# Failed ICSI - AF Arrived 6dp5dt



## jodders (Feb 9, 2011)

Hi Ladies, I wonder if any of you out there can offer me some advice please? I have also posted this on the local forums but realise this might have been a better place for it.

My husband and I have been TTC for many years unsuccessfully and have just completed our first NHS cycle of ICSI at BFC.  Whilst I think all of the staff are wonderful there are a couple of things that have happened that I question, after reading the forums religiously it seems as though the treatment we have received is very off the shelf and not tailored to us at all.  We were informed at initial consultations that they would expect us to conceive easily using IVF, I got the impression they would just see how it goes..

I have detailed my concerns below, 

Blood work - We started the whole IVF process in April, prior to this my last blood workup was done at the RUH in November and wasn't specific to any cycle day, it was just a general blood work-up, has anyone else had this?  It concerns me as they didn't have info on my hormone levels.

Down Regulation - In total I down regulated for 3 weeks, is this an abnormally long time?

Stimulation - I think I would be classed as a low responder, I was on 150 of Bemfola for 7 days and only 4 follicles on my check up scan, again I had no bloods taken at this appointment. I was sent home to keep stimming but my dosage wasn't changed (surely they should have upped it to get a better response?) and I stimmed in total for 12 days before trigger shot.

Egg Collection - my right ovary was a pain to find during scans and the EC was a little complicated and they had to bash me about to get the eggs, I bled a fair bit afterwards and am still a little sore.  they collected 5 eggs and they were all mature so Dr Sharp decided to use ICSI on them all.

Embryos - of the 5 eggs only 3 fertilised, told on day 3 they were top grade and they wanted to take to 5 days, 1 didn't survive so we were left with 2, on day of transfer 1 had made it to blastocyst and was graded as B2BB prior to being transferred, the other they were hoping to make to blastocyst didn't so got discarded.  was it the right decision to take to day 5 given so few eggs, what has everyone else experienced?  I think I will demand more than 1 is transferred next time.  the ET was not done with ultrasound.

2WW was cut short as on Tuesday day 6 I started to cramp and bleed, I have been heavy bleeding for the last few days, I was advised originally to keep taking the crinone 8% and they were shocked I had period so soon and told to test on sunday.  Today the bleeding has got significantly worst, 3 pads in 3 hours and when I spoke to a nurse she told me this was normal because the lining was so thick, i'm not sure how thick at EC or ET but at last scan it was 12mm.  Has anyone else got AF using Crinone and was  it like haemorrhaging? My periods are normally quite heavy so told by nurse not to worry.  Surely if my lining is that thick then the progesterone should have supported lining until I stopped it even if BFN?

I now have to wait 4 weeks for a follow up which may be too late to start a fresh cycle so will need to wait until August.

I am so frustrated by everything and considering switching to BCRM but need to investigate if my funding can be switched, I live in Wiltshire so thankfully have another 2 attempts at this, but appreciate any support or advice.


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## staceysm (Nov 18, 2010)

Hi,

I am Sorry for your BFN.  Although the NHS are great at times and my first NHS cycle worked, they certainly seem to follow a standard process and everyone is treated the same.  You would never get a cycle tailored for you.

However, if you are unhappy with the way you felt the cycle went then try and move your funding elsewhere or talk to the hospital on your follow up appointment and let them answer some of your concerns.

X


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## Trunky (Jul 26, 2013)

I disagree. I have had two fresh ICSI cycles and one frozen and all were tailored to me (short protocol as high responder, early extra scans, drug dosages altered etc).

I guess it depends on your clinic.

I am so sorry it didn't work for you. These are questions to ask on your follow up consultation with the clinic.


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## Kieke (Apr 8, 2015)

Hi Lily-lou,

Sorry to hear you have been unsuccessful at your fist attempt. 
I have to say that your story does sound similar to mine - my treatment was also not tailored. They told us that the first round is also more or less a 'test round' because they have no idea how you will respond to the drugs.
I also had no specific blood/hormone test done prior or during treatment. I down regulated for 20 days and also responded poor to the stimming drugs (they did opt to max doses of Gonal F quite quickly though).
I had 8 eggs, 3 mature and only 1 fertilized. Surprised to hear they did not use ultrasound during ET - I'm no expert but how are they supposed to know where to put it? When they did mine it was all very precise. 

I had my follow up 2 weeks after our BFN - unfortunately for us we only had 1 attempt on the NHS and can't afford many more...
We have decided to try again and will cycle in July, this time they will use short protocol and start on a high dose of Gonal F and Menopure. It's a bit more tailored this time but again no further testing. Our consultant told me that unless there is a reason to do all the hormone testing they would not recommend to so until 3 failed attempts. 

I can understand your frustration, I was the same. Hang in there and I hope you get some answers!
Come prepared - I had a very long list of questions!
In the end I was convinced they did all they could have done and agreed to the new approach so we are staying with the same clinic (but paying this time....).
Good luck and be kind to yourself xxxx


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## Pixie15 (Jun 10, 2015)

Hi 

My first cycle with the NHS has been brilliant actually but if you have any concerns you should raise them at your follow up meeting.

I bled 7 days past transfer  it's a shock isn't it as they don't warn you that can happen!  I also bled so heavily so think it might be common xx

Hang on in there and carry on thinking positive xxx big hugs


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## jodders (Feb 9, 2011)

Thanks all of you for your replies and messages of support, this week has been really tough, I was so buoyant during the treatment and didn't have any of the hormone mood swings I was expecting, but the mood and the sadness that has engulfed me has quite taken me by surprise.

It's a shame they don't warn us more about the fact progesterone won't stop the dreaded AF arriving early.  I had always wondered if my body has too much oestrogen in, and I'm even more certain of it now. 

Anyway the follow up appointment is in a few weeks so I am going to detox and try and pick myself back up. I have made an appointment to see my GP to discuss this also and get a full blood workup done again so we can work with some recent data.

thanks again ladies


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