FSH 9.1 and panicking can anyone help?

[Wearytree]

So I'm lying here awake and panicking. I'm soon to be 38, ttc cycle 6, one early mc cycle 2 and had cycle day 4 LH and FSH bloods done last week.

I got the results today, I can't remember the LH as so fixated on an FSH of 9.1 ... I googled it and nothing but horrendous things came up.

I'm terrified that this indicates I've got low ovarian reserve and that the mc was because of low quality eggs. It seems that this is the one thing that can't really be 'fixed'.

My GP wants to repeat the test but on day 2 next cycle and do oestrogen as well. She said she'd prefer to see 4, 5 or 6 so 9 seems so high.

Can anyone help me feel less awful about this? My heart is racing and I feel so so panicky. We want a baby so much x

It doesn't mean what you're panicking about. There is no measure of quality - no test exists for it. Age is the best indicator and that's on your side.

It doesn't even necessarily mean low ovarian reserve either. Fsh can change cycle to cycle and might mean you wouldn't respond as expected to ivf drugs. I feel like this one result is feeding a pre-existing anxiety.

The reason I mention anxiety is because you've had tests at 6 months ttc when you're 28. And you've conceived in that time. My gp blew me off at the 13 month mark because I'd had a chemical and I was 33.

80% of couples will conceive in a year. You're only just past the point where 50% will conceive and you have.

9 is not crazy high either. It just means it might not be a good idea for you to wait to ttc another 10 years and to get a wriggle on, which is what you're already doing!

Good luck.

6 months ttc does not make you infertile.

When I was ttc and panicking about FSH My doctor sent me this study from last year which found no link between fsh and conception rates when no other issues were identified: www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/ovarian-reserve-tests-fail-predict-fertility-nih-funded-study-suggests.

As I understand it FSH is used to help decide eligibility for IVF and that's it. It varies month to month anyway and if you are worried about egg health then here are things you can do and take to improve quality.

Op I made this mistake too at 34. My FSH result was 12- so higher than yours. Cue lots of panic and googling like you and being told it would make things difficult. Ws were referred for Ivf.

I then conceived immediately naturally but sadly it was a MC.

Then we did the ivf which miraculously, worked first time, despite only having one embryo. He’s now almost 4.

When the ivf baby was 8 months old my period came back after breastfeeding, so we ttc straight away as I was expecting a long journey or it to be impossible.

Instead I got a bfp 4 weeks later and I now have two boys with a 16 months age gap!

As physics says above- egg quality can’t be measured but this is the most important thing, so even if you have low egg reserve, it doesn’t tell you if you can get pregnant or not, only that you need to may need to get on with it.

Thank you @physicskate for the reassuring words. I'm 38 so that's why I'm really anxious, if I was 28 I think I'd be so much more relaxed.

Well, I'm 38 in January... I am a natural worrier and just sort of expected that the bloods would reassure me and they've done the exact opposite.

So sorry I misread your original post. Pregnancy insomnia does that to me... I read 28. But actually 9.1 is not bad at all for 38!!!

It took us IVF for that pregnancy to happen after 2 and a half years ttc. I'm 34 (will be 35 by the time I give birth, ugh).

The important thing is that you aren't delaying ttc. That's all you can do about your FSH...

@LeeMiller thank you for your reply and that study, it is good to read those things.
I'm having the test repeated as the GP said the levels can fluctuate, but now I'm worrying what if they come back even higher ?
I'm having some on and off but several times a day ovary pain so worried that there's a cyst or something that might affect it too.

@Ilikeviognier reading your story makes me feel better too, thank you. My husband didn't understand what FSH was and his sad face when I explained it was horrible. I know it's early to get over-stressed but I can't seem to help it. The mc hit us both really hard.

It's awful, Google. It's when you read words like 'perimenopause' and I've overanalysed my GP's voicemail explaining the bloods about 50 times... the tone when she said 'it's okayyy but higher than we'd like' and then said it would be better at 4-6.

Thanks @physicskate and huge congratulations on your pregnancy. Getting older and no baby is so hard. It's the thought of the future without, we just can't fathom how that would be.

I'm also really stressed at work (secondary teacher) and the more I try to avoid stress the more it's thrown at me.

Walking down the corridor and every other step my ovary twanging and hearing the kids screaming. I ovulated that side last month (well I think I ovulated- something happened anyway) and had pain for a good two days. It subsided for a few weeks and now it's back.

Do you think that high stress would affect FSH?

Possibly. I too was a secondary teacher (physics). I had a bit of a breakdown at the end of January when the IVF became more of a certainty. My school let me leave then and there! Which was fantastic for my sanity... not so much for the bank balance!!

I honestly attribute our cycle in June working to two things: quitting my job and acupuncture.

I've been working as a technician (Physics) and I've been badgered back into teaching a bit of KS3 as a teacher is off with an injury. It's really made me realise that teaching is a problem. I just don't want to do it anymore... it really destroyed a large part of my soul when parents were complaining I'd sanctioned their child for not doing work/ throwing things/ being rude/ violent when I was in such emotional turmoil myself. You aren't allowed to be human and teach.

@physicskate I totally understand exactly what you're saying. I've a free now after a terrible class and my heart is racing. When we conceived it was in the summer holidays and I miscarried first week of September... I can't see how pregnancy will happen again while I'm so embroiled in this awful job. I teach a core subject too and it's relentless. Age old story of not being able to earn as much doing anything else and if we do need IVF we will need the money.

