# Unmedicated IUI



## joiedevivre (Dec 16, 2013)

Hi Ladies,

I'm starting to look again at our next iui cycle and wondered if anyone had been successful with an unmedicated cycle of iui?  

Our first iui was medicated, with gonal F injections, hcg ovulation trigger shot, iui on day 10 and 11, followed by progesterone tablets intravag. We got a BFP and first scan  at 6 weeks was good but I sadly found out there was no more heart beat at 7 weeks.  

Our fertility doc has suggested going the medicated route, as she suspects I may have low quality eggs and the gonal F will increase the number of follicles and chance of a good quality egg.  However, she also said that our fertility issues could be related to low cervical mucus or other delivery issues and gave us the option to try an unmedicated cycle, still quoting the success rates as pretty low (5% vs. 15-20% with medicated cycle).

Curious about others experiences and whether it's even worth trying an unmedicated cycle if the success rates are so low.


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## notamuggle (Jan 15, 2013)

I only had progesterone supps with my cycle no other medication (not sure if this counts as unmediated) and I successfully got a BFP first time. 

As you know unfortunately I too had a mmc at 7 weeks   but I did get pregnant from that cycle so I'll be doing another cycle the same when my cycle restarts

Good luck x

(Please note name change from natasza79, sorry for confusing everyone)


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## joiedevivre (Dec 16, 2013)

Good to hear not (not about the mmc of course  )!  Yes this would be considered a unmedicated cycle in my part of the world.

Did your fertility doc ever explain the benefits in trying a unmedicated cycle?  I'm just trying to wrap my head around these so I can decide as to whether I'll try medicated or unmedicated next cycle... I mean, less drugs sounds good to me!!


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## mrsww (Sep 1, 2013)

Im having unmedicated IUI hopefully within a few days. I'm finding it quite stressful only relying on OPKs and if i dont get a positive on opk this month will ask to do a more monitored cycle.  I know two people that have had success on unmedicated cycle first time at the clinic I'm at so it can work just hope I'm one of the lucky ones.


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## Mrs tinkerbell (Sep 9, 2013)

Jiedevivre, I am just about to have my first unmedicated Diui. I had no idea the success rate was such a low percentage but my doctor said we should try it first so, I will keep you up to date.


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## joiedevivre (Dec 16, 2013)

so true mrsww...I hadn't thought about that piece of having to rely on OPK's (though I think my clinic does blood tests and ultrasound even in unmedicated cycles...will have to check!)

the success rate may be clinic dependent so don't worry about the numbers they gave me...

lots of baby dust to both of you as you start with your next IUI!!!


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## notamuggle (Jan 15, 2013)

Sorry I missed your reply Joi,

I think they suggested unmediated because I don't have any known fertility problems and I seem to ovulate normally (although late in my cycle, about day 19) they did give me a trigger shot to take incase it looked like I wasn't going to ovulate but I didn't need it and they find scan me every few days to time it just right

I'll be trying another uneducated cycle next  

MrsWW I did find it took me a while to get used to using OPKs, they're so easy to get wrong, but I'd been charting my cycle and doing Basal temps daily so I have a good idea of when I ovulate


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## jefnerf (Aug 28, 2012)

I've been offered unmedicated IUI as I have no fertility problems.  I think I feel positive doing this as I don't want to risk having too many eggs and having to abandon the cycle.


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## mrsww (Sep 1, 2013)

Its another missed cycle for me so disappointed am hoping clinic will allow me a monitored cycle currently they're only offering a scan at day 12, for whatever reason my body is now not showing positive on OPKs and if I don't IUI in March then I lose my sperm order and along with it £150.  I've just found my clinic really unhelpful and am getting really disheartened about the whole process.


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## notamuggle (Jan 15, 2013)

So sorry about your missed cycle MrsWW, it's a shame your clinic don't seem more helpful, can you ask them to monitor you more closely? 

Mine luckily do scans every other day from CD10

PS just seen all my typos in my last message! Oops x


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## mrsww (Sep 1, 2013)

Ive asked about more scans and bloods and they only say scan day 12 part of me thinks its because they are trying to save me money as each scan is £120 but I'd rather pay than miss another chance of iui.  I really worried as my amh was only 5.2 and if I'm not ovulating then maybe I won't get the chance to try at all.


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## Me Myself and I (Dec 30, 2012)

I am not sure how much youre paying, but would move clinics. 
Longer term it is worth getting used to opks and  I recommemd cb dual hormone opks. 
Likewise I would ask have you had basic tests like hycosyand day 21Bloods done?


