Went to fertility dr and doesn't look too promising

[Trishy74]

This is just an update. Sorry so long!

So as some of you may have read in my previous posts, I was diagnosed with elevated FSH level 15 on cycle day 3. I just wanted to give an update as to what took place yesterday at the reproductive endocrinologist office. I was first told not to let that number define me b/c there are other blood tests that would reveal more and my estradiol which was tested same day as FSH came back good. So after an hour and of speaking to the doctor and telling him that I switched my diet to be more LE diet (basically cut out all animal meat and went with more carbs for protein) b/c I wanted a girl (before I knew my chances of conceiving at all), and telling him how I stopped my Vitamin D of 4,000 units after taking it for a year and a half and being in the normal range, and not taking a prenatal since September and losing 10 pounds total and my periods changing to 25 days from 28 to 29 days (normally), I was shocked to hear that if I were to change my diet to a more healthy lifestyle, it would not help my fertility. He was confident and agreed with my gyno that I was not perimenopause yet but did say he needed to run AMH test and do an ultrasound for antral follicle count. Most of the appointment was in a positive manner. He explained to me that a girl in his office was trying to get pregnant and only had one follicle and she was able to by natural cycle but it took a little while. So anyway, after all of this and him not telling me I should be taking a prenatal vitamin (which I was again, shocked), but was happy I was taking folic acid, it was time to do the ultrasound for the antral follicle count. He found my right ovary right away and saw one antral follicle on that side. Then he searched and searched for my left ovary (it seems it's always more difficult to find the left ovary on me for some reason).....after 5 minutes, he finally found it and the devastating news...I had no antral follicles in that ovary.

So basically, I only have one antral follicle which I am just devastated. I wasn't planning on doing IVF but really my chances seem slim to get pregnant with one antral follicle on cycle day 4.

NBP, if you read this, I inquired about CoEnzyme Q10 and Ubiquonol (sp??) and also DHEA. He said he didn't believe CoEnzyme Q10 or Ubiquinol did anything but if I want to take them, I can. However, DHEA, he had good things to say about. He did say if he felt anything helped, it was DHEA. Now, he didn't specify if that was for just IVF cycles or not but he told me I could start taking it if I wanted too but did inform me that it is a testosterone so some women develop facial hair. I also asked about acupuncture and he was an advocate of it but felt it helped most for IVF patients on transfer day but he did sound hopeful that something like that could help me as well. We spoke about all of this stuff before I had my ultrasound done. So after my ultrasound, they took like 10 vials of blood and are running the AMH, Vitamin D and lots of other blood tests on me. I can't deny that I am nervous to hear what my AMH will be. After all of this, I'm thinking the best thing for me to do is to try to get my body to be as healthy as it can be. I want a baby. I'm sad that my chances look so slim. So after so many months of doing the LE diet, I'm sincerely thinking of going back to eating like my normal regular lifestyle. I've already started incorporating chicken and eggwhites back into my diet. I know the dr. said he felt diet would not matter but I feel, in my heart that maybe I need to go back to eating a normal way. Not so much protein from carbs. I never ate huge meals or lots of calories to begin with. I'm also thinking of introducing a prenatal vitamin back into my diet so this way I know, if I do get pregnant, I will try to have my body in the best condition it can be to hold a pregnancy. So I guess I'm just writing to give an update to Atomic and NBP b/c I know we had a post in the past about my high FSH level. I really appreciate the support both of you had given. I think right now I'm at the point that I really need to look at my overall health and change things up.

Oh, and AS the dr. did remind me of something you have said on this site. When I asked him if eating a better healthier diet and not so many carbs, if it would help my egg supply or quality, his response was I dont' think a bad diet affects fertility b/c if you look at all of the poor countries where they have no access to nutritional foods, they don't have fertility problems. Women there don't have problems getting pregnant. That so reminded me of things I've read in the past. However, although he said that, I know I did only have 3 antral follicles when I conceived DS 3 1/2 years ago, I look back and I know it's probably psychological but I think to myself...maybe taking the prenatals and DHA tablet helped me in some way. I know I look at DS and he's so smart and remembers EVERYTHING. So sometimes I think the DHA helped him to be that way. I guess at this age, I feel I found this site too late to help me achieve the ultimate gender I was looking for but it definitely did teach me a lot. I just feel right now, I need to have my body in the best health it can be. So I will take with me what I've learned from the LE diet, and I will still keep my calories and fat at a minimum but I feel I do need to add in more of my usual lifestyle foods like chicken, eggs and red meat here and there. I have a week to wait for my blood work results to come back to see what the plan will be that he can do or give me hormones to stimulate my follicles..(clomid was ruled out immediately). I just feel I can't stay positive right now being things just seem to be heading in a direction I didn't think they would be for me at this age of 39 (almost 40). I feel if I do stay positive and think my blood work comes back normal (AMH), then when I do get devastating news, it will be even more of a kick in the face to me. Anyway, thanks for listening and reading. And AS and NBP, thanks for the support you've given me in the past. Sincerely appreciate all the knowledge you guys have and have shared with me.

