Immune/NK issues - aka Pred Thread no. 22!

@DaniMERL- It was a 7 week scan at mr s’ clinic so was very expensive but you are right didn’t have to have 2!

I was Just on pred from ovulation and intralipids at 12days post ovulation.

I am going to call the clinic Monday to ask about a follow up and whether I have to wait for cytogenetics to come back or not. Given I am a lot of miscarriages along I don’t think I just want to do same again regardless.

I am booked to do medical management on Friday - am doing it in hospital as had to have the paramedics out because of the unmanageable pain and sickness last time and so we can increase chances of getting cytogenetics (again had a weird thing happen last time)

Thanks for the messages of hope it’s really hard and this is the first time I have had the thought IF we choose to try again.

Will keep you posted

Oh @Lau2019 so very sorry to hear.
Are you just on the pred at the moment?
I had a similar thing with my first try with Mr S although at our 6 week scan there was really nothing to see at all so it mustn’t have really developed at all.
This is why he added the Hydroxy to the mix and so far so good. I also know a number of women who this has worked for either on its own or alongside the pred. I did question why he doesn’t use this to start with but I guess the stats must show enough people have success on the pred alone.
Don’t give up hope, please. I very nearly did and started to wonder if there was another problem that no one had found.
On the plus side at least you saved yourself an expensive 6 week and 8 week scan with Mr S but I know that doesn’t really help right now.
Try to get your appointment booked with him ASAP because you need to take the Hydroxy for 6-8 weeks before trying again. I realise you need to have this loss resolved but the wait can be agonising when you are ready again and taking the meds can do no harm in the meantime.
Lots of love to you and keep us posted x

Hi All

Unfortunately we had bad news at our 7 week scan on Friday. Baby was on track size wise but no heartbeat so likely very recent (like within a day or less) that things stopped. This is my first try with mr S but 7th miscarriage in 3.5 years. Same time frame as all the others.

Was hopeful that some different treatment my be the thing. So even though super early days post news questioning next steps...

Hello ladies just popping in - I hope you don't mind me sharing my story. I was on this thread many moons ago. I just wanted to give a little bit of hope to anyone who is struggling with the pred and/or has had to quit. I had horrid side effects, (took it for about 4 cycles, including one pregnancy which ended at 8 weeks). I was so ill, I had the shakes and even my face was shaking. Palpitations etc. The worst I've ever felt. I decided after the loss to just give up on the programme and let nature take its course. Some months later I conceived and went on to have my DD a month after my 40th birthday. No pred, no aspirin, nothing apart from folic acid and vitamin d. So it's not necessarily the end of the journey if you can't continue with it ❤️ for those that are on it and doing okay, I wish you all the best and lots of baby dust ✨

Sorry ladies for reintroducing myself then disappearing, work and life was a bit hectic! Danimerl so glad your results were all good and well done on telling your dd bet she was excited (can’t wait to get to a safe point so we can tell our dd5☺️), kittykatsmile good luck with the transfer, fingers crossed and enjoy the holiday, ginandtonicforme glad you got good results on humira and it’s looking good for July, chickjen sorry you’ve felt low, it’s a bloody rollercoaster isn’t it when it’s a hard road and things never seem to go right.
As for me I’ve finally booked in for a scan at rmc next week when I should be 7 weeks, if it looks good I might start to think it may happen finally for us, if not I guess we will keep trying, but age is against us now- I’m turning 42 next month. My appetite is enormous which is very bad and I’m another one awake every night between 4 and 5 am and reading until I drop off again before dd shouts at 6.15. Last time I guess I didn’t take the pred for long enough to get these symptoms, please tell me they go off after we wean off! Good luck to everyonex

Oh @ginandtonicformeplease, thank you. That is such a good thing to hear. It seems to be good news every day but I can't help hearing all of the doomsday angles...

@KittyKatSmile I remember it got more and more nerve wracking as the week went on and the number of embryos decreased - out of the eggs fertilised, over 50% made it to blast.

@ginandtonicformeplease that's great that you've got some in the freezer. I had thought I might end up with some of those (after fervently praying earlier this week that I'd just get one to be put back!) but I've just found out that only 30% of them make it to day 5. Terrible odds! I feel like my poor embryos are in the hunger games!!

@KittyKatSmile I've got embryos in the freezer. Yes, some of those suggestions are pretty disgusting, but DH has developed a love of beetroot juice I'm actually getting him to continue with the tomato purée as well on the off-chance it'll make just one of his sperm healthy enough to do its job!

@ginandtonicformeplease I know, the waiting is horrible isn't it?? Do you have embryos in the freezer or are you doing the whole shebang? If it's the latter then you could use the time to start on random nutrition things (eat a spoonful of tomato purée every day?! WTF? But all of my embryos have been graded 'good' so let's say it's the tomato purée!) and supplements? Good luck to you x

@KittyKatSmile Good luck with the embryo transfer! I find them a bit uncomfortable (mostly because you have to have a full bladder) but not painful.

Thanks to all who've clarified my thyroid results. I've called up my IVF clinic and made an appointment for the beginning of July, with a view to having a transfer at the end of July. Hopefully the rest of my results will be in by then, and I'm giving my body plenty of time to get back to normal after the last miscarriage. Now it's just a case of waiting - I hate the waiting game!

