IF testing and treatment w/o April 1

bakerstreetboys

This is a place for those of us who have already started TTC, but have started infertility testing and/or treatments. You can express your thoughts, feelings, and frustrations on infertility. TTC can be a long journey naturally, then add in the difficulties associated with infertility, and it becomes a whole new ball game. The road to infertility can be lonely, frustrating, and complicated, so let's make this a place where we can vent, ask questions, and support one another. Feel free to resurrect this thread at any point in the week if you have something to say. Treat this as an ongoing conversation. 

Diagnosis (if you've been): 

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA):

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): 

How are things going?: 

Any questions?:

GTKY: Who is your favourite author?

bakerstreetboys

Diagnosis (if you've been): AMA, DOR, low AMH

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): TWW, 4dp5dt

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): IVF cycle #3

How are things going?: I'm feeling really crampy anxious right now.  I'll start testing tomorrow; I tested out my trigger with Wondfos, so now I'm driving myself crazy thinking that if I get a + on a FRER tomorrow, maybe it will still be the trigger because they're more sensitive than Wondfos!  I'll be using both, but still.  Argh!

Any questions?:

GTKY: Who is your favourite author? I posted this question and then realized I have too many favourite authors!  I love Jeffrey Deaver, John Grisham, Mark Haddon, and so many more!

hanshotfirst77

@bakerstreetboys Fx for your testing tomorrow!

Diagnosis (if you've been): PCOS and unexplained secondary IF

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): 4dpo

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): Femara 7.5mg, Ovidrel, IUI, Estradiol, Endometrien.

How are things going?: This TWW is driving me crazy, All the hormones are the cause I am sure. But I can't stop myself from over analyzing everything that happened. The follicle sizes, the timing, etc. I'm super emotional and 
*TW* someone elses PG
I have to see my very pregnant sister this weekend and I'll be like 9-10dpo and idk what to do. test and risk bfn's making me feel worse, or don't test and have no idea. I'm sure the day will be triggering and difficult either way.

Any questions?:

GTKY: Who is your favourite author? Isaac Asimov

kbrown2385

@bakerstreetboys fx for this cycle! When are you planning on testing? 


Diagnosis (if you've been): unexplained rpl

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): wto

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): dh’s SA is today so hoping that comes back normal. 

How are things going?: This is the last cycle before we move onto clomid. I’m caught between trying and not trying. Tw* Part of me doesn’t want to succeed this cycle and then just lose it again. Tw* my mind is kind of all over the place with it. The anxiety is real. 

Any questions?: how long does it normally take for results from an sa?

GTKY: Who is your favourite author? I don’t know if I have a favorite author. My favorite book is Jane Eyre so maybe Charlotte Bronte? I don’t discriminate with books. If I like what I’m reading, I’ll probably look for more by the same author. 

b_1029

@bakerstreetboys FX for your testing tomorrow!! Hopefully the cramps are a great sign!

@hanshotfirst77 gotta love the TWW and all the emotions it brings. I hope the visit with your sister goes ok no matter which you choose. I would probably not test beforehand, but I'm also just very negative and assume it'll be a BFN which I think would make seeing her harder for me.

@kbrown2385 I think we got DH's results within 48 hours or so. I hope it's normal!

Diagnosis (if you've been): unexplained

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): TWW

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): going to the RE Friday, which will technically be the next cycle since this one is about to end

How are things going?: I've pretty much been having a mental breakdown all morning after the BFN and just general life unhappiness. Sitting here sniffling at my desk and I feel so pathetic. I'm acting like I'm the only one on earth who has gone through IF and being super irrational about it. I think I am just mourning the fact we can't have a baby "naturally" like so many others can, especially with that RE appt coming up. 

Any questions?: nope

GTKY: Who is your favourite author? ughh I can't think of one off the top of my head. I really need to read more, I'll probably be stealing your all's answers for suggestions...

kobrien827

@bakerstreetboys fx for you! When is your beta?
@hanshotfirst77 I hope things go okay this weekend. The internal struggle to test or not!
@kbrown2385 fx for good results for yh's SA! Our 1st one took about 2 weeks to come back, the 2nd took less than a week.

