Cancelled IVF - hyperstim

[hope4light]

I think I'm just looking for someone to commiserate with. We are going through IVF due to severe male infertility due to a medical condition DH had as a baby. There's nothing they can do to fix the numbers. I waited for a year before getting us checked, and that was only after months of DH urging that we needed to. He knew, I didn't want to accept it. Then another six months of going to Andrologist to see what we could do. Finally we moved on to the FC for IVF with ICSI. Started my first cycle, had to cancel two days before retrieval. RE told me that if he gave me the Hcg that I would be in the hospital. I had 60+ follicles with my estrogen at 5500 already, and none were mature enough to take. By the time we would have had some, there would have been 20+ mature and ready, and god only knows what my estrogen would have been at. I love my RE, and I understand why he cancelled, but that doesn't stop the hurt over it. We've been dealing with all this, and I had such a hard time with the Lupron/Repronex mix. He said he would have to change it, but he wasn't sure what he was going to do yet. He said give it 6 - 8 wks for my ovaries to cool down. Depressing. Any one else in the middle of it right now??!! It just Sucks!!!!

[YummyYarnAddict]

Originally Posted by hope4light

I think I'm just looking for someone to commiserate with. We are going through IVF due to severe male infertility due to a medical condition DH had as a baby. There's nothing they can do to fix the numbers. I waited for a year before getting us checked, and that was only after months of DH urging that we needed to. He knew, I didn't want to accept it. Then another six months of going to Andrologist to see what we could do. Finally we moved on to the FC for IVF with ICSI. Started my first cycle, had to cancel two days before retrieval. RE told me that if he gave me the Hcg that I would be in the hospital. I had 60+ follicles with my estrogen at 5500 already, and none were mature enough to take. By the time we would have had some, there would have been 20+ mature and ready, and god only knows what my estrogen would have been at. I love my RE, and I understand why he cancelled, but that doesn't stop the hurt over it. We've been dealing with all this, and I had such a hard time with the Lupron/Repronex mix. He said he would have to change it, but he wasn't sure what he was going to do yet. He said give it 6 - 8 wks for my ovaries to cool down. Depressing. Any one else in the middle of it right now??!! It just Sucks!!!!

I'm so sorry! I've actually not had my retrieval cancelled but I have had my transfer cancelled (went to retrieval, fertilized the eggs, and then froze them to allow my ovaries to rest before doing a frozen embryo transfer). I've had estrogen levels over 8000 before as I'm a high responder. Did your RE say anything about coasting or doing a freeze all cycle? You are at high risk for OHSS with a high e2 level and OHSS is nothing to fool around with (I've had it a couple of times). I always hyperstimmed with Repronex and had an easier time with Luveris.

It has to be devastating to be so close and have your cycle canceled. It's so much to go through and suffer such a great disappointment.

[soulshine]

i had my cycle cancelled at suppression check- i ovulated through the lupron. nice. for us, it was a real depressing time. and, then we had to wait until my cycle synced with our clinic's cycle... more waiting and we were so angry! the time couldn't have gone any slower.

i can imagine that cancellation so close to retrieval (and transfer, yummy yarn addict) would be so much more depressing.

there is SO much invested in medicated cycles... emotionally and financially, as well as time and all of your hopes of becoming a parent are weighing on the success of everything going just right in the cycle. i had no idea of the emotional rollercoaster ivf is, and i only was on bcp's and lupron... add more hormones and the rollercoaster gets even more intense.

i am commisserating with you. someone on an ivf forum i belong to told me that the days just pass, and eventually you will find yourself in your next cycle. so, that's what i'll pass onto you. it helped me to do take a huge step back while i waited (well, what else was there to do really?).

even though it is hyper-frustrating, the risk of ohss is real and you have to just listen and trust the re.

