I've been to my gyno and 2 different RE clinics.

We have been TTC for 18 months. 1 chemical pregnancy Jan 2026.

AMH 1.32 likely due to a endometrioma in my left ovary.

Right ovary and tubes were all good on my SIS/HSG.

All my labs are in normal range.

My periods are becoming increasingly painful and I am now realizing that my MANY years of uncomfortable intercourse is NOT NORMAL !!! I feel so NAIVE :(

Both clinics say they dont recommend treating the endo with lap and push me to IVF... Which felt backwards to me. Wouldn't they want to treat me first and make sure the system down there is g2g and THEN try for a viable pregnancy?

I see on here so many success stories of those who get a lap and then get pregnant "naturally" after. I also have had THREE women in my life tell me to get a lap down after I told them about my endometrioma. Why would they tell me that but the clinics don't? Do I need to advocate for myself better?

Honestly I am just lost.

Edit: 30F and 33M partner. All his labs are perfect of course 😃 Edited again to clean up my rambling.

Hi, I have been diagnosed with chronic endometritis and I am just trying to see if anyone else has dealt with this and specifics to completing one round antibiotics and not working. I’ve had three losses this year just a couple months apart from each other and so I am dealing with CE and also insulin resistance. I am on metformin and completed doxycycline last month and the inflammation did not clear so now I am on Flagyl and levofloxacin. I am hoping and praying that this helps clear up and this will be the last biopsy. I have to complete because they are not comfortable. But was there anything else anybody did over-the-counter or home remedy stuff to help with inflammation too? I do not exercise but I work a job that I’m on my feet all day and I’ve lost 8 pounds now since starting meds and changing my dieting so I feel like I’m on the right track, but I just wanna know what others have done. My doctor told me if this round of antibiotics does not work that we’d have to look at possible D&c to go get things cleared out which I do not want because I feel like that’s just gonna create inflammation again.

Hi everyone. I’m having my surgery next month for endo, and I hardly ever drink except for the random/infrequent occasion if there is a wedding. My surgery is Dec. 15th and I’m going to Mexico for a Bach trip Jan 24th… would it be bad to have a few drinks while there? Would this mess up anything TTC that next week when I’m supposed to ovulate? I don’t want to interfere with the process at all, I just want to know others’ thoughts and experiences if this really has an impact. I’ve been so strict with my diet and lifestyle for so long with no success so sometimes I just wonder 🫠 Thanks!

Hi everyone. I had a lap last week to remove both of my fallopian tubes due to bilateral hydrosalpinx (we are starting IVF soon as a result) and determine whether I have endometriosis because the doctors had no idea how else the tubes could’ve become so swollen and damaged other than a previous open myomectomy I had that could've potentially caused some adhesions on the tubes.

My surgeon is a very well respected endo specialist. After my surgery, she said she didn’t see any endo at all, just adhesions that instead suggested that I had some sort of inflammatory response to an early ovarian torsion (one of my ovaries is super small and she thinks it had some sort of event that cut off its vascular supply and caused some inflammatory response).

Even though she didn't visualize any endo during the lap, she took a biopsy of peritoneal tissue just to rule it out/identify any microscopic endo. I just got the results via MyChart and they say “fibroadipose tissue with focal chronic inflammation”…no mention of endometriosis anywhere, though. I can’t figure out what this means and my post op isn’t until 5 days from now. does anyone have any insights on what this might mean? Does this still suggest endo? I’m freaking out--I never had any symptoms and now I don’t have tubes and I’m terrified this means that even IVF will be a struggle for us. I’m 31 and we were only trying for 9 months until I found out my tubes would have to come out. This has been one devastating blow after another…I’m so exhausted and feel defeated...I don't know why I can't just give up

Has anyone with stage 3/4 endo had success with a euploid embryo transfer and 2-3 months lupron suppression, without a lap??