[nuthinbutpink]

I am so sorry it was a difficult day. I remember when I got me pretesting back and it was a huge, shocking blow.

I would absolutely do the DHEA to help you with your egg quality. It's the only thing that has really proven to help at all.

I do not think you are a candidate for IVF. I am sorry. With one antral and a FSH of 15, you should consider donor eggs. I know that is probably a punch in the gut, but that is what an honest answer is to someone your age with that kind of testing. IVF with no antrals is not going to yield anything.

That has nothing to do with your ability to conceive on your own though! You can absolutely get pregnant as long as you are ovulating. You just need to make sure that you are using timing 100% accurately to catch the egg every month and not miss the one good egg when it comes. I would not worry about swaying anymore if you truly just want a sibling for your son. Now is not the time to mess around and miss the golden egg.

None of the testing matters if you are ovulating though. You can still have a baby.

[Trishy74]

Thanks NBP. Appreciate your quick response. I have already started going back to my normal lifestyle with eating. I am grateful that I am at the weight htat I'm at (not too skinny; just right for my height). But I'm at the point I just want to give my son a sibling.

As for the donor eggs, the dr didn't even bring that up to me. He just said he has no doubt I could conceive naturally but did say b/c my husbands sperm viscosity is high and a high PH that IUI would help that b/c it cleans the sperm, etc. He never even brought up IVF for me and I'm okay with that b/c to be honest with you, after everything I head read online, I knew that donor eggs would be an option and that's personally not an option for me. I knew I was going to have a low antral follicle count but I didn't think I'd have just one! I know before I got preggo with DS I had 3 and I was hoping that I'd have at least 2 or 3 but I keep telling myself 1 is better than none.

I am confused (b/c I didn't get to speak with dr. much after the antral follicle count), how does that not affect getting pregnant naturally? Could this one antral follicle have a good egg? It is my understanding that we are supposed to have many few antral follicles which then one tries to become a mature egg. I'm just worried this one antral follicle is not going to be a good egg...which I understand it will take longer to conceive then.

As for the DHEA, I did not ask him how much I should take. Do you know what the recommended dosage is? Would that help with antral follicle count too? I know the nurse said afterwards b/c she saw my disappointment about the AFC, she mentioned something about giving stims (orally and injectables) but he has to see my blood test results first. Do they usually give someone with one antral follicle stims if they are trying to conceive naturally? However, sometimes I think maybe I will have to go IUI b/c of DH's viscosity and PH level.

And, yes, I have been doing ovulation predictor kits for months now. The fertility dr introduced me to them 3 1/2 years ago. I'm just growing more concerned b/c I actually see the changes in my cycles...shorter and intermittent bleeding. I've never had a normal period where you bleed for 5 days..always stopped on day 3 and would come back day 4 with spotting till day 6 or 7 but now it's like they are getting closer together (25 days from 28-31 days) and such a light flow and stopping after a few hours, then returning for the second day, then little spotting and then nothing then coming back with spotting until day 9. I'm so worried I'm becoming perimenopausal and will not be able to get another baby. It's really devastating to hear the results of all of these tests. I'm not looking forward to finding out the results of all of that blood work next week. I'm actually thinking of using preseed this month in hoping it helps my DH"s viscosity. Maybe somehow it will break up the viscosity b/c he can't take guifansen (spe??) b/c he's on immunosuppresant drugs for his kidney transplant.

Thanks for being so sympathetic. Appreciate it. My friends don't understand b/c they aren't going through any of this so it really helped that you know how I feel.

I am so sorry it was a difficult day. I remember when I got me pretesting back and it was a huge, shocking blow.

