If you’ve ever been told your FSH is too high or that you’re not a strong candidate for IVF, you’re not alone. High FSH is often treated as a hard stop, but the truth is more nuanced. High FSH is not a verdict. It is information. It is your body signaling that the ovaries need more support, communication, and nourishment.

In this blog, adapted from our episode “Getting Pregnant with High FSH | Understanding Fertility Treatment Options,” we explore what high FSH means, why it fluctuates, and the strategies that can help you improve ovarian response and move forward with clarity.

What High FSH Really Means

FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) is the signal from the brain to the ovaries that tells them to mature follicles. When FSH is high, it is not a sign of failure. It is your body working harder to support follicle development.

Contributing factors include:

• Age and ovarian reserve

• Chronic inflammation (hsCRP)

• Functional gut issues or infections

• Nervous system dysregulation

• Thyroid or adrenal imbalance

• Environmental toxins

• Poor sleep

• Blood sugar instability

FSH also fluctuates month to month, which is why context matters. Always interpret it alongside AMH, estradiol, and your antral follicle count.

Functional fertility takeaway:

High FSH is your body asking for better communication between your brain, hormones, and ovarian cells.

Conventional Fertility Treatment Options for High FSH

Many women with high FSH or diminished ovarian reserve are told to move quickly into IVF or donor eggs. While these are options, they are not the only ones.

Mini IVF or Natural Cycle IVF

Gentler stimulation protocols can be more aligned with how high-FSH ovaries naturally function.

Letrozole or Clomid

These medications sometimes help support ovulation without aggressive stimulation.

Donor Eggs

A valid path for some, but not the only path. Many women conceive with their own eggs after addressing inflammation, nutrient status, and cellular health.

Questions to ask your clinic:

• Are my medications individualized for my FSH and AMH profile?

• Could a lower-dose or different protocol support a better response?

• Does your lab prioritize egg number or egg quality?

The Functional Fertility Perspective

Functional fertility focuses on optimizing the environment in which eggs develop. If the body is inflamed, nutrient-depleted, stressed, or dealing with hidden infections, the ovaries are not able to respond to medication efficiently.

Core areas addressed include:

• Reducing inflammation and oxidative stress

• Stabilizing blood sugar

• Supporting mitochondrial energy in the egg

• Improving nutrient status (especially vitamin D, ferritin, magnesium, CoQ10)

• Identifying hidden stressors like gut infections, food sensitivities, or toxin exposure

• Balancing thyroid and adrenal hormones

• Regulating the nervous system

This approach strengthens egg health, supports ovulation, improves hormone communication, and prepares the body for conception naturally or through IVF.

Key Labs to Review for High FSH

• Full thyroid panel (TSH, free T3, free T4, antibodies)

• Vitamin D

• Ferritin

• Fasting insulin and glucose

• A1C

• Homocysteine

• hs-CRP (inflammation marker)

These markers help identify what may be driving elevated FSH and how to support the hormonal environment.

Functional Fertility Testing That Personalizes Your Plan

GI-MAP Stool Test

Identifies gut inflammation, dysbiosis, parasites, and infections that can influence egg quality.

Food Sensitivity Testing

Helps uncover inflammatory foods that disrupt hormone balance and digestion.

DUTCH Test

Provides insights into estrogen and progesterone patterns and adrenal function.

Genetic Testing (MTHFR, COMT, GST)

Helps clarify how your body detoxifies hormones, handles methylation, and manages oxidative stress.

Vaginal Microbiome Testing

Important for anyone with recurrent miscarriage, BV, ureaplasma, or unexplained implantation issues.

When to Blend Functional and Conventional Approaches

Many women with high FSH see the best outcomes by combining both worlds:

• Functional optimization for 3 to 6 months

• Conventional treatment (IVF, IUI, ovulation meds) once the internal environment is ready

Once inflammation drops and mitochondrial energy improves, ovarian response often shifts from “poor quality” to “improving quality.”

When to Re-Evaluate Your Plan

Relying on FSH alone is not enough. Consider a strategic reset if:

• You have had multiple canceled or failed IVF cycles

• Your protocol has not changed despite the same results

• You have not addressed inflammation, gut health, thyroid, or nutrient deficiencies

• You feel rushed into treatment without holistic assessment

Questions to ask yourself:

• Have I supported sleep, digestion, stress, and detox pathways?

