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

@Sunshineblonde1 yeah I did do the NHS dating scan as well as nuchal blood tests. They happened before my private appointments at Dr S'. My hospital had emailed me weeks ago arranging that so I didn't want to pass up on that. I also did all that so that my hospital has records of everything since I plan on delivering there. When is your 16 week scan?

@Chickjen omg fingers crossed for you! It's true, it all happens when you least expect it! Let us know your updates! 

@HappyApple05 hope you are getting on well love and the nausea and morning sickness aren't too exhausting! And yes, I think the fact that the spotting is mucousy (if that's a word) it's probably implantation! All the best

@nixwix did you bother with the NHS Nuchal blood test? I just had the NHS Nuchal and dating scan but since doing the Nuchal and Harmony through Mr S wondering whether to bother with the NHS blood test? Xx

Chickjen! This is great news! I know you will be terrified but try to be calm and not worry as much as possible. If you need to get on the pred, the nurses can have it sent to you, or you can try something like PushDoctor. You'll have to pay a bit more but they can send the prescription to your local pharmacy. I've done it in the past when I've run out and didn't want to spend £200 for Mr S to give me the prescription. Fingers crossed for you lovely, let us know how you're getting on x

It always happens when you least expect it 😀 mine was a surprise too! All the best for tomorrow’s test 🤞

Thanks @Sunshineblonde1 im not entirely sure how it could have happened, I have been racking my brains and think we must have DTD 4/5 days before and 1 day after O. Fully expecting it to be gone or fainter tomorrow, I haven't even told DH yet.

P.s. the nurses will tell you to get straight on the Pred from BFP. You may want to prep an email to them it won’t hurt x

Omg @Chickjen! Good luck! A line is a line! Xx

Shame about the unhelpful GP :( just say the pregnancy was unplanned to Mr S. That’s what I said and he hasn’t said anything against it x

Hi everyone and welcome RedPandaFluff and Moonpeace!
A bit of a curious update from me. I think I have a positive test! I tested Sat mainly because I was going to see the GP and there was a tiny faint line. I tested again yesterday and today and the line is really very faint at first, until the test is completely dry (like 20mins later) when it is as clear as anything. My head is telling me this is nothing more than a dodgy test batch, I am using the cheap one step ones, or maybe another chemical pregnancy. My heart is saying there's hope! AF isn't due till Thursday.
My GP won't help prescribe anything on the list and I'm too scared to risk upsetting MrS if this is a false alarm, so anxiously biting my nails and waiting to test tomorrow 😱

@moonpeace actually thinking about it it sounds like you’ve had a lot of the tests done already so it would be much cheaper. I had all the tests done with Mr S incl the Thyroid and my other half had the Sperm Comet testing. If you email Mr S and Prof Quenby’s secretary’s they can provide you with a full breakdown of the test costs so you can see individual costs and go from there.

Hi @moonpeace the tests are not invasive just a simple blood test but about 20 vials - id say they are very expensive. I’ll look up how much mine were but it was around 2k in all with consultation fees with MR S.

I’m not sure about the thyroid numbers I just know that mine were borderline and still required treatment? Xx

Oh just remember Mr S said if I got spotting to double the cyclogest and stop the baby aspirin!? Worth checking with your clinic if you can!? Your spotting was prob implantation bleeding.

Hey @happyapple05 I was just having a think and other than alternating I don’t know what else to suggest other than continuing to drink lots of water and plenty of fibre? I got a little sore up the tradesman too but just kept bending over and kept going eek! Sorry I couldn’t come up with anything better!

Hello @moonpeace and welcome! So sorry your going through this hellish journey and so sorryyor your losses. Sending big hugs. Your in the best company here. We have all been travelling the same path and hope to be of great support to you.

Reading your history was like reading an exact copy of my own and others here.

Until I saw Mr Shehata (who has a clinic based in Harley Street and Epsom) I suffered chemical and missed missed carriage. I would recommend getting an appointment with him or Professor Quenby who also is an advocate of the NK theory. Others on the thread may be able to advice other options too.

With reference to your borderline thyroid issue, you probably know fertility experts like it to be in a certain range for pregnancy so I would get a second opinion on that one. Mr Shehata can advise you on that too.

All I can say is I had the same background as you and on Mr S’s plan have thankfully got my sticky one. I take fragmin and progesterone too.

I am sure the other ladies here will be of great resource to you too:

Sending lots of love and hugs xx

Hey @nixwix I’m in total agreement with you. And I have the broken sleep too 🙈 oh and a dull headache, either that’s tiredness from the short sleep or I was wondering if it’s a side effect of weaining off the Pred!?! Xx

@Sunshineblonde1 thank you love, I was so nervous too but touch wood so far so good. So so pleased about your nuchals and I just loved your no holds barred excitement!! I am so tempted to know but also keen on that element of surprise. Always torn haha. I couldn't agree more about Prof Akolekar. I have seen so many doctors in the last 2 years yet our time with him has been the most valuable and worthwhile. He was thorough, detailed, gave us all the information and answered questions with pleasure and ease. I asked myself after the nhs scan if there was any point to going for a repeat but I am just so pleased my husband insisted because my mind is very much at rest cause of him. Yes, I am seeing him at 20 weeks too! Highly recommend him. You are right, Dr S is quite the opposite but I think I have realised he is someone with whom you just have to be persistent, along with his assistants. I think he has low threshold of patience since he sees so many people on a daily basis. But once prodded, he does talk through everything properly.

