No response to stims - cancelled then restarted!

[LKW30]

Hello,

I am looking for some advice/hope and wonder if this has happened to anyone else.

I am 33 and have a diminished ovarian reserve with my last AFC scan showing 4 follicles and an AMH of 3.6.

I have been on 150 menopur and 225 gonal F for 10 days and fyremadel 250 from day 6. At my 10 day scan yesterday I had 1 small follicle and my lining was thin so I was told I hadn’t responded to stims and my cycle was cancelled. Obviously I was devastated, I was left with lots of questions and not much support.

I then received a call this morning that they want me to have an urgent blood test to check my Oestrogen and to restart the medications again. As I missed yesterday’s evening meds they told me to take all 3 earlier today. I am so confused and wondering if there is anyone else this has happened to and if this is hopeful or not.

Thanks in advance!

[Hidden]

Hope everything works out - be sure to ask at lots of questions at next visit Hope you get some replies to your post

Sending you good luck wishes

Janet-Partner

[fidgetmcgee]

I’m sorry you’re going through this. I hope it works out.

Not quite the same situation but my partner had one cycle cancelled due to just 1 good sized and 1 small follicle on scan. She’s much older than you so we were sad about missing any follicles and asked to switch to IUI. They told us to come back for another scan and at that one saw 4 follicles came up so restarted the cycle. We missed one gonal f dose but they weren’t worried about that. Did you have bloods done at the same time as the scan where they cancelled? Maybe that showed rising estrogen that meant they thought you must have more follicles coming? Try and demand some answers from them. It is so hard when you are going through it , but they really should take the time with you. They do this day in day out but it’s overwhelming as the patient so don’t be afraid to ask for me information and support.

I really hope that things improve and you get good news soon

[LKW30 in reply to fidgetmcgee]

Hello, thank you for your reply. That does give me a little bit of hope things may be different at my next scan.

They didn’t take any bloods on Monday or look in to any reasons why I could not be responding but called me Tuesday to tell me to arrange the blood test myself for that morning and to restart my meds. I got the results back and my oestrogen is low at 170 pmol/L (considering I was day 10 of stims) but they still want me to continue with the medications until my scan on Friday so I guess I shall see! Not getting my hopes up though.

Thanks for your good wishes and good luck with your cycle ☺️

[fidgetmcgee in reply to LKW30]

Thank you!

Really hope things have turned around when you go for your next scan. Best of luck on Friday!

[MontsJ]

They might be considering a plural phase still cycle? Some women have a duostim cycle, where they have regular stim cycle and egg collection, then go straight into stims again and have another collection, all in the same month.

[LKW30]

Unfortunately it was not good news today. One follicle was at 7 and one at 10 so collection cancelled and have been advised there’s nothing further they can do for me. I am going to go private but they told me that even that won’t work 😳 I’m not ready to give up after one try though and after reading other stories!

[Skittles11 in reply to LKW30]

Sorry to see this. Did you down regulate on this cycle? Xx

[LKW30 in reply to Skittles11]

I didn’t no, I had nothing prior and started on my natural cycle and then had the stims. I’ve seen so much online of things working for others so I’m going to try whatever I can 🤞🏼

[fidgetmcgee]

oh I’m so sorry! That must have been so upsetting! It seems pretty brutal for them to put it like that. I’m surprised as well because you are so young so your egg quality has a good chance of being high even if your ovarian reserve is low, would IUI be an option for you?

[LKW30 in reply to fidgetmcgee]

I’m also confused about that as they have always said age is on my side. I understand the NHS not being able to fund me now but being told it wouldn’t work privately either was quite a shock and one I’m not ready to accept just yet!

I’m open to anything but have been told on the past by other specialists I would need IVF because of my low ovarian reserve.

[fidgetmcgee in reply to LKW30]

I would feel the same in your shoes too!

Someone i know was advised because of low ovarian reserve they were concerned she wouldn’t get enough embryos to make IVF a good option and she was encouraged to try medicated IUI first instead and she has had success surprisingly and wonderfully quickly . It can take a few try’s for most people but if your tubes are clear and egg quality isn’t too much of an issue, I think it can be a really good option with less drugs and health risks for both parent and baby

I hope you’re doing something nice for yourself this weekend after all that stress