• Have I stabilized blood sugar and addressed nutrient gaps?

• Could a 3-month reset improve my next cycle?

Reframing: High FSH is a message, not a closed door. It is a signal to strengthen the foundations that support egg development.

Stefanie's Success Story with FSH in 60s

(Individual results vary and cannot be guaranteed)**

At 37, Stefanie came to Fab Fertile with an FSH level in the 60s after three failed IVF cycles. She had already been told that donor eggs were likely her only option. Over the following months, she focused on reducing inflammation, improving nutrient status, supporting gut health, and regulating her nervous system. As her overall health shifted, her FSH decreased to 7. Her next retrieval was successful, and she later conceived using her own eggs.

This is one woman’s story. Every fertility journey is individual, and outcomes vary.

Next Steps in Your Fertility Journey

Subscribe to Get Pregnant Naturally for evidence-based guidance on functional fertility, and share this episode with anyone on their fertility journey.

Not sure where to start? Download our most popular guide:  Ultimate Guide to Getting Pregnant This Year If You Have Low AMH/High FSH it breaks everything down step by step to help you understand your options and take action

For personalized support to improve pregnancy success, book a call here.

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TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – What High FSH Really Means for Fertility

What FSH actually measures, why it does not reflect egg quality, and why high FSH is often misunderstood in conventional fertility care.

01:00 – The Emotional Impact of High FSH and Canceled IVF Cycles

Understanding why high FSH triggers fear, how it influences IVF decisions, and how a functional lens shifts your strategy.

02:00 – Real Case Story: FSH in the 60s Reduced to 7

A Fab Fertile client lowered FSH dramatically after three failed IVFs and conceived with her own eggs after being told donor eggs were the only option.

03:00 – Drivers of High FSH: Inflammation, Stress, Thyroid, Sleep, and Toxins

FSH as feedback, not failure. Exploring how inflammation, poor sleep, blood sugar imbalance, thyroid dysfunction, and environmental toxins impact ovarian response.

04:00 – Conventional Treatment Options for High FSH

Mini IVF, natural-cycle IVF, Letrozole, Clomid, individualized protocols, medication dosing considerations, and how clinics determine next steps.

05:00 – Why Medication Alone Isn’t Enough: The Functional Fertility Lens

How functional testing identifies hidden blocks like gut infections, food sensitivities, chronic inflammation, nutrient deficiencies, and nervous system dysregulation.

06:00 – Hidden Stressors That Disrupt Egg Quality and Hormone Signaling

Parasites, H. pylori, bacterial overgrowths, mold exposure, toxin load, fragrances, plastics, and irregular cortisol patterns that impact egg development.

09:00 – Key Fertility Labs for High FSH

Optimal vs normal ranges for thyroid markers, vitamin D, ferritin, fasting insulin, A1C, homocysteine, and how methylation affects hormone detox and ovarian health.

12:00 – Functional Testing That Personalizes Your Fertility Plan

GI-MAP, food sensitivity testing, DUTCH hormone mapping, genetic testing (MTHFR, COMT, GST), and vaginal microbiome tests for implantation and inflammation insights.

18:00 – When to Pause IVF and Re-Evaluate Your Strategy

Why repeating protocols isn’t effective when the internal environment isn’t optimized. When a 3–6 month reset can improve ovarian response and IVF success.

19:00 – Final Takeaway: High FSH as a Message, Not a Verdict

High FSH is information, not a dead end. How combining functional optimization with conventional care improves egg quality, hormone signaling, and overall fertility outcomes.

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TRANSCRIPTION

[00:00:00] If you've ever been told that your FSH is too high or that you're not a good candidate for IVF, today's episode, getting pregnant with High FSH, understanding fertility treatment options, it's going to help you understand what the number actually means and the many ways you can still support your fertility.

We're going to talk about the FSH. Most people immediately think poor ovarian reserve or diminished ovarian reserve, but that is not the whole story. We're going to look at what high FSH really signals how to interpret along other markers and what options both conventional. And functional fertility can help you move forward more confidently.

