maythe4thbewit
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So I've been around here for a few years on and off. I'll try not to bore you with a long back story and I'll try to keep it comprehensive but brief...
So DH and I have just passed the 7 year mark of ttc #1. I had been diagnosed with PCOS in early teens so always knew that it would be a rough ride.
NHS only got us so far, HSG normal, ended up going private a few years back with clomid as at the time I was completely anovulatory and the NHS were ridiculous a year in between appointments and they also lost DHs bloods and semen analysis.Tried three cycles, 50mg no ov, next two where 100mg where I did O but unfortunately didn't catch. Decided to take a break from trying. This was two and a half years ago.
My periods went MIA and I only had one in two years. I started taking MyOva last August as a 'it cant hurt to try thing' and unbelievably my cycles have returned. And are now 34-36 days with clear positive OPKs (I had never had a positive or before ever apart from the two last cycles of clomid). We were delighted with this and decided to start trying casually again, some months our timing was less than optimum but most were ok. Still no bfp.
Hubby has had symptoms of low T for a good few years, NHS drs dismissed his symptoms, wouldn't even test his levels and just offered him antidepressants which he refused.
Anyway fast forward to the last few weeks, we decided to get his levels tested privately because at this point he is miserable, tired, has poor concentration, brain fog and frustrated, constantly, hes never in he mood to BD and can barely bring himself to do it once or twice a week (massive decreaseim what he used to be like a few years back). Which is obviously less than ideal.
So, testosterone comes back as way low, like crazy low for his age.
Dr orders full hormone panel which shows his testosterone and free testosterone again is extremely low and his LH is also low. All his other values came back normal so dr is fairly confident that its secondary hypogonadism.
We are relived that the problem has been found but the options arent looking great. We have a few options, testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) alone which is highly likely to make him infertile.
Testosterone replacement therapy alongside HCG and maybe adding HMG further down the road is necessary (tons of recent studies on TRT and HCG), this has been shown to treat the low T whilst retaining and in some cases improving fertility and sperm count.
Third option is IVF which we could never afford privately (we can just about afford the second option which is a reoccurring 200 quid a month without repeated bloods as necessary, along with the 500 we just paid for the consultation and initial diagnosis etc). And also neither of us are keen on ivf. I just have it in my head that's its extremely invasive and not highly successful.
The plan for now is getting him on the TRT and HCG and do a semen analysis in 6 months time to see where things are in that regards. If the results are bad then we will continue for another 6 months to give it chance, if no change or a worsening we will discontinue the TRT and just use the HCG alone or maybe alongside clomid or another SERM.
If no pregnancy in two years we will start the adoption process. Neither of us are keen on using donor sperm/ eggs. We just have the mindset that although it would be nice to have our own biological children, there are many children out there who need loving stable homes so I think this will be it for us.
Just looking for advice has anyone dealt with this type of Male Infertility?I have tons of knowledge and experience with the PCOS side of things and I'm glad it seems to be under control for me. I'm just upset as I feel like we've been dealt another blow. I guess this is also a vent from me.
Thanks for reading and if anyone has advice and or experience I would be very grateful.
Thanks
A
So DH and I have just passed the 7 year mark of ttc #1. I had been diagnosed with PCOS in early teens so always knew that it would be a rough ride.
NHS only got us so far, HSG normal, ended up going private a few years back with clomid as at the time I was completely anovulatory and the NHS were ridiculous a year in between appointments and they also lost DHs bloods and semen analysis.Tried three cycles, 50mg no ov, next two where 100mg where I did O but unfortunately didn't catch. Decided to take a break from trying. This was two and a half years ago.
My periods went MIA and I only had one in two years. I started taking MyOva last August as a 'it cant hurt to try thing' and unbelievably my cycles have returned. And are now 34-36 days with clear positive OPKs (I had never had a positive or before ever apart from the two last cycles of clomid). We were delighted with this and decided to start trying casually again, some months our timing was less than optimum but most were ok. Still no bfp.
Hubby has had symptoms of low T for a good few years, NHS drs dismissed his symptoms, wouldn't even test his levels and just offered him antidepressants which he refused.
Anyway fast forward to the last few weeks, we decided to get his levels tested privately because at this point he is miserable, tired, has poor concentration, brain fog and frustrated, constantly, hes never in he mood to BD and can barely bring himself to do it once or twice a week (massive decreaseim what he used to be like a few years back). Which is obviously less than ideal.
So, testosterone comes back as way low, like crazy low for his age.
Dr orders full hormone panel which shows his testosterone and free testosterone again is extremely low and his LH is also low. All his other values came back normal so dr is fairly confident that its secondary hypogonadism.
We are relived that the problem has been found but the options arent looking great. We have a few options, testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) alone which is highly likely to make him infertile.
Testosterone replacement therapy alongside HCG and maybe adding HMG further down the road is necessary (tons of recent studies on TRT and HCG), this has been shown to treat the low T whilst retaining and in some cases improving fertility and sperm count.
Third option is IVF which we could never afford privately (we can just about afford the second option which is a reoccurring 200 quid a month without repeated bloods as necessary, along with the 500 we just paid for the consultation and initial diagnosis etc). And also neither of us are keen on ivf. I just have it in my head that's its extremely invasive and not highly successful.
The plan for now is getting him on the TRT and HCG and do a semen analysis in 6 months time to see where things are in that regards. If the results are bad then we will continue for another 6 months to give it chance, if no change or a worsening we will discontinue the TRT and just use the HCG alone or maybe alongside clomid or another SERM.
If no pregnancy in two years we will start the adoption process. Neither of us are keen on using donor sperm/ eggs. We just have the mindset that although it would be nice to have our own biological children, there are many children out there who need loving stable homes so I think this will be it for us.
Just looking for advice has anyone dealt with this type of Male Infertility?I have tons of knowledge and experience with the PCOS side of things and I'm glad it seems to be under control for me. I'm just upset as I feel like we've been dealt another blow. I guess this is also a vent from me.
Thanks for reading and if anyone has advice and or experience I would be very grateful.
Thanks
A
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