Immune/NK issues - aka Pred Thread no. 23!

@KittyKatSmile thanks so much. Such a relief to know that. Hope you are keeping well x

@Ultra26 nope, none for me where I previously had known almost straight away. Would agree that the steroids mask any symptoms

Hello ladies. Hope you are all keeping well? A question to those who have received their BFP on the steroid treatment - did any of you have any early pregnancy symptoms and if so when did they start? I'm only 4dpo and feel perfectly fine which is normal but wanted to know if I should keep a look out for symptoms or not as I have read that the steroids can mask symptoms. I guess I don't want to to start loosing hope for no reason. Thank you x

Thanks for your words of encouragement @Worried82 and @weeGi. I’m so sorry about your recent bfns too. We will get there even if it takes a longer time. My private appointment is later this month and I bet the RMC appointment will come through a week later. I’ll go to both if so. The private appointment will cost £500 including ultrasound plus bloods, additional tests, prescriptions are extra.

Re alcohol @WeeGi I also stopped drinking two years ago. Not for ttc purposes but bc I couldn’t hack the really really bad hangovers (even after one small drink). It interfered with my POTS condition. I have to admit that lately I’ve been really thinking about having some wine at Christmas though. All this has got to me and I’m thinking it will be fun and the hangover might be worth it. Hoping I’ll be pg though and it will remove that choice for me.

I have not done any research on alcohol and egg quality though. In my 30’s I drank quite a bit and it didn’t affect my ability to conceive or have a successful pregnancy. IMO you shouldn’t put your life on hold and if you want to have a drink
then do it and don’t feel bad about it. Recurrent miscarriages are very stressful and traumatic on us and our relationships and having a little bit of fun now and again can help our mental health and our marriages.

Theres been chat about coffee recently and I wondered what everyones take on alcohol is? I stopped drinking a couple of years ago hoping it would help improve our chances, but it hasn't and I feel like I would really like some sort of my old life back. So on my recent holiday I had quite a few drinks, but then felt terrible about it in case I'd damaged my eggs. I hear so much conflicting advice about it, but my consultant didn't seem to think it made much difference, but this is different to what others have said. It's so confusing.

In a bid to feel like a normal person again I would like to be able to enjoy a few wines, but dont know if I can do it without terrible guilt afterwards, given that if we continue on this journey this is our last gasp chance and I feel I should throw everything at it.

So, what does everyone else do in terms of alcohol? Xx

@Wewin thanks. Sorry to hear you're at a similar junction. I feel the same, if we can only find the strength to keep going this next few months it might work. I think the only thing that will give me the strength to do that is that we'll be trying something new. Whatever treatment I'm prescribed from Coventry will be a different approach, I couldn't keep doing the same thing and expect a different result.

I have my fingers crossed for you, I hope you get a good result soon. Xx

@KittyKatSmile thank you for your reply.

@Wewin sorry you are going through the same too! It is really hard and I was in tears yesterday too! I hope you are holding up well though. I am planning to treat myself this weekend even if it makes me forget about it all for just a bit!
@Wishing5tar I totally agree to what you are saying. We all want a healthy pregnancy rather than rushing it and then having a MC.. also good shout on the appointments - I'll keep that in mind.

@PGJV I’m on the same meds as you, plus hydroxy. ☺️ I’ve found it takes me a similar length of time to fall before & being on the meds - usually around 3/4 months. I try to think positively about when I fall & it being a successful pregnancy (even if it takes longer to happen) rather than hoping to fall as soon as possible & going through the heartache of another miscarriage and the several month long process before we can start trying again. I know that in an ideal world we would all fall quickly & make it to a baby in our arms but I’ve quickly learnt that isn’t how it happens for me unfortunately 😔 I recently said to my acupuncturist ‘if only I had a crystal ball that told me exactly when it’d happen (& go to term) then I’d be okay with the waiting.’ Maybe your body just needs time 😘

In terms of appointments, I always make sure I book my next appointment before I leave. So if Dr S says he’ll see me in 5 months time (or sooner if I fall pregnant) then I usually book the appointment for 5 months as its easy enough to cancel if you don’t need it ☺️

I hope everyone is doing okay? I’m currently 4dpo and trying my hardest to relax xx

@Eeviee for me to get pregnant and it to stick do you mean? I left Dr S after he told me it was my fault I miscarried the last time (because I'd taken the pred from BFP). He told me as he was telling me the baby had no heartbeat.

