End of the road - unresponsive thin e... - Fertility Network UK

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End of the road - unresponsive thin endometrium

Prayingforafamily profile image

So after failed cancel after failed cancel due to thin lining I have just returned from a scan after trying Tamoxifen but the lining was worse than ever. I have tried everything; vit e, l’argine, additional Estrogen, castor oil packs, acupuncture, reflexology, additional protein, a hysterscopy which showed no adhesions and now tamoxifen. We have 2 frozen embryos and came to peace with possibly using donor eggs if unsuccessful but now I may not even have that option. Just feel it’s end of the road and perhaps need to accept it isn’t going to happen. Sorry for the self pity post, I know we are in tough journeys. Just feel so sad.

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Prayingforafamily
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24 Replies
recidwen profile image
recidwen

EURGH!So sorry it isn't working. Did they say why? Do you usually have regular cycles etc? xx

Prayingforafamily profile image
Prayingforafamily in reply to recidwen

Yeah I had regular 28 day cycles, always been light though x

recidwen profile image
recidwen in reply to Prayingforafamily

I know it may be totally obvious and stupid so forgive me but do you drink enough water, get enough salt? This affects blood volume. Could also get self-fertility massage. You’ve probably got this all down and read everything though. Really hope you get your rainbow soon. Xxx

Prayingforafamily profile image
Prayingforafamily in reply to recidwen

Thankyou xxx I do fertility massage and drink lots of water but I have lowered my salt intake as I thought that may be affecting things, do you think I’m perhaps not having enough salt?

Cinderella5 profile image
Cinderella5

Oh nooooo, Im so sorry to hear this honey! However did your lining not eventually respond for you to do an FET? Could you not follow the same protocol as before? I know you didnt get a really thick lining but good enough for transfer. Do you have a follow up appointment to see what the consultant's view is?xx

Prayingforafamily profile image
Prayingforafamily in reply to Cinderella5

Hi lovely. Hope you are doing ok xxx yes I did get to transfer on a lining of 6.5 so they wanted to try get it thicker but looking like that’s the best it is going to get. Saw the consultant who said he wanted to try that again, I did ask to try patches as well as oral/vaginal Estrogen this time like you suggested.. not holding out much hope though x

Cinderella5 profile image
Cinderella5 in reply to Prayingforafamily

Its defintely worth a shot and starting on a nice high dose from day 2 of your cycle. I usually step up the dose a little at day 9 which helps boost things too. Hopefully this with vit E and lots of raspberry tea will help, Im so hoping for you! I know you say you got to 6.5 but this was after starting progesterone and you cant go by that measurement as it compacts your uterus. Not many clinics measure the lining at transfer for this reason. Got everything crossed for you both.xx

Sayusayme profile image
Sayusayme

Hey dear

So sorry to know that your embryo transfer cancelled due to thin lining...

My endometrial lining normally is 8mm on day 10th of my cycle without medication...

But with medication I had lining around 7.5mm so my cycle cancelled many times even with high dose medication.

So I skipped two cycle for embryo transfer and during these two months I exercise including brisk walk for 150minutes with pelvic exercises and rest all you continue what you were doing with high protein diet etc but 150 minutes brisk walk and pelvic exercise really helped me and my lining was 12mm on day of transfer.

Honey do try this as last resort...

Am sure it will work you too...

Prayingforafamily profile image
Prayingforafamily in reply to Sayusayme

Thanks for your reply. I do try doing regular exercise, they actually told me not to do too much though in case that was having an affect. X

Sayusayme profile image
Sayusayme in reply to Prayingforafamily

Even my clinic did tell me to exercise in comfort zone during the treatment ....thats true

But I skipped two months to recover from all medication after cycle cancelled so during that period I did more exercise....so honey I don't know how this fertility stuff revolve round women like us.....but I suggest you take a break for month and try again..

It's easy said thn done...

I will pray for you

Take care

Nemobaby profile image
Nemobaby

Hi

Have you ever tried adding in viagra, I know not all clinics will use it but I had success using viagra vaginally, previously had very thin lining (below 7mm) but it did seem to help get it thick enough (around 9mm I think, sorry don’t have notes at the moment to check) to go to transfer for a fresh cycle and our final successful FET.

Might be worth asking about, the side affects of taking it orally aren’t much fun and it did work better with less issues using it vaginally.

