IVF and Endo

[Coffeebean1305]

Hi there,

Has anyone had IVF with Endometriosis? I had my first cycle last year (August-October) which was unsuccessful ??

I am about to start round 2 next month and I am petrified to say the least. There is the obvious anxiety about needles and hormone imbalances and will it work..... But a new complication is that the drugs caused problems with my endo, ther were things that I had never experienced before. 1) my ovaries stuck behind my womb which makes egg retrieval difficult 2) the increase in the amount of pain I have been in ever since the failed cycle.

I have been in pain everyday since October and it's driving me mad....

Has anyone else had experience of a change in endo symptoms after IVF??? I would like to be as prepared as I can be emotionally and physically - if there is anything I can do to make things easier this time I will try anything!

Thanks for listening xxx

[Duckybun]

Hi coffeebean, are you cycling with the same clinic again? If so I would raise your concerns and ask if they can change your protocol to reduce the drugs used to stimulate you, also I'm not sure what age you are or what your Amh levels are but you may find the short protocol would be more endo friendly, it's usually used for poor responders, older ladies or ladies with reduced ovarian reserve. We're just about to start our first cycle and I'm on the bcp back to back for the next 3 months to give my ovaries a rest. So as of yet I have no idea what the drugs will do to my endo and I'm petrified much as you are yourself. Generally though from all the research I've read the first cycle will always be seen by specialists as a suck it and see as there is no way to know before hand how we will respond to the drugs.

I wish you all the very best with this cycle and hope you get your longed for bfp.

X

Ducky

[DebsR]

Hi, following a lap to tidy up my endo before we started I had 3 ivf cycles in quick succession in 2005/2006. Unfortunately it didn't work for us. I responded well to the drugs (sorry I don't remember the names), i produced a good quantity of eggs 70% of which fertilised but I lost them within the first 2-3 weeks. We all concluded that my egg quality was probably the root cause rather than my endo.

I felt reasonably ok for a few months afterwards but then I started having problems. To cut a long story short the endo had got into my bowel and I had to have 2 operations to remove it. Although no-one actually said so I'm convinced that this concentration of fertility drugs during such a short period of time accelerated my endo and it spread to my bowel. That said, it's a few years on now and the drugs may be different and we all react differently.

I truly hope that this next ivf cycle works for you! X

[DebsR]

Hi, following a lap to tidy up my endo before we started I had 3 ivf cycles in quick succession in 2005/2006. Unfortunately it didn't work for us. I responded well to the drugs (sorry I don't remember the names), i produced a good quantity of eggs 70% of which fertilised but I lost them within the first 2-3 weeks. We all concluded that my egg quality was probably the root cause rather than my endo.

I felt reasonably ok for a few months afterwards but then I started having problems. To cut a long story short the endo had got into my bowel and I had to have 2 operations to remove it. Although no-one actually said so I'm convinced that this concentration of fertility drugs during such a short period of time accelerated my endo and it spread to my bowel. That said, it's a few years on now and the drugs may be different and we all react differently.

I truly hope that this next ivf cycle works for you! X

[Coffeebean1305]

Thanks ladies, I really appreciate your feedback. I have asked for a baseline scan before start of next treatment so we can see if there has been any change since last cycle. Debs, like you, this is what I think that these hormones must have some kind of effect surely??

Anyhoo, I'll try to remain positive about this cycle and keep my fingers crossed endo stays under control or at least doesn't get any worse than it already is for me. Xx

[Paper_Butterfly]

Hi

Have you tried fertilityfriends.co.uk/

They have message boards for Endo Sisters, lots of women going though the same things. They are a great support network!

Best wishes

X

[nickym1d]

Hi,

As paper-butterfly said fertility friends is a good website, with loads of info of endometriosis and ivf linking the two.

Sorry to hear your in constant pain its enough having endo withing having to have IVF too. Ive had 3 cycles so far, the last one did work, but my levels just didnt rise enough and they put this down to my adenomoyosis, but i also have an open falopian tube where the clip has come off...

Think this is a good thread for IVF/Endo and i look forward to speaking to all of you more about things

Take care xx

[jellytots14]

Hi there coffee bean,

After having my first long regime of IVF from end May-July 2013 I had an unsuccessful first cycle of IVF, I was told that I had Endometriosis and Polycystic ovaries, I had surgery to remove this. I then had a Second IVF on a shorter regime of IVF January this year, this was also unsuccessful. After speaking with my consultant I was advised that the treatment I had been given had flared up my Endometriosis. I was advised if I wanted to have another try with IVF I should have a scan before hand to check to see if the Endometriosis has returned.

It is a very emotional roller coaster, I completely understand how you are feeling. I wish you the best of luck with your IVF.

From Jellytots14