So do you really think that I shouldn't stress too much about the FSH? I know it takes most people a while, but if there's no luck this month again I'm going to be really scared after this.

The statistics are on your side massively. I honestly wouldn't worry about the fsh as it's just one piece in a very large puzzle. It's very very average for it to take a year.

I'd only start worrying then tbh.

I've now been offered a civil service job for after my maternity leave. It's a pay cut, but partly because I'll be part time. Financially, we won't be as comfortable, but we'll be ok. And who knows what will happen in the future?

We had been saving for the baby for years, so had a three cycle plan.

Tbh I’m
Not sure how much merit there is in getting the test done again- the levels fluctuate, but the highest reading is always the one any fertility clinic would use anyway (ie if the level comes down it doesn’t “help” - you can’t increase the number of eggs you have), Just something to think about.

You could consider getting the amh test- much more accurate for ovarian reserve measurement. You might have to pay privately for it though.

I wouldn't fixate on FSH. A higher result will just make you feel worse and not serve any purpose right now. Mine went from 10 to 13 (age 35) and I remember sobbing at my DH that all hope was lost. Two cycles later I feel pregnant again naturally and I'm now overdue. :-)

What I would do is look into diet, supplements, lifestyle changes to reduce stress (know that's not so easy) for you and your partner. If you're not already, then maybe temp or use ovulation sticks to give yourself a better idea of your fertile window. 6 months won't feel like it but it really is a very short time to be ttc and you already successfully conceived in that time which is a good sign fertility wise, though really tough to go through (I experienced similar).

AMH is a more reliable test than FSH as to ovarian reserve - they use the AMH test to give a guide as to how you will respond to IVF drugs. As far as I understand it low AMH or high FSH doesn't affect your chances of getting pregnant naturally but it will give you an idea of how much time you have to try naturally before moving to IVF. Your GP probably won't do it, you'll either need to be referred to the infertility clinic at hospital or pay to have it done privately (it's about £100)

I agree with @Wesstywoo. You need to see your AMH and FSH together. The NHS doesn't test for AMH routinely, so you might need to go private.

Sorry to hear you've been through it too @LeeMiller sobbing to my DH was me yesterday.

I don't do as much exercise as I should but I've got a low BMI. I run around at work all day. We try to eat 5 a day with loads of green veggies. Which supplements would you recommend?

I take the pregnacare ttc vitamin (so does DH) Plus fish oil, vitamin D, vitamin B6 and vitamin C in the soluble tablet form every other day or so. Also Q10.

Thank you for the advice @Si1ver and @Wesstywoo I looked into that before we even started ttc - there are clinics that do both partners tests, like a fertility mot. I'm just so scared to go and have it done now, knowing what I'm like.

What are good levels supposed to be? I guess I just assumed my eggs would all be good as I'm pretty healthy, don't drink much and look quite young in the face! Though clearly not an indication of what's going on inside.

@Wearytree I'm 37, healthy, never smoked, rarely drink look young and my AMH came back at 2.1 - I'm in the middle of a round of IVF and I only produced 4 eggs with max dose IVF drugs. You are born with all the eggs you'll ever have and it's a bit of a lottery unfortunately - my AMH is lower than expected for my age. Incidentally my FSH is 7.1 however I think that is unusual - they would expect it to be higher in someone with my AMH level

If you're ready to go down the testing route then I think asking your doctor to run general fertility tests could be useful, if s/he hasn't already? Rather than looking at egg quality in isolation. Sperm test for DH, oestrogen, progesterone, thyroid etc for you? My progesterone was borderline low and my Dr considered that a possible cause of my early miscarriage, though it could also be just age or bad luck.

Specifically to improve egg quality I took CoQ10, reservatrol, omega 3 and wheatgrass, can't remember what else but it was based on the Zita West suggestions I think. Reduced sugar, increased anti-oxidants etc. Though I got pregnant again a couple of cycles later so I'm not sure if they had enough time to kick in or not.

Realised there was a typo in my last message, I fell pregnant not feel pregnant (40 weeks now so no doubt about it) if that gives you any hope.

Yes my AMH is about 2 as well. My FSH was totally normal though.

I had to have high stims for my IVF and got 6 eggs. I'm 32 weeks pregnant now though.

I did my AMH testing with an online/postal test with Fertility2u if that would be an easier option for you. It's always better to know what's going on I think, then you can make a plan based in reality with all the facts.

Do bear in mind if you decide to do the amh test, that it might not make any difference unless you are going to do Ivf. And I often wished I hadn’t known what mine was, because it just made things stressful, and in the end it didn’t affect the outcome.

Just a thought, given that It’s not meant to affect natural conception.....(And it’s not like you’re waiting).

...I do think it’s worth finding out if you actually do need Ivf though- eg if you were to have sperm issues or ovulation issues- but this isn’t likely if you’ve been pregnant before.

@Wesstywoo oh sending good luck for your IVF. I am in the mindset at the moment of getting really cross when I see a couple pushing a buggy and smoking away, which is really judgey, but there you go. People's individual choices of course, but it does seem very unfair when I have really looked after my body.

@LeeMiller thank you for the list of supplements, I'm going to look up Zita West. I'm not sure of the quantities for the Q10 so probably not taking enough to make a difference, am scared of doing more harm than good.
Will try and cut out more sugar. I read that carbs are bad too, but I don't want to lose too much weight, which is what will happen if I don't eat carbs!

@LeeMiller also my doctor has me down for progesterone day 20 and a repeat fsh day 2 next cycle so I guess the progesterone is to check I've actually ovulated.