Excited for you to listen. Let's go. Welcome back. I'm Sarah Clark, founder of Fab Fertile. For over a decade, my team and I have helped hundreds of couples improve their chances of pregnancy success, whether naturally or through IVF. We've specialized in supporting those with low MH, high FSH, diminish ovarian reserve, premature ovarian efficiency, recurrent pregnancy loss through functional lab testing and personalized fertility strategies.

This episode is for you as if you've been told high FSH, or diminished or variant reserve, and you feel like the window is closing in on you. You've had [00:01:00] poor IVF responses, you've had canceled cycles, and you want to know what else you can do. You want to understand how a functional fertility approach can improve a quality.

Hormone balance, so your next steps feel strategic, not desperate. Thanks so much for listening. I'm so thankful that you're here. Make sure you hit subscribe or follow, and if you know someone else who's on the fertility journey, please share this podcast with 'em. We're talking all about high FSH and some treatment options really from a conventional standpoint and also from a functional fertility standpoint.

FSH. So the follicle stimulating hormone, it's a signal from the brain to the ovaries and people worry. And we've got people that have got pregnant with FSH 60s, 70s, 80s. Obviously the FSH has come down and then they've gone on to conceive, but it was really high and they were told donor eggs are the only option.

I'm just thinking about Stefanie. She had FSH in the 60s. And then we worked with her. It was actually for a short period of time. Before that she had three failed. IVFs was told donor eggs were her only option. She had a doctor reach across the table, an REI, pinky swear, I'll get you pregnant. That didn't work because we hadn't worked on her health.

[00:02:00] She came to us for about five months. She decided to go in and get on the list for donor eggs and then the REI said, wait a minute. Your FSH has come down to a seven and I see some follicles in here. So she decided to proceed with an IVF and went on to have her son. Came back and then she had her daughter with us.

This is after she was told that donor eggs were her only option. So definitely we worked on her health. So there's things you can do to bring down the FSH. High. FSH is not bad per se. It's feedback that your ovaries need more support. So some contributing factors such as age. So yes, the older you get potentially, but people in their forties are having pregnancies.

And we need to be able to look beyond the age thinking at 40, that our fertility falls off a cliff and there's nothing we can do. We need to look at the rest of our biomarkers, looking at the inflammation in our body. You can see that high sensitivity, C-reactive protein. Is it over one? If you, if it is, we got some chronic stress going on and where's it coming in from?

Food sensitivities, gut infections, environmental toxins, the stress we're all under, and then we start to work on that, reduce it, and then the body can come back [00:03:00] online. Stress. So regulating your nervous system. Poor sleep, I see it all the time. People just having people are exhausted. Not getting the right amount of sleep.

Thyroid or adrenal imbalance. Environmental toxins. So all of these things can contribute to high FSH. And so when we address them, we see it come down. And so it's going to fluctuate month to month. So you need to pair it with the AMH and the estradiol and the antral follicle count. So from a functional fertility standpoint, high FSH is your body's request for better communication between the brain and the hormones and the ovarian cells.

We don't want to be blind to it. We don't want to not test it, but then also we don't want to repeatedly test it because that can then be triggering. So we need to do the work and then we can test it afterwards. We're always looking at blood work before and after our testing. And so from a treatment standpoint, from conventional medicine, they might want to do a mini IVF or a natural cycle, a gentle.

Stimulation. Some studies coming out that a lower dose medication might be better for people that have high FSH. They might want to do [00:04:00] letrozole or clom sometimes to encourage ovulation without aggressive medication. And you may have been told that donor eggs are your only option. But many women go on and conceive with their own eggs after they've been told donor eggs are for you.

And wait a minute, they go on to conceive naturally. You need to be able to be informed, right? Doctors are there, but we hire them and use their expertise. And not just blatantly throw all our eggs in one basket, pun intended, and just rely on them. We need to be educated and be our own advocate. So making sure that your medication is individualized for someone with a high FSH or low AMH looking at different protocols.

But I do say this all the time. You do not have a medication deficiency. And so changing the protocol and getting so caught up in the whole IVF world without looking at the fact that you've got inflammation from a food sensitivity, all the environmental toxins, your body does not feel safe. Your nervous system is dysregulated and we just keep going cycle after cycle and spending tens of thousands of dollars.

