TTC/Pregnancy on Prednisolone or similar part 4

Hi Lotions. That sounds like a nightmare (no terrible excuse for a pun intended). How many days have you been on them? I know that when I first start taking 25mg I can wake up in the early hours (similar pattern as Ari) and find it hard to get back to sleep but then after a few days I think I seem to adjust to it.

After being on 25mg for two weeks I was then on 40mg for around 7 weeks before I started to come off them slowly. Am now just on 5mg. It sounds like they have really affected you even on 10mg. Although I don't want to be disparaging about the dose as it is a nasty drug and hours of Dr Googling has shown me that even low doses cause difficulties. I am with Digi I think, try to go to bed a bit later? At the moment I am having a similar thing with waking up needing the loo but I find if I go to bed after 12 I don't need to.

Oh and good luck with the treatment! If you are post-transfer does that mean you are almost ready to test...?

Hi digi - so many things I could be doing instead of anxiously lying awake and kicking DH when he snores. I know I should be 'productive' but feel cheated the minute I get out of bed and then worry about actually becoming nocturnal. I should find a boring chore...

Thanks Ari and Coley, I'm not always the greatest sleeper but this is def beyond the norm. I am completely off caffeine, have sleepy time tea, doing the visualisation/relaxation CD etc etc but having been specifically told not to exercise, this might be a large part of the issue. Being off work means I'm not mentally tired either - first time I've tried the 2ww at home and it's not as relaxing as I thought it would be! Will try a late afternoon walk anyway, as it can't hurt :)
Really appreciate the advice, this was my first go posting so lovely to get the support!

Welcome Lotions! I'm afraid in my own case, insomnia is definitely par for the course while on the pred. For me, I go to sleep ok, then wake up during the night - either wake up, awake for a while then snooze before waking again (and again) or else I just wake up around 3:30am and then can't sleep. I should say when not on the pred I sleep like a log, so this is definitely the pred doing it. I had this while on both the lower-dose pred (25mg) and higher dose (40mg). Next time I'm on the higher dose (ie, hopefully longer term) I'm going to ask my acupuncturist if there's anything she can do to help counterract this!

I think some people have found that as their bodies get used to the pred, the insomnia side of it lessens (possibly goes?). Fingers crossed that's what you find! :)

Good luck Battery - hope the scan went well today.

Congrats to snoopy - all you can do is up the drugs and have the intralipids and hope for the best:) The first few weeks are the worst but we are all thinking of you.

Belated congrats to hopeful too - how are you going?

Lotions - hi and welcome to the thread. I haven't had any troubles sleeping on 40mg so can't really help. Its been suggested that light exercise in the afternoon/early evening may help? Also you could try homeopathic remedies to help you sleep? All the best.

Hello ladies, I hope you don't mind me butting in but I'm new to the Pred tablets and just wondered if you had any advice about side effects? I'm on them as this is standard for the post-transfer IVF at my clinic, so it's precautionary rather than knowing there's an issue (as is progesterone and clexane). Low dose, just 2 x 5mg per day. Mostly I just want to know if the chronic insomnia (awake since 1.30 this morning) is normal, as I'm not sure the demented witch this is turning me into is going to be v popular when I go back to work next week . Thanks and good luck to everyone!

Oh, and by the way, you'll all be pleased to know I managed not to fart throughout the ballet .

Good luck to Battery.

Yes, Snoopy I am a Make up Artist. The Dior equivalent to Touche Eclat is probably just as pricey (I got mine free -perks of the job ). I do think it's better than TE though and it doesn't seem to go smelly like TE can do, which is a bit rank!

Coconut, I had a similar problem with my RMC referral too. Bloody nightmare!

Talking of bloody nightmares, literally, I am completely in limbo today. I started spotting yesterday and obviously Day 1 of your cycle is counted from your first day of proper bleeding. Now, I don't think I am "proper bleeding" yet even though the spotting started yesterday. So, does this mean I'm still not on Day 1? My periods are quite light anyway so it's hard to tell. Problem is, I'm supposed to have my first blood test between Day 1-Day 3. The blood clinic is closed on Saturday so that leaves today or tomorrow. I have a tentative plan to go to a work thing/exhibition opening in Brighton this evening which means setting off before the rush hour and then staying over night to spend the day with my granny tomorrow but this can only happen if I can get my blood test done around lunchtime today. If today is too early then I will have to stay in London and get my test done tomorrow, miss the work thing and go and see my granny in a few days instead. FFS! Why can't anything be straightforward?

Snoopy how many tests are you actually doing there?! How do you have time for, I dunno, eating and breathing in between peeing on a stick...? :) It sounds like it is definitely a P, if not a 'BF' P and a P is a P. Mine was spectacularly faint wasn't it? But I just wanted to get the intralipids done.

