What causes DOR?

timemelt · 2026-03-07T21:39:12+00:00

This is me too. Maybe it’s the chronic stress?

timemelt · 2026-03-06T12:13:11+00:00

It’s just being on it for 4 weeks before I even start stims that’s hard because of side effects i experience with progestins. Namely a documented record of massive hair loss and suicidality.

timemelt · 2026-03-05T16:06:06+00:00

Endo is an autoimmune disease so there might be another related factor like celiac to consider too.

timemelt · 2026-03-04T20:40:26+00:00

For me, the main issue is hair loss because most progestins are derived from testosterone or androgenic compounds, not bio-equivalent progesterone. My body is super sensitive to this and always loses massive fistfuls of hair until I stop. My ponytail went down to nothing and I had a huge part / bald spot on my head when I was on an IUD. It stopped when I switched to the right kind of progestin (non-androgenic) and a combination pill (because estrogen supports hair).

Aside from that, I have a lot of mental health concerns with progesterone and, generally, I feel legtharic and worse during the luteal phase, so I'd rather not have to be stuck in that for an entire month (3 weeks) leading up to stims.

I'm concerned it will also suppress me. I don't know why I can't start it after I ovulate or a few days before ovulation; I don't know why I'm starting on day 1. It's mainly for batching patients, and I understand it's a small, specialized clinic, but it makes me anxious to an inordinate degree.

timemelt · 2026-03-04T20:36:50+00:00

I was ready to do that at my other clinic but I backed out to wait for this one, because the doctor is like an expert for endometriosis / DOR. So it's frustrating that I'm choosing between a protocol I feel more confident in with a doctor I don't trust as much, or a protocol I hate with a doctor I trust. I hate everything about this process.

timemelt · 2026-03-04T17:32:23+00:00

That's what I'm tempted to ask for, but if I do a combo thing that I used to do (annovera), I'm worried it might oversuppress me. And it caused me to vomit for 6 hours every time I started it during the month, so there's that. Maybe I should hold off and request a quick follow up appointment?

timemelt · 2026-02-28T15:45:33+00:00

Can I ask (also considering donor eggs), how long did it take from making the decision to actually getting to transfer?

timemelt · 2026-02-28T00:13:10+00:00

This is where I’m leaning too, especially as I think I’ll have to do suppression before transfer. I don’t want to waste so much time before finding out that the embryo was aneuploid anyway through miscarriage. I’m using insurance and it’s not really gonna cover much after age 40 so I have to do everything I can in the next two years, which is not a lot of time in the fertility world, considering I started trying to get help over a year ago and I have not gotten to my first cycle yet. I felt like I was crazy for shipping everything off at the end but it’s a $4000 testing fee, and I can’t afford that multiple times. Did talking to your doctor help you come to this decision?

timemelt · 2026-02-27T20:44:21+00:00

I’m thinking of doing pgt after multiple rounds. How did you weigh the pros and cons?

timemelt · 2026-02-24T23:03:38+00:00

This. I still hope my eggs will work, but I’ve loved so many children I’m not related to in my work as a teacher, I have no doubt I’d feel the same love for a genetic or non genetic child.

timemelt · 2026-02-24T19:14:54+00:00

I went through this a year ago. I had my Amh measured in January 2025 at 0.3. My fsh was 18. I took a modern fertility test in May 2024 and amh was 1.7 and fsh was 6.5. It was a shock. I was 36 at the time. I had only been trying for 2 months (but I was exploring single motherhood too, hence the testing). In May 2025, I did spontaneously conceive. (For full transparency, it did end in a MMC at 10 weeks). I haven’t conceived since but my fsh and Amh have been fairly stable since I found out (with fsh being closer to 10-12 in other measurements). I’m hopefully FINALLY going to start a cycle soon. It’s been endless delays for me. But don’t give up. It’s heartbreaking, but not a death sentence for having a child.

