High FSH: an Excuse to Send Patients Away
It is really hard, if not impossible to become pregnant with a high FSH level. The number of quality eggs is just too low. But some people defy the odds.
Many fertility centers don’t like to treat women with elevated FSH levels because the odds of pregnancy are lower, thus lower statistics, and it’s frustrating for the physician to deal with failure. But I believe there needs to be a little more wiggle room when it comes to FSH levels.
Some doctors say once there is one elevated FSH, it's over. This is not true. FSH levels go up and down from cycle to cycle(could be by a few points), so one elevation, along with other levels that are in the normal range, does not mean sterility. Therefore, I always repeat levels when the first reading is high. (I do have to say that repeatedly high levels are a very bad sign and should not be ignored.)
Here are today’s examples.
A 43 year old woman came back after having her first baby with IVF. Her FSH was 14.6, over the 12.4 limit at NYU. I repeated the level and it was 12.1. We started an IVF cycle with a level of 12.8, slightly over my limit, but I felt there was wiggle room and wanted to give her a shot. She had a successful cycle.
Unfortunately, not all of the stories are as hopeful.
A 39 year old had a day 3 FSH level of 10. This is borderline but good enough. I started her IVF cycle with a level of 12.5, very slightly over my limit. Despite 7 days of high dose fertility drugs, she didn’t make one egg and was cancelled.
The point I want to emphasize is that FSH is a far from perfect predictor of outcome. A low level does not guarantee pregnancy. An elevated level may be bad news, however women should not be overly discouraged when a single blood test shows a high level. Repeating the test is very important, as is making attempts at pregnancy when the levels are borderline.
Next time I want to clarify the estradiol level and give my opinion on protocols to lower FSH levels.
Many fertility centers don’t like to treat women with elevated FSH levels because the odds of pregnancy are lower, thus lower statistics, and it’s frustrating for the physician to deal with failure. But I believe there needs to be a little more wiggle room when it comes to FSH levels.
Some doctors say once there is one elevated FSH, it's over. This is not true. FSH levels go up and down from cycle to cycle(could be by a few points), so one elevation, along with other levels that are in the normal range, does not mean sterility. Therefore, I always repeat levels when the first reading is high. (I do have to say that repeatedly high levels are a very bad sign and should not be ignored.)
Here are today’s examples.
A 43 year old woman came back after having her first baby with IVF. Her FSH was 14.6, over the 12.4 limit at NYU. I repeated the level and it was 12.1. We started an IVF cycle with a level of 12.8, slightly over my limit, but I felt there was wiggle room and wanted to give her a shot. She had a successful cycle.
Unfortunately, not all of the stories are as hopeful.
A 39 year old had a day 3 FSH level of 10. This is borderline but good enough. I started her IVF cycle with a level of 12.5, very slightly over my limit. Despite 7 days of high dose fertility drugs, she didn’t make one egg and was cancelled.
The point I want to emphasize is that FSH is a far from perfect predictor of outcome. A low level does not guarantee pregnancy. An elevated level may be bad news, however women should not be overly discouraged when a single blood test shows a high level. Repeating the test is very important, as is making attempts at pregnancy when the levels are borderline.
Next time I want to clarify the estradiol level and give my opinion on protocols to lower FSH levels.
posted by Dr. Licciardi at 5:03 AM
76 Comments:
I wanted to say thank you for starting this blog. I am currently, and have been for over a year now, a patient at NYUIVF under another doctor's care. I am 31 years old and I am a high FSHer. My levels never tested below the NYU lab criteria and my husband I decided after 5 months of testing to call it quits on the hopes of IVF with my egss. We have moved on to the donor egg program and have been waiting for 7 months for a donor match - looking forward to the call from Jill saying that a donor is ready!
Anyway, I wanted to say thank you for starting this blog. You seem like a doctor who truly cares about his patients. Can't wait for further posts and I will try to comment where I can with my experiences for other readers.
I am 39 years old and desperately want to conceive. I just found out that my FSH level is 26 and my doctor said that I'll probably never conceive. I have no children and am the eldest in a family of 13, so I thought that genetically things would be okay. Is there any chance I could conceive naturally?
