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,
Thank you for taking the time to answer this question.
I’m 30 years old and my husband and I have been trying for the past 7 months. While it hasn’t been long I have noticed that after stopping birth control my periods were getting lighter and lighter and after 2 monitored cycles it was found that my lining would not get any thicker than 6.3cm (mid cycle).
Background:
Periods before BC have always been around 5-6 days, heavy at first and lighter the last few days. When I was 22 I decided for an IUD (Mirena) and was on it for 3 years during which time I would have 3-4 periods a year and pelvic pain. The IUD was removed with any issue and I decided for the nexplanon instead. On the implant, I would have a period every second month, lighter but lasting around 8-13 days at the time. In November last year we decided that it was time to try for a baby and the implant was removed, 28 days later I had a normal period (shorter than I was used lasting only 3 days). After that it got lighter and lighter and to the point that now I have no flow and only spot for 4-5 days (no red blood only brown spotting). In March I did a hormonal profile (Oestradiol, FSH, LH and progesterone – day 21) the AMH, scans and my husband had a sperm analysis all which have been normal (apart from the thin lining). I decided to go for. RE consult and the doctor was querying Asherman’s syndrome (given my IUD) but my HSG and SIS was cleared. My RE is stunned and is calling me a conundrum, the plan now is for a ovulation induction to see if it can improve my lining and if not go for a hysteroscopy to check again for adhesions and a biopsy. I’m already taking Vit E, B6, D, Omega 3, CoQ10, aspirin and the prenatal. I have also just ordered Larginine 6g and will be taking soon. I’m just wondering what your thoughts are about my situation and whether you would suggest anything else?
So sorry for the lengthy comment.
I agree with the decision to do a hysteroscopy and then if normal, to try a cycle of ovulation induction (not with clomiphene which is an anti-estrogen) to see if the lining improves.If that does not work, I would try a cycle of hormone therapy (E+P). If that alone fails to improve the lining, I would repeat the E/P hormonal cycle but this time I would add vaginal Viagra.
It was as far back as 1989, when I first published a study that examined the correlation between the thickness of a woman’s uterine lining (the endometrium), and the subsequent successful implantation of embryos in IVF patients. This study revealed that when the uterine lining measured <8mm in thickness by the day of the “hCG trigger” (in fresh IVF cycles), or at the time of initiating progesterone therapy (in embryo recipient cycles, e.g. frozen embryo transfers-FET, egg donation-IVF etc.) , pregnancy and birth rates were substantially improved. Currently, it is my opinion, that an ideal estrogen-promoted endometrial lining should ideally measure at least 9mm in thickness and that an endometrial lining measuring 8-9mm is “intermediate”. An estrogenic lining of <8mm is in most cases unlikely to yield a viable pregnancy.
A “poor” uterine lining is usually the result of the innermost layer of endometrium (the basal or germinal endometrium from which endometrium grows) ) not being able to respond to estrogen by propagating an outer, “functional” layer thick enough to support optimal embryo implantation and development of a healthy placenta (placentation). The “functional” layer ultimately comprises 2/3 of the full endometrial thickness and is the layer that sheds with menstruation in the event that no pregnancy occurs.
The main causes of a “poor” uterine lining are:
1.Damage to the basal endometrium as a result of:
a.Inflammation of the endometrium (endometritis) most commonly resulting from infected products left over following abortion, miscarriage or birth
b.Surgical trauma due to traumatic uterine scraping, (i.e. due to an over-aggressive D & C)
2.Insensitivity of the basal endometrium to estrogen due to:
a.Prolonged , over-use/misuse of clomiphene citrate
b.Prenatal exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES). This is a drug that was given to pregnant women in the 1960’s to help prevent miscarriage
3.Over-exposure of the uterine lining to ovarian male hormones (mainly testosterone): Older women, women with diminished ovarian reserve (poor responders) and women with polycystic ovarian syndrome -PCOS tend to have raised LH biological activity.. This causes the connective tissue in the ovary (stroma/theca) to overproduce testosterone. The effect can be further exaggerated when certain methods for ovarian stimulation such as agonist (Lupron/Buserelin) “flare” protocols and high dosages of menotropins such as Menopur are used in such cases.
4.Reduced blood flow to the basal endometrium:
Examples include;
a.Multiple uterine fibroids - especially when these are present under the endometrium (submucosal)
b.Uterine adenomyosis (excessive, abnormal invasion of the uterine muscle by endometrial glands).
