# Advice please



## foxeestole (Oct 31, 2011)

Hi, I am not sure if anyone can help me! I am wondering if going thrugh an early menopause is heriatary and will affect my chances of conceiving. My mum went through the menopause at about 40 ( I can't uite remember the exact age, I was only young!!) I am 31 now and getting worried!! I also have an underactive thyroid which I am worried about too.

I will have to conceive via DUI due to my partner's vasectomy many years ago (he did try for reversal but it didn't work) but I have been told that there will be at least a years wait, probably longer. (I had expected to be able to start treatment straight away so I am even more upset than I would be otherwise!!)

I am very stressed about all this and have no one to talk to really (everyone just says relax and it will happen, youare still young etc...) don't think anyone really knows how I am feeling and I feel worse each day not knowing if I will ever be able to have a child of my own (it doesn't help that I am sharing an office with a pregnant woman, my cousin is due to give birth and I have several friends who have just announced pregnancies!!)

I am worried and would love any advice and support

Thanks


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## crazyroychick (Aug 21, 2012)

Foxeestole, I am in same position as you re vasectomy, can you try surgical sperm retrieval? We did that and managed to get 4 straws of sperm which was enough for 3 ICSI cycles.  Have used it all now and if this cycle is negative we will try donor.  

Where do you live? Donor not an option at all on NHS in Scotland where we are as no donors, will need to import from abroad and pay privately!

With regards to early menopause can be heridatory but you can have your anti-mullarian hormone level checked and that will show how fertile you are! Best of luck xx


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## foxeestole (Oct 31, 2011)

Thanks for the reply, its good to hear from people going through similar, although I was neither of us was!!

I am in north Wales and am not eligible for any NHS funding at all. I have been referred to the Birmingham Women's Hospital and will be paying (ouch!!!) Even with paying there is a long wait unfortunately.

I have had the anti mullerian test and am waiting for the results now (that cost £130 ouch again lol!!)

I think I expected everything to happen quickly if I was paying but it looks like going to be a long long wait  

Fingers crossed for both of us xx


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## crazyroychick (Aug 21, 2012)

God that's awful, no funding up here either if either partner has been sterilised, after a long long battle with NHS we got 2 cycles funded and egg shared on the last to reduce cost substantially!

We started immediately after screening on private cycle, is there not any other unit you can be referred to? You can also self refer, we have 3 private units fairly close by and chose the one we felt happiest with, we could have paid privately with NHS clinic but would never step foot back there terrible experience! Xx


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## foxeestole (Oct 31, 2011)

I have looked at the other places where I can self refer and just can't afford the prices (£1200 upwards instead of £700) The clinic I have been referred to is NHS run but take private patients (hence cheaper costs) (also probably why they are making us wait so long  ) I will keep trying, on the plus side, I suppose the wait will give me time to save even more money for the treatment


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## foxeestole (Oct 31, 2011)

Well I had a phone call today to be told that my egg supply is low which means I will have to have IVF not DUI. This means I really can't afford the treatment!! I am having to look again at private donors which is a nightmare as all the ones I have contacted don't seem genuine   

I will still have at least a year to wait before I can start IVF and I am really worried now as my egg supply is low. I don't want to put it off any longer but they are not making it easy for us  

Its no wonder people have to take unsafe approaches in their desperate quest to get pregnant- the processes and procedures and prices just make it impossible for people who are desperate!!!  

Sorry very stressed and disillusioned by the whole system, desperate to get pregnant (as of course everyone can understand and has felt!!) and desperate for some good luck (in anything!!!)

Rant over, hope this makes me feel slightly better!!


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## vickym1984 (Jan 29, 2009)

Hi, when you say low, what was your actual AMH result? As there may be other options xxx


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## foxeestole (Oct 31, 2011)

As yet I don't know. They consultant phoned me and said that it was low and I would need IVF and that was it!! I  am hoping to get the results in the post so I will know a bit more. They don't really give my much information!!!

