HCG boosters?

[compassrose]

Anyone have opinions on whether it’s worth doing or any links to any studies?

[icedcoffee]

Like a shot of HCG after transfer? My initial protocol when I did IVF in 2016 called for HCG after transfer before they discharged me and then endometrin inserts afterwards. It was looking like I could have overstimulated so they didn't give me the HCG and instead put me on PIO. It sounds like HCG boosters would be used to increase progesterone, but PIO is more effective? I'm not sure. LOL Sorry I'm not more helpful.

ETA:  FWIW, I triggered with Lupron and not HCG.

ETA2:  Sorry---I misread.  I was supposed to get HCG after retrieval before they released me.  I guess to help get me ready for transfer.

[seeyalater52]

These are the two studies my RE sent me about it:

2016: www.rbmojournal.com/article/S1472-6483(16)30339-X/fulltext
2015: journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0300060515592903

They're both meta analyses. The more recent one finds that there isn't sufficient evidence for hcg boosters, the 2015 study finds there is. My RE's interpretation, including her analysis of the studies referenced in the meta analysis is that there isn't enough persuasive evidence to indicate it is helpful, and that the more studies that are done they are having difficulty replicating the original results that showed it could be helpful. Some clinics in particular seem to favor doing it, and those clinics are sometimes the ones conducting and publishing the studies.

On the other hand, I've never seen anything that indicates it could be harmful in any way, so it feels like the kind of thing that you could consider if you're really trying to cover all bases just in case.

[compassrose]

Thank you seeyalater52! I’m just trying to figure out the disadvantages.

[pandora89]

No studies to share but we did it for our successful cycle. It’s one of the few changes we made from our previous failed transfers.

[starryfish]

We do mini dose hcg for my iui after iui. We were successful with my dd two years ago. We are cycling now and I did mini dose again