“The Viagra Connection”
Eighteen years ago years ago, after reporting on the benefit of vaginal Sildenafil (Viagra) for to women who had implantation dysfunction due to thin endometrial linings I was proud to announce the birth of the world’s first “Viagra baby.” Since the introduction of this form of treatment, thousands of women with thin uterine linings have been reported treated and many have gone on to have babies after repeated prior IVF failure.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the use of Viagra in IVF, allow me to provide some context. It was in the 90’s that Sildenafil (brand named Viagra) started gaining popularity as a treatment for erectile dysfunction. The mechanism by which it acted was through increasing penile blood flow through increasing nitric oxide activity. This prompted me to investigate whether Viagra administered vaginally, might similarly improve uterine blood flow and in the process cause more estrogen to be delivered to the basal endometrium and thereby increase endometrial thickening. We found that when Viagra was administered vaginally it did just that! However oral administration was without any significant benefit in this regard. We enlisted the services of a compound pharmacy to produce vaginal Viagra suppositories. Initially, four (4) women with chronic histories of poor endometrial development and failure to conceive following several advanced fertility treatments were evaluated for a period of 4-6 weeks and then underwent IVF with concomitant Viagra therapy. Viagra suppositories were administered four times daily for 8-11 days and were discontinued 5-7 days prior to embryo transfer in all cases.
Our findings clearly demonstrated that vaginal Viagra produced a rapid and profound improvement in uterine blood flow and that was followed by enhanced endometrial development in all four cases. Three (3) of the four women subsequently conceived. I expanded the trial in 2002 and became the first to report on the administration of vaginal Viagra to 105 women with repeated IVF failure due to persistently thin endometrial linings. All of the women had experienced at least two (2) prior IVF failures attributed to intractably thin uterine linings. About 70% of these women responded to treatment with Viagra suppositories with a marked improvement in endometrial thickness. Forty five percent (45%) achieved live births following a single cycle of IVF treatment with Viagra The miscarriage rate was 9%. None of the women who had failed to show an improvement in endometrial thickness following Viagra treatment achieved viable pregnancies.
Following vaginal administration, Viagra is rapidly absorbed and quickly reaches the uterine blood system in high concentrations. Thereupon it dilutes out as it is absorbed into the systemic circulation. This probably explains why treatment is virtually devoid of systemic side effects
It is important to recognize that Viagra will NOT be effective in improving endometrial thickness in all cases. In fact, about 30%-40% of women treated fail to show any improvement. This is because in certain cases of thin uterine linings, the basal endometrium will have been permanently damaged and left unresponsive to estrogen. This happens in cases of severe endometrial damage due mainly to post-pregnancy endometritis (inflammation), chronic granulomatous inflammation due to uterine tuberculosis (hardly ever seen in the United States) and following extensive surgical injury to the basal endometrium (as sometimes occurs following over-zealous D&C’s).
Combining vaginal Viagra Therapy with oral Terbutaline;
In my practice I sometimes recommend combining Viagra administration with 5mg of oral terbutaline. The Viagra relaxes the muscle walls of uterine spiral arteries that feed the basal (germinal) layer of the endometrium while Terbutaline, relaxes the uterine muscle through which these spiral arteries pass. The combination of these two medications interacts synergistically to maximally enhance blood flow through the uterus, thereby improving estrogen delivery to the endometrial lining. The only drawback in using Terbutaline is that some women experience agitation, tremors and palpitations. In such cases the terbutaline should be discontinued. Terbutaline should also not be used women who have cardiac disease or in those who have an irregular heartbeat.
About 75% of women with thin uterine linings see a positive response to treatment within 2-3 days. The ones that do not respond well to this treatment are those who have severely damaged inner (basal/germinal) endometrial linings, such that no improvement in uterine blood flow can coax an improved response. Such cases are most commonly the result of prior pregnancy-related endometrial inflammation (endometritis) that sometimes occurs post abortally or following infected vaginal and/or cesarean delivery.
Viagra therapy has proven to be a god send to thousands of woman who because of a thin uterine lining would otherwise never have been able to successfully complete the journey “from infertility to family”.
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ADDENDUM: PLEASE READ!!
INTRODUCING SHER FERTILITY SOLUTIONS (SFS)
Founded in April 2019, Sher Fertility Solutions (SFS) offers online (Skype/FaceTime) consultations to patients from > 40 different countries. All consultations are followed by a detailed written report presenting my personal recommendations for treatment of what often constitute complex Reproductive Issues.
