Cycle cancelled.

[mitz0315]

Hi ladies!
For those of you with cancelled cycles, how long did it take before AF showed up? It's been 2.5 weeks and still nothing. Last week I had mild cramping and spotting along with ewcm. I had spotting the last 2 days and looked like I was finally starting but today, nothing!! Wondering is I can start vitex to help??

Also, we cancelled my cycle because I had only 2 mature follicles and possible only one would be healthy enough to fertilize. I went in with no fertility problems. Our 3 sons were conceived in 1-3 trys. I was on 6 weeks of birth control and on leuprolide to suppress my ovaries. I took 2 days of 375 units of gonal, dropped to 300 and went back up to 375 along with adding menopur to try to get some more follicles to develop with no luck. She says chances are my ovaries didn't respond well and more than likely over suppressed. They were afraid to be too aggressive with the meds because of ohss. Anyone have this happen to them and have better success with another cycle??

[nuthinbutpink]

First I'm sorry. What was your pretesting like?

[mitz0315]

Everything was in normal range. Fsh was 8.1 at pre-testing. Everything else was within a healthy normal range. She was expecting to get between 10-20 eggs based on my levels. On my cancellation day my bloodwork came back with the estrogen spike she was hoping for but didn't get 2 days prior (that's when I upped the gonal). We have to pay for gonal out of pocket so I'm kind of scared to cycle again.

[nuthinbutpink]

What was your AFC?

[nuthinbutpink]

Everything was in normal range. Fsh was 8.1 at pre-testing. Everything else was within a healthy normal range. She was expecting to get between 10-20 eggs based on my levels. On my cancellation day my bloodwork came back with the estrogen spike she was hoping for but didn't get 2 days prior (that's when I upped the gonal). We have to pay for gonal out of pocket so I'm kind of scared to cycle again.

Do you know all your pretesting? FSH is the most volatile and can go from 8 one month to 12 the next so if that is the only number you know, you really don't understand your ovarian reserve.

What is your AFC?
What is your AMH?
Why did you reduce your meds??
What was your e2 at your first stim check? What was it at the next?

The BCP could have suppressed you but unless you know what your pretesting AFC was, that is anyone's guess. Did you use long lupron? You could switch to micro dose flare protocol. I need more info to really comment.

[mitz0315]

Yes I used lupron. Let me try to find my numbers

[mitz0315]

My gonal was originally slated for 2 days of 375 units to jump start and then 300 units for the remainder of the cycle. When my numbers didn't rise like she expected them to then I upped the gonal back to 375 units.

[nuthinbutpink]

I never understand why a doctor would make a change in meds without an e2 or ultrasound FIRST. I am not a fan of wild ass guessing.

[mitz0315]

Lupron was an almost 4 week protocall

Pretesting:
Afc-9
Amh- 1.7
E2 @baseline was 23
E2 @cd8 was 241
5 follicles but only 2 were big enough to possibly be healthy enough to fertilize.

[mitz0315]

She didn't we increased it after bloodwork results. I had to call to get them.

[nuthinbutpink]

Lupron was an almost 4 week protocall

Pretesting:
Afc-9
Amh- 1.7
E2 @baseline was 23
E2 @cd8 was 241
5 follicles but only 2 were big enough to possibly be healthy enough to fertilize.

You stated you dropped to 300- why?? Before an e2 check? Again, not a fan.

AFC of 9 is low. The cd8- is that stim day 8? There is no cd really.

[nuthinbutpink]

How old are you?

[mitz0315]

30

[mitz0315]

Regular periods and ovulation prior to starting

[WannaGirl]

I'm not an expert but doubt you'd get 20 eggs from afc 9, you'd be hoping for around 9 or 10?

[nuthinbutpink]

If your doctor says anything about ohss after she saw your pretesting, she simply doesn't handle a lot of GS cases. With and AFC of 9, there is minimal risk AND you should not have lowered meds for no reason.

What clinic is this?

You need an aggressive protocol. You are young but your pretesting is not reflecting your age. You could ask about not using bcp and doing micro dose flare for a better response.

[nuthinbutpink]

Please don't think that IVF cannot work for you based on this result. It probably can with the right protocol!

[mitz0315]

That would be my next treatment plan. Looking back pretesting was done when my body was under an enormous amount of stress due to coming really close to losing my mother. Not sure if it could have had anything to do with the afc?

Now I think we will just sway and stick to it this time around. If we aren't pregnant by spring of 2016 then we will try again. As much as We want a dd to complete our family, if it's not meant to be it's okay. My dh and I would be happy to add another child into our family.

[nuthinbutpink]

A change in protocol can make a big difference. You can always cancel again if you dontvrespond but you may be pleasantlt surprised with a change!

[atomic sagebrush]

Even though I'd love to do a plan for you, Mitz, I do want to let you know my opinion on HT vs. swaying...

If HT is a financial option for you, then it is best to do it sooner rather than later. Your odds of success with HT do not improve with time and it sounds to me like a bad protocol that didn't work out for you. Swaying will always be here if HT doesn't work out, but in the meantime the younger you are, the better your chances of walking away with a baby of your desired gender from IVF. Anyone who can do HT, should go that route as long as it doesn't cause serious financial hardship. I just hate to see people think, "well, we'll sway now and then do HT later" because your odds are only going to decline.

[mitz0315]

We are now at a point to where it is a serious financial hardship since we will have to come up with several thousand (like 7000) for medication since insurance won't cover any more. Unfortunately it won't be financially possible until next spring if that.

After seriously meditating and praying over the last 2 weeks, I have come to the conclusion that I just want another baby. Knowing that I tried ivf as much as financially possible right now if I give swaying 110% this time around. I know that I will be happy to just have another child. If it's a dd then we will be estatic. If it's another boy, I will be over the moon (maybe slightly disappointed). But we have some pretty great boys already.

[mitz0315]

Right now it would be a financial hardship as we would nave to come $7000 out of pocket for the meds because I have already met my lifetime limit (which wasn't much to start with). And we simply cannot do it since we gave everything to this failed cycle. So right now we are getting a refund and won't be able to reasses finances until the spring.
After 2 weeks of meditating and praying, I want a fourth baby more than anything. If at the end of the day we can't afford any more ht, I feel that if I were to give my sway 110% then I would be happy with whatever gender we end up with because I gave it everything.

[atomic sagebrush]

Let me know how I can help Mitz!! Will help however I can. :)