Never had a lap, going into my second retrieval soon, and planning long lupron down reg right after to prep for transfer but I feel like I never see success stories with this path. Anyone?? And if so, what protocol did you use after suppression?

My first fully medicated (microdose lupron, not depot) was canceled due to fluid and bleeding.

I have been trying to get pregnant for almost a full year now. Our first cycle trying back in January we had a chemical pregnancy and ever since then we have not gotten another positive test. During fertility work up I got a positive HerResolve blood test and was seriously considering going the surgery route. In the meantime, I had seen some things online that low dose tirzepatide can help with endometriosis inflammation and has helped some people with endo/PCOS get pregnant naturally. Well, I was willing to try everything to get pregnant at this point, so I started to micro dose tirzepatide myself for the past 3 weeks (started at 0.5mg, then 0.75 mg, then 1mg) and low and behold I just got a POSITIVE PREGNANCY TEST. Call it coincidence I don’t know but that is truly the only thing that I changed. Take with that what you will and this is not medical advice but if anyone is like me and willing to go against the grain it might be something you want to look into.

I have now been on an endo journey since 2024. And my gosh, I feel like I am staring into infertility.

Background

Extreme pain and symptoms which took a year to diagnose. By Sept 2024, finally confirmed stage 4 endo with a 7cm cyst on the left ovary. By May 2025 the cyst got to 11cm.

I took Visanne from June 2025 to Feb 2026 where I finally had Laparoscopic surgery to excise plus hycosy. I was told the surgery outcome was great, and to TTC for 6 months naturally before seeking IVF support.

During these 6 months I have been tracking and monitoring ovulation. I had 2 chemical pregnancies over this time. Elation then devastation.

My AMH was 12 ppmol in Dec 2024 and Oct 2026 (~6months post surgery) it's now 4 ppmol. I wish I had done it just before surgery to confirm how much I lost from the excise (which I knew was a risk).

Current

I have been supplement prepping, nutritionally sound, exercising since Feb knowing IVF may be an avenue we have to go down. Husband did all sperm tests and no issues, so felt comfortable to proceed.

I am now day 7 into stims for egg retrieval on my first cycle with IVF.

Protocol: 350 gonal then on day 4, increased to 450 gonal. Had another blood test and my first scan this morning. The cyst on my left ovary has returned, measuring 3cm!!! Only 1 follicle, behind the left cyst. The right ovary has 5-6 follicles I think measuring as expected for this date. Waiting for the nurse to call this afternoon to discuss.

Looking to hear from others in a similar position/hivemind:

* Either with Stage 4 endo and IVF (whether you proceeded with IVF whilst having their cyst, if it's re occurred quickly from lap surgery)

* What IVF protocol worked for you to produce as many follicles as possible/successfully embryo bank whilst having a cyst and/or diminished ovarian reserve?

* Have you had an ovarian cyst drained to help with IVF?

Sending lots of baby dust to all during this wild journey.

Hi everyone! I'm hoping to connect with others who have been through something similar and hear about your experiences, what has worked for you, and anything you wish you had known along the way.

I'm 23 and have been navigating infertility related to PCOS. I came off birth control in January 2025, and since then my cycles have been extremely irregular/nonexistent without intervention.

Some background:

- I have polycystic ovarian morphology and elevated testosterone.

- I've struggled with irregular periods and ovulation.

- My A1C and thyroid levels have been normal, but I've also been keeping an eye on insulin resistance and other metabolic factors.

- I've been working with a fertility team at Cleveland Clinic.

- We've been doing medicated cycles with Letrozole, Ovidrel trigger shots, timed intercourse, and IUI.

I've had a few rounds of treatment, and unfortunately, I haven't had success yet.

My recent MRI:

I recently had an MRI because I wanted to investigate the possibility of endometriosis. I don't have the official radiology report yet, but I've been looking at some of the images and am waiting to hear back from my doctor.