We [00:05:00] don't know long-term side effects. So we're not anti IVF. We just need to deploy it at the right time. The lab can't measure egg quality, only quantity. They tell you it's your FSH is I and your AMH is low. And they tell you, you better run and panic. And that's not how we receive our child. So from a functional fertility perspective, our fab fertile method, everything we're doing here is to improve cellular and egg health.

So the ovaries can respond if you do decide to do treatment or through natural conceptions. We're not just looking at the hormones, we're looking at the entire environment that's going to influence your egg quality implantation success. So we see many people, the retrievals been canceled or the transfer, we did the transfer, it didn't implant, or it did implant, and we have pregnancy loss.

And so we need to be able to look at our biomarkers and make an informed decision because this piece, this can be devastating, right? This impacts every aspect of your life. I'm giving you a whole bunch of information here, but like this is difficult, and so we need to give yourself some [00:06:00] grace and actually be kind to yourself.

And this can also be very difficult on a relationship. Intimacy can be all about baby making. We're going to say, Hey, I want you to go gluten-free, kick out a parasite and wait. Let's look at your genetics and making sure that your methylation pathways, adding more B vitamins is equally as important for us to recognize the trauma that you've been through.

The stress you're under, that your body doesn't feel safe to procreate. And right now there your body is prioritizing you to keep you alive and there's a reason. So we need to dig deeper and see what those issues are and reducing inflammation, oxidative stress, balance your blood sugar. If you're on a rollercoaster, your blood sugar all day long, that can impact your hormones, improve your nutrient status.

I see a lot of people, they're like low nutrients. So we need to boost everything up and support the ovarian energy and cellular repair. And then address those hidden sources of stress in the body. Infections you got an a parasite, a worm, a [00:07:00] bacterial infection, an overgrowth of bad bacteria. That could be why this is not working.

That impacts the health of the eggs and the health of the sperm toxins are exposed to. It's not about putting yourself in a plastic bubble here, but reducing all your exposure from the glyphosate in your food to the pesticides, to the herbicides. Being able to select organic toxin free products, getting rid of the plastics, making sure you use a water filter, air filter if needed.

Not all at once 'cause that can be stressful. But kicking out fragrances and looking at your personal care go to think dirty. Or the skin deep database and on the skin deep database, you want to score under three. Sephora is now filled with all this clean beauty. It's a huge push to be able to not slather chemicals all over our body.

I think a lot of us know this. You probably read all the fertility books telling you this, but this is impacting both sperm and the health of the eggs. So we slowly make these changes. It's not about beating yourself up. It's each day make changes. So the infections, the toxins, food sensitivities. Some of your message at [00:08:00] hello@fabfertile.ca subject line 10 DAY. I'll send you the elimination diet so you can figure out to take out the top allergens for 10 days. Systematically reintroduce them. See how diet impacts your body. It is not about you going carnivore, keto vegan. I can't tell you how many people are vegan, and I'm like, they're not getting enough protein.

There are too many carbs. Their blood sugar's on a rollercoaster. I get it. My parents have been vegans for 40 years and so you know, they're healthier than their peers, but also they have a lot of nutrient deficiencies and skinny little. Anyways, they're in their eighties and now my mother doesn't like to cook anymore.

She loved cooking. Vegan. You can do it properly, but then you do dirty. Vegan, dirty keto, or you're just having vegan pizzas or just junk food, and so we want you to eat whole foods, fats, proteins, fiber. The diet can impact our gut health as well as stress. And then all the little bad bacteria comes in overgrows.

And then we wonder why this is not working. So we need to work on all those hidden sources of stress. So [00:09:00] some key labs to look at here. Looking at the full thyroid panel, looking beyond the TSH. Yes. Your REI is going to want it below 2 mIU/L, but we need to look at the FREET3 The FREET4. Your

antibodies. People are like, I've had my thyroid tested. It's normal. We don't want normal. We want optimal. We need to look at the full panel. Look at your vitamin D, and we see this low all the time. We look at 60 to 80. We want to look at your ferritin. I see it all the time. The ferritin is too low. You're anemic and you're doing iron infusions and iron patches, and then you're wondering why things aren't working well.

