Can someone help? Findings at ultrasound

[Tollygunge]

So after 4 losses in last 2 years I'm on clomid 100mg. Went for scan today- one follicle just about to pop on right ovary and nothing at all on left- quiescent ovary she wrote on report. She wouldnt tell me anything but when I asked if it would ever come back looked doubtful. So now I'm sobbing in my car as I'm totally fucked without ivf (which we can't afford) and I'm terrified that this is a sign of peri menopause. Does anyone know what it means to have a quiescent ovary?!

[Tollygunge]

Bunp

[Tollygunge]

Bump I mean

[Naty1]

no real idea. but ovaries dont respond the same every month.
i have pcos and yet one month had almost no response to ivf meds (compared to 20+ eggs the other times)
i would hope they give clomid a few tries

[Tollygunge]

But I had NO follicles at all on left ovary, not even tiny ones

[Tollygunge]

I feel like I'm cursed

[CatnipMouse]

Hey tollygunge, I'm sorry I don't know much to help. But you sounded really worried yesterday, how are you today?

[DropYourSword]

Whoa, wait, don't get all down about this!!

I'm not an expert by any means, but as far as I'm aware, this just means that THIS MONTH you have just released an egg from your right hand side. It's normal just to release on one side each month. I used clomid and still only released from one side that month.
It doesn't necessarily mean that you won't next month. Quiescent just means dormant, but that doesn't mean permanently. Don't get disheartened yet.

[Tollygunge]

I'm alright. Im just so bloody tired of it all. Clomid seriously turned me into a scary nut job and for what?! Pretty sure I won't catch this month. I know I'm lucky to have my daughter etc but I've always wanted two children and feel like grieving. I have amazing friends but I'm shutting out a few of them as feel super jealous of them with their young babies

[Tollygunge]

On a more positive note I just bought an amazing skirt in Zara

[Tuiles]

Not quite the same issue as you are facing, but I had a fallopian tube removed but still managed to conceive 4 times (2 births). So even on one ovary all is not lost.

Yaaay to the skirt too!

[AndMiffyWentToSleep]

I've had ICSI twice. First time, there was nothing at ALL going on on my right ovary - not one single, teeny tiny follicle. Second time, there was only maybe one on my left ovary, but a much better response from my right ovary.

I'd assumed that the fact that the right ovary hadn't responded the first time meant it was officially past it and 'empty'. I guess not.

So just to say, don't worry about there being nothing there this time - who knows what'll happen next month!

[ChewyGiraffe]

Hey Tolly - don't know if you're still around, but thought I'd reply as you sounded really worried, but quite unnecessarily so, I think.

You say you were scanned on 16 December and there was "one follicle just about to pop on right ovary". So it sounds like you were scanned at about mid-cycle and you were about to ovulate from your right ovary. At that stage in your menstrual cycle it would be quite NORMAL to see nothing significant in the other ovary.

If you had had a 'baseline' scan on day 2 (or between day 2 - 5) you'd expect to see several small antral follicles (about 2-9 mm in diameter) in each ovary. The numbers are variable between women and between cycle to cycle, but say between 9 and 21 follicles across BOTH ovaries (not that number in each ovary!), but could be anywhere between 4 and 35 follicles. (There's a table that explains the range or numbers here for example, if you scroll down the page). Then under the influence of increasing FSH, one follicle grows faster/bigger than the others and becomes the lead dominant follicle. While this happens, the other follicles just fade away (by atresia). Then the lead, dominant follicle ovulates once it reaches between 18 - 24 mm in size.

The description of your left ovary as 'quiescent' (i.e. quiet and still) is, I think, an entirely appropriate term for what you would expect to see on the non-ovulating side at that point in your cycle - plus it tends to be used to describe a temporary, not a permanent state of affairs. Next month you would probably ovulate from your left side and your right ovary would be quiescent mid-cycle. When you asked the sonographer if your left ovary would "come back" I'm guessing she looked confused/doubtful because she thought you meant in the current cycle she was scanning, when of course it won't - you wouldn't expect it to.

The other thing with Clomid (which you probably know already) is that because you're not doing IVF at the moment (and I'm guessing you're doing timed intercourse rather than IUI - although IUI would be similar) your doctors would only want you to develop ONE lead/dominant follicle (and NOT loads, which is the aim with IVF). Otherwise you could risk getting pregnant with a high number of multiples (quintuplets or something) which I doubt you'd want either!

Really don't worry, I'm sure you'll be fine.

[Tollygunge]

Thanks so much- had an Internet break over Xmas so just logged on!

I'm trying not to think about it until next consultants appt in Feb- got to make the decision whether or not to do clomid again this cycle when my period comes. It really depresses me but if it's the only way I will have to. Bastard infertility!