Irregular Periods and TTC with Low ovarian reserve and low AMH

[cinnamon99]

Hi everyone,
I'm new to this site and I'd really appreciate any input, thoughts or advice from anyone.

In a nut shell I'm almost 38 yrs old and we are ttc our second child- however I have extremely irregular, erratic periods (anything from 17 days to 33 days) and each cycle is very different- usually a long cycle followed by a short cycle so I'm obviously not ovulating every month and I usually bleed for about 9 - 10 days which is really exhausting and therefore timing intercourse makes it very difficult. A few blood tests I had recently confirmed I did ovulate on one of my cycles and my FSH levels were within the normal range but then on another blood test I had on another cycle there was no ovulation. So as you can see I've a really big problem with my menstrual cycle!

I also have a very low AMH - only 2 which was devastating to hear. I was told by the Dr that IVF or IUI are out of the question for people with very low AMH levels and the only way to go is by hormonal treatment such as Clomid which is fine for me- or egg donation- which I'm reluctant to even think about!!

On 2nd March this month, my fertility specialist put me on my first round of Clomid (100mg) at the beginning of my last cycle, and when I was scanned, there were two follicles and both were only 7mm. I was scanned a few days later and unfortunately they were the same size. He then said he wanted to try one more scan and a few days later he did a 3D pelvic scan to check how much I had in my ovarian reserve and unfortunately it confirmed that I have a very low reserve left- (hence reflected in my low AMH levels) and I did not ovulate- so this month nothing happend

I feel really disheartened and helpless because I just don't know what to do. Has anyone out there been in a similar position to me and conceived?

My period when I started clomid was also very strange in that I bled for a day and then the following days proceeding that it was just spotting- and that was how that cycle was. This was very unusual for me because I usually get a proper flow. I checked with my fertility guy and he said to just take it on day 2 - 6.

Now my Dr says to me that he wants to put me on 150mg of Clomid on my next cycle. I was a bit concerned when he said that and I asked if we should try to regulate my periods first before going more aggressively on Clomid.

He did say that I could try going on the pill for a month or two just to regulate my periods, but that just stops ovulation and it goes against what we are trying to achieve and he's a bit reluctant to try that. However I'm tempted to take this pill route since my periods are so crazy maybe going on the pill will give them some stability?!?

Also its only been 17 days since my last cycle and I'm already spotting. I think I might be starting my new cycle any day soon- so I need to know what I should do next! I am so confused!

If anyone has any thoughts on this I'd be very grateful for any input.
many thanks x

 

[marathongirl]

Hi everyone,
I'm new to this site and I'd really appreciate any input, thoughts or advice from anyone.

In a nut shell I'm almost 38 yrs old and we are ttc our second child- however I have extremely irregular, erratic periods (anything from 17 days to 33 days) and each cycle is very different- usually a long cycle followed by a short cycle so I'm obviously not ovulating every month and I usually bleed for about 9 - 10 days which is really exhausting and therefore timing intercourse makes it very difficult. A few blood tests I had recently confirmed I did ovulate on one of my cycles and my FSH levels were within the normal range but then on another blood test I had on another cycle there was no ovulation. So as you can see I've a really big problem with my menstrual cycle!

I also have a very low AMH - only 2 which was devastating to hear. I was told by the Dr that IVF or IUI are out of the question for people with very low AMH levels and the only way to go is by hormonal treatment such as Clomid which is fine for me- or egg donation- which I'm reluctant to even think about!!

On 2nd March this month, my fertility specialist put me on my first round of Clomid (100mg) at the beginning of my last cycle, and when I was scanned, there were two follicles and both were only 7mm. I was scanned a few days later and unfortunately they were the same size. He then said he wanted to try one more scan and a few days later he did a 3D pelvic scan to check how much I had in my ovarian reserve and unfortunately it confirmed that I have a very low reserve left- (hence reflected in my low AMH levels) and I did not ovulate- so this month nothing happend

I feel really disheartened and helpless because I just don't know what to do. Has anyone out there been in a similar position to me and conceived?

My period when I started clomid was also very strange in that I bled for a day and then the following days proceeding that it was just spotting- and that was how that cycle was. This was very unusual for me because I usually get a proper flow. I checked with my fertility guy and he said to just take it on day 2 - 6.

Now my Dr says to me that he wants to put me on 150mg of Clomid on my next cycle. I was a bit concerned when he said that and I asked if we should try to regulate my periods first before going more aggressively on Clomid.

He did say that I could try going on the pill for a month or two just to regulate my periods, but that just stops ovulation and it goes against what we are trying to achieve and he's a bit reluctant to try that. However I'm tempted to take this pill route since my periods are so crazy maybe going on the pill will give them some stability?!?

Also its only been 17 days since my last cycle and I'm already spotting. I think I might be starting my new cycle any day soon- so I need to know what I should do next! I am so confused!