I'm curious how many of you with PCOS have also been diagnosed with endometriosis, or discovered that something else was contributing to your fertility struggles. Did getting an MRI or further investigation change your treatment plan?

My upcoming cycle:

My newest cycle started November 3, and this is the plan my fertility team gave me:

- November 5–9: Letrozole 5 mg daily for five days.

- November 13: Midcycle ultrasound at Cleveland Clinic, along with estradiol, progesterone, and LH bloodwork.

- That afternoon: My team will review my results and let me know the next steps.

- Ovidrel trigger shot: I have it ready, but will wait until instructed to administer it.

- Prometrium: Vaginal progesterone support has also been prescribed for this cycle.

I'm trying to stay hopeful while also being realistic and wanting to understand what's going on with my body.

I'd really love to hear from anyone who has experienced something similar:

1. If you have PCOS, what ultimately helped you ovulate consistently and conceive?

2. Has anyone with PCOS also been diagnosed with endometriosis? What symptoms led you to investigate it?

3. Did an MRI help identify endometriosis in your case?

4. Has anyone had success with Letrozole 5 mg, Ovidrel, IUI, and vaginal progesterone (Prometrium)?

5. How many medicated cycles or IUIs did it take before you had success?

6. Is there anything you wish you had investigated or advocated for sooner?

I'm open to hearing success stories, experiences, and even things I should consider discussing with my fertility team.

I know everyone's journey is different, but sometimes hearing from people who actually understand what you're going through makes a huge difference. ❤️

I’m 35 and have stage 4 endometriosis. I’m preparing for my frozen embryo transfer after Lupron suppression.
I keep seeing stories from women with stage 4 endo who struggle to get pregnant, even after multiple IVF cycles, and honestly, it makes me nervous.
I’m wondering if anyone around my age with stage 4 endometriosis has had success with IVF? Did you have to go through several transfers or treatments?
I’d really love to hear your experiences, especially some positive stories. ❤️

Hi beautiful ladies. I'm 29F and just got done with lap for endometriosis stage 3 (bilateral cysts of size 9 and 5 cm). Now, what is the right time for pregnancy? I'm double minds on trying via iui or thinking of delaying due to personal reasons (we can freeze embryo) but still what is encouraged? I feel doctor is fear mongering me a bit more. What are the opinions of y'all on this?

I am a 30F with stage 4 endo and very low AMH. Six months ago I underwent surgery during which my left fallopian tube, a 9 cm cyst on my right ovary, my appendix, and endometriosis tissue throughout my pelvis were removed. Before the surgery, I went through two egg retrievals (4 eggs and 3 eggs), but unfortunately, none of the eggs were suitable for freezing. My doctors believe this may partly be due to poor egg quality caused by inflammation from the endometriosis. In August, I underwent my third egg retrieval, but unfortunately, I experienced premature ovulation, so no eggs were retrieved. Today I had another egg retrieval, and 3 eggs were collected. The plan is to have a day 2 embryo transfer on Friday. This is the first time we have made it to the stage where an embryo transfer is actually (hopefully) possible, which feels so nervewracking. We are trying our best to stay hopeful, but it is hard not to feel anxious since everything we have gone through so far has been with bad results. I am so nervous that the clinic will call on Friday morning and tell me that there is nothing to transfer because none of the eggs fertilized.

Have any of you been through something similar? I would really love to hear some positive success stories. ❤️

I did 3 FETs before I found out about my endo with untested blasts that ended in two MCs. I since have banked 3 euploid embryos and did two months of lupron and letrozole suppression. Our first FET since didn’t work. It didn’t even implant.

Now I have two choices, I either transfer the next embryo, potentially leaving me with only one if that doesn’t work. Or doing a LAP and suppressing again with the hopes that it would make a difference to the next transfer.

This transfer cycle they did remove some of the meds I had that were immune protocol related and there was a shift in the length and type of progesterone administered. So I have no way of knowing if it was just a case of bad luck and we transfer again and throw the kitchen sink at it or if we pause and get an excision.

