FS told me I am "totally fine" – but only have 6 month of eggs left ??

Hi ,

I was just wondering if anyone knows anything or anyone, who is in a similar position like me.

I have been off the pill for about 16 month now, i was referred to a FS at the beginning if Jan, had all the normal blood tests, DH had his swimmers tested and i had a pelvic u/s as well as a HyCoSy where they also did a egg count...

DH and I went back to the FS last week and he advised us that my uterus has the perfect shape, my HFS level (is back to) normal ( i had one unusual high reading a few month back when i was unwell for about 2 month where I even lost my period during that time) and going by my blood tests i ovulate as well and DH swimmers are also fine...

BUT one of the blood tests he had done showed that i have a low egg count, me quality of eggs are still like my actual age ( 31) but the available amount is more like a 40+ year old, and that i may only have 6 month of eggs left ?? at this stage i was just numb and my brain switched off so i did not ask all the brainy questions i normally would...

He did give us all the info about IUI and IVF but did not really seem to be a fan of IUI, he told us that there is nothing wrong with either of us and that there is no reason why we could not fall naturally however he advised that we should not just keep trying for any longer than 6 month so i don’t run the risk of actually running out of eggs, as well as that i have to be mindful that when they harvest the eggs for IVF i will probably have not as many to be collected as any other “normal” woman... i think he was talking about only 4-5 or even 6 ..

I try really hard to not let all this get to me, but this time round my TWW is different , i am about 7-8 DPO and i saw some blood on the TP after going to the loo and this incredible “sad feeling” has come over me like never before, i guess it has something to with the “expiry date” the FS has put on me... i am planning to call a Chinese Herbalist next week hoping he can fit me in, - in time for my next cycle just to increase my odds...

I was hoping someone in here was/ is in the same situations and has any stories to share ...

Thank you so much.

Oh my goodness, what a shock for you!
Sorry, I don't have any experience to share with you, but hopefully someone else will be able to.
Wishing you good luck for ttc

Thank you for your kind words marcellus.

Oh hunni
just wanted to give u a hug. :hug:

May be seeing a herbalist is a good idea, they might have a few tricks up their sleeve to improve the quantity of ur eggs.

My aunt did ivf for 3 yrs with no luck, she went to a herbalist and was pregnant with in 6 mths.

Good luck hun :)

Gecko I am confused by what your FS is saying. A high FSH (normally above 15) indicates a low ovarian reserve (follicles that are going to be activated/stimulated) for that cycle and can indicate low ovarian reserves. However, it can fluctuate each month and there are some drugs available to help improve egg quality and numbers (such as DHEA). Also acupuncture and traditional chinese medicine has also been shown to help some women.

I don't understand how your FS has made their diagnosis when you say your FSH had improved recently. I haven't heard of FS's making a claim that eggs will run out in X amount of time either. I am on an egg donor forum with many older women with low ovarian reserves and this just sounds strange to me.
I also don't understand how your FS knows your egg quality is good without testing your eggs directly. Perhaps I am missing something in your tests or did you have an egg pick up to test your eggs.

Can you either ask for more details of the FS and their diagnosis/blood test and if you are not happy with their explanation or solutions perhaps consider getting a second opinion.

There is a high FSH thread in the LT area worth checking out and talking to others. If you would like I can PM you the egg donor site details, not so you can look for a donor but ask questions of women that may have had similar diagnosis to you.

:hug: to you having to experience all this.
xx

Hi Gecko,

I'm sorry to hear you are going through a hard time :hugs: I dont have any advice to give, just some hugs :)

Good Luck, I hope the herbalist is able to assist you further.

oh gecko.. i don't have any advice. just :hug: it sounds a bit confusing.

Dusty - Thank you so much for taking the time to reply, i wish i would have asked more questions when i was there.

I did have a FSH level above 20 i think it was 25 thats how it all began as my GP has picked up on this telling me that this is a “metaphors level”... she did another test a while later and it went back to 15 and she put it down to “that 2 month where my body went haywire”

My FS told me that my FSH level is at i think it was 12 so that is about normal, but he showed me another level of something and i can’t remember what it was – i know it was 1.8 out of 10 ?

In regards to my egg quality – no they never took a “sample” so you made me think now, i am wondering now if i could request to have all test results released to me so i can take it to another doctor ... i paid for it right ...

All in all i find it all so confusing and sometimes i think it’s better not to try to understand all the nitty gritty parts as it gets even more difficult/stressful and you get told to try to relax and just let things happen... so that’s why i am thinking to go down the Chinese herbalist part as i am thinking its less confronting if that makes sense...

Anila & Naenae & Liz : thanks for the hugs

Gecko, your FSH levels are pretty high for your age, even at 12. I think what your FS is alerting you too is that the tests show your ovarian reserves may be low especially for your age.

I am assuming you have been TTC for 16 months since going off the pill?

Did your FS talk about premature ovarian failure? There are a couple of women on my other site that have experienced this in their 20s and 30s and while it is rare it does happen. It would be worth clarifying with your FS and learning more about the implications of this. This may be the reason the FS is talking about running out of eggs in the near future (but I don't think this is by any means guaranteed).