If anyone has any thoughts on this I'd be very grateful for any input.
many thanks x

I would most definitely go to see a Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor that could diagnose your specific problem. You definitely have a major hormone imbalance and the way TCM works is that they treat your body to get back in balance and instead of putting hormones into your body they try to help your body produce the hormones that it should be producing. I can give you more info if you need but I truly believe this is the route to go. I am doing acupuncture and herbs to correct my imbalances and I know it is helping me drastically

 

[crystal443]

Hi Cinnamon, I too have low AMH my last level was 6.7 and I've had 1 cancelled round of IVF and 2 failed cycles where we got 3 eggs each time and nothing fertilized. We're now on the fence about whether to try a Natural IVF cycle with no stims or just jump straight to Donor Eggs


If your cycles are getting wonky and are all over the place it might be due to low reserves but DHEA should help with that I've been taking it since Dec and it hasn't helped with stimmed cycles of IVF but I have a better antrafollicle count in natural cycles so I hope it works well for you. Feel free to PM me at any time low AMH can be frustrating at times so its nice to have others to vent too

 

[cinnamon99]

Hi marathongirl, thank you so much for your response. I know my hormones are playing havoc- and I have just started seeing an accupunturist in a centre local to where I live in London.

I've only had one treatment from her and that was last week and she said that mixing herbs when you're taking clomid is not a good idea. She's a member of the Accupunture Fertility Network (not TMC). Would you reccommend seeing a specialist who's from TMC?
What's the difference between the two? If you have any details or reccommnedations I'd be really grateful.

If you don't mind me asking- what were you being treated for exactly with TMC? Have you had any kids and how easy / difficult were the conception?

Many thanks again for your help and for sharing! x

 

[cinnamon99]

Hi Crystal
Thank you for your response and for sharing.
I really hope things work out for you.

I have just started taking DHEA- 50mg. I guess it will take time for the effects to be seen.
I'm just a bit upset about my cycles being so crazy and not knowing what each month will bring is getting me down.

Quick question- when you tried IVF did you go straight on to to this or did you take Clomid or other fertility drugs before IVF? My Dr said for low levesl of AMH- IVF wouldn't work well. That's why he said to me he doesn't want me to think about IVF.

Anyway keep me posted on how you get on. Good luck with everything!
x

 

[marathongirl]

Hi Crystal
Thank you for your response and for sharing.
I really hope things work out for you.

I have just started taking DHEA- 50mg. I guess it will take time for the effects to be seen.
I'm just a bit upset about my cycles being so crazy and not knowing what each month will bring is getting me down.

Quick question- when you tried IVF did you go straight on to to this or did you take Clomid or other fertility drugs before IVF? My Dr said for low levesl of AMH- IVF wouldn't work well. That's why he said to me he doesn't want me to think about IVF.

Anyway keep me posted on how you get on. Good luck with everything!
x

I would go see someone who specializes in fertility and that is a TCM doctor. I have read so much about it and I really believe in it. I am being treated for a kidney yang deficiency which is a deficiency in heat basically. I was pregnant last Aug but sadly miscarried in Nov/11 at 12 weeks.
I have 2 children and so have had 3 pregnancies so far. My kids are 9 and 8 and so I was only in my early 30's when I had them and had absolutely no trouble conceiving them.In fact I got pregnant with my son when my Dd was only 5 months old and I was breastfeeding and "trying" not to get preggo?? I am feeling so much better with the herbs I am taking. I am doing acupuncture only 2 times a month and taking the herbs every day

 

[crystal443]

My AMH was high enough to try IVF but I still stuggled to produce follies, my FS put me on 75 mg of DHEA and good news is it works pretty quick. Full effectivness is about 3-4 months but I had more follies after a month so it works pretty quick

The other negative with stimmed IVF is that if you have low AMH you can get some poor quality eggs. We'll give it one cycle of Natural and then decide what we'll do from there whether we continue or do donor eggs

 

[cinnamon99]

Hi thanks so much again for your response.
I think there is a TCM centre near by us called Dr and Herbs and I will try them out and let you know how I get on.

Also I just got an email response from my fertility specialist - and he said I could try skipping Clomid this month if I wanted to and go on the pill and then go back on Clomid.

Now I'm thinking maybe it might be worth skipping both the pill and skip clomid and just opting for the herbs and accupuncture for one month and then go back on Clomid. What do you think?
Its all confusing me as my cycles are so crazy!! I just wish i could have a normal cycle!!
Anyway I hope things work out for you.
Please do keep me informed as to how you get on.

Thanks again for your input!
x

 

[Minno]

Hi cinnamon. I am the same age as you with the same issue of erratic cycles (19-35 days) and low Amh. We have been ttc no 2 for 3 years and are now on the list for egg donor ivf. I tried clomid for five cycles but ovulation was not an issue for me. Clomid messed my cycles up good and proper too and I'm only just recovering after being off it for six months. Taking vits now and see tcm acupuncturist while waiting. It's all so frustrating and just wanted to say I share your pain!
Good luck in making your decisions xxxx

 

[marathongirl]

Hi thanks so much again for your response.
I think there is a TCM centre near by us called Dr and Herbs and I will try them out and let you know how I get on.

Also I just got an email response from my fertility specialist - and he said I could try skipping Clomid this month if I wanted to and go on the pill and then go back on Clomid.