Yeah, that's a huge clue. It's not just you doing an iron infusion. Maybe you've got gut issues, you're not absorbing it. Your insulin's on a roller coaster if your A1C is over 5.5 or 5.4. That can then impact your cycle health and inflammation in your body. And yes, stress can impact your blood sugar, homocysteine inflammation.

So the methylation pathway, so we do see that M-T-H-F-R gene variant, so 60 to 80% of the population have it, and we see it as a theme with low A MH and high FSH, making sure that you're taking a [00:10:00] methylfolate, prenatal. Maybe you're not absorbing your B vitamins. I see the B12 should be between 800 to 900.

And I see it either too low or it's too high 'cause you're not absorbing it. And so looking at some additional testing, we can do that stool test. So we do like the GI map. Do not do one off testing. You'll throw good money after bad, you won't get a proper protocol. This is multifactorial. You need to look at this in a target manner.

We start with food stool genetic testing. All your biomarkers plus your partner, you could be passing infections back and forth. So we need to be very mindful about A DIY saving money for IVF. You don't want to be saving your money just for IVF. We've got to work on your health. You can either get pregnant naturally, 'cause the, because the majority of us can, or when you go to IVF, you can improve the chances of it working.

They sell it in packages of three for 60 K. Obviously there's clinics that offer it cheaper. Usually it's not just one that it takes and none of them are looking at your. Some of that, I shouldn't say none. Some are saying go keto. Some are saying take some acupuncture. Some are saying [00:11:00] Don't smoke weed or reduce your coffee and your alcohol.

Those are basic, generalized recommendations that, yeah, you should not be doing any of this. You don't want to be smoking, you don't want to be smoking weed, you don't want to be drinking alcohol, you don't want to be drinking tons of coffee. You want to work on your stress and do some meditation. But those are generalized recommendations.

Their focus at the clinic is to give you medication to force. This, obviously it's been around for years, can see both my kids with IVF. We are not opposed to it. We need to de determine when to deploy it and really make an educated decision of when you're going to bring it in. Food sensitivity testing.

Your body's under attack. Even by seemingly healthy food. I got people intolerant to lettuce. I'm not about being intolerant to lettuce for the rest of your life. We heal the gut, then we can take out some of the inflammatory foods, and then as we heal the gut, we can bring most of them back in. Except if it's super high on a food sensitivity test.

Even if you're like, I have no digestive issues. I feel totally fine, but maybe for you, you've got skin issues, [00:12:00] dermatitis, acne, hives, eczema. Maybe you do have gut issues, burping, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, all common but not normal. Huge signs. Or you've got acid reflux or GERD. Maybe you've got h pylori, you're not absorbing any of the nutrients in.

You're passing that back and forth. And maybe you've got joint issues where you're like, oh, my joints just hurt. Everything hurts. Or mood issues. You want to claw your partner's, eyeballs out breathes, and so irritability, or you got brain fog, or you got ADHD, or you've got any kind of mood issue, the neurotransmitters are made in the gut.

And so we need to be able to address the food sensitivities, work on the gut health, and then we can potentially bring in a DUTCH test to look at your adrenals if they're flatlined. And I feel fine mentally, but maybe your body is exhausted. After all the stress. That was me. I'm like, I don't feel stressed.

Of course I was stressed. Of course I was. Just because I'm not going to be crying in a corner, I'm probably going to be punching the corner. Beating it up doesn't mean I'm not stressed. And so we need to be able to recognize that and to give over the research. I know for me, in times of [00:13:00] stress, especially with health, I go on a crazy research road.

I see myself doing it. So we need to give the research over to someone else so it's not on our shoulders. Especially if you're like a hyper vigilant kind of person. You're like, I got to check the protocol over, check everything. And then you're always on high alert and your body can't rest 'cause you don't trust anything.

You think they're doing it all wrong, but that's you taking on the burden. And so that's why we have a team with an OB, GYN, with a functional medicine background functional nutrition practitioners, fertility mindset coaches, putting this all together. This is a unique program. Been around for over a decade with a team approach, cross-functional, being able to ship tests worldwide.