Thanks for your reply. I feel a bit calmer today and will hopefully feel even better when i get the written results so that I can look at other options (nd ask for advice on here!!) xxx


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## foxeestole (Oct 31, 2011)

I have now had the letter and it says that the result is 5.1. Is that very low? Does anyone know of any options with this kind of result??


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## vickym1984 (Jan 29, 2009)

Not considerably low, but fairly low. I was going to suggest egg sharing, but I do not think many clinics will accept at that, although some have.


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## Cay23 (Jan 12, 2011)

foxeestole said:


> I have now had the letter and it says that the result is 5.1. Is that very low? Does anyone know of any options with this kind of result??


My AMH was 3.64 about 18 months ago, so is bound to be lower now, however for my most recent IVF (Sept/Nov) I took loads of supplements from 5 months before and I got 12 eggs! - previously I had 2 on the 1st cycle and 4 on the 2nd cycle. You could use the time while you're waiting for your treatment to do everything you can to build up the quality and quantity of what few eggs you have there. In my view the few I've got left are very precious so I might as well use the time while Im waiting to make them the best they can be.  

xx


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## foxeestole (Oct 31, 2011)

Thank you. I will have a look at that, it doesn't hurt to ask them, they can only say no!!! Hopefully the new year will bring more luck!!! xx


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## foxeestole (Oct 31, 2011)

What supplements do you take? I have been taking a preconception tablet for 2 years already, is there anything else that you would recommend?? xxx


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## Cay23 (Jan 12, 2011)

Hi foxeestole, it's quite a list but as well as Pregnacare I took:

1 x 1000mg Evening Primrose Oil. - take from Day 1 to Day 12. Increases amount, quality & effectiveness of CM. Anti-inflammatory - 
reduces narrowing blood vessels and promotes blood flow
3 x 100mg (300mg) Co Enzyme Q10. - promotes blood flow to ovaries. *Improves the quality of eggs.* Improves the division of 
chromosomes during fertilisation. Enriches the womb lining by helping blood flow to the womb.
1 x 1000mg Omega3 Fish Oils. - *improves egg quality*. Can help reduce risk of miscarriage. Lowers incidence of NK cells.
3 x 500mg (1500mg) Royal Jelly. - *helps produce fantastic eggs!*
2 x 10ug/400iu (20ug/800iu) Vitamin D. - helps womb lining/implantation.
1 x 500mg Bee Propolis. - gets rid of harmful (to embryo) germs. *Helps eggs to withstand incubation.*
1 x 500mg L-Arginine. - good for follicular blood flow, ovulation, healthy uterus. Helps implantation.

I didn't talk to my clinic about it - they probably would've said it won't make any difference! I just researched on here and then took them. You do end up rattling a bit! 

Also, did you know that thyroid issues are linked with POF (premature ovarian failure) - did your mum have thyroid problems? - and so this might be linked to your low AMH and to the small no. of eggs you may produce. However, nothing can be done about it except to be aware of it and put in place measures to increase the no. of eggs. The fount of all knowledge, Agate, has a thread you might want to look at here: http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=283032.0 Basically, for your thyroid you should be trying to get the following:

TSH: Normal: 0.35-5.5. For IVF aim for 0.9-2.0.
Free T4: Normal: 10.0-19.8. For IVF aim for high normal range.
Antithyroid antibodies 0.0-100.0

Good luck! 

xx


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## foxeestole (Oct 31, 2011)

Thank you so much for all the advice. I will take a trip to Boots/Holland and Barrett to hopefully get all of these supplements and get started. Fingers crossed it will help!!  

I have done a bit of research about the link of thyroid problems but still need to do more on this to get more advice. Thank you for the link I will look at it now.

Thanks again xx


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## Cay23 (Jan 12, 2011)

No problem hun   I got the Vit D from Holland and Barrett, The Omega 3 and EPO from Tesco, but found the others cheaper on eBay (Puritans Pride is a good brand). xx


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## foxeestole (Oct 31, 2011)

I have managed to get a few bits from Holland and Barrett as they had a buy one get one half price offer on!! I got a couple from poundland and a couple from Boots, need to look at Tesco and online!!

