Can anything be done to improve egg quality?

joyanna · Post by **joyanna** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 3:21 pm

Hello everyone

I am 40 (41 in October) and am in the m iddle of another miscarriage (I had my 7 week scan on Friday and it showed a very slow heartbeat and I have started bleeding v heavily today).

I had my dd in 2006 from my 2nd ivf attempt. Since then, i have had 3 failed FETS and 2 miscarriages from my 2 fresh ivf cycles.

My doctor has told me to do another FET with my remaining 2 frozen blasts and then to walk away from ivf as he does not think that it will work for me given my 2 miscarriages. He is refusing to even discuss another fresh cycle or making changes to the protocol.

Can anyone offer me any advice .......I think I will have to find another ivf clinic to do a fresh cycle or am i wasting my time....should I walk away.....but can anyone give me any advice on how I can improve egg quality via vitamins......anyone used dhea......or anyone changed ivf protocols and got difference responses. Have you gotten any good advice from your ivf clinics

Thank you for your time.

to_have_fun08 · Post by **to_have_fun08** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 3:37 pm

I would seek a second opinion. I would think that switching up protocols might help. Have you done estrogen priming? From what I have read this helps a lot with egg quality and poor responders. Clinics are so different in what they believe. Some clinics use the off the shelf protocols which work for some but not for others. When it doesn't work, those clinics believe the best thing is for egg donation. Other clinics like to work the tougher cases and develop their own protocols for the older ladies and poor responders. Check with CCRM or SHER, I think both places have free over the phone consults. It will only take a few minutes of your time and will give you some answers in what direction to go. There are other clinics also that I know deal with the harder cases but I can't think of the names. Good luck and don't give up.

Chris

AmandaM · Post by **AmandaM** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 4:39 pm

My clinic gave me a growth hormone for 4 days to help improve my egg quality. My embryos had a lot of fragmentation and also were not dividing evenly (in terms of some small and some big cells)

This worked for me and I have 6 week old twins.

Good luck

joyanna · Post by **joyanna** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 6:36 pm

Chris

Thank you and I will check with Sher and CCRM. I think I really need to get to another clinic .....if my own clinic isn't motivated to even suggest something different. I live in Ireland so the choice of clinics is very limited but there are good options in London. I will def look into estrogen priming as I see that alot of poor responders go down that route.

Amanda

Congrats to you and your dh on your 6 week old twins ....I bet they are just beautiful. Do you mind me asking what growth hormone did you take and when did you take it (I suspect during stims, what days).

Thanks for your prompt responses. much appreciated.

AmandaM · Post by **AmandaM** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 7:59 pm

Joyanna

I took the growth hormone for the 2 days before the trigger shot, the day of the trigger shot and the day after. The drug was called syzien (spelling?) My clinic has seen a lot of improvement with this.

Good luck to you.

saunagrl · Post by **saunagrl** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 11:53 pm

joyanna,

i was also a poor responder my first cycle. i trigger tonight and more than doubled the number of follicles this time. i have a new doc which meant a new protocol (not too different, but still a change) and i also started acupuncture right after my bfn and she says it takes 150 days for acu to truly work on your eggs but that it does help. i think it helped already with this cycle and it's only been 60+. it's worth a try and doesn't hurt at all.

lots of luck to you!!!!

joyanna · Post by **joyanna** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 2:48 pm

Thanks Saunagirl. I did try acp with my last cycle but only about 6 weeks before .....so I might try to start doing acp now. How often did you do acp? I was doinf it once a week.

Wishing you the very best with this cycle......

saunagrl · Post by **saunagrl** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 5:03 pm

I also go once a week. She said that I should also go a day after my retrieval (which is the day I'd normally go so that will save me a little money) and then the day before and of the transfer. She also said that acupuncture helps you not miscarry and can ease morning sickness. I say find another doc and start the acu again.

Thanks for your well wishes....my thoughts are with you also!!

Ghost · Post by **Ghost** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 9:44 pm

joyanna wrote:...anyone used dhea...

The advocates of DHEA think it might improve oocyte quality and/or cohort size. It's not yet proved, but maybe...

Few clinics are using it, so you'd have to check around.

livingroom · Post by **livingroom** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 11:16 pm

I think it's awful that your clinic says you should consider giving up and not do another cycle. It's very difficult for you, of course, but that's your choice. With finding a better quality egg, I have been told it is really a numbers game. If you have the will and the money to try again -- even several more times -- I say you should. And best of luck!

Can anything be done to improve egg quality?

Can anything be done to improve egg quality?

Re: Can anything be done to improve egg quality?

You should not be told to give up

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