Short or long protocol?

[jacki81]

Hi

So last night I went for my IVF chat with the doctor. As usual, my questions popped up after the meeting and I wondered if anyone on here might have more information!

She told me that at the beginning of my cycle I’d call up and go for a baseline scan, then begin nasal spray and drugs to essentially put me into a menopausal state for two weeks, then begin the injections. Then after a week or two of them, go for egg transfer.

That all sounds fine, but what is the point of the menopausal state? I’ve read about people having a short protocol and just starting the drugs at the beginning of their cycle as you would for IUI.

I responded ridiculously well to Gonal F when doing IUI and I have a high egg reserve for 37. I wonder if this is why she thinks I should do the longer protocol?

If I could avoid putting my ovaries in a menopausal state and take less drugs I think I’ll be a lot happier!

[Sarah_S]

Not sure about a menopausal state, but I had Norethisterone ahead of short protocol treatment which delays your period, and I had to ring to check with the clinic when to stop taking it. All it says on my treatment plan is that it is to help them manage the treatment cycle. I think that it is to ensure my cycle fit in with the clinic/consultant availability and possibly the embryoscope availability as they were talking about not having enough space x

[Blondyboo]

They usually only use short protocol for people with low AMH and poor responders to drugs as shutting the overies down can mean they don’t wake up well and respond poorer with long protocol.

[DianeArnold Partner Nurse Fertility Network UK]

Hi jack181. The down regulation bit - sniffing up your nose - is to shrink the lining of your womb and stop you ovulating. The purpose is so they scan do a scan to check for any worrying cysts that would need to be dealt with prior to the stimulation process. Once down regulated, they can manipulate you better to hopefully produce some nice large follicles ready to receive eggs into them when you have your trigger shot. Hope all goes well for you, and of course i wish you success. Diane

[jacki81]

Thanks everyone

So it’s not a good idea to object to having my ovaries shut down if I’m a good responder?

I’m still getting my head around taking all of these drugs, I’m usually reluctant to even take a paracetamol!

[abcgirl]

I have a lot of follicles (PCO but normal hormones) and we were unexplained. My first round I was on the short protocol on 150iu of menopur. That round failed for sperm related reason. But I responded well and had 8 mature eggs. However they did notice that I had discordant growth so lots of follicles but of a wide variety of sizes. For my second round they put me on the long protocol (and in that menopausal state) and still was taking 150 of menopur and I actually responded better with 15 mature eggs. So that might be why they are changing the protocol. Each cycle is so different too. With the long protocol they have better control because on the short protocol you still have some of your own hormones working (they don’t deplete you LH stores and really on your natural Lh to trigger ovulation before egg collection whereas in long protocol, the drugs do everything)

[abcgirl in reply to abcgirl]

Also I just read your previous post saying you had a cyst. I suspect that might be why they want to put you on the long protocol.

[jacki81 in reply to abcgirl]

Ok this is useful, thanks! When we did IUI I was obviously on lower doses of drugs but I did start to ovulate on my own before the trigger. Maybe they just want more control over it. It’s good to know it worked better for you though!