Does my high FSH level impact the success of my IVF treatment?

What does FSH mean?

The follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is measured through a blood test that shows the level of FSH in the blood. It is said that FSH levels can predict your prognosis for pregnancy. While FSH is not the only sign we look at to determine fertility and the chance of conceiving through IVF, it is an important factor in helping determine the proper treatment. “Normal” FSH levels will differ, depending on age.

For Female Patients the below ranges are considered normal:

• Before puberty: 0 to 4.0 mIU/mL (0 to 4.0 IU/L)
• During puberty: 0.3 to 10.0 mIU/mL (0.3 to 10.0 IU/L)
• Women who are still menstruating: 4.7 to 21.5 mIU/mL (4.5 to 21.5 IU/L)
• After menopause: 25.8 to 134.8 mIU/mL (25.8 to 134.8 IU/L)

“My FSH is high for my age. What does that mean?”

This question may come up often with those struggling to conceive. Levels of FSH over 20 can be an indicator of an extremely low chance of pregnancy or assisted reproductive treatment success.

Let’s see a patient case example –

New Hope recently had a 39-year-old patient with an FSH between 15-35 in her cycle. At 39, a higher FSH is common, but her baseline was still elevated. She completed three Conventional IVF cycles at another clinic, using daily injections of 225 IU Gonal-F and 150 IU of Menopur, resulting in 1-2 eggs each time. None made it to blastocyst.

After analyzing her past chart and cycle information, our team decided a Natural IVF cycle might work best to balance her high FSH levels. She completed two rounds both resulting in the same number of eggs as the Conventional IVF cycle, but with the Natural Cycles, she was able to have 2 eggs make it to blastocyst!

So why did the Natural Cycle result in the same number of eggs with no medication and stimulation?

Because the natural protocol didn’t raise her already high FSH levels, resulting in higher quality eggs! Fertility medications like daily injections are meant to raise FSH levels to produce more eggs. For most, this protocol works as intended, but if you suffer from an already high FSH this high medication protocol generally won’t gain the results intended and threaten egg quality in the long run.