# Low amh, how to improve it and chances of ICSI success???



## AngelJo (Jun 20, 2012)

Well after our first ICSI which resulted in bfn have seen the consultant today to review the cycle and he tells me that as my amh is below 4 they probably won't fund another cycle and even if we self funded my chances of success are 1-2%!! Am swinging between desperately thinking and hoping i can increase my amh (as he said they will retest me in a couple of months) to trying to be realistic and accepting that i will never have my own baby. his suggestion was to think about egg donor which i can't contemplate yet. pls can anyone tell me if they have had a low amh which they've managed to increase somehow and had ICSI success with... need some hope please... or a big wake up call!! Thanku x


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## Shellebell (Dec 31, 2004)

We have loads of info on the Low AMH threads here hun  http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?board=535.0


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## lola33 (May 17, 2011)

Hi Angel,

Sorry about your low AMH  but just wanted to let you know that is not all lost at all. Yes the chances of success are lower than for someone with normal AMH, but it's definitely not impossible. I have seen plenty of ladies here including myself that got PG with low AMH, so don't give up   Some doctors are just very negative when its comes to low AMH ladies, so I would recommend to go for a consult with a clinic that has a deferent view. 1-2% success chance sounds like absolute BS to me. I was given around 20-25% and had top quality embies on both of my cycles and my AMH is below 4, so it's seems that low AMH effects just the numbers of eggs most of the time and not the the quality.

Don't thing you can increase your AMH, but definitely do some research on improving quality, in the end od the day you only need one good egg to make a baby 

Best of luck

Xx


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## AngelJo (Jun 20, 2012)

Hi Lola, thanks so much for your msg. I think the reason I feel so defeated is that I've had total confidence in my Consultant so feel i trust his info, he tells me that he has never had a successful live birth from anyone with amh lower than 4, only one pregnancy which ended up being ectopic. Also the New recommended guidelines are sayin if amh is below 5.3 they shouldn't treat either which makes me think we have even less chance. Im so distraught, i feel like an absolute failure :-(  he said i can get a 2nd opinion but all the clinics in our pct will have the same guidelines.
Our embryo was a grade a so thought we had as good a chance as any because i held the 'it only takes one good egg' theory too but i feel like the nurses duped us into being positive when all along they knew that it wouldn't work. 
sorry for sounding so down and negative Im just tryin to take it all in.. 
dya mind me asking if u went private for ur treatment? X


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## Lyndsmac (Dec 10, 2010)

Hey Angeljo

My acupunturist says there's meds u can take for 90 days that increase AMH and for the life of me I cant rem what its called,I do know it has 4 initials...its not legal here but u can get it from the net...the private clinics where I stay recommend it to patients with low amh,also my acupunturist treated a lady with amh of 4 and they collected 9 eggs!!! I think that's wonderful,I will try to get the name of it for you big hugs don't ever stop believing in your dream xxx


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## Maisyz (Dec 15, 2010)

Lyndsmac, do you mean DHEA? There are quite a few hreads on here about it if you do. Consultants opinion on it seems split, my consultat hates it, others love it. Think people need to make sure testosterone levels are ok before using it or something can't quite recall


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## AngelJo (Jun 20, 2012)

Hi ladies, thanks for the replies. the first question i asked was how can i increase my amh but my consultant right away said u will read all about dhea and that its not scientifically proven but all just marketing. but then I've read some people say it does work. Im worried if i took it tho how i could safely monitor it without my clinics approval  because i also read if u get the dosage wrong it can make ur ovaries completely dormant .... scary stuff!! I don't know what do for the best..yours confused! xxx


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## Poppit73 (Jun 14, 2012)

Hi Angel
Just read your thread and my heart goes out to you. My AMH is low 4.2, but my clinic have always been very positive. I am NHS funded.
I went for my follow-up yesterday following my BFN, and my consultant has recommended at least 3mths of DHEA prior to the next EC. I see him as NHS patient, but he also has a private clinic where I can buy the DHEA. 

