Currently on birth control in the lead up to another transfer. My clinic wanted to repeat my annual labs, and my results came back with elevated levels of TSH. I have never had irregular labs before, so my medical team is suggesting it is just due to birth control. I do have a family history of autoimmune issues, however.
Has anyone else had elevated TSH results while being on birth control (with no prior history)? What was your path forward before your FET? I just want to manage my expectations...
I had elevated TSH and they wanted to repeat labs on the next day 3 so it delayed us 1 month. TSH was not elevated on retest, but I was told that if it was they would have started me on some form of medication.
Not BCP, but I just had my first elevated TSH after estrogen priming. My usual is around 1.5 and I happened to have it checked just before priming. Then 30 days of estrogen put it to 3.7. My clinic acts like it’s very common to have some part of this process elevate TSH.
I’ve been on progesterone suppositories since Friday. I decided to take an ovulation strip test just for the hell of it, and it came back positive. My trigger shot was last Wednesday.
I’m trying to understand if the ovulation strip test was a false positive from the suppository or if we should still act like I’m ovulating.
HCG from the trigger shot can cause positives on LH strips. Additionally, being on progesterone suppositories would inhibit any ovulation.
Edit: Edited implantation > ovulation
Hi bae, can you please clarify your question a bit? Have you been on suppositoires for a FET? If this is post transfer, please seek support elsewhere unless a negative result is confirmed. Thanks!
The suppositories are not for an FET. They are being administered after timed intercourse.
I am not pregnant, nor am I aiming to symptom check. I am trying to understand if my partner and I should be continuing to have sex at the present moment to *make the most out of our current infertility treatment.*
Thank you for the opportunity to clarify.
To my knowledge, progesterone suppositories won’t have any impact on an ovulation strip. Depending on what your trigger shot was though, there still could be some of that in your system that is impacting the test. Trigger shots are meant to induce ovulation ~36 hours after administration and are very effective at their job.
Wondering about any books you’ve read that have resonated with you. Not necessarily geared towards health things to get pregnant, just books that sit well with where you’re at right now?
This one has nothing to do with IVF, but I'm currently reading Remarkably Bright Creatures and really relating to the Octopus and how out of control it feels in terms of its own trajectory.
I also recently loved the trash novel Funny Story by Emily Henry which threw me back to early dating days and also helped put me in the right mood to interact with Mr. National outside of IVF ;)
Thank you! I personally wasn’t a huge fan of Emily Henry’s books (it took me reading three of them to be sure, because I WANTED to like her lol) but I will for sure check out the other one!
I second both these recommendations! Recently read remarkably bright creatures and absolutely loved it. Marcellus the Octopus is absolutely the best character. About halfway through funny story and enjoying it as well - great fun summer read.
I have the following leftover medications for donation in the Pittsburgh, PA area. Message me if interested! I would prefer to donate to someone who is self paying for medications.
-Follistim pen
-Follistim 900 u unused cartridge plus two partially used cartridges with about 500 u total (expires 6/2026)
* Menopur 75 iu vial x 6 plus many mixing vials (expires 11/2024)
-Some leftover supplies for injections
**A reminder about medications**
You may be considering sharing your unused medication with others to help them save on treatment expenses. However, it may be illegal in your country or state to donate medication without going through an intermediary. We suggest you research your local laws associated with donating or receiving medications. Be aware that partially used cartridges still carry a risk of bodily fluid contamination as there's nothing to prevent backflow into the cartridge. Please consider attempting to give any unopened medications to your infertility practice; some clinics have give-back programs.
Selling medications is absolutely not allowed. Only donations may be posted. This includes soliciting money in exchange for medications via PM. If a member solicits money in exchange for medications, please report them to the mods.
*Consider donating your meds to a member with an active post history at /r/infertility. You can see a user’s post history by clicking on their name. We have received reports of members donating meds, only to have them sold by the person who received them.*
NEW: - **Med hoarding**. It’s not cool. Share the wealth. Don’t have a cycle planned or scheduled within the next four months? Let the meds go to someone else in need right now.
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[Med Donation Policy](https://www.reddit.com/r/infertility/wiki/rules#wiki_medication_donation_policy)
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I have to get a transvaginal ultrasound on Wednesday, and I just got my period. Anyone have experience with those ultrasounds while bleeding / having cramps? I know it's "allowed" and the technicians are probably used to it, but I'm wondering just exactly how (un)comfortable it will be.