Patients are encouraged to share the information I provide, with their treating Physicians and/or to avail themselves of my personal hands-on services, provided through batched IVF cycles that I conduct every 3 months at Los Angeles IVF (LAIVF) Clinic, Century City, Los Angeles, CA.
PERHAPS WE SHOULD talk. I recommend that you call my assistant Patti (702-533-2691) and set up an online consultation with me to discuss.
Good luck!
Geoff Sher
I have had two previous short protocol IVF cycles with high dose stimulation (Ovaleap which I think the same as gonal-f, 450IU per day) and added letrozole. I am 35 but have low AMH. I got 10 eggs both times from this stimulation. However I suspect all the blastocysts were aneuploid (three failed transfers of good quality embryos, and two remaining tested aneuploid). What are your thoughts on letrozole – should I leave it out next attempt? I’d rather aim for quality over quantity!
Hi dr. Sher,
Can you please tell me which day of the cycle is it best to get an endometrial scratch? Thank you
I do not perform or advocate endometrial scratch!
Geoff Sher
Dear Dr. Sher,
my TH1/TH2 Ratio is high and I have autoimmune disease (Psoriasis). After more then 10 ICSIs and more the 15 blastos transfered – no implantation! Just ones – biochemical pregnancy after Enbrel infusionen. Would you recommend me Intralipid infusion + Prednisolon? There is no possibility to perform K-562-Test in Germany.
Actually there is no other issuses, why I could not be pregnant.
Another point is I was diagnosted with Subclinical hyperthyroidism (TSH 0,18, T4 & T3 – normal). No TPO antibody. Should I do something with this?
Many thanks in Advance
Central to making a diagnosis of an immunologic implantation dysfunction (IID) is a need for the appropriate interpretation of Natural Killer Cell Activity (NKa). In this regard, one of the commonest and most serious errors, is interpret the blood concentration of natural killer cells as being relevant. Rather it is the activity (toxicity) of NK cells that matters as mentioned. This activity can best be measured using the blood, K-562 target cell test (the gold standard). and/ or endometrial biopsy for cytokine activity.
With the K-562 test, the most important consideration is the percentage of target cells “killed” in the “native state”. In most cases a level of >10% killing should be regarded with suspicion and >12% overtly abnormal. In addition to reporting the result of the K-562 test, in the “native state” (without adding, Immunoglobulin-G (IVIG) or Intralipid (IL) which many Laboratories erroneously do to try and determine whether either or both of these immune therapies would have a therapeutic benefit or is/are unlikely to be of clinical value. The entire premise upon which this assertion is based, is in my opinion flawed. Clinically such NK cell deactivation can only be significantly affected in vivo as it takes more than a week following infusion to occur. Thus, what happens to the percentage of target cells killed with the K-562 test, by adding IVIG or IL is in my opinion irrelevant
Another way to assess endometrial NKa is by measuring TH-1 and TH-2 cytokines in endometrial tissue derived through biopsy.TH-1 cytokines kill the trophoblast (the root system of the embryo). Thus if is an excess of TH-1 cytokine activity is found with/without a disruption in the TH-1: TH-2 ratio, this points to NK cell activation.
There are basically two causes of immunologic implantation dysfunction (IID), a) Autoimmune (85%) & , b) Alloimmune (15%). The former occurs when the body reacts to its own tissue and the latter (far less common) when the male and female partners share certain genotypic similarities involving DQ alpha and HLA genes. In both cases IID results in rejection of the pregnancy due to uterine Natural Killer (NK) Cell and T-cell activation leading to the release of an excessive amount of TH-1 cytokines. These, “toxins” attack the embryo’s root system (trophoblast), killing the cells and causing implantation to fail.
Autoimmune Implantation Dysfunction: Autoimmune implantation dysfunction, most commonly presents with presumed “infertility” due to such early pregnancy losses that the woman did not even know she was pregnant in the first place. Sometimes there as an early miscarriage. Tests required are: a) blood levels of all IgA, IgG and IgM-related antiphospholipid antibodies (APA’s) directed against six or seven specific phospholipids, b) both antithyroid antibodies (antithyroid and antimicrosomal antibodies), c) a comprehensive reproductive immunophenotype (RIP) and, c) most importantly, assessment of Natural Killer (NK) cell activity (rather than concentration) by measuring by their killing, using the K-562 target cell test and/or endometrial cytokine activity tests.
