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FSH and Estradiol levels
Hi all, I posted this question on another forum and got no response but I see I was posting in the wrong place.My dilemma is as follows: I have many factors working against me in the fertility department; I am 40 years old, I just received a repeat FSH and it is 24.4 my estradiol level is 27.7. A year ago my FSH was only 9.9 but my estradiol was 80...what could cause such a reversal of results and what does the estradiol level mean in relation to the FSH level?
I had an HSG which came back normal, I had an ultrasound done last year as well which during that time my RE saw an egg which he said looked healthy being ready to be released from my left ovary (but I had not considered IUI at that time). I do not have ANY symptoms what-so-ever of PCOS or pre or peri menopause. My menstrual cycle is routine every 28-29 days on the money lasting 7 days. They are heavy and I do have bad menstrual cramps, I have 2 itty bitty fibroids <3cm on the outside of my uterus which isnt affecting any fertility issues.
My RE said that he would immediately start me on Menopur for IUI at a high dose based off of my FSH but I dont think he was counting on it being so much higher. He is on vacation and I am stressing out because I dont have answers right now. IVF is not financially feasable for me. Is there anyone who had an FSH this high who conceived via IUI? What generally are the next steps? I am headed to get fish oil and some wheat grass juice ASAP.
I had an HSG which came back normal, I had an ultrasound done last year as well which during that time my RE saw an egg which he said looked healthy being ready to be released from my left ovary (but I had not considered IUI at that time). I do not have ANY symptoms what-so-ever of PCOS or pre or peri menopause. My menstrual cycle is routine every 28-29 days on the money lasting 7 days. They are heavy and I do have bad menstrual cramps, I have 2 itty bitty fibroids <3cm on the outside of my uterus which isnt affecting any fertility issues.
My RE said that he would immediately start me on Menopur for IUI at a high dose based off of my FSH but I dont think he was counting on it being so much higher. He is on vacation and I am stressing out because I dont have answers right now. IVF is not financially feasable for me. Is there anyone who had an FSH this high who conceived via IUI? What generally are the next steps? I am headed to get fish oil and some wheat grass juice ASAP.
Oh by the way, I have TWO neighbors who both gave birth to baby boys...get this...one neighbor was 40 and the other 45!!! the 45 year old was an ooooops...so there is hope for us all. Molly Ringwald had twins at 41.
Oh my gosh Breezy thank you so much for the encouragement and I will go out and buy the clear blue easy ovulation monitor. I bought some cheap ovulation tests from walmart last month and it indicated one day that I ovulated and I had sex that day and the day before but not lil pumpkin developed. I havent started anything yet as I just got my results back a few days ago. I am to see my RE next week on july 2nd so I am praying praying praying that he gives some better news than what I interpreted. Luckily I work for Kaiser which is a HMO hospital in southern California and my GYN was totally supportive and she was the one who told me that I had at least til 42 years old.
My RE is highly regarded in his field and he told me at my first appointment that he is not even going to consider Clomid for me because of my age and he would just start me off on Menopur but he asked that I take a repeat FSH/estradiol and I did and the results were worse than before so I don't know what his game plan is going to be. I am just leaving it in Gods merciful and miraculous hands and EXPECT to get pregnant and have a baby. I have no children and I refuse to believe that they are not my blessing.
My RE is highly regarded in his field and he told me at my first appointment that he is not even going to consider Clomid for me because of my age and he would just start me off on Menopur but he asked that I take a repeat FSH/estradiol and I did and the results were worse than before so I don't know what his game plan is going to be. I am just leaving it in Gods merciful and miraculous hands and EXPECT to get pregnant and have a baby. I have no children and I refuse to believe that they are not my blessing.
I don't think you have as many factors working against you as you may have been led to believe. I started my journey right before I turned 42 and, while I don't have a success story, the doctors turned out to be wrong about a lot of stuff. My FSH was normally in the low 20s and as high as 59! I was told I had only a 1% chance of ever conceiving. I tried gonal F, clomid (which caused bad side effects for me) and IUI. They said I wasn't a candidate for IVF b/c of my high FSH and the fact that I didn't release enough eggs on the fertility drugs. I finally stopped going the the clinics because I was so sick of their constant negativity. Instead I bought the Clear Blue Easy Fertility Monitor (my BIGGEST regret in this whole journey is that I didn't buy that immediately), and then back in October (at age 43), I conceived au naturale! My doctor couldn't believe it and was negative about even that, and--I swear it--triumphant when he delivered the news that I would miscarry. Unfortunately, it did end in an early miscarriage. I started going to a new fertility clinic and shortly after I learned that one of my tubes had become completely blocked and that the other tube also appeared at least somewhat blocked (long story involving a pap smear DURING the first miscarriage) and that, "barring a miracle," I'd never conceive again. I was so devastated that we didn't even try that cycle. But then the next cycle, we did try and I conceived AGAIN. Yes, I miscarried again, but the point is that I became pregnant twice! Twice while repeatedly being told that I had only a 1% chance and that only a miracle would get me pregnant.
I know there's no simple answer or cure for our fertility issues, but I wholeheartedly believe that the clinics are most concerned with making money than seeing us with babies. They WANT you to believe it's an impossibility and that your only hope is expensive drugs and procedures and/or donor egg ($25,000+). I have two sets of friends who were having trouble conceiving so they each went the fertility clinic route. When they were beaten down from that and still not pregnant, they stopped going and that's when both of them became pregnant! One of them now has two daughters, one of whom she gave birth to earlier this month at the age of 43. The other she gave birth to at 41. My other friends are a little younger (late 30s), but they also now have two children. What worked for my older friend (the 43-year-old) was acupuncture, Chinese herbs and fertility yoga.