Diagnosis (if you've been): MFI

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): WFFET

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): Prepping for FET #2

How are things going?: Good, finally! Been MIA while I was in limbo but thyroid is finally back in normal range so I started prepping for FET on Saturday and will hopefully have that end of next week/next weekend. 

Any questions?: None

GTKY: Who is your favourite author? So embarrassed to admit that I dont read I wish I had more time to dive into a good book.

hanshotfirst77

@kobrien827 good luck with your FET!

@b_1029 I'm so sorry for the bfn and unhappy feelings. I tend to go down the rabbit hole of emotions too especially when I am feeling down. I hope the RE appt can help, I found seeing the RE gave me some hope, having a plan of action always made me feel a little better. And I agree with you on the testing, I think though a bfp would be magical, a bfn would make seeing her unbearable. 

bakerstreetboys

@b_1029 Sorry for the BFN, it never gets easier. I have no idea how many times I've cried about it being "not fair".  Hopefully you have a good appointment on Friday.

@kbrown2385 I hope that you get results quickly and that SA looks good. 

@hanshotfirst77 That's a tough situation to be in with your sister; is she sensitive to what you're going through (if she even knows)?  I'm the same way with over-analyzing everything...depending on my mood, I think a cramp is a good thing or a bad thing...it's hard.

hanshotfirst77

@bakerstreetboys she is not sensitive at all. 
*TW her pregnancies*

This will be her 3rd baby. Each was conceived easily and under 4 months. This one in particular is an oops baby. She knows about my IF history but does not know specifically that I am actively trying still and she doesn't know *TW* about my MC *TW* And this visit is actually because my dad is coming to town who also does not know/is not sensitive to my situation. And it's his first time seeing my sister since she announced so the whole day will pretty much be all about her and the baby. 

I hear you on the cramps being good or bad. My mood keeps changing from extreme highs to extreme lows.

ruby696

@bakerstreetboys FX so hard for you tomorrow.  As long as your new positive is the darker than your last negative, I think you should be good!

@hanshotfirst77 I'd probably test after you see your sister.  That way you're still excited to see her and you get to look forward to testing after.

@kbrown2385 Ugh, RPL is such a mind fuck.  I'm sorry.  I hope YH's SA results are good.

@b_1029 Your feelings are completely legit, please don't feel that they aren't.  We've all had the same feelings and it doesn't matter that other people have had to deal with it.  It's hard for all of us and we're allowed to feel sorry for ourselves. Hugs.

@kobrien827 Good luck with your FET!!

Diagnosis (if you've been): Early stage DOR

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): TWW

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): IUI this cycle and then we'll move on to FSH injections next cycle.

How are things going?: Fine, but I'm annoyed that I had my IUI 9 days ago, but I'm only at like 6 or 7 dpo.  Makes it feel like such a long TWW.

Any questions?: My RE said I should get my period two weeks from the date of my IUI, which makes no sense to me??  Why would IUI trigger my period, instead of ovulation? She gets some side-eye from me there.

GTKY: Who is your favourite author?  I read a lot, but I don't know that I have a favorite author.  I tend to find a book I really like and then read a bunch of other books by that author, then move on and repeat.

celticknotfire

@bakerstreetboys the dreaded did I test out my trigger!  FX your beta gets here soon

@hanshotfirst77 I totally understand the over-analyzing because I am the same way.  Do you think that knowing will help your situation with your sister?  Does your family know what you're going through?

@kbrown2385 it depends on your lab and what tests your doctor ordered as to how quickly you get the results of the SA back.  I think a lot of us can relate the fear you are feeling and I wish I had good advice for you but all I can say is you are not alone.

@b_1029 Sorry about the bfn and I don't think you are be irrational at all.  IF is physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually exhausting and it sucks.  Hopefully you and your RE can come up with a good plan.

@kobrien827 that is so exciting you are finally able to do your FET!