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## mrsww (Sep 1, 2013)

Paying a lot as not entitled to NHS help.  Before my HyCoSY I was picking up positives on OPKs its been three months since I had it and have not picked up a positive since, clinic says HyCoSY is not the reason but nothing else has changed.  Will wait see what happens in march and then if clinic isn't helpful will ask for consultant meeting and if no good comes from it will look into moving clinic.  They've never mentioned blood tests and if we move clinics it another lot of months until treatment.


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## coucou2009 (Sep 12, 2012)

Hello,
I just stumbled upon this topic. I would not recommend an unmedicated IUI. What is the point? Your chances with medicated will be a bit higher because they will follow the cycle and make sure you have one or two follicles that can possibly greet the sperm. While with IUI`s in general, the success rate isnt so high, at least when taking the medications, the doctors can see how you react and that will help them determine a medication course if you do decide to go to IVF

Good luck


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## northernmonkey (Sep 25, 2008)

Hi,

I have 3 daughters all conceived through DIUI.  My first was an unmedicated cycle and amazingly resulted in a BFP.  DD#2 was conceived via medicated IUI after 5 failed natural cycles.  I found the natural (unmedicated) cycles unbelievably stressful.  Like most clinics, I had to rely on a positive OPK test then go to the clinic the following day for the insemination. My problem was that I get ovulation pains so when trying for DD#2 I knew that by the time the IUI was done I'd ovulated a good 18 hours earlier so my egg must have been past it's best anyway!  I honestly think that the reason for low success rates on natural cycles are mainly because basting is either done too early or too late - they are based on an OPK test which only gives a vague idea of when ovulation might occur. 

My tx for our third baby was at Complete Fertility in Southampton. I don't think they recommend natural cycles and their success rates for DIUI are amazing (around 40%) so for me it was a no brainer to do medicated - their timings are so well calculated and I knew from my ov pains that i was ovulating as the IUI was being done. I guess the only disadvantage is there's more chance of twins (or some might see that as an advantage!) 

Sorry, have waffled on a bit there!


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## jefnerf (Aug 28, 2012)

Oh see my clinic has said they will scan at day 8 and then a few days later to check when womb lining and follicle are right size then I get a shot of gonasi (might have made that up) to release egg and insemination 24 hrs later.


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## notamuggle (Jan 15, 2013)

My unmedicated cycles are well monitored, scans every other day from CD 10 so the IUI is well timed.

If you've no problems with ovulation it seems the monitoring and timing is the most important part and clinics all seem to do this differently!

Makes me feel very lucky my local clinic is good at monitoring!


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## joiedevivre (Dec 16, 2013)

Thanks ladies for all the replies.  

I checked with my clinic based on all your posts, and my clinic does the same testing with an unmedicated cycle than a medicated cycle.  In other words, they still do blood tests and ultrasounds to look for the LH surge pre-ovulation, lining of the endometrium etc..  For me, it'll likely mean blood tests as of day 6 as I seem to ovulate early (day 10-13).

The only advantage of doing a medicated cycle is the drugs which increase the number of follicles released and the chance that one of these is a good quality follicle that was be chosen for embryo development.  In my case, it's not clear why I've had difficulties carrying a pregnancy (and miscarrying), and perhaps my higher FSH and low AMH may mean poor egg quality.  I may be skipping a month in the end, but have decided that I'll never really know if I don't try an unmedicated so will be doing that this month.

Mrsww, I can't imagine having to use the kits and not being sure when you ovulate etc.  Like northernmonkey, I also 'feel' when I've ovulated but when I was doing a monitored cycle, they in fact told me I ovulated 2 days before I felt my usual twinges!  Some cycles, I don't feel anything either!  Hope you can figure something out with your clinic.


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## mrsww (Sep 1, 2013)

After all the messages above I'm going to demand a monitored cycle the sake as if doing medicated and if it doesn't work the will ask for medicated.  It's a hugely expensive treatment for low success rate and am now seriously considering IVF.  Maybe a few goes of IUI and then save for time off work plus IVF treatment as I know there is no way I can work while doing IVF.


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## Toni99 (Nov 21, 2013)

Hi were having un medicated too im quite nervous as i have heard that people dont think it is as successful but there is a lot of success stories i have seen too so i think if you have no fertility issues then why not our bodies were made for getting pregnant so if you can with out any extra boosts i see it as why mess with your own body?? good luck to you and i hope you get your BFP   
xx


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