hi all, hope you’re looking forward to the weekend 🐣
I had my follow up with the consultant and they are changing me to a long protocol with ICSI (6 week cycle) - my short protocol was only 10 days. I don’t really know what to expect in terms of drugs etc. Does anyone have any experience with down reg and a longer protocol they can share?
Thank you xxxx
Hi yes I've always had the long protocol /icsi in my ivf treatment. it is much longer than the short protocol but is supposed to be better if you have endometriosis.
The process for me was always to start the down regulation injections (buserelin) on day 21 of my cycle( they switch off your hormones ), you will have a period a week or so after starting that, after 14 days of starting the down reg they may do a baseline scan to check the lining is thin and all is well before starting the stimulation injections, on day 14 you Start the stims alongside the down reg injections and carry on until the next scans and so on. you remain on both sets of injections until the day of trigger.
hope that helps xx
thank you butterfliez, for some reason I’m super nervous about this protocol, I guess because it’s so many more injections!! Are they big ones? Or just the normal pen with tiny needles? Just don’t know how I will face 6 weeks of it. Do you find it helped your Endo? I think the short protocol aggravated my endo and my response was poor (only 1 fertilised egg) praying for better results this time.
Thanks for your help and advice, sending you best wishes x
you are bound to feel nervous as it seems all new to you, but honestly it is not as bad as you think, the injections are thin/small and some what easier than the stims. iv'e not had a short protocol myself so can't compare. My endo hasn't been too bad during ivf so maybe it had helped.
wishing you all the best with the next cycle xx
thank you so much for reassuring me. I have my planning next week and due to start 19th 🙂 I think my mistake was googling a lupron needle - but I guess I won’t need that 🥹😵💫 x
SAME! Short protocol aggravated MY endo - why do the NHS not take this into account?
sorry this happened to you too! They just seem to put you on a ‘one size fits all’ protocol! I wish I knew more so I could have asked 
they put my failed cycle down to ‘bad luck’ ! Let’s hope I have better ‘luck’ this time!! X
yeah same, and they didn’t seem concerned at all about my new, 4cm endometrioma!!
I’ve just started my first ICSI cycle. It’s a long protocol and I had my day 21 down reg injection today. I also suffer from Endo and have low AMH, although fairly average for my age. I hope my consultant has chosen the right option for my situation. The day 21 injection was sore at the time but okay now. Happy to share my experience as the cycle progresses. When will you start?
hiya, amazing news your are on your way with your cycle - I find it a hard but exciting time. My amh is 14 which she said is low for my age, it should be 20 😵💫 I was told before that it was ‘fine’.
What injection did you have and was it just a one off? I guess maybe there are different drugs to down reg?
I start 19th as that is day 21 of my cycle. So fingers crossed all goes to plan. I really have everything crossed this is the right protocol for you, I’ll be following in hope ☺️ xx
Yes, it’s an exciting and nervous time. Strange mixed emotions, but really happy it’s now progressing.
It was a Prostap injection yesterday (just the one for now but in about 3 weeks I’ll have a booster drug, can’t remember that name). I’ll get a bleed around when my period would be due, or a little later.
I go back on the 17th for my scan to see what my linings like. If I haven’t bled yet or my linings not thin enough, I’ll go for a second scan. Once ready, which might be another week or so, I’ll start stims.
Good luck for the 19th 
xx
I’ve generally had long protocol but have done short twice. My understanding is the only thing that is different is that you down regulate from day 21. You have your baseline scan on day 2 or 3 of your bleed and then start your stimulation drugs. It is longer but apart from that I didn’t see/feel a big difference. Although, I’ve had better results with long, so that’s why we stick to it generally. The needles are not bigger. Best of luck 🤞
thank you, that’s really good to hear you have better results as I was so disappointed with our first round on the short protocol. Hoping we can get enough to freeze 🥹🤞🏼
long protocol makes the follicles grow all together, that was the reason my consultant gave me when he put me on long protocol. With Nhs I was on short protocol but to be hones I think the success rate is only slightly different. With long one you use the same medications so don’t worry, nothing to be scared about!
that’s good to hear!! Mine definitely grew different times - I even think some got too big and weren’t viable! Thank you and good luck 🤞🏼 xx
Hi
I am on this exact protocol with ICSI, it's my first round. I have Adenomyosis and am 39.
I'm day 10 into Buserelin, other than the one injection I had to do myself as my partner was away which bruised... it's been pretty pain sailing. No pain, tiny needles, barely notice them to be honest.
My first scan is next Tuesday where they want to check the down reg has worked. My period is a couple of days late (I think that's normal with Buserelin from what I've read) but know if they're not happy with the scan then they may make me carry on with just Buserelin a bit longer
Wishing you all the luck xx
hiya, thank you so much for replying - that’s really good to know ❤️ glad it’s going well for you so far! So do they expect you to have a period as normal even whilst down regging? It’s so confusing 🫣
Wishing you lots of luck for your first cycle - it’s such an exciting/nerve racking and all round difficult time, but you’ve got this ☀️ xxx
Ah thank you that's very kind 🙂 I hope this round is your round too!! This network is such a support isn't it!
The paperwork just says it is normal to have a period and to continue with meds regardless. It doesn't mention what to do if your period is late (or doesn't show at all) so I guess I'll find out on Tuesday xx
Hi Elsidee, I have done both short and long protocol with ICSI and have endometriosis. I had better results with the long protocol. There were more injection but they weren't any worse than the injections for short protocol same needles. You will find after a few days you get into a rhythm and just get used to the extra injections. If you are finding injecting painful and are getting bruising then place an ice cube on the spot you are going to inject, then firmly place and hold cotton wool over the injection site for a few minutes. I did however find on the long protocol I had a far shorter fuse and got annoyed at work colleagues more than normal and snapped at my DH quite a bit. So just pre warn your partner 🤣
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