Now I'm thinking maybe it might be worth skipping both the pill and skip clomid and just opting for the herbs and accupuncture for one month and then go back on Clomid. What do you think?
Its all confusing me as my cycles are so crazy!! I just wish i could have a normal cycle!!
Anyway I hope things work out for you.
Please do keep me informed as to how you get on.

Thanks again for your input!
x

I would definitely skip all of the above and really give the acupuncture and herbs a really good try for the month. I really think you should have no problems conceiving once you regulate your cycle. I was doing acupuncture weekly for 3 months before my last BFP that ended in mc. It really helped me and my cycles became much more normal. I always o'd but I had a lot of clots with af which isn't normal. I also started charting my bbt and it became a lot more even without huge spikes and drops in temp. Please let me know what they diagnose you with? Good luck

 

[cinnamon99]

Hi Minno,
Thank you for sharing and I too empathise and understand your heartache too. How old is your first child? Our first child is now 4 years old!!

Having irregular cycles is so frustrating.
Can I ask you what happend exactly when you were on Clomid? In what way did it mess up your cycles? Did they scan you to see how big your follicles were?

When I was on it I only had a follicle that was only 7mm and then collapsed! My Dr wants me to either up my dose this month to 150mg of Clomid or take a different route and go on the pill to see if that regulates my cycle. Its so confusing. I might go and ask some advice from the TCM and see what they say.

I feel like this- If I can just get a normal cycle then I'm sure things would work out- however my periods have been like this: spotting for several days before the onset of a proper flow- then very heavy and then mid and then spotting (total days of bleeding is approx 9 - 10 days) but it still varies each month- long cycle followed by a short.

Are yours similar to mine in that way?

Also how do you feel about donor eggs? We touched on this subject- but at that point I was too upset to even think about it!

Anyway good luck with everything and keep intouch to let me know how you get on. I'll let you know how I get on too so we can encourage and support each other!
Thanks
x

 

[marathongirl]

Hi Minno,
Thank you for sharing and I too empathise and understand your heartache too. How old is your first child? Our first child is now 4 years old!!

Having irregular cycles is so frustrating.
Can I ask you what happend exactly when you were on Clomid? In what way did it mess up your cycles? Did they scan you to see how big your follicles were?

When I was on it I only had a follicle that was only 7mm and then collapsed! My Dr wants me to either up my dose this month to 150mg of Clomid or take a different route and go on the pill to see if that regulates my cycle. Its so confusing. I might go and ask some advice from the TCM and see what they say.

I feel like this- If I can just get a normal cycle then I'm sure things would work out- however my periods have been like this: spotting for several days before the onset of a proper flow- then very heavy and then mid and then spotting (total days of bleeding is approx 9 - 10 days) but it still varies each month- long cycle followed by a short.

Are yours similar to mine in that way?

Also how do you feel about donor eggs? We touched on this subject- but at that point I was too upset to even think about it!

Anyway good luck with everything and keep intouch to let me know how you get on. I'll let you know how I get on too so we can encourage and support each other!
Thanks
x

Just reading about your cycles and for sure I know I have read that spotting before and/or after af is definitely a spleen issue. I had that for a few months after my mc and it stopped after about 2 months of treatment

 

[Minno]

It's good to talk to someone who understands.
Before I took clomid my cycles were between 23-28 days. I ov
On my own so shouldn't I've been on it anyway. After I stopped taking it on the advice of two separate gynae consultants that we saw to explore options, my cycles went mad and haven't recovered.
My af is about 5-7 days long. Get spotting before sometimes and sometimes around ov too. We've tried to conceive naturally for 3.3 years and have a ten year old son. I am 42 and dh is 44 so time is not on our side. We considered ivf with my eggs but the chances were so low of a good outcome that we opted for donor egg. I'm totally fine with it. I have a genetic child and the most important thing for me is to have another one. With donor egg our chances rocket from 14% to 60%! I can't wait toget started!!
Currently on waiting list for private treatment and hope it will be this year.

Sometimes you just have to prioritise the goal and not the means.

Be lovely to stay in touch. Pm me anytime xxx

Hi Minno,
Thank you for sharing and I too empathise and understand your heartache too. How old is your first child? Our first child is now 4 years old!!

Having irregular cycles is so frustrating.
Can I ask you what happend exactly when you were on Clomid? In what way did it mess up your cycles? Did they scan you to see how big your follicles were?

When I was on it I only had a follicle that was only 7mm and then collapsed! My Dr wants me to either up my dose this month to 150mg of Clomid or take a different route and go on the pill to see if that regulates my cycle. Its so confusing. I might go and ask some advice from the TCM and see what they say.

I feel like this- If I can just get a normal cycle then I'm sure things would work out- however my periods have been like this: spotting for several days before the onset of a proper flow- then very heavy and then mid and then spotting (total days of bleeding is approx 9 - 10 days) but it still varies each month- long cycle followed by a short.

Are yours similar to mine in that way?

Also how do you feel about donor eggs? We touched on this subject- but at that point I was too upset to even think about it!

Anyway good luck with everything and keep intouch to let me know how you get on. I'll let you know how I get on too so we can encourage and support each other!
Thanks
x