Long Protocol vs Short Protocol

[nerms]

Hi all...i just wandered if anyone has read about or had personal experience of whether there is any difference between short and long protocol....I want to go for the short...practical reasons related to holidays..and i'm impatient but it's my first cycle so i don't want to jeapardise my chances of success! Doc feels we should go for long just because thats what they are accustomed to doing not because it's superior in anyway....not sure what to do. Hope you can help.

Nerms

[Macca8]

Nerms,

I think you should always try the long protocol first. This is the one that will produce more eggs. I have done both and I always produce more in the long course. The only way you should do the short one is bcoz your body is not responding to down regulation on the long course.

Best of luck with your treatment.

Lisa X

[nerms]

Hi Lisa...thanks so much...i have decided to go with long protocol now...thanks for reponding...i was beginning to think no-one had an opinion on the matter!

How far are you into your IVF cycle?

Nerms
x

[nicolamark]

Nerms, I thought it was down to your clinic not down to the individual having the IVF....

I am doing Long...........

[Bonnycat]

Hi Nerms,
I'm on the long protocol and didn't even know what that meant til I read the response to your message. Now I'm a little wiser - cheers!
Cat

[nicolamark]

This site helps you more than any clinic, dr or nurse!!!

[foster]

Just to balance the coin I have had the short protocol. I would like to know more about one versus the other. I have done two fresh cycles and produced 11 eggs each time, 8 would fertilise and 6 would be usable. 3 transferred fresh and 3 transferred frozen. Unfortunately nothing goes any further than this.

I would be interested to know the advantages of the long protocol. Obviously the short protocol really means from day 2 of your period until egg retrieval you are doing the injections. I don't really know what they do on the long protocol but would love to hear.

Thanks and good luck everyone.

Foster

[foster]

Just to balance the coin I have had the short protocol. I would like to know more about one versus the other. I have done two fresh cycles and produced 11 eggs each time, 8 would fertilise and 6 would be usable. 3 transferred fresh and 3 transferred frozen. Unfortunately nothing goes any further than this.

I would be interested to know the advantages of the long protocol. Obviously the short protocol really means from day 2 of your period until egg retrieval you are doing the injections. I don't really know what they do on the long protocol but would love to hear.

Thanks and good luck everyone.

Foster

[nerms]

Hi Foster, I'm sorry but don't know much about the difference between the two...but long protocol is generally more tried, and perhaps is a little more controlled, whereas the short is generally is tried if an unpredicatable or not so strong a result is obtained with the long protocol. All the research i did revealed very little difference between the two, some studies suggested that long gave better pregnancy rates....but i'm not certain how significant their sample size was...so all in all what i'm saying is i don't know!!! sorry for rambling for so long!

Cat..i'm glad you learnt something new..this site is good for that!

All the best

Nerms
x

[Macca8]

Ladies,

In my clinic, the long protocol works like this...

Day 2 or 3, Blood test for FSH and scan to check that ovaries are ok, no cysts, fibroids, etc.. If all ok
Day 21 you start supression injections and continue every day so that they can supress your natural hormones, therefore the clinic can take control of your body to stimulate.
Approx 2-3 weeks later they test your bloods to check if supression has taken place and start the stimulation process. This protocol normally should offer an better response but if they have successfully taken control. You will then stim for approx 12 days and then have the eggs recovered.

On a short protocol, you will only be tested on day 2 or 3 and then 1 day supression and then next day stimulants. This is normally used for ladies that the long protocol has not worked for..i.e the long protocol didn't suppress the hormones enough.

I personally have done 1 long, 3 short and 1 long in that order. My first one was not successful on egg count (only 7 retrieved, 4 mature out of 7, 3 fertilised, 2 put back) but I did get a BFP.

They decided to switch protocols bcoz my FSH on my first was 9.8 (v high and indicates lower success with stimulation)

The short ones were ok but I was glad I went back to the long course again on this attempt as I produced 17 follies, 10 eggs, 4 mature fertilised and all the best grade too. Obviously thats not to say I am guaranteed a BFP, bcoz I am not but I had a good chance. My FSH this time was 5.3 which was excellent.

I am just one case study with 5 attempts behind her but your RE will know whats best for you. I hope my rambling helped.

Lisa X