Recently in clinic, we’ve been seeing a number of clients in IVF cycles with elevated FSH levels. Some FSH levels have been greater than >45 IU/L. It’s super important to check your levels before commencing! Sometimes you do need to be your own IVF project manager.

Elevated FSH levels are associated with poorer assisted reproductive outcomes. Evidence has shown that high FSH reflects not only reduced ovarian reserve but also poor egg quality.

Please have your FSH levels tested and measured on day 3 of your period. The cycle day 3 FSH level is the most commonly used test for predicting success in IVF treatment.

Several studies have shown that women with an elevated FSH level, independent of age, have a poor response to ovarian stimulation, leading to a lower pregnancy rate with ART (Scott et al., 1989; Martin et al., 1996; Sharif et al., 1998; El‐Toukhy et al., 2002).

Optimal FSH levels for starting an IVF treatment cycle are between 7-12 IU/L.

Elevated levels can lead to
-poorer outcomes
-cancelling of IVF cycle
-higher doses of gonadotrophin
-reduction in number of eggs collected
-reduced change of achieving live birth rate.

At Angea we work with several integrative GP’s that test specific hormones for your fertility assessment, FSH is included in these specific tests, or double check with your IVF specialist.

Amanda is the founder of Angea and has over 12 years of experience working with women to support their health journey. In addition to being a registered doctor of Chinese medicine, Amanda is a yoga teacher and founder of Mindful Pregnancy Yoga Training. Amanda offers acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and womb healing treatments at Angea.