1st Cycle Abandond!!!

[zarina]

Good eveining.

This is the first time i have been on this site, just registered, feeling a little lost , so would really need some advice pls.

After TTC for 4 years , i started my first IVF cycle 4 weeks ago, as i was told i had PCOS i was placed on very low dosage 150ml.

Everything was going so well, no side effects, good scans , untill sunday. egg retreival was scheduled for Tuesday - sunday received call that my levels had shot up to 25,500 and they may have to cancel cycle. they gave me until tuesday for levels to come down. By tuesday it had shot up to 30,000 so they abandonded

This was my first cycle and i am absolutley gutted im only 26 wich people have told me is young, but we have been trying for 4 years, I am very worried now. can you help.

1. If this happened whislt i was on the lowest dosage 150ml - is there any hope, is there a lower dosage?
2.What can i do different, it was going so well, i have been told i have a cyst on my ovary. i ahve also lost around 40% of my hair on my head, so as you can imagine i am very very low.

Has anybody experienced the same? i really need any advice pls. Pls tell me it gets better

[julesg]

Hi zarina

I don't have PCOS but my first cycle was abandonded - they said my levels would come down but they went up to 40 000 and I was on 75 level - so I thought the same

The second time I was put on a different drug and responsed actually too little - but I did get 2 embroys put back. Next month I will go again on another drug (in between the two I had before) and see how I go. I am told each cycle is different - so don't give up hope you are young. I know you are gutted right now - and inpatient I am sure.

It well get better - honest - take one day at a time and don't think you should be better it takes time and people here are great and will help you get through this

Love
Julie

[Tracii]

Zarina, don"t lose hope in the IVF process - all woman respond differently to the meds and unfortunately there is no way of knowing this until the meds are taken. Make sure to have a follow-up consultation to discuss the results and what the clinic will change to get a better result. I suggest to bring a list of questions - I know I forget everything once I am in the doc's office. My first round was also like a 'trial'round...I ovulated early and lost all but 1 egg. 2nd time doc has changed the sniffing to double the amount to keep my LH in control. I also started seeing an acu doc to help with the quality and quantity of my eggs...so we shall see what happens in September.

let us know how your follow-up goes.

[lumi]

Zarina

Having PCOS can make us react quite dramatically to some drugs and there is a higher chance of OHSS.

Your clinic will have learnt a lot about you from these drugs and it will inform the next attempt.

This isnt a failed cycle - you are still right at the start of this exciting adventure!!!!

Lots of Love Lumi xx

[zarina]

Thankyou all for getting back to me x, your advice did help, i was a little shocked yesterday , and i thought i must have reacted so much to get a level of 30,000 from 150ml dosage, but after reading your post Jules, getting 40,000 from 75ml, i now feel that 'i a not the only one' so basically the first cycle is just a test , if it works brilliant , but from what i can gather from the posts it seems that the Docs use it as test to see how somebody would react and then they concentrate more on the next cycles?

I have a follow up appointment on the 22nd july, i will prepare all my questions before hand, they did tell me that i did have a cyst on my ovary wich seem to be excreteing male hormones, this would account for my hair loss, i asked if this could be removed while they performed ER, and was told maybe, it has been playing on my mind alot.

Thankyou for your advice it seems alot of people us accupunture, does it help, i will try anything!! Thankyou once again , My Husband has been very supportive but i can see already that i will need to lean on you guys alot ,, thankyou xx

[Claire]

Hi Zarina,

I was sorry to read your post, I really felt for you.
I also have PCOS and my first cycle was touch and go because of OHSS risk.
I scraped through by the skin of my teeth, my levels were about 20,000 on EC day, but I had to have a total embyro freeze.
I know that at least I got to that stage but I was feeling terrible with just mild OHSS.
If you'd have carried on you could have been very ill so although you might not think so, it was for the best.
They can do a lower dosage, they were about to drop me to 75ml before EC and they can also allow you coast for a few days at the end to see if your levels drop.
And just because you over responded this time doesn't mean to say that you will next time.
Your PCOS sounds quite bad too, have you talked to your GP about possibly taking Metformin?
I was using it before I started treatment and it helped my symptoms immensley.
Maybe it's worth a chat with him.
Wishing you lots of luck, don't give up!
love claire x

[kagome]

Wow, Reading your post thinking. That exactly like me. I'm 25 (26 in 2 weeks time). In my first cycle, they didn't know i have PCOS but i started injecting at 150ul a day.by day 7 they lowered me to 100ul. I had way to many follicles and had to cancel my cycle.

On my second cycle and suddenly a cyst has appeared. I have to wait until monday to see if it's gone down.

Do ask about Metformin. Apparrently it helps if you have PCOS

[Tessa]

Hi Zarina,

You can take other meds for your second cycle. My first cycle was cancelled with levels at 45,000. Unfortuantely my second cycle they didn't take this into account and when my levels went up to 35,000, unfortunately they went ahead and did EC. Like Claire, I was very ill with OHSS which took me months to recover from. And as a result from the OHSS, my kidneys have been damaged.
My hair also fell out quite a lot due to the fertility treatment, I was on chlomid again earlier this year and it fell even more. I was told it is not unusual for this to happen, especially if you have POCS.
If I can give you any advise, make sure your clinic DOES change your stimulation drugs and secondly each day they take blood tests, ask for the results. I was told later when I was in hospital from the OHSS that my levels should never have been above 10,000 for EC.

Good luck for your next cycle, all fingers crossed
Tessa

[Sand]

Hi Zarina - Welcome.

I was just going to say what Lumi and Claire and have already said. Also, importantly - make sure you have a decent break before your next cycle.

Many hospital insist on at least 2AFs between fresh cycles, some 3. I know it seems a loooonng time, but it's important as it allows your body to rid itself of all the medi, so you can start from scratch. Otherwise, your body may react even more unpredictably.

Good luck for next time Zarina.

[Tessa]

Sand, isn't that interesting! My clinic started me on my next AF? Maybe that's why I had so many problems.....
Thanks for that
Tessa

[Sand]

Hi Tessa ... This is only what they say about fresh cycles .. With a medicated FET cycle they let allowed me to go again to the following month if I wanted.

Sandra x

[Mil]

zarina:

I am sorry to hear about the problems you are experiencing. I don't have PCOS but my first cycle was cancelled because I responded too well to the medication and I was on 225 and then I was dropped to 150 after a few days. I had completely ovulated by day 6. I was also crushed.... I also heard a hundred times in the 4 yr we were ttc to not worry because I am young. I'm sure you are sick of hearing that just as I was. It was so hard the first time and when my cycle was cancelled, I had a breakdown because I really didn't know if I could do it all over. But after a few days I felt better. I met with my doctor a few weeks later and we discussed a different drug protocol and I started it with my next normal AF so about a month later. Everything went much better the 2nd time pertaining to the retrieval however; I did a blastocyst transfer and only got 2 blastocyst out of all my eggs (27). So that was a little disappointing but fortunately for us we got a positive after the first transfer.

Please don't give up hope! I will keep you in my thoughts.
BEST OF LUCK!!!!!
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