4 failed transfers - please help me with next FET Protocol

[Lioness-icsi]

Hi ladies, l have endometriosis and had excision this past August, was put on zoladex for 3 months soon after and my notes state that my uterus is slightly bulky (adeno). My embryos are from when l had just turned 40 and will be 42 in a couple of months. I have had an unsuccessful fresh transfer. I have done a natural FET with trigger shot which failed too. 3 failed FETs in total.

l would appreciate your views on what to do for next transfer. Here is the protocol which failed:

3 zoladex injections ( this was hard)

8mg oestrogen

20mg Prednisolone

Lutigest 100 mg 3 times a day

1 Lubion injection started on transfer day due to low progesterone level.

1 5AA transferred - not tested

I am left with 5 frozen embryos. Would want to transfer 2 next cycle and throw everything at it.

Thank you all - your stories give me hope and strength.

[Kimbob82]

Hi there, have you looked into an immune protocol? I see you have been on steroids but that might not be enough for your situation...

Endometriosis is linked to auto immunity and inflammation so I would get immune testing done before doing any more transfers if I were you. Good luck x

[Lioness-icsi in reply to Kimbob82]

Hi Kimbob82 - l have heard that too and will look into it. There is a research clinic in Coventry who do it, If you know of clinics that do please PM so l consider them too. I just want to throw everything at it.

[Elmo13]

Hiya. I’m in a slightly similar situation to you where I’ve had 3 failed transfers plus a recent MMC at 8 wks.

I have 2 remaining frozen embryos but want to give myself the best possible chance before having my FET.

My clinic don’t do any immune testing so I had a recent consult with the research clinic you mentioned. I’m now waiting for my next cycle to do the digital endometrial function test.

I obviously can’t speak to the results and outcome, but I feel better knowing I’m taking some steps forward to at least eliminate some doubt I have in my mind.

I do hope everything works out for you and the next cycle is the one.

Xx

[Lioness-icsi in reply to Elmo13]

Hi Elmo13 - totally agree in throwing in everything possible before transferring. I hope you have your miracle soon.

[hazzahill12]

hi

I have endo and adenomyosis a large focal at the fundus of my uterus and a few other scattered patches.

I did zolodex for nearly a year ( yes it was hell) was only meant to be 6 months but due to covid and not being able to have an egg collection it was nearly a year.

Then down regged straight away without a period using buserline for about 4 weeks then started stims high dose 450 and continued buserline until trigger shot. And egg collection.

I had this with 2cycles and banked only one day 5 embryo and had two fresh transfers which both failed however I then went on to conceive naturally 2 months after my failed transfer.

I just wanted to let you know there is hope I was 37 my clinic had given 1% chance of implantation so was concentrating on getting embryos, and AMH was 4 only got 3 eggs both cycles and only 3 made it to day 5 two transfers and one in the freezer. I feel down. Regulation and zolodex helped to calm and make it possible for implantation naturally. My miracle is 8 months now.

Good luck with everything. X

[Lioness-icsi in reply to hazzahill12]

oh wow - what an amazing story. Your story gives me hope and reason to keep going. The thought of Zoladex injection again makes me feel really sick. Did you take anything to counter the side effects whilst taking it.

[hazzahill12 in reply to Lioness-icsi]

Thank you, i consider myself so very lucky. We had begun looking into surrogacy tbh we were waiting to join a surrogacy group given how much I had been told implantation was so unlikely. I made embryos although not a lot, so we would have to keep doing egg collection cycles to just get one embryos each time which is costly on top of surrogacy and I was feeling very lost at the time. I just wanted to give some hope that there is a chance. I had nothing the first 6 months but the second I had add back HRT which helped a little but not much. I also used DHEA 75 mg daily for 3 months before each egg collection and also ubiqinicol (kaneka form) 600mg dail for the same period as well as pre pregnancy vitamins.

I personally found zolodex so hard, I had relief from endo symptoms mainly and no bleeding but I was so menapausal. I found buserline better slightly easier but it was a daily injection. In prep for my second egg collection and transfer I down regged with buserline for about 10 weeks my consultant wasn’t that happy she reluctantly agreed to buserline for longer but wanted me back on zolodex for that time but i couldn’t do it again. Also after the first round and before my first transfer my adenomyosis lesion was already back to the same size pre zolodex so I felt it was for nothing, however looking back I feel the key to me conceiving was in fact not having period for as long as possible to keep my womb calm and also help with egg quality both angry adenomyosis and endo cause bad environment for eggs. My next step was to look into immunology issues.

Feel free to private message me if I can be of any help. X

[Nevergu]

At 40 it's possible a lot of your embryos aren't viable unfortunately unless they were tested. Without testing you won't know if it's your body or embryo quality that is causing implantation failure

[Lioness-icsi in reply to Nevergu]

l know without testing the embryos the quality of them is not known but most people have had untested embryos and have gone on to have a positive even a chemical positive. Instead of discarding all the ones l have on ice because they are not tested l want to see if something can be done for me based on my medical issue which led me to IVF.

[Nevergu in reply to Lioness-icsi]

I'm nit suggesting discarding your embryos, it would be mad. I'm saying that is likely a lot of them will be abnormal at 40. You can try immune testing which is very expensive and offer no guarantee. I just had a failed pgt tested e.bryo transfer with full immune protocol. Tried 2 fresh transfers with AA blasts too with zero implantation. No endometriosis either.. its very hard and disheartening, I hope you find an answer to your problem.