Anyone given up on O induction and skipped to IVF?

[nicoleE]

This kind of stems from my other thread asking for advice on peoples experiances with IVF.

I have been diagnosed with PCOS, apparently my ovaries are covered in cysts quite badly. I dont seem to O on my own (both sisters also have it and 1 doesnt O either and the other Os very occasionaly, maybe once a year).

I am on my 4th dose of Clomid in 3 cycles. They have been very long cycles which is hard to handle. My 1st was 179 days as it was while I was being diagnosed although once I had the Clomid it ended smoothly. The 2nd cycle was 37 days, I Od 2 weeks after Clomid.. I am currently on day 40 this cycle after the first 50mg dose didnt work after 2 weeks and I was given 100mg straight away (my bloods were still baseline).

Im geting fed up with all the stuffing around with doses and long cycles that they create.

My FS has given me the option of staying on Clomid, going with FSH or IVF. I have decided not to continue on Clomid after this cycle and to go on FSH...

what I cant seem to decide is weather to use FSH and aim for 1 egg and have a cycle as normal after that OR aim for many eggs and do IVF..?

I know I will have more of a chance of conceiving doing IVF but I kind of feel like I would be cheating if I skipped to if before doing more cycles on just O induction drugs. Then again I think any way to get a healthy baby cant be something to feel guilty over!
I think the feeling comes from if I have to tell people we are doing IVF as IVF is pretty major and it sounds like we are in dire circumsances where really I am just fast tracking things because I think Id eventually get pregnant on some kind of O induction drugs (i dont seem to O my myself at all so I at least need them)... I just dont want to go another 6+ months without having success as Im a pretty stressy person as it is and this TTCing is very hard emotionally.

Has anyone else just given up on TTC through O induction or other assistance and decided to go the whole hog and do IVF?

I cant shift these feeling that Im not worth it and Id be 'cheating'...

[KBL2703]

Hi

I think its kinda strange that you think going to IVF is cheating. Who are you cheating? The decision to undertake fertility treatment in itself is a difficult one. You could go for years with O induction and never have success or you could be successful on your next round. I kinda think its a bit of a lottery sometimes. Other women get PG on their first cycle off BC which is a great miracle for them. Others get PG without intervention within the next few months. Some get PG on Clomid and others have no option but to try IVF.

I personally found my five Clomid cycles to be hell. :banghead: I didn't enjoy them one bit. I have cysts on my ovaries and have been semi-diagnosed with PCOS (my hormone levels were normal - long story with those tests). I will not be interested in trying O induction and will be asking to go straight to IVF (if we have a choice) when we see our new specialist on Dec 4. I don't think I am cheating.

If you feel comfortable with trying IVF then try it. There is no right and wrong path to get your successful BFP. You aren't jumping the line (so to speak) if you go straight to IVF. Don't be so hard on yourself. Many women would do anything they could to get PG and why should you feel guilty or feel like you are cheating because you want to try IVF?? No one should be judging you for making this decision.

Do what is in your heart and you can't go wrong!

I wish you the very best in your journey!

[sophttc]

Hi Nicole,

Its confusing isnt' it? I understand your frustration. I have PCOS and rarely ovulate on my own. I didn't even ovulate on clomid. Is your husbands/partners sperm ok and what is your doctor recommending? I am 9 weeks with fraternal twins from my fourth cycle of OI with FSH. I had decided this was going to be my last before IVF although my doctor thought i should do six cycles. My clinic would let you go ahead with up to three follicles (although they do counsel you about the risk with three). I don't think i am being much help with making up your mind but i think either option is much better than clomid. You could do say two or three OI cycles and then move onto IVF.
I told a lot of my friends when we first started as I just assumed it would work really quickly, after the second failed attempt we told everyone we were taking a break and did it by ourselves which was much easier for me as I found I didn't want to talk about it much as none of my friends really understood anyway.
The whole process is very frustrating but I am reassured the pain dims when you hold your much wanted bundle.
Good luck
Sophie

[RoarsomeMum]

Nic, I think I would be weighing it up by Odds.. If you have a better chance concieving with IVF, then Id go for it... but it does seem so scary and clinical, such a huge fertility step. I think I would be scared.. really scared..:hugs: if you are.

[nicoleE]

Thank you all allot.
:hugs:

I think I will give FSH a go for at least 1 cycle then if I've had no success go to IVF.

FSH is costing me $350 out of pocket now for monitoring (plus meds but they are minimal) so going to IVF at $1000 out of pocket a cycle (private cover) is not that much more really when you look at the success rates.

