IVF - short vs long protocol?

[Imaan]

Hi ladies,

I am currently considering my options for IVF and was wondering what the difference is better a short and long IVF protocol. I know in the short protocol there is no down regulation, only stimming so the cycle is much shorter. Then I ask myself, why they down-regulate in the first place. Any answers?

Many thanks

 

[_Nell]

Your suitability will be determined mainly by your ovarian reserve, ie whether you have high/low amh (or fsh if nhs) and lots of follicles or few.

For most women long is best, the ovaries need to down-reg and rest or quieten first and then the drugs (fsh) rev everything up at once, this enables the follicles in your ovaries to grow together to a similar size at a similar rate ready for egg collection (v's just the one egg that you'd usually have).

Ladies with low reserve need more drugs to kick-start things and so down-regging makes their ovaries even harder to get going again, so they do short protocol. The down side of this is that sometimes (mainly?) you can end up with follicles of varying sizes and it can be a little harder to monitor and predict how many eggs you might get.


Statistically there is very little difference in terms of pg success, but individually some people suit one over the other.

Your clinic will have guides they use to help determine which woud be best for you to try on your first cycle.

 

[Imaan]

Your suitability will be determined mainly by your ovarian reserve, ie whether you have high/low amh (or fsh if nhs) and lots of follicles or few.

For most women long is best, the ovaries need to down-reg and rest or quieten first and then the drugs (fsh) rev everything up at once, this enables the follicles in your ovaries to grow together to a similar size at a similar rate ready for egg collection (v's just the one egg that you'd usually have).

Ladies with low reserve need more drugs to kick-start things and so down-regging makes their ovaries even harder to get going again, so they do short protocol. The down side of this is that sometimes (mainly?) you can end up with follicles of varying sizes and it can be a little harder to monitor and predict how many eggs you might get.


Statistically there is very little difference in terms of pg success, but individually some people suit one over the other.

Your clinic will have guides they use to help determine which woud be best for you to try on your first cycle.

Wow Nell... thank you sooo much for the time you have taken to responsed. It is extremely informative. I was thinking about doing a short protocol... but haven't get got my AMH tested... so I guess I can make a more informed decision once it's done. But I don't like the thought of shutting off my system and would rather take as few drugs as possible.