And help you figure out what's going on and not just focusing in this case on the high FSH, we need to know it, but just focusing on it. Waste our time and then do genetic. So looking at that DUTCH testing, we can look at your estrogen, your progesterone patterns, your adrenal function. Your cortisol rhythm and then being able to look at all your hormones, and we like fertility trackers such as the Mira, [00:14:00] Inito, to be able to look at your hormones and be able to track your cycle.

Genetic testing, like we talked about that methylation pathways, maybe you do have the M-T-H-F-R gene variant. So either one SNP or two, so homozygous or heterozygous, and being able to see how your body detoxes hormones manages stress and converts folate, which is all key for egg and embryo development.

So if you have some of these gene variants, and we do see that methylation one where you're not absorbing all your B vitamins, we need to be able to just do a customized protocol based on your genetics. And then the vaginal microbiome we work on the health of the gut microbiome. And then the vaginal microbiome.

I can't tell you many people that have a whole podcast episode on ureaplasma If you've got infections, you're passing back and forth. That's a clue. If you've had bacterial vaginosis, UTIs. If you've got any of those, for sure, we need a vaginal microbiome test, but basically we do it for anyone on the fertility journey, and especially if you have had pregnancy loss, it is key.

You could have an inflammation in there and that's causing it not to [00:15:00] implant or causing loss and just back it up for the genetic side of things, that test is excellent for anyone that's had pregnancy loss as well. And so then we can be able to customize this, prevent gestational diabetes. Some of these things are serious, right?

Prevent preeclampsia and really improve pregnancy outcomes. What's been missed? And then, so looking at the nutrients and the supplements, if you've got to support high FSH, I think a lot of us know to take the CoQ10 ubiqinol, so that's good for the mitochondria, the eggs energy taking a methylated B vitamin.

Don't take the folic acid. I think a lot of us know this, but make sure it's a methylfolate because if you do have the MTHFR gene variant, we want to support hormone detox, methylation, take Omegas, magnesium, vitamin D, zinc, selenium, that can reduce inflammation in the body. We need to be mindful. So we start with the methylfolate, the omega.

The coq 10 and the magnesium glycinate, the vitamin D3K2, and the probiotic. Those are the foundational for you and your partner. He's not taking the prenatal, he's taking a multi, but he's taking all the rest of it. And then when we get all the tests in, then we customize the protocol. Otherwise, you could just have expensive [00:16:00] pee and then also for high FSH or low

AMH, they might recommend DHEA. Has anybody tested the DHEA? Typically not. They just give it standard of care. Off you go. Here's your DHEA, bye-bye. And they never tested it. Maybe you didn't need it. Maybe yours was fine. Then you got some greasy skin and acne and greasy hair, and wondering why you didn't need the DHEA.

Or maybe yours is a little bit, why is it low? We need to dig deeper, so it's got to be monitored. And then looking at, you're getting consistent sleep. You're having your three meals a day, you're reducing toxins. You are working on your nervous system regulation. So we want to blend both worlds.

Conventional medicine, what functional medicine is. It's conventional medicine, 20 years in the future. I literally took my dad, 'cause my dad's dealing with a bunch of health issues right now. Took him to the doctor with my mom and my dad's 85. My mom is about to be 81 and he's got swollen feet right now.

He's got. Catheter. He just got a pacemaker. He was totally fine. Now he's fallen apart anyways, and the doctor came in with a bunch of issues. We can only talk about one issue right now. I'm like, we're looking at him in a silo. This whole body is [00:17:00] connected. It's just outdated medicine. We're still doing this.

Only one issue. Why? What a waste of time. Then you go off to the different specialists and you chase this thing. Meanwhile, it was stress. They didn't look at all the biomarkers. You've missed something. We don't look at the body in a silo. And in this case, in the fertility, we're just focusing on the FSH.

Oh, there's nothing we can do. No. We need to be our own advocate in at least three to six months before you go to IVF targeted work on your health and then decide when to deploy. If you need to deploy IVF or IUI or medicated cycles, maybe do want to test your follicle count, that can be helpful to, to catch a ovulation and reduce inflammation.

And then when your FSH goes down, then the ovaries are going to respond better. And then the conversation shifts from your eggs are poor quality to your eggs or improving. And so we don't make decisions based on the FSH alone. We've got to look at your AMH or your follicle count, your thyroid, your inflammation, your gut markers.