Great blog! Thanks. Wanted to add that I was diagnosed with high FSH after doing the CCCT. Day 3 FSh was 13.1 and day 10 FSH was 18.4. Not good. Nonetheless my RE let me repeat the test. This time CD 3 was 10.1, and CD 10 was 4.1. Quite different results. A few cycles later I did an IVF/ICSI cycle (we have MFI- antisperm antibodies after a vas. reversal). I was on the microdose Lupron flare protocl, as I was deemed likely to be a poor responder. At retrieval we got 11 eggs, 10 of which were mature. Of these 7 fertilized normally. According to the embriology lab, we had excellent looking embryos. Ended up with 6 eight celled great looking embryos. All of which is to say, high FSH is not an absolute!
Your explanination of FSH is written in simple language where you dont have to be doctor to understand. I am intersted in what you will have to say further on the subject and perhaps could you add what a woman can do to improve this if anything...less stress, sleep or whatever. Waiting your reply.
Please tell me how to lower my FSH please. I tried IVF at FSH 16 but I got only 4 eggs and all was bad quality..PLease tell me to lower it . I'm 32 Thank you
roco said... please tell what i can do to lower my high fsh. my doctor said i would have to get a donnor egg. i am 42 thanks. he also said it will cost me about $25000. please help me.
Hi,
I'm 49, had my last child when I was 41 naturally and recently did the CCT. My FSH levels were within the "normal" range (but on the higher end of the normal range). Doc tells me that given my age, I should go for donor egg. What do you think?
I was tested in January and April this year - my first reading was 13.5 (but was taken on day 6) and the second reading was 17 (taken on day 2). My doctor said i needed to hurry up if i wanted children as i turned 38 in June. I basically fell pregnant the first time we tried and i am now 13 weeks and my scan came back normal - i would like to encourage everyone as the results are not always conclusive - so dont give up and put your faith in God!
Hi, I just turned 41 and was starting IVF treatment. I had my day 2 FSH taken and it was at 11.5. I also came to find out that my TSH was 8.8 which in turn they put me on synroid. I did the CCCT and I failed. I was told by my doctor that he would not go forward with IVF and I must use a donor egg. After reading some of these blogs I cannot believe that one FSH reading led him to believe that I needed a donor egg. I just had an ectopic pregnancy in April 2006 so apparently my eggs are still good - the egg just landed in the wrong place! Come to find out after the fact my tube was narrowed. Should I just give up with a FSH of 11.5?
I think you should mention that research indicates that elevated (still under 20) FSH can have other causes and new research from the Netherlands indicate that Ovarian Volume is a better predictor of success.
Other "causes" of high FSH that may NOT indicate DOR or POF:
-- Familial twinning.
-- Cimetidine use
-- Clomid (And we DO NOT know how long it stays in tissue!)
-- Several immune disorders - including early Hashimoto's disease.
Doctors are doing a great disservice to patients when they don't investigate what is going on to cause the high FSH.
I went to a new RE because my research showed that due to the fact I had familial twinning on both sides - and no relatives who went through menopause before 60! I also was taking cimetidine. Oh, and I have immune (allergies) issues. The kind that makes an allergist worry about you walking out the door of his/her office.
If you can't tell, I'm irritated by the cookie cutter way I was treated initially. Thank goodness I found someone who ACTUALLY looked at my medical history!
I am 28 years old, trying to conceive for 4 years. After thinking we had only a male factor we sought out a fertility clinic. My first Day 3 hormones showed elevated TSH & Prolactin so after retesting 3 days later they came back normal, but never looked at the FSH. 1 month later I had Day 3 done again for the clomid challenge and was told that my FSH was elevated 13.7, just under the limit of 14. I had 10 follicles on my ovaries at Day 3. I looked back last month and my FSH was 14.5. Is it over for me?????
hi i am 48 yrs young my fsh level is very high 52.3, i really want to have a baby, my exhusband and i went back together, is it to late for me to have a baby.
I am 23 and have a 18 month old. I went to donate my eggs and found out the my fsh level was 17.5. They retested the next day to make sure it wasn't an error. The next day it was a 16. The doctor told me if I want anymore children to try now because he doesn't know if I'll be able to have anymore. That was 5 months ago and I am now pregnant!! I guess I beat the odds twice.
