Told hormones are normal BUT ovaries are old at 29

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2 posts on this thread and the last post was on April 8th, 2005 9:42 AM by meridithhasfaith

TTC2long - April 7th, 2005 10:30 PM

Hi,
I'm looking for some help with my situation. I just had a failed IVF. Follow-up was last week at which time my doctor told me I had the ovaries of a 40 year old. I'm only 29. I'm at a total loss of why this is happening. According to all my b/w I've done for all my IUI/IVF cycles my hormones have been normal. I went into my first IVF only having 6 follicles but getting only 4 eggs at retrieval.

I had done a long protocal of BCP's, 2 weeks of Suprefact and the 150iu's of Puregon along with the Suprefact (but at a lower dose) I stimmed for about 10 days. At transfer only 2 made it and we transfered the both of them on Day 3. They were very fragmented though. At my followup consult, the doctor said I had poor eggs that probably lead to poor quality embryo's. She said I stimmed like a 40 year old. I had a E2 level of 3000 on ER day.

I'm at a loss of why this is going on. I'm not sure if it is because I was oversuppressed and understimulated or if I should be thinking Donor eggs? My doctor said she would not change anything about my next IVF except upping the dose of Puregon to 200iu's but no more. She mentioned that because my E2 levels were normal that she couldn't increase the Puregon. Also she did say that all subsequent cycles would more then likely have the same result. Minimum eggs with poor quality.

Is this normal to have aging ovaries with normal hormones? What kind of protocal should I be looking for?

Thank-you,
Diane

Barry Jacobs, M. D. - April 8th, 2005 6:33 AM

Without evaluating you, I cannot determine what the problem may be. It may be that a different stimulation protocol would work better for you.
Good luck.

meridithhasfaith - April 8th, 2005 9:42 AM

Diane, sorry to jump in bt since the doctor already answered you, I thought it was ok.
Unsolicited advice: Get a new doctor! If she wont consider changing your protocol after such a poor response and then she blamed your ovaries for it, I can't see you having any success with her. I read somewhere just the other day that an RE told his patient something quite smart: "It isn't the patient, it's the protocol." Now, could that mean you may need donor eggs eventually? Possibly. But you certainly have to try different protocols first, like different stims...or maybe instead of supression through the cycle, I have heard about antagon cycle where you stim without any supression and then you have a shot to prevent ovulation before retrieval. Lots of different things to consider. Don't give up hope and don't accept "You have the ovaries of a 40 yr old." How silly is that!?

Meridith

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