If you've had multiple failed [00:18:00] IVF cycles. It's not about tweaking the protocol. We need to look at our health. Not just keep going, oh, I'm going to add in a little more medication. That's what they're going to do. You need to look to see what's going on with your health, with your biomarkers using testing. Or maybe they just do the same protocol over and over again.

So it's time to pause that and take a giant leap. It's not a leap backward by working on your health. This is a giant leap forward. There's some questions to ask yourself. Have you addressed your stress? What about your sleep, your digestion, your detox support, your nutrient status? Do you even know them?

It's not just about, oh, my vitamin D is low. I've been supplementing, why is it low? The question is always, why is it low? What's connected? You've got anemia. You're on Synthroid for your thyroid. Now your lipids are off cholesterol, your triglycerides, maybe your blood sugar. I see it all the time.

It's all connected. So we need to be our own detective here and hire someone to help you figure this out. Otherwise, DIY you just waste a bunch of time and money. And then before you go on to do a retrieval, you've got the body in the best shape. And so the high FSH doesn't close the [00:19:00] door. It's a signal for you to realign your strategy and create better conditions.

For egg development and hormone communication, and basically it's a message, not a verdict. There's options both medical and functional, combining it. We're not against IVF, but we need to work on our health first and support egg and hormone health. And so understanding your options here, because the REI is not going to talk about anything about this stuff, they're not trained in it.

It's not their fault that we go and ask our REI, Hey, does any of this matter? No, you don't need any of that. We just ask the wrong person and that's okay. So we need to have a team. With you at the center, you know your body best, and so if you wanted to get my eyes on your specific situation, send me a message to hello@fabfertile.ca, subject line FERTILE, and we'll talk about options to help.  Take care.

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How to Get Started With Functional Fertility Support

Book your call here to get your personalized plan and options to help improve pregnancy success either naturally or with IVF treatment. 

Check out our Fab Fertile functional fertility program here and learn how to improve AMH levels naturally.  We work with couples that have low AMH, high FSH, diminished ovarian reserve, premature ovarian insufficiency, and recurrent pregnancy loss.

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Research Highlights: What Science Says About High FSH, Egg Quality, and the Systems That Influence Ovarian Response

Current research helps explain why addressing whole-body health can positively influence ovarian signaling, egg development, and hormone communication. While no study guarantees outcomes, the scientific literature shows consistent links between inflammation, metabolic health, gut function, stress physiology, thyroid balance, and nutrient status, all of which interact with ovarian reserve markers such as FSH and AMH.

Inflammation and Ovarian Response

A study evaluating inflammation markers in IVF cycles found that elevated hsCRP was associated with a reduced ovarian response. Higher inflammation may affect follicular development and overall ovarian signaling.
Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9893108/

Insulin Resistance, Blood Sugar, and Poor Ovarian Response

Research shows that insulin resistance (measured through HOMA-IR) is linked with unexpected poor ovarian response, even in women who do not have obesity. This highlights how blood sugar balance may influence hormone communication and ovarian function.
Source:
https://ovarianresearch.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13048-024-01491-4

Stress, Cortisol Activation, and Conception Rates

A well-known prospective study found that women with higher salivary alpha-amylase a biomarker of stress system activation, had lower chances of conception during each cycle. Chronic stress can influence the hypothalamic–pituitary–ovarian axis and contribute to hormone disruption.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24664130

Mitochondrial Function, Egg Quality, and CoQ10

A study examining ovarian aging found that mitochondrial energy production plays a central role in egg maturation, chromosome division, and embryo development. CoQ10 supplementation was shown to support improved mitochondrial function in oocytes.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26111777/

Thyroid Function and Ovarian Reserve

A prospective cross-sectional study found associations between thyroid parameters and ovarian reserve markers. Thyroid function plays a downstream role in reproductive hormones, regular ovulation, and overall cycle signaling.
Source:
https://thyroidresearchjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13044-021-00112-2

Vitamin D, Nutritaional Status and Ovarian Reserve

A systematic review found that nutrient status, including vitamin D, may influence ovarian reserve markers. Vitamin D receptors are present in ovarian tissue, and ferritin levels play roles in energy, metabolism, and thyroid conversion, which all connect to reproductive function.
Source:
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/10/2280

Summary: What This Means for High FSH

Individually, these studies do not claim to lower FSH, improve egg quality, or guarantee fertility outcomes. But together, they highlight a consistent theme:

Inflammation, blood sugar balance, stress physiology, thyroid health, nutrient status, and mitochondrial function each play important roles in the environment in which eggs develop.