I have been so confused about FSH levels and other terms associated with infertility that I am getting very frustrated. My daughter is 42 and her FSH level is 26. She had been celibate for 15 yrs, then found the right man in 2006. Now the fertility doctor she has been seeing is telling her she cannot conceive. As you can imagine, she was devestated. Please tell me if there is any hope for her, she will be a wonderful Christian mommy. PLEASE HELP!!!!
i have a FSH level of 14.2 ... my RE said that "I was still on the boat" He put me on clomid for days 3-7 and ovidrel injection before my iui on 2/11
i concived twice before ... aug 05 and jan 06 ..mc for both
keeping my chin up :)
I am 36 years old. 2 years ago I had a baby by IVF, my FSH was 14.5 I practiced a FSH test 2 weeks ago and it came 19.5. My Dr said that my chances of getting pregnant again was only 10%.
I don't know if it's worth it to get another IVF with such low chances, can you helpme please?
I am 36 years old. 2 years ago I had a baby by IVF, my FSH was 14.5 I practiced a FSH test 2 weeks ago and it came 19.5. My Dr said that my chances of getting pregnant again was only 10%.
I don't know if it's worth it to get another IVF with such low chances, can you helpme please?
Hi,
I'm 33 years old. Have only one overy. I have decided to make IVF , so I strated checking if my FSH is normal. Ususally I have very regular cycle but last two months I had follicular cyst and my cycle were irregular , only 17 days interval. So this monthe on day 3 cycle I made an ultrasound that confirmed that my cyst was dissolved. On the same day I made estrodiol and FSH test. Today I got the answer and I'm socked my estradiol is around 85 and my FSH is 17,4. I lost all the hope. Is it possible that my irregula cycle is the cause of my high FSH, as I before have very regula28 days cycle and now it was only 17 days, maybe it was not the right time for the test? I would be very happy to hear some opinions.
You are correct by saying that a woman should not be too disillusioned from having ONE High FSH test result.
Back when I was 36, I tried to conceive by that point for about 2 years. I had a miscarriage with a pregnancy that I obtained after 16 months of TTC. We tried for another year until we sought a fertility clinic.
Here, we found that I tested high for FSH at a level of 17.6. Still not giving up hope, I chose a high stim cycle and needed high doses of Gonal F! The baseline u/s showed 3 antral follicles, which the tech said isn't surprising for someone my age, 36. We did a double IUI with the high stim cycle which produced 4 or 5 ripe follicles, but it failed.
We moved on to our next goal, building a house, and accepted we would probably not have children.
When I was feeling particularly sore breasts about midcycle, I decided on a whim to wake my husband up at 1 am two nights in a row, for babymaking, laughing at yet another fruitless attempt....And, voila... to our surprise we GOT PREGNANT that month!
I was 37 years old, almost 38, and I had a great, noneventful pregnancy. I delivered a healthy, beautiful baby girl, naturally and without an epidural.
It takes longer to conceive with High FSH but it's definitely possible! There is so much money wasted at fertility clinics that really try to help, but most of the time people should put their faith in God and find other things to make them happy in life in the meantime.
We would love to have another child, and we will probably try for about a year, as I just turned 39. We're very happy and have again, put our faith into God and are letting it up to Him whether we are given another sweet baby to grace our lives...
I am 29 years old and I have been trying for about 3 years now. My FSH level was at 11 one year ago and they just tested my day 3 again....still waiting on the results. My doctor says that this is not normal for a 29 year old and that I should start moving forward with IVF. What can I do to increase the health of my eggs. My husband and I would really like to try to have a child naturally. Thank you.
I am 29 years old. My day 2 FSH came out elevated level 14. All my other hormone levels are in range. There are male fertility issues as well. Is IVF not even an option for me? I am getting my level re-tested next month. I want IVF to work so bad!
Thank you so much for starting this blog.I am 33 years old and have been on IVF since I turned 32. I have had 2 IU and 3 IVF cycles. The first IVF cycle with 150 units of goanlf F resulted in only 2 eggs and only one egg got fertilised in the dish and no pregnancy. The 2nd cycle resulted on only one egg and I fell pregnant but miscarried. My 3rd cycle with a FSH level of 7.4 resulted in 7 mature eggs but no eggs got fertilised in the dish! I was completely devastated! This time the Dr rec. ICSI..he should have rec ICSI in the first place knowing my history with low number of eggs.My last FSH test was 13.5 so we could not go ahead with the cycle. Is it normal to have a high FSH after a stimulated cycle?I am praying everyday that my FSH levels will come back to normal so we don't waste time. Please everybody don't give up hope and pray steadfastly to God.
