Infertility Treatment Community

Hi... I'm 41, and my husband (42) have been TTC for about a year. B/c of my age, my dr. didn't let us go longer than 6 mo w/o investigating assistance. I've had two IUIs and no luck. We are contemplating moving to IVF. I have low ovarian reserve (.30), which is consistent with my age, and he has low morphology (can't remember the %). I had a lot of negative reactions to the drugs on IUI, so I am not so gung-ho on what will happen with IVF. Still on the fence but trying to gather info!

Lurking from PAIF**** While I am younger (30), my tests came back with 40 yr old ovaries (low ovarian reserve). I'm not sure which meds you took for your IUIs, but I hated clomid with a passion! The side effects were horrible. Femara was better, but I was on an extremely aggressive (8 med combo) IVF cycle and didn't really have any problems. Everybody is different though. I am currently pg with twins and things are looking good. What specific questions to you have? Good luck.

Thanks KL! I was on Follistim for my IUIs, along with Ovidrel trigger shot and prometrium progesterone post-procedure through the PTs. It was mainly the prometrium that caused the drama: raging migraines, severe insomnia, hot flashes like I was menopausal, and intense uterine cramps from about a week before my period through the first few days of my cycle. They were cramps like I was a teenager again. I knew I shouldn't have bothered with buying and taking PTs b/c I knew with the cramps I wasn't pregnant. One advantage of being older is that your periods become a nonissue. I hadn't had cramps like that in I don't know how long, but these were debilitating. I'm a chef and run a wedding cake business, so this is not the time of year (wedding season) for being incapacitated at work. My dr. told me the meds for IVF are twice as many/strong, and so I'm concerned about making it through the tail end of wedding season (usually tones down by end of October) on IVF drugs. Being a chef is such a physical job, and I just didn't expect to be taken down so many notches by the physical effects of the drugs. How did you feel on the IVF drugs? What are the side effects you experienced?

Sounds like the meds did a number on you. I've been on 3 different types of progesterone and the only one that didn't really bother me except for a sore butt were the progesterone in oil shots. The prometrium and the suppository cream that starts with c were great at messing with my system. How amazing that you are a chef. Once the babies and DD get a little older, I would love to take culinary classes. I know what you mean about a physical job. I'm a physical therapist currently doing inpatient rehab and geriatrics AKA people moving all day long. That and a busy 4 year old mean I can't really be down for the count. I was on an LPEG cycle for mine so I did an estrogen patch for 4 days (skin irritation), with 3 days of ganirelex shots (burned like no other shot), was taking a prenatal, DHA supplement, Iron supplement, DH and I each took a 10 round of doxycycline, took 1 baby aspirin a day (can you say bruising? At least you didn't have to guess for rotating shots), did twice a day Gonal F and menopur shots (work differently than follistim, but for follicle development), added back in the ganirelex for 2 days, had an Hcg trigger shot (not ovidrel, did that before with IUI), had ER, did 4 days of medrol (steroid that messed with my appetite), and started progesterone shots 3 days before ET. Maybe it's because I was pg or maybe it was the progesterone shots instead of suppositories, but I didn't have any of my typical cramping, PMS in overdrive type reaction. I did get constipated with the progesterone and ran warmer than usual with the occasional hot flash with the stims. There was some bloating, but no real discomfort. There was a little bit more fatigue, but that could've been emotional drain and the 3 hr one way drive to the RE every third day. You will have to be off the entire day of ER and some RE say the day of and day after ET. I was on 10-15# lifting restrictions for a couple of days after ER. I am on lifting restrictions 25-35# and listen to your body activity restrictions now because of a history of m/c and starting Braxton Hick contractions at 10w pg. IVF was easier on me than medicated IUIs which sounds crazy, but the different drugs made a difference. Good luck moving forward.