I would absolutely do the DHEA to help you with your egg quality. It's the only thing that has really proven to help at all.

I do not think you are a candidate for IVF. I am sorry. With one antral and a FSH of 15, you should consider donor eggs. I know that is probably a punch in the gut, but that is what an honest answer is to someone your age with that kind of testing. IVF with no antrals is not going to yield anything.

That has nothing to do with your ability to conceive on your own though! You can absolutely get pregnant as long as you are ovulating. You just need to make sure that you are using timing 100% accurately to catch the egg every month and not miss the one good egg when it comes. I would not worry about swaying anymore if you truly just want a sibling for your son. Now is not the time to mess around and miss the golden egg.

None of the testing matters if you are ovulating though. You can still have a baby.

[nuthinbutpink]

All you need is one antral and one egg produced from that antral with natural conception. IVF is totally different. They try to recruit a bunch of eggs from all antrals and get the one good egg that way.

With clomid or injectables, you can try to force your body to recruit more eggs and additional antrals can appear. The fact that you are showing just one though is just not ideal for IVF. That in combination with your age, I just don't think it is going to be an option.

But, as long as you are ovulating, the potential to conceive naturally is there! What the nurse was implying is that if you take meds and try to recruit more eggs, you will up your chances. When they get your AMH level back, perhaps he will suggest that for you. I would definitely try IUI if the doctor thinks that will increase your chances and do you have him on a fertility blend for men vitamin? Cyvita is a good one and GNC makes one too. I would start him on that asap unless the doctor thinks it is a bad idea.

[Trishy74]

Thanks for the explanation of antral for IVF and natural conception.

Honestly, I've already ruled IVF out myself so I'm not even stressing about that.

Yes, I am ovulating. I've been BBT since September and it shows the spike each month. It coincides like 48 hours after my LH surge begins. So I am def ovulating on my own. Oh, and I get my typical hormonal ovulation migraine too. I never thought I'd be so thankful for my migraines! They finally are coming in handy! LOL.

As for my husband, I don't know if he can take strong vitamins like that b/c of his kidney transplant. It's really up to his nephrologist. I do have him on Vitamin D 2,000 units per day and 1 mg of folic acid. I started him on those b/c when we conceived DS he was taking the calcium and vitamin D and 5 mg of folic acid. however, his kidney dr stopped all of that about a year ago but he confirmed with her that it's okay to take those two items. I basically told him to take them b/c of his sperm count not being the greatest to begin with. When I see the RE dr again, I will ask his opinion on the vitamin for my DH. He assumed the viscosity was high b/c of all the meds he takes. He's on prednisone and a lot of other kidney transplant meds along with high blood pressure meds. He was taking all of these when we conceived DS. Just that his sperm count dropped like 30 million since then and his PH was 8 which was technically normal but now it's 8.5 which is out of range and high and visocisity is high. On his old sperm analaysis from 3 years ago, it says it was viscoid back then. Not sure if that means the viscosity was thick back then too b/c it doesn't define it..just says visocoid. Thanks for the info. I will ask the RE maybe he can talk to my DH's nephrologist and see if it's okay to take a vitamin supplement like that.

I assume IUI doesn't matter with AFC, correct? Only reasons for IVF with that? Also, do you know, are they able to do a sono before doing IUI to see if it's a mature egg month?

Forgot, about DHEA, do you know the recommended dosage? The dr. forgot to tell me. If not, I will wait until they call next week and ask them what dose he recommends.

All you need is one antral and one egg produced from that antral with natural conception. IVF is totally different. They try to recruit a bunch of eggs from all antrals and get the one good egg that way.

With clomid or injectables, you can try to force your body to recruit more eggs and additional antrals can appear. The fact that you are showing just one though is just not ideal for IVF. That in combination with your age, I just don't think it is going to be an option.

But, as long as you are ovulating, the potential to conceive naturally is there! What the nurse was implying is that if you take meds and try to recruit more eggs, you will up your chances. When they get your AMH level back, perhaps he will suggest that for you. I would definitely try IUI if the doctor thinks that will increase your chances and do you have him on a fertility blend for men vitamin? Cyvita is a good one and GNC makes one too. I would start him on that asap unless the doctor thinks it is a bad idea.

[atomic sagebrush]

trishy, I remember reading this and then must have gotten interupted before I could finish or perhaps I replied in another thread, we had a few going at the time. How's it going for you?? Do you need any help?