I AM 30 YEARS OLD, HAVE PRIMARY AMMENORHEA, HAVE MENS WITH ONLY BIRTH CONTROLL PILLS THAT I TAKE REGULARLY FOR PAST 3 YEARS NOW. MY FSH IS 91. VERY RARE SITUATION. I STARTED ACUPUNCTURE, I DRINK SPECIALLY PREPARED HERBS. THEY ARE GIVING ME THE HOPE, THAT I HAVE A CHANCE.
I am obsessively waiting for my next cycle so I can get my FSH tested again..I am keeping my fingers crossed and praying persistently that my FSH levels will be below 10 it was 13.5 with the last test.I am so scared that I may never have a biological child with my husband. I cry sporadically and finding it very hard to cope with all this stress.
I have had two cycles of IVF the first resulted in a positive pregnancey but mc at 9 weeks. The second IVF cycle was a Bio chemical pregnancy. I'm thinking of a third IVF cycle however this time my day 2 FSH has come high about 14.2 in the earlier two cycles it was about 8.5. Do I still have hope. There is also a male factor problem, so we need an ICSI .
I had my first FSH test at 37 years of age. It was 87! Since then my FSH has never been below 75 and has been as high as 107. I concieved naturally at 41 and gave birth at 42, to a beautiful healthy boy. I am now 43 years old. It isn't impossible.
Can excercising and weight loss cause you to have higher FSH levels?
Respected sir,
I am a women of 33years of age and is newly married.My FSH leval is 10.7.and LH is 11.8.my fallicals are very small ranging from 12-18 as per cycle.Can I carry a Baby of my own?(Can I be a mother of my own child?)
I am 41 with a day 3 fsh of 21. I had a health baby girl at age 39. Dr. said chances of natural pregnancy now are low, but I will be taking clomid, 25 mg., to increase my chances. He is unwilling to do IUI or IVF. I am hopeful for another pregnancy based on others' comments on this site. I am currently trying acupuncture and herbal supplements.
I am 33yrs, had my first child at 30 and second at 32 but since then i have not been able to conceive.What can be wrong. could i have suddenly develop high FSH
Three days ago, I made my 1st IVF cycle. I have only one ovary. During the stimulation everything was going well, I had 5 grown follicles and my Estradile was going up. Everything seemed fine, but after the retrival I was told that not a single egg was retrived. I was really shocked. I could not image that it could happen. During the stimulation I had a very strong breast pain that still last. Does anybody know the reason why it happned? Can it be the doctor's mistake? Thanks for your reply. By the way I was told by them that they had similar cases with other paitent too.
I am in desperate need for some answers, has any one had a CCCT with a high FSH on day three and a normal one on day 10? I had a 12.3 on my day3 and a 8.9 on my day 10. I've searched the web for this and there is no info, only if it's highr on day 10. Please if anyone knoews what this means write me back.
cristina
I am 30 years old. I recently miscarried at 6 weeks. My FSH level is 14.76 - tested on day 2 of my first menstrual cycle after my miscarriage. I read on the net that such a high FSH means I cannot have a baby without IVF. Is this true? I am wondering what could have gone wrong with me as I am only 30 and have always had regular periods with no complications. Doctor, Pls advise what are my chances of conceiving a healthy baby without any fertility treatments
If anyone can help me, please respond to this post. I am 27 years old and want desperately to have MY OWN child. I just had my first FSH done, and my level was at 19.8. Are there supplements I cn take to lower my FSH? Does it fluctuate on it's own? Is there a reason to continue to hope that I may still be able to have a baby with my eggs? Can I ask my RE to retest my FSH levels? Any answers to these questions would be so appreciated! Right now, I can't quit crying and the sadness I feel is all encompassing. Please help me if you can!
I am 28 years old and my husband and i have been trying to concieve for 1+ year. I do not drink or smoke..gained about 40 pounds in last two years. most likely due to bad eating habbits , lack of exercise and stress at work. I recently was told that my fsh is 24.3 and i am totally devastated.
I have an appointment with a fertility specialist in 2 weeks but don't know if she will be willing to work with a high fsh patient..this is all very depressing.if anyone has any postive info please share your story.