Diagnosis (if you've been): PCOS, anovulatory, AMA

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): IVF

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?):  Finished my 3-day course of cetrotide and started gonal and menopur last night.  Baseline US and BW went well with a repeat scheduled for Thursday.

How are things going?: So far so good just a little headache from the meds but other than that I'm doing well.

Any questions?: Not at the moment

GTKY: Who is your favourite author? I have always loved James Patterson but it's been so long since I read one of his books!

emmasemm

@celticknotfire good news your baseline was all good and you’re out of the starting blocks! 

@ruby696 hmmm your RE would get more than side eye from me... it’s like they over simplify things thinking they protect us but in the end they’re just treating us like we’re stupid. At least I hope it’s that, if she doesn’t realize how the timing of AF is linked to ovulation that’s a whole different issue 

@hanshotfirst77 to be honest I would come down with flu and not make it to see sister/father in that situation... that’s like a whole hell of a meeting. Feel free to protect yourself if you want to.

@bakerstreetboys  keeping everything crossed for a good test

@kobrien827 glad to hear your thyroid is back in range again! So many things we have to get right at the right time!

@b_1029 we all have those days. When I have one, I’ve found I need to let myself feel it and then pick a time to make myself get on with things again. But first of all I need some time to wallow. Watch greys anatomy. Eat chocolate. Whatever helps you through.

@kbrown2385 hope all goes well with the SA!

Diagnosis (if you've been): DOR, AMA, giant squishy fibroid, auto immune stuff

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): WFAF

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): Seeing the fibroid and Polyp specialist 

How are things going?: 
This has been a loooooonnnnnng month. AF is due today, but hasn’t appeared yet though I had bloods today and it’s definitely negative - these days I just tag an HCG onto my other blood work every month. Saves me handling pee sticks. My estrogen is already higher than I would like, so looks like a typical DOR cycle to come the next weeks.
My US this morning showed one tiny follicle on each side - and even as I’m writing I’m hearing you ask why on earth should that matter as I have two big polyps still in there which will prevent implantation... plus the whole is the fibroid invading or squishing my uterus question!
And we’re hoping to get answers from the specialist on Thursday!

Any questions?: Nope

GTKY: Who is your favourite author? Ohhh I love the Charlotte Bronte idea... classical novels just can’t be beaten. Nobody writes like that these days. 

inthewoods23

@bakerstreetboys hoping this is a good one for you! I'd be freaked out to start testing again too!

@hanshotfirst77 the timing of my IUIs always gave me anxiety! I temped 1 whole cycle and according to my temps I had O'ed the day before the IUI so I was freaking myself out that we did it too late! Argh.

@kbrown2385 been a while since MH's SA but I think we got the results later that same day.

@b_1029 I hated being at that point too of going to an RE. It's why I joined TB in the first place! I had no idea what to expect but I was happy that we were getting help. I really hope your appointment goes great and leaves you feeling hopeful!

@kobrien827 hurray for FET!

@ruby696 are you taking progesterone? It extendedy LP and the earliest I ever spotted was 14dpiui

Diagnosis (if you've been): unexplained

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): TWW

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): naturally this month, IVF starts at next AF (predicted to be around 4/9)

How are things going?: probably ain't going to work this cycle but whatevs. I'm weirdly chill about the imminent reality of spending a boat load on IVF. Thank God for HSAs

Any questions?: Nope, not til next cycle!

GTKY: Who is your favourite author? I don't read so...... No one

kbrown2385

@kobrien827 great news about your thyroid!

@b_1029 so sorry about the bfn

Question for those who have moved onto ivf. What was the deciding factor? How do you get past the thought of spending so much money? It’s something I’ve started thinking about and i just have a pit in my stomach from it all. 

Edit because words are hard

bakerstreetboys

@kbrown2385 For us, there were a couple of deciding factors, age being the main one.  TW* My first two losses were natural pregnancies, and then we didn't get pregnant again after trying for six months, so we saw an RE.  After testing confirmed that I had DOR, we didn't want to waste any more time.  It's definitely expensive, no doubt about it.  We are just in a lucky situation where we can swing it, but there will definitely be limit on how many rounds we can do.  
@ruby696 How are you holding up in the TWW?

