ERA EMMA ALICE testing thread 7

[VenusStarr]

Hi all. We're on our 7th thread! Really hoping for some more positive news in the coming months.

@2021ivfagain I take it when I feel I need it, and you're symptomatic and uncomfortable, but it's hard to say whether it's the right thing to do or not. Does your doctor have any thoughts on it?

@kerrym87 I think everyone in management would support this person, even though they are upsetting a lot of people. I don't have the energy for the fight. :(

Thanks @VenusStarr, this person always refuses to back down so I have to go with name removal which I am ok with, it's the way they said future proof though :(

@Enfys23 I did Fertilysis panel and also had the uterine activity biopsy through Chicago.

I repeated my LAD this week and they think the effect of LIT will still be in my system for another 4 months, so at least that's something.

I'm sorry @kerrym87 , I've just read further on and now see you're in the middle of a stimm cycle! Do you have an idea of when EC will be?

@Gardenlady543 and @2021ivfagain I'm so sorry for everything you're going through at the moment. Sending virtual hugs x
I hope your scan goes well on Tues @Gardenlady543 and that it's good news this time x

@Lori2022 I know what it's like to go through a stimm cycle and have nothing to freeze, the pressure is immense. I also know what it's like to completely lose yourself in ttc/IVF. I just want to wish you all the best with your 2ww. I hope it's a BFP for you. If we can support you in any way, please do get back in touch x

Love to everyone and sorry if I've missed anyone x

@Gardenlady543 My consultant will not help at all. The CRGH tests are so basic. They only picked something up with the biopsy but I never had a pie chart as I think the sample was too small. He only wants me to use canesflor. My consultant is very conservative. I’m constantly fighting. I’ve been taking canesbalance now as don’t want to waste Vaginal probiotics but might go back on vagibiom. I feel as though it came back as my estrogen was very low and I didn’t put Vaginal probiotics back in time as listened to nutritionist. She thought my ph was a massive issue and needed to work on that, but now she is unwell so can’t book appointments.

When Jack was born, he had an infection and they took him back in hospital and put him on antibiotics. The GP just shrugged her shoulders and didn’t recommend swabbing me.

I really worry that Invivo is the only place that takes me seriously and does a thorough swab. Problem is my consultant does not trust Invivo.

If I had no symptoms, I would ignore it but discharge is getting worse and ph is bad. How long do you take antibiotics for? Have you ever put two vaginal probiotics in at night? I need to throw everything at this as don’t think I have much time.

I’m really sorry you’re having a hard time too. I wish people were more understanding at work.

@2021ivfagain I either do 5,7,10,12 or 14 days of 400mg three times a day. If I need more probiotics I'll do one in morning and one at night.

@Enfys23 re FSH versus LH, Dr Sher in US is strongly against LH for those with DOR / older ladies (you’re not old!). He has many articles and was recently on Egg Whisperer podcast. He typically uses minimal (75IU) Menopur and the rest FSH. I definitely do better with vast majority FSH (I’m old and have low AMH, albeit normal for my age)- 375:75. In my most recent cycle, as I had extended stims and was running out of meds, I used 150 IU Meriofert for last two days. General consensus is that some LH/Menopur is good for quality as it’s more physiological that way. Some ladies do great on all Menopur but not me. So sorry you have to go through a stim cycle again, I know the feeling well.

@Faithhopelove83 I'm now on day 9 of stims on short protocol x

@Faithhopelove83 scan and bloods Monday, possibly ec Wednesday but may get rescanned Wednesday for ec Friday, depends how it goes. I doubt it'll be after Wednesday though as it'll be too long but you never know!

@kerrym87 Oh not long now then, busy week ahead! I hope all goes well with your scan on Monday x

Just catching up. How's this cycle going @kerrym87 ? Hope your scan goes well tomorrow. Are you doing a fresh transfer?

That's good news about your LIT @Gardenlady543 are you being scanned on Tuesday? Hope the trigger has helped and you can start your FET in a couple of weeks.

I'm so pleased you've got the all clear @clhiu I'm sorry you had that worry though.

@Lori2022 keeling everything crossed for you with your tww ❤️

@2021ivfagain I'm sorry you're having issues either your clinic and testing. It's horrible when there's conflicting views and you're the one stuck in the middle.

@Enfys23 I've not done neupogen wash, I think @seven201 has? My doctor uses gcsf which is similar to neupogen but injectable. That's in my protocol now.