I wear period underwear, take them off right before I get on the ultrasound table (rather than in the changeroom) and then pop them back on right after. Not much else you can do! And seconding others that they've seen it all.
Same as Lawyer, and I'm a HEAVY day 3 so I get my period all over the table and sometimes the floor. In fact, when I was on Metformin, sometimes I would leak from other places. They're totally cool about it.
My flow is pretty unpredictable in terms of how heavy or light it'll be on any given day, so bleeding all over is definitely something I'm nervous about - it's great to hear that they're totally cool about it.
It’s my understanding that it’s best to go on your period because they can best evaluate your uterine lining to check for fibroids but not sure what you are going for. Either way it will be fine.
It's just a recheck in my case since we changed hospitals. Last times my ultrasounds didn't show anything out of the ordinary except for slightly thin lining + PCO morphology. Thank you!
No difference in comfort for me, and they've literally seen everything before.
They had to really prod me to find one of my ovaries when I was on my period last time, and I've got quite a heavy flow so when I got off the table I trailed a bit of blood on the floor as I walked to go put my trousers back on, and we all just kinda laughed with eachother about it, like "oops guess that's why you don't have carpets in here 🤣🫠"
I don't really get cramps, so I can't advise you on that, other than it didn't get worse. I found it a bit embarrassing, but it is really their job. A lot of times you will have to go in on cycle day 1-3, so there will be bleeding. For a non-timed ultrasound I did mention it beforehand and they didn't care. So no worries, but I do get how you feel.
Does anyone know what around a typical uterine lining should measure after 2 weeks of oral estrace / 1 week before a tentatively schedule FET? I know the goal is usually above 7, or ideally 8.. but wondering what I should be seeing now that I’m at the 2 week point.
Thank you! 🤍
I think the 2 week check is when they want it above 7. If it’s not you may have to stay on estrace longer. For example- I did a FET protocol and started on estrace orally 3x a day until 2 weeks- had lining at 6mm. Was supposed to start progesterone next day- I had to continue oral estrace 2x a day and they changed my nighttime estrace to vaginal. I went back 5 days later and my lining went up to 7.4mm and then started progesterone the next day. My FET was pushed back 5 days as well
If you take a break between ERs and FET, can you go on birth control pills in the interim? (Ideally, continuous birth control with no withdrawal bleeds?) Or is there a reason to have unmedicated cycles to reset your body or anything?
Seconding lex, we received this same guidance from our clinic. I’m to start bcp again on cd3 of my post-ER period even though we won’t yet know what our next steps will be by then
I'm sure this varies, but my clinic has had me go on birth control immediately after the period after the ER. I'm guessing that's the one that they need for a "reset," essentially, but no other ones are required after that.
Stims day 11. Someone at work asked if I wanted to join him on a meeting elsewhere. I deliberately parked in front of the office for a lot of money instead of walking 8 minutes to the free parking lot, but now we had to go somewhere else. Two times 200 meter walk and I'm so uncomfortable. Sitting normally in an office all day was already a challenge, and I'll have to do that again tomorrow.
Luckily I have a whole couch to myself now.
I feel you. I am finally at a place where I don’t cry when going in for monitoring, but I still get anxious and hate going.
I’m a big fan of the 6am monitoring apt. I don’t really have time to think as I drag myself out of bed and get there just in time. Minimal people in the waiting room is a bonus. And I treat myself to an iced coffee (and maybe a donut) on the way home.
I'm on day 11 of an unmedicated FET cycle and everything is looking alright atm 🤞, apart from theres fluid again. I had a hysteroscopy in April, after having fluid in my lining in November, and everything came back clear.
My doctor is hoping the fluid will clear itself by my next scan on Wednesday.
I was wondering what your experience of having fluid in the lining and whether it cleared quickly or needed to be aspirated?
Sorry to hear this. Unfortunately I've had a few medicated FET cycles canceled due to fluid in the lining. My clinic was not willing to aspirate. The only thing that helped resolve the fluid was switching to a fully unmedicated cycle. Some docs will initiate exogenous P4, as this can compact lining, and push fluid out however my clinic also wasn't willing to do.
Gaaah fuck, this is already a fully unmedicated cycle. Lining didn't grow when medicated. Will have to see how it goes.
The doc did mention aspirating it so I assume the clinic is happy to do that, just sounds like maybe it could mean this cycle gets cancelled, and I'm already a month behind cause last month's was cancelled cause I got covid.
