Intralipids prior to & during ivf? - Fertility Network UK

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Intralipids prior to & during ivf?

Fingerscrossed38 profile image

Hi

I'm currently on my 4th day of stims on my first IVF cycle.

We're only doing egg collection this round because we're having them pgs tested.

We'll take next cycle off too to detox from the stims. We then plan to do a FET the following cycle (late May).

Been TTC since August 2017 and I've had two miscarriages and failed to even get pregnant in the last year. I'm 38 (39 on August) and it's unexplained infertility. Both mine and my husband's results are all good and AMH is 18.

I was tested for high Nk cells back in Feb 2018 3 weeks after final miscarriage and they were high and aggressive but I felt that was due to the pregnancy so had them retested in December and they were all fine. Both times they treated it against pregnancy tissue and the last time they were not aggressive nor did they attack the tissue so the Dr said I wouldn't need immune suppressants unless I wanted them...!

I never responded to the steroids but did respond well to IVIG and almost as well with intralipids. I'm terrified of IVIG so I'm thinking to be on the safe side I should do intralipids.

Since I've already started the stims it is too late to do intralipids first but wondered if anyone else had done them during ivf and if so when and was it successful?

I'm thinking of doing one round of intralipids next cycle and then another round the week before FET. Just worried because I've read to do it the day of the transfer but my Dr didn't seem phased when I do it...any one have any experience please?

So sorry about the long life story!

Tina

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Fingerscrossed38 profile image
Fingerscrossed38
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13 Replies
wellspringivf profile image
wellspringivf

Hi Fingerscrossed38, As IVF process take some time period so take some patience and you will definitely conceive a baby.

DianeArnold profile image
DianeArnoldPartnerNurseFertility Network UK

Hi Fingerscrossed. Can I point you to hfea.gov.uk and look up "Treatment add-ons". You are best guided by your specialist, but Intralipid is protein and fat, and some clinics recommend a bottle of full cream milk to drink!! See what you think, and I wish you well with whatever you decide. Just my thoughts. Diane

Fingerscrossed38 profile image
Fingerscrossed38 in reply to DianeArnold

Hi Diane, thanks for the tip...I wish it was as easy as drinking some milk! Hopefully there is more to intralipids than that :-)

DianeArnold profile image
DianeArnoldPartnerNurseFertility Network UK in reply to Fingerscrossed38

Hi. Your specialist will give you good advice I'm sure. Diane

waitingg profile image
waitingg

Hi, I have been recommended Ivig in my next cycle (have had 5 blastocysts fail to implant, inc one chemical). We don’t know the reason but my killer cells came back high so it seems to make sense to act upon it now. My results also showed that the steroids wouldn’t do anything, intralipids was minimal and Ivig had the most impact. I do trust our clinic and they have reassured us about the Ivig so we are going to go for it (if we get that far as just started our fresh round).

My Ivig will be done on the day of transfer. The doctor said it’s the same if it was intralipids. It can be done a few days before but tend not to incase the transfer/or defrosting of a FET doesn’t take place. It can be done a day or two after the transfer if there isn’t the time or if you felt it was all too much on one day. But seems to make sense to do it on the day of transfer if you can. Lots of luck xx

Fingerscrossed38 profile image
Fingerscrossed38 in reply to waitingg

Interesting. I don't hear many others talk about IVIG. Can I ask why you're doing a fresh transfer as.opposed to frozen? I was under the impression that frozen had better success?

That's a good point about doing the IVIG the same day in case of thawing failure. Please let me know how it goes and how you feel during/after it!

I have my day 8 (7 on stims) today so praying these follicles have grown because they.only around 7.5mm two days ago which worries me!

waitingg profile image
waitingg in reply to Fingerscrossed38

The doctor didn’t say anything about doing it from a frozen so we are going for a fresh. Am on day 4 of stims. We originally had male factor but they since have decided I have polysitic ovaries as well as the high immunes/killer cells so on different medication all round this time!! I really wish there was more info about the killer cells as it’s really difficult to know what to do about it. Is it all just a numbers game or is there something in it??

Will keep you posted! Loads of luck for your round 🌟 I’m sure they can adjust your meds if they feel the follicles need a little help or anything xx

HopeAt43 profile image
HopeAt43 in reply to waitingg

Hi dr sher is one of the top DRs for immune issues and he has tons on his site about doing intralipids 10-14 days before transfer. He indicated that progesterone elevates them and it’s extremely hard to suppress them once they are activated/you ovulate. He indicates it take 10-14 days to be suppressed.

Fingerscrossed38 profile image
Fingerscrossed38 in reply to HopeAt43

Well I'm the exception then!

rivershark profile image
rivershark

so sorry to hear of your losses.

I wondered if you’d also had cytokines tested? I too suffer with high nk cells and last fresh round I had IVIG although that round didn’t work and I had a bad reaction to protesterone in oil injections.

I’ve read a lot that taking fish oils or algal oils high in EPA and DHA can help with high nk cells. Mine were lower after taking a high dose algal oil.

If intralipids work for you as well as the IVIG then makes sense to use them if your clinic agree. Intralipds didn’t really appear to help me but I guess everyone is different.

Wishing you the best xx

Fingerscrossed38 profile image
Fingerscrossed38 in reply to rivershark

Hey, yep had those tested too. It's strange because the first time (March 2018) I was tested for high Nk cells etc IVIG worked slightly better than intralipids (steroids not at all) but the second time (Dec 2018) intralipids worked better than IVIG so hopefully intralipids is good enough.

If we manage to get any good ones back to work with after pgs testing we'll take next cycle off and I'll do & halfway through the cycle and then just before FET transfer the following cycle I'll do another intralipids...

I only take a small amount of omega 3 DHA & EPA so perhaps I should up it? How much do you take? Is that the same as DHEA? I keep reading about that and also human growth hormone but I think that's beneficial for older women?

Are you doing another ivf cycle now?

rivershark profile image
rivershark

Might be worth increasing the dose of fish oil. The one I take has 714mgs of EPA and 1176mg of DHA per day. Not all fish oils have such high amounts of these fatty acids so may have to shop around. They are fatty acids and have anti inflammatory effects so def worth taking. And they are different to DHEA which is hormone based treatment.

I’m planning on a FET soon. Did you have humira injections ?

Fingerscrossed38 profile image
Fingerscrossed38

Hi,

What if I took a few extra of the fish oil I'm currently taking to up the dosage? Or which brand do you use?

Nope humria haven't been mentioned...what does it do?

When is your FET date? I'm hoping to have my egg retrieval the coming Wednesday or Thursday. On my way for my scan and day 10 bloods now. Wish me luck!

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