@hanshotfirst77 I'm sorry your sister and dad aren't more sensitive.  I'd be tempted to skip it, but I know all about family obligations.

Back tomorrow for more tags!

ruby696

@bakerstreetboys I'm doing okay. My chart isn't really telling me anything at this point. I'll probably test tomorrow, even though its early. Are you testing tomorrow??

celticknotfire

@kbrown2385 our RE suggested it because I required so much medication to get one follicle for our IUI.  Plus since we are OOP she said it's more cost effective to just do IVF.  Our one IUI cycle cost over $6,000 including meds.  **TW** after our MMC she said it was a logical step **end TW**

hanshotfirst77

@celticknotfire the only one who knows everything is my mom. And she’s really the only supportive one. The rest I probably won’t say anything until/if I actually get and stay PG. 

@emmasemm @bakerstreetboys I wish skipping was an option. But I’ve pretty much avoided my sister as much as I’ve could since she announced. *TW* I had to make up an excuse to get out of her gender reveal which was the day after I found out about my MMC*TW* I’ll probably have to just grin and bare it. But I think not testing is probably the best option. Keep some hope alive. 

keikilove

I’m going to come back for tags, promise! @kbrown2385, your question prompted me to jump back in this week. Personally it’s such a hard decision to decide to pursue any of this. For me, the decision was made to move to IVF (potentially) because in my state it is required that all insurances cover one round. (I have thought of posting this fact many times in case any of you want to make a temporary move here & benefit from this insurance fact, lol.) There will still be some out of pockets costs but probably only 5-10% of the total. I’ve really struggled with some decisions over the past couple of months regarding IUI/Insurance/IF treatment, but didn’t post them here because they seemed soooo complicated & so much drama... 

Diagnosis (if you've been): AMA, DOR, MTHFR & PAI-1 blood-clotting mutations, Autoimmune challenges 

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): TWW

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?): I do a lot of natural things, but wondering if some of those have been making me feel exhausted the last couple of cycles, like natural progesterone cream & the folate in my PNVs instead of folic acid. 

How are things going?: I’m feeling very hopeful this cycle. And also very excited because I see a new RE next week who has more familiarity with all my issues AND takes a more holistic/natural approach to all things IF. (I.e. My friend conceived her two babies throughout IVF w this doc & swears by the acupuncture this doc prescribed. Another friend said this doc did her U/S & said “No, you don’t need the stimulating meds, just have much more sex” & that worked for her [as annoying as that may sound to some of us here!]. So I’m excited to see her and see if she can give me a new protocol for the autoimmune issues & explore another issue that no other doctor has paid attention to. 

Any questions?: This is kind of personal & I don’t want to stir things up by *TW* proposing symptoms, but have any of you looked into Silent Endo? I’m learning more about it & hearing interesting success stories about lap surgeries that led to success, etc.*End TW*

GTKY: Who is your favourite author? Add me to the fans of the classics by Bronte sisters, and the current fandom of Elena Ferrante. 

inthewoods23

@kbrown2385 our decision was based mostly on the fact that we had tried IUI 3 times, all failures, and wanted the best chance to conceive. I would say I had many months to come to terms with this since my research said that low morphology should default you to IVF with ICSI but our RE felt there wasn't any reason conception with IUI wouldn't be possible. We thankfully have had money saved up in an HSA that will go towards IVF so for the time being this hasn't been a major strain on us even with 3 IUIs in a row.