FSH does not rise in isolation. It reflects communication between the brain, hormones, and the ovaries, a system influenced by whole-body health.

Supporting the internal environment helps create better conditions for ovarian signaling, egg maturation, and treatment response.

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How to Use This Research in Your TTC Journey

Taken together, these studies highlight an important truth: FSH does not rise in isolation.

Supporting the systems that influence inflammation, blood sugar, thyroid function, gut health, stress physiology, and nutrient status often creates a more supportive environment for egg development and hormone communication. This is one of the reasons many women see improvements in cycle quality, ovarian response, or treatment outcomes when these areas are addressed.

This research-backed, whole-body perspective is at the heart of functional fertility.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you lower FSH naturally?

You can’t force FSH down, but you can support the body systems that influence it, including inflammation, thyroid health, sleep quality, and cellular energy.

Is IVF still possible with high FSH?

Yes. Many women with high FSH conceive naturally or with IVF once underlying imbalances are addressed.

How long does it take to see changes?

Most eggs develop over a 90-day window. Many women notice changes in cycles, energy, and labs within 3 to 6 months.

Does donor egg become the only option?

Donor eggs are one option, but not the only option. Many women with high FSH go on to conceive with their own eggs.

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Key Takeaways

• High FSH is feedback, not failure. It reflects how the brain and ovaries are communicating.

• FSH must be interpreted with AMH, estradiol, and antral follicle count for an accurate picture.

• Inflammation, gut health, thyroid imbalance, sleep disturbances, stress, and toxins all influence FSH.

• Many women with high FSH conceive naturally or with IVF after improving the internal environment.

• Functional fertility focuses on improving egg health, hormone balance, and cellular energy.

• A blended approach (functional and medical) often creates the strongest results.

RESOURCES

📩 Get your free 10-day elimination diet plan! Email hello@fabfertile.ca with the subject line 10 DAY to receive your guide and take the first step toward reconnecting with your fertility.

📩 Get your free Protein for Fertility Guide! Email hello@fabfertile.ca with the subject line PROTEIN to receive your guide and learn how to fuel your body for stronger cycles and better fertility outcomes.

The Link Between Sleep and Fertility: Why Getting Enough Rest Matters: https://fabfertile.com/blogs/podcasts/how-poor-sleep-could-be-sabotaging-your-egg-quality?_pos=6&_sid=08f940f89&_ss=r

What does gut health have to do with hormone balance and infertility:  https://fabfertile.com/blogs/education/gut-health-hormone-balance-fertility?_pos=5&_sid=6f54e787f&_ss=

Pregnancy After 40 with Low AMH and High FSH: https://fabfertile.com/blogs/education/pregnancy-after-40-with-low-amh-and-high-fsh?_pos=2&_sid=2db9414bf&_ss=r

Is Ureaplasma Affecting Your Fertility? How It Impacts Low AMH, Poor Egg Quality & IVF Success: https://fabfertile.com/blogs/podcasts/the-hidden-threat-ureaplasma-s-impact-on-ivf-success?_pos=1&_sid=9fb48e0cb&_ss=r

Pregnant Naturally at 43: Overcoming Low AMH, High FSH, and Two Miscarriages: https://fabfertile.com/blogs/podcasts/pregnant-naturally-43-low-amh-high-fsh?_pos=12&_sid=0b542adca&_ss=r

AMH Diet – Start This Today to Support Fertility & Get Pregnant This Year: https://fabfertile.com/blogs/podcasts/amh-diet-start-this-today-to-support-fertility-get-pregnant-this-year?_pos=4&_sid=003fecbea&_ss=r

Our favorite fertility tracker (use code FABFERTILE15 to save 15) - https://www.inito.com/en-us/?srsltid=AfmBOoo85sXu_esmFN5Kz6iysaTkBKgYl35Jubv-BaLkkxXVggdk6nes