i am just starting a new cycle now, and in retrospect, the wait was not as bad as it seemed at the start of of it, of course. in between cycles is a great time to do more to get your body and mind as healthy as can be. but, really, i just cried alot. it didn't seem like anyone understood my sadness and frustration. so i did alot of crying. i hope you can find some peace while you wait... not every ivf is a smashing success and there is alot of sorrow that goes along with it, i am learning this as i go. it bothers me that there is this automatic assumption amongst friends/family/anyone else that the ivf will just magically work. but hey, i thought that too before we started the whole process. i didn't realize that cycles can be cancelled at any point, you lose your money, you lose the potential... cycles don't always work, either- not to be negative, but it seems to me that everyone is expecting us to get pregnant on the first try- with twins. like that is automatically going to happen, gauranteed.

anyway, you have all of my sympathy. i felt like i was going to lose it when they called and said 'cycle cancelled'. so i just wanted to validate everything you must be feeling. it is so unfair.

[hope4light]

We discussed coasting, but with the way my numbers had jumped between my u/s he didn't feel it was appropriate in my situation. He said the hcg would just send me to the hospital. They actually kept me on the Lupron for an additional 5 days to keep my body from ovulating naturally as he said that would be just as bad and I would probably end up in the hospital with sever ohss. I think that was what made it so difficult, was being so close that you could taste it, and I don't care what anyone says, you get your hopes up. Even though you know science isn't any more perfect than nature; otherwise why would we all be in the situation and talking about it?! I was at the office when they told me it was cancelled. It was so hard to keep my bearings straight while the doc sat down and spent about 30 mins or so explaining the different options and why none were right for my situation. He's a great RE. He called me later that day to make sure I was OK.

It's so nice to hear other people that have been through it. It has been so hard, and so depressing.

Soulshine - I'm glad to hear the wait wasn't too bad to get to the second cycle. How long did your RE make you wait? Good luck this time around!

[Perdita_in_Ontario]

I haven't been in that situation - I'm so sorry. I have had the disappointment though - our embryos all died before they could be transferred. We only found out when we got to the ET.

After all the drugs, the stimming, and yes the $, it's hard to not even have a chance, isn't it.

It does get easier with time. But there's nothing good about it. :-(

[clementine99]

Hi Hope4light,

Just wanted to say I'm sorry about your cancelled cycle. Mine was cancelled a week ago due to too-high progesterone, plus 45-plus follicles. I had tried to remember that it might not work out in terms of a pregnancy right away, but I had not mentally prepared myself for the possibility of the whole thing being cancelled. It really surprised and upset me. Sperm never even got to say hello to egg! Seemed so unfair, after such a hassle and expense to get to that point. My sister got pg with twins on her first IVF a few months ago-- she made it look so easy--but it isn't, at least for some of us.

Anyway- I'm back on BCPs now and just trying to look to the future. It is a bummer but we will get through it! Good luck to you in your next go-round. It will all be worth it in the end.

[hockeylover]

Hope4Light, I'm so sorry to hear that your retrieval got cancelled. But I do remember that my RE said that hyperstimulation is a possibility. When I did my IVF, I didn't hyperstim but similar to Perdita, when we got to the transfer moment, they told us that 7 out of our 8 fertilized eggs that were genetically tested, were abnormal therefore not viable for transfer.

Does your doctor have any explanation for the hyper stim? Regardless of cost (which is just as disappointing as it is annoying), is there a way for you to do another cycle with adjusted meds? I hope he can come up with a proper of combination so that you're successful next time. My heart goes out to you. I'm really sorry that you and DH have to go through this situation.

[hope4light]

We have been very lucky in that our insurance covers the 'diagnostic' parts of what we are going through, plus some of the drugs. So, they have picked up the u/s's, the blood draws, and some of the meds. It has really taken some of the strain off of us financially, although we obviously are still having to pay a pretty penny... and of course once all is said and done they don't cover the actual procedure. With that luck on our side, we are going to try again... RE said 6-8 weeks, and it's been about a week and 1/2. So, we're getting to where we can try again. He's going to adjust the meds and we'll go from there.