OOh Digi you have upped us all on the list! Well done. Agh - Charlie and I have made 2nd trimester.

I have a confession. I just pressed the One Click Buy Now on a Doppler on Amazon. I know, I know... It's probably a waste of money, probably going to make me worry more rather than less and probably going to get thrown straight into the bin. I just couldn't help it

I too found Touche Eclat a bit rubbish. I bought it about a year ago, thinking I SHOULD really have it as everyone else raved about it, but it didn't really do much, I didn't use it and it dried out. But that was the pre-Pred days before I had such terrible dark circles.

DH and I both working from home today and he has put a huge veggie stew on, using the slow cooker. Can't wait for it to be ready! Oh and I've just filed my tax return and also dispatched a friend in Brighton to go get me some aspirin so I can pick it up on Friday when I get down there. Might as well get other people to score my drugs for me.

free bad news is mine was fainter than that yesterday!
this morning did one at 7am after no drink for a couple of hrs and fainter!!

Good news is did one at 9.30am today and much darker than yesterday best one yet, which is great. why could I barely see the first wee one today? that should be the darkest no? funny thing is the one i did yesterday at same time (9.30ish) was also the darkest.

When I went to Florida I took most of drugs with me and left them there! Just got enough pred to take before Mum gets back on 1st Feb but Omeprazole is all left over there. Just thought of it as had slight tummy ache but I can put up with it (and hope that's just the big shot of pred reacting with body) and it's not the important one at end of day.

Oh wanted to say kittens are you a make up artist or something. I'm going to get some Dior (touch eclat) stick you were talking about sounds good. I don't actually think much of the YSL one either. Over priced if you ask me.

Back at home now, gosh it is rainy and horrible out there. I stood outside waiting for Boots to open after the docs (was 15 mins too early) but then thought the better of it ? having thrown on black combats, black polo neck and army style coat to get to the docs in the rain, and with these huge dark circles and no make up ? I thought I was more likely than ever to get refused! I would have been tempted to go in and say just give me the f?in drugs!!!

Battery good luck today. Aghhh! I am silently screaming with trepidation and excitement for you. I always say to myself there?s nothing I can do but live through it. But we all know how it feels to be setting off on that journey (literally I mean) to the scan with a whole jumble of thoughts to contend with.

You are right about faint lines though Battery. I just texted my very faint line to Snoopy so she could see. It is barely there and I was very trusting and never tested again. PQ will testify how faint it is too.

I have thought about the Dream Genii Ari, it does sound good. I am already teaching myself to sleep on my side as the front is too uncomfortable. I do feel quite a bit of bubbling and things down there but I guess at this stage it is only wind.

Thanks for the concern Coconut. Yes it feels a bit weird to be hospital-less. Hopefully I will hear from Epsom any day. But the good news is I have had my first blood tests done and also the nuchal. And the thyroid thing I have dealt with since I was 21 so I don?t even see any endo any more. I almost self medicate depending on my results - luckily my prescription is for around 500 x 25mcg so I can go up or down by 25mcg depending on my levels. My intention is to get tested every four weeks throughout pregnancy and in terms of TSH to hover around the 1 mark if I can. Are you getting yours tested regularly? I did say to Louise was it a problem that I was hospital-less at the moment and she said not to worry that they had a good eye on me.

Let me know what you think of the photo Snoopy! It really is so very faint isn?t it! Not quite what you would call a 'BF' P. Let us know when you sort out the intralipids and then take a good magazine or two with you.

good Luck Battery for scan, let us know how it goes.

free thanks I'll text mob to you x

clinic called first thing and sent note to NLC to get appointment booked for Intralipids. Louise left message on mob while i was at school and said I see you have sorted it and congratulated me!! (hands over ears). She was off ill apparently and both have not read emails yet so feel bit bad now, although wasn't rude on email just said I was bit disappointed and surely they both were not available. Oh well. Hopefully get appointment in next couple of days. Such a shame we can't get excited about all this.

Have to go out so catch up with other posts later. x OOh Creme eggs yes yes yes!

Good luck today Battery. Let us know how you get on.

Free - Just seen your message. You're obviously on the case with the thyroid thing. I didn't want to seem bossy, it's just that I know the denial feeling is very strong and I didn't want to think of you missing out on anything you should be getting, healthcare-wise. Witness us not having getting our arses into gear sooner re moving house because I didn't want to admit that I was actually having another baby. Now it's panic stations!

Snoopy ? Good news and good luck with the intralipids today. PQ ? I hope things are a bit clearer in the next few days. I was going to say the same as Ari ? I don?t think those Boots tests are very sensitive.

Happy belated birthday to Euro and Battery!

How are you feeling now Ari? I?m generally fairly OK with other people?s pregnancies, but then I have occasionally really felt it and there doesn?t seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. Grief?s weird isn?t it.