While herbalists may seem a good way to go and I recommend doing it whatever else you may be doing to TTC, including AC, it may be that you need to get onto what the problem is and learn about all your options sooner rather than waiting to see what herbs do.

If you want to chat to women in a similar position I recommend you google Aussie Egg Donors and register. It is a private forum and you need to apply which is very simple to do.

I note that some people do fall pregnant naturally with high FSH and getting onto a specialised regime like DHEA and herbs may help. However, while it may seem overwhelming and confronting right now, I think IVF is worth considering as an option in your situation too. I suppose what I am urging is that you don't discount it but investigate all your options so you can make the best informed decision possible.

xx

Hi Dusty

As much as i have NOT been “preventing for 16 month” now, i would say that we have started to make a real effort for the past 5 month, since i have got my AF back after it disappearing for 60+ days ... it kind of was a wakeup call back then with the high FSH level BT ... we started to realize that we might not be in the normal 6-12 month UTD category ...

The funny thing is that my FS has not mentioned any medication i can or should take nor any concerns in regards to abnormal ovarian function ?
Seems odd now after reading your post...

I will defiantly Google that egg donor site, as you mentioned not in regards to looking at a donor egg but to learn more about the whole thing in general..

I had a good talk with DH and he agrees that we should at least give 2 IVF rounds ago if nothing has happened in a few month with the help of a Chinese herbalist, i am due to visit my mum overseas in May so i think we will keep “trying normally” with herbs till then and after i come back get further opinions... as i agree with you it does not serve me to stick my head in the sand – pretending nothing is wrong...

Its a shame that there are no other people in here which seem to be in a similar situation...

i would like to thank you again for your time :D

Ps: what is AC and DHEA ?

Sounds like you are forming a plan Gecko! Awesome work, in my experience this is the best way to deal with a ball from left field and take back some of the control of the outcome :clap:.

AC - Assisted Conception (IVF, ICSI, IUI, AI etc)

DHEA - a drug used more widely in the US and now becomming available through some FS in Australia or by visiting the US to help improve egg quality. There are a couple of members on BB that have sourced and used it so may be worth posting just on that in the LT area.

Also jump on this thread about high FSH as there are a couple of women with high FSH that support one another on BB, but there is quite a bit more experience with it on AED.

Cheering you on Gecko!
xx

Thank you again Dusty,

Just wanted to let you know that i called the Chinese herbalist doctor today – and yay i got in this Thursday already :dance:, the thing which got me baffled is that the he told me that he knows my FS very well and that he refers lots of clients to him ?? made me kind of upset as i am wondering now why he did not refer me ...sometimes i think that the FS just want to make money with us...anyways i will try to get my file off my FS since he knows the Chinese Dr i will go to ... one thing i know i will not go back to that FS there is just something which does not sit right with me anymore and DH feels the same way...

Oh well – i did my own homework on the Chinese Dr now and he has a great reputation so fingers crossed :D

Thank you for the link too, i will pop my head in there ...

xox

G, that's great you're able to get in this Thursday. Bit confusing as to why you didn't get a referral - but at the end of the day you got the appointment and won't be far off a bfp!

Hi CBG - yea that's what i thought he was fine taking my money LOL ... never mind i know i will get there ...
- Chinese Dr here i come !!!! So eggy watch out i will FENG SHUI my perfectly “shaped uterus” now and then the eggy will not be able to resist !

Just checking Im doing this right before I type a legnthy reply!

Hi All,

Im quite new to all of this so Im not yet up on all the abbrievations, but Im so happy to find other women to talk to who really understand what is happenning in my life right now :)

Gecko, it sounds like we may have a similar situation, I'll tell you my story so far...

Last year at age 27 I thought I should get some fertility tests done as my Mum experienced premature menopause at 32 (and her Mum in her 40's).
My partner and I have been together 4 years and have a home together but were not quite ready for babies.
We have both always wanted children, but assumed there was plenty of time for that a few years down the track.
I had no symptoms and expected to be told I would have a few more years before we would have to start trying for a family.
Unfortunately my Anti Mullerian Hormone test showed I already had a low "abnormal" ovarian store and my Doctor advised us that we may only have 6 months (maybe more) to try and concieve. He recommended IVF and ICSI on 50% of the eggs.

After a lot of discussion (and freaking out) we decided to have IVF treatment beginning in February this year.
I started on a high dose of FSH and then it was increased again things weren't happening as quickly as they should have.
We decided to put back 2 embryos to double the chance of a pregnacy. My eggs are comparable to the quality of a 4o+ yo old woman, so this was allowed.
And besides, we would love to have 2 children, so twins would have been a blessing.
On the day of egg pick-up they collected 8 eggs, 5 of which were mature. 4 fertilised after using 100% ICSI. When I woke up in recovery I was warned the quality was poor. Our Doctor said this confirms his concern (about my impending premature menopause) and it was lucky we got in when we did.
On the day of transfer I was told none of our Embryos were growing the way they should, but there was still a chance, so they transferred the better two and we started our 2 week wait. Sadly the other 2 embryos were not able to be frozen due to the poor quality :(
Friday was result day, and sadly it was a negative result.