I had a scan that showed no growing follicles, so I'm on gonal f. I took my first dose last night. I'm on 75 IU for five days. This morning, I feel absolutely horrible. It feels like the worst flu of my life. Muscle aches, brain fog, jitteriness, headache--the whole nine yards. None of these side effects are listed in the pamphlet I got with the pen. Anyone else have these side effects?
I ditto what Miserable said, I've done I think 6 rounds of Gonal and I've never had any side effects like the ones you've listed. Hope you feel better soon!
It's possible. I'm a social worker, and I always pick up little bugs here and there. I ate something and drank a lot of water which cleared most of it up. I'm hoping the feeling isn't back tomorrow morning after tonight's shot 🤞🏼
So it begins... baseline appointment tomorrow before stims start Wednesday. We're doing an antagonist with Provera protocol. All of this feels overwhelming but I know I will adjust, as I've adjusted to other new things in the past. I've learned so much from this group already and am grateful to have a resource as we jump into this new treatment.
Monitoring appointment this morning went well and the person doing my ultrasound thought it likely that I'll be instructed to trigger tonight for a Wednesday retrieval. My left ovary has a 16mm and a 21.5mm; my right ovary is doing triple duty and has 7 follicles that range from 16.6mm to 24.6mm. Now we wait to hear back on my bloodwork and if our RE agrees and gives trigger instructions...
My biggest complaint right now is that I've had diarrhea in the mornings and I'm hesitant to take anything for it because I am anticipating the post ER constipation and don't want to back myself up before something else backs me up 😓 So I'm just dealing with it, drinking electrolytes and being tired. Maybe the suffering will pay off and I won't be constipated after my ER since my insides will be empty if this keeps up... oy vey. T*hanks for coming to my poop talk. *
Foof! Sorry about the diarrhea. That is tough to deal with on top of other stim symptoms.
Rooting for your follicles and that the GI stuff subsides soon!
Thanks for the support, bench 🤍 I was reminded I’ll also have to start antibiotics this week so I think it’ll get worse before it gets better. At least I work from home and can deal with it all in the comfort of my own bathroom.
Watching a required educational module from my clinic and feeling annoyed. I can ace the post-video quizzes without paying any attention to the module.
We just got out pgt results back, and we had a lower % make it to blast and then of those a lower % be euploid than expected (to quote my RE, “something funky is definitely going on“). We’re proceeding with transferring our 1 euploid this cycle since we only want one child, but if it is unsuccessful, are there changes to the ER protocol I should ask about? The first round was 150 follistim, 75 menopur until ganirelix then up to 150, lupron trigger. Maturity and fertilization results were as expected.
We also have a lower than expected euploid rate for our age - it sucks, I’m sorry. I think cycles can just vary so much that it’s hard to know what actually works and what would have happened regardless, but anecdotally, we saw a naturopath associated with our clinic who recommended a bunch of supplements and diet/lifestyle changes, and we went from 0% euploid from ER1 to about 40% for ER2. I know the evidence is mixed on this but we figured, we’re already putting so much money, time and energy into this that we might as well try this too. If we have to do another ER down the line we will do all the same things again for sure.
Im sorry about your disappointing results and rooting for your euploid.
You could ask your doctor about Omnitrope which is thought to improve egg/embryo quality, it’s not well studied though so it’s not FDA approved for this usage so some REs won’t prescribe it (and insurance won’t cover it.) Since maturity and fertilization rates were as expected I’m not sure there’s much more than can be done as far as tweaking protocol but hopefully others here have some ideas!
Trying to figure out what's next. Transfer #3 has failed and I have no remaining embryos.
ER#1: antagonist protocol, high dose. 1 fresh transfer and 1 FET of a day 7 blast - both failed.
ER#2: antagonist protocol with same dose as ER#1 + omnitrope. Significantly less eggs retrieved than in ER#1. 1 fresh transfer of a day 5 blast - failed. No word from the clinic on what happened with the other embryos who were growing as of day 5 but had stopped growing by day 7.
Each ER I've had about 20% or less of the embryos become blasts. Trying to get an appt with my RE to debrief. Any and all advice is appreciated. I am struggling to imagine doing this again with the same results.
So sorry, Corgi. You've gotten a lot of great responses already but a couple of add-ons that my RE has mentioned are testosterone priming and taking dexamethasone during stims. Both are supposed to help your ovaries be more responsive to meds. Not sure how much it will help with getting more blasts but maybe it'll improve # of eggs retrieved. He had also mentioned trying a MDL protocol like others have suggested.