I just wanted to say that I decided to adopt and we now have a gorgeous baby boy. I am so happy and relieved not to have to worry about FSH levels. Good luck to all of you and thanks for your support.
Hi, Iam 32 years old but unfortunately i was diagnosed with POF, My first FSH test was elevated to 189 and i was so happy finding out that my FSH drops down to 76 after a year. I had clomid before to try our luck but it still didn't work. I had read all your FSH levels and it seems like i really have no chance of getting pregnant. If there is somebody that can help me to drop down my FSH will be a great gift for us. We are trying right now and hoping that someday, i will have one baby that i can call my own. Please be happy for you guys have lower FSH than mine.
I wish I would have read this blog 11 months ago when I was chased (yes. that's exactly how I felt) out of a fertility clinic for my high FSH in response to the CCT. I was given the diagnosis of sterility and prognosis for early menopause. Today, I am pregnant. I pray for a healthy baby and am trying to forget the devastating words of those fertility clinic doctors, but it does effect my psyche. I am mostly happy and hopeful but I would like to say to any fertility clinic staff reading this; you have immense power by your interpretation of data based on a few studies. When you tell a woman who wants to continue bearing children, she is sterile, you are causing harm, which you have vowed not to do. I believe that the reason so many women are so confused by FSH and its role in fertility is because there are variables that even the scientific community does not fully understand; yet many 'professionals are providing the information as if it is unwavering fact; and intelligent people can pick up on the incongruency. I am yet another example of many that I have read about where, yes it took a while, but I acheived a pregancy after that horrible diagnosis!
I am 26, tried to have a baby for over a year. I just found out my FSH level is 11.7 on day 3, 47.1 on day 10, 67.4 on day 20. Is there any chance I could conceive? Please help.
I am so thankful to have found this site. I have a FSH day 3 level of 11.8. I am moving forward with IVF though I have been told my chances of conception are slim.
Is there any advice that could help my IVF turn out better results?
It was so comforting to read these messages. I am 41 and have had 2 unsuccessful IUI's. Just had my FSH checked yesterday and was at 13, up from 11.5 in October. I was devastated and am now terrified I'll never get pregnant. If anyone is in a similar over-aged maternal situation and wants to correspond, please email me at minxieknapp@gmail.com. Thanks!
Hi, I am 40 and had a day-3 FSH of 18.7 and an antral follicle count of 8. B/c the clinic strictly adhered to the FSH number, they "kicked" me out of their program, despite the promising antral follicle count. In that same month, my husband and I returned to the old school basal temp method of tracking my ovulation and timed sex accordingly. We were successful. I am at 5 weeks (the fetus is 20 days) so we're still not out of the woods yet, but we have renewed hope in our fertility (and of course, hope this pregnancy holds!). Good luck everyone.
Don't put off donor egg IVF. It may be illegal soon in the United States.
Yes, I understand many women want a baby with their own genetics. But if that's not possible, it would be devastating to find out that donor egg IVF is no longer an option either.
I was suprised to find out my fsh was out of the normal range on my day 3 test - 10.7. I'm 42 but my mom had me at 45 and my sister conceived her daughter (naturally) at 42 and gave birth at 43. I just assumed I'd follow suit but according to my doctor and all the literature I've read, there isn't much hope once your fsh is above 10 and you're over 40. I feel so discouraged now but I don't want to give up. We actually ended up at the fertility clinic because of my husband's no live sperm report and not because of any problem I was having.
Is there any way to lower fsh? What about Chinese herbs and acupuncture? I'm otherwise very healthy and "young". I can't believe I'm too old to have a baby.
HI everyone. I wanted to say that this is a wonderful blog. I would of never found this blog if I didn't find out that I have a high FSH level. Anyways, I have two wonderful children, a boy who is 14 and a little girl who is 5. I thought I was done, but after she turned 3 I really started thinking of another baby. I loved being pregnant and wanted that feeling again. Then my daughter started asking for a little baby, that didn't make matters any better. Anyways, we tried for over 1 1/2 years and nothing. A fertility doctor told us that with a high FSH , ( 20 at day 3) that it would be very hard for us to conceive again. So I did all the clomid and one IUF. Well nothing happen and we gave up! I just couldn't take any more pregnancy test. Well, just the other day I was late with my cycle, didn't want to get my hopes up and thought it was just a cruel joke my body was playing on me, needless to say I am pregnant. How, I have NO idea. lol We are waiting for our first ultrasound on April 16th.I am very worried and just hope that all will go well,,,,PS I am 38 years old.
