FSH levels - 12.2

[beanieb]

Help!
I have finally started the process to investigate why I am not falling pregnant. Got my day 3 blood tests back today and they say it was 12.2. They are testing again but peri-menopause was mentioned and now I am scared I have missed my chance completely.

Last time I had this test it was 9, that was about a year ago.

I am 39 and have never had any children. I have just missed the cut off point for free IVF but reading around these boards I am getting the impression that IVF is often not given to people with a high FSH level?

Is this it? Should I juat try to start to accept that getting pregnant will never happen for me?

bump?

Hi
Sorry I don't know too much about this but maybe this linke would be helpful? The table at the bottom seems to show that 12 is not too bad at all?
www.advancedfertility.com/day3fsh.htm

hiya - thanks. I have seen this table. It's just that everything else I have read on here seems to suggest that anything over 10 is quite bad.

Hmm. I am not sure then. Do you have a follow up appointment to discuss options? The website also suggests the levels can fluctuate quite a bit, so it could be 12 one week and 7 the next. When are they retesting? Do you have a regular cycle etc?

Hiya - thanks. This all sounds pretty final then

I can't get the free IVF as I am too old
I can't afford to go private
12.5 is pretty bad.

I will try the diet stuff but I have been told most professionals say you should go by your highest reading and not by a lower one you might get at another time.

They have taken blood to send away for some other kind of test (forgot what she said but it's new and they do it in Scotland) but now I am just thinking it will come back even more depressing than this one.

I have an HSG coming up but am not really sure what my options are after that. Would they prescribe Clomied for example as they suggested they might before the tests?

Hi beanieb

Sorry to hear your news, I am in a very similar position. I am 39 and trying for first child.

Had my FSH tested 3 times last year - it was 14.4, 12.4 then the next month 17.9. You are right in that, whilst FSH fluctutaues, consultants seem to say that you are only as good as your worst reading (if that makes sense!)

I then had the new AMH test (anti mullerian hormone) which is the new test you mentioned, it has been available on the NHS since September). This doesn't fluctuate from month to month and confirmed what all the FSH tests said.

Obviously I was referred straight for IVF (my consultant wouldn't prescribe Clomid as he said it is not appropriate with high FSH - it could actually put me completely in menopause.)

The NHS hopspital in Manchester wouldn't treat me without an egg donor (they did say they would treat me up to, and including being, 40 years old though). I don't have an known egg donor and because there are so few around, I didn't have time to wait for one on the NHS (would take years and would be too old to be treated).

Made an appointment with private clinic. They confirmed everything and said there was no point in them treating me without an egg donor either. Am currently trying to sort something out on that (trying to arrange for my partners sister to donate to their pool of eggs so that I go to the top of the list and get next available anonymous donor).

Sorry I've probably not offered much advice but just wanted to share my story so you know you're not alone, we seem to be pretty similar.

And despite everything I have been told there's a little bit of me that still clings to the hope it may still happen naturally - I have read about lots of women getting pg with high FSH. All the articles I've read say high FSH never means you CAN'T get pregnant, it can just make it a lot harder/take longer.

I live in hope!

x

sorry to hear about your experience and good luck.

I guess that means Clomid is out of the question for me now then?

I will just hope the HSG clears my tubes and gives me a chance but from what you are all saying it looks like I will have to end my dream of a pregnancy. I really don't know what I will say to my OH. Right now I just think he would be better off going to find someone younger to start a family with.

hiya

No am not saying that at all!

Look at what I've said and what Londonlottie said - women still get pg with high fsh. 12.2 really isn't that high. See what the AMH test comes back with.

I can't say for definite with regards to the Clomid as I'm not a medical expert, but that's just what happened with me.

Your OH is with you becuase he wants to be with you, not dependant on whether you can have children or not, surely?

I know you probably just said it because you're feeling really down at the moment but surely if you thought he would go off and be with someone else just because you had fertility problems then the relationship wasn't on the right footing anyway?

Surely anyone would rather be with the right person, without children, than stuck with the wrong person, with children?

I do know how you're feeling at this moment, I've been there, but try and stay optimistic, you never know what may happen

x

Beanieb don't say that, it's too sad. I had/have lots of trouble ttc, and used to say the same thing to my dh who's 3 years younger than me. I know it's exactly how you feel too - old and clapped out. But you're not!

I'm 40 and I've got an 18 month old dd, (conceived with IUI) had my FSH done a year before I conceived her, it was 10.5 and then 9.7 so not an awful lot lower than yours. I was told I was perimenopausal too... it's horrible.

I can't offer too much in the way of positivity as I'm having problems ttc no 2 (having ivf next cycle) but it is still possible for you. Don't give up! Had my FSh done a few months ago and it's now 6.5 - so it can fluctuate alot.

Basically if you were to have IVF they woould check your FSH at the start of each cycle to see if it's worth doing it and wait for a low reading and then do it.