I've got a shelf full now and really will start to rattle lol  but hopefully it will be worth it!! 

Thanks again


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## NicL (Nov 11, 2011)

hi foxeestole

i am in a really similar situation. Underactive thyroid, mum went through menopause quite early and my am was 5.6 a year ago. 

A couple of other things to remember amh is a guide and not completely understood. Lots of stories of people on here with low amh responding really well. It is also not a measure of quality and its quality that counts. Just because its low doesn't mean it will drop off really quickly. It could stay at that level for many years.

A low amh shouldn't in my opinion mean you have to go for ivf. There is no reason diui won't work as long as you ovulate it just often needs a few goes. We couldn't do iui as we have male factor issues. The consultant believes that that is the issue not my low amh. He considers low amh is not a fertility issue just a guide to treatment and an indicator to get a move on with treatment.

we did icsi i got 8 eggs 6 mature 5 fertilized. had 1 put back and got bfp a few weeks ago. very early days but fingers crossed a sticky. oh it was our first cycle too.

good luck and hope you work it out x


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## foxeestole (Oct 31, 2011)

Thank you for your reply. I tought that donor insemination would stand a good chance too but the consultant doesn't seem to think so, not that there has actually been any contact other than, you have low amh! 

I am thinking of looking at other clinics as so far I have been less thn impressed with the one I am at. The communication is awful!! Think I may be better elsewhere.

Congratulations and good luck xx


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## nellie271212 (Jun 2, 2010)

Foxeestole I am also in N Wales and concur despite my current status even the basic investigations on the NHS is quite pants. I only wish I could have given you our NHS IVF waiting place as still remember the pain and emotional rollercoaster of ttc 
Please don't forget to take folicacid and vit B complex, over the 4 ttc I have taken Evening Primrose, Q10, Vit D3 25ug, Vit B complex and folic acid to improve egg quality and conception. Pregnacare nor wellman didn't work for us as taking whilst on Clomid no effect apart from improvement in lining and ovulation but no BFP. I suspect our systems did not like the coating as I would regularly be sick with them and DH said it upset his stomach. Also reducing caffeine and alcohol canalso help to boost conception and improve sperm. Fruit and veg, need not be organic but found wholegrain pasta etc helped regulate my weight and AF cycles.

Hope these articles are useful and from the bottom of my heart wishing you well ttc x   sorry about the name of the site below 
http://www.naturallyknockedup.com/boosting-fertility-with-vitamin-b6/
http://natural-fertility-info.com/luteal-phase-defect.html

There are also lots of interesting articles on the right hand side about issues that may be relevant to your individual circumstances post investigations x


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## foxeestole (Oct 31, 2011)

Thanks for the reply, I have been appalled by the NHS so far, and I'm paying privately, god knows what it would be like if I wasn't!!! lol  

I have started taking so many tablets and hope it all helps!! So far the only one that doesn't seem to agree with me it the Omega oils, taste horrible!!!  

I was thinking about getting a fertility monitor too see if that helps. Need to llok to see if I can find a cheap one anywhere. 

Thanks for the links, I will read those with interest  

Thanks
Kim


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## Vixxx (May 3, 2009)

Hi - I was just wondering if you had looked into CRGW in Llantrisant? They offer a wide range of services, come recommended and generally seem to have relatively good prices. Not sure if it's a bit far for you though? Theres a thread for them on the South Wales boards and their website is www.crgw.co.uk . Good luck!

This post contains an unconfirmed link/information and readers are reminded that FertilityFriends.co.uk or its owners are not responsible for the content of external internet sites


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## foxeestole (Oct 31, 2011)

Thanks for that I will have a look. I had not thought about there, hadn't looked that far but I am willing to travel anywhere now if there are good!!!


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