Hi Ladies,
So I had my second unsuccessful IUI in January, and my RE only suggests 3 medicated IUIs before moving to IVF. Our suggested protocol for the final IUI is 50mg Clomid, Ovidrel and Progesterone during TWW. This is the exact same as the first 2 cycles, except bumping the Clomid from 25mg to 50.
I explained to my nurse that we really want to be as aggressive as possible with this last cycle (without having a ton of multiples) because we will most likely not move to IVF. She pretty much just pushed me off and said "well this is what we suggest, and during your TWW for IUI #3, we would have you come in and talk to the RE." I went around her and scheduled an appointment with the RE because this is really our last chance, and honestly her pushing me off really annoyed me.
My question for all of you: how aggressive would you want to go? what is the most aggressive you went for IUIs? any other advice?
Dx: Azoospermia due to chemo
Re: Most Aggressive IUI?
Me: 34, DH: 38 ~ TTC since 2014
IUI #1-3 (Nov 2015, Feb 2016, May 2016) = BFNs
IVF ER (July 2016) = 7 PGS normal embryos
FET #1 (Sept 2016) = BFP! DD born 5/30/17
FET #2 (April 2019) = BFN
FET #3 (July 2019) = BFP! DS born 3/27/20
BFP & loss discussed
The third IUI did end up being successful for us, but unfortunately we had a loss (mmc discovered at 11w). It's still pretty fresh, and we have not seen the RE again yet. I think it is likely we will start back up with the Clomid IUIs, as long as the RE does not think that the morphology issue contributed to the genetic abnormality that caused our loss, in which case we would probably look at going straight to IVF when we are ready to go again.
/loss mentioned/
TTC#1 July 2014
dx: MFI (morphology)
IUI #1 w/Clomid + Ovidrel Sept. 2015 ~ BFN
IUI #2 w/Clomid + Ovidrel Halloween 2015 ~ BFN
IUI #3 w/Clomid + Ovidrel Thanksgiving 2015 ~ BFP!!
hb 146 bpm at 7w5d
1/28/16 ~ began to say goodbye to our beautiful baby at 11w
d&c, followed by cytotec
TTCAL April 2016
IUI #4 w/Clomid + Ovidrel Apr. 2016 ~ BFN
IUI #5 w/Clomid + Ovidrel ~ CP
IUI#6 w/Clomid + Ovidrel ~ BFN
Me: 34, DH: 38 ~ TTC since 2014
IUI #1-3 (Nov 2015, Feb 2016, May 2016) = BFNs
IVF ER (July 2016) = 7 PGS normal embryos
FET #1 (Sept 2016) = BFP! DD born 5/30/17
FET #2 (April 2019) = BFN
FET #3 (July 2019) = BFP! DS born 3/27/20
/loss mentioned/
TTC#1 July 2014
dx: MFI (morphology)
IUI #1 w/Clomid + Ovidrel Sept. 2015 ~ BFN
IUI #2 w/Clomid + Ovidrel Halloween 2015 ~ BFN
IUI #3 w/Clomid + Ovidrel Thanksgiving 2015 ~ BFP!!
hb 146 bpm at 7w5d
1/28/16 ~ began to say goodbye to our beautiful baby at 11w
d&c, followed by cytotec
TTCAL April 2016
IUI #4 w/Clomid + Ovidrel Apr. 2016 ~ BFN
IUI #5 w/Clomid + Ovidrel ~ CP
IUI#6 w/Clomid + Ovidrel ~ BFN
Me: 34, DH: 38 ~ TTC since 2014
IUI #1-3 (Nov 2015, Feb 2016, May 2016) = BFNs
IVF ER (July 2016) = 7 PGS normal embryos
FET #1 (Sept 2016) = BFP! DD born 5/30/17
FET #2 (April 2019) = BFN
FET #3 (July 2019) = BFP! DS born 3/27/20
After the laparoscopy I had last July, we asked our RE to be more aggressive with treatments. Up to then, we had done Femara and TI. He therefore agreed to have us try IUI, even though all was good on DH's end and a PCT done a few months prior revealed everything was fine. I just wasn't ready to make the jump to IVF without having tried IUI. To my surprise, our RE decided to be really aggressive and got menon a Femara and Follistim combo (5mg of Femara days 3-7, 75iU of Follistim starting day 6). I always had around 3 mature follies with Femara, and so I was sort of scared about how that would go. His reasoning was to produce better quality egg, not increase the number. Turns out that by the time I started ovulating on my own, I only had one mature follie, with possibly 2-3 that could make it in time (they had grown 3mm overnight and were at 15mm; I had the trigger that night, and the IUI the next morning). I was actually kind of disappointed in how many follies I had produced, especially considering all the money I had spent (OOP) on the injectibles. But... This was our successful cycle.
From everything I've read here, it seems that people with PCOS have to be super careful with injectibles as they'll tend to produce more follies to begin with. In your case, I wouldn't be as worried. However, keep in mind that MFI will reduce your chances, and that maybe IVF will be the way to go if this doesn't work out. Best of luck to you!
@PCOSat25 I definitely get what you are saying, and I don't want to over produce, but we are using frozen donor sperm, and his counts have been fantastic, and we still haven't gotten pregnant, so it's just frustrating.
@KidShrink Thanks for the info! I get the better quality egg, not the number, and I'm wondering if that would work for us. We have already decided if we aren't successful with this last cycle we most likely wouldn't move to IVF, so I'm really hoping the RE can set my mind at ease.
Me: 34, DH: 38 ~ TTC since 2014
IUI #1-3 (Nov 2015, Feb 2016, May 2016) = BFNs
IVF ER (July 2016) = 7 PGS normal embryos
FET #1 (Sept 2016) = BFP! DD born 5/30/17
FET #2 (April 2019) = BFN
FET #3 (July 2019) = BFP! DS born 3/27/20
Together since January 23, 2013
Married March 22, 2014
TTC #1 since August 2015
First RE meeting February 2, 2016; tests normal for both of us
Clomid round #4 of 150 mg followed by
First Ovidrel trigger shot February 10, 2016
First IUI February 12, 2016 Negative
Started Letrozole 5mg round #1 February 23
Began additional Letrozole 5mg + Dexamethasone 1 mg March 8
Ovidrel trigger shot March 16
IUI #2 March 18 with progesterone suppositories beginning March 19
Positive HPT April 2 Praise God!!!
Estimated Due Date: December 8
<a href="http://www.thebump.com/?utm_source=ticker&utm_medium=HTML&utm_campaign=tickers" title="Parenting Advice"><img
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1
Together since January 23, 2013
Married March 22, 2014
TTC #1 since August 2015
First RE meeting February 2, 2016; tests normal for both of us
Clomid round #4 of 150 mg followed by
First Ovidrel trigger shot February 10, 2016
First IUI February 12, 2016 Negative
Started Letrozole 5mg round #1 February 23
Began additional Letrozole 5mg + Dexamethasone 1 mg March 8
Ovidrel trigger shot March 16
IUI #2 March 18 with progesterone suppositories beginning March 19
Positive HPT April 2 Praise God!!!
Estimated Due Date: December 8
<a href="http://www.thebump.com/?utm_source=ticker&utm_medium=HTML&utm_campaign=tickers" title="Parenting Advice"><img
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1