Assisted conception after recurrent miscarriage

[duggs1976]

Hey super ovulators and those struggling with infertility after miscarriage this is where we are! Come on over ...

[duggs1976]

I am 95 per cent sure dr g does nupogen when I saw him last summer he mentioned it as a fairly new drug that he was having some success with but as ari says he will know best I reckon.

[Mel3062]

Thanks ladies ill arrange an appointment, peny mentioned i. May need it but that was before my op x

[Mel3062]

It was just to rule it out x

[Arianrhod]

Yep, I did a bit of reading around since my post and yes Dr G does px neupogen, albeit I think at a higher dose possibly than Serum like to use. Not sure about that. mel, let us know how you get on with him!

[suemays]

Bad news as usual from me. Had my last scan to see when to do trigger and only 2 of the 4 follicles have grown. I now won't be going for egg collection. Devastated as I now think I will never have my baby. How can life be so cruel to let me get so far last time and give me hope that i still can have one and then do this to me????
Trying iui on Fri on the 2 follicles but they might be empty. DH won't go for donor eggs so clomid will be our last route.
Devastated as thought this would work. I should have tried ivf 2 years ago.

[Mel3062]

Sue I'm so sorry hoping it will all work out for you xx

[lemonsherbet]

sue am sorry. Hope that the 2 follicles that are there are at least good ones and that the iui will work. Have they given you an appointment to speak to the consultant to go through what your options are?

[suemays]

lemon my only options after this are clomid. I am hoping obviously that the iui will work.

My acupuncturist told me I am in the best shape since my birth last year and my cycle was a more normal length for the first time. I am now wondering if all of my problems are bad egg quality and not immune related now. A friend of mine who has ivf twins had 19 eggs collected but by transfer time only had 5 viable embryos. If she had got pregnant naturally with the 14 bad ones in a row and miscarried would she have looked down the immune route? Is it all just down to luck and a numbers game? I really am wondering now.

I think anyone struggling with infertility will always secretly hope each month that they are pregnant with the elusive egg even if they have told everyone that they have stopped trying and so I think I will fall into this category eventually. Sorry if I sound negative but I do feel like there are too many problems stacked against me. I am still shocked my fertility has dropped so dramatically in just a year.

[lemonsherbet]

sue it is hard. I think there are more than one reason for the problems we go through. I think that catching the "right" egg is a big part of it. Are you taking any supplements that might help. Just know that ari and choccy have tied supplements to try and improve quality. It is hard at the moment especially since a week ago we were all excited that you had some many follicles. It is some rollercoaster and it is natural to feel negative at the moment. Remember it only takes one good egg. I do understand that hope we all have when the odds are stacked against us. Do you think your DH will change his mind about DE, if he knows that may be the best chance? I found it helpful to start setting targets, I wish I had done that at the start instead of waiting 12 months with Mr S and not getting far. With hindsight I wish I had said if this does not work after 6 months then I will go to Mr G. Do you think that will help with iui, clomid, DE, adoption etc. Sorry if this is a bit insensitive, am here for handholding. Just know that empty feeling all too well and the wanting for a baby all too well, just like all the other ladies on this thread. We are here for you just not sure how best to help.

[duggs1976]

Ok sue because you are moving onto iui do you get some money back?

If so are you totally sure you will give up could you look at ARGC? Reason is they say if you r going to go in for IVF be prepared for 3 rounds. the first is really a learning cycle. To see how u respond to the meds and all you've learnt is that you need higher meds from the off set. Your response is not rubbish it is just you need to adjust the meds. Would you like to chat about it ?x

[suemays]

Ladies I am on the highest amount of stimm drugs so ivf won't work for me. We cant afford to go to the argc as their ivf is a lot more than the lister. I don't think they can have me on higher meds anyway. If it was just a question of ivf not working but i had lots of follicles I would try again but the response is likely to always be low considering my rubbish amh. Never thought this would be a problem for me!! I will only be charged for scans and consultations so not a full round of ivf so at least that's one thing!

I have said to myself I will try 6 rounds of either clomid or letrozole if iui doesn't work and then we will just go back to trying naturally as we can't keep affording it all. DH def won't go for donor eggs or adoption so its this route or nothing. I can't see the point in changing docs again as at the end of the day no one can pinpoint the elusive egg if ivf won't work.

[duggs1976]

Ok sue am hearing you. Can I suggest you read this post as has been recommended highly by 43 yr old lady i met through work. I have bought her book on my kindle and have to say am quite interested. If you do go down the natural route then take a look at this too.

www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/oct/25/infertility-treatment-babies-doctor-zhai

[brownstag]

Sue, you could always try DHEA. I know I miscarried but I did conceive after over 2 years of infertility after taking it. Oddly enough I think that the effects have been fairly permanent because I'm still covered in acne, :( even though I haven't taken it since March when I conceived and everything I've read says that the acne goes away upon discontinuing. The only consolation is that I feel I must be more fertile too.
How old are you Sue? Letrozole is supposed to be better after 35. I conceived on that and not on Clomid that I had from the NHS. Have you never had superovulation before?

[brownstag]

P.S. I know I haven't really sold the DHEA there, but I think 2 or 3 months would be enough to affect your egg quality without risking the side effects, which I didn't get until 6 months. Also, you could take a lower dose than I took, 25mg instead of 75mg.
Ari and Buzzy, everything crossed for you. Ari, I'm sure I've read loads of times that you can have a perfectly normal pregnancy with low hcg.

