Ask Our Doctors – Archive
Our Medical Directors are outstanding physicians that you will find to be very personable and compassionate, who take care to ensure that you have the most cutting-edge fertility treatments at your disposal. This is your outlet to ask your questions to the doctors.
Hi Dr. Sher. Please help me – I am so incredibly sad and frustrated right now. I am 2 months away from turning 36. I started trying to conceive in January of 2016. We tried naturally for 8 months before turning to clomid with timed intercourse in August of that same year due to irregular cycles (ranging from 36-42 days in length). After one cycle of clomid it was suggested that I switch to Letrozole as my lining was measuring 3-4mm. When one cycle of Letrozole (2.5 mg) with ovidrel and timed intercourse also didn’t work (I was bumped mid-cycle from 2.5mg to 5mg of Letrozole bc I still wasn’t ovulating), we moved on to a cycle of IUI in December of that year (with 5mg Letrozole and ovidrel) and I got pregnant (miraculously! I was convinced it wouldn’t work bc my lining 2 days before trigger was only 3.5mm) only to lose the baby at 6.5 weeks. I was given an immediate D&C bc ultrasound showed “weird tissue” that they suspected was gestational trophoblastic disease, in combination with incredibly high hcg numbers. Biopsy later showed that this was not the case. We did the same protocol in March of 2017 (iui/Letrozole/ovidrel) when I finally got a period back. This cycle failed but the following cycle we did the same thing and I got pregnant again. I lost the baby at 9 weeks (we had ultrasounds weeks 5.6, 6.3, 7.4, and 8.3 which showed a baby growing right on time with a strong heartbeat (120bpm at 6.3, 132 bpm at 7.4 and 167 bpm at 8.3 weeks) only to miscarry a couple days after the 8.3 ultrasound (at which time I was losing bits of tissue but was told baby was fine, that it was maybe a SCH). I got another D&C when my body didn’t respond to two rounds of misoprostol. They tried to test the tissue for chromosomal abnormalities but the labs came back inconclusive which was incredibly frustrating. I wanted answers at that point so I had my TSH tested and got an HSG. TSH was slightly elevated (3.2) so I was placed on levothyroxine, and hsg showed a possible “unicornuate uterus”. This didn’t sit right so I moved on to an IVF clinic where I got a recurrent miscarriage blood work up (all came back normal) and an MRI which showed a full-sized uterus (ie not unicoruate) but left tube was blocked by a >6mm in diameter-sized fibroid that was “not necessary to remove”. I have not felt right ever since the 2nd D&C. I have now have uterine discomfort on and off throughout my cycle and back pain (never had this before). I was worried about damage from the 2nd D&C so my RE did a biopsy for endomeTRITIS (note: not endometriosis) which came back negative and a SHG which was “normal”. I just wanted to get moving onto IVF so we did an egg retrieval and I ended up with 4 PGS normal embryos (out of 4 tested). First FET we did birth control which made me feel like crap, followed by estradiol which she kept having to up bc my lining wasn’t getting thick enough. After FOREVER and horse dosages of estrogen in various forms (patches, taking estradiol orally and vaginallly) she was able to get my lining to 6.9mm and we did a frozen transfer which failed. We did another FET one cycle later but switched to a stimulated cycle (gonal F and Letrozole) which gave me a triple stripe lining at 7.1mm which is really good for me. This cycle failed too. And now here I am. Two and a half years, 2 miscarriages, and 2 failed FETs with 4AB graded PGS normal embryos. My RE is recommending ERA testing before the next transfer which I plan to do. However, the more I read about IID and natural killer cells the more I think this is my problem. I live only an hour away from the Boston lab that you mentioned in your post about this. Here are my questions:
1. Do I just show up at this lab and tell them this story and they’ll know how to test me or do I need specific orders from a doctor about what to test for?
2. Can you tell me what tests to order?
3. Is there hope for me ?
Thank you in advance.
CJ
As I stated in a prior response to this communication, we really should talk this through. Please call 800-780-7437 and ask Julie to set up a Skype consultation with me.
Geoff Sher
I sure wish I could go May 15 to your special event, I will be flying out of Las Vegas that day unfortunately. Can you help my husband and I, I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in May. Conceived next month from that and lost the baby (first pregnancy ever) A1C was 14.9 in May now it is under 6. I saw you one time on television say that you were helping people with cancer,
so I wondered if you helped with other autoimmune diseases. I had trouble gathering $200 to see you, so that is why I am asking here.
Thank you so much for your time,
Kath
Hi Kath,
I would need much more information about your case to answer authoritatively!
So sorry!
Geoff Sher
Do your estrogen levels have to be a certain amount high enough to warrant a reason to be on cetrotide or another medication to prevent early ovulation before a retrieval? For instance if it is 4 days b4 retrieval and your estrogen level is less than say 170. Would that be a cause for you to say ok she doesn’t need to take anything to stop ovulation because her levels aren’t at like 200 or above ? Or would you give one of those medicines to stop ovulation to all your patients no matter what? Please answer and do not erase my questions like others were removed. Everyone here is getting a fair reply except me.
Given to all!
Geoff Sher
Hi there,
What is the chance that mosaic monosomy 16 will propagate pregnancy or end in baby with abnormality?
Is it worth transferring?
Thank you
Kathryn
The chance of a helthy baby is about 15%. The risk of a birth defect virtually non-existent since if this embryo is meiotically aneuploid it will not take or would most likely miscarry early on
Geoff Sher
Sorry I didn’t see it. But I relied to your response. Did I need your help. Contact me please. 347 869 7544 text call I don’t care. Email me. Something
Please call 702-892-9696 (ask for Tina) and set up a consultation to talk!
Geoff Sher