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.
Dear Dr. Sher,
My period was on 8th January and I got a LH surge on home LH Surge test on CD12 (19 January). I thought I would get my period around 14 days from surge but blood test showed FSH of 27 mIU/ml, LH 39.5 mIU/ml, Prolactin 13ng/m and Progestrone 0.53ng/ml on CD19. I did another home LH surge detecting kit CD19 and it showed the Face again. I am wondering why I am having another surge in Luteal Phase? It would be within normal ranges in Mid-cycle but are these normal and within range during Luteal Phase? Have I reached menopause. I am 42 years. Thanks
Measuring FSH/LH so late in the cycle is of little value. The combination of LH/FS/progesterone values suggest that the ,measurement was done at the time of the LH surge.
If you are infertile and 42y of age you should not be wasting precocious time on natural cycle conception. You need to move to IVF with embryo banking of PGS-normal blastocysts yo make hay while the sun still shines.
Please visit my new Blog on this very site, http://www.DrGeoffreySherIVF.com, find the “search bar” and 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.
•Controlled Ovarian Stimulation (COS) for IVF: Selecting the ideal protocol
•Ovarian Stimulation for IVF using GnRH Antagonists: Comparing the Agonist/Antagonist Conversion Protocol.(A/ACP) With the“Conventional” Antagonist Aproach
•IVF: Factors Affecting Egg/Embryo “competency” during Controlled Ovarian Stimulation(COS)
•Anti Mullerian Hormone (AMH) Measurement to Assess Ovarian Reserve and Design the Optimal Protocol for Controlled Ovarian Stimulation (COS) in IVF.
•The “Biological Clock” and how it should Influence the Selection and Design of Ovarian Stimulation Protocols for IVF.
•Diagnosing and Treating Infertility due to Diminished Ovarian Reserve (DOR)
•The BCP: Does Launching a Cycle of Controlled Ovarian Stimulation (COS). Coming off the BCP Compromise Response?
•Staggered IVF: An Excellent Option When. Advancing Age and Diminished Ovarian Reserve (DOR) Reduces IVF Success Rate
•Embryo Banking/Stockpiling: Slows the “Biological Clock” and offers a Selective Alternative to IVF-Egg Donation.
•Preimplantation Genetic Sampling (PGS) Using: Next Generation Gene Sequencing (NGS): Method of Choice.
•IVF Failure and Implantation Dysfunction: The Role of Endometrial Thickness, Uterine Pathology and Immunologic Factors
•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)
•Traveling for IVF from Out of State/Country–
•A personalized, stepwise approach to IVF
•The Role of Nutritional Supplements in Preparing for IVF
I invite you to call 702-699-7437 or 800-780-7437 or go online on this site and set up a one hour Skype consultation with me to discuss your case in detail.
I also suggest that you access the 4th edition of my book ,”In Vitro Fertilization, the ART of Making Babies”. It is available as a down-load through http://www.Amazon.com or from most bookstores and public libraries.
Geoff Sher
Hi Doctor,
Recently i did IVF , 7 eggs retrieved , 4 Matured , 3 get fertilized , 1 is Grade1 Blastocyst, Second one early blastocyst and third is morula . All 3 transfered . I was very confident to get positive result . Doctors recommennd me Aguagest injections upto 14 days after Embryo transfer . Today i am on 36 days . Hcg done with negative result 4 days ago . Doctor said me you should wait for your periods for 1 week . I was very disappointed and unable to concentrate on my work. Everytime thinking about why my ivf failed when everything was going in good direction. Uterine Lining was 7mm before EC.
Hi there!
So sorry for your disappointment. I recently wrote an article titled “Why did my IVF fail? See below”
Whenever a patient fails to achieve a pregnancy following embryo transfer (ET), the first question asked is why! Was it simply due to, bad luck?, How likely is the failure to recur in future attempts and what can be done differently, to avoid it happening next time?.
It is an indisputable fact that any IVF procedure is at least as likely to fail as it is to succeed. Thus when it comes to outcome, luck is an undeniable factor. Notwithstanding, it is incumbent upon the treating physician to carefully consider and address the causes of IVF failure before proceeding to another attempt:
1.Age: The chance of a woman under 35Y of age having a baby per embryo transfer is about 35-40%. From there it declines progressively to under 5% by the time she reaches her mid-forties. This is largely due to declining chromosomal integrity of the eggs with advancing age…”a wear and tear effect” on eggs that are in the ovaries from birth.
