[2ndteacher]

Hi ladies, I am not sure if I have POF but I have been diagnosed with Diminished Ovarian Reserve. My RE says this is due to my FSH levels (averaging 12) and the fact that I have had 6 unsuccessful IUI's. I am 30 years old.

Does anyone have any more information on Diminished Ovarian Reserve, the success rates (or lack thereof) of people who have it, impact of FSH and estradiol?

I am going nuts trying to find info on the net, and all they seem to say is that I'll probably have to get donor eggs.... I am looking for some Diminished Ovarian Reserve buddies!

[DeannaRN]

I also have DOR. It means simply that you are getting low on eggs but doesn't mean you can't get pregnant with your own eggs. If you do IVF, you will likely not get as many eggs as other women of your age without DOR. Since it only takes one to get pregnant, please don't think you are doomed to using donor eggs. You are still young and your age is in your favor. I'm older than you and also a fragile X carrier so I will be moving on to donor egg. I have seen plenty of women on this forum in their 30's get pregnant with diminished ovarian reserve.

DOR does cause FSH levels to be higher but they can also be low and your estradiol levels can be high. My last FSH was 5.2 but estradiol was 88. Having estradiol too high means that your ovaries are recruiting earlier (before you even get AF) so by day 3 the estradiol is higher than it would normally be. Some people ovulate early because of this. They usually also look at your antral follicle counts and can tell if you have DOR by how many follicles you have early in your cycle. Here is a link that has a lot of good info on it.

Antral Follicle Counts, Ovarian Reserve & IVF Stimulation Response

Good luck to you. I'd be happy to answer any more questions you have.

[bq122]

Hi I cant give you as much info then Deanna already gave you.
But I just wanted to let you know I am 42yrs old with FSH of 21. I had 3 failed IUI's and after the first IVF it worked and I am now preg. with 2 boys.
I did use my own eggs. With did IVF w/ ICSI and assisted hatching.
I wish you lots of luck.

GOD BLESS

[Krista]

I was just told this morning that I have diminished ovarian reserve, even though my FSH is low. They will use the antagonist protocol if we can find the $$ to do another cycle. I wish I knew ore to tell you but this is new to me too...

[jptobe]

I also have an elevated FSH, 13-16. I am only 33 and have been TTC for almost 2 yrs. We just started the process. I just joined this website and will update with more info later. Good luck to you. I know this is very difficult. I worry every month I get a blood test that I will be turned away for my FSH being too high .

[2ndteacher]

Hi all!

Deanna, thanks so much for the information. They have never mentioned antral follicle counts. Is that when they look at your follies on the first u/s, day 3? Do you know what an average or normal number of antral follicles is?

bq: congrats! You give me a lot of hope! What was your protocol on IUI and IVF? I have had 6 IUI's and am on #7 now... we plan to do 2 more then move on to IVF next summer....I was asking about protocol because I have heard mention of becoming immune to the drugs (they dont work as well after a while) and I am fearful that if we keep doing IUI's and wait until next summer, then my body would not react well when we go to do IVF. Does that make sense? Anyway, congrats to you!! How far along?

Krista: What is the antagonist protocol?? Don't give up, I am here with you. I found out recently myself, and it has been hard accepting that this is all ME. I understand what you are going through.

jptobe: What did they suggest for you when they told you about DOR? My doc suggested moving on to IVF but we can't afford it right now.

Best wishes ladies!!!

[Krista]

Honestly- I don't know much about the antagonist protocol yet, except that the antagonist should keep the initial dominant folies from jumping too far ahead of the others (in size). We'll also be doing assisted hatching if we can do another IVF.

I think we're leaning hard towards TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) w/ acupuncture and then maybe IUIs or if we can find the financing IVF. I've been reading The Infertility Cure and there are a couple of places where I've been able to identify things that TCM may be able to address.

I always thought I'd feel better having a diagnosis, but now that we have it, not so much. I feel pretty confident my sis would donate for me, but we're really not there yet. My mom was kinda cute when we discussed it and she said her only worry would be that my baby sis "isn't as smart as you". Baby sis got all the super cute genes in the family, but not so much on the IQ side of things.

[HananMG]

You can request an AMH - Anti Mullerian Hormone test. It is a red tiger top tube. They have to use frozen serum. And then do the test. It can be taken at any point of your cycle, not like FSH which has to be drawn on cd 2 or 3. FSH flucuates month to month, this AMH test determines your ovarian reserve to determine the remaining number of fertile years a woman has or may predict ovarian reserve prior to IVF treatment.