@KittyKatSmile I was about to say at least it is only temporary, only it isn't is it, pred,pregnancy, then a baby, they all take a toll on your sleep, that is a lot of sunrises 😱

@DaniMERL how sweet ❤️ I bet that was emotional, is she excited?
Want to join a 4am crossword club? 😂

@chickjen nice to hear from you and I’m sorry to hear you have been down. I have certainly been there on many occasion and even over the last 10 weeks or so. It’s so incredibly stressful.
We told out 5 year old daughter last night so it just had to work out now!
Glad you have had more success with Mr s and good luck with the next stage xx

I have to say I’m permanently tired, regardless of the pred. I always wake at about 4 and struggle to get back to sleep for about an hour though.

@Chickjen it's funny (no it isn't) that I was completely wide awake at 4am and am now utterly exhausted on my way to work!!

Very good point about maximising my holiday. Always got to look on the bright side (of watching the sun rise. Every. Single. Day.)

@KittyKatSmile that is both exciting and terrifying in equal measure 😱 But I'm glad you get to keep your holiday, you will certainly be able to make the most of it if you are awake 24/7 😂
I am forever tired so I am hoping the pred will just make me a normal amount of tired! But if not, crosswords at 4am it is 😀xx

@Chickjen I am so happy to see you back here lovely. Should we sign up to some sort of crossword puzzle for tomorrow morning? I felt very lonely .

I'm having my first embryo put back in sometime in the next few days and then going off on holiday with my mum (I know you were all on tenterhooks to see if it would go ahead!) so that should make the tww a little easier

@ginandtonicformeplease it sounds like they have tested the hormone that your thyroid makes (T4) instead of the hormone your body makes when it wants more T4 (TSH). It is common practice to test TSH as it easier to spot fluctuations, but T4 is actually what the thyroid produces (which then gets converted to T3 just to add to the confusion!)🤓

I haven't posted in a while, I've been a bit low, my cycles randomly dropped to 24 days after the last CP which really freaked me out. But I went to MrS yesterday for the results of the first part of my treatment plan - humira for TNF cells, and it's been a big success 👍 So onto step 2 and TTC with pred and intras. Incidentally I track O by body temp and although there wasn't a noticeable leap it has climbed up and stayed up so I am taking the first pred today! See you at 4am tomorrow @KittyKatSmile 😂

@DaniMERL such great news after a difficult journey, I really hope you can start to enjoy this now ❤️

So.... first day back on the pred yesterday and I'm wide awake at 4am...! I don't even feel tired, feel like I should maybe get up and go for a run?! Shame I'm already up to date on Love Island....! Note to self to take tomorrow's dose a lot earlier. Strange that I've never had this side effect before and think I'm actually on a lower dose this time....!

Thank you @KittyKatSmile that’s really helpful. All the best for your ivf.

Hi hopeful.
Yes I’m doing a frozen cycle too! I’m under dr gorgy - and I’m doing gcsf from day 5 oestrogen . How far r u in cycle ? Sounds like our hx r similar!

@Cream123 - I m doing a frozen embryo transfer, Mr.S protocol for me says to take G-CSF 5 days before my transfer and then every 3 days until 10weeks if pregnancy confirmed. Are u going to take G-CSF as well?
@ginandtonicformeplease - Normally GP's consider thyroid as normal till a higher range. But IVF consultants and Mr.S would like it to be in a very low range (TSH between 1 and 2.5). Thats y u might have been prescribed with levothyroxine.
@DaniMERL - Glad to hear all s well.u can relax a bit now.

@ginandtonicformeplease I've got that as well and was pretty cross with Mr S as this seems to have up since I've been in his care. Anyway. I took the same drugs you've been prescribed and repeated the test around 2-3weeks later and it was within the normal range and I was fine to proceed with my IVF cycle.

Hope you're well.

The blood results from the tests I went for last weekend have started coming in. It seems I have low free thyroid, and I've been sent a prescription for L-Thyroxine. I've never actually heard of this, and I'm a bit puzzled as the regular thyroid test was normal. Several months ago the GP did thyroid tests and said everything was normal - is this a different type of thyroid test that the GP doesn't test for? This is all so confusing 🙈

Hi all,
Had our harmony results back last night and all good. Had a quick reassurance scan this morning as was still feeling so anxious and all is well, measuring 12+4.
Feeling slightly more relaxed and happy. It’s been a super stressful time.

I used to track my temps and record on Fertility Friend. I tended to ovulate at the same time each month so rather than stress over OPKs we would just DTD regularly in the week leading up to expected ovulation time and a bit after. Was a bit exhausting but I didn’t like to rely on only doing it once or twice.
I have heard the clearblue tests are very good but I never invested.
Take care all x

@Anatrina that sounds like me actually. 3 losses before the programme, (pregnant 3 times in 5 months), started taking the pred every month and then really struggled to get pregnant again (for around 7 months). I was also getting horrendous side effects from the pred withdrawal every month (headaches so bad that sometimes I couldn't go to work). Another doctor told me it could be the pred preventing me, so I stopped and got pregnant. I then lost that one and Mr S told me it was my fault. So yes, as Dani says, you should probably follow his protocol. I'm no longer with him, but following a similar protocol elsewhere (I'm on this journey alone so need assistance!)

Good luck x