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Menopur/ zero fertilisation/taking a break/scratch dilema

Ttcbythesea profile image
12 Replies

Hi all

I'm writing this feeling heartbroken. Had egg collection yesterday and none of our 7 eggs fertilised we learned today. This is 2nd icsi round ...last time got 3 day 5 blastocyst from 8 eggs, this time got switched from gonal f to menopur so firstly has anyone had vastly different results from menopur? We think it must be this.

Now secondly we have 1 blasto still in freezer (were recommended to try a fresh) that i thought straight away they could go ahead with transferring next week but they are recommending a gap to let body get over the hormones. We can go ahead if we want though. Has anyone had a similar decision to make? Thoughts welcome.

I had the endo scratch this time and don't want it to be wasted I've been told different things on how long the effects last..

God this really is tough! After self isolating til now I thought May was our time to catch a break whatever the outcome..

Thank you

Sarah

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Ttcbythesea
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12 Replies
leo1980 profile image
leo1980

Just wanted to say how guttered I am to read your news! It’s brutal. I had this total fertilisation failure on a cycle too. So I know it knows the confidence too and makes you feel even more hopeless. I don’t know about the drugs. I was on the same protocol as previous cycles when I had my failure. I did check my thyroid (which was erratic) and I checked iron, folate etc. Failure was in Nov. Did a cycle in jan after sorting the thyroid and I had 10 eggs. 7 fertilised 4 made it to day 5. No baby yet though. I am 40. I did have a scratch on this cycle.. there was a delay to period. You don’t say how old you are: but if it were me I would do another cycle. It’s about getting more embryos In the hope one will implant, and sometimes if you are lucky, maybe a sibling for you little one. The older you get the harder. So it you use your current embryo, you do get pregnant, might be harder to try a year after unless you only want one? My 5 pence worth... sending you much love ❤️

Ttcbythesea profile image
Ttcbythesea in reply to leo1980

Hi ya thank you for your reply and kind words. I hadn't contemplated another fresh cycle as the next one but it is a possibility. I'm 37, and was one if the reasons we went with fresh over our last frozen one this time. I hate all these decisions! I have had a thyroid test but maybe see what else can be looked at. Thank you x

JoyfulStar profile image
JoyfulStar

Hi there, really really sorry that you had a disappointing round. I have been on both menopur and Gonal F. One clinic prescribed Menopur, my fertilisation was good, I had 1 blastocyst, I transfer and a BFN. On Gonal F, I’ve had mixed results. I good cycle, I bad cycle but my results are not down to the actual medication.

The choice of medication is down to the preference of the consultant. Are you with the same clinic and do you know why they changed your meds?

The main difference I know from research is that while Gonal F is pure FSH, Menopur is has 50:50 FSH and LH. I know Menopur is generally not recommended for older women because we have naturally rising LH but I was 43 when I was prescribed it and it still worked overall.

I am mostly on Gonal F now but doctor adds 75ius of menopur about 5 days after I start Gonal F only. I have no words for the cost of my meds for my current IVF cycles 😒

I read somewhere that Menopur has better pregnancy rates so you can say they both have pros and cons. So I would ask your doctor why your meds were switched and why they think you had no fertilisation this time around.

Also tell them your preference is Gonal F, if you have had some success with EC and fertilisation in the past, it does not make sense to change the formula.

All the best! 🙏🏾

Ttcbythesea profile image
Ttcbythesea in reply to JoyfulStar

Thank you for your reply. I'm going to definitely ask for answers, at our consultation he said menopur to really accelerate amount of eggs etc so we weren't expecting such bad results...we were a little confused as thought the issue was implantation and did ok on the egg making bit! I'm 37 so maybe why they thought it'd be better. Really stuck on whether to get our frozen transferred right away or wait a cycle. X

JoyfulStar profile image
JoyfulStar in reply to Ttcbythesea

It really made no sense to change your meds if you had 4 embryos at day 5! That is a great result so it was a real risk to change the formula. It just introduces a new variable to a science that is already quite imprecise and so out of the control of us and even the doctors.

So so sorry for the outcome. I can understand your frustration. Hope you get the answers you are looking for.

DW39 profile image
DW39

Sorry to hear this. This is very similar to what happened with my cycles. I was always on gonal f which gave good results. They switched me to menopur as my doc said they had good results with older women. But it was my worst cycle with hardly any fertilisation and only got 1 x 3 day compared to 4 x 5 day blasts with gonal f. I flipped back to gonal f on my next round and got better results again although now I have older eggs so am grappling with that issue! I think maybe menopur just doesn't have good results for some women but good results for others - but I was not one of them!

Ttcbythesea profile image
Ttcbythesea in reply to DW39

It's so frustrating isn't it. Strange they switch but now we know thanks for replying x

RhinoCat profile image
RhinoCat

This whole thing is just hard. So sorry to hear your latest results.

My first cycle I used menopur got 5 eggs 5 fertilised one embryo and was freeze all. Embryo didn’t work! I think it died on day 6 too like rest as menopur too strong for my old eggs.

Second go we did gonal f. Got 4 eggs ( should have been 9 but they messed up scans etc) 2 blasto , one fresh worked but lost at 10.5 weeks. Frozen blasto died quickly after thaw.

Hard to know which was best dunno 🤷🏼‍♀️ I feel gonal f was best for me and if there’s been scans on a Sunday I would have got more eggs 🥚.

Hope that helps.

Best just to ask yourself clinic and be honest. I read of some people having a combo of both 🤷🏼‍♀️ I feel like I will need closer monitoring if gonal is used again and perhaps less for longer as I was on mega doses both times and my body seems to build response then explode after ten days but my clinic missed this.

Hope you get a plan to work soon 💐🙏🏻 this journey is long and hard 🙏🏻💐

🦏🐈x

Ttcbythesea profile image
Ttcbythesea in reply to RhinoCat

Sounds like a rough ride too. I reacted fast to gonal f and only had one scan, its tricky with the scans. sounds like gonal f may be better too for you. May I ask did they suggest freezing your embryo to have you in better shape /rid of hormones? That's my dilemma at the mo whether to get my last frozen transferred or give mt body a rest. I hope you have more success soon too. Sorry to hear about your loss. X

RhinoCat profile image
RhinoCat in reply to Ttcbythesea

My first menopur cycle had to be frozen because I had a polyp , it was top grade but didn’t stick.

My fresh from the gonal worked (until 10.5 weeks ...probz genetically not ok but tests came back normal 🤷🏼‍♀️)

and we froze the second one.

The second one didn’t survive the thaw.

I’d defo put two back in next time as I fear my eggs a v old and weak .

My clinic are happy enough with fresh transfers unless there is a bad lining or polyp etc every clinic seems to have their own views on this.

My clinic do a straight forward FET , day 1 estrogen then after day 10 scan off three layers and ok thickness they add progesterone for five days. Then go for it .

My personal opinion of my age 39 almost 4 eggs is to go fresh if everything is ok. I was on verge of over stimulation but just drank loads of water and everything was ok for the fresh. Everyone’s body is different. Ask your clinic more questions to help you understand why they are so happy to go ahead with it . 💐 it ain’t easy 😘💐

Ttcbythesea profile image
Ttcbythesea in reply to RhinoCat

Thank you for sharing. I'm waiting now..either for frozen or another fresh (though that fills me with dread!)good luck to you x

RhinoCat profile image
RhinoCat in reply to Ttcbythesea

😘🙏🏻💐

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