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Hybrid cycle or just injects?

Lindsey7348Lindsey7348 member
in Trouble TTC
Hi Ladies!

So, currently on a break from IVF and trying the good old fashioned way (with acupuncture and vitamins). But of course once AF comes (2 days) I want to ask my RE about doing something less invasive. Should I ask to do femara/injects or just straight injects?

I believe I heard somewhere that just injectables is better for the quality of your eggs? 

I have done hybrid cycles before but never just injectables. 
TIA!!
Me: 31 DH: 31
TTC#1 since Sept. 2011
March 2012-June 2012 - IUI's- BFN

Sept 2012= IVF #1- 14 eggs, 9 fert, no frosties. 2 blasts 5dt=BFN
Oct/Nov 2012= IVF #2- 20 eggs, 14 fert, no frosties. 2 blasts transferred despite mild OHSS=BFN
Nov 2012= hubby got transferred, moving to new state, time for a break until summer!
Feb 2013= Natural BFP!! Valentine's day surprise! 
Mar 2013= m/c @ 7.5 weeks :(

*New RE*
July 2013= ER for a freeze all cycle. 21 eggs, 9 fert, freeze all day 1.
Lab is closed in August! (Of course!) 
Sept 2013= FET #1 - transferred 3 not so great quality day 3 embies=BFN
Oct 2013= FET #2- transferred 4! 3 good, 1 poor= BFP! On hubby's birthday :)
Started bleeding at 5w5d. ER trip confirms one gest sac, one yolk sac, no fetal pole. 6w u/s showed nothing. Levels drop from 4,500 to 250. 
Nov.2013=meet with RE to discuss where to go from here.
       *Tests showed PCOS-ish. High testosterone. Start Metformin 1500 mg.
February 2014- CLomid, IUI, Trigger. 4 juicy and ripe follies (24,25, 28 and 34!) 111 million post wash sperm count. BFFN!!!! WTH?
March 2014- Over my RE. Year of fun for us and looking into RMANJ.
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Re: Hybrid cycle or just injects?

  • MommalawyerMommalawyer member
    I've never had a hybrid cycle. However, I do recall my RE saying that follistim was better for quality of eggs. I'm 38, so there was a concern about egg quality & that's why it was brought up. Good luck!
    Me: 38     DH: 36
    Married: July 21, 2013
    TTC#1 (between us): June/July 2013

    DX: MFI (low count and motility)
    Charting/OPK/CBFM July 2013-present
    1st RE Visit: January 2014
    Cycling: 
    March 2014- 75iu follistim + trigger + progesterone + IUI = BFN and OHSS
    (8 million post wash 47% motility, 18mm/17mm/16mm/16mm/14mm follies)
    April/May 2014- Benched due to cysts/enlarged ovaries
    June 2014- 50iu follistim + trigger + progesterone + IUI = BFP!!
    (10 million post wash 60% motility, 20mm/19mm follies)
    Beta 1- 85 Beta 2- 2,752 - EDD 2/27/2015


    Everyone welcome. Strength in numbers!


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  • Pintobean39Pintobean39 member
    I've never done a hybrid cycle just injects. I don't know if it's just me but my inject cycles have just as much monitoring as IVF and my last one cost about 4k. I'm on day 10 of stims for IVF and I've had just as many appts as I've had on a reg injects cycle. That's just something to consider if that is the norm.

    My dr doesn't even recommend any oral meds for me then again I'm almost 40 so that might be the reason.
    Fucking bump!!!!
    Report Reply
  • lebradfordlebradford member
    I would go for straight injects, but obviously people do combo cycles for one reason or another.

    Here is a thread about the topic that was posted a few days ago: https://forums.thebump.com/discussion/12360755/follistim-vs-follistm-femara#latest
    **siggy warning**  **everyone welcome**

