Follistim - low estrogen, but growing follicles

[minamina]

Hello,
I have been trying to conceive for over a year, I have un explained infertility.

I was wondering if anyone tried Follistim & had succes with low estogen counts?

I just finished follistim, had insemination & the follicles are growing but my estrogen levels are realllly realllly low, like 67! I have to get my second hcg shot tomorrow & than wait to see if I get my period. The doctor does not really understand it, which is not very comforting. I don't have alot of faith since last time I did it my estrogen was at 300 & it didn't work...

[mamamolly]

Hi Mina, I have really low estogen/estradiol because I have hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA). And in my injection cycles (menopur) it took me over 10 days to start getting the follicles to grow and the estradiol to rise (in this past cycle it took me close to 14 days-- and I had to do 20 days of injections total. That seems to be the common pattern with those of us with HA (not always quite as long, but along these lines). But, for ours, once our follicles started to grow, the estradiol also started to rise. I haven't seen your pattern before, sorry! Is there a possibility that it was cysts and not follices that were growing? How big were the follicles when you did your IUI?

[minamina]

Hi there,
Thanks so much for replying. Well it seems my follicles & there were 7, were at 67. The endocrinologist said they should be at 1200...yikes. So, I didn't think you could even get prego with an estrogen level this low...not sure. She still did the insemination.
Just curious, do you have low body fat, I do & was wondering if this had anything to do with it?
The waiting to find out if it worked is soo painful!!!!!!

[minamina]

Hi,
I forgot to add, that is what the endocrinologist thought was soo strange, was that my follicles were growing, a good size too, but my estrogen was so low. Not so comforting when your endo can't explain why things are happening...
What is your status, are you currently awaiting results or taking any meds?

[mamamolly]

Minimina: Yeah, usually they predict that a mature follicle will have 200 estradiol-- so for multiple full-sized follicles, multiply those by 200... Maybe the estradiol test was wrong? Here's hoping that's true!

I don't have low bodyfat, but I did develop hypothalamic amennoreah (HA) during a prolonged period of weightloss. HA is generally associated with low body fat, over-exercise, and/or restrictive eating (and stress!). It's the cause of losing one's period that's associated with anorexia or athletes-- but one definitely doesn't have to be completely anorexic to get it. Women with HA generally have very low estrogen, low FSH, often low LH. Do you get a period? Has your doctor ever brought up HA? If you're very thin, no period, low estrogen, that sounds like textbook HA to me.

There's a great community of women with HA in the thread with that name. (http://www3.fertilethoughts.com/foru...d.php?t=343535) It's hard to find info about our condition and treatment on the internet, so we've really banded together. Definitely feel free to come over and join us. (And don't be overwhelmed by the huge number of posts!) Cutting back on (or stopping entirely) exercise, gaining weight, adding fat and calories to the diet have all been important to helping a lot of women with HA to get pregnant (though many of us have needed to still be treated too)

I just finished a cycle of menopur injections and had my IUI last Thursday. So, I'm in the gruelling two week wait, too!

[minamina]

Hi Mamamolly,
You are soo sweet, thanks so much for your kind reply. I know my follicles were a good size, & the doctor ran my blood tests twice cause she did not understand the estrogen levels. So hopefully I still might be prego....
Thasnks for telling me about the website. I did not have a period for 11 months, since I stopped the pill. The only way I get it is with clomid & provera. My body fat was 14, but I think it is about 19 now & I gained about 8 lbs. I'm definitely not anorexic, just super healthy, I love to eat, but I only eat food from trees, the ground, & the ocean. I lift very light weights 3x's a week & do pilates twice a week.
I definitely will look into the website you recommend, the support is so helpful & comforting.
That's funny, I had my insemination Thursday too, so here's hoping we don't get our periods in the next 14 days!!!! Fingers crossed & I hope it happens for both of us ;-)
please keep in touch, I hope the results to come are positive!

[MomZ]

When cycling I have issues with E2 levels as well. You are not alone, it is SO frusterating!
Julie

[minamina]

bc-momz Truly frustrating!!! especially when the doctor can't understand why my follicles are growing but estrogen is still so low. What are you taking now? any meds?

[triciaism]

Hi minamina,
I had that same thing happen during one of my cycles - I was at E2 179 with a folly that was 8 or 9 (they all start to blend together) and four days later the folly measured 17 and my E2 was 177 (yes two points lower but they said there is a slight factor for error). I said to my nurse - "Isn't that unusual?" and she said "yes" (great!). I was told about 300 per folly (minimum 200) was what they like to see. My RE told me that it probably stopped growing/or was old - not physically cause the size was there and measured but it obviously stopped immiting estrodial. They did the IUI anyway but it was unsuccessful. For me though, I have only had one BFP that ended in mc and I had three folly's for that cycle and a really good E2. All my one folly cycles have been BFN's (4). If your folly kept growing though - maybe! You need both I think but the right size is important so that's half the battle.
Hopefully the other half will work itself out this cycle.
Let us know!
Tricia

[minamina]

Triciasm - thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. I guess we are both just genetic mysteries, the RE told me the same thing, that it was strange the follicles (7 of them) were growing & my E2 was sooo low, the nurse said to me I can still get pregnant if my E2 is low....but 67 is sooo low. So who knows I am sorry to hear about all your bfn, are you taking anything now? Did you take follistim too? I have such sore nipples, it is so uncomfortable. Yesterday I had cramps & nausea on & off, really not comfortable. I have 6 more days of wait time...ugghhh...seems like forever!