# "mild ivf" and short protocol - any difference ????



## woodtiger (Jul 24, 2011)

Hi just hoping someone can shed some light. 

I am supposed to be starting first cycle at Create (wimbledon) this coming weekend. This sounds a bit daft but I thought I was going to have natural/modified natural cycle with IVM but somehow have ended up with a prescription for FSH on the 'antagonist protocol'.

My protocol looks like it will be 225iu FSH for days 2-9 with an antagonist from day 6 roughly, then an hCG shot, then collection and transfer.

This looks like a standard 'short protocol' to me - that is the FSH dosage doesn't seem to be low enough to qualify as 'mild'. 

I am freaking out as I really don't want drug stimulation if I can possibly avoid it. 

Does anyone know if there is a difference between 'mild ivf' and short protocol ??

Has anyone done the antagonist protocol at Create and what was your experience ?

Thanks for reading. 
X


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## lexx7 (Oct 19, 2011)

Hi,

I'm doing "mild" ivf but I'm very much kept in the dark as to the procedures and   I get some answers tomorrow at my first scan.

I don't actually know what the short protocol entails but I like you, didn't intially want any drugs and was going for natural cycle ivf.  I wanted natural due to having medical complications which make many drugs risky for me to take and quite a few are complete no no's.  But after my first test cycle which was completely perfect, the following two weren't and I didn't ovulate so couldn't go ahead.

As I wasn't ovulating, I had no choice but to have some form of ovulation induction and I did try letrozole last December but due to other reasons, I couldn't conceive that month although it did work.  So it was decided that mild ivf would give me the best chance.  I tried for it last month and had Gonal f shots at 75iu for 3 days and then 37.5 for 4 days.  I had 8 follicles at the initial scan but only one grew so I had a pregnyl shot on cd12 and tried naturally but it was bfn  

So this month I am on Gonal f 150iu for 3 days and 75iu for 3 days - I'm currently on cd6 so have just had 3 nights of 150iu and do the first 75iu tonight.  I have a scan tomorrow to see how things are progressing and so will decide from there if the dose should go up again.  This is scary to me as I also have endo and I don't like the thought of lots of eggs and all that extra estrogen floating around, but I also need to have a decent amount of eggs for a better chance of success and that bfp I've waited a month shy of 5 years for....

The thing with having natural ivf is that you literally have one egg and of course, you need to ovulate naturally.  If that egg isn't collected, or is and it doesn't fertilise etc etc then there are no more to try with.  I don't know what the antagonist is...??  All I know at this stage is that I have the Gonal f and then a cetrotide jab once the follicles are big enough as this then holds onto them so that I don't ovulate and then I think I have a trigger shot ready for egg collection.  I don't even know what the drugs are for ec and again, I hope to find out tomorrow as whenever I've asked before, the fs just says that he won't give me anything that could harm me and it will be a mild sedative to stop me feeling any pain and to relax me!! I have myasthenia and a bladder disease so I'm petrified about it but i have little choice and just hope and   that he knows what he's doing and I will be ok.  I also read of ladies having progesterone after transfer, but again, nothing has been mentioned to me as to what happens at each stage.

Sorry I can't completely answer your question, but thought I would just tell you what mild ivf is at the clinic I am at.  I did actually enquire about mild ivf at Create but they never got back to me - maybe I was too complicated for them  

If I don't get any joy with answers to my very long list of questions tomorrow, I will be posting on here hoping I can get some idea of what happens  

Best of luck to you


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## woodtiger (Jul 24, 2011)

Hi Lexx

Many thanks for your reply and best of luck with your scan today. 

It sounds like I will be doing pretty much the same protocol as you except with more FSH (I am 38 so that makes sense). I'm also having Cetrotide and then the tigger shot.

I am sure your clinicians will be competent and there is nothing to worry about. Hard to remember they do this every single day. But I do completely understand your worry about not being told everything upfront. I am a bit of a control freak and can't stand it when people try to reassure me without giving me answers !  

Sorry to hear Create didn't get back to you. Overall I've had quite a positive impression of them so far but the admin side can be a little bit haphazard. 

Good luck and please let me know how it goes for you today !


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## lexx7 (Oct 19, 2011)

Hi,

Scan was ok thanks, after an hour and a half wait    I have 11 follicles and my lining is good    Just   they all grow now    I have another scan very early tomorrow morning.

Feeling very uncomfortable due to bloating and the I have a central pain that I used to get very often and it's making me feel sick    So hoping that it passes and we can have egg collection soon.  They were about 9mm so it will be the weekend or next week at some point I guess    It worries me as I rely on heat patches when this pain arises and they can't be used in pregnancy   

Maybe my enquiry didn't get past the admin    Although a bit miffed as it was a very long email with all the details I was asked for.  Hopefully you will get great treatment and to be fair, I have heard very good things about Create.

So when do you start the stimms? Are you on Gonal f?  What dose?  Are you then given cetrotide and trigger shot?  I've still no idea, nor about the sedation etc.  I didn't get to see the consultant as he was doing an ec.  Have you been told what you will be given at all?  Hope it all works well for you - I may have to stalk you now as I haven't found anyone else on here currently going through mild ivf.  Hope it all works well for you


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## Candy76 (Feb 19, 2011)

Woodtiger, I don't know what mild IVF is or IVM. However, you will have an antagonist cycle. The main difference to other IVF protocols is that you don't downregulate before stimulating. I don't know how you can have IVF without stimulating (appart from natural IVF where they retrieve the one naturally occurring follicle).

Antagonist cycles are usually for women under risk of hyperstimulation.  I was on 112iu and I just about got away with it.

Once you come to the Cetrotide: They left a itchy rush behind for half an hour or so and I think this is very common, so don't be freaked out by it.


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## MCR (Apr 23, 2012)

Hi Woodtiger

Just wondered how your cycle is going so far- fingers crossed all is going well?

I'm due to start a 'mild' cycle with create next week- I have been prescribed 150/112,5/150/112,5 gonal f for the first 4 days, which will then be adjusted according to scan on day 6 ( when I will also start cetrotide), so sounds fairly similar to you, apart from slightly different dosage?
Good luck to you and would love to hear how you have found create and your protocol and any good advice on how to best prepare/ what to expect etc!

And of course, good luck to all of you, hope for lots of bfp in the very near future!

Xx


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