As for me, I'm about to turn 44. I don't have tons of hope that I'll definitely get pregnant, but we haven't stopped trying either. I really don't think it's that big of a deal that your FSH levels are in the 20s. There are women who have conceived with higher FSH levels. Check out the book Inconceivable--she's one such success story.
Good luck to all!
Breezy
I know there's no simple answer or cure for our fertility issues, but I wholeheartedly believe that the clinics are most concerned with making money than seeing us with babies. They WANT you to believe it's an impossibility and that your only hope is expensive drugs and procedures and/or donor egg ($25,000+). I have two sets of friends who were having trouble conceiving so they each went the fertility clinic route. When they were beaten down from that and still not pregnant, they stopped going and that's when both of them became pregnant! One of them now has two daughters, one of whom she gave birth to earlier this month at the age of 43. The other she gave birth to at 41. My other friends are a little younger (late 30s), but they also now have two children. What worked for my older friend (the 43-year-old) was acupuncture, Chinese herbs and fertility yoga.
As for me, I'm about to turn 44. I don't have tons of hope that I'll definitely get pregnant, but we haven't stopped trying either. I really don't think it's that big of a deal that your FSH levels are in the 20s. There are women who have conceived with higher FSH levels. Check out the book Inconceivable--she's one such success story.
Good luck to all!
Breezy
Yes I thought the estradiol level of 80 may have been suppressing the FSH level. But with an FSH of 24.4 is an indication that I am technically "supposed" to be pre-menopausal but my periods are regular and heavy and I swear I can feel an cramp when I am ovulating so I am hoping that something is incorrect. I have faith in God that this is just a scare and that children will be my blessing.
Sometimes when the Estradiol is higher like the 80 you got, it can be suppressing the FSH and making it lower. Best of luck to you!
Thats a great list. I'm taking 2 prenatals, 1 baby aspirin, omega 3, dhea, vitex, and dim.
I also took the robitussin on day 5-10.
I also took the robitussin on day 5-10.
Ya I thought the same thing on some of them. My doctor did approve of what I am taking. I don't take baby asprin but it is said that if you have miscarriages its supposed to help. I also take Prenatal Vitamins and have been for 6 months, my DH also takes folic acid.
Thank You for the list I am already taking 2 pre-natal pills a day. Some of the supplements/drugs on the list are questionable. Guanfenesin is cough syrup, royal jelly can cause palpitations, baby aspirin is a anti-platelet adhesion (blood thinner) and can cause gastric problems and bleeding. a combination of these may also cause adverse reactions. Be very careful when taking herbal supplements because many of them are not approved or regulated by the FDA as safe.
Someone sent me that list
I would go to your local herb store and buy a fertilty drops. I am taking them know besides drinking rasberry tea and Fertity Aid for women. I hope this helps.
list of herbs for infertility.
COQ10 – 120 - 200 mg - for implantation, better lining, egg quality, heart health
DHEA – 25 -75 mg - healthy eggs
Omega 369 - ~900, 400, 350 mg, respectively, anti-inflamm+egg quality, increases EWCM, supports the nervous system
B-6 – 100-200 mg daily to increase LP B Complex – for liver health, to reduce estrogen dominance
Folic acid – 1- 5 mg for egg quality vit C – 1000 mg low dose increases EWCM, large doses will dry you
Vit E
Prenatal Vitamin
Fish Oil – 1200 - 2000 mg
Evening Primrose Oil – 2000 mg until to increase EWCM, estrogenic effect
Baby Aspirin – 81 mg from day after:o: for recurrent miscarriages
Royal Jelly – 100 mg or 1 teaspoon daily
Wheatgrass – 10 pills per night, or 1 teaspoon daily
Spirulina –
Green tea (1-2 cups a day) increases fertility by 15% Zinc – egg quality
Manganese Copper
Fertile Aid
Vitex – 1000 mg in LP
Paba
Maca
Raspberry leaf tea -
uterine tonic Iron – at least 41 mg needed to make eggs
Progesterone – from day after o to build up lining
Soy Isoflavones – 160 mg from cd 5-9
Guafenesin – 2 teaspoons (10cc) 3 times daily from cd 5-9 for EWCM
list of herbs for infertility.
COQ10 – 120 - 200 mg - for implantation, better lining, egg quality, heart health
DHEA – 25 -75 mg - healthy eggs
Omega 369 - ~900, 400, 350 mg, respectively, anti-inflamm+egg quality, increases EWCM, supports the nervous system
B-6 – 100-200 mg daily to increase LP B Complex – for liver health, to reduce estrogen dominance
Folic acid – 1- 5 mg for egg quality vit C – 1000 mg low dose increases EWCM, large doses will dry you
Vit E
Prenatal Vitamin
Fish Oil – 1200 - 2000 mg
Evening Primrose Oil – 2000 mg until to increase EWCM, estrogenic effect
Baby Aspirin – 81 mg from day after:o: for recurrent miscarriages
Royal Jelly – 100 mg or 1 teaspoon daily
Wheatgrass – 10 pills per night, or 1 teaspoon daily
Spirulina –
Green tea (1-2 cups a day) increases fertility by 15% Zinc – egg quality
Manganese Copper
Fertile Aid
Vitex – 1000 mg in LP
Paba
Maca
Raspberry leaf tea -
uterine tonic Iron – at least 41 mg needed to make eggs
Progesterone – from day after o to build up lining
Soy Isoflavones – 160 mg from cd 5-9
Guafenesin – 2 teaspoons (10cc) 3 times daily from cd 5-9 for EWCM
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