IVF Protocol Questions

1983Lindsey2

I will be going in for my IVF appointment and I am reading up on different protocols for different diagnoses.  I have polly cystic ovaries, but not PCOS. I do not have insulin issues, high testosterone, acne or facial hair.  I simply do not ovulate due to my pituitary gland no making enough FSH or LH, which gives me poly cystic ovaries.  During my past 6 cycles with IUI, overstimming was always a concern of the 2 REs I saw, but I never did, not even close.  During my final cycle where I did all follitism I had been on BCPs the month before due to a 50mm cyst from the previous cycle. After I finished the BCPs and the cyst was gone, they started me off at 75iu and I did not respond, then upped me to 100 and still no response, but at 125iu  I had a TON of 10mm follicles and they suggested converting to IVF because they thought I had the potential to overstim.  We converted to IVF and upped my follitism dose to 225 and I still UNDERstimmed.  I only had 4 mature follicles and 3 close behind and my E2 would not get above 600 so we converted back to IUI. I did get my son from this crazy cycle though! We are now trying for #2 just jumping to IVF.  I am getting concerned that this is going to be an issue again.  I am worried they are going to be super conservative and I will not produce like last time and the cycle will be a bust.  I get one shot at this as that is all we can afford.  I am getting nervous to make sure it counts! I don't know if I should be pushing for a certain protocol to produce the most follicles? Would my follitism cycle I was on where it was IUI to IVF to IUI be basically an antagonist protocol because I was on BCPs before but not lupron?  

My questions are:

1. What protocol did you use?

2. How many follicles did you get?

3. Did you have any frosties?

4. How many cycles did it take you to work? (If you did IVF for a previous child)

5. What was your diagnosis?

Thanks for your help ladies!  I am very familiar with IUI and meds, but IVF stuff I am still researching.  I want to be as informed as possible going into my appointment so I can make sure I am my own advocate.  

fuzzbumble

1. What protocol did you use?
IVF 1 antagonist
IVF 2 micro lupron flare (for poor responders)
2. How many follicles did you get?
IVF 1 8 (7R 7M 3F, transferred two, CP)
IVF 2 19 (16R 15M 12F, 6 blasts, 5 chromosomally normal)
3. Did you have any frosties?
IVF 1 no
IVF 2 no fresh transfer, see above
4. How many cycles did it take you to work?
No one here will be able to answer this...
5. What was your diagnosis?
Unexplained IF, Recurrent pregnancy loss.

Based on what you said about how you responded, I would request a poor responder protocol. If you aren't responding to injectables, that is classic poor responder

Frenchteachermama

1. What protocol did you use?

micro dose lupron

2. How many follicles did you get?

9R 7M 7F

3. Did you have any frosties?

no

4. How many cycles did it take you to work? (If you did IVF for a previous child)

My first two were from natural cycles

5. What was your diagnosis?

My AMH is .20 and I have a c-scar defect which has damaged my uterus

CTinNV

Hello and welcome! From what I'm seeing, I think you may benefit from the microdose Lupron protocol as well. Here are my answers to your questions:

1. What protocol did you use?

IVF #1 - Standard long Lupron protocol

IVF #2 - Microdose Lupron protocol (for poor responders)

IVF #3 - Microdose Lupron protocol (for poor responders)

2. How many follicles did you get?

IVF #1 - 7 follicles, 6 eggs, 5 mature, 0 made it to biopsy and blast

IVF #2 - 11 follicles, 6 eggs, 6 mature, 2 made it to biopsy and blast (Note: This cycle also included human growth hormone and so will IVF #3)

IVF #3 - Starting this cycle later this month

3. Did you have any frosties?

IVF #1 - No

IVF #2 - Yes, 2 but they need to be PGD/AS tested after my next cycle

4. How many cycles did it take you to work? (If you did IVF for a previous child)

N/A

5. What was your diagnosis?

I have Diminished Ovarian Reserve (DOR) and poor eqq quality due to age

Good luck, and I am glad you are informing yourself about this. Please keep us updated!

jeannaqueena

It's been over 2 years since I did my 2 IVFs. I can't believe how much I have forgotten so fast. But I do remember being in your shoes and wanting to research and tying to understand everything I could about IVF before jumping in. You are doing exactly what you need to be doing!! Question your doctors and get them to look at you instead of statistics!! I swear my IVF miracle would not be here if I hadn't gotten my RE to stop look at IVF #1 numbers and agree to stim an extra few days. My follies might have measured ready, but the eggs within were not mature.

I have a blog that I kept up after seeing someone else's and wished I could have found more blogs with these details. I documented each day with medicine dosages and appointments and even down to the penny what we spent. We were very lucky to have had follistim donated as that is an expensive drug on my insurance. My blog is www.anotherivfblog.blogspot.com. There are no adds (not trying to make money off of it) as it is just a reference tool for myself and hopefully it will help others!! Check out the pages at the top for my IVFs and I just added our FET that is scheduled for June 4th.

Good luck to you!!!