Actually the RE was surprised that I had such a response to the meds. He started me at 2.5 ampules of repronex for 2 days, then 2 ampules for 3 days, then 1.5 for 1 day, then 1 ampule... he thought that dropping down to 1.5 and 1 would slow me down but my body was just as pumped as it was on the 2.5. He said most people that get down that low their eggs will just die off, but not me! He said part of it might be my size (I'm petite), but otherwise they couldn't really say why I overresponded to such a small dosage of meds. But of course at least we all know that means I respond! I'm curious to see how he will adjust them, but I've got to make it through at least the next 4 1/2 weeks first.

Clementine99 - I'm so sorry to hear about your cancelled cycle. Sounds like we are at about the same point. When is your RE going to start you again? I agree, it is very difficult when you get so close, I can't imagine getting through the retrieval to not have it work out before your body has the chance to handle them after transfer....

[YummyYarnAddict]

Every person is different and even though they try to gauge response to stims by things like lab results, they really can't -- the only real "test" is to put you on stims. With me, they gauged my stim dose by my age and there's no way I could have tolerated 2.5 amps! I'm not petite either at 5'8" and 145lbs. When I did my most recent stim cycle at ... (how old WAS I?) 36.5yo... they had to start me on 1.5 amps and dropped me to 1amp and I stimmed for 10 days. Then I got 34 eggs at retrieval and 26 were mature. My e2 was very high and they did a freeze all and wouldn't let me go to transfer because I have a history of OHSS. The other thing we did that cycle was to use Luveris instead of Repronex because with Repronex for a 75IU dose you're actually getting 150IUs total because it's a combo drug of 75IUs of FSH and 75IUs of LH and with the Luveris you're just getting 75IUs of FSH.

My e2 started off nice and slow on 1.5 amps of stims but when my follies reached a certain size my e2 started to double and even when they dropped it to 1 amp it kept doubling. I have a friend who uses a much higher dose of stims who is much younger and thinner and she barely gets 6 follies.

I wish this journey could be easier for everyone.

[goblue]

My cycle got cancelled on Sunday

My heart went out to everyone who posted on this thread. My IVF cycle got cancelled on Sunday, and I was supposed to go through retrieval within 2-3 days. It was devastasting and I cried (sorry, blubbered) for hours. I also had many follicles (around 25-30) and they were on the small side but over the weekend my estrogen level jumped to over 5000 so the cycle was cancelled. It came as such a shock because the whole time I thought everything was going great.

hope4light, it sounds like such a similar story to yours which is why I wanted to write back. My husband and I are going through IVF because of a male issue. As for next steps, I'm on prometrium for 10 days, then should get a period within 5-10 days after the last day of prometrium. Then, it starts all over wtih BCP and Lupron and all that fun stuff. I'll probably go through retrival the last week of april if all goes as planned. My doctor says the next cycle should go better now that they know my body is so sensitive to the meds.

Stay strong.

[hope4light]

Originally Posted by goblue

My heart went out to everyone who posted on this thread. My IVF cycle got cancelled on Sunday, and I was supposed to go through retrieval within 2-3 days. It was devastasting and I cried (sorry, blubbered) for hours. I also had many follicles (around 25-30) and they were on the small side but over the weekend my estrogen level jumped to over 5000 so the cycle was cancelled. It came as such a shock because the whole time I thought everything was going great.

hope4light, it sounds like such a similar story to yours which is why I wanted to write back. My husband and I are going through IVF because of a male issue. As for next steps, I'm on prometrium for 10 days, then should get a period within 5-10 days after the last day of prometrium. Then, it starts all over wtih BCP and Lupron and all that fun stuff. I'll probably go through retrival the last week of april if all goes as planned. My doctor says the next cycle should go better now that they know my body is so sensitive to the meds.

Stay strong.

I am so sorry to hear that your cycle was cancelled as well. That really sucks. I know what you mean though, I blubbered for hours too. I think the only thing that made me smile within that few days was when dh, trying to be funny and being somewhat successful, said to me 'you always have to be an overachiever, don't you?!' I am hoping that after the wait while my body attempts to regulate itself, that round 2 will put my retrieval at the end of April or beginning of May.

