to do with round 3. DH just had the sperm count test etc... S'rose how do you take the royal jelly? DH is on menevit and I think it helped a little.

I'll have to hunt down the jelly version I took... it's not tasty but not particularly awful, it's kind of like eating custard in terms of texture etc... I had DH on Royal jelly capsules, but ordered online to get the actual royal jelly - it needs to be kept in the fridge and I used to take it in the mornings, about a teaspoon - but it was almost a year ago that I took it!! It's usually recommended to be on it as long as possible before a cycle to improve the quality..

Hi, do you have PCOS?

I had been through two stim cycles with quite bad OHSS, both were freeze-all as I was too unwell to risk a transfer. Between the two cycles we got 11 blasts frozen, but only four of them were able to be used. Crap egg quality lead to bad embryos that couldn't survive being frozen. From five transfers I had three miscarriages and one negative...

Then we came to our third stim cycle and I was put on a VERY strict diet. We got less eggs, that were considered to be of better quality as I was less over stimulated than previous cycles. From 20 eggs, only 12 were mature (they'd taken me to EPU a little early to avoid OHSS again) and only three of those fertilised. This time we didn't grow to blast and I had an embryo transferred at day three. From that cycle I got two frozen day three embryos and now have a 21 month old little boy sleeping in the next room.

I'm happy to pass on details of the diet I was put on, but believe it's only useful for improving egg quality if you have PCOS.

BW

back from FS, she told me the lab reports said the egg quality was poor and that they were sticky and hard to inject for icsi.
She is going to try me on antagonist cycle for the next round. Ordered a heap of blood work to check everything is ok. I don't have PCOS, we are hoping the egg quality is poor due to the number of eggs I am getting, if not then she does not know what could be causing it.

Hi Nic, super big hug for you babe :pray:
we're been trying and having Assisted ovulation for 15months now and have just done a cycle of IUI. with a couple more planned before going to IVF. Hubby's sperm are super so just me and no eggs is the issue.
Butterfly_warrior - i do have PCOS, so would be really interested in that diet (though not very keen on it).
Nic, you'll be fine. everything will work out. I've read all the books that you have and I don't have the answer for you...
all my love
Cil

Hi Nicole, was just about to say you should ask for an antagonist cycle!

Also get onto the fresh royal jelly. It's amazing stuff and has good results for egg quality. My FS told me anecdotally that his patients who have taken it in second and subsequent cycles have all had better quality eggs than in their first cycles when they hadn't taken it.

Hope that it works for you this time round hun!

Sue xxx

Hey Nicole, DNA frag test is to check the sperm for the right DNA to make a baby, i read up on it and basically they put dye in with the sperm and the good ones should go orange and the bad ones will go green (i think). Under 30% of bad sperm is ok but anything over that is not good, so if this is the case surgically removing the sperm would be the next step as when a guy ejaculates it actually damages the sperm more and then if that fails then a donor is needed. The test is costing us $250 with no rebate! :shakehead: but its worth it if we find out why it still hasn't happened for us.

cariesp, unfortunately being a new member you don't have access to PMs to be able to PM me your email address so I can send the info along.

The basic idea is that it is a high protein, low carb diet, ensuring that all carbs you do eat are low GI. I certainly know that it did help for me - towards the end of the cycle when I was getting sick of the diet and splurged on a hamburger and chips for lunch, I nearly ruined the whole cycle. I was being very closely monitored and my E2 level that morning was fine. My E2 level the next day had taken a big scary jump, despite a drop in puregon dosage, so I certainly know what did it.

BW

oneday86 thanks for that info, just checked with DH and we have had that test done.

Anyone done an antagonist cycle? Did you have better results or success??

Hi Nicoleh- sorry to hear about your bad luck, I just had a cycle cancelled too because of poor response ( only had one good follicle), its very disappointing to take all those meds for nothing isn't it!
I'm also 38 and I feel your pain about the time running out.
I'm glad your FS suggested an antagonist cycle because that is what I have been told I will be having next time, the theory is that you get less eggs but they are better qualitry so this could be good for you too! I don't know anyone personally who has done one but i remember girls on here saying that they had success with it. One good thing with it is that it is a shorter cycle, I felt like i had to wait 2 months for my cycle to begin only to have it cancelled.
I take fresh royal jelly too, get some from the health food store, I pay just under $30 for 30 vials so its not cheap but worth it if you get UTD. Also I do acupuncture twice a week, once a week during cycle, I don't know if it helps egg quality but it helps with endometrial lining and the stress of ivf.
Good luck I hope you have success next time, when is your next cycle starting?

Heard from FS today. All the bloodwork she ordered came back fine. I start my cycle now (on provera for 10 days to bring on AF then start antagonist cycle), really hoping this cycle my eggs are better quality and not so many of them.

Hi hun,

Such a shame that you have to go through this. It definitely is a shame that we have to take all those damn meds to have things blow up in your face. I developed OHSS and had 14 eggs collected yesterday. Not sure how well they will go though.

My fingers are crossed for you hun! Praying that everything goes well with ur next round.

Stay positive hun!