DH has been away interstate for 4 days (not good when TTC!) so I will discuss it with him and see what he thinks.

Thanks again. :wave:

[craftyone]

Hi NicoleE,

I have been active on another thread re IVF but noticed some of your posts and your post code so wanted to intro myself.

I am 33, DH 33 also and TTC since Aug 02. I had Endometriosis diagnosed May 04 and started IVF Jan this year.

#1 IVF - 7 foll, 1 egg - did not fertilise
#2 IVF ICSI - 4 foll, 4 eggs, 1 fert BFN
#3 IVF ICSI - 4 foll, 3 eggs, 2 fert :bfp: EDD 3rd August 2007:smiliedance:

I have found my IVF experience to be quite good with my Fertility clinic Repromed, and wanted to find out who you were going thru...perhaps I could answer any specific questions if you were using the same clinic?

Not all IVF experiences are bad, BFN or BFP, everyones journey is different...and each of my 3 IVF cycles were a little different.:banghead: It is understandable you may be scared about making the decision to start, but I know that for DH and I it was the best thing we could have decided as we didn't have anymore steam left to keep going on our own. I know that before you start it may feel like there is a stigma attached to being 'that' person who 'needs' IVF to have their dreams come true, but honestly, I would go thru it all again 10 times over if it meant I could have my little family - keeping your eye on the end result is what makes is less scary and so worhwhile.

Please let me know if I can help in anyway.:fingerscrossed:

[kelly_l9]

Hi Craftyone (http://www.bubhub.com.au/community/forums/member.php?u=12455)

Congratulations with your preg. If possible, can you tell us about your dose for IVF ? Did you have lots of sign effects ?

I'm trying to decide about IVF now as well. It's my third injectable IUI (4th IUI)... I'm on 50IU puregon at the moment only (so only 1 egg so far per cycle) ... But I'm thinking about going to IVF after this as normally people do only 3-6 IUIs.

IVF is still a scary thing for me ... any comfort stories are welcome.

Cheers

Kelly

[nicoleE]

Thanks craftyone... :wave:

Congratulations on your BFP!

I have been seeing Dr Trevor Mudge at Repromed since August. I find he is nice although of course I deal with the nurses mainly (my fave is Paula :D )

I am on dpO7 on my first FSH cycle, it all went really well and I might have even had 2 eggs. I had one fully mature folicle (20mm) and one 14mm at the time of the scan and trigger, hopefully it may have matured more by the time I Od. my :fingerscrossed: and i do feel good about this cycle but i dont want to get my hopes up!

If this cycle isnt successful I think I will give FSH one more go in January and if that doesnt work either then I will move to IVF.

The big thing for me wasnt that we needed help, it was me feeling guilty almost for some reason because if 'skipping' to IVF when we probably could conceive eventually on OI alone... do you know what I mean..? Almost like I dont feel 'worthy' of IVF, like my problems are not bad enough.

[kelly_l9]

Hi NicoleE

It sounds like my plan as well (3 FSH) ... this my third one now (4th day today) ... Are you on 50IU puregon as well ?? I also feel that I should give injectable IUI a try before doing something else.

Good luck with your cycle.

Cheers

Kelly

[nicoleE]

Hi Kelly

yeah i had 50iU of Puregon then a 5000iU of Pregnyl for the trigger then 4dpO had 1500iU of Pregnyl then tonight (7dpO) have the last 1500iU.

Good luck for you to! :wizard:

[kelly_l9]

Hi nicoleE (http://www.bubhub.com.au/community/forums/member.php?u=5908)

I really like your diary ... it's a good story once you're successful.

Just a question, how many days did you have puregon ? Good luck with your cycle. I'm on my 4th day now (2nd day with puregon).

Cheers

Kelly

[nicoleE]

thanks Kelly, I am planning to copy it all when it comes to a close!

I was on Puregon for 6 days and on the 7th day went in for a BT & Scan and they found the 1x 20mm mature folicle and the second 14mm one so gave me a trigger shot there and then. I think they were a bit surprised that it worked that quickly.. they didnt exactly say it was quick or anything, i just got the feeling that they were not expecting it so soon.

I started off two failed Clomid cycles so my hormone levels were still baseline so technically i am currenlty on CD57 :laughing: Ahhh... gotta love PCOS!

[kelly_l9]

Hi

I thought that it's quite quick too ... what are you other levels, e.g. estrogen, ...

What happen to the cysts that you had ... were they OK ?

Cheers

[nicoleE]

On the day of the scan & trigger my Estrogen was 0.9 (was 0.7 the day before) and my LH was 11.