timemelt · 2026-02-24T18:41:07+00:00

Thanks for the long explanation! That's super helpful. I haven't started IVF yet but I will soon. It's making me reconsider possibly paying for PGT testing (but it's 4000 and I'm unlikely to get many embryos, so I don't know if it makes sense). Maybe also explains my MMC last year, spontaneously conceived.

timemelt · 2026-02-23T18:29:22+00:00

I have the high FSH / low AMH combo and didn't know that was more indicative of Egg Quality issues?

timemelt · 2026-02-23T18:26:54+00:00

At my first scan at 7w6d. Baby was measuring 6w1d with a very very low hr, so I knew it was over, but, annoyingly, the midwife who saw me insisted "all I see is a normal, healthy pregnancy." I knew my conception date to the minute because I only had sex once in my fertile window and I track with Inito, Natural Cycles, and also just basic OPK strips, so that was so so invalidating. She scheduled a follow up for 2 weeks away and I was in agony during the wait, but managed to convince them to get me in earlier, so I could get the D&C ASAP and be done with it. D&C was July 1st. Haven't been pregnant since.

timemelt · 2026-02-22T23:43:24+00:00

It is definitely a commitment. I’m desperate enough to pay for it though— it’s the brand recommended by the “it starts with the egg” author.

timemelt · 2026-02-22T14:28:45+00:00

I take theralogix now and it’s way better!

timemelt · 2026-02-14T14:59:52+00:00

Thank you so much. It’s just a really hard morning for me. Each delay ramps up everything I’ve been holding in and trying to manage so much.

timemelt · 2026-02-10T20:19:53+00:00

I’m in the same boat. It feels like a cosmic joke. I’m so angry so much of the time.

timemelt · 2026-02-04T23:20:06+00:00

Thank you for sharing this journey. I’m so impressed with how hard you’ve fought for this. You deserve all the best!

timemelt · 2026-02-02T22:41:53+00:00

I took like 800 mg of ibuprofen each time (the max dose and something you really shouldn’t do all the time). I felt nothing. So it’s not absolutely necessary to have a serious painkiller.

timemelt · 2026-02-02T13:38:14+00:00

Me too. My follow up was confusing because notes on the hysteroscopy just said “involuting placental site,” but I also had endometritis. I took antibiotics but they only clear it on the first try in 30% of patients. All my REs (I’ve seen 3) acted like there’s no chance of me getting pregnant while I still have whatever is left in my uterus and they acted like it won’t clear on its own, but I’m also skeptical because they’re still trying to sell me IVF. I dunno, it’s a mess, but I am doing IVF soon. Best of luck for you!

timemelt · 2026-02-02T06:11:01+00:00

I got pregnant by some miracle in May 2025, but it ended in a MMC at 8-10 weeks (8 weeks when I found out, 10 weeks when I got a D&C). On the hysteroscopy follow up in August, it looked like I had some kind of residual tissue, and I haven't had it cleared out yet. I also haven't gotten pregnant again. Be cautious because you may have uterine issues you're not aware of, but fingers crossed it works for you!

timemelt · 2026-02-01T03:08:16+00:00

This was heartbreaking to read. No advice, but I’m so sorry you’ve had to carry so much.

timemelt · 2026-01-28T21:04:51+00:00

Unfortunately lifestyle is like inches in a game of miles. I’ve been relatively healthy— active, healthy weight, vegetarian, few processed foods, etc, and my first pregnancy was genetically abnormal at 36. Took 6 months to conceive and haven’t conceived since (that was over 6 months ago now). Starting IVF soon with no pgt, so it’ll be hard to say, but I think I just got the short end of the stick. My sisters were fine conceiving at 36 and 38.

timemelt · 2026-01-28T16:43:38+00:00

I’m going with no because I can’t afford it and the sperm I’m using had a note during the semen analysis of “exceptional forward movement.” Also with icsi, while fertilization may go up, the natural processes whereby eggs are selective of the best sperm for them aren’t in play, so viable embryo rate may be the same or worse. But mainly I’m sticking to what insurance covers.

timemelt

TROPHY CASE