Period started yesterday, so staring letrozole today. Don't have high hopes for superovulation to be honest.

Hope everyone is well xx

Yes @Enfys23 , @VenusStarr is right. I've had a few neupogen washes in the build up to transfer to help with lining thickness supposedly. No idea if it helped at all. They did say my lining got a bit thicker, but it might have done the same without.

@VenusStarr I'm glad you're home safe and dh is on the mend. Hope the nhs transition is ok. Sorry about the threat of redundancy. Definitely not what you need at all.

Good luck to everyone starting new cycles. Onwards and hopefully upwards.

@Gardenlady543 Thanks for your messages. I was talking to my husband last night. I think I need to give it one more chance with antibiotics but hit it hard with vaginal probiotics during antibiotics and increase to two a day after. Also was wondering if I can do probiotics rectally? It sounds strange but feels like infection has transferred to bum area. It’s very uncomfortable. I have to do my transfer next month whatever happens as running out of time and money. Will you be on vaginal probiotics 2 days after transfer?

How are you feeling about your transfer? I’m sorry it’s been so hard for you.

@seven201 Are you still taking vagina probiotics? Are you doing it to prevent infections? Do you mind me asking when you started taking them?

@VenusStarr Thanks for your message. Hope your husband is doing better. You’ve been through so much. When is your baseline scan?

@Enfys23 Do you have issues with lining? If so, could you do a fresh transfer?

@Gardenlady543 sorry just read you have a scan on Tuesday. Good luck with that. Is that to show that you have ovulated?

@Gardenlady543 good luck for Tuesdays scan. I hope the trigger has re-set everything nicely.

@2021ivfagain I asked at CRP if I should carry on doing the vaginal probiotics and she said not to, as it's mainly needed for implantation. If I felt like I had thrush or anything though then I would do them though and I might do one after my next scan anyway. I did do one at about 5 weeks and another at 7 weeks. I take two oral ones a day. I don't think I need them in the same way you do though. My Alice/Emma wasn't too bad, so it's probably beneficial for you to do more. It's so hard working out what to do for the best. Good luck.

Thank you @2021ivfagain he's slowly recovering, he's getting tired more easily and still got stomachache but nothing like it was before surgery. Hoping the nhs get him in the system quickly as he's got a stent in to stop it happening again but will need his gallbladder out before they can remove the stent. The stent needs to be out within 3-6 months.
I hope you can get things under control so you can have your transfer 🙏

I'm hoping for a scan early next week, they usually do one about cd11/12 in superovulation. I've not had a great response both times I did letrozole before and its delayed ovulation both times (I usually ovulate on cd10). I'm delaying starting estrogen this time - definitely started too early last time, so going to start it on cd8/9 depending on what day my scan is (need it for my lining as letrozole seems to make it thin...)

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend xx

@seven201 Did you use vaginal probiotics before transfer? Yes I have either gardnerella vaginalis or atopobium vaginae. I can’t take the chance of stopping for too long post transfer. Do you mind me asking what your Emma/Alice showed?

Wow @kerrym87 lots going on for you this week, good luck at the scan.

@VenusStarr yeah scan Tuesday morning, I hope I've ovulated it and that I get a period to start in 2 weeks. I hope you can get a scan booked in.

@2021ivfagain has anyone looked into the possible rectal source of infection? The vaginal probiotics are set up for the gynae microbiome, the rectal microbiome will be different. Think you may have missed my updates, I got my period, went in for a scan on Thursday and unfortunately there was a big follicle/cyst on the right so I couldn't start the cycle, so I took a trigger Thursday night and need to go in for a scan Tuesday to check I've ovulated and then will hopefully get a period in a couple of weeks and can start then. So ironically my cancelled cycle, I would have made a follicle if I'd been given longer. Nevermind.

The only benefit of all this is that they didn't count the abandoned cycle as cancelled and consider this all one ongoing cycle, so at least there are no penalties.

@2021ivfagain

Just found my results
*
EMMA*
Mild dysbiosis profile
Most abundant bacteria %
Lactobacillus 56,44%
Propionibacterium 10,89%
Alloscardiovia 8,58%
Others 24,09%
The percentage of lactobacilli us below the standard for endometrial health. Probiotic treatment with vaginal lactobacillius us recommended. A second biopsy is not recommended.

This cycle was a letrazole/superovulation round a I did 7 days worth of vaginal Probiotics after my period stopped and then one every few days until a couple of days before trigger shot. If I was doing a FET instead I'd have done similar. In fact, Mr Lower (who has done surgery on my adhesion in my uterus before) said to do a weeks worth of probiotics at the start of an ivf cycle, but he didn't say more than that.