The cysts are still all there, u guess they lay dormant now and the drugs dont affect them. They certainly dont go anywhere I can always see them on the scans, looks like a bunch of grapes in there!

[kelly_l9]

HI

Are you sure that wasn't the progesterone level (instead of the estrogen) ??

Cheers

Kelly

[nicoleE]

Yeah thats what they told me. Not sure what unit it is measured in but they are pretty normal readings for Estrogen based on my other cycles.

My Progesterone 5dpO was 33 and I had another BT 7dpO but Im unsure what the level was.

[craftyone]

Hi Kelly19 & NicoleE

Kelly - Doses -- to be honest, I didn't take much notice of the doses of my IVF cycle, only to say that I was placed on the pill (Marvelon) on day 2-3 of my period, stayed on that for anywhere from 3-5 weeks depending on my pick up date booked...I have 20-28 day AF cycle so pinpointing to meet up with the lab was a bit difficult.

Then went on to Syneral Nasal spray - one spray morning, one spray at night (not sure on dose as have thrown out empty box and bottle) then onto injections of Gonal - 300IU each night until trigger injection taken 36hrs prior to egg collection. Then support injection taken on day 7 after egg collection.

Side Effects
The thing to remember with side effects is that each person reacts differently to the meds....each persons hormone levels are different, and the meds can be at different levels also, so please take that into account when I list my side effects...... the pill made my hormones even out in the first 2 cylces, but gave me depression in the 3rd. The Syneral made me really anxious, and I suffered really bad headaches, insomnia and hot and cold flashes in the first cycle because I was on it for too long, but in the second and third I felt much better and found a way to deal with most of them so they didn't affect me as much - in the third my depression disappeared once I started the syneral. In all 3 cycles though, the syneral made my libido plumit, and i became reall 'tight' and dry which made sex impossible. I mentioned this to the nurses and they said they had not had that reported before. Lastly, the Gonal injections made me feel like all was right with the world again! It helped even out my hormones again, made the headaches, hot and cold flashes and insomnia a lot less and better to deal with.

I know that for anyone reading the above you may freak out at all of the symptoms I suffered. However, I have met other people who have gone thru IVF at my clinic, have been on the same meds and have not encountered the symptoms I did, but they may have had others. As I have said in other posts - everyones journey is different and we don't know what it will be till we start it.

As for comfort stories - I can only say that sitting here knowing I am 6 weeks pregnant, thinking about the journey ahead of me, having had the year from hell, I do not regret a single minute of depression, headache, disturbed night, or missed opportunity for sex. I am a beliver in the saying what doesn't break us makes us stronger, and that we are never given a situation that we can't handle. For some reason this has been my journey and i'm sure one day I will work out why.

NicoleE - I am seeing Alex Hubczenko and he is adorable. He made DH and I feel at ease the moment we met him. I also just love Paula :yelclap: she would have to have been one of the nurses that has made this whole experience easier for me...and she ususally does my scans as she is always able to find my ovaries - endo has tucked one away out of sight again.

I completely understand your comments about feeling not worthy enought for IVF. I felt the same way at the begining, but somewhere along the line I decided we all deserve to have what we want out of life. Each and every one of us. Your specialist is the one to talk things thru with as he is the expert, find out what he thinks and be guided by him, if he thinks a could more tries would be best perhaps do that. If he wants to move you onto something else, discuss that.

When DH and I had our first appointment I was so concerned that Repromed would want to do a whole heap of less invasive attempts before starting straight on IVF, but we realised that whilst the others may work, we also may be wasting time and money for no reason. So we all decided to go straight to IVF as this would give us the best chance. And so far it has :D

Hope I havn't just scared you both to death!

[nicoleE]

thanks craftyone!

yeah, gotta love Paula.


Dr Mudge gave me the options when I was on Clomid and it wasnt working out very well... he said I could give Clomid another go for a month or two, go to FSH or go to IVF so he was even at that stage happy to put me straight on IVF! I decided to try the Clomid some more which was a total waste of time so here I am now on FSH. As I said I think i will give it this cycle and then another one if this one doesnt work and then will go to IVF if need be. Im not scared of IVF at all, i just want to feel 'worthy'. I know I should, if others are worthy of getting pregnant when their partners only have to look at them the right way I should be worthy of doing it the hard way through IVF!

[craftyone]

nicoleE,

I totally agree. I come from a family of very fertile women, so I do understand.

Glad to hear your Dr is so supportive and you are on the same page...makes so much difference when this happens.

You've gotta go after what you want it life, struggle only makes the getting so much sweeter! :D