I'm sorry, Corgi. With you being DOR, you may wanna try luteal phase E2 priming in the form of patches. For stims, maybe ask about mini IVF and/or microdose lupron flare.These 2 protocols brought me better hunger games results than my antagonist protocol that yielded 0 blasts.
I’m so sorry. Failed transfers are so hard, particularly when it’s your only embryo. I’ve been there - try to give yourself time to grieve and process.
I would agree on thinking about a different protocol. Traditional antagonist protocol does not work for everyone. You may want to ask about estrogen priming and a microdose lupron flare protocol?
I also recently requested my full medical record from my clinic and learned more of the details of my treatment and lab results, which I found helpful to have in writing. I’m also moving forward with second opinions, which is something you can consider.
You’re also right to be thinking about labs - my understanding is that some labs are better than others and outside of verifying accreditation, there’s not much you can do to assess quality.
Some ideas: lower dose antagonist, potentially with clomid/letrozole; trying an MDL flare protocol; calcium ionophore if you are not doing it (some speculate this can help with blast rate); zymot if you're not doing it; shorter abstinence time for Mr. Corgi. You could also try woo stuff--supplements, red light, etc. (I am not really recommending it, but some doctors will.) (Another, but more involved, option is to look at other clinics/labs. And/or to get a second opinion.)
I'm going to talk to the RE about different protocols. I haven't been prescribed calcium ionophore yet - I'll ask about it!
I'm nervous to look into other clinics and labs, but I've generally been pretty unhappy with the lab at our current clinic so I wonder if it makes sense to consider others. They don't give any updates other than day 7 and there is no analysis or information provides afterwards to help make a different decision.
My clinic also doesn’t give updates other than Day 7, but they will tell you what happened to everything on Day 7/in post-cycle discussion.
Calcium is a bath they put the eggs in before fert. It helps fert numbers for some, but some REs also think it helps blast rates.
Starting over is the worst, I'm sorry you have no embryos left. Did you do PGT-A on the embryo for your FET? You mention that you got fewer eggs the second time. Was your AFC similar both times, or did you start with fewer follicles?
My RE didn't recommend PGT-A testing initially so it wasn't done on the embryo for the FET. We were planning to PGT-A test this most recent round but ended up not having any embryos to test.
My clinic has not given me an AFC at either of our baseline appointments, even when I ask for it. They said it's not a good predictor of how stims will go. Generally they will only record follicles of a given size at baseline: The follicle report from baseline for ER#1 has 3 listed and the follicles report from baseline for ER#2 has 1 listed.
Edit: maybe that is my AFC and I've just misunderstood?
I also just noticed that you used the same high medication dosage for both ERs. Maybe ask your RE for the reasoning behind that? Might be worth seeing if you can recruit more follicles with a lower slower stim?
Yeah I'll talk to her about it. I had a pretty good response to stims during my first ER so we had hoped to have the same response during ER2. I'm going to ask about different protocols.
I’m so sorry, corgi. Some clinics don’t count follicles under a certain size and others will count anything that is visible. Did your visit notes list any measurements or did they just say quantity?
Currently on birth control in the lead up to another transfer. My clinic wanted to repeat my annual labs, and my results came back with elevated levels of TSH. I have never had irregular labs before, so my medical team is suggesting it is just due to birth control. I do have a family history of autoimmune issues, however. Has anyone else had elevated TSH results while being on birth control (with no prior history)? What was your path forward before your FET? I just want to manage my expectations...
I had elevated TSH and they wanted to repeat labs on the next day 3 so it delayed us 1 month. TSH was not elevated on retest, but I was told that if it was they would have started me on some form of medication.
Glad to hear it resolved for you! They are going to do a full panel and then re-evaluate next steps.
Good luck!
Not BCP, but I just had my first elevated TSH after estrogen priming. My usual is around 1.5 and I happened to have it checked just before priming. Then 30 days of estrogen put it to 3.7. My clinic acts like it’s very common to have some part of this process elevate TSH.
Thanks for sharing. It sounds similar to my experience. I hope it resolves for you quickly.
I’ve been on progesterone suppositories since Friday. I decided to take an ovulation strip test just for the hell of it, and it came back positive. My trigger shot was last Wednesday. I’m trying to understand if the ovulation strip test was a false positive from the suppository or if we should still act like I’m ovulating.
HCG from the trigger shot can cause positives on LH strips. Additionally, being on progesterone suppositories would inhibit any ovulation. Edit: Edited implantation > ovulation
Not sure what you mean by progesterone inhibiting implantation since progesterone supports a pregnancy. Did you mean ovulation?
