Anyone else doing injectables? Gonal-F, Bravelle, etc.?

[pbl_ge]

Hi Ladies!

I'm starting Gonal-F for the first time tomorrow, and I'm a bit nervous. I'd noticed there were threads for Femara, Clomid, IUIs, and IVF, but perhaps none for injections? Thought I'd see if anyone else is in a similar position and would like to share stories.

 

[DESPONDENT]

Hi honey

I did my first cycle of gonal f injections last month, i promise they are really simple once you get into the groove of things, not painful at all so please dont stress about it...my fertiity specialist had me do it on days 5,7 and 9 of my cycle whilst taking clomid on days 4-8. Well the good news is I had 3 marvelous follies, 21mm/22mm and 18mm but the bad news the IUI cycle did not work for me, probabaly due to my my other issues and i got a which I suppose I should be used to by now, but hurts like a mofo every single time
Anyways being the sucker that I am for punishment...I will be doing it all over again next month!

 

[pbl_ge]

Thanks for responding, Despondent! I'm sorry your first round didn't work for you. I can imagine that would be devastating. When do you start round two? FX it will work for you!!!

They told me yesterday that I can't start yet. Gotta take two weeks of birth control to shrink a cyst. We had planned some travel in August, and now I don't know what I'll do, and I'm supposed to go in for biweekly bloodtests and weekly scans.

 

[vietmamsie]

plb! Hello! Long time since i saw you last on here! How are you, just read your signature, looks like you have had some bad news. WHen did you find out about the endo? So sorry to hear about that.

I had to leave the other group we were in, everyone got pregnant, and I realized it was my time to go and hopefully find a spot in the LTTTC forums. At a certain point all the good news starts to get you down...

Hope all is well

 

[pbl_ge]

Hi, Viet!

Good to "see" you, although I'm sad for both of us that we're now in LTTTC. I do really like this forum. The best part is being able to be genuinely happy for everyone here who gets a bfp, instead of feeling annoyed/angry after watching someone trying for a month and walk away with a sticky one. Also, it's nice to have people who understand. This thread is not exactly taking off, but there are other LTTTC #1 threads that are great--perhaps you'd like to join one of those? The one started by Myshel is very new.

That was my second round of watching the bulk of the heathens get pregnant and go away, and I was done. I did peek back last night, and it appears that Ginger miscarried. I also left that thread because, frankly, there were a couple of people on it who I found...troublesome.

As for my news, I'm mostly glad now to have an explanation for why we haven't gotten pregnant again almost one year after the ectopic. I'm optimistic that it will happen for us soon, now that we're bringing in the big guns. FX I don't need IVF.

How are you doing? Did you have another early loss? Have you ever thought about trying some of the immune-suppressant protocols? I read a couple of articles recently you might be interested in:
https://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=ht.../immunologysupport/message/122937&h=gAQGFm2Ch
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/...-jabs-theyre-mums-last.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

People in the US have done that latter protocol for much less money. I'm not sure if this is helpful to you, but you might be interested in seeking alternative explanations for your stickiness problems. Are you on the repeat miscarriage thread? I know some of those women, and they're incredibly knowledgeable!
https://babyandbump.momtastic.com/miscarriage-support/127351-recurrent-miscarriage-thread.html

Anyway, good to hear from you. Hope we both get sticky bfps soon!

 

[TTC First]

Thanks for responding, Despondent! I'm sorry your first round didn't work for you. I can imagine that would be devastating. When do you start round two? FX it will work for you!!!

They told me yesterday that I can't start yet. Gotta take two weeks of birth control to shrink a cyst. We had planned some travel in August, and now I don't know what I'll do, and I'm supposed to go in for biweekly bloodtests and weekly scans.

Looks like we are in a similar position.

I did my first month on Gonal F and hyperstimulated with 17 follicles so my IUI was cancelled. I am waiting for my O and it's CD28, I usually O around CD 18. I was told that I have to take next cycle off medication because the follicles will turn to cycts and they need to shrink. So I am now waiting for my I and my cysts to shrink. They haven't mentioned putting me on BC in order to speed up the process.

 

[vietmamsie]

Yeah, I stuck around a bit too long. A few of the women were a bit too much for me to handle. I was pretty much last woman standing on all my other threads, hence why I lurked around so long. Honestly, I just haven't really been on here for a while. It has all gotten to be a bit too depressing. I will take some time and find a good thread in LTTTC before I get back into this whole thing.

Right now we aren't really trying... We just had another MC last cycle. We weren't trying at all that cycle, and it was a big surprise, and then another big disappointment. We are still going the natural route and have no plans to seek medical attention for another few cycles. I didn't even bother going to the doctor for this last MC. I'm just really tired of it all.