This one is IVF with a donor but the only change my clinic made to my/his protocol was the clexane and also some oestrogen but IVF does feel very different to trying it naturally anyway. Oh and I had intralipids earlier, so during the process rather than at BFP but I wouldn't recommend that outside of a controlled cycle like IVF...

@Wewin sorry for the BFN 😢 I’ve only just rallied after mIne. It’s so, so hard but stick with it, I have everything crossed that we’ll all get there 🤞I can’t remember where I read about it @Eeviee but this link is quite interesting if it helps... it’s more about progesterone making the uterus more choosy rather than the pred. And although I would love a BFP, I’d rather a BFN than another CP as they waste so much time. www.reddit.com/r/ttcafterloss/comments/5jfd9t/superhyper_fertility_getting_pregnant_easily_but/?utm_source=amp&utm_medium=&utm_content=post_body

Hi girls. Cycle 3 on the pred and another bfn. Again, mirroring what @PGJV and others have said, I was getting pg nearly every cycle before the pred and now, nothing! Thank you @Worried82 bc I do believe the pred is making my womb more fussy! So I guess that is a good thing and we just need to be more patient right? Better than consistently getting pg then losing them again.

I’m also going to try the pred from one day after ovulation. Maybe just 10mg initially or maybe just from BFP depending on how I feel. I have an appointment soon with my doctor so will discuss protocol for following months then.

@WeeGi I’m glad to see you back and I hope the counselling goes ok. DH and I nearly packed it all in today but then later decided to stick at it for another little while. But it’s getting to me. I feel we are so close and to stop now would be critical. There have been tears. Heartache. I feel we have a little bit of steam left somewhere...

@KittyKatSmile do you mind me asking, did Dr S change something in your protocol? X

@PGJV yep, same protocol as you.

@Worried82 thanks, I’m only mid cycle though which is odd... Do you remember where you read that about pred makes utérus more fussy? Someone else told me that too, maybe that’s why it takes longer to conceive. (Although when I asked Dr S about that he dismissed it and said it wasn’t true! Even though it’s clearly the case for so many)!

@Chickjen I do have 8 days worth of medication which is not complete but anyway I've got an appointment for next Tuesday so hopefully my next cycle wont go wasted. I was thinking about what you mentioned regarding starting it after the ovulation day on not on ovulation day. I will try that next month to see how it goes. Thank you for your advise on relaxing while DTD too!

I trust you are doing well though.
Thanks!

@KittyKatSmile @Eeviee it seems the general rule that exercise is safe and healthy during pg doesn't apply to us because of our mcs, but I just feel so much better when I exercise, physically and mentally. Perhaps i'll tone it down a bit and like you said avoid jumping and abdominal exercises.

@Eeviee and @KittyKatSmile thank you for your replies. I've managed to book an appointment for next tuesday to see on of Dr S's colleagues as its a long wait apparently to see Dr S and I am not ready to let go of next cycle as at the next appointment all they need to do is review my medication and prescribe more for the coming few months. @KittyKatSmile - were you on the same protocol as me? Thanks!

Hi @Eeviee yes, I spotted from 8dpo which was annoying. And my period was much lighter. I’ve read that pred and cyclogest make the uterus more choosy and stop unfavourable eggs implanting so it takes a bit longer to fall. Before this I got pregnant three times in six months but I think my body was just letting any Tom, dick or Harry implant!

@PGJV yes, I was unsuccessful for quite a few months on his protocol after having been pregnant 3 times in 5 months immediately before. Another specialist told me that pred can sometimes interfere with conceiving. I stopped for a month, got pregnant, lost it and that's when Dr S told me it was my fault because I'd only taken the pred from BFP and not from ovulation. So some difficult decisions to make. I'm sorry it's not better news from me.

Also I've started spotting today, day 13 of cycle, I've never had that before? Anyone had similar? I suspect the meds last month may have messed things up a bit.

@MairMum18 @zoe16 @KittyKatSmile @PGJV Thanks for your support, I feel really bad for writing a message about this but I was so angry. I know it's not his fault. We've had a chat this morning, he thought we had the whole week and also thinks I'm putting too much pressure on that it has to be this month, he thinks we should agree to give it say 3-5 months and see what happens which I know is a reasonable request, I just can't help but feel stressed and angry if we've missed out on a chance, I know I become a bit preoccupied and crazy around this time of the month and he senses it and I don't think it