2.Embryo Quality/”competency (capable of propagating a viable pregnancy)”. As stated, the woman’s age plays a big role in determining egg/embryo quality/”competency”. This having been said, aside from age the protocol used for controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) is the next most important factor. It is especially important when it comes to older women, and women with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) where it becomes essential to be aggressive, and to customize and individualize the ovarian stimulation protocol.
We used to believe that the uterine environment is more beneficial to embryo development than is the incubator/petri dish and that accordingly, the earlier on in development that embryos are transferred to the uterus, the better. To achieve this goal, we used to select embryos for transfer based upon their day two or microscopic appearance (“grade”). But we have since learned that the further an embryo has advanced in its development, the more likely it is to be “competent” and that embryos failing to reach the expanded blastocyst stage within 5-6 days of being fertilized are almost invariably “incompetent” and are unworthy of being transferred. Moreover, the introduction into clinical practice about a decade ago, (by Levent Keskintepe PhD and myself) of Preimplantation Genetic Sampling (PGS), which assesses for the presence of all the embryos chromosomes (complete chromosomal karyotyping), provides another tool by which to select the most “competent” embryos for transfer. This methodology has selective benefit when it comes to older women, women with DOR, cases of unexplained repeated IVF failure and women who experience recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL).
3.The number of the embryos transferred: Most patients believe that the more embryos transferred the greater the chance of success. To some extent this might be true, but if the problem lies with the use of a suboptimal COS protocol, transferring more embryos at a time won’t improve the chance of success. Nor will the transfer of a greater number of embryos solve an underlying embryo implantation dysfunction (anatomical molecular or immunologic).Moreover, the transfer of multiple embryos, should they implant, can and all too often does result in triplets or greater (high order multiples) which increases the incidence of maternal pregnancy-induced complications and of premature delivery with its serious risks to the newborn. It is for this reason that I rarely recommend the transfer of more than 2 embryos at a time and am moving in the direction of advising single embryo transfers …especially when it comes to transferring embryos derived through the fertilization of eggs from young women.
4.Implantation Dysfunction (ID): Implantation dysfunction is a very common (often overlooked) cause of “unexplained” IVF failure. This is especially the case in young ovulating women who have normal ovarian reserve and have fertile partners. Failure to identify, typify, and address such issues is, in my opinion, an unfortunate and relatively common cause of repeated IVF failure in such women. Common sense dictates that if ultrasound guided embryo transfer is performed competently and yet repeated IVF attempts fail to propagate a viable pregnancy, implantation dysfunction must be seriously considered. Yet ID is probably the most overlooked factor. The most common causes of implantation dysfunction are:
a.A“ thin uterine lining”
b.A uterus with surface lesions in the cavity (polyps, fibroids, scar tissue)
c.Immunologic implantation dysfunction (IID)
d.Endocrine/molecular endometrial receptivity issues
Certain causes of infertility are repetitive and thus cannot readily be reversed. Examples include advanced age of the woman; severe male infertility; immunologic infertility associated with alloimmune implantation dysfunction (especially if it is a “complete DQ alpha genetic match between partners plus uterine natural killer cell activation (NKa).
My answer to patients who ask me when is the time to stop undergoing IVF is ….Aside from the weight of the financial burden, the time to stop is when in spite of thorough and comprehensive evaluation, there is no remediable and treatable explanation for repeated failure.
Please visit my new Blog on this very site, http://www.DrGeoffreySherIVF.com, find the “search bar” and 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.
•Controlled Ovarian Stimulation (COS) for IVF: Selecting the ideal protocol
•Ovarian Stimulation for IVF using GnRH Antagonists: Comparing the Agonist/Antagonist Conversion Protocol.(A/ACP) With the“Conventional” Antagonist Aproach
•IVF: Factors Affecting Egg/Embryo “competency” during Controlled Ovarian Stimulation(COS)
•Anti Mullerian Hormone (AMH) Measurement to Assess Ovarian Reserve and Design the Optimal Protocol for Controlled Ovarian Stimulation (COS) in IVF.
•The “Biological Clock” and how it should Influence the Selection and Design of Ovarian Stimulation Protocols for IVF.