We will try again once we can afford another Global Cycle of IVF. Im ready to go again ASAP as I feel like my time is running out at the chance to be a Mum.
So thats my last few months, its been a roller coaster, but Im ready to keep riding it as I know it will all be worth it.
I have also been wanting to hear from women in similar situations to me, so I was intrigued to read your note Gecko.
I hope this has been somewhat helpful and if you would like to ask any questions or chat about it more, that would be great.

Best wishes,
Kate

Hi Kate,

Reading your post gave me goose bumps :hug:, i am so very sorry to hear about your situation Kate, i am glad that you have found my thread as we do seem to be in very similar situations...

I sounds like you are already 1 step ahead of me, however given your mums premature menopause i can understand why you went ahead with the IVF as fast as you did,... i cannot imagine what it must have been like for you... it seems so unfair that we only get to harvest a few eggs each time after taking all those drugs...not to mention the costs of it all...did they suggest that people like us should just freeze as many eggs as possible ? or do they need to get fertilized & turned into embryos straight away ? i would have 101 questions but i am trying not to think about it all as yet at the same time, will ask 1 more :redface: when the FS told you that you had 6 month left did you start IVF straight away or waited like me ?

My AMH level was 1.2 however my Eggs apparently are the quality equivalent to my age( 31 well as good as 32 now) so i guess i am lucky in that department... never the less my FS has also put that awful 6 month time stamp on me which bugs me the most , as i have no real family history of any difficulties to have children ( so you can imagine how much of a shock this was to me ) i have decided to hold out for the 6 month before looking at IVF - in saying that i am still pro active in a different way and have found a highly recommended Chinese herbalist which i go and see once a week now and get acupuncture done as well as taking his herbs 2 x a day ... this has been my first month on the herbs now and i started spotting on CD 20, its been going for 5 days being the 5th day today so i was convinced that AF will be her tomorrow as i had a 26DC as of late.. however the spotting has stopped at lunchtime today so i am just confused now... just don’t know what ‘s going on now i kind of think she is tricking me, making me think one thing,- only to be here full swing by tomorrow... :rolleyes:

Gotta love that roller coaster – well the good thing is i have a buddy now :hug:!

Thanks you again for finding my thread & Hope to hear from you soon.

Hello ;)

Its so nice to be in contact with people going through the same experience as us, I never knew 1 in 6 women struggle with concieving...we are by no means alone in this.

I went back to my Dr today to talk about what we can do next. He said we could try again with IVF (with some changes to my program) or we could try IUI -Intra-Uterine Insemination, which is less expensive, but may work for us if we try it once a month for the next year...
Seeing as my AMH is already low, my ovaries are small-according the the scans & my last unsucessful IVF determined my eggs are already of poor quality, we decided we need to give this our best go at achieving a pregnany ASAP and will start another cycle of IVF. He said Im heading towards POF -Premature Ovarian Failure, so I will be taking DHEA to help with the quality of eggs*(which what Dusty mentioned-thanks Dusty, I had not heard of it till you mentioned it, then my Dr recommended it, so at least I knew what it was!!)
He also said I could try a chinese herb Don Quoi...so I'll give that a try too! There is more injections this time (which are not as bad as you might think), an even higher dose of FSH, steroids, plus the other hormones that do their magic. Oh and some patch that goes on my foot!?! It just gets weirder all the time.

So now i sit back, wait for my period, then start counting days, taking my meds and crossing my fingers. Im relieved to know what our next plan of action is, its not knowing what to do next that worries me the most. There is still action we can take, so I will concentrate on giving that our best shot.

Gecko, in regards to your questions:
You could freeze eggs, but freezing embryos has a much better sucess rate apparently.
When I was told i "may only have 6 months left" we also got a letter from our Doctor emphasising how strongly he thought we should start trying more 'aggressively' to achieve a first pregnancy, let alone a chance at a second one later down the track.
My partner and I decided to start straight away once we realised time was not something we had much of. I knew that I was going to run out of eggs at that stage, but AMH does NOT give you an indication of egg quality, which is the important thing.
Im thankful we started when we did, especially now knowing my egg quality and quantity is low. How do they know about the quality of your eggs?
I don't want to tell you what to do :redface: *but* maybe once you get your head around everything and give the herbs a try, you could talk to a FS again and get some more information about your options. The IUI might be an option rather that going full IVF, and isn't nearly as costly or invasive. Its such a big decision process and its harder for you because you had no warning at all :( I really feel for you, and I know how hard it is to get your head around being given such a "deadline".

Ask me as many questions as you like, I think talking about this is therapeutic and its wonderful to talk to people that truly understand.

I hope this has been helpful, and thank you for writing your thread, you are the first person who I have spoken to that has been in such a similar predicament to me.

Talk to you soon,
Kate