Flare or antagonist protocal

[*Ert*]

Hi,

I am about the start my second IVF. My first ended in a miscarriage after 8 weeks. I only had 5 mature follicles on the long lupron protocal with nothing left over to freeze. My doctor wants to change it for the next time. She suggested the antagonist protocal. We went for a second opinion and that doctor recommended a flare protocal. He said he does not see as much success with the antagonist as he does with the flare.
Anybody have experience with either of these protocals?

[Neffi211]

Ert-- My first cycle was a flare-- BFN 2nd was antagonist--chemical....thrid also antagonist--BFP DS born 1/23/09 and then my 4th cycle as antagonist BNF.....so I think sometimes it just takes more than one try. Antagonist worked for me, so thats what we'll stick with, but research does favor flare slightly.

[lynniecat]

My worst cycle was the antagon cycle, my best was estrogen priming (now 25 weeks).

[IndieBlue]

My first cycle was the Lupron cycle and I had 7 retrieved, 5 fertilized and 3 transferred on day 3 (all 6 cell or less). It ended in a chemical.

I'm doing antagonist this time which I'm pumped about....because I won't have to do the Lupron and I really think that with my lower count on antral follicles that the less I shut my ovaries down the better.

[kellym]

I did 9 cycles - the first and second one were long protocol (first was a chemical, second was a bfn), the third was a flare cycle which ended up being switched to a IUI because it didn't suppress me and I ovulated, then the rest of them were antagonist (4th was chemical, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th were all bfn), the last was donor and worked!

I had better success with number of eggs and quality of embryos with the antagonist protocol but as mentioned by Neffi211, I think the flare doesn't get favoured.

Sadly it is all trial and error and you won't know which one works best for you until you try it - I guess that it is the really frustrating part of IVF.
Good luck!!!

[Warren Dew]

We had three lupron cycles that did not work, then one antagonist cycle that worked. My wife had more than twice as many eggs with the antagonist cycle.

That said, different people work respond differently. My wife got very severe headaches from the lupron. Other people do better with lupron cycles.