You should only have to take the test once.

I still have not gotten my results yet, mine was drawn on Nov. 30. But you be able to get the results in less than a week.

I hope this helps.

Hanan
Good luck

[azariah08]

I have diminished ovarian reserve with a couple of other issues. We only tried 4 IUI's before moving onto IVF. Honestly, if you've tried that many already and it's costing you money to do IUIs (it was $400 each attempt for us with no meds) I would just move onto the IVF which has a much higher probability of success.

As others have mentioned, we didn't produce as many eggs as "desired" with the IVF - only 4 - due to the high FSH. But we were able to get pregnant with a singleton on our first IVF attempt with our own eggs so there is definitely hope. Age plays a factor in egg quality, which increases your probability of success, so if you are only 30 that is on your side.

As an edit, since you asked a few others, our protocol was called Schoolcraft. We started with baselining through BCP. Then it included Microdose Lupron and the maximum allowed of FOllistim a day.

[2ndteacher]

Azaria: Congrats on your pregnancy! Thanks so much for posting, you give me hope! Thanks for the information. I feel like IUI's don't necessarilly work either, but I also want to be sure we have the best protocol for us before we do IVF. Does that make sense? I want to be sure the dosages are perfect before we jump in. I am so scared it won't work. I don't think we'll be able to do more than one.... I have never heard of Schoolcraft. Is that an injectible or a pill? Also, is it fairly uncommon for women with DOR to get pregnant with IUI?

Hanan: Thanks for the information, as well. I'll have to ask about that test next time I go in. Is it just a bloodtest, and how much does it cost?

Krista: The antagonist sounds like a good idea. What medicine is it? Also, what have you found especially helpful regarding the TCM and the Infertility Cure? Is it related to DOR?

[Krista]

Originally Posted by 2ndteacher

Krista: The antagonist sounds like a good idea. What medicine is it? Also, what have you found especially helpful regarding the TCM and the Infertility Cure? Is it related to DOR?

I don't know the specific medicines that we'll be using, but i think Antagonist, Microdose Lupron, Follistim and Menopur then of course PIO.

I've found lots of things very interesting in the book. Some of the symptoms listed for different "energy flow" problems fit me to a T, so it's kind of exciting that they may be able to do something about it. I don't remember if they address DOR particularly, but they do address "age related" IF and luteal phase defect which I may or may not also have. I also have a "tight cirvix" which made my IUIs and ET difficult and they can treat that too, so I have a lot of hope. We don't have the $$ to do another IVF any time soon, so I'm hoping for a miracle. My appt isn't until Jan 26, which is the begining of my Jan cycle and as soon as they could get me in.

In the mean time I'm taking supplements suggested in the book, have put DH on the sups for men and am making some dietary changes, but honestly it wants me to eat blue green algae, kelp and wheat grass. I'm just keeping it healthy w/ organics and lower fat.

[Hope4Bundle]

I also have DOR with a FSH of 26 but was able to get pregnant on my 2nd IUI with a singleton. We couldn't believe it. There is hope, please don't give up. Have faith.

[Lewis1]

I too had many failed IUI's. I moved onto IVF and the first one was canceled due to no egg production. My second IVF produced only 3 eggs. One was too immature to fertilize and the other two fertilized. Got a BFN. Was ready to give up on my own eggs and move onto donor but had to try again. Well I produced only 3 eggs again. One too immature and the two others fertilized. Ended up with a 4 and a 6 cell. Low and behold I got a BFP. I am now 10 weeks pregnant. It can happen so please do not give up.

I took Wheat Grass and did the antagonist protocol. Did not use Birth Control.

[humbird97]

I'm going to rest in the hope of the success stories.

My AMH is 0.4 and I have a low antral follicle count and small ovarian size.

I wish I could say I've overcome the odds already.......

[ndsm17]

Hello, I just found out the other day that my FSH is 11.6. Last Jan it was only 5.2. So I am diminishing too. I had a MC last summer which my RE said could have had to do to DOR. I am worried about not having a successful IUI now that I just found this out. My DH and I are only trying 3 more times and then we are done. So I hope it does work. Has anyone gotten pregnant with DOR via IUIs?
Natasha