IF testing

Hey ladies,

I'm trying to be my own advocate here since my RE doesn't feel a need to do any further testing. I've had bloodwork, SA and HSG done. Our issues are mild PCOS and low morphology. I'm gearing up for IVF later this summer so just want to see what other testing there is that can be done.

Can you tell me all the testing you have had done or have heard of being done to help diagnose an issue with your fertility?

Thanks!

Re: IF testing

Sorry for the slew of questions but here goes. Did you have a glucose tolerance test for PCOS? Is your RE treating the PCOS with Metformin? Do you ovulate on your own?

I was told that one of my ovaries had a slight PCO appearance but I ovulated on my own so the PCOS was not the cause of our IF. DH and I ended up with unexplained IF diagnosis since there was nothing definitive on testing. We ended up needing IVF to get PG after 5 failed IUI's.

Message edited 6/5/2009 9:42:42 AM.

Re: IF testing

My only PCOS symptoms are not ovulating (very long cyles) and large ovaries (lots of eggs). I've never had the glucose test, my RE said he didn't believe metformin would benefit me because I'm not overweight and he said the side effects are bad.

did you have any other testing done to help diagnose your IF?

Message edited 6/5/2009 11:11:37 AM.

Re: IF testing--long

I think you have the same RE I started with, and he is not big on the Metformin...and I am overweight! I pushed for it though and every doc I have seen since says I need to be on it and have am actually on a higher dose right now.
Anywho, my other issue there was that he didn't use or was unwilling to try Femara/Letrozole...which is suppossed to have better success rates for PCOS girls. There is a doc in that practice that does use it, but you'll have to ask. I think it might be the female if memory serves me correctly. If not, the SIRM does use it, and there is a SIRM in the city. Always worth the while for a consult while your taking a break, if you ask me.
As for other testing, again SIRM will send you for a thrombophilia (sp?) panel and take it from there if anything pops up.
GL!!!

Re: IF testing

You are were I was. They didn't want to do further testing. They felt it was unexplained IF. So I went elsewhere.

So far we found that my first glucose test with my first RE was high and they never mentioned it, so the new RE wants to retest. My DH had additional testing that points to a few things that my first RE touched on, but never went into in detail, and now we have more answers that we didn't have before.

DH had a DNA fragmentation test, and I am redoing my glucose test, plus he tested for like a million other things that I don't remember right now.

Re: IF testing

from what it sound like your situation is similiar to mine, even though you not over weitht the glucose test wouldn't hurt , i've also had a sonohystegram which is similar to hsg but not as bad, its alot of cramping but dealable. do you mind if I ask What dr you see?

Re: IF testing

I go RMA in the city- Dr. Grunfeld.

I think I'm going to consult with anothe RE, I've made a apptmt for a phone consult with Dr. Sher at SIRM in the city. I would try Dr. Braverman, but I work in the city so I wouldn't be able to go to the LI office for monitoring during the week.

any other rec's for good RE's in the city?

Re: IF testing

You can try Cornell if you want a RE in the city. They are supposed to be the best. Lots of ladies on here have used them for the more challenging IF issues.

Re: IF testing

-DNA sperm fragmentation test
-Genetic Testing
-Testing for Translocations
-Natural Killer Cells Testing
-Immune issues
-Blood clotting issues

Re: IF testing

Message edited 6/8/2009 6:58:06 AM.

Re: IF testing

Posted by dilb712

Posted by shiv

I go RMA in the city- Dr. Grunfeld.

I think I'm going to consult with anothe RE, I've made a apptmt for a phone consult with Dr. Sher at SIRM in the city. I would try Dr. Braverman, but I work in the city so I wouldn't be able to go to the LI office for monitoring during the week.

any other rec's for good RE's in the city?

You can go to SIRM in the city for everything as well the Dr in the NY office is exactly the same as far as testing and thinking outside the box.. He is the one that will be doing your transfer and retrieval.. You can also consult with Braverman 1st.. Just to meet him


ETA: this is who I used He is in both offices Westchester and Manhattan.. I LOVED HIM!!!!!

Drew Tortoriello, MD
Medical Director SIRM - New York


At SIRM - Westchester, you'll be under the care of Dr. Drew Tortoriello, a board certified Reproductive Endocrinologist that comes to SIRM-Westchester from the Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Tortoriello has over 10 years of clinical and academic experience in the field of infertility and has made numerous presentations, several of which have won awards, at national and international scientific meetings. Most recently, he was elected as a prestigious Women's Health Research Scholar by the National Institutes for Health. He has published a number of articles in scientific journals and is actively involved in research to further the development of Reproductive Medicine.

Dr. Tortoriello earned his medical degree at the State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, during which he was time he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. He went on to complete his residency at the New York Hospital/Cornell Medical Center, after which he underwent his clinical fellowship training in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, followed by a clinical and basic science fellowship in REI at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical Center.

He is a member of the Society for Gynecologic Investigation, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the Endocrine Society, and the Society for the Study of Reproduction.

Dr. Tortoriello is an outstanding physician that you will find to be very personable and compassionate, who takes care to ensure that you have the most-cutting edge fertility treatments at your disposal, and moreover, that you feel comfortable throughout the entire process. Dr. Tortoriello sees patients in both our Manhattan and Westchester offices. You may contact him through either of these offices to schedule a consultation.