[brownstag]

I've just been complaining to the manufacturers of some pregnancy tests in the 99p shop. A couple of years ago I got a faint positive on one, rushed out to buy a FRER, which was negative, and hence wasted £10. This weekend I didn't have any of my normal ones left, and at 13dpo bought another one and got a faint positive. The next day my period came. The box says over 90% accurate, which is of course quite rubbish as I pointed out to them.
However, they replied, saying they were actually 99% accurate, but at the time they manufactured that batch, they were only allowed to state 'over 90%' by law. These were the reasons they gave for my false positive.

'With regards to the false positive result experienced, there could be a number of factors which could produce this result;

1 The test has a sensitivity of 25MIU, so this could be due to the test being completed at the very early stages of pregnancy.
2 As the false positive was a faint line, this could simply be due to the natural monthly cycle.
3 Hormone drugs could also produce a false positive, including steroids, contraceptives or HRT medication.'

We all know that number 3 is rubbish, as is categorically stated in their own leaflet, and wtf does number 2 mean exactly? If our natural monthly cycles could produce a false positive, there would hardly be any point in making pregnancy tests!

[Arianrhod]

brown Number 2 sounds like complete twaddle to me, I know we all have very low levels of hCG in our system naturally but too low to register as a positive unless an implanted (or partly implanted) embryo starts producing more. I think they just have dodgy tests!

sue I'm so sorry to hear your news. :( Hopefully IUI will do the trick for you! Your OH wouldn't consider going abroad, I don't suppose? I just know of ladies who have had success with their own eggs even when AMH was low on different protocols abroad to those followed by the clinics here, even when they were on max stimms here. Just a thought, but hope you won't need it anyway!

/waves to everyone, still in limboland here, next blood test tomorrow morning but not holding my breath!

[brownstag]

Sue, I found out recently that an old schoolfriend's twin boys who are now 6 were conceived using IUI and clomid. She had low ovarian reserve and had been told by a private specialist that she was going to go through the menopause early and she had no hope of the procedure working. She didn't use the term AMH and I'm not sure if they were routinely using that then, so maybe she had high FSH, but she conceived them on her second go. She was 36 then and they'd been trying for 4 years.

[duggs1976]

Maybe you could plough your IVF money into 3 rounds of IUI ?

[suemays]

I think IUI is more the way forward with clomid or letrozole. I got pregnant twice on Letrozole with Mr S but miscarried laster year (Jan and March) and then got preg naturally. I have read reports that Letrozole can cause birth defects so I am now worried that as I was on it for the 2 months before I conceived Scarlet could this be why she had a fatal defect????

I am not giving up hope just yet as I know it only takes one egg but just trying to be realistic. Especially as my 21 year old nephew is having a baby, brings it home that at the age of 41 I am getting old!!

DH wouldnt go abroad, I would rather try IUI as I still think another clinic might be able to get more eggs but I have then heard it affects the quality the more you get. Not sure what else they would try with me??? Once I have the IVF drugs out of my system I will get my FSH and LH tested on day 3 again as I havent had that done for a year. At least that will give me a bigger picture.

My friend who has a low AMH is currently 9 weeks preg with twins on clomid so it can work!

Not sure about DHEA as I have read reports it can affect egg quality with women who have premature ovarian failure which is what my low amh is classed as. Dont want to make the sitaution worse!!

[BellyD]

Sue sounds as though you have had a roller coaster ride over the last few days. Really hope the iui works for you, will be keeping everything crossed for you.

Brown those sticks sound bloomin' rubbish, and as for their reasons why you may have got a false positive - ridiculous.

Ari hope the waiting hasn't been too agonising. Best of luck for tom.

lemon are you getting on ok? Not too long to go. Did anyone hear if Abney had her baby on the Pred thread? I have been looking but perhaps I missed it?

Duggs thanks for the link to the book -will definitely take a look. How are you doing?

Well I survived the IVIG. It was fine actually, can't believe I got so worked up about it. Been for a scan today and have 6-7 follies and oestrogen level and womb lining looking ok. Back on Sat to see how well they are growing. Remaining realistic about our chances but for now there is some hope.

Waves to anyone I've missed

[suemays]

Belly glad you survived the IVIG!

What day of stimms are you on and on what drugs? I hope you get more mature follicles than my awful cycle - just because it didnt work for me, doesnt mean it wont work for you so keep positive! What amh level have you got as it would be interesting to compare? Mine is 0.57 and I am 41.

I had a look at ARGC earlier at their prices and read from various blogs that each cycle with immune therapy costs at least £17k with some around £25k! There is no way we can afford that kind of money even though they might be the only ones that could help.

Brown I would just use FRER tests even though they are pricey as its awful to get your hopes up like that.

So ladies, does anyone think its worth me getting intrallipids done next week at INS in the slight hope that I might conceive through IUI?

[suemays]

Forgot to say Ari good luck with the blood test tomorrow!

[Mel3062]

Good luck ari
Belly good luck with follies
Waves to all x

[duggs1976]

Sue I have to say so many people on here have conceived when on a break or naturally that intrallipids seems like too much pressure. IUI is still only increasing each monthly chance by 5-10 percent so I'd say save your money and time stick to pred post sperm transfer and off you go. I did iui at NLC last feb with dr gafa and no intrallipids suggested. Expect 3 cycles at least. Xx

[suemays]

Thanks duggs did you do anything different after the iui like rest etc?