# IVF long or short protocol



## Dobermanlover (Jan 5, 2015)

Hi

Does anyone know what determines whether you have a long or short IVF protocol?

Thanks


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## mierran (Apr 24, 2009)

In the long protocol you are given drugs to switch off your natural hormones eg burselin, prostap. These are often started about cd21. You then have an af and are scanned to make sure everything switched off. If it is you continue with the down regulator and start stimulatory drugs such as menopur or gonal f to get your body to produce lots of eggs. 

In a short protocol you have af on your own or sometimes after eg bcp. You are scanned day 2 or 3 to make sure lining thin in uterus and ovaries quiet. You are then started on stimulatory drugs. After about 5 days you start a second drug to stop you ovulating usually cetrotide.

in both cycles you take a trigger shot usually hcg to mature eggs and trigger ovulstion. The aim is to collect the eggs surgically before the body naturally releases them at 40 houra post trigger, so ec is usually timed at 36 hours post trigger.

hope that helps.

long protocol usually takes longer than the short protocol. The short protocol is often easier on the body as it is an amplification of your natural cycle.

clinics like the long as they have more control 

good luck


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## Lilly83 (Jan 19, 2012)

Hello

As a rule (and there are exceptions on both sides) ladies with lower egg reserve tend to do a short as they aren't usually keen on 'switching' everything off during down reg incase it has a negative effect, however saying that ladies with endometriosis often get a long despite it often being linked with low egg reserve as the down reg period can help suppress endo and the inflammation that comes with it 

L x


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## Jam&amp;Cream (Jan 27, 2013)

Hi, I think a lot do clinics take into account your amh levels (anti-mullerian hormone) and your afc (antral-follicle count). The 3 that I've been too if you have low levels of these you would be on the short protocol as the wouldn't want to put you into a temporary menopause as it could potentially be hard to get you back out.
Most places if your levels are high you would be put on a long protocol which would involve down regging first. X


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## Jam&amp;Cream (Jan 27, 2013)

Oops it didn't show Lilly's response. X


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## Dobermanlover (Jan 5, 2015)

Thanks ladies!

So if you're on the long protocol, from day 21, approximately how long with the treatment take, including the 2WW?

I need to get used to the ivf language!


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## Lilly83 (Jan 19, 2012)

Great minds Jam  

I have only done short own egg and long donor egg,, the donor cycle I started down reg in May and test day was August! But that was unusually long, I'm not sure what the usual is someone else will know though, here's a few of the common abbreviations......

AF: period
BFP/BFN: positive/negative test
OTD: official test day
OPK: ovulation test
HPT: home pregnancy test
Stimms: stimulation part of ivf
DR: down regulation 
TX: treatment 
PX: prescribed/prescription 
DP/DH/OH: Parther/husband or DW: wife
DD/DS: daughter/son
DPO: days past ovulation 
2DT/3DT: 2 day/3 day transfer 
Blast: 5 day transfer 
EC: egg collection ET: egg transfer 
2WW: 2 week wait
PUPO: pregnant until proven otherwise 

L x


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## Jam&amp;Cream (Jan 27, 2013)

Hi my friend who did long protocol took 7 weeks from start to finish. 
This resulted in the prettiest baby girl born early this morning  
I not sure if this is average or not and I'm sure there will be those that have done shorter cycles and even much longer. X


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## Lilly83 (Jan 19, 2012)

Jam if you stim from 21st when's your first scan? My immunes are 27th be amazing if we were there at same time x


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## Jam&amp;Cream (Jan 27, 2013)

I'm not positive, I know I'd have a baseline on the first day and then it doesn't say about any other scans until day 8. Which is when we sign all the consent forms. I'm sure I had a scan on day 6 last time round though? I'll ask dp tomorrow when I see her. That should be the 27th, that would be lovely.
Goodness would that mean speaking to each other? Normally it's all shy smiles and not a word spoken to anyone, silly really   X


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## Lilly83 (Jan 19, 2012)

I know we could have a coffee from the machine (decaf for you!) I always try speaking to people but everyone's usually too stressed/nervous, especially the men! X


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## Jam&amp;Cream (Jan 27, 2013)

Sounds like a plan, I'll let you know if I'm there. X


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## Cloudy (Jan 26, 2012)

Just to be different (which my mum would say is typical of me) I have endo and a high AMH and had short protocol.

My Dr said that he didn't see any reason to do DR in endo women as he doesn't think that it improved pregnancy rates - although having said that a consultation with another clinic was adamant I should have a 3 month down reg.

The second reason that my Dr said I should have short protocol was because I have a high AMH and they were worried that down regging me, and then stimms would cause too much response.

We did a poll on how long people take to stim, without any differentiation between which protocol, which might help you to have a read through:

http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=324908.0

Good luck xxx


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## Dobermanlover (Jan 5, 2015)

Thanks all. That's very helpful. I have endo too, but it was cleared during a lap and now I fall under the 'unexplained' catergory, although I think it's clearly the endo.


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## Step_by_Step (Aug 24, 2014)

I am also one of the exceptions too! (Cloudy - my mum would also say it's typical of me!) I'm 28 and have a high AMH so high risk to OHSS, I have also been put on short protocol. I thought it was very strange to be put on short protocol and was quite shocked when the Dr suggested it. At the time I just assumed I'd be on long so hadn't done much research on short xx


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