Hi Ladies,

Just returned from the RE office after an ultrasound following 7 days on follistim. I only managed to recruit one follicle (yet again) despite the higher dosage of medication. So, now what? My DH has low morphology and well it looks like I obviously have a problem too. Perhaps low egg quality, perhaps a lingering endometrioma is in fact causing problems. My estrogen levels at the beginning of the cycle were also too high.

Do any of you have any advice for me? I am feeling so lost in all this. Three cycles of clomid and two cycles of follistim and the most I seem to be able to recruit is 2 eggs and that was on the maximum dose of clomid.

Perhaps I should have the endometrioma removed with a laproscopy next month? RE suggests at least 3 months on drugs to quieten down the ovaries. This has been such a long long journey and I am feeling like we have to throw in the towel now.

Why is it so easy for so many other women out there and so hard for us? I am so heart-broken and have no one to talk to about this than DH. Please help!!
Sam

Hi Sam
I'm so sorry you are having a difficult time. I understand how it is so frusturating to constantly be struggling, and then people can just pop out baby after baby without any thought of it:mad:
What dosage of Follistim are you on?? It is still kind of early, there is still a chance that more could develop. Can they increase your Follistim anymore? As hard as it is (and trust me I know) try to stay positive....it only takes one to make a baby!!
Hang in there sweetie!
Tabaya

Hi Sam, I wish I had some advice about the follistim and the endometrioma, but I really don't know much about either. I just want you to know that I understand your frustration with how easy fertility can be for some, and so incredibly difficult for us. It just insn't fair. We just have to pray that God has a miracle in store for us and I really hope you start getting some better news soon. Like Tabaya said, it just takes one though... so I'll cross my fingers that you get your miracle this cycle.

Thanks for responding so quickly Tabaya. I am at work crying at my desk and well... I just don't know what to do.

I was on 125 UI of follistim for a day, then 100 UI for the next 2 days and them down to 50 UI because my estrogen levels were climbing up too high. One follicle was ahead right from the start and now all the other follicles that looked like they were being recruited have slowed down almost to a stop. I am supposed to keep going on the drug and take ovidril on Saturday with an IUI on Monday, but all of this feels like a waste of time to me with only 1 egg! I know all it takes is 1, but with male factor as well, it seems like another lost month and I am just so depressed.
Sam

Hi Sam,

I am so sorry to hear you are going through this. I too had some trouble getting more eggs when I first began injections but after a few months of treatment I had 3-5 follicles. It may just take a few cycles to get there. Have you had b/w called FSH and inhibin b?? These tests can assist with determing egg quality and researve.

FSH is the follicle stimulation hormone test which is a blood test that determines how high your brain has to work to develop eggs, the like to see it below 14.

The inhibin B test is also a blood test but it will tell you a bit more it will determine your overall egg quality and egg researve, meaning how many you have left total. This number should be anything above 45. You can request to have these tests done. The should correlate with eachother. I unfortunatly have a rare case in which my FSH is high at times (2X tested 17 and 23) but inhibin B is completly normal (2X tested 87 and 67).

It breaks my heart to hear that you are crying at work , just try not to loose hope. It just may take some time to figure out the best tx for you. Lot's of luck to you!! :angel: :angel:

kathy

Hi Sam I cant offer much advice so sorry.I just wanted to tell u my heart goes out to u I hate to hear that one of my girls is crying.I wish I could give u a hug and a shoulder to cry on cause sometimes a good cry is just what u need.I hope after getting it all out u will feel better.At least u have 1 follie and that is better then none.So u have to look at the bright side.I will keep u in my prayers.Please keep us posted.As for ur DH there are some vitamins he can take some fertility blend for men I hear it works wonders so maybe u can ask ur RE about them.

Mapia

Thanks Kathy and Kari. Your encouragement and kind words mean the world to me right now. I know that you understand what I am going through.

I did have the FSH test done over a year ago. At the time it came out pretty low, so my RE was not worried. I am only 30, but now my RE says I am exhibiting signs of poor egg quality (something he says he mostly sees in women 10 years older than me) because I don't seem to respond to ovarian stimulation all that much at all. At the same time my estrogen levels are out the roof. They were as high as 88 when I began this cyle. Typically they are supposed to be down at 40 at the start of a cycle. After three days of follistim, my estrogen was so high that RE cut my dosage in half.

Spoke to DH on the phone for the last 30 minutes and he suggests we move on to IVF. But perhaps first remove the endometrioma?? Any of you hear about problems with follicle production due to an endometrioma on ovary? My RE seems very confused, he honestly does not seem to know what we should do next and that of course is extremely disheartening!
Sam

Hi Sam,

The not knowing can be so frustrating especially when we are so young, I am only 32 and I know for you to hear the RE say those words about your eggs is really hard. I was told the same thing by a nurse once and I tell you if I believed everything every RE or nurse told me I would be in a looney bin. So just keep in mind your RE is theorizing this is true not that it is a known fact. I am sorry your estrogen seems to be the thing out of wack. I wish I knew more about that and about the endometrioma but I don't. If you question whether this RE is helping you I woud defintely suggest you get a 2nd opinion. I switched Re's 6 months ago and I definely got more answers with the new one. My DH also has a male factor and with mine issues and his and after 5 IUI's, 2 cancelled cycles, we are now embarking on the IVF path this cycle. I really do think you need more info about the endometrioma from another physician to determine if you need surgery or not and then after that determine how to proceed in terms of IVF. Hang in there and try not to focus on what RE said about you eggs. He can be wrong or you just may need to change treatment regimins. There is still a lot you can do ok. Good luck I will be praying for you Sam!!

((HUGS))

kathy

Sam-
I'm so sorry you have to go through all of this. I wish I had some advice for you, I have IF as well, but with different issues. I hate to hear that you are sitting at work crying. Even though we don't have the same issues, I really can identify with your pain. It is really awful and it makes you feel all alone. We are here for you.

Carisa:angel:

Mapia, Carisa thanks for your messages. Yes, I really needed to cry after all this. I just feel like this journey never ends and everytime I become a little optimistic my hopes are dashed to the floor by more dissappointing news.

I did in fact order some pycnogenol for DH after reading about it on these boards. He has been taking it for almost a month. But, until now we always thought that I was the healthy one and now we are learning otherwise and it just makes us feel like our chances are getting lower and lower of getting our little miracle.