He said that they use it more often than not in USA, but it has only been seriously looked at over here for the last 2-3 months. Which is probably why some consultants haven't gone that way yet. 

I also found that acupuncture helped on my last cycle. I sourced a Zita West affiliated one. It helped me relax, and I do believe it increased the number of eggs I had. He also acts as a councellor and knows the procedure so it's handy to gleen more knowledge. He works with 4 consultants in the same area, and said they all work different to each other, using different procedures/drugs etc. So if you're not happy with how one is treating you, and I really do think he should be more supportive and trying to find a solution, then I would shop around.

Hope it all works out for you


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## laani (Dec 27, 2011)

Hi angel,
Just wanted to let you know that low amh is definitely not the end. My amh is 1.92 and although my first cycle was bfN I did get 11 follies and 7 eggs (6 mature), my clinic are really positive and my consultant said they see plenty of ladies with low amh get pregnant. Hope it works out x


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## yola (Aug 18, 2010)

hiya


my amh is 4.52.... my first ivf i got 6 eggs 3rd ivf 8 eggs ... They have also been fine about my amh levels ?  I have never been reccomended dhea so not sure what to advise  you on this xx


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## Shell15 (Nov 11, 2011)

Hi Angel,

My AMH is 5.8 and had a BFN in February. I had 5 eggs collected but only 3 were matue and only 1 fertilised.  During my follow up consultatation I was recommended to take DHEA  for 3 months as it is supposed to help with low ovarian reserve it will not improve your AMH but is supposed to produce better quality eggs rather than quantity.  It is not licensed in this country and I was recommended a website to get it from and I have been taking 50 mg a day but stopped taking this last week due to my hair falling out and the other side effects is spots.  I have started my DR meds on the 30 June and have my first scan next week.  I'm having my treatment at the  Liverpool Womens and another lady there had an AMH of 0 and they were refused funding for any cycle which they appealed against and she is now pregnant on her first cycle and NHS funded  .  I'm sure there are also many other positive stories on here.  

Good luck.

Michelle x


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## Shellebell (Dec 31, 2004)

Hi girls, not wanting to scare you, but I need to explain.......

RE info for DHEA see this board for various suppliments etc which includes a few threads on DHEA
http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?board=498.0

It is not just an over the counter supplement, as far as I know it is a medicine sourced from a natural source, which hasn't to this point undergone any full medical trials or been licensed for general use in the UK 
you do need to be diagnosed/px/monitored while on it, it will be making lots of changes to your body that if it's not suitable for you or you take the wrong dose it could make your situation worse.

As Agate advises
20.6.8 DHEASome small studies have shown that it may benefit ladies with poor ovarian reserve as they may have reduced blood DHEA levels and some improvement in egg numbers and quality has been shown for such ladies in pilot studies. Full clinical trials have not, to my knowledge, been published yet but typical doses are 25mg micronised DHEA three times a day for three months before treatment (stopping at egg collection in case it compromises implantation). In my opinion, it is not advisable for ladies with good ovarian reserve, and particularly for ladies with PCOS, to supplement with DHEA as it may lower Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) and raise LH and testosterone levels leading to reduced egg quality. In general, I think its better to have your DHEA levels tested to see if you have reduced levels or not before deciding to take DHEA, and if you do take it, to have your DHEA, SHBG, LH and testosterone levels monitored whilst you try it. It needs to be taken for at least three months prior to IVF to take effect. Some clinics may be very much against you taking it.

And Fertility Friends always strongly advises the following
"Please note, Fertility Friends does not endorse any type of self medication/DIY drugs administering including supplements/herbal remedies. We ask you to seek advice from you GP/clinic on any aspects when self administering drugs of this nature without qualified professional medical supervision/approval"


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## Kaz1980 (Jan 9, 2012)

Hi
My AMH is 0.6 (I'm only 32!)...and although i don't get many eggs (3 generally), we have amazing quality embryos. Our Dr explained that it's more about the age of the women than the level of AMH. He would rather treatment a young patient with a low AMH than an older patient with a higher level as the egg quality tends to be better.


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