•Diagnosing and Treating Infertility due to Diminished Ovarian Reserve (DOR)
•The BCP: Does Launching a Cycle of Controlled Ovarian Stimulation (COS). Coming off the BCP Compromise Response?
•Staggered IVF: An Excellent Option When. Advancing Age and Diminished Ovarian Reserve (DOR) Reduces IVF Success Rate
•IVF Failure and Implantation Dysfunction: The Role of Endometrial Thickness, Uterine Pathology and Immunologic Factors
•Unexplained IVF Failure
•Why did my IVF Fail
•Secondary Infertility: Addressing the Root Causes
•Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL): Why do I keep losing my Pregnancies?
•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)
•Traveling for IVF from Out of State/Country–
•A personalized, stepwise approach to IVF
•The Role of Nutritional Supplements in Preparing for IVF
•Measuring and Interpreting Blood hCG to Assess Pregnancy Viability Following ART Treatments.
I invite you to call 702-699-7437 or 800-780-7437 or go online on this site and set up a one hour Skype consultation with me to discuss your case in detail.
I also suggest that you access the 4th edition of my book ,”In Vitro Fertilization, the ART of Making Babies”. It is available as a down-load through http://www.Amazon.com or from most bookstores and public libraries.
Geoff Sher
Dr. Sher,
I am 29 years old, healthy, and am looking forward to your opinion. My husband has mild MFI (low morphology) and we did our first IVF cycle over a year ago. At that point I had no diagnosis for infertility other than irregular ovulation. Unfortunately my estrogen level rose during stimulation and I developed mild OHSS. My RE had me coast for 2 days before trigger (one Ovidrel) with a plan to freeze all embryos. Unfortunately at day 3 all development arrested and we had none to freeze. I was told I had poor egg quality and to move on to donor egg.
Fast forward to this year with a new doctor. Second IVF cycle was last month. Day 3 E2 47.96, FSH 7.79, and LH 5.89. I started lupron on day 19, stims with 225IU gonal F and menopur 2 vials. Stimulation appeared normal with trigger on day 12 of stims with ovidrel 500mcg. E2 on that day 3609. Egg retrieval with 21 eggs, 8 found to be mature. 6 fertilized with ICSI. On day 3 there were 6 remaining but all at 5 cells, so I had a day 3 transfer of 2 5cells. The remaining 4 had arrested development and none made it to freeze.
So it looks as though the same thing has happened, with poor egg quality. I have been on inositol, melatonin, coq10, folic acid, prenatal vitamins, and Larginine for supplements, for over 1 year. At this point my RE suspects undiagnosed endometriosis as the culprit for poor egg quality. She would like to move forward with laparoscopy and attempt the same protocol and supplements. Do you feel this is a possibility for my poor egg quality? Do you have a different protocol suggestion that may be helpful?
It sounds to me like you may need a proper “coasting” protocol.
My approach is consistently to use a long pituitary DR protocol with an agonist, coming off 1-2 months on the BCP. The latter is intended to lower LH and thereby reduce stromal activation (hyperthecosis) in the hope of controlling ovarian androgen release. I then stimulate with low dosage FSHr to which I add a smidgeon of LH/hCG (Luveris/Menopur) from the 3rd day and watch for the # of follicles and [E2] starting on the 7th day of COS. If there are > 25 follicles, I keep stimulating (regardless of the [E2] until 50% of all follicles reach 14mm. Then, provided the [E2] is >2500pg/ml, I stop the agonist and the gonadotropin stimulation and follow the E2 (only) daily, without doing further US examinations. The [E2] will almost invariably climb and I watch it go up (regardless of how high the concentration of E2reaches) and track it coming down again. As soon as the [E2] drops below 2500pg/ml (and not before then ever), I administer 10,000U hCGu or hCGf (Ovidrel/Ovitrel-500mcg) as the “trigger” and perform an egg retrieval 36h later. ICSI is a MUST because “coasted” eggs usually have no cumulus oophoris and eggs without a cumulus will not readily fertilize on their own. All fertilized eggs are cultured to blastocyst (up to 6 days). And up to two (2) are transferred transvaginally under US guidance.
