NEED HELP ON IMPROVING EGG QUALITY AND RESPONSE TO MEDS!!

[mom4sure]

Hi

I really need help. I just had my cycle cancelled due to poor egg quality. We had many follicles but only got 2 eggs. Those 2 were not good enough for ICSI and couldnt be fertilised so my cycle was cancelled. My RE said i did not respond well to my meds, and on top of that my eggs were of poor quality. I was on 225iu Gonal F and 75iu Menopur and Cetrotide for the last 4 days before trigger. I triggered with Ovidrel. My lead follicles were around 21 before trigger.

I was on the bcp for 39 days and was supposed to to stims my stims after i get a full bleed. I didn't get a full bleed, only every light spotting. I told my RE this i but was told to go ahead with my stims anyway on Day 2 of my very light spotting. Could this have been the problem?

My RE has sent me for blood test to see if my egg quality can be improved with DHEA and if so i will take it for 3 months and try again end of July.

I would really appreciate any tips you have for me to increase my chances for success in July, please, This will be my last try and i really need to get it right. I need to improve my response and my egg egg quality. ANY ADVISE?!!

Thank you .

ME 39 (Tubal)
2 Natural pgs, both ectopic, resulting in one ruptured tube and one repaired tube
IVF # 1 – Ectopic
IVF # 2 – Chemical
IVF # 3 – Cancelled, poor egg quality and poor response.
IVF # 4 – July 2011

[margi26]

I'm sorry that no one has piped in with any advice for you....hm....did you hear back from your doctor regarding DHEA?

I don't know the source of your egg quality issues, but I can say I do think supplementation can help. I took DHEA, COQ10, and Maca Root prior to my most recent and successful cycle. I had about the same # of eggs as I usually do (when I wasn't hyperstimming!) but I got better fertilization, less fragmentation (like none!) and was able to get to day 5 with 8 embies!! Although only 3 were blasts! They all looked great and the other 5 were morulas and not far behind. Not bad for an "old lady" My prior cycles were all 3 day transfers with fragmented embies.

I would also have taken Royal Jelly, except I am allergic to bees and was too scared to take it.

I also read this article and made some moderate changes to my diet--nothing extreme (I like the idea of a scoop of full fat ice cream a day! Hey...whatever helps?) I also followed some of their guidance regarding protein sources, etc. The article is a really interesting read if you haven't already stumbled upon it:

http://www.newsweek.com/2007/12/01/fat- ... ption.html


I also really have to recommend acupuncture. Some insurances will even cover it. Mine didn't but we could still use our FSA card to pay for sessions which helped. There are studies to suggest it can help with IVF. I don't know that the studies are conclusive or not, but regardless I found acupuncture to be very relaxing--which is indeed quite helpful. I went once a month before starting my cycle, weekly during my IVF cycle and then right after ET.

I know that there are a lot more knowledgeable women on the board than me! I just wanted to give you my little 2 cents!!

Best of luck!! Tons of BABY DUST to you!!!

[mom4sure]

Margi Thank you so much for the information ((HUGS)). It helps A LOT. I did get the blood test results on Monday but haven't posted them on the April/May board yet. The results are not good, unfortunately. The test my RE send me for was to check my AMH levels. My AMH is 0.11ng/ml and she says that DHEA CANT help . She said she was hoping for a minimum AMH of at least 1.1ng/ml, then DHEA would have helped. She says my only hope of getting pg is with donor eggs. She said i could come to the clinic and get one of the other RE's to look at my file and get a second opinion. I just felt, "If i want a second opinion, I will go to a completely different clinic" and so I am.

I've got an appointment with another clinic for 26 May. This clinic was one of the clinics i had short listed when i wanted to do this cycle. I want to give my body a month to recover from the meds so when i do my new blood tests the meds will be out of my system.

I am going to take DHEA, CoQ10, Wheat grass, Fish Oil, Maca, L'Arginine, Zinc, Vitamin E and a prenatal multi vitamin. I am also going to do Fertility yoga 3 times a week and meditation in preparation for my May appointment. I am hoping my numbers will have improved by then. I dont want to give up on my eggs yet.

How long did you take the DHEA before your ivf cycle? I am worried that one month may not be enough to change my numbers for the May consult. What do you think?.

It's just i really need to know because, if all goes well, I want to cycle in late July. Buy then i would have been on the supplements for over 3 months, but i dont know if the supplements will show any change in May .

Thank you for your help Margi. How are the twins? I hope they are GREAT .

Take Care

mom4sure

[murphy]

Hi I have done 2 ICSI Treatments and thankfully the second one worked for us.
I went to an Amatsu Practitioner who i feel really helped us. We were told if the second treatment didn't work the next step for us would be using donor eggs.I feel alternative medicine can really help and it would be well woth your while ringing one of these practitiner's to see how they can help you. I also have a male friend who was told he would never have kids, he had amatsu treatments which did improve his sperm and now his wife is 4 months pregnant. So for both male and female i think it is worth looking into. I wish you the very best