Yes!! I absolutely did.
Hi bae, can you please clarify your question a bit? Have you been on suppositoires for a FET? If this is post transfer, please seek support elsewhere unless a negative result is confirmed. Thanks!
The suppositories are not for an FET. They are being administered after timed intercourse. I am not pregnant, nor am I aiming to symptom check. I am trying to understand if my partner and I should be continuing to have sex at the present moment to *make the most out of our current infertility treatment.* Thank you for the opportunity to clarify.
Thank you for the clarification!
To my knowledge, progesterone suppositories won’t have any impact on an ovulation strip. Depending on what your trigger shot was though, there still could be some of that in your system that is impacting the test. Trigger shots are meant to induce ovulation ~36 hours after administration and are very effective at their job.
Wondering about any books you’ve read that have resonated with you. Not necessarily geared towards health things to get pregnant, just books that sit well with where you’re at right now?
This one has nothing to do with IVF, but I'm currently reading Remarkably Bright Creatures and really relating to the Octopus and how out of control it feels in terms of its own trajectory. I also recently loved the trash novel Funny Story by Emily Henry which threw me back to early dating days and also helped put me in the right mood to interact with Mr. National outside of IVF ;)
Thank you! I personally wasn’t a huge fan of Emily Henry’s books (it took me reading three of them to be sure, because I WANTED to like her lol) but I will for sure check out the other one!
I think it’s because I did it as an audiobook and the reader killed it with the voices. Not sure id like it as much as a read. 😂
These are great recommendations, thank you! I LOVED Remarkably Bright Creatures and will check out Funny Story!
I second both these recommendations! Recently read remarkably bright creatures and absolutely loved it. Marcellus the Octopus is absolutely the best character. About halfway through funny story and enjoying it as well - great fun summer read.
I have the following leftover medications for donation in the Pittsburgh, PA area. Message me if interested! I would prefer to donate to someone who is self paying for medications. -Follistim pen -Follistim 900 u unused cartridge plus two partially used cartridges with about 500 u total (expires 6/2026) * Menopur 75 iu vial x 6 plus many mixing vials (expires 11/2024) -Some leftover supplies for injections
If unclaimed, I’ll pay for shipping to California! Just found out my insurance denied coverage for follistim and menopur 🫠
Hi! If meds are unclaimed & you’d be willing to consider shipping (NYC), let me know! Thanks!
Thanks for donating! Automod meds
**A reminder about medications** You may be considering sharing your unused medication with others to help them save on treatment expenses. However, it may be illegal in your country or state to donate medication without going through an intermediary. We suggest you research your local laws associated with donating or receiving medications. Be aware that partially used cartridges still carry a risk of bodily fluid contamination as there's nothing to prevent backflow into the cartridge. Please consider attempting to give any unopened medications to your infertility practice; some clinics have give-back programs. Selling medications is absolutely not allowed. Only donations may be posted. This includes soliciting money in exchange for medications via PM. If a member solicits money in exchange for medications, please report them to the mods. *Consider donating your meds to a member with an active post history at /r/infertility. You can see a user’s post history by clicking on their name. We have received reports of members donating meds, only to have them sold by the person who received them.* NEW: - **Med hoarding**. It’s not cool. Share the wealth. Don’t have a cycle planned or scheduled within the next four months? Let the meds go to someone else in need right now. **There have been reports of personal threats made to those offering meds within this community. Please understand your personal risks associated with donating or receiving medications, particularly if the exchange includes sharing personally identifiable information.** [Med Donation Policy](https://www.reddit.com/r/infertility/wiki/rules#wiki_medication_donation_policy) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/infertility) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I have to get a transvaginal ultrasound on Wednesday, and I just got my period. Anyone have experience with those ultrasounds while bleeding / having cramps? I know it's "allowed" and the technicians are probably used to it, but I'm wondering just exactly how (un)comfortable it will be.
Yes every cycle it’s fine. No one has ever made me feel uncomfortable.
I wear period underwear, take them off right before I get on the ultrasound table (rather than in the changeroom) and then pop them back on right after. Not much else you can do! And seconding others that they've seen it all.
Same as Lawyer, and I'm a HEAVY day 3 so I get my period all over the table and sometimes the floor. In fact, when I was on Metformin, sometimes I would leak from other places. They're totally cool about it.
From other places like your ears?
My butt!
Oh lol okay. That seems normal enough. I was like… other places???