YummyYarnAddict - it's nice to find someone else that used such a low does also... I really was beginning to think that there was something wrong with me - even though I know there isn't. Just one of those things, I think needing to know why and when there's no answer you simply blame yourself.

At least we all have each other!

[goblue]

hope4light, just checking in to see how things are going for you. I got back from a consult with my RE. He said they are going to change my meds protocol. The cancelled cycle had me on Gonal-F and Lupron, so this time around it will be Gonal-F and Menopur (not sure about the Lupron), and also they are going to back off the dosages. He says the Menopur will help with focusing on the good big eggs, and letting the little guys back off (sorry for the lack of medical terminology there).

I got my period yesterday, despite being on prometrium, so on Friday I start BCP. I'm also starting to do acupuncture; my husband is going to start as well (since technically it's a male issue we are dealing with).

Any new news with you? Hope the last week went better for you.

[hope4light]

Originally Posted by goblue

hope4light, just checking in to see how things are going for you. I got back from a consult with my RE. He said they are going to change my meds protocol. The cancelled cycle had me on Gonal-F and Lupron, so this time around it will be Gonal-F and Menopur (not sure about the Lupron), and also they are going to back off the dosages. He says the Menopur will help with focusing on the good big eggs, and letting the little guys back off (sorry for the lack of medical terminology there).

I got my period yesterday, despite being on prometrium, so on Friday I start BCP. I'm also starting to do acupuncture; my husband is going to start as well (since technically it's a male issue we are dealing with).

Any new news with you? Hope the last week went better for you.

I'm not sure how he is going to change up my meds yet, but I know that he is. I came off the lupron on the 27th (cycle was cancelled on the 23rd), and AF showed up on 3/2. Not too bad considering they expected it to be quite a while before AF showed considering how my body responded. Now I'm just in the waiting period to start again... he's letting my body hang out natural, no meds, for about another 3 weeks. Then we'll go from there...

I think that some days are good, and then some days are really bad. I'm finally getting over the cancellation (I think I am anyways), but then it's just back to dealing with the anxiety and some loss of hope over the whole IF thing in general. I had a dream the other night that we had gone through a whole bunch of cancelled cycles and failed IVF's... it was a bad nightmare to wake up from....

How are you hanging in? Do you know yet when you'll start back up with the meds?

[goblue]

Hope4light, that is so great your AF came as soon as it did. Mine was the same way. But the three weeks of waiting absolutely sucks. How are you passing the time? I find myself getting obsessed about reading as much as I can about the next steps and the next round of IVF. I'm sorry you had such a bad dream about IVF. There's no arguing that it is a mental, physical and spiritual process and is completely exhausting. Do you do yoga or acupuncture? It might help calm the mind (which is a huge part of the battle right now!)

I did get my calendar for next cycle and I start Lupron on april 4th, and Menopur/Gonal F on the 15th, for retrieval (assuming no more hyperstimulation) week of April 27th. Sounds like you and I are close on schedule. I'm also supposed to do ICSI too, by the way.

Keep me posted and hang in there. Let's hope these next three weeks zoom by quickly!!

[hope4light]

I'm glad it came quickly too, it makes me feel like everything is still doing what it is supposed to be doing if you know what I mean. I feel obsessed about everything.... I swear that I'm not just counting the days, but counting the minutes... no wait, I'm counting the seconds... I know that's no good, it doesn't help, but what am I supposed to do, you know?! Sorry... today's one of those bad days... just feeling a little down and lost... but I know that I'll get past it, but that doesn't help when you are feeling that way. When a song comes on the radio and you just want to break down and cry and you can't even really say why. Maybe they're singing about kids, or being pregnant, or the joys of being a parent... or something...

I do yoga, but I had taken a few weeks off when I was on the meds because I was SO drained from them... I literally got up, went to work, came home and had dinner, then pretty much went to bed. there were days when dh had to wake me up to take my shots.... it was really bad. I haven't done acupuncture, there isn't really any anywhere near me that I have been able to find yet. I would like to though.

I'm glad you have your calendar! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you. Good luck, and I hope for both of our sakes that it flies by!