The success of this approach depends on precise timing of the initiation and conclusion of “prolonged coasting”. If you start too early, follicle growth will stop and the cycle will be lost. If you start too late, you will encounter too many post-mature/cystic follicles (>22mm) that usually harbor abnormally developed eggs.
Use of the above approach avoids unnecessary cycle cancellation, severe OHSS, and optimizes egg/embryo quality. The worst you will encounter is mild to moderate OHSS and this too is uncommon.
I do not use antagonists in high responders (e.g., PCOS) because it interferes with the assay of E2 (often causing the value to be understated), a valuable index in assessing risk for the development of severe/critical OHSS. I also do not believe in the agonist trigger to prevent OHSS. The reason is that the magnitude of the induced LH surge varies and if too little LH is released, meiosis can be compromised, thereby increasing the oocyte aneuploidy index.
Please visit my new Blog on this very site, http://www.DrGeoffreySherIVF.com, find the “search bar” and 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.
•Controlled Ovarian Stimulation (COS) for IVF: Selecting the ideal protocol
•Protocol.(A/ACP) With the“Conventional” Antagonist AproachIVF: Factors Affecting Egg/Embryo “competency” during Controlled Ovarian Stimulation(COS)
•Anti Mullerian Hormone (AMH) Measurement to Assess Ovarian Reserve and Design the Optimal Protocol for Controlled Ovarian Stimulation (COS) in IVF.
•The “Biological Clock” and how it should Influence the Selection and Design of Ovarian Stimulation Protocols for IVF.
•The BCP: Does Launching a Cycle of Controlled Ovarian Stimulation (COS). Coming off the BCP Compromise Response?
•Traveling for IVF from Out of State/Country–
•A personalized, stepwise approach to IVF
•The Role of Nutritional Supplements in Preparing for IVF
•Understanding Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and the Need to Customize Ovarian Stimulation Protocols.
I invite you to call 702-699-7437 or 800-780-7437 or go online on this site and set up a one hour Skype consultation with me to discuss your case in detail.
I also suggest that you access the 4th edition of my book ,”In Vitro Fertilization, the ART of Making Babies”. It is available as a down-load through http://www.Amazon.com or from most bookstores and public libraries.
Dear Dr Sher,
Please tell me ,I did 10 days before the FET , of 2 balachusts embryo grad A ,Intralipids treatment , so when should I do it again ? In the first beta results or 2nd beta results or in the first ultrasound after the 2nd beta ?
And than when I do again please ?
Thank you so much
Second beta hCG result.
Geoff Sher
Dear Dr. Sher,
I had undergone genital TB treatment for over 6 months and the My Doctor decided to start a round of IVF.
Now when they did the ultrasound scan , they had observed few calcified spots on the uterus and also some discharge.
Is this normal? What would this likely indicate since the TB treatment course has been completed?
Also are there chances of me trying with my own uterus or does this indicate surrogacy ?
Thank you Dr. Sher for your valuable inputs
Regards
AN
It all depends on the following:
1. Whether the TB has been completely eradicated
2. Whether tuberculous endometritis permanently damaged the endometruium
3. What your uterine cavity looks like hysteroscopically
4. Whether you have adequate ovarian reserve
5. Your age
Tuberculosis is caused by a bacterium known as mycobacterium tuberculosis. It is primarily an infectious process that involves the lungs it is capable of spreading elsewhere (extra-pulmonary TB) It can spread to the woman’s reproductive tract and cause infertility. The commonest site is the Fallopian tubes. From there it can spread to uterine lining (endometrium) and to the ovaries. The lower genital tract (cervix, vagina and vulva can also be affected but this is very rare.
Contrary to popular belief, TB does not spread by surface contact (sharing of utensils or clothes or through touch). Rather it spreads by droplet contamination when you come into contact with an individual who has pulmonary disease, who coughs, spits or sneezes and you come in contact with mycobacterium Tuberculosis. There is a rare form of TB caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis bovis, that spreads through ingestion of infected milk but this usually affects bowel and bone, not the reproductive tract.
While pelvic tuberculosis is a very common cause of infertility in developing countries and in Asia (India in particular), it so rarely causes of infertility in the United States, that the diagnosis is often overlooked here. However, there is good reason to believe that the condition is on the rise in the United States as a result of the influx of immigrants from Asia and other third world countries where tuberculosis is rampant.