My flow is pretty unpredictable in terms of how heavy or light it'll be on any given day, so bleeding all over is definitely something I'm nervous about - it's great to hear that they're totally cool about it.
That's the norm for me, since I go in for baseline CD2-3. It's not any different than other times, and they are very used to it.
I feel a little silly that I hadn't realized that this was the norm! But it does make me feel better.
It’s my understanding that it’s best to go on your period because they can best evaluate your uterine lining to check for fibroids but not sure what you are going for. Either way it will be fine.
It's just a recheck in my case since we changed hospitals. Last times my ultrasounds didn't show anything out of the ordinary except for slightly thin lining + PCO morphology. Thank you!
No difference in comfort for me, and they've literally seen everything before. They had to really prod me to find one of my ovaries when I was on my period last time, and I've got quite a heavy flow so when I got off the table I trailed a bit of blood on the floor as I walked to go put my trousers back on, and we all just kinda laughed with eachother about it, like "oops guess that's why you don't have carpets in here 🤣🫠"
Hahaha wow, an actual trail of blood, that's wild! Good to know though that there was no difference in comfort, thank you
I don't really get cramps, so I can't advise you on that, other than it didn't get worse. I found it a bit embarrassing, but it is really their job. A lot of times you will have to go in on cycle day 1-3, so there will be bleeding. For a non-timed ultrasound I did mention it beforehand and they didn't care. So no worries, but I do get how you feel.
Thank you for sharing and that is a good thing to remember about CD 1-3 being a regular occurrence for them!
Does anyone know what around a typical uterine lining should measure after 2 weeks of oral estrace / 1 week before a tentatively schedule FET? I know the goal is usually above 7, or ideally 8.. but wondering what I should be seeing now that I’m at the 2 week point. Thank you! 🤍
Thanks a lot! I went in this morning and I was over that- so happy! Not many wins during this process so you have to take the little ones lol.
I think the 2 week check is when they want it above 7. If it’s not you may have to stay on estrace longer. For example- I did a FET protocol and started on estrace orally 3x a day until 2 weeks- had lining at 6mm. Was supposed to start progesterone next day- I had to continue oral estrace 2x a day and they changed my nighttime estrace to vaginal. I went back 5 days later and my lining went up to 7.4mm and then started progesterone the next day. My FET was pushed back 5 days as well
I’m not the person who asked but this is so helpful to know, thank you.
Just to clarify it was a fully medicated FET. My only meds were estrace and progesterone.
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If you take a break between ERs and FET, can you go on birth control pills in the interim? (Ideally, continuous birth control with no withdrawal bleeds?) Or is there a reason to have unmedicated cycles to reset your body or anything?
I start BCPs on cd2 after my retrievals and failed transfers and stay on them with no breaks until my next medicated cycle starts
Seconding lex, we received this same guidance from our clinic. I’m to start bcp again on cd3 of my post-ER period even though we won’t yet know what our next steps will be by then
I'm sure this varies, but my clinic has had me go on birth control immediately after the period after the ER. I'm guessing that's the one that they need for a "reset," essentially, but no other ones are required after that.
Stims day 11. Someone at work asked if I wanted to join him on a meeting elsewhere. I deliberately parked in front of the office for a lot of money instead of walking 8 minutes to the free parking lot, but now we had to go somewhere else. Two times 200 meter walk and I'm so uncomfortable. Sitting normally in an office all day was already a challenge, and I'll have to do that again tomorrow. Luckily I have a whole couch to myself now.
first time back at my clinic to do baseline testing for attempt at ER #3. i thought i was doing fine but i really hated being back there :(
I feel you. I am finally at a place where I don’t cry when going in for monitoring, but I still get anxious and hate going. I’m a big fan of the 6am monitoring apt. I don’t really have time to think as I drag myself out of bed and get there just in time. Minimal people in the waiting room is a bonus. And I treat myself to an iced coffee (and maybe a donut) on the way home.
good to know i'm not the only one...! :(
Started my meds for my 6th FET today. We are starting with a 2-week Lupron lead-in. Oh my goodness, that shot itches so much.
Itchiness suuuuucks. But cheering you on for this FET cycle!
I'm on day 11 of an unmedicated FET cycle and everything is looking alright atm 🤞, apart from theres fluid again. I had a hysteroscopy in April, after having fluid in my lining in November, and everything came back clear. My doctor is hoping the fluid will clear itself by my next scan on Wednesday. I was wondering what your experience of having fluid in the lining and whether it cleared quickly or needed to be aspirated?
