Advice about a recent cycle

Answered on 8th December 2014 in Treatments

I was wondering if you could offer me some advice about a recent cycle of gentle IVF I have been through which was unsuccessful. We only retrieved 2 eggs which I was surprised at as I had previously responded very well on a long protocol IVF on 125 Gonal F with oestrogen and progesterone support.

The gentle protocol was originally meant to be 0.3ml of Buserelin and Gonal F starting from day 1 of period (100 Gonal F for the first 3 days then the dosage was to be reduced to 75 for the last 7 days). The only other drugs were a HCG trigger and booster shot.

However due to the clinic wanting to delay the cycle they asked me to take Buserelin for 10 days before starting the Gonal F. My worry is that there was no other drugs used to support my hormones after my system was shut down by the Buserelin.

I'm just looking for another professional opinion as to whether this method could have worked?

Our Expert's Answer

This information was published 9 years, 4 months ago and was correct at the time of publication. It may not reflect our current practices or regulations.

Please note that all the answers we give are on a generic basis only, as we cannot provide more in-depth answers without access to your medical history. If you need a more detailed response, tailored to you, we would recommend a consultation with one of our Fertility Specialists for more comprehensive medical advice.

Buserelin preparation is often used in IVF cycles. However in mild stimulation protocols it is not something often used. Especially for patients with very low ovarian response it is not ideal. Your stimulation dose was reduced from 125 to 100 unit, which is quite significant. (We normally use 75 unit to achieve single follicular development.) So it may have had more an effect on your response than the Buserelin preparation.

Gentle/Mild stimulation protocols are aiming to retrieve 3-4 egg maximum anyway. If you'd like any more information then please give us a call.