It is important to recognize that currently there are only about 3 or 4 Reproductive Immunology Reference Laboratories in the U.S.A that, are capable of reliably analyzing the required elements with a sufficient degree of sensitivity and specificity. I use a Reprosource, a laboratory located in Boston,MA.
Patients with Alloimmune implantation Dysfunction usually present with a history of unexplained (usually repeated) miscarriages or secondary infertility (where the woman conceived initially and thereupon was either unable to conceive again or started having repeated early miscarriages. However, it can also present as “presumed” primary infertility. Alloimmune dysfunction is diagnosed by testing the blood of both the male and female partners for matching DQ alpha genes and NK/CTL activation. It is important to note that any DQ alpha match (partial or complete) will only result in an IID when there both a DQa/HLA match exists along with NK cell activation. With the exception of cases where both partners have a total (absolute DQa match and treatment requires the use of sperm from a non-matching sperm donor, about 90% of cases alloimmune implantation will have a partial match where 1: 2 embryos will match the woman’s DQa genotype and half will not. In cases of an alloimmune dysfunction (with associated NKa), treatment with IL or IVIG will in my opinion, will not protect against a matching embryo being rejected. It can only clear the NK environment for an embryo that does not match the woman’s DQa genotype. For this reason, it is my opinion that only 1 embryo should be transferred at a time because, given the fact that i:2 embryos will match, transferring >1 embryo at a time creates a risk that the matching embryo will evoke a local NKa/’cytokine response that will “muddy the water” for both. Thus, in cases of a “partial” DQa match I recommend against transferring more than a single embryo at a time.
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I strongly recommend that you visit http://www.DrGeoffreySherIVF.com. Then go to my Blog and access the “search bar”. Type in the titles of any/all of the articles listed below, one by one. “Click” and you will immediately be taken to those you select. Please also take the time to post any questions or comments with the full expectation that I will (as always) respond promptly.
Between 2% and 5% of women of the childbearing age have reduced thyroid hormone activity (hypothyroidism). Women with hypothyroidism often manifest with reproductive failure i.e. infertility, unexplained (often repeated) IVF failure, or recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). The condition is 5-10 times more common in women than in men. In most cases hypothyroidism is caused by damage to the thyroid gland resulting from of thyroid autoimmunity (Hashimoto’s disease) caused by damage done to the thyroid gland by antithyroglobulin and antimicrosomal auto-antibodies.
The increased prevalence of hypothyroidism and thyroid autoimmunity (TAI) in women is likely the result of a combination of genetic factors, estrogen-related effects and chromosome X abnormalities. This having been said, there is significantly increased incidence of thyroid antibodies in non-pregnant women with a history of infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss and thyroid antibodies can be present asymptomatically in women without them manifesting with overt clinical or endocrinologic evidence of thyroid disease. In addition, these antibodies may persist in women who have suffered from hyper- or hypothyroidism even after normalization of their thyroid function by appropriate pharmacological treatment. The manifestations of reproductive dysfunction thus seem to be linked more to the presence of thyroid autoimmunity (TAI) than to clinical existence of hypothyroidism and treatment of the latter does not routinely result in a subsequent improvement in reproductive performance.
It follows, that if antithyroid autoantibodies are associated with reproductive dysfunction they may serve as useful markers for predicting poor outcome in patients undergoing assisted reproductive technologies.
Some years back, I reported on the fact that 47% of women who harbor thyroid autoantibodies, regardless of the absence or presence of clinical hypothyroidism, have activated uterine natural killer cells (NKa) cells and cytotoxic lymphocytes (CTL) and that such women often present with reproductive dysfunction. We demonstrated that appropriate immunotherapy with IVIG or intralipid (IL) and steroids, subsequently often results in a significant improvement in reproductive performance in such cases.
The fact that almost 50% of women who harbor antithyroid antibodies do not have activated CTL/NK cells suggests that it is NOT the antithyroid antibodies themselves that cause reproductive dysfunction. The activation of CTL and NK cells that occurs in half of the cases with TAI is probably an epiphenomenon with the associated reproductive dysfunction being due to CTL/NK cell activation that damages the early “root system” (trophoblast) of the implanting embryo. We have shown that treatment of those women who have thyroid antibodies + NKa/CTL using IL/steroids, improves subsequent reproductive performance while women with thyroid antibodies who do not harbor NKa/CTL do not require or benefit from such treatment.
