Infertility
BootsOrHearts
member
EPP vs. microdose lupron protocol (for DOR)
BootsOrHearts
member
in Infertility
I just replied to another post on this, but I thought it warranted its own post.
My first IVF, we did estrogen priming protocol and I got 7R, 7M, 5F (with ICSI), froze 2, transferred 2. Which both I and my RE were REALLY happy with given my age (39) and AMH (0.28). My AFC that cycle was 11, has been 7 in the past.
This time she wants to try microdose lupron flare protocol. She said she's had good luck with both, but slightly better luck with the EPP. She says she just want to 'mix things up' and try another protocol.
I feel like a bit of a lab rat. If EPP worked well, why would I switch to something else??
I need some opinions!
**Warning: Losses and living child mentioned**
BFP#1 1/31/12, EDD 10/6/12 Harrison Gray born sleeping @ 18w6d. You changed our lives little guy.
BFP#2 EDD 10/29/13, C/P 2/25/13, Bye little Ish, we barely got to know you.
BFP#3 EDD 12/21/13, Baby Boots born 11/23/13 My rainbow baby!
January PAL Siggy Challenge: Good Advice
BFP#1 1/31/12, EDD 10/6/12 Harrison Gray born sleeping @ 18w6d. You changed our lives little guy.
BFP#2 EDD 10/29/13, C/P 2/25/13, Bye little Ish, we barely got to know you.
BFP#3 EDD 12/21/13, Baby Boots born 11/23/13 My rainbow baby!
January PAL Siggy Challenge: Good Advice
This discussion has been closed.
Re: EPP vs. microdose lupron protocol (for DOR)
10/11: after 2 years, saw a RE, FSH 5.4
11/11: BFP! (surprise after thyroid & normal hsg),
12/11: missed m/c after 7 week u/s, 1/12: D&C
6/12 IUI#1-IUI #3: clomid = BFP!, C/P
IVF #1(10/12) FSH 5.4, AFC: 16 long Lupron, 5R/5M/4F, all 4 made it to 5dt, 1 blast/1-8 cell transferred=BFN
IVF #2(12/12)AFC 21, MD lupron, 4R/4M/3F, 5dt of 1 blast and 2-8cell. BFN.
IVF#3(4/13) Natural start antagon protocol, 12R,11F. one PGS normal at day 6 transfer. BFN.
IVF#4 (11/13) C.CRM (ODW.U normal 8/13 Still no Diagnosis) EPP/antagonist. ER 13R/7M/6F. Only 1 made it to freeze. Abnormal. Looking into options of DE, Fresh vs frozen.
10/14 new local RE to look into what's next. CD3 FSH 4.7, AMH 0.9. Met with DE agencies and exploring options for feb/march 2015.
Surprise natural bfp (4 days before donor is signed). Beta #1 at 9dpo: 51.8, 2nd beta: 195 (25 hours doubling) @11dpo. 3rd beta (12/15): 516 (35 hrs doubling) 4th beta(12/17): 895 (58 hours doubling) 5th beta(12/19): 2120. U/S at 5w0d(12/22): one gestational sac with yolk sac. U/S #2 (6w0d)12/29. One little bean measuring 6w0d with HR 124. 3rd u/s(1/4)7w0d: baby measuring 7w2d. HR 134. 3/30: A/S at MFM went great except for low lying placenta. Verifi results are normal! Team Blue! Please send any positive thoughts our way! EDD:8/24/2015
Baby Will born 8/18. He's perfect.
Boots,
I'm not sure why they would switch up your protocol unless your RE feels it will result in better quality embryo. Here is an old link discussing the two protocols. If you are not comfortable switching I would let her know how you feel. GL!
::: Married June 2003:::
TTC #1 since: Aug. 2008
Me: 34, DOR, MTHFR-A1298C (heterozygous), decreased blood flow to uterus, Mild Endo
DH: 38, Balanced translocation 5&10, unexplained MFI, normal SA and SCSA
Tx History: IUI 1&2= BFN
IVF# 1 W/ICSI= BFN
IVF# 2: cancelled d/t no response
IVF# 3= 1 egg retrieved=immature/not viable
IVF# 4= c/p
***CCRM ODWU***
Found DHs BT and Me-decreased blood flow to uterus
Recommended DE IVF w/PGD, incorporate electro-acupuncture. Decided to cycle locally
***New RE***
DE IVF# 1(cycle #6) w/pgd, (freeze all): 30R, 23M, 15F, slow/poor embryo development, 4 biopsied, 1 Normal "Norm"; DE IVF w/PGD, incorporate electro-acupuncture.
