Crohns and TTC

Hey Everyone,

Just wondering if anyone out there can share their experience with having Crohn's and infertility. I am starting my 2nd round of Clomid after TTC for 15 months. I've had semi-active crohns since I was diagnosed in 2007. I had one exploratory abdominal surgery in 2010 after something had ruptured which was assumed to be an internal abcess.

The RE wants to jump to IVF automatically even though the HSG showed tubes were fine after surgery even though that isn't an option due to the cost Im trying to be hopeful the Clomid will work so please share any insights or advice you have received.

Thanks!

27 and hopeful**Pentasa/Probiotics/prenatalvitamins/clomid

Dear OP,

You are young by infertility standards and the last time I checked there were no rules that said you have to go straight to IVF. However, I wouldn't give Clomid more than 3 months before moving on to gonadotropins. Assuming your partner has a healthy sperm count, you should do well with injected hormones. The downside risk is that you might do too well and then conceive multiples if you choose IUI. IVF gives you some additional control over this by limited the number of embryos transferred. Your choice.

I wasn't diagnosed until after my first child was born (after 5 years TTC which included 3 clomid cycles, 5 IUI cycles, 4 IVFs then 2 ZIFTs). I have never had an abdominal surgery. I had poor ovarian function and my DH had low and slow counts. Together we were essentially infertile until my 2nd child was conceived after my 7th (and unsuccessful) IVF.

I had a some friends in my TTC circle who had pelvic adhesions (one from Crohn's and a few others from endo). They all needed IVF. Most of them also need tubal ligations after having ectopic pregnancies due to scarring in their tubes.

I hope this is helpful.

Thank you for your responses!

DH has good sperm count so they are assuming I may have adhesions though they didn't see any.
They were going to do 3 months and then IUI. I just felt is was too soon to jump to IVF and feel a lot of doctors just push the most expensive options on you including a lot of my GI doctors.

I'm counting on my symptoms to get worse after having a baby but I am sure looking forward to the hope I will stay in remission for at least 9 months as I never have fully been in it!

I went through infertility treatments 30 years ago (my son is 24 and my daughter is almost 21..yikes!) I was not diagnosed with Crohn's until my 40's. I had abnormal ovulation. They thought I had PCOS, but after my second child was born my hormones stabilized and my periods became regular, so I think that was a mis-diagnosis. Back then, they kept you on Clomid way too long....I was on it for about a year and it never helped and probably messed my hormones up worse. I eventually conceived on Pergonal, so I did not go through IVF. You are right that these days they jump to IVF a lot sooner. I went through five years of infertility treatments and a miscarriage before I finally had my son. The good part is, they are so much more advanced with IVF, but you are right it is really expensive and you may be able to conceive another way. It would be best if you can conceive while in remission from the Crohn's, but I know you don't have control over that. Try to stay positive, and I hope things work out ok.

I luckily didn't have any issues conceiving naturally. However I was probably in a similar condition to you when we did conceive - not in remission, but better then what I usually was. I was around 15 weeks pregnant when I needed to go into hospital to get an abscess on my kidney drained, when that healed up I was surprised to discover I was in full remission and remained so until I started weaning my daughter off breast feeding. I think it's linked, and would have probably pushed myself to BF longer if I'd known.