Mysterious Unfruitfulness: IVF#5 - Estrace

About Me

2 years to conceive a baby is the last thing I thought could happen to us...

Let me tell you a bit about myself. I'm 25 and my husband is 27. We have been together since Oct 13, 2000 - I was 16 & he was 18. We've got married Dec 24, 2006. We started trying to conceive in February 2007 with no success.

In September 2007 we were referred to our current doctor (RE) and she specializes in Gynecologic Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility MSc, MD, FRCSC at fertility clinic in Toronto. Me and my husband did many test which all came back with great results. We were tested through Sonohysterogram, Laporoscopy, Hysteroscopy, Hysterosalpingogram (HSG), Semen DNA Fragmentation to name a few...

We did 3 IUI's; Then we decided to start doing IVF to increase our chances. Unfortunately, we found out that I have unexplained poor response to medications. We spent over $36,000 out of the pocket just in 2007 & 2008 for all our procedures. We had 4 failed IVF attempts, some canceled after weeks of expensive injections. Every cycle was a heartbreak and the pain never goes away.

Our diagnosis is UNEXPLAINED INFERTILITY

Unexplained poor responder

Unexplained elevated prolactin

Natural - Feb.’07-Oct. ’07;
IUI#1 - Nov '07- Clomid 50mg (cd5-9); HCG; Progesterone 400g;
IUI#2 - Jan '08- Clomid 50mg (cd5-9); HCG; Progesterone 400mg;
IVF#1 - Long Agonist Protocol; Feb '08 - BCP; Mar '08 - Suprefact / Puregon 175IU; Canceled after 9 weeks of injections due to 3.2cm cyst on the right ovary
IVF#2 - Long Agonist Protocol; April '08 BCP; May '08 - Puregon 200 IU/Orgalutran 250 mg; ER May 14 - ET May 17; 5 eggs-3 mature-2 fertilized; Day 3 transfer; transferred two 8-cell & 7-cell grade 1 embies; Progesterone 600mg;
Natural - June ’08; Aspirin 81mg/Pre-Seed;
IVF#3 - Short Antagonist Protocol; July '08 - Canceled after 10 days of injections due to elevated prolactin 36.6 & poor response; only 8 follicles and not developing
IVF#4 - Short Antagonist Protocol; Aug/Sept' 08 -Gonal-f (225iu)/Menopur (150iu); Cetrotide (250mg);Ovidrel 10,000 IU; Progesterone in oil injections (50mg), Aspirin (81mg) Cancelled after 12 days of injections (less than 7 follicles); Later converted to IUI#3
IVF#5 - Estrogen Priming with MicroFlare Protocol; Oct '08 - Start Estrace Oct5 (7DPO); Stop next CD2 after AF (Oct11) start stim with Gonal-F (450iu) & microdose of Lupron/Suprefact (0.05iu); Took Aspirin 81 mg; Almost canceled due to poor response after 13 days of injections (only 6 follicles developing) + ovarian cysts; ER on cycle day 21 (!!!) after 18 days of stims; Got 10 eggs; 7 mature; 5 fertilized with ICSI; Day 5 transfer of 2 blastocysts (2AB both); one was hatching; None to freeze, all arrested; Crinone 8% & Estrace 6mg after ET

Greater than 50% of patients achieve pregnancy on their first IVF cycle.
Close to 50% of patients who had a second cycle also achieved pregnancy.
Finally, 40% of patients who did a third cycle achieved a clinical pregnancy.

Statistically, most people have become pregnant by their third cycle.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

IVF#5 - Estrace - I messed up!

I am so pissed off!!!! Mad

For the preparation for my IVF#5 I am on Estrogen Priming and this is what happened!

I was taking
2 pills (4mg) of Estrace 2 times a day = 8 mg in Total,

for my Estrogen Priming and continues to CD2 once period shows up. Well, I am a 28 cycle always and today is CD31, so I reviewed my messages only to find out that

I was supposed to be taking
1 pill (2mg) of Estrace 2 times a day = 4 mg in Total

I am so pissed of at my stupidity and I am always meticulous about my treatment and this time I just screwed up!

Now no wonder my AF is not showing up. I also probably messed up my cycle by over-suppressing myself. I will probably go for my baseline and have only 2-3 follicles because of this! I was taking the double dose. No wonder I was so nauseous that I did not even eat normally for the last week.

What should I do? I am scared to tell RE because she might cancel my cycle. Should I tell her? Maybe I should just start taking normal dose and see what happens at my baseline after AF shows up? Then if it's bad, I will say what I did so she would not think that this protocol just does not work for me but it was my mistake.

$#@@$%! I hate myself right now!

Sorry for venting...

3 comments:

Margaret said...: Kats,

You should immediately call your doctor and confirm with him if the dosage you have taken is indeed a problem. It might not be. Different doctors give patients different dosage of this medication and this is not an exact science... Here's what I found about estrace:

J. ESTROGEN PILLS
Several studies have shown the addition of supplemental estrogen during the luteal phase, that is after the embryo transfer, improves the pregnancy rates. Generally, we begin Estrace pills, 4 mg per day, until the 1st pregnancy ultrasound (http://www.ivf-indiana.com/education/ivf-patient-info.html)

It sounds like you have a great chance to succeed this time. Good luck!

Margaret; July 2, 2009 at 1:52 PM
Stacy said...: Thanks for leaving up older posts!! I just relized that I ahve been taking ouble the dose of Estrace that I was prescribed. Thanks to your psot and the comment I realize that I am okay b/c the doc prscribed only 1/2 the dose of what the article suggests. Anyway, thanks.; July 29, 2009 at 6:37 PM
smileyz said...: Thank you so much for leaving this post up. Tonight I discovered I did the exact same thing. I was supposed to reduce my estrace to 1 pill twice a day on the day of my transfer, but I've been taking 2 pills twice a day for 19 days.

This gives me some peace of mind. I was beating myself up over my mistake. Thank you!!; September 1, 2009 at 10:22 PM