emmasemm

@kbrown2385
For us moving to IVF was clear as we had tried for 2 years before we saw an RE (didn’t know about the one year over 35 and moved twice during that time so started new with each OB...). When we saw him with my AMH, FSH and AFC results put together with my Autoimmune stuff, not even a faint line in 2 years and never a “scare” my whole life he put our chances naturally at less than 0.1%. Yep. Not even 1%. Basically as close to zero chance as he would go without daring to say zero. 
But also with IVF he gave us a 3% chance. He explained that as, if he did 3 rounds each on 100 patients like me, only 3 of the ladies would be successful and 97 wouldn’t. Which were pretty rubbish odds to hear too. 
We are lucky that the cost of a round of IVF here is basically the same as a very low cost provider in the US - however it comes with lots of limitations - no banking or PGS allowed unless there is a medical reason for it (danger to live of woman or child). Medication is same price as US. Plus health insurance covered half of all costs for three rounds. This definitely helped to sway DH to give it a go straight away.
After our 3 rounds with him I really shopped around for good “package deals” as I had learnt the main success with DOR is repitition and non traditional protocol approaches. We opted for a clinic in the UK for language, travel connection, expertise and price reasons. This is now all OOP - the travel costs are almost as much as the round itself though each time! We have not done PGS testing in the end as 
We agreed a limit up front to spend on retrievals. We’ve given up vacations and delayed all the home improvements to cover it so far. If we need to we would have to take out a loan for DE and go overseas for the treatment. If we need to use a gestational carrier we will have to move countries as it’s illegal here - and would probably sell our house to finance it.
Doing IVF has been reassuring in one aspect - if we hadn’t done it we never would have been sure if his sperm can fertilize my eggs or if the embryos develop normally - this we now know works. So the problem is with implantation. And with my DOR worsening we are so happy to have our banked embryos.
I’m not saying IVF hasn’t been tough - financially, physically, time wise, relationship wise, fitting it around work etc. But if I went back I would not delay starting it in my own case.
Having said IVF is not for everyone and it is not a magic wand. You need to do what feels right for you at each point in time. 
If it’s injections and daily scans and the retrieval that put you off, these you will find if you do it are the easy parts and you will breeze through them. The “how many follicles and how are they developing”, how many eggs, how many fertilized, how many make it to blast, are PGS normal etc are the most difficult bits for most people. But there are coping strategies for that too. Many find making the decision to do IVF to be harder than doing it! 

bakerstreetboys

@hanshotfirst77 Too bad you can't skip it.  Good luck to you (I probably wouldn't test first either!).
@ruby696 That does seem like a long tww!  Also, was your RE hit in the head?!
@celticknotfire I used to love James Patterson's books!  That was a long time ago though, back in the days of Cat and Mouse, etc.  Now he co-authors dozens of books a year and they're all so predictable and formulated.
I hope you see some good progression on Thursday!  The meds give me really bad headaches too...I hope you find a cure for that.
@emmasemm The fibroid specialist appointment is getting so close!  Fx so hard that he agrees with the previous diagnosis.
@inthewoods23 That's good that your'e feeling pretty chill about starting IVF soon.  I found that I was pretty zen for awhile once we finally had a plan.  Of course I hope that this is your lucky month without it!
@keikilove That sounds great about your new RE!  I hope you like her.

bean1818

@bakerstreetboys good luck with your testing
@hanshotfirst77 being around other pregnant people is always super hard, its worse when they are not being sensitive, good luck with your sister
@kbrown2385 hope you get the results back soon
@b_1029 so sorry about your BFN
@ruby696 so this is probably a stupid question and since this is my first  IUI I apologize in advance, but why did they do a IUI if they did not think that you had O'd or were going to within that day? I took clomid the week before , and did a trigger shot the Saturday and went in for my  IUI Monday morning. my doctor told me the same thing that i should get AF in two weeks if it did not work, again probably a stupid question.   

Diagnosis (if you've been):  unexplained 

Status (WTO/TWW/TTA): tww kind of technically I am 14 dpo today

What are you doing this cycle? (Testing? Treatment?):  Clomid with a IUI  

How are things going?: super nervous to test , I am planning on waiting until Thursday 

Any questions?: no 

GTKY: Who is your favourite author? right now I really like Jane Washington, Steven King and Sarra Cannon

ruby696

@bakerstreetboys I could maybe understand if I'd triggered, but my surge started before I needed to. IDK, I guess I'll find out.🤷‍♀️

ruby696

@bean1818 Not a stupid question, I just don't really know the answer. Lol. My RE wanted me to come in for the IUI as soon as an OPK started to darken from the baseline OPK (CD9). It seemed weird to me, but I went with it. So I did Clomid days 3-7 and then had the IUI CD12. I'm assuming the theory is sperm live up to five days, so better to have them waiting?