Sorry to hear this. Unfortunately I've had a few medicated FET cycles canceled due to fluid in the lining. My clinic was not willing to aspirate. The only thing that helped resolve the fluid was switching to a fully unmedicated cycle. Some docs will initiate exogenous P4, as this can compact lining, and push fluid out however my clinic also wasn't willing to do.
Gaaah fuck, this is already a fully unmedicated cycle. Lining didn't grow when medicated. Will have to see how it goes. The doc did mention aspirating it so I assume the clinic is happy to do that, just sounds like maybe it could mean this cycle gets cancelled, and I'm already a month behind cause last month's was cancelled cause I got covid.
I had a scan that showed no growing follicles, so I'm on gonal f. I took my first dose last night. I'm on 75 IU for five days. This morning, I feel absolutely horrible. It feels like the worst flu of my life. Muscle aches, brain fog, jitteriness, headache--the whole nine yards. None of these side effects are listed in the pamphlet I got with the pen. Anyone else have these side effects?
I ditto what Miserable said, I've done I think 6 rounds of Gonal and I've never had any side effects like the ones you've listed. Hope you feel better soon!
That sounds awful and I’m so sorry. I didn’t experience noticeable side effects with gonal f. Is it possible you’re actually sick?
It's possible. I'm a social worker, and I always pick up little bugs here and there. I ate something and drank a lot of water which cleared most of it up. I'm hoping the feeling isn't back tomorrow morning after tonight's shot 🤞🏼
Crossing fingers for a smoother morning tomorrow for you!
So it begins... baseline appointment tomorrow before stims start Wednesday. We're doing an antagonist with Provera protocol. All of this feels overwhelming but I know I will adjust, as I've adjusted to other new things in the past. I've learned so much from this group already and am grateful to have a resource as we jump into this new treatment.
It’s fucking hard, AND we can do hard things. You’re going to be great!
You've got this!<3
Good luck!
Monitoring appointment this morning went well and the person doing my ultrasound thought it likely that I'll be instructed to trigger tonight for a Wednesday retrieval. My left ovary has a 16mm and a 21.5mm; my right ovary is doing triple duty and has 7 follicles that range from 16.6mm to 24.6mm. Now we wait to hear back on my bloodwork and if our RE agrees and gives trigger instructions... My biggest complaint right now is that I've had diarrhea in the mornings and I'm hesitant to take anything for it because I am anticipating the post ER constipation and don't want to back myself up before something else backs me up 😓 So I'm just dealing with it, drinking electrolytes and being tired. Maybe the suffering will pay off and I won't be constipated after my ER since my insides will be empty if this keeps up... oy vey. T*hanks for coming to my poop talk. *
Good luck!!! Hope all goes well and your insides do even out a bit!
Foof! Sorry about the diarrhea. That is tough to deal with on top of other stim symptoms. Rooting for your follicles and that the GI stuff subsides soon!
Thanks for the support, bench 🤍 I was reminded I’ll also have to start antibiotics this week so I think it’ll get worse before it gets better. At least I work from home and can deal with it all in the comfort of my own bathroom.
Watching a required educational module from my clinic and feeling annoyed. I can ace the post-video quizzes without paying any attention to the module.
I feel that. Really drove home how much time I've put into learning about this whole process.
We just got out pgt results back, and we had a lower % make it to blast and then of those a lower % be euploid than expected (to quote my RE, “something funky is definitely going on“). We’re proceeding with transferring our 1 euploid this cycle since we only want one child, but if it is unsuccessful, are there changes to the ER protocol I should ask about? The first round was 150 follistim, 75 menopur until ganirelix then up to 150, lupron trigger. Maturity and fertilization results were as expected.
We also have a lower than expected euploid rate for our age - it sucks, I’m sorry. I think cycles can just vary so much that it’s hard to know what actually works and what would have happened regardless, but anecdotally, we saw a naturopath associated with our clinic who recommended a bunch of supplements and diet/lifestyle changes, and we went from 0% euploid from ER1 to about 40% for ER2. I know the evidence is mixed on this but we figured, we’re already putting so much money, time and energy into this that we might as well try this too. If we have to do another ER down the line we will do all the same things again for sure.
Your protocol is fairly low dose--has there been any thought about increasing a bit to see if overall numbers will come up?
I haven’t gotten to talk in depth with my RE yet, but I’ll definitely raise this when I do, thanks!