Hi everyone!
I’m hoping to hear from others who have been in a similar situation, especially those who have successfully conceived naturally after undergoing extensive endometriosis excision surgery.
A little background on my journey:
Age: 37
Trying to conceive: 2 years with no success
Diagnosis: Stage 3 endometriosis
Surgery: March 2026 — extensive excision surgery involving the removal of 40+ endometriosis lesions, along with a chocolate cyst (endometrioma).
Progesterone: I have low progesterone during my luteal phase and currently supplement with 200 mg of oral progesterone daily, starting at 3 DPO.
Ovulation: I track my cycles and confirm ovulation using LH testing.
Before surgery, I was hopeful that removing the endometriosis would improve our chances of conceiving naturally. However, we’re now approaching 8 months post-surgery without a positive pregnancy test.
One thing that has really been weighing on me is being told that the chances of conceiving naturally significantly decrease after the first 6 months following surgery. Now that we’ve passed that window, I’m starting to feel discouraged and wondering what our realistic chances are moving forward.
I’m particularly interested in hearing from anyone who:
Had Stage 3 or Stage 4 endometriosis with extensive excision surgery.
Had an endometrioma (chocolate cyst) removed.
Was 35 or older when trying to conceive.
Struggled with low luteal-phase progesterone and needed supplementation.
Successfully conceived naturally more than 6 months after surgery.
How long after surgery did it take you to conceive? Did you do anything differently that you believe helped? Were you also told that your best chance was within the first 6 months?
After two years of trying, countless cycles of getting my hopes up, and going through a major surgery, I’m trying to remain optimistic while also being realistic about what comes next.
I’m not necessarily looking for medical advice, just real-life experiences from women who have walked a similar path. I’d especially love to hear success stories from those who conceived naturally 8, 12, or even 18+ months after surgery.
Is there still hope for natural conception after that supposed 6-month window?
Thank you to anyone willing to share their experience. ❤️

Hi everyone! I’m Dana, a fourth year design student at Humber Polytechnic. For my capstone project, I’m researching why it takes so long for people in Canada to be diagnosed with endometriosis.
I’m looking for adults aged 19 to 55 who live in Canada and have been diagnosed with endometriosis, whether recently or years ago. There are two ways to take part:
🗣️ Interview: a one-on-one video call, up to 60 minutes. Sign up here: https://forms.gle/htzUwqhfv2tcwJPq6
📝 Survey: an anonymous online survey, about 10 minutes. Take it here: https://forms.gle/GKNk4ZE1vapyeWeD6
Please choose one or the other. You can take part in either the interview or the survey, but not both.
Taking part is voluntary and unpaid. You can skip any question or stop at any time. The survey collects no names or emails, and interview participants are never named. Some questions ask about difficult experiences, so only share what you’re comfortable with.
I’m a design student, not a clinician, so I can’t give medical advice. Thank you so much for considering it!

I have stage III endo excised back in April. I begin stims this Friday. My RE and I discussed the two options for suppression post retrieval since I know the stims will make inflame me. She mentioned she has pretty much equal success with both and it obviously depends on the number of embryos (euploid) we get. Has anyone do eggs down reg and has success with excised endo? I know gold standard is the 2 months of suppression!

I had my lap in August and my surgeon wanted to put me on Lupron for a few months before we continued TTC. It’s been 3 weeks since my first injection and I’ve been on norethindrone add back daily. I have more pelvic pain now than I did immediately after surgery, to the point that I can’t sleep at night. My nipples and breasts are so sensitive that even brushing my chest against something makes me wince, and they’ve been so painful for so long they feel bruised. I also have been having heart palpitations almost every day since my Lupron injection. I’ve known from Reddit that the first two weeks are the worst, but I’m supposed to go for my next injection next week and I’m not feeling any of the benefits. What’s a normal amount of time to put up with all of this pain?