Success from IUI after 35? (or iVF)

[zog]

I'm just looking for a little more hope here, so I'm popping in over here on the pregnant board A) just to see what it feels like to click on "pregnant" instead of "infertility" for ONCE and B0 to ask you glowing gals a few questions.
How many IUI's did you have before success? (from an IUI)
How many IUI's before moving on to IVF?
I seem to be having text book cycles, plenty of follies for the swimmers to choose, and the motility is in the upper 90%...so what gives!!
I was just reading an article on how we can produce 4-5 follies with injectables, but on 1 may have a good egg.
I'm doing Repronex/Menopur, Clomid, Ovridel trigger and 1 IUI. This will be my 4th next week, and losing major hope.(I even brought a good luck rooster to my last IUI....threw it in the trash last Thurs when AF came)

Ok...lets here the stats!
thanks again! I can't wait to be over here with ya'll.
zog

[Tia38]

Pick me!

I was in your shoes not very long ago. I think I still have one on at this point.

First IUI (clomid+triiger) was a "success" but didn't stick. At 38.75 I wanted to push onto IVF or at least injectables. First I had to sit out 2 cycles post m/c (ugh); then they said "no, do the clomid again" -- so I did. But cycle #2 got canceld for non-response. I thought the one poor (very slow folly) the first cycle was pathetic. NO FOLLIES IS WORSE!

So after another lost cycle (and weeks away from 39) I asked (again) for IVF or at least injectables. They said "at your age and after non-response moving to injectables seems reasonable" -- first cylce was much like my Clomid cycle. One slow follie (but at least we got to the IUI) --> BFN.

I said "hey, don't folks get multiple follies on injectables?" And they had warned me in advance that if I over-responded I might have to convert to IVF! They said "mileage may vary, and you have PCOS, so we need to be cautious and <blah blah blah blah>

Second injectable cyle they bumped the dose... better (and quicker) response... still one clear lead follie but 2 runners up (that may have released -- not sure). BFP! I'm 10 weeks (or so) today.

So at 38.5-39 pg on 2 out of 3 IUIs with a fourth canceled cycle. I never would have believed it myself. So it does happen.

As for protocols, they wanted 3 clomids before going to injectables (which I was able to short circuit), and then 3 injectables before going to IVF.

I viewed the injectable IUIs as pre-trials for IVF, and I got lucky on the way. Hoping the luck holds another 30 weeks. ;-)

I think with 3 (soon to be 4) IUIs under your belt, assuming they were all "good" cycles (and sounds like they were) it may be time to move forward to IVF. If they were tweaking your meds (either which drugs to take or the doses) then maybe stick it out longer.

I also don't know enough about meds to know which ones they prescribe and why. I did Gonal-F (which is the same as Follistim [sp?]) which I believe is FSH only? I think Repronex is some combo? I know some women do better on one rather than another.

Also an unsolicited comment on Clomid -- I've been told (and read in numerous places) that it can thin your lining over time. So I personally would not take it for too many cycles. Three was my own limit. I've also heard it's not ideal for 35+. I can say it wasn't doing much for me on its own (although it did "work" the first time for some value of work).

Most of all, don't lose hope! It's not all science -- there's some magic mixed in. (And I'm a scientist, not one to really believe in magic, trust me.)

Miracles and surprises happen every day. You gotta believe.

Good luck!
-Tia

PS. Sorry this got long. You hit one of my soap boxes.
PPS. You don't say how old you are, but there's an excellent TTC +35 board that many of us have been on recently. You may want to check it out too.

[BC-GoMom]

My answer depends greatly on your age... I personally spent way too much time with IUIs before IVF but I was in my late 20and and early 30s.
JenC

[houndlover]

Zog - I'm sending you a load of BABY DUST!!!
I had one unsuccessful IUI before I moved on to IVF. At 36 I just didn't want to waste any time for I wanted to move on to the "big guns". I am very blessed to have good insurance so they played a VERY important factor.

GOOD LUCK AND LOTS OF STICKY VIBES AND BABY DUST!

[zog]

Sorry I did not post my age...I'm 36 (37 in Nov)

boy I wish insurance covered this!!!
zog

[momofoneson]

Zog,

I was treated for endo prior to conceiving #1 at age 34, then #2 was a different story. 5 months of Clomid, 2 rounds of injectibles/IUI, 2 rounds of IVF. We were told our only option was donor eggs. We had pretty much resigned ourselves to the fact that we would only have one child. I had an u/s on my 39th birthday and saw the h/b of #2, conceived naturally (for free and with no other people in the room ). Good luck!!

Jan

[sharond]

Hi Zog,

I'm 36, had numerous failed clomid cycles. Surgery and removal of moderate endo. First IUI with injectables I was a poor responder (only one follie). 2nd IUI we upped the dosage and got a good response and my first +++. I'm now 16 weeks. We thought we would try 3 IUIs before moving on to IVF. Our insurance doesn't cover any treatment.

Best of luck to you!!!

Sharon

[annieb40]

Hi Zog,
I think IUI success depends on more factors than just your age. You are still in a great age range for success either through IUI or IVF.
Me - success on IUI#2 using injectibles (follistem, antigon, repronex, and ovidrel trigger). Protocol was for one IUI in the DR's office and follow BMS the next night. We also did BMS the night before because DH has plenty of swimmers and I was paranoid about O'ing early. First IUI was a bust b/c I O'd early and they weren't using antigon and repronex, so the eggs were not mature and my lining was borderline. I threw a fit and got them to come up with a better protocol that would try to prevent this from happening again. And success, I am 8w today and things are progressing well. I am still scared to death b\c of my old, crappy eggs, that things can still go south, but hoping for the best.
Why are you using clomid? Why not go to an injectible like folistem? I have an FSH around 10 and even though I passed the clomid challenge, the RE agreed that we shouldn't fool around with Clomid. We went straight to all injectibles. The two IUIs resulted in 5-8 follies each and they all grew much better the second time around. I don't think I would have had nearly the good response with clomid. Talk to your RE about better stimulation of your ovaries if your situation would allow it. They will do that anyways if you were going to IVF. Also what about really careful monitoring to make sure the IUI happens at exactly the right time and estrace for thickening your lining if that is borderline?
I wish you very good luck and see how aggressive you can get your RE to be prior to IVF. I agree with Tia that a really well monitored and fine tuned IUI cycle pushing for multiple follicles and hopefully eggs can be a good precursor to assessing your response for IVF.

[annieb40]

Woops, forgot to tell you that I am 40 and the RE was sticking to his guns on IUI b/c success rates for IVF at my age aren't that great. I have a DD (natural conception) who is turning two very soon and have had 3 m/c - 2 before and 1 after DD was born. Undiagnosed hypothyroid probably caused the third m/c. Have you been through the screening for things like thyroid and clotting problems?

[zog]

Thanks annie. My Re seems to be pretty aggressive. I'm doing clomid, and Menopur (injectables), so I'm getting 4+ follies every cycle. My lining is great, swimmers great etc...like I said, my cycles seem to be perfect. I just think they could do more about the timing. It seems that evryone who does trigger gets their IUI 36 hrs after because this is what the statistics show as best time. I go over and over with them about the timing, and they seem to have an answer for everything, to make it seem like they are doing the right thing.I wish we could just do IVF if we could afford it, because that way I KNOW the eggs are fertilized.
zog