IVF# 6: (OE/DS) cancelled
IVF# 7: (OE/DS) 1R, 1M, 1F, arrested day 5
Plan-DE IVF# 2 (cycle #8): DE/DS in May 2015
http://icanhazbabyz.blogspot.com/
TTC summer 2008
Diagnose me. DOR, DH perfect
IUI # 1 6/2010, BFN
IUI # 2 8/2010, BFN
IVF # 1 10/2010 Canceled poor response
IVF 1.2 12/2010 BFP! mc 6 weeks 2 days
Mental health break for 10 months
IVF # 2 10/2011 BFN
IVF # 3 5/2012 BFP! 10 eggs retrieved (best ever)
7 fertilized transferred 3
Beta #1 14dpo - 72, Beta #2 17dpo 145 Beta 3 20dpo 521
First u/s June 15 saw HB 126 bpm missed m/c 7/5/12 10 weeks D&C 7/6/12
IVF#4 ER 9/30 ET 10/3 Beta 10/16 BFFN. IVF #5 final with o/e. ER 1/21 only 1 retrieved, hoping my lonestar is the one. Beta #1 2/6/13 = 209.... please let this be it! Keep growing lonestar! Beta #2 2/8/13 - 586! , Beta #3 2/10/13 = 1898. First u/s perfect little heart beat at 116 bpm. Measure 6 weeks 1 day. EDD 10/14/13
3/4/13 measuring right on track beautiful heartbeat 171 bpm, graduated from RE to OB... bittersweet.
PAIF/SAIF always welcome! Its a girl!
TTC#2 No birth control since DD was born. Getting ready to jump back in the saddle. Weaning this month. RE
appt scheduled 5/8. Here we go again!
11/13 beta #1 924!!! 2nd bet 11/15 1906, one more on 11/17 3rd & final beta 3430. First u/s 12/5, 7w4d, 2 heartbeats,
Thank you, this is really helpful.
BFP#1 1/31/12, EDD 10/6/12 Harrison Gray born sleeping @ 18w6d. You changed our lives little guy.
BFP#2 EDD 10/29/13, C/P 2/25/13, Bye little Ish, we barely got to know you.
BFP#3 EDD 12/21/13, Baby Boots born 11/23/13 My rainbow baby!
January PAL Siggy Challenge: Good Advice
lol, i was actually going to ask my RE about switching me from MDL to EPP.
i don't know the difference. my amh is 0.43, normal FSH. I am 37. 5 eggs retrieved, 3 mature, 2 fertilized, none frozen.
i'll have more answers after next wednesday's WTF appt. did she say what the benefits are of each or just wanted to mix it up?!
My only IVF was EPP and wasn't successful. At my WTF appt my RE said the cycle went as well as could be expected other than the BFN. He also said that if I cycled again he would want to try MDL in hopes that the result would be even better. That he would hate it if we tried EPP again and ended up with another BFN.
I understand the lab rat "oh, let's just try this" feeling. I trust my RE, but unfortunately I don't have tons of cash laying around for us to try all these different protocols in hopes that one will be the golden ticket. Especially with the odds he gave me for any protocol to work.
Anyway, just wanted to let you know that your RE isn't the only one to make that suggestion. Good luck with whichever protocol you end up doing!
***signature & ticker warning***
Me: 30 ~ Stage IV Endo ~ AMH .38 ~ AFC 8
AMH .97 as of 4/2012! ~ AMH 1.63 as of 4/2013!?!
Him: 29 ~ perfect swimmers
Laparotomy w/partial oophorectomy 8/2009 to remove cysts/endo.
Stopped BCP 4/2010.
Multiple clomid rounds from 11/2010 to 6/2011. ~ All BFN
IUI w/clomid 7/2011. IUI w/clomid & injectables 11/2011 & 1/2012. ~ All BFN
IVF:EPP 5/2012 ~ (4R, 3M, 2F w/ICSI). Both embryos txfrd. ~ BFN
BCP to manage endo from 10/2012 to 12/2012.