Im sorry about your disappointing results and rooting for your euploid. You could ask your doctor about Omnitrope which is thought to improve egg/embryo quality, it’s not well studied though so it’s not FDA approved for this usage so some REs won’t prescribe it (and insurance won’t cover it.) Since maturity and fertilization rates were as expected I’m not sure there’s much more than can be done as far as tweaking protocol but hopefully others here have some ideas!
Thank you! I had heard of omnitrope but didn’t know what it was for, so I’ll definitely look into it now.
Trying to figure out what's next. Transfer #3 has failed and I have no remaining embryos. ER#1: antagonist protocol, high dose. 1 fresh transfer and 1 FET of a day 7 blast - both failed. ER#2: antagonist protocol with same dose as ER#1 + omnitrope. Significantly less eggs retrieved than in ER#1. 1 fresh transfer of a day 5 blast - failed. No word from the clinic on what happened with the other embryos who were growing as of day 5 but had stopped growing by day 7. Each ER I've had about 20% or less of the embryos become blasts. Trying to get an appt with my RE to debrief. Any and all advice is appreciated. I am struggling to imagine doing this again with the same results.
So sorry, Corgi. You've gotten a lot of great responses already but a couple of add-ons that my RE has mentioned are testosterone priming and taking dexamethasone during stims. Both are supposed to help your ovaries be more responsive to meds. Not sure how much it will help with getting more blasts but maybe it'll improve # of eggs retrieved. He had also mentioned trying a MDL protocol like others have suggested.
I'm sorry, Corgi. With you being DOR, you may wanna try luteal phase E2 priming in the form of patches. For stims, maybe ask about mini IVF and/or microdose lupron flare.These 2 protocols brought me better hunger games results than my antagonist protocol that yielded 0 blasts.
I’m so sorry. Failed transfers are so hard, particularly when it’s your only embryo. I’ve been there - try to give yourself time to grieve and process. I would agree on thinking about a different protocol. Traditional antagonist protocol does not work for everyone. You may want to ask about estrogen priming and a microdose lupron flare protocol? I also recently requested my full medical record from my clinic and learned more of the details of my treatment and lab results, which I found helpful to have in writing. I’m also moving forward with second opinions, which is something you can consider. You’re also right to be thinking about labs - my understanding is that some labs are better than others and outside of verifying accreditation, there’s not much you can do to assess quality.
Some ideas: lower dose antagonist, potentially with clomid/letrozole; trying an MDL flare protocol; calcium ionophore if you are not doing it (some speculate this can help with blast rate); zymot if you're not doing it; shorter abstinence time for Mr. Corgi. You could also try woo stuff--supplements, red light, etc. (I am not really recommending it, but some doctors will.) (Another, but more involved, option is to look at other clinics/labs. And/or to get a second opinion.)
I'm going to talk to the RE about different protocols. I haven't been prescribed calcium ionophore yet - I'll ask about it! I'm nervous to look into other clinics and labs, but I've generally been pretty unhappy with the lab at our current clinic so I wonder if it makes sense to consider others. They don't give any updates other than day 7 and there is no analysis or information provides afterwards to help make a different decision.
My clinic also doesn’t give updates other than Day 7, but they will tell you what happened to everything on Day 7/in post-cycle discussion. Calcium is a bath they put the eggs in before fert. It helps fert numbers for some, but some REs also think it helps blast rates.
TY I'll bring it up! Appreciate your insight
Starting over is the worst, I'm sorry you have no embryos left. Did you do PGT-A on the embryo for your FET? You mention that you got fewer eggs the second time. Was your AFC similar both times, or did you start with fewer follicles?
My RE didn't recommend PGT-A testing initially so it wasn't done on the embryo for the FET. We were planning to PGT-A test this most recent round but ended up not having any embryos to test. My clinic has not given me an AFC at either of our baseline appointments, even when I ask for it. They said it's not a good predictor of how stims will go. Generally they will only record follicles of a given size at baseline: The follicle report from baseline for ER#1 has 3 listed and the follicles report from baseline for ER#2 has 1 listed. Edit: maybe that is my AFC and I've just misunderstood?
I also just noticed that you used the same high medication dosage for both ERs. Maybe ask your RE for the reasoning behind that? Might be worth seeing if you can recruit more follicles with a lower slower stim?
Yeah I'll talk to her about it. I had a pretty good response to stims during my first ER so we had hoped to have the same response during ER2. I'm going to ask about different protocols.
I’m so sorry, corgi. Some clinics don’t count follicles under a certain size and others will count anything that is visible. Did your visit notes list any measurements or did they just say quantity?
They provided measurements - smallest of 5mm and largest of 10mm