But I see you can't afford it - I sympathise, we're having alot of trouble getting hold of the money but we are able to borrow from family - not ideal but at least we can go for it.

I would say get yourself and DH onto some decent fertility supplements, (Marilyn Glenville or Zita West - not cheap though, about £50 a month)

And look up DHEA - it's used in America for us older women and can improve egg quality - they use for 3 months prior to IVF but I reckon it's worth a go just ttc naturally - is possibly why my FSH is so low these days. That and no longer boozing every night....

And if there's anyway you can afford to see a fertility expert acupuncturist or herbalist then do - they have really good results. We can't really afford to do that and have IVF.

Don't give up though.

it's not that I think he would, it's that I think he should.

But yes, I am really down at the moment. I was full of positivity after finally having my first fertility appointment a couple of weeks ago and now this. It's just that they took me into a private room to tell me, they seemed to think that 12.5 suggests the peri-menopause and I can only think negatively about the results I should expect from the AMH test.

I feel that it will just come back and tell me I have no chance. I didn't think 39 was that young so it's like a light has suddenly gone on in my head making me realise that I will not have a child easily.

I feel really bitter about my EX partner who ummed and ahhed about kids, about the time it tookl me to get out of that. I don't want my OH to feel like he is never going to have a family because I know what that is like.

sorry - should be 'that old'

yes, re your ex, I get so angry every time I read yet another article about women putting of ttc til late 30's becasue they want to concentrate on their careers or it's a lifestyle choice.

everyone i know who left ttc til
a bit late in the day did it becasue of crap partners! but as usual women get the blame...

anyway you're not wrong to feel down, it's such a stressful thing - just make sure you don't stay there. I get/got so sick of people telling me to stay positive - you do of course need to be positive but still you need a bit of emoting over the horribleness of it too. if you didn't you wouldn't be normal. You will get there eventually - just might be abit more of an effort than for other people...

Hi Londonlottie

Yes it works like this:

If I had someone I knew that would donate to me I could go to the clinic tomorrow and start a cycle with them (well maybe not tomorrow but you know what I mean!).

Without providing my own donor I have to go on the waiting list for an anonymous one - the current waiting list at even the private clinic is currently 18 months - 2 years.

If you have a known donor but you can't use them (eg like me - because it is my partners sister - think about it!) they do this thing whereby if your donor donates to their pool (so they can use the eggs for another couple) you go to top of the waiting list and get next anonymous one (which should only take weeks). Apparently a lot of clinics operate something similar.

Beanieb - keep your chin up honey. It's not the end of the road yet (it's not over till the fat lady sings and I ain't singing yet!). Even if the worst came to the worst and you couldn't conceive but desparately want a family with your OH there are other options that you may consider eg adoption

x

sorry havent been able to read entire thread so apologies if already been suggested but there are natural supplements you can take to bring down fsh... agnus cactus is a top one you can get at holland barrett, also drinking wheatgrass, b6, b12

my fsh was 10.6 and i had ds2 (after one mmc) i know women with much higher than you fsh and conceived.

good luck and dont let numbers worry you. my friend is 40.5 just had twins naturally!

thanks all. I was taking Agnus Castus until I got this fertility appointment. I wanted to see tehm with a 'natural' cycle. Maybe I will start taking it again.

thanks for the positive thoughts. Have been crying all day. I am not a girlie sap, I am quite a robust person, but I have found all this process very hard.

I think that this is such a blow to me because I never realy entertained the idea that it was just my age ruling out a pregnancy, I always kept positive about that because my gran was 43 when she had my mum and because I just never really stressed about my age. In this day and age you kind of assume you've got until you are 40+.

Anyway - I found this blog which is American and talks about IVF a bit but the first bit describes how I feel today.

and thanks LondonLottie and everyone else, I have no friends who have been through the same, just lots of friends who either don't want kids or who have fallen pregnant very easily - so it's hard to talk about.

ooh thanks for tips londonlottie on cheap(er)vits - and for 7-keto. I get my DHEA from Biovea too. I always feel a bit uneasy about taking DHEA as it's a hormone and can do all sorts, I guess 7-keto is a precursor so less volatile.

Plus I can never find out anywhere if DHEA is ok to take while pg before you know you are... not that that is a major worry..

Beanieb - there's far too many of us out there, keeping each others chins up. I agree 40 ISN'T old - unless you're having problems conceiving then it feels ancient which is a shock.

what's interesting bb is that I didn't know anyone in the same boat until I had dd - now I know more people with small children I know a fair few assisted conception babies or babies who took a long time coming. there's more out there than you realise...

Just wanted to say thanks, and sorry... Thank you for listening while I ranted today, and sorry for being so negative.

I have spoken to Mr Beanie and he has been so supportive. Yes I may have to face the fact that one day it will be too late but hopefully this it's not today.