FET w/donor embryos #1: 10/2013 Cancelled
FET w/donor embryos #1.2: 11/2013 ~ ET of 2 beautiful blasts on 11/27.
Beta 1: 503(12dp5dt) Beta 2: 1035(14dpt) Beta 3: 3001(16dpt) Beta 4: 8503(19dpt)
Twins with an EDD of 8/15/14! Team Purple
G&B born 6/30/14 at 33w3d via emergency c/s.
If you're wondering about my avatar...it's a fried pickle chip shaped like a fetus!
i didn't realize how similar our stats were for retrieval/transfer. Darn. I was hoping the EPP would work better for me than the MDL. I think sometimes RE's just stick their hand in a dark bag and pull out the next thing to try. :O
I think that's exactly right!
BFP#1 1/31/12, EDD 10/6/12 Harrison Gray born sleeping @ 18w6d. You changed our lives little guy.
BFP#2 EDD 10/29/13, C/P 2/25/13, Bye little Ish, we barely got to know you.
BFP#3 EDD 12/21/13, Baby Boots born 11/23/13 My rainbow baby!
January PAL Siggy Challenge: Good Advice
Hopefully you have better luck with it than I did! We all respond so uniquely that it is such a guessing game for our REs. Like everything else in IF I wish there were more clear cut answers!
***signature & ticker warning***
Me: 30 ~ Stage IV Endo ~ AMH .38 ~ AFC 8
AMH .97 as of 4/2012! ~ AMH 1.63 as of 4/2013!?!
Him: 29 ~ perfect swimmers
Laparotomy w/partial oophorectomy 8/2009 to remove cysts/endo.
Stopped BCP 4/2010.
Multiple clomid rounds from 11/2010 to 6/2011. ~ All BFN
IUI w/clomid 7/2011. IUI w/clomid & injectables 11/2011 & 1/2012. ~ All BFN
IVF:EPP 5/2012 ~ (4R, 3M, 2F w/ICSI). Both embryos txfrd. ~ BFN
BCP to manage endo from 10/2012 to 12/2012.
FET w/donor embryos #1: 10/2013 Cancelled
FET w/donor embryos #1.2: 11/2013 ~ ET of 2 beautiful blasts on 11/27.
Beta 1: 503(12dp5dt) Beta 2: 1035(14dpt) Beta 3: 3001(16dpt) Beta 4: 8503(19dpt)
Twins with an EDD of 8/15/14! Team Purple
G&B born 6/30/14 at 33w3d via emergency c/s.
If you're wondering about my avatar...it's a fried pickle chip shaped like a fetus!
Hi Boots-
I am glad you started this discussion. I have been wondering if I should try the EPP protocol. First question for you - I see you have two frosties - do you plan to do a FET?
My first two IVFs were MDL - and my first response was the best - I had 5 eggs - 3 fertilized - 3 day Transfer of 3 embryos -which resulted in a CP. I jumped right in and did another round w/MDL again b/c my RE thought my response was good but just poor quality embryos. I didn't respond as well to the 2nd round. We did get two embryos to transfer, none to freeze - and the result was another CP.
When I talked to another RE for a 2nd opinion (phone consult) He said that sometimes the protocol doesn't matter that much! That shocked me - but it is just one opinion. He did say that since MDL didn't work for me that he might try EPP. But I have never had either doctor say one is better than the other.
I kind of agree with you - you seemed to have a great response. For your stats and age (which are almost the same as mine) you had a really nice amount of eggs to work with. And you are able to get preganant - so that is good. So perhaps it's just a matter of luck with getting a healthy embryo and maybe your Dr. thinks MDL will produce better quality.
It's so hard not to overthink everything! Keep us posted on what you decide.
Me:38 - TTC for 3+years - Multiple failed IUIs (w/clomid, femara,injectibles - all BFNs) IVF #1 - Jan 2012, CP -IVF#2 March 2012, CP - Went back to IUIs all summer. Multi-Cycle Egg banking for FET. Egg retrieval #1 October, 2 frosties. Retrieval#2 January 2013. 6 eggs banked - waiting to be fertilized in March, FET March! Zero eggs survived thaw process - FET Cancelled. New RE - Now banking Embryos for PGS - July ER- 3 eggs retrieved, 3 fertilized, 1 genetically normal embryo! FET - Feb. 2014, BFP - Mar. 2014, EDD 11/6/14 It's a GIRL!
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