Good luck xx

Prayingforafamily profile image
Prayingforafamily in reply to Nemobaby

Thanks for your reply. I was given viagra last cycle but orally as they said they don’t do viagra vaginally in the uk unfortunately

Nemobaby profile image
Nemobaby in reply to Prayingforafamily

No probs, I used the normal tablets vaginally, did some research online and other people had done it so gave it a shot, clinic were ok with me doing it that way.

Hope you find something that works for you, it took us 6 attempts and a mmc before we had success so know how hard it is xx

Prayingforafamily profile image
Prayingforafamily in reply to Nemobaby

Oh bless you, so glad you got there in the end. That’s interesting to know that had an affect, I asked my clinic and it was a clear no using the oral tablets vaginally but I’ve got nothing to lose so may try it

Nemobaby profile image
Nemobaby in reply to Prayingforafamily

Thank you, I really hope you do to. I kind of had the same attitude, had nothing to lose as it was our final attempt so had to give it a try, I know not all clinics are willing to use viagra at all though so guess I got lucky there.

Take care and keep hopeful xx

Waterfall2 profile image
Waterfall2

I'm sorry you are going through this. I've been there and it sucks!. I had 3 ivf cycles cancelled due to thin lining. I once made it to 6.5mm but generally was always around 5.5mm. My clinic never said I was unresponsive but none of the different drug treatments seemed to make a difference. But what I learned is there know very little about the endometrium lining. Many clinics have different minimum thickness for transfer but with what seems like little difference in success rates. What the nurses kept telling me is in natural pregnancies they've no clue how thick the lining is and how they'd seen success with transfers done with lining as thin as 3mm. When my 3rd cycle was cancelled in December 2018 I thought that was it I'd never be pregnant but in February 2019 I was shocked to find out I'd fallen pregnant naturally, my little girl is almost 12 weeks old.

I can't say if my lining was any thicker by February, certainly my periods in the months before weren't any heavier making me think it was luck rather than being thicker.

Thin lining is necessarily the end just another hill to climb. I will keep everything crossed for you. Xx

Prayingforafamily profile image
Prayingforafamily in reply to Waterfall2

Thanks so much for replying and giving me hope. Congratulations on your having your daughter. Xxx

Miraclebabyno2 profile image
Miraclebabyno2

Have you been tested without any medication? I alway had thin lining with the progynova, it’s like my body couldn’t respond to the meds, but when I got tested for a natural fet my lining was 7.9 on day 15 on a test check and on my actual transfer my lining got to 13.5 but that was with no meds at all and just castor oil packs. I have a regular cycle too. Xx

Prayingforafamily profile image
Prayingforafamily in reply to Miraclebabyno2

No I haven’t but when I first attended the fertility clinic I had a follicle scan and they said my lining looked naturally thin.. it was 4.5 on day 14 and also my lining was thin on my 2 fresh transfers despite having a good amount of follicles so think I’m just naturally that way but I will put this to them, Thankyou x

rivershark profile image
rivershark

I wondered if you'd considered a neupogen uterine wash? I've read that it helps a lot with thin lining issues. I've only had the injections myself but a lady on here did say it had made a big difference to her lining

Wishing you the best

Prayingforafamily profile image
Prayingforafamily in reply to rivershark

I tried to get this for some time but my clinic don’t do this as they say it is not a proven add on, I researched other clinics that do but I would have to be having treatment with them to access it. X

st1984 profile image
st1984

I had this problem too, lining OK (7-8) on fresh cycles but frozen it was 5, i had 2 cancelled cycles. So my consultant gave me low dose stims for frozen transfer (apparently as follicles grow they produce natural oestrogen which thickens lining) and this got me to 8 for fet. This is the only thing that worked for me, i tried aspirin, viagra, huge doses or oestrogen tablets, nothing worked. Im not sure of your history but if your lining was better on fresh cycles (or while stimming) perhaps you could ask about this?

Good luck, i know how frustrating this problem is.

xx

Prayingforafamily profile image
Prayingforafamily in reply to st1984

Thanks for your reply, I had 2 fresh rounds and both only got to 6 and 6.3 they transferred on both as they said structure was so good but I always will have that doubt it was ever good enough, so it seems I’m same fresh and frozen, I will put this idea to them tho, worth a shot x

articsnowfox profile image
articsnowfox

try pentoxifyline (800 mg/day) and vitamin e (1000 IU/day) - i think it really helped with my thin lining...

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