Seeking info about estradiol dosage before FET - please help!

Dear all,

I am doing egg donation IVF and have tried for almost a year now to get my lining thick enough, both with hormones and without, with no luck (I am 44 year old, btw).

Currently, after not having had a period for 40+ days, reaching 4.7 mm naturally (with herbs) but over many weeks, but seeing that the situation was stuck, I started to take estradiol patches (Climara 50), replaced every 3 days. After 5 days of that have reached 6 mm (scan yesterday). Now the doctor wants to add 3 pills a day of Estrofem of 2 mg, hoping that in 5 days I will get to at least 7 mm, in which case they will do a transfer (even though their ideal threshold is 8 mm).

I am a bit anxious about taking more estradiol, as I cannot understand whether the dosage is crazy high, or still quite normal. So it would really help to hear from you...

Can people out there doing FET please let me know what dose of estradiol you have been put on to prepare the lining? Can you please also specify whether it's patches or pills? I am not on the pill btw, nor on anything else other than estradiol.

I need to decide soon whether or not to up the dose (tomorrow I would need to start!), so please let me know, the more answers I get the better I think!

Thanks in advance, and lots of love to all, and hope, whatever you are going though... xxx

VG

[MofM]

Hello! I have no experience on this, however, I would do what told by your consultant. We are all different therefore needing different medications and dosage and only a specialist knows which and how much for each of us. After all, our success is also their success

Sending love and wishing good luck xxx

[Hidden in reply to MofM]

Thanks MoM... well good point I guess... ! It's hard though since it has not worked so far! but fingers crossed! xx

[Abaco]

Hello, I am also 44 and using donor eggs. Our doctor put me on 2 patches of Estrogen (3.2mg each) changed every other day plus Estrofem tablets (2mg each) 3 times a day used as a pessary. I had absolutely no side effects being on this dose and they built my lining up nicely. All the very best to you! X

[Hidden in reply to Abaco]

Thanks! That's reassuring thank you, it's about the same dosage I was recommended. Unfortunately it did not work for me last January and it gave me side effects, and I started to bleed at some point, so we had to interrupt. But it definitely is reassuring to know someone else was on the same dosage and was fine. Best wishes! X

[Abaco in reply to Hidden]

No problem, all the very best to you x

[Hidden in reply to Abaco]

Actually, my I ask one more thing? If you used Estrofem tablets as a pessaries, how did you take progesterone? Pessaries too? Thanks! Xx

[Abaco in reply to Hidden]

I really don't mind, you can ask me anything! I had to take progesterone as a pessary too😬 So I was taking 9 pessaries a day in total. Just took the Estrofem and progesterone 30 minutes apart, did the trick as my lining built up nicely. All the best to you.X

[Hidden in reply to Abaco]

Oh wow lots of pessaries at once... fun... All best! xx

[Abaco in reply to Hidden]

I did tend to spend a lot of my day in the bathroom! and this became very tricky at work!! X

[Hidden in reply to Abaco]

Hello I hope you are well...!! I thought I would ask you whether you remember how long they told you it would take for estrofem to dissolve/be absorbed after insertion. I try to lie down when I take it for 30 minutes but it is not always possible. Maybe it takes much kess time though and I am worrying for nothing!!

Anyway, best wishes for the New Year! Xx

[Abaco in reply to Hidden]

Hello I'm okay thank you hope you are well too, they told me around 30 minutes also but at work this wasn't possible so I used to go the toilet at work and sit down for 10 minutes afterwards and then go back and sit at my desk for as long as I could, sometimes this wasn't possible though. All okay though as my levels were always fine. All the best to you xxx

[Hidden in reply to Abaco]

So useful to know, thank you!! Wishing you the best xxx

[Hidden]

Hi I put my estrofem internally so it is right where it should be or thereabouts. I’m 43 with erratic periods and my lining has thickened with this. Good luck. Xx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Ah thanks, interesting to know! Good luck to you! xx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Sorry, one more thing... if you can. Do you remember how much Estrofem you were taking (how may pills/pessaries and of which strength)? Thanks again Xx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

1x 2mg twice a day until transfer then 1 x 2mg three times a day. First get 9.1mm second 9.2 and third 10.8.

They also said by inserting internally it helped with side effects. Hope that helps xx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Ah ok thanks! Good to know that it might help with the side effects! I have taken one orally this morning but I am already feeling the side effects from the patches. The dr says vaginally could work too, so maybe I will do that next! The dosage is lower than what I am getting but not too much. Thank you! xx

[genten]

I'm currently in 2ww with my first FET. I'm on 2mg Estrodial 3 times a day.

Good luck. Xx

[Hidden in reply to genten]

Ok thanks, good to know too... very best with the 2ww! xx

[Cinderella5]

Hi Vanna, ive had a few preps like this so far and my oestrogen prep was tablets only and first time I built up to 8x2mg tablets a day to 16mg in total and last time I built up to 6x2mg - 12mg in total. However I was down regulated in both of those occasions and im not planning to be in my next so not sure if the amount I have to take will be less this time or not! Good luck with it all, hope your lining gets to that magic number!!xx

[Hidden]

Yes 16 mg in total seems a lot... hm. I was told the estradiol patches take care of the ovaries and present ovulation... so perhaps no need for downregulation because of that? Fingers crossed for both of us, and thank you, as always! xxx

[Cinderella5 in reply to Hidden]

My clinic feel that its easier to plan transfer to particular dates if they have full control using down regulation but I feel like it switches my body off too much that I don't respond much to the progynova therefore my lining takes ages to respond. It's at my own request that I'm not doing it in my upcoming cycle so fingers crossed. Keep us posted with how you get on!xx

[Hidden in reply to Cinderella5]

Ah I see... very good luck to you then! xx

[rivershark]

Maybe worth asking your doctors if they will prescribe sildenafil (viagra) it’s well known to help thicken womb lining

I’ve had it in my cycles where I transferred embryos.

[Hidden in reply to rivershark]

Thanks! I tried that one too a few months ago... nothing to do, actually I developed a polyp that cycle to I had to stop everything. So frustrating... but interesting to hear that you used it and it seemed to have worked, thanks for letting me know! X

[rivershark]

Hi

Oh no sorry to hear you developed a polyp. It’s never an easy road is it?

I used the tablet form but I read you can get pessaries too which are supposed to be better.

Wishing you the best of luck with it all xx

[Hidden in reply to rivershark]

Yes I used the tablets as pessaries, as I was told there are not pessaries. Still.. but btw the polyp went away the next cycle, so it was good in that case to wait rather than go for an expensive hysteroscopy. No, it's never easy... sigh. Hope things are good for you, best wishes!