I think we will give it till the new year, see if anything happens, and then look at our options. They said the next step would be genetic testing to look for the problem, and then I guess go for Clomid as well as some other meds to balance hormones. It just seems like a bit much right now. I just got a new job and sort of want to just do ME for a bit, you know?

In the mean time, I have lost some weight, done a massive detox, am working with crystals and plan to head back to acupuncture soon.

I hope you are well and am happy to see you around. I know this isn't at all how either of us pictured out journeys going, but at least we can find comfort in the awesome women we have met along the way.

 

[pbl_ge]

Looks like we are in a similar position.

I did my first month on Gonal F and hyperstimulated with 17 follicles so my IUI was cancelled. I am waiting for my O and it's CD28, I usually O around CD 18. I was told that I have to take next cycle off medication because the follicles will turn to cycts and they need to shrink. So I am now waiting for my I and my cysts to shrink. They haven't mentioned putting me on BC in order to speed up the process.

Wow, 17 follicles! That's a lot for a non-IVF cycle! It seems like your body is probably confused. Perhaps it's worth a call to your doc about birth control? I'm on day 6 of the BC, and it's not too bad. It's nice to be able to relax a bit, and know that my body has a chance to reset, so to speak. Sorry you went through that--it must have been very disappointing!

Is it this cycle or the next one you'll have to sit out? I hope the Gonal-F works for you!

Viet, sounds like you're doing great self-care. When you're ready to seek a doctors' help (if you need it!), you could ask the RMC ladies for advice about any questions or tests they'd recommend. Most docs, apparently, are not terribly informed about some of the newer issues. In the mean time, take very good care of yourself. Congrats about the new job!

 

[pbl_ge]

I know this isn't at all how either of us pictured out journeys going, but at least we can find comfort in the awesome women we have met along the way.

And I definitely agree with this!

 

[TTC First]

Looks like we are in a similar position.

I did my first month on Gonal F and hyperstimulated with 17 follicles so my IUI was cancelled. I am waiting for my O and it's CD28, I usually O around CD 18. I was told that I have to take next cycle off medication because the follicles will turn to cycts and they need to shrink. So I am now waiting for my I and my cysts to shrink. They haven't mentioned putting me on BC in order to speed up the process.

Wow, 17 follicles! That's a lot for a non-IVF cycle! It seems like your body is probably confused. Perhaps it's worth a call to your doc about birth control? I'm on day 6 of the BC, and it's not too bad. It's nice to be able to relax a bit, and know that my body has a chance to reset, so to speak. Sorry you went through that--it must have been very disappointing!

Is it this cycle or the next one you'll have to sit out? I hope the Gonal-F works for you!

Viet, sounds like you're doing great self-care. When you're ready to seek a doctors' help (if you need it!), you could ask the RMC ladies for advice about any questions or tests they'd recommend. Most docs, apparently, are not terribly informed about some of the newer issues. In the mean time, take very good care of yourself. Congrats about the new job!

I am still waiting for the O of the 17 follicles. The largest one was 1.7 on day 9, day 18 the u/s showed they were still there and now I am on day 30.

I did have AF type bleeding on CD 19-21 but the clinic said that would be my O. I haven't seen a rise in my BBT to indicate O yet.

So I am waiting for my O, then TWW, then AF, then sit out a cycle....then I start again. I thought that the TWW was bad. I have to wait a cycle and a half. So so frustrating.

The worst part is that they only gave me the typical 150 dose. They said typically the would start someone of my age on a higher dose.

 

[pbl_ge]

(Sorry for slow response--travelling with minimal internet access )

Gosh, TTCFirst, this is really dragging out, isn't it? Given that you have to wait a lot longer after you do finally O, is it worth calling your doc to say that you're CD34 with no ovulation in sight? I hope the docs can get it all figured out soon so that you can move on. The limbo times are the worst!

I've got my follow-up scan on Thursday to check on the cyst. Limbo for me, too.

 

[TTC First]

(Sorry for slow response--travelling with minimal internet access )

Gosh, TTCFirst, this is really dragging out, isn't it? Given that you have to wait a lot longer after you do finally O, is it worth calling your doc to say that you're CD34 with no ovulation in sight? I hope the docs can get it all figured out soon so that you can move on. The limbo times are the worst!

I've got my follow-up scan on Thursday to check on the cyst. Limbo for me, too.

I spoke with them when they cancelled my IUI. They could trigger me to cause O but that is with HSG and HSG makes hypertsimulation symptoms 100 times worse. Also, they seem to think that the bleeding that I was experiencing was my O. That bleeding was 14 days ago. DH and I had thought that I Oed earlier in the month so we had BD again. Not sure if it will fall into a fertile time.