HI everyone. I wanted to say that this is a wonderful blog. I would of never found this blog if I didn't find out that I have a high FSH level. Anyways, I have two wonderful children, a boy who is 14 and a little girl who is 5. I thought I was done, but after she turned 3 I really started thinking of another baby. I loved being pregnant and wanted that feeling again. Then my daughter started asking for a little baby, that didn't make matters any better. Anyways, we tried for over 1 1/2 years and nothing. A fertility doctor told us that with a high FSH , ( 20 at day 3) that it would be very hard for us to conceive again. So I did all the clomid and one IUF. Well nothing happen and we gave up! I just couldn't take any more pregnancy test. Well, just the other day I was late with my cycle, didn't want to get my hopes up and thought it was just a cruel joke my body was playing on me, needless to say I am pregnant. How, I have NO idea. lol We are waiting for our first ultrasound on April 16th.I am very worried and just hope that all will go well,,,,PS I am 38 years old.
Hi- I'm 29years old and have a sterility problem due to hydrosalpinx - I have started the procedure for IVF and my level for FSH was 13.7 on day 4 in Jan, and 14.6 in March......what chances do I have? I will make a laparoscopy next week for hydrosalpinx which I tought it was my only problem...
Please help!
My FSH is only 5.7 and i did IVF 3 times, but it is not sucessful. i am going to do it again in May. This time is with a new dr. My dr has medication which is made from his formula. you can't order anywhere. He told me this medication can help lower level of FSH. i don't need to take it, but i just want to help you guy to lower FSH. He told me he will public paper soon. the name of medication is Fertinelle. You can call this number 1-866-337-6464
Hi everyone, my heart goes out to all of you because I'm 27 and also have a high FSH my highest day 3 being 12.9 and day 10 clomed challenge test being an 8.9 I don't understand how my day 10 was normal. I did IVF and had 7 mature eggs 4 which fertilized, 3 implanted, and no luck I've had numerous FSH testing all which have fluctuated, my most recent being a 9 Normal before IVF. I had done acupuncture and I have been taking some herb blend called "fertility blend" (people swear by them) I also take "false unicorn root", which I heard also helps with fertility. It takes 3 months of taking them to kick in and I feel like my most recent ovulatory cycle was really nice due to the consistancy of my sevical mucus, (excuse the grafic content) never had I had so much and it was just so stretchy!!! I feel so far so good and I just know in my heart that it's working!!!! This is for all of you who want to lower your FSH.
MUST READ THIS AND THE COMMENTBEFORE THIS ONE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!oh and also my hubby has low sperm count and he went from 0 to 1.5 million in like a month with "cell protector" GNC sells the cell protector,and fertility blend, but the false unicorn you'll probablly have to order online. My husbands brother also had low sperm count and took these for months, he was told to do IVF with donor sperm, they got pregers naturally. 100% sure "Cell Protector" works!!!! for men and woman!!!
Doctor my last tested FSH level was 19.5 however I produced 4 eggs after gonal F injections of 300. 4 eggs were collected and all 4 fertilized. 2 embryo's ( 8 cell and 5 cell)were transferred as per UK law as I am below 40 years of age. However the embryo's did not fertilize. Do you think this is a sign that my embryo quality will always be poor and chances of implamtation are very low?
