Consult with the doctor today

[beanpop]

There is another RE here in town - that is always an option on the table as well.

That's what I was going to suggest. Get a second opinion. Fu-- this guy and his negativity. Of course he wants you to do IVF because he'll make a hell of a lot more money that way.

Big hugs to you honey. I'm so sorry.

[Shannon214]

I would try again, switch to injects and take Estrace to help thicken that lining, if 7 is the very min they want to see you haven't even hit that it could very well be the or at least a big part of the problem. Injects doesn't have to mean multiples, look at me triplets from Clomid and a singleton on injects. I would do a low dose like I did and monitor often. If he won't do as you wish, find someone that will. Good luck!

I agree with this completely. 4mm is not considered an acceptable lining at my RE, anything under 7 is iffy. You can respond beautifully to Clomid and only wind up with 1-2 good follicles even with injects. I responded with 2-4 mature follicles to every round of Clomid, and I only had 1 mature follicle with injects (75iu dose of Gonal-F). I would get a 2nd opinion based on the fact that he thinks 4mm is acceptable and didn't supplement with estrogen or test your progesterone after.

[handsdown]

Fu-- this guy and his negativity. Of course he wants you to do IVF because he'll make a hell of a lot more money that way.

Big hugs to you honey. I'm so sorry.

I was just stalking and saw this thread. I am so sorry that this RE seems to be giving up so soon and telling you to move on to IVF. From how negative he sounds it reminds me of the first RE that I went to. This guy didn't listen to a word I said and told me my whole problem was how much I weighed. I wasn't that bad at the time, I was a size 14. He told me he wouldn't do anything for me until I lost 10 pounds. I ended up going back to my OB and using Femara with timed intercourse and got pregnant with my first DS. When it was time to TTC for Grayson I went straight to the other RE in town and it was like night and day. My weight was not mentioned once. We had male factor and unexplained with me so we went right to injectibles with IUIs. The 2nd RE & I just jelled better, he didn't seem to push me to the most expensive option right away.

I hope you do decide to get a second opinion. From the people I know that have STC they haven't needed to move onto IVF unless there is a major reason like male factor, low ovarian reserve, etc.

[emma1978]

I would for sure insist on trying injectables. No way would i go for ivf yet. I got pregnant on my 3rd round of clomid and 2 nd iui. If tjat failed, my dr was going to go for injectables + iui. With my second child, i conceived naturally. So you never know. I would get a second opinion for sure!!!

[Consensus]

Mandy I'm so sorry you're going through so much heartache.

I hate to be another opinion throwing something else in your face, but I have spent a lot of time in the past 1.5 years learning about the thyroid and how sensitive our body is to imbalances and how difficult it can be to get back on track, and I remember you said somewhere in the past that you started thyroid medication? Your TSH was sky high (?) if I am remembering correctly. There is a book "The thyroid solution", written by an endocrinologist, that is available through the county library I took out recently and read cover to cover that is the most excellent source of thyroid information, how much impact it has on our hormonal system, and how for some treatment with T4 isn't sufficient (and how to tell), and how you can have "normal" numbers that aren't normal for you and be symptomatic (and there is a whole chapter on infertility, and another on menopause - he spends a lot of time talking about the interlinked endocrine systems). DH and I had been TTC for about 6 months when I was diagnosed with the thyroid disorder - my TSH at that time was 1.3, and I am symptomatic there (but had + antibodies and a goiter). I got a bfp about 6 weeks after starting treatment. Since I don't have a baseline TSH from before the disease hit I'm guessing my baseline is well below 1, and that's where I test at when I feel corrected. When I get upwards of 1.5-2 I feel really bad and have a ton of issues, and truth be told, don't even realize that it's the thyroid imbalance that's doing me in until it gets corrected again.

I have an endocrinologist who treat the symptomatic patient, not the labs. Let me know if I can share the contact information.
Praying for you!

[Gwenn]

Yes, please do share your doctor's contact info, and I will look into the book. I do have symptoms at "subclinical" levels and now that my thyroid is where it should be, I still feel tired much of the time which seems odd to me.

Thanks, everyone, for the advice, support, and prayers.

[Consensus]

pm'ing you dr info. Also through fate I suppose I came across a thyroid/gluten connection from about three different places at once and decided to try gluten free a couple months ago, and noticed my energy levels rebounding a few weeks into it (and I'm not crazy gluten free, but cut out pasta and breads for the most part.)

This article has some NIH links to to peer reviewed thyroid/gluten research, and this paper was interesting in demonstrating going gluten free is about equivalent to increasing T4 dosage for those who have subclinical gluten sensitivity. The more research I've done the better patient advocate I've been able to become and I'm thrilled to be working with Dr's who work with me instead of looking at me like a psycho for educating myself (but I tell them I feel bad for them for being stuck with me, an engineer who runs a lab, as a patient all the time anyway). The thyroid book and the thyroid/gluten information has been so impactful I seriously want to sing it to the world.
Big *hugs* to you again hun.