bean1818

@ruby696 huh that is odd I really hope it works.  I did 100mg of clomid  on days 3-7 and then a ultrsound on day 12 and trigger shot on day 13. 

ruby696

@bean1818 I was supposed to trigger on CD14 if my OPK didn't start to turn. It seemed odd to me too. I guess we'll see.

kobrien827

@kbrown2385 We did 3 failed IUIs before moving to IVF. We met with our doctor and she said she would attempt another IUI if we wanted but statically your chances do not get better after 3 so we decided to jump to IVF. We didnt want to waste any more money on IUI if the chances of it working were low. Hope this helps! 

inthewoods23

@kobrien827 sounds pretty much like my experience. Although when she asked us what we wanted to do next and we said we'd like to move forward with IVF her response was something along the lines of agreeing with us and saying that with DH's morphology that IVF is a good next step. I don't recall exactly how she said it, but it kind of made is both feel like doing the IUIs was a complete waste of our time or that what was the point of doing the IUIs if she had that opinion.

I guess the thought might be that doing the sperm wash and using only the best for IUI is a better percentage than naturally and we're an unexplained case so maybe we've just been really unlucky.

kbrown2385

Thanks for all the insight everyone! I guess the thought of making that jump is terrifying to me. Tw* especially since we’ve dealt with 6 losses and have no other known issues. I can get pregnant, I just can’t stay pregnant and doing Ivf won’t necessarily fix that. The other issue is trying to afford it. Our insurance is not an option since it’s through the military and besides taking out loans, idk how we’d pay for it. 

tamalahoops

*Lurking*

@kbrown2385 we financed our ivf with a loan so if you have questions about that I'm only a pm away!

emmasemm

@kbrown2385 there also quite a lot of grants you can apply for (though I know not everyone feels comfortable with this either) Resolve lists some of them https://resolve.org/what-are-my-options/making-infertility-affordable/infertility-treatment-grants-scholarships/ And sorry if you already mentioned this, but have you and your DH had full genetic investigations yourselves and has your DH had a Sperm DNA fragmentation test? (If karyotyping was done, check which things they tested for) I think you had the full recurrent loss testing panel performed on you?

chichiphin

@kbrown2385 most of the clinics in my area also offer 20% off all non-covered services for AD, first responders, and vets 

kbrown2385

It’s nice to see there are things available to finance. I honestly haven’t looked into it yet. 

@emmasemm we had karyotyping so I’d have to see what was involved with that. I think dh’s SA was just a basic one but I can double check that too. The re didn’t say anything about a dna fragmentstion.

@chichiphin idk why I didn’t think about discounts for AD 🤦🏻‍♀️ Thanks! 

chichiphin

@kbrown2385 that is the most consistent discount I see, tbh. Its because they know tricare is absolute sh*t when it comes to IF coverage. 

kbrown2385

@chichiphin I think that’s what gives me anxiety. I had a friend do Ivf through tricare and they spent so much. Im pretty sure they didn’t look into grants and discounts though. We are really working on becoming debt free so the thought of paying for it all makes me a little sick. 

keikilove

Hey friends, I said I’d come back for tags but couldn’t, I’m sorry. I’ve lost my place after being mostly offline for 2 days & could only lurk/lovetit. Anyway, I read this really interesting article and thought it might be of interest to some of you. It’s about the impact/difference between Folic acid (man-made, has to be broken down through a methylation process before it can be absorbed, not everyone’s bodies can do this) and Folate (occurs naturally in foods, easily absorbed, & can be bought in special pre-methylated prenatals/Folate pills). The only issue I saw w the article is that they use the two words interchangeably, which is common & unfortunate. 

https://www.oatext.com/the-hazards-of-excessive-folic-acid-intake-in-mthfr-gene-mutation-carriers-an-obstetric-and-gynecological-perspective.php