Suffering from broken sleep at night atm. Ugh! Hope others are well!

Hi everyone just catching up on the thread. Hope you are all doing ok .

@DaniMERL how are you? I totally understand your frustration and feel terrible that you've had to endure another chemical. The journey can feel like such a hard flipping slog and in fact feel like your going backwards and further away for the goal at times. Well that's how I felt at times anyway. Any news on next steps? Thinking of you and sending positive vibes for the next go!!!! It can only be onwards and upwards from here!!

@KittyKatSmile hope you are doing well hunni and on the road to recovery. I think I was advised to avoid sex for a few weeks after the D&C to avoid infection?

@Nixwix so thrilled about your Nuchal news!!!! I can't believe your husband knows the gender and is able to keep schtum!!!! I don't think I could have held it in in fact I screamed it out at the top of my lungs when we found out!!! It was the only time I've actually allowed myself some unadulterated no holds barred excitement and pleasure in this journey so far. Harmony and Nuchals all came back textbook perfect. THANK THE FRIGGING LORD!!!! I was shaking the entire way through the Nuchal. All I can say is if anyone has the opportunity to see Professor Akolekar you will not be dissappointed. It was the most thorough and professional diagnostic scan I have experienced in my life. No stone left un turned. We booked to see him again at 21 weeks we were so impressed. He is quite the opposite of Mr S I would say and extremely thorough and informative.

@Chickjen hope you are settling into your new home and building some strength up enjoying your time out to focus on you [big grin]

@RedPandaFluff a very warm welcome to you!! I hope you find the thread of great resource and support!! I think us ladies on the Shehata plan are all on 25mg of the pred or thereabouts. Good that the NK theory is gaining traction elsewhere though. That is reassuring to hear!

@HappyApple05 hope your well my dear, thinking of you!

Also ladies, I came across this book recommended by a fertility specialist. I have not read it myself but it seems to be well reviewed and maybe worth a read for those wanting to look into the bigger picture of recurrent miscarriage?

www.amazon.co.uk/Integrated-Approaches-Infertility-Recurrent-Miscarriage/dp/1848191553?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Much love and hugs to all x

@RedPandaFluff
Hey! Welcome to this thread! Although I don't fall in the NK cell theory bracket, I have thyroid anti bodies and follow a similar program to others on here. I did the IVF and started Pred on the day after egg collection I think. I started off at 20 mg but after I saw Dr Shehata, he upped it to 25mg. At 12 weeks I am weaning off. Hope this helps! Xxx

Thank you for your answer, @KittyKatSmile!

I've heard of Mr Shehata - he seems to be a bit of a legend . . .

@RedPandaFluff welcome!

I have always taken 25mg, although not (yet!) with success.

Some of us (if not all, I'm not sure) are under the care of the same doctor, Mr Shehata, who is a specialist in recurrent miscarriage and its treatment. I don't know if he has a one size of prednisolone fits all approach but I'm sure the other ladies will let you know. We are also advised to take the steroids from the date of ovulation (I'm not quite sure how the days work in IVF so I'm not sure quite where you're at now).

Good luck with everything. Let us know how you get on x

Hi everyone, hope it's okay for me to join . . .

I'm on day 4 of my 4th donor egg IVF cycle - one chemical pregnancy previously (funnily enough, the one time I took prednisone empirically); six perfect blasts transferred altogether but my treacherous uterus snuffs them out every time.

I found out today that I have "higher level of simulated NK and NKT cells" - I'm not entirely sure what that means, but they're recommending prednisone. Soooo . . . hiya!

I'm confused about dosage though. My IVF doc has advised 10mg a day from day 6 onwards. But the doctor who did the blood test said 5mg a day then half that dose from embryo transfer onwards.

Which dosage should I take? What have you all done, with success? Thank you!

@Chickjen thank you! I want to be excited but I can't. The scan went well, I was happy for a bit and then controlled myself. The possibility of sth not going well is always at the back of my mind. Hence I have decided to not tell anyone till 20/24 weeks. Don't know if I can hide for that long haha.

You are so right, the anxiety and fear are the worst. It's so crippling that it prevents me from thinking straight and make the right decisions at times. Yet I am amazed how women have the strength to cope with all, live the regular life, go to work, look amazing, smile and still look forward and upward. ❤️

@NixWix congratulations! Weaning off already, that has gone so quickly! How are you feeling, can you allow yourself to get excited yet?