Pelvic tuberculosis is often a master of disguise….a silent disease. It may be present for 10 to 20 years without producing any symptoms – the woman remaining in apparent excellent health. Infertility is often one, and sometimes the only, reason that women investigate for the presence of the condition.
Pelvic tuberculosis usually presents with one or more of the following signs and symptoms:
•Pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea (pain with menstruation), dyspareunia (pain with intercourse), chronic lower abdominal pain or discomfort, and chronic back pain
•Absent or irregular menstruation,
•Abdominal distention, usually due to ascites (collection of free fluid in the abdominal-pelvic cavity
•Tuberculosis-related infertility is most commonly due to tuberculous salpingitis (tubal inflammation) which occurs in 75% of cases, ovulation dysfunction that often presents with absent, excessive or non-cyclical menstruation, largely attributable to ovarian involvement (40% of cases) and uterine (endometrial) tuberculosis (30%)
•Sometimes (albeit rarely), local tuberculous lesions may appear on the external genitalia, cervix, and/or vagina.
Diagnosis:
The diagnosis is usually based upon a multitude of signs, symptoms and special tests, there being no magic bullet for diagnosing pelvic tuberculosis.
•Clinical suspicion: Evidence of concomitant, pulmonary tuberculosis, the detection of calcifications on pelvic X-rays, a typical tubal pattern on hysterosalpingogram (dye X-ray test)
•Findings at laparoscopy or laparotomy and the subsequent pathologic examination of biopsy material obtained during these procedures
•Blood tests such as a differential blood count and erythrocyte sedimentation rate
•Microscopic and bacteriologic examination is the primary method for diagnosing pelvic tuberculosis:
•Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) done on biopsied material (usually from a defined tuberculous lesion or from uterine curettings.
1.Most commonly a dilatation and curettage (D&C) of the uterus is performed a few days prior to menstruation. The surgeon takes care to avoid using an antiseptic to clean the vagina and cervix while preparing for the D&C;, lest the antiseptic kill any tuberculous bacilli present in the specimen thereby rendering a falsely negative culture result. Instead a physiologic salt solution is used to cleanse the operative field. Upon collection, the specimen of uterine curetings is immediately divided into two parts. The first is placed in a physiologic salt solution and expeditiously delivered to the bacteriologic lab for culturing. A specialized culture medium (e.g., Loewenstein Jensen medium) is used for this purpose. Some of the curettings are also used for Guinea pig inoculation. While menstrual products can also be cultured, this approach is less effective. The second portion of the specimen is fixed and then stained for the detection of the acid-fast Bacillus, mycobacterium tuberculosis. The Ziel Nielsen stain is one of the methods used.
2.Biopsy specimens of local lesions and endometrial curettings can of can also be subjected to histopathologic examination, culture and guinea pig inoculation
3.PCR: analysis: . PCR is a molecular test, which”
Even in the presence of established tuberculosis, histopathologic examination will only be positive about 50% of the time. Cultures, although more reliable, can also yield false-negative results. And while PCR analysis, conducted under ideal conditions is a highly sensitive and specific method for the detection of the target genes specific to Mycobacterium tuberculosis and has a high positive predictive value, “false positive” results can occur Accordingly, it is often necessary to repeat such tests several times if the diagnosis is strongly suspected.
Treatment
Treatment of TB primarily directed towards the eradication of the infection by means of specific chemotherapeutics such as Para-amino-salicylic acid (PAS), isoniazid (INH), rifampicin (Rifampin) and streptomycin derivatives.
Given the severity and intractability of fallopian tube-TB, natural conception is very unlikely. Pelvic surgery (other than to remove distended or infected lesions and damaged fallopian tubes) has little therapeutic benefit. Provided that the tuberculous inflammatory process has not totally destroyed the basal uterine endometrium (lining) , leaving it capable of responding adequately to estrogen and progesterone, , in vitro fertilization (IVF) following protracted successful anti-bacterial treatment is the only rational method of treating infertility associated with pelvic tuberculosis.
I invite you to call 702-699-7437 or go online on this site and set up a one hour Skype consultation with me to discuss your case in detail.
I also suggest that you access the 4th edition of my book ,”In Vitro Fertilization, the ART of Making Babies”. It is available as a down-load through http://www.Amazon.com or from most bookstores and public libraries.