Charlie ? Any acupuncture to make the baby a good sleeper sounds wonderful. I wonder where I can get that. Ds didn?t sleep through until well after 18 months, and being back at work with a baby who woke up 4 or 5 times a night was really hard.

Kittens ? I can sympathise about the appointment cock-ups. When I was lying on the trolley being wheeled in for an ERPC they told me they?d refer me to the Recurrent Miscarriage Clinic. I chased it several times afterwards and it just hadn?t been done. Each time I chased someone apologised and said they would do it and then nothing. It was several months before the referral was done. In the end I made an official complaint. Not in a ?heads should roll? kind of way but to let them know they need to tighten up their systems. To their credit they did sort it out and slotted me in when someone else cancelled, and I?ve been told they?ve changed the way they do referrals now, so hopefully the same thing won?t happen to someone else. I?m sure it?s the last thing you feel like doing at the moment, but might be something to think about when you?ve got a bit less on your plate.

Freelance ? I?m a bit worried about you being hospital-less. Are you happy with that at the moment (Sorry if you?ve already talked about this and I?m behind. This thread moves so fast)? Would it be worth you booking in to your local and then self-referring elsewhere later? They?ll pass all your notes on. I changed hospitals when pg with ds and am planning on doing the same this time. It was very straightforward. Have you had additional appointments with your endocrinologist to check your thyroid situation? That?s crucial as well during pregnancy.

Euro ? It must be good to know that everything?s in place for the IVF if and when you do get to that stage, although hopefully you won?t need to.

ooooh good luck battery, be sure to post us the good news when you can! (see that sneaky PMA?)

free good luck with getting the heavy stuff ;) I did have a quick look at the link you posted and it is all v interesting stuff, but not relevant to me right now so I just bookmarked it for future use (hopefully!!). And you're feeling exactly what you should in 2nd trimester (now is that by Development, Gestation or Conception? jeez .. ! :) ), yukky symptoms go away and you haven't got into the third trimester killer-tiredness yet :) I can highly recommend the Dream Genii for when that bump (and so your back) gets just too uncomfortable to sleep, I found it a godsend!

Eeek. Just off for my scan. Don't feel pregnant at all :( just wanted to say about the faint lines - pay no attention to them. I nearly was round the bend with worry over the faintness but it all has been ok so far x I just hope I don't have to look into the sonographers face when she tells me there is no hb. I hate early pregnancy worries x will post later x

Crossed posts with Ari - very confusing re the early ovulation! Oh abd another creme egg fan too. Am off to see if I can score some aspirin xx

Waving from docs where am waiting for thyroid blood tests. Had to set my alarm for 7.45am! Ouch :)

Sorry about the bfn PQ, see what happens tomorrow. Snoopy I texted PQ my bfp from this time around, I only tested once then went straight for intralipids etc. Pm me your mobile number or email address if you can, itwoll set your mind at rest once you see how not-visible it was :) duggs am so jealous of your liquid dinner. Malbec... I remember it well... Mmmm.

Gosh I feel totally unpregnant now. Apart from my swollen tummy. It just seems so improbable. I guess today I should move up the list, and Charlie really. I think it is also just that 12 weeks felt like the milestone and u haven't really been ableto think about anthing after that. Now am passed that and my stmptoms are fading (naturally, in the second trimester so they say) it's almost like - well I've achieved that goal, what happens now? In my experience pregnancy doesn't last longer than 12 weeks!

Has no one else found that due date /pregnancy tracker link I posted fascinating yet?

Ooooh creme eggs, just love them! So much so that my ex-dh's son (was my stepson, not sure what they become when you get divorced!) always buys me at least two for my birthday every year! :)

Well I've got an oddity today ... I got a peak on my CBFM (that indicates OV within the next 24-48 hours) on CD11. CD11? WTF? I have never, but never, OVd anything earlier than CD14, and with the MCs it's been between CD14 and CD17. So what's with the peak on CD11? Confused! Of course me being me I don't trust it at all, and will back it up with a trusty CB digi OPK tonight. I did do a normal CB opk last night (even then thinking "what's the point, it's only CD10, I'm too early) and was rather surprised to see the line stronger than I expected. But certainly not strong enough to indicate OV just yet, I thought. Don't know what's going on!

Thinking about the non-replying from Louise, and came to the conclusion that she must either be off or on a course or something. She just doesn't not reply, not in my experience anyway. snoopy hoping you get something useful out of the office today, if not like you say go camp on their doorstep!

PQ hoping for good news over the next few days then. Those Boots pg tests, I think they're only sensitive to 25mIU, so I wouldn't worry about that being a neg. I've never personally had a useful result with a Boots pg test, so I don't bother with those now.

/waves to everyone