@VenusStarr hopefully fresh as no sign of ohss, however, 1st cycle only got 1 embryo to use out of 8 fertilised, last cycle none so if we get any to freeze I'd be amazed, I'd be happy with 2 embryos and freeze one of them tbh.
In terms if your hubby, gp should refer through to gastro straight away as a more urgent referral so he gets seen within that time frame, if he gets any increased pain /issues straight to a&e to get them to pay attention. Unfortunately due to lack of investment and increasing population departments know how many people they've got to seebutt there's waiting times. When he gets referred it's worth then ringing up the dept at regular intervals to 'remind' them and possibly get cancellation appointments. X

Thank you @kerrym87 I have said to dh we'll go to A&E if he's in pain. I suspect he is masking it sometimes. He's also getting stabby type pains every so often, and I wonder if that's a stone moving through. Good to know there is an urgent route as well.

I'm keeping everything crossed for you for this cycle 🙏 xx

I’m just here to complain and will catch up later. New higher dose protocol and only ONE follicle growing on day 3 lol. This is such a joke, last time I had 13 growing on day 4. I’ve told them I think my response to lower stims was much better and they just plough on with the higher doses because that’s not how this works, apparently.

I could cry tbh. I feel like pulling the plug on this cycle if there’s nothing much showing up on Wednesday. We have such little chance as it is without fewer follicles to boot, and if we go ahead it’s already a write off. I just want to do a cycle with create at this stage, so fed up of people throwing drugs at me and it going backwards. I know they’ll probably blame my age too.

@thislittlebird I’m so sorry. Can you do oestrogen priming?

@VenusStarr I’m sorry your husband is in pain.

@Gardenlady543 I’m really concerned about my symptoms. Problem is atopobium vaginae is not BV. I don’t have gardnerella just atopobium vaginae. Also I’m still getting itchy bum but discharge symptoms. However, I’m worried my HRT tablets are not working as well this time. I tend to take norethisterone for maximum time now just so I can use more hrt each month. I have absolutely no cervical mucous at all but awful discharge.

I have thought about the pressure hrt, norethisterone and other medication is having on my liver. I’m worried to take more antibiotics just in case my liver doesn’t want to work as well when I have to take more hrt and norethisterone.

I have thought about taking fluomizin this time but can’t take vagina probiotics at the same time. Fluomizin is broad spectrum, which concerns me, but does treat atopobium vaginae. I would take them straight afterwards. Do you know if fluomizin wipes out all lactobacillus? Thanks

I’m worried about whether to push forward this month and hope infection goes but would not have had much chance to use many vaginal probiotics or do FET next month. Each month is hard with having to suppress FSH. Sorry for the moan but feeling upset. I thought about calling my clinic but they don’t seem worried about infections they do not pick up on their basic swab.

So sorry @thislittlebird. I was crying on Day 6 of my recent stim cycle with just one follicle growing, believing my ttc journey was over. I was on a lot of drugs too (450 IU). Things slowly got better for me but I had to stim for 14 days (Ok because no fresh transfer) and worked on the pre antral rather than just the antral follicles.
I hope things turn around for you.

@2021ivfagain I have high AMH for my age and in theory this shouldn’t be happening and yet it is. Keen not to use oestrogen because of my migraine history.

@CailinInUK My consultant has said we can abandon if it’s still not looking good on Wednesday/Friday, I just cried in the office, this is so embarrassing. New girl must think I’m fucking insane, she’s seen me cry twice now.

@2021ivfagain I think your case is complicated, can you book an appointment at Clarewell so a fresh pair of eyes can give an opinion. atopobium vaginae is one of the bacteria seen in patients with BV as far as I'm aware.

That's so frustrating @thislittlebird day 3 is incredibly early though, that's like baseline scan territory and follicles can pop up out of nowhere (and in my case disappear!), see how you get on when you have the next scan, I hope the response perks up.

I have been doing some walking on my walking pad today while working, scan tomorrow am in the hope the follicle/cyst is gone.

@Gardenlady543 fingers crossed your cyst has gone tomorrow

Consultant said we can abandon if it’s not looking good, so that’s something. So far my response has been incredibly predictable. On day 4 I have X number and only a couple more pop up or disappear in that time. I had 13 on day 4 last time, so my hopes are very low for much change.