The strange thing is that based on the bleeding, they said I was Oing around CD21. Then on about CD30 I experienced cramping for 3 days.

I think that my only option is wait it out and see what happens.

 

[pbl_ge]

I think that my only option is wait it out and see what happens.

That's no fun. Hope it ends quickly!

 

[pbl_ge]

Well, I'm in the midst of injections now. I did 3 days of 150 units of Gonal-F, then they lowered me to 75 after a blood test. I feel fairly normal, except for a bit of dry mouth, which I gather is not unusual. First scan is tomorrow (CD 8).

TTCFirst, looks like you finally O'ed! Did you try to catch those eggs?

 

[TTC First]

pbl_ge, you scare me when you say that they lowered your dose. I really hope it's a good month for you. When I was at 4 days I think I had one good size and lots of little ones. Then the little ones grew. I wish I had stopped once they saw all the little ones.

I felt normal at that point but soon started to feel full.

Yes..I FINALLY Oed!!!!! This is a long freaken cycle considering they said I was ready to O around CD10. I may have actually caught my O. So I am 11 DPO. I don't feel like I have in my previous cycles. I have been feeling full and not hungry and slightly tender breasts. They say that if you get PG when you are hyperstimulated then you get major hyperstimulation symptoms. I am not getting all the bloating and stuff that OHSS people get.

Let me know how you do through your cycle I can live vicariously through you since I may not even get to use meds next cycle.

 

[vietmamsie]

Hope all goes well pbl_ge! FX!

 

[pbl_ge]

pbl_ge, you scare me when you say that they lowered your dose. I really hope it's a good month for you. When I was at 4 days I think I had one good size and lots of little ones. Then the little ones grew. I wish I had stopped once they saw all the little ones.

I felt normal at that point but soon started to feel full.

Yes..I FINALLY Oed!!!!! This is a long freaken cycle considering they said I was ready to O around CD10. I may have actually caught my O. So I am 11 DPO. I don't feel like I have in my previous cycles. I have been feeling full and not hungry and slightly tender breasts. They say that if you get PG when you are hyperstimulated then you get major hyperstimulation symptoms. I am not getting all the bloating and stuff that OHSS people get.

Let me know how you do through your cycle I can live vicariously through you since I may not even get to use meds next cycle.

Would you still be "overstimulated" that long after all the follies were big? I have no experience with these matters at all, but it seems like most of your follies likely shrank and didn't O, although I hope one or two big beautiful ones were left to be caught! Your symptoms sound promising, so FX!!! Will you be testing or waiting for AF?

I was really nervous when they told me my dose was halved, but other women have said it's normal. I have high AMH (6.0 on American scale) with not PCOS, which does put me at risk for OHSS.

VERY anxious for tomorrow morning so I can see what's going on! My dream is to have a few good follies **ON THE LEFT**.

 

[pbl_ge]

Okay, at CD9 I have about a dozen follies on each size, although a few less on the left. She didn't give exact numbers. The largest is on the left at 11. That seems like a lot.



Edit with update: They put me on the lowest possible dose of Gonal-F (37.5) and want me back in for a scan on Friday.

 

[TTC First]

Okay, at CD9 I have about a dozen follies on each size, although a few less on the left. She didn't give exact numbers. The largest is on the left at 11. That seems like a lot.



Edit with update: They put me on the lowest possible dose of Gonal-F (37.5) and want me back in for a scan on Friday.

It sounds like you are way into your cycle now. You have me worried when you said you have a dozen follies. Will they do an IUI with that many? How are you doing now?

Well my cycle ended with a BFN. The good thing is that I went for my CD3 U/S and I guess with my cycle being so long I don't have any cysts and things are calm in there. I started on Gonal again this cycle. I was started on 150 ui and I go for my U/S on wednesday. I am hoping for about 7 follies.

 

[pbl_ge]

Sorry for the BFN, but it's great that you're into your new cycle! I hope you get just the right number of juicy, beautiful follies.

My cycle was a disaster, and we had no chance. Apparently I ovulated super early, around CD9, when I had about 15-20 follies sizes 10-14. It was a total nightmare, as they first told me I needed to consider converting to IVF, then told me there was still a chance we could try insemination, and then they said just kidding! you ovulated days ago.

We're trying to decide if we want to try Gonal-F again, or go straight to IVF. I probably don't need IVF to get pregnant, but it has a much higher probability of working, so it's tempting to do it just so we can get off this rollercoaster.

Let me know how your u/s goes! I hope this cycle is much better for you.