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    DS- 11.07.02
    DSS- 6.26.04
    Married- 6.29.13
    TTC Again- Sept. 2013
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Test Results/Diagnosis- HSG & SA totally normal
    DX: 3/2014 Prolactinoma/Hyperprolactinemia- Started cabergoline 2/2014
    5/2014 Possible mild PCOS in addition to hyperprolactinemia??
    7/2014 Adding probable tubal factor to the diagnosis list
    9/2014 And now adding hypothyroid to the list- Started synthroid 9/2014
    Cycles 1-4 - Sept.-March- All Anovulatory 
    IUI #1 March/April-  Clomid 50mg + Clomid 100mg +Trigger + IUI #1 = BFN
     IUI #2 April/May-Clomid 100mg + Clomid 150mg + Trigger + IUI #2 + Endometrin=BFN
    IUI #3- June- Follistim 75iu + Trigger + IUI #3  Benched due to a 40 mm cyst. :-(
    IUI #3- July- Follistim 75iu + Trigger + IUI #3 + Endometrin = BFP! on 7/25/14
    Slowly rising betas - Ectopic suspected on 8/8/14 & confirmed on 8/11/14
    Methotrexate on 8/12/14 -HCG negative on 9/2/14
    IVF #1- November- Antagonist protocol: 11/1: start stims, 200iu of Follistim; 11/12 ER 17R/14M/14F; 11/17 5 day transfer of two blasts, 2 blasts and 2 expanding morulas frozen; 11/22 BFP!! (On FRER at 5dp5dt)
    Betas: 9dp5dt 205, 11dp5dt 497, 14dp5dt 1,709
    u/s at 5w0d- 1 sac; u/s at 6w0d 1 baby with heartbeat, another sac without a heartbeat
    image


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  • wishiwaspreggowishiwaspreggo member

    I'll chime in though my previous conversation is posted :)

    I did a hybrid cycle last time and it failed.  My doctor said it's because I didn't respond to Femara and I needed more aggressive therapy.  Do you know how you respond to Femara?  For some women it works but for me it's too gentle.  I responded to higher doses of Clomid but for whatever reason that didn't work for me either so... here I am, trying all injects.

    It is quite expensive.  The medicines and additional monitoring are budget-busters.  However, I've heard injects give you the best chances for IUI so there's that.  With a higher risk of multiples, of course. 

    In any case, the idea of a hybrid cycle is to get things going with a cheaper drug (i.e. Femara) and then boost those follicles with Follistim.  Since Femara doesn't work for me hybrid cycles are no good - but that's not to say it wouldn't work for you.

    Try to weigh the pros and cons.  If you already have meds from your IVF cycle that you didn't use or you know you could afford the drugs you'll need for an all injects cycle, it may be worth it just to try all injects rather thanks risk a poor response to Femara.  If I'd known that I'd have done straight injects from the get-go.

    Good luck!!

    Report Reply
  • Lindsey7348Lindsey7348 member
    Thanks ladies for your insight!

    I honestly have done everything fertility related, except for just straight injects. Its never really been offered for me for some reason or another. 

    I am not completely OOP, as my insurance does pay for some stuff and I also have a flex spending account.

    Started spotting today so I am going to call my insurance as well as my RE so I can move on.

    Me: 31 DH: 31
    TTC#1 since Sept. 2011
    March 2012-June 2012 - IUI's- BFN

    Sept 2012= IVF #1- 14 eggs, 9 fert, no frosties. 2 blasts 5dt=BFN
    Oct/Nov 2012= IVF #2- 20 eggs, 14 fert, no frosties. 2 blasts transferred despite mild OHSS=BFN
    Nov 2012= hubby got transferred, moving to new state, time for a break until summer!
    Feb 2013= Natural BFP!! Valentine's day surprise! 
    Mar 2013= m/c @ 7.5 weeks :(

    *New RE*
    July 2013= ER for a freeze all cycle. 21 eggs, 9 fert, freeze all day 1.
    Lab is closed in August! (Of course!) 
    Sept 2013= FET #1 - transferred 3 not so great quality day 3 embies=BFN
    Oct 2013= FET #2- transferred 4! 3 good, 1 poor= BFP! On hubby's birthday :)
    Started bleeding at 5w5d. ER trip confirms one gest sac, one yolk sac, no fetal pole. 6w u/s showed nothing. Levels drop from 4,500 to 250. 
    Nov.2013=meet with RE to discuss where to go from here.
           *Tests showed PCOS-ish. High testosterone. Start Metformin 1500 mg.
    February 2014- CLomid, IUI, Trigger. 4 juicy and ripe follies (24,25, 28 and 34!) 111 million post wash sperm count. BFFN!!!! WTH?
    March 2014- Over my RE. Year of fun for us and looking into RMANJ.
    Report Reply
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