“Studies have shown that some cases of premature ovarian failure may be due to abnormal methylation, and patients should be evaluated not only with an Anti-Müllerian hormone level and ultrasound, but for MTHFR mutations as well. The MTHFR SNPs induce strong chromosomal anomalies as early as the preimplantation stages of development [7]. Hypomethylation during trophoblastic development due to this defective enzyme is another reason believed to contribute to recurrent early fetal loss [2]. Male partners should also be tested for MTHFR, as this mutation can affect not only sperm morphology and DNA quality but contribute to oligo-asthenospermia. In our Georgia centre, 22 patients with recurrent miscarriages, failed IUI and/or IVF attempts were noted and tested for MTHFR mutations. They tested positive, either homozygous or heterozygous for the MTHFR mutations, and were started on 800mcg QD of 5-methyl THF [folate]. Upon follow up, 100% of these patients conceived successfully, many within only 2-3 months of starting the supplement. Another study out of France looked at 30 couples with infertility lasting 3-5 years, where at least one member was a carrier of one main isoforms (C677T and A1298C [MTHFR mutations]), who were treated with 500-800mcg QD of 5-methyl THF [folate] for 2-4 months. Of this group, 12 conceived spontaneously and 15 others with the help of assisted reproductive therapy, with the remaining still under treatment [8].”

I belong to a few groups on FB that focus on MTHFR & blood-clotting disorders, hidden infections, & reproductive immunology. I’ve learned so much, it’s helped me immensely. Please please message me if you want to learn more. (Nothing is being sold in any of these groups—just in case this sounds like a bait & switch!) I just want to help. 

ruby696

This issue completely stresses me out because I have the C677T variant, but when I asked my RE about it, her response was "that's a bunch of hooey." She has me on 4mg folic acid. From what I've read 4mg folate should have the same effect as folate and luckily my variant is heterozygous (milder), but it still really bothers me.

ETA: Just want to clarify that @keikilove posting the article was helpful, not stressful. My RE stresses me out for not believing in something that seems to be pretty widely accepted...

nitnat007

Dropping in out of lurkdum to say thank you @keikilove for posting that. I found it a really interesting read and wondering now if it is something that maybe DH should be adding to his regime. I have heard being suggested for women all the time, but not ever in reference to males. Anyone have opinions or insight on that?

Also, have been reading and trying to stay up to date with everyone. Thinking of you all and sending love 
Really hoping to be back here soon!

keikilove

@ruby696 & @nitnat007 I’m glad you found it helpful. Ruby, I totally get why it’s stressful for you. I have a great general practitioner doctor that acknowledges the issue and says I need to stay away from folic acid, then I have a great hematologist who also acknowledges it & says tons of his patients have it—but he recommends a heavy dose of folic acid! I just tell him I do take it as prescribed when REALLy I follow my general practitioner’s advice & only take folate. I’m like you—I have the mildest form of the mutation
& not sure how greatly it affects me. Still, I wonder if my two losses over the past year were impacted by it somehow. 

Anyway, @kagesstarshroom uses a popular prenatal with folate called Mama Bird, and most people recommend Thorne prenatal or any other Thorne products. Personally I’ve been using Thorne and don’t love it (because I can’t feel any difference lol) so I’m gonna try Mega Foods Baby & Me 2 because I trust that brand. Their vitamins usually give me energy & make me know I’ve been taking something helpful. 

ruby696

@keikilove I was using Mega Foods Baby & Me 2 before my RE switched me. I was also talking a B12 and L-5 MTHF, but I stopped because I'm afraid of taking too much of the B complex vitamins now since my 4mg folic acid also has B12 and B6. I think the B12 and B6 help the FA because they're all part of the same complex, but IDK. Im afraid of not taking the rx because my RE told me that women with RPL have fewer losses with high dose FA - that don't know why that is. So I'm afraid to take it and afraid not to take it.  If I was homozygous C677T, this would give me a nervous breakdown. Regardless, I'll switch back once (if) I'm release to my OB.