Hi and I am very happy that we have these websites to hear about women and all of the common stories that we share. I only discovered this website, along with others until I was diagnosed with a high FSH (19) and was simultaneously told I would need an egg donor or IVF. I went as far as to meet with a fertility specialist only to find out that at 40, with such a high level, it would be very difficult to conceive all on our own. Interestingly enough my husband and I decided we would take it easy, try to adopt and not worry about it. If we got pregnant naturally, great, if we didn't, it was not meant to be. 3 months later, without any assistance at all, I got pregnant. In fact, I am 3 weeks away from the due date and in spite of every test that modern medicine can give me to make sure my advanced maternal age isn't affecting the baby, it has been a great pregnancy. In conclusion, I no longer have the faith in modern medicine that I used to have. I followed every recommendation my doctors would give me until this pregnancy and now that I am pregnant I realize that pregnancy is so different for every woman that there is no true science as to why one woman will get pregnant and another will not. Don't lose hope. In fact, I anticipated such a horrible pregnancy when in fact now the doctors are telling me how well nourished and healthy the baby is and that I should do yet another glucose test because the baby's belly is big. It weighs 7 lbs 10 ounces and they anticipate it possibly weighing 9 lbs. While you may have many reasons to make decisions based on what your doctors tell you, don't forget that even your doctor can't be 100% sure and the bottom line is that doctors are still businessmen who have absolutely no problem maintaining you as a patient. I think that it is such an emotional issue for us patients that we forget that. Good luck and may you each be pleasantly surprised with what you are looking for!
thanks so much for this information. i was told with an fsh of 10 my only option was ivf/donor egg, but to the glory of God i concieved naturally with twins in the month i was billed to undergo treatment. Trust in God is the beginning of wisdom.
Ladies, i had high FSH and i did accupuncture with an herb to help my blood flow - and was pregnant in 2 months - after 5 years of trying! Don't give up on nature or GOD!
I just wanted to say thank-you so much for setting up this blog. It gives hope to so many, like me! I am 31 years old, have had 2 failed IVF cycles with an FSH fluctuating between 10 and 14.5. My doctor has suggested that I may have early menopause and suggested not doing another IVF treatment but rather donor eggs. I am currently taking agnus cactus to help lower the FSH level. I look forward to your next update on how to lower fsh. Best wishes, Caroline
I'm 22 and just got my first results back and my fsh levels are at 23.5. Going back for testing next month and going to get a second opinion. Taken back to say the least. I'm only 22.
Just to say that I had a FSH of 19 was turned away from a fertility centre in London. I took Agnus Castus (self prescribed) for 2 cycles and then had my FSH done via another clinic - it came down to a perfect 6. I then went onto have a beautiful daughter who is now 4 years old. I went back to the same clinic 2 years later, had another test reading 14. I took my Agnus Castus which brought my FSH down to 6. I underwent ICSI (only 1 egg was retrieved) and the result was a second beautiful baby girl... So personal wisdom - don't believe a word FSH doom and gloom clinics tell you... Take agnus castus and see what it does for you and good luck. Off to try for number 3...!xx
Is there anybody going to make IVF with donor sperm? if yes ,how do you feel? This is the only option for us but I feel very strange, I can not live in lie all my life. What should I say to the future child?
hi there. i was tested with a fsh of 12 this cycle and a level of 2 in may. two months ago i took the morning after pill. could that be responsible for my high fsh level....
You guys have given me such hope! Thankyou! I am 38 and have not yet found the right man. I have always eaten well, kept fit and do yoga so I thought I would have a very healthy level of fertility. It came as a shock when I had a blood test which showed FSH12.1. A blood test the next month showed 9.1. I was told that I had the fertility of a 45 year old. As you can imagine it was pretty despressing to hear this as I have always wanted a family.
My gut feeling is to have lots of sex if you're in the mood as that's when you're most likely to conceive. The body tells us things, we just have to listen.
I know this is an old post, but hoping to get some answers regarding FSH and AMH. My day 3 FSH was 9.5 in July 2007. My doc didn't flag it back then. In July 2008 it was 11.7. They also tested my AMH in July 2008, and it was 3.3. What do these conflicting numbers mean? Which is a more telling number of ovarian reserve? FSH or AMH? Could there be a reason why the two numbers don't tell the same story? Thank you!
I hope this can help, I found a way to lower my FSH Levels in a natural way by herbal treatements.from 12-13 to 8-9 ,i am not pregnant yet but its really looking much better..
http://www.ivfherbalsupport.com
best wishes to you all!
I'm 44. 12 days ago, my CD3 FSH tested at 17, E2 92. I know this is high. But today I had an ultrasound and I have at minimum 9 follicles.
You said:
It is really hard, if not impossible to become pregnant with a high FSH level. The number of quality eggs is just too low.
But I defy this with my antral count.
What gives?
Thanks.
Dx high FSH 19.6 at age 38, conceived first child shortly after via Clomid IUI.
Started ttc#2 when DD was 7 months and I was pushing 40, racing the clock now, FSH usually in the high teens, occasionally normal (just).
