QUESTION:
Hi Dr Ramirez
I am on my first round of IVF and my day 9 scan showed no follicles on left ovary and 3 tiny follicles on right. I am on 375 menopur which has now been upped to 450. Priot to starting treatment i was on the combined pill for irregular periods. I am 31 years old with FSH level of 6. My question is, can being on the pill interfere with follicles growing and am i on te right meds? When they scanned me prior to starting treatment i had more follicles than when doing IVF which doesn't make sense to me? I am having treatment in London, England.
Thanks, N. from England
ANSWER:
Hello, N. from England,
With your age and FSH level, I would have expected a much better stimulation response. I think you are not being adequately stimulated. Menopur is not adequate. There needs to be more FSH in my opinion, but keep in mind that each doctor does things differently and one way is not necessarily better than another. If you were my patient, my preference is to use a "mixed" protocol using both FSH (Follistim or Gonal-f) and FSH/LH (Menopur or Repronex). I would have started at 300IU Follistim and 150IU Menopur (450IU total of FSH), then possibly decreased to the dosage you started at. But, that is my personal preference (and of course something that makes each clinic different with different results).
The pill should not and does not interfere with ovarian stimulation. I presume that you are also on a Long lupron protocol? Lupron will suppress the ovaries as well.
I have also been surprised by the lack of stimulation in a younger patient, such as your doctors were pretty surprised. Sometimes it is hard to predict what will happen. If the cycle fails, then I greatly increase the medications in the next cycle. Such a finding is called a "poor responder". But keep two facts in mind:
(1) each cycle is unique and the stimulation results can vary from cycle to cycle. One does not necessarily predict the next.
(2) it only takes one good empyo to be successful.
Good Luck!
Follow-Up Question:
Hi Dr Ramirez,
Thank you so much for your prompt reply. I carried on with the 450 Menopur until day 16 and they decided to cancel the cycle as the one follicle was not responding as they would have liked. The consultant at the IVF clinic told me that my chances of conceiving are zero per cent even with IVF. To say I was shocked was an understatement. I spoke to him about the possibility of a different protocol or different meds but he was adamant that I shouldn't try again. I don't quite know where to go from here. I have been under the care of a gynae at my local hospital for fertility investigations for 5 years and he kept telling me IVF was the answer. I got pregnant with Clomid two years ago but now I am at zero fertility, I mean not even 1% according to the IVF consultant.
My question to you would be, in America do you do things differently? I spoke to him about Gonal F and he said it wouldn't have made a difference. I also said about Synarel and he said it wouldn't have made a difference. I have low ovarian reserve and that is that. He is a highly regarded doctor here in England (Mr Tim Child) so I am sure he wouldn't have said zero if he didn't believe it. I know it's hard for you to give an opinion without knowing my full history, but have you seen seomeone with such a poor first reposne go on to do better second time around or should I just draw a line under it all?
Thank you so much for your guidance on this, as my husband and I are a bit shell-shocked. Over here in the UK we always consider the Americans to be further forward in medicine and cutting-edge treatments. We would be prepared to travel if we thought it was worth it. If only one follicle is growing very slowly under high stimulation, would you be inclined to say zero chance too? I appreciate your honesty.
Kind regards, N.
Follow-up Answer:
I am sorry for all the grief you have had to endure. I am afraid that I don't completely agree with your doctor. First of all 450IU is not the maximum dose of medication. You certainly have "decreased ovarian reserve", which means that your ovaries don't stimulate well, but given your age, I would expect you to have a good chance even with only ONE egg. So I would recommend trying with a higher protocol and even if there are only a few follicles, you should continue the cycle and give it a try. It stands to reason, if the cycle is cancelled you certainly won't get pregnant, so in my opinion if there is a follicle present the patient deserves to give it a chance.
In terms of decreased ovarian reserve, there have been several studies, including one that was just published, that showed that ovarian response will vary even in patients with decreased ovarian reserve. Therefore, it is still recommended to continue trying in a patient with decreased ovarian reserve. The next cycle may be completely different than this one, especially if a different protocol is applied.
In addition, I am a firm believer that there is a difference between a mixed protocol (using FSh + FSH/LH such as is found in Gonal-F or Follistim (pure FSh) and Menopur (FSH/LH). I know that there is no standard protocol and studies contradict each other, but FSH is the hormone that stimulates follicle growth (that is why it is called follicle stimulating hormone)and LH is not. In a normal natural cycle, the LH does not rise until just before ovulation whereas the FSh is rising all of the first half of the cycle.
I would encourage you not to give up.. . at least not yet anyway. It is possible that down the road you might have to resort to using donor eggs, for instance if your ovaries shut down completely (premature menopause/premature ovarian failure) or you have failed several attempts with your own eggs, but until then, hope is not lost, every cycle is a new and different cycle and every egg is a new and different egg; all with their own potential. I will never tell a patient that there is "zero" chance because there are always exceptions to the rule and I also believe in miracles. I've seen them happen many times. If you wish to come to California, I would be pleased to assist you in the best of my abilities.
Good Luck,
Dr. Edward J. Ramirez, M.D., FACOG
Executive Medical Director
The Fertility and Gynecology Center
Monterey Bay IVF Program