I strongly recommend that you visit http://www.DrGeoffreySherIVF.com. Then go to my Blog and access the “search bar”. Type in the titles of any/all of the articles listed below, one by one. “Click” and you will immediately be taken to those you select. Please also take the time to post any questions or comments with the full expectation that I will (as always) respond promptly.
•The IVF Journey: The importance of “Planning the Trip” Before Taking the Ride”
•Controlled Ovarian Stimulation (COS) for IVF: Selecting the ideal protocol
•IVF: Factors Affecting Egg/Embryo “competency” during Controlled Ovarian Stimulation (COS)
•The Fundamental Requirements for Achieving Optimal IVF Success
•Use of GnRH Antagonists (Ganirelix/Cetrotide/Orgalutron) in IVF-Ovarian Stimulation Protocols.
•The Role of Immunologic Implantation Dysfunction (IID) & Infertility (IID): PART 1-Background
•Immunologic Implantation Dysfunction (IID) & Infertility (IID): PART 2- Making a Diagnosis
•Immunologic Dysfunction (IID) & Infertility (IID): PART 3-Treatment
•Thyroid autoantibodies and Immunologic Implantation Dysfunction (IID) Why did my IVF Fail
•Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL): Why do I keep losing my Pregnancies
•Genetically Testing Embryos for IVF
•Staggered IVF
•Staggered IVF with PGS- Selection of “Competent” Embryos Greatly Enhances the Utility & Efficiency of IVF.
•Embryo Banking/Stockpiling: Slows the “Biological Clock” and offers a Selective Alternative to IVF-Egg Donation
•Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGS) in IVF: It should be Used Selectively and NOT be Routine.
•IVF: Selecting the Best Quality Embryos to Transfer
•Preimplantation Genetic Sampling (PGS) Using: Next Generation Gene Sequencing (NGS): Method of Choice.
•PGS in IVF: Are Some Chromosomally abnormal Embryos Capable of Resulting in Normal Babies and Being Wrongly Discarded?
•Immunologic Implantation Dysfunction: Importance of Meticulous Evaluation and Strategic Management 🙁 Case Report)
•Intralipid and IVIG therapy: Understanding the Basis for its use in the Treatment of Immunologic Implantation Dysfunction (IID)
•Intralipid (IL) Administration in IVF: It’s Composition; how it Works; Administration; Side-effects; Reactions and Precautions
•Natural Killer Cell Activation (NKa) and Immunologic Implantation Dysfunction in IVF: The Controversy!
•Natural Killer Cell Activation (NKa) and Immunologic Implantation Dysfunction in IVF: The Controversy!
•Should IVF Treatment Cycles be provided uninterrupted or be Conducted in 7-12 Pre-scheduled “Batches” per Year.
•A personalized, stepwise approach to IVF
•Nutritional supplements in IVF
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ADDENDUM: PLEASE READ!!
INTRODUCING SHER FERTILITY SOLUTIONS (SFS)
Founded in April 2019, Sher Fertility Solutions (SFS) offers online (Skype/FaceTime) consultations to patients from > 40 different countries. All consultations are followed by a detailed written report presenting my personal recommendations for treatment of what often constitute complex Reproductive Issues.
If you wish to schedule an online consultation with me, please contact my assistant (Patti Converse) by phone (800-780-7437/702-533-2691), email (concierge@SherIVF.com) or, enroll online on then home-page of my website (www.SherIVF.com).
PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT SFS!
Geoff Sher
Hi Dr Sher
Would you transfer a PGS tested blastocyst with missing /duplicate chromosome 8 and a monsomy 15. Maternal source. I’m 35 and respond well but have very low blastocyst rates per total fertilized eggs. I think this embryo could be a candidate for transfer.
Thanks for your time.
Hello Dr. Sheri,
I am so grateful to have found your blog. I hope you can give me some insight as I am really anxious about my very slow rising HCG levels and I won’t have another ultrasound until 7/14, I would like know if this could happen in a viable pregnancy. I am G4 P2 with the last pregnancy being a miscarriage in 2019. I am 6weeks 6 days
5 W 4D 6/24-14,594- US with Gestational Sac
6 W 1D 6/28-17,876
6 W 6D 7/1-18,463
It seams like the numbers are barely moving 🙁 and the ultrasound is sooo far away. I would love your opinion.
Thank you very much in advance for taking the time to reply
Stay safe
Lucy
The rate of rise in hCG slows off as the level rises above 5,000U You need an ultrasound to confirm a viable pregnancy!
Geoff Sher