7 IVFs, 2 cancelled, 4 BFNs, finally tried low stim with Dex and conceived fraternal twin girls with my own eggs at age 42.3. Don't let ANY RE decide for you whether it's "worth it" to spend your own hard-earned money, insurance coverage, time, and emotional energy trying a low odds cycle - it is up to YOU!!!! There are many high FSH friendly REs out there, good list at http://highfshinfo.com - good luck! Kiwichick
iam 35 yrs male married for the last 5 yrs with no chlid..My FSH done in the last 3 yrs is high.(above normal)MY sperm count will be only one and most of the time NIL.I had been under chemotherapy for 18 months .during 1998-1999.For the 10 yrs i was not under any chemo.
will my FSH b normal and my sperm count improve and will i get a chance to become a Dad ...fROM xyz
Hi. When I was 35 I had my day 3 FSH tested just to see if I had any more time to wait to have a baby. Despite the fact that I looked very young, it came back elevated at 10,7 with an E2 of 56. I was told to hurry up. I had never tried to conceive before I had this test. After this test result came back I did acupuncture and chinese herbs. We then conceived on the first try and the pregnancy was normal. I found out that the borderline FSH may have to do with the fact that we have two sets of fraternal twins in my family on my father's side. We are currently in our first cycle trying for number 2!
Hi, I am 42 years old. Never had children. FSH was tested as 19.5 then at 25.5. The RE told me I would have to use a donor egg. However, right after I had the 25.5 reading, and the HSG test (which showed I had some fibroids), I conceived naturally. So far everything is a-OK. I am 11 weeks along. So don't give up hope if you have high FSH! : ) Make sure to exercize, eat healthy (lots of veggies), take your vitamins especially folic acid and relax.
39 y.o. Day 3 FSH = 20.1. Told donor eggs would be our only option. Conceived naturally in the same cycle as the high FSH result.
Update- I am the poster from two posts above with FSH of 10.7. We again conceived on the first try. I am now 37.
In 2006 I had an day 3 FSH of 42 (38 years old). You know what the doctors told me. I decide to live healthier, changed my diet, did some sport. One year later, my FSH was 13,5 and shortly after that I conceived naturally my daughter, who will be 1 year old tomorrow. It seems that there are many of us out there.
hi i just turned 40 in february. in january i received the bad news that i would never be able to conceive, my fsh has been as high as 55 and as low as 3.7 and amh of 0.2. i am very depressed and stressed out. i am going thru a fertility treatment right now hoping i can get pregnant with IUI. i am on an organic diet and going to try yoga pretty soon. i am also praying to god for a miracle. i ask everyone out there to pray for me. i will be praying for you also. i am putting all my faith in God. thank you for all your advise.
I am 30 years old with an FSH of 120. The only reason is I found out is that I came off the pill and my period hasn't come back yet (been 8 months). I'm hoping for a miracle- doing acupuncture and taking chinese herbs so fingers crossed. Does anyone have any other ideas?
i am 40 now, i had 9 IVF and all failed, i had previuosly FSH over 17, i stopped thinkig about another IVF after 3 years of stopping i found my self pregenat and i got a lovly boy with the most easy pregency months,
i am trying to have a second child, trying some medicine but not IVF, i am still trying,
I am 34yrs and have one son. About 6 yrs ago I began fertility treatment. We found out that my husband had a low sperm count and low mobility. Within those years my fsh levels rose dramatically to 60. Is there anything that we can do to ceonceive naturally.
Paro
My age is 39, last year, my Doc said, my FSH level is 9, good to go for IVF, and he said, I have polyps on my uterus and a small fibroid, he asked me to use Danazol, then he removed the polyps. Now, I went to see the Doc, they did blodd work on my day 2 that too in the evening, now he says, my FSH is 15, now I have polyps.
I am surprised, does FSH increase so much in one year.If I have FSH 15, how come my Doc is considering me for IUI? why polyps are grown?
am I a good candidate for IUI? what are the chances of miscarriage since I have fibroid?
Paro
My FSH count is 54. I am 41 years old. I have never conceived. Is it possible for this FSH count to somehow go down to 9? or an acceptable level for conception? I am so confused by all this and just want to know if I am being unrealistic. Thank you for your support.
Post a Comment
<< Home