Infertility
elissia1976
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TTC with Elevated FSH and TSH
elissia1976
member
in Infertility
Hello! I have been lurking on these boards for quite some time now. Thought I would finally share my story. A little about me...
I'm 38 years old. DH and I have been trying to conceive since December 2012. We finally saw a RE in October 2013. My cycles are regular - every 26-28 days. Day 3 labs were: FSH 12.5; LH 7.4; Estradiol 37.8; TSH 3.68. No AMH or AFC done. With my FSH level, the RE told us we have a 10% chance of conceiving with my eggs but she discussed options and a potential plan. Needless to say, DH and I were devastated. I do have a history of fibroids as well. The HSG showed that my right tube was open and the left was blocked, most likely by the fibroids. Oh...and I only have one ovary - on the left. The right was removed when I was 16 years old. So, another twist to the story. I underwent a myomectomy in February 2014. The surgeon removed 15-20 fibroids, with the largest being 9cm!
Fast forward to July and my hubby and I TTC again, praying that the fibroid removal had miraculously "fixed" our fertility issues. We did a couple of rounds of Femara with my regular OB/GYN. One in November with IUI and another in December with timed intercourse. Unfortunately, no luck though. Last month we went back to the RE. She suggests increasing the Femara to 5 mg for CD 3-7, ultrasound monitoring, trigger shot, and timed intercourse. Also, she wants me to start levothyroxine because she wants my TSH to be no higher than 2.5 (check last week showed it was 3.97), as well as Metformin because my A1Cs run on the high end of normal. I asked her if I had PCOS and she said no. She did not mention the FSH this time or retest it, which I thought was odd. If this round of Femara doesn't work, she suggests a repeat HSG to see if perhaps my tubes may have become blocked with scar tissue after the surgery.
Would love to hear of others' experiences, and whether you think my RE's plan seems on point. DH and I also discussed getting a second opinion.
Thanks!
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Re: TTC with Elevated FSH and TSH
I had a myo also and had a second HSG done three months afterward to check for scarring. Especially since your only ovary is on the side of the previously blocked tube, I'm very surprised that your RE suggested putting you on meds without a second HSG to check if the tube is now clear. You might want to check your surgery records because my surgeon did a dye test during surgery, and you might find more answers there.
My FSH gets tested on day 3 of every medicated cycle so maybe they're already planning to do it in your bloodwork, but be sure to ask.
I'm thinking a second opinion couldn't hurt due to the complexity of your case. Make sure you get copies of everything and read it thoroughly as well. Good luck...
Married for 7 years, TTC for 4 years
dx: Diminished Ovarian Reserve
2 Clomid IUI's + 4 injectable IUI's= 5 BFNs and 1 mc
Second, never ever take fertility meds without testing and monitoring. You could end up with high order multiples, cysts, or OHSS which can ruin your fertility for good. I know that a lot of people do it with OBGYNs but IMHO it's just not worth it. I know of horror stories.
I have had both an HSG and a saline sono. The HSG was to check out my tubes and the sono was to check for scarring. I'm not sure if they are interchangeable but I don't think so. In your position I think I would definitely check out an RE of good repute!
Married for 7 years, TTC for 4 years
dx: Diminished Ovarian Reserve
2 Clomid IUI's + 4 injectable IUI's= 5 BFNs and 1 mc
At 37, we started Clomid and eventually added Ovidrel and IUI's without luck. We decided to become more aggressive and sought out another doctor. He suggested IVF and thus began our journey with this doctor. I was on Follistim (went through 10 cartridges at 300iu's,) Menopur (10 vials at 75iu's) and an Ovidrel shot. I only produced 2.5 eggs, so we resorted to an IUI-- unsuccessful IUI. I'm getting ready to start round two, hoping that adding Luprolide will help; however, a family member who works in fertility (in another state) cried when I told her my numbers: 17 FSH and .17 AMH. She said it took 10-months, at 34, for her to be pregnant with her third (with a FSH of 9). She did say my AMH should be 1-4, but these numbers can vary a bit month-to-month.
Your situation sounds much more promising than mine and my doctor seems to think I have a 20%-24% chance (the IUI was a 10% chance). Our chances are still better than on our own! These doctors hands are cradled by God's hands, so I trust we will all be pregnant soon enough.:-)
Jamie