# Estrogen Priming IVF or Egg Donation - Lost & Confused



## wishingforanangel (Feb 6, 2009)

I need some advice and hope you ladies would be able to help me…

I mentioned on a different thread my old fertility specialist talked with my new fertility specialist and now neither will help me. I realize my depression is a concern but I feel like I am being penalized because they want something that I can’t give them. 

Unfortunately or fortunately I will now have to try to obtain my fertility treatment elsewhere in a different county. Although I have thought about the possibility of going to Spain or the Czech Republic, I know I wasn’t quite comfortable with the situation because I don’t know if the clinics there would be friendly to single women living with depression, much less going to a non English speaking country. I know that sounds stupid but I am left feeling very confused.

I thought if things worked out here in the US, I would possibly use the estrogen priming IVF protocol since donor eggs is too expensive. But I don’t know what the estrogen priming protocol is much less how successful it is. Since I am left with no choice but to go to a different country for my fertility treatment I don’t know if I should go back a clinic in the UK to try this estrogen priming protocol or go to Spain to do an egg donation cycle, especially since I will be in either country for the entire cycle since I can no longer depend on anyone here in the US to help me.


Please help.


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## Violet66 (Dec 28, 2007)

Hi Wishingforanangel

Not what you want to hear - but if you are suffering from depression then it really is advisable for you to concentrate on conquering that before you think of trying to get pregnant. 

Lots of overseas clinics in Czech Republic, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Russia will treat single women. But if you're taking medication for your depression I doubt you would be able to proceed anyhow.


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## ♥JJ1♥ (Feb 11, 2006)

Bering on anti depressants will not preclude you from having fertility treatment but I think you need to share this with your clinic so that they can work with you and your medication, and discuss options like you say oestrogen priming for you vs donor eggs.

I would ask your US clinics to work with you and your doctors (GP or psychiatrist) loooking after your depression, as having suppport networks around I found very important to me, and even going abroad I took my networks with me.

I am not sure that Turkey treat single women.


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## suitcase of dreams (Oct 7, 2007)

Firstly just wanted to send you some    as it sounds like you are having a tough time   

I'm sure I have read various threads here on FF about having fertility tx whilst being on anti-depressants etc, have you done a search for that? I'm sure there will be some other women, single or not, going through it who can offer more specific advice and guidance on managing depression and fertility tx....I won't try to help there because I'm not in that situation and any advice I give might be inappropriate
I definitely wouldn't hide the depression/anti-depressants from any clinic treating you though - you wouldn't want to risk tx not working because the drugs interfere with eachother and/or your depression becoming unmanageable. If you're thinking of becoming a mum, you need to be in as good a shape as possible, so don't take any risks with your health - physical or mental....

There are definitely clinics abroad (Spain, CZ, Russia etc) that will treat single women - enough of us have actually been to these clinics to know that this is the case, so please don't worry about that aspect of it. But it does sound like you need to find a US doctor who can work with you and the overseas clinic to manage the depression alongside the fertility tx

Wishing you the very best of luck, I'm sure you'll find a way,
Suitcase
x


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## Damelottie (Jul 26, 2005)

Hello wishingforanangel

I took anti-depressents right the way through my treatment and pregnancy. I still take them now so that isn't a problem.

But my depression was stable - if that makes sense. I respond well to my anti-depressents so wasn't actually depressed. Whether I became so/become so is not different in as much as _anybody_ could become so at any time. However, it _did_ make me think much more carefully about having good support systems just incase I blipped. Particularly I was concerned about PND.

However, having depression most definiately doesn't stop you from having a family. Goodness - there would be significantly less children if it did .

There are a few of us on here that have mental health problems in the past. We have often talked via PM about how it is another, very significant, factor to take into consideration when TTC as a single person.

I certaintly didn't share it with my clinic as I didn't feel it was any of their business. It was up to me whether I felt ready to be a mother. I only wanted their help with ttc, not with anything else. Other people don't have to talk to a clinic about having depression in the past before they have a baby and I didn't see why I should just because I was single. Of course, it would be adviseable from a drug interaction point of view. I did my own research tho. I'm not suggesting for one minute that you hide anything from your clinic, just that you don't necessarily have to share things with them that you don't feel comfortable doing.

But look after yourself and make sure you feel as ready as you can be. I had a few counsellor sessions before going ahead. It was a good idea for me.

Take care and good luck

LL xxx


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## wishingforanangel (Feb 6, 2009)

I think I have stablized as much as I can with my antidepressants but I cannot seem to get the go ahead to move forward with trying to conceive. My antidepressants don't work as well as they should and unfortunately they never really have but I feel that I am stable. Unfortunately most of the support system I have seems to feel that I am suppose to be perfect before I could move forward, meaning in stead of stable for me they are telling me that I am suppose to meet a certain unattainable criteria. Because I can't seem to meet this criteria I am left with more stress and frustration. 

I feel I am ready to move forward with my treatment but I don't want to lie about my depression. I just can't understand the fertility specialty specialists here. One minute my old doctor was helping me when she knew I was depressed and than after 5 cycles she decided she wouldn't. Then here in the US we have crazy doctors who will impregnant women with 6 to 14 kids like that Octomom and yet when I am ready I can't someone to help me.

 I guess maybe now I won't mention that I live with depression because it really isn't the clinics business to know. I am just sad how this whole situation went because I thought that medical professionals where suppose to help and not create more damage.  

Thank you ladies for replying and your honesty. It is easier to hear the advice from you guys than from the medical professions sometimes...


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## wishingforanangel (Feb 6, 2009)

Depression really sucks Coco and you are right in that doctors are from from perfect. Sometimes I wonder if they remember that...

Definitely have to agree about limiting the information I share with other people if they are in the power to help, like the fertility specialist, unfortunately it seems that my new (but no longer my fertility specialist) broke medical confidentiality with my old fertility specialist (she broke it too) and discussed my case. Sad to say I have to really question their ethics if they both were willing to break medical confidentially and they are both instructors for major universities here in the States as well. I guess its just as well that I leave them. 

I just hope my sharing...it helps some of you in the sense that you will be careful as to who you choose to help you if you come to the United States for treatment. Treatment here in the States is unregulated although they are technically bound by an ethics board but decisions are left to the individual doctors who may or may not have any ethics and leaves you feeling like your Mr/Ms Money Bags (you know little guy in the Hasbro Monopoly game).


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## Nikki2008 (Jan 11, 2008)

Instituto Marques in Barcelona offers Estrogen Priming and treats single women. I doubt that taking anti-depressants will be a problem but why don't you email them and ask? You could use a different name


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## wishingforanangel (Feb 6, 2009)

Thanks Nikki2008

Still debating what I should do but right now it is a toss up between going to Spain or going to Retrofit. Hoping to figure out things soon.


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