[sewpern]

Hi
I'm quite new here, although old to the anguish of ttc. I don't really understand all the intricacies of infertility, but both my wife & I are feeling increasingly despondent. My wife's 26 & I'm 32; we've been ttc for 18 months. I have a morphology of 9% (count & motility are fine). We've had two unsuccessful ov induction cycles & one failed IUI.
She had her first fsh test (on day4) & our RE just gave us the disappointing result (16). She hasn't had a lap & the RE has ruled out pcos.
We're clueless and very upset . What could possibly go wrong next? Is there any medication to improve egg quality & reduce fsh?

[jana]

I'm so sorry for you and your wife. It seems like there's always something. In December we thought we would be starting our IVF cycle in Jan. Before we started in Jan. I got a cyst and had to go on BCP. Then I had a test done to see if my tubes were blocked. Oh were they blocked. I had to have both tubes removed for my health and the posibility of IVF. It just turned into one thing after another. We won't now if the blockage which was up against my ovaries caused any damaged to them until they retrieve them. Don't give up. Talk with your RE about your best options. I know it's not the same, but couldn't you guys use a donor egg if needed? She would still be able to carry a baby. Your chances are supposed to be greater with IVF even though it's expensive.

[sunshine]

I'm really sorry for your obstacles. High FSH is very frustrating and very devastating. My old RE told me to take DHEA which is a mild male hormone that can be bought at GNC. I haven't taken it, but there are some girls who posted under "DHEA anyone?" that have. I'm also reading The Infertility Cure by Randine Lewis and she gives some tips on how to lower FSH through Traditional Chinese Medicine. I hope everything works out for you.

[hope2008]

Welcome to the forum . I would recommend accupuncture with chinese medicine which is shown to reduce fsh , also definitely go right away for IVF . Many couples with high fsh get pregnant through ivf . Since it is high fsh , I would recommend going to one of the bigger centres that deal specifically with difficult cases , such as CCRM or cornell if at all possible . I think you have age on your side which always helps . Good luck .

[DeannaRN]

I wish there was some medication to take to lower FSH. I'm sure a lot of us would be on it. I agree with the others that posted about acupuncture. It seems to be the only way to really lower FSH levels. Diet places a big part in it too. Definitely cutting things out like caffeine, sodas, tobacco use, lots of sweets and exercise and getting plenty of sleep are shown to help. There are supplements like wheatgrass, royal jelly, blue-green algae, Co Q-10 that are recommended by acupuncturists to help egg quality but it does take about 3 months to make a difference in the quality of the eggs and lowering FSH. It does take a great deal of patience. I've noticed quite a difference in the 4 months I have been doing acupuncture and herbs. It's increased my antral follicle count and I feel so much healthier.

Since there is MF infertility, you may be most successful with IVF, but not every one can do that since it also requires ICSI which adds to the cost. My DH and I decided not to go with IVF at this point. He has issues with motility and low counts so we are using donor sperm.

Good luck to you. I know it's hard to get hit with that bad news. It's quite shocking to most of us and especially when you are both so young.

[sewpern]

Thanks for all your replies. Our RE is going ahead with an IUI this month, none the less, & will do a lap should there be no pregnancy. He has discussed IVF as an option with us, which is something we may pursue. We were both unaware of the extent of this problem & still very hopeful, until now. It's very depressing to read in most articles re: high FSH, that the causes are idiopathic (unknown) & treatment options are limited. We will definately consider acupuncture.
Thanks again!

[kelliejo]

Please do all your research before choosing your IVF clinic! For "complicated" situations, its important to research the success rates of every clinic near you (take it from me!!). The results of IVF clinics differ signifcantly.

I understand the despair- I've been there, then returned from the brink when I had my son, now I'm having DIFFERENT issues with #2. I felt like I was being dealt a lot of bad luck, as I'm sure many of you do. But we all handle it and most of us go on to build a family one way or another.

[azariah08]

Based on my limited knowledge of your situation, I would highly recommend you do the lap during your next cycle (to rule out Endo) and then move onto IVF. With a high FSH your chances through IUI are going to be fairly limited anyway. I wish I would have skipped the IUI cycles. My FSH went up from 12 to 18 while I was messing with those and they got me nowhere.

My first IVF cycle was successful. They only retrieved 4 eggs though, but 3 fertilized.