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How to improve egg quality?

Posted by wngu , 09 February 2012 · 4655 views

Natural M/C started yesterday :(. Contraction like cramps, come and go every five minutes or so. I had to call sick today and for now have no energy to move out of the bed. On Monday we visited with my RE to discuss the two failed attempts. Both embryos came from the same fresh cycle and both ended in M/C!!!!
My RE believes, egg quality is a major factor. Last year, after being TTC for two years my OB placed me on Clomid for six months. Every month that went by, my over all health started to decline. I started to gain wait and my cycles went from 32 to 45 days. I have had thyroid issues from very young age but it seamed that Clomid resulted in elevated TSH levels despite the fact that I was under thyroxin therapy. At the time my TSH results were hovering around 16.8-17.0 under 137ug thyroxin meds. We were confused and had no idea what was going on since I was known to have unexplained infertility.
On our first visit with the RE, ultrasound showed very inflamed and enlarged ovaries field with many cysts. I was diagnosed with PCOS and was put on Metformin and BC ride away to allow the ovaries to rest.
Our Fresh cycle was started two months after all these events and now that two attempts have failed I am starting to think maybe the eggs that were collected two months after all the events were not in a good shape. Of course, I asked my RE if maybe we started the IVF cycle too soon but as you all know Dr’s never make mistakes so he did not think it was too early. Eggs usually start developing two months prior to collection so how could those eggs that have start developing in an environment field with cysts and high TSH level come out normal?
Anyhow, I am rambling on trying to find an excuss to justify the poor egg quality :(, but here is the question. What has been done is done. Know I am getting ready for another fresh cycle and this time around I will have to do anything in my power to produce good quality eggs. I am taking very high does of antioxidants and fish oil. I have also been on Metformin for the past year and my thyroids have been regulated for the past year after the Clomid incident.
What else can I do? How can one improve egg quality? Do I have better chances this time around or am I doomed to M/C every embryo that tries to attach…




So sorry you are going through this. Every time my cycles have worked, I have miscarried with zero explanation. I also am starting to wonder about my egg quality even though I am 32 and they should be fine. Like you, my doctors cant give me an explanation for this and I am left to wonder what is wrong with my eggs or perhaps I have an unfavorable uterine enviroment for them to develop successfully. Perhaps try to get a second opinion or doing more tests before spending more money. Thats what I am doing as I feel I need anwers before dishing out cash for another go at it. I wish you the best of luck!!! Hopefully we just have bad luck so far and things will work out going forward. All the best !!
So sorry to read everything that has happened...none of this is easy!!! I can't really comment for sure but during my first cycle, I had poor egg quality and the embies were slow growing because of it. So the second go around, my mission has been to get better quality eggs than I had the first time. I've researched it all...this is what I did approx 4 months before my second cycle:
I started TCM herbs after a consult with my TCM doc; started drinking raspberry leaf tea (more for uterine health than egg quality); started 200mg of the highest quality CoQ10; totally revamped my diet to eliminate as many processed foods as I could. I'm in the midst of my second cycle now with ER estimated to be early next week. I have a good feeling about my egg quality but because I know I've done everything I can do to improve it.

I hope it all works out for you and that you improve your egg quality too :-)
I'm so sorry to hear that you have to go through all this and I can't imagine how you must feeling going through a m/c. While I was never diagnosed with poor egg quality, we did go through 2 fresh cycles and 1 frozen all ending in a BFN. When we decided to do a 3rd and final fresh cycle, like rmd, I wanted to do everything I could. I decided to try everything, LOL. I consulted with Dr. Fiona, started fertility yoga, made some changes to my diet and found a acupuncturist. Dr. Fiona consulted with me over the phone and decided on some guidelines and supplements for me (CoQ10 was included along with some others specific to my needs). Thankfully our last cycle ended in a BFP and so far things are going well. If you have some time on your side, take 3 months (at least) to regroup and come up with your next master plan. I hope that things look up for you. ((hugs))
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nextchapter
Feb 10 2012 12:26 AM
Soo sorry to hear about your M/C..I agree with LMC and rmd about CoQ10..I've started taking 800 mg..per day (1 400 mg 2x per day) along with a Salmon fish oil capsule. I often wonder if my eggs are poor quality as, so far, my RE has implanted 6 day 5 or day 6 embryos and only one resulted in implanting but resulted in an early M/C..so it makes me think..why?
So I'm hoping the increase in CoQ10 will help. I know that my BFP cycle, I was on Lupron which did improve my egg quality and the amount of eggs that were mature for fertilization.
So sorry to hear what you are going through......
I too took CoQ10 as well was put on DHEA for I believe 3 months prior to my (successful) cycle. Accupuncture as well.
Thank you ladies :). I am recuperating and looking forward to a better cycle. I am starting very strong antioxidants 6 tablets a day (I guess it is a prescription drug made for PCOS patients!!) and Metformin at 2000mg a day. Other supplements include; Fish oil and 2000IU vitamin D. I need to start exercising more and just try to relax. I am also trying to drink a lot more. On my last cycle I was drinking only one or two glasses of water a day and I read dehydration can result in poor quality eggs. I have read many people indicate cycle meds effecting quality. I am not sure what they will be doing different this time but I do hope this cycle goes well. I do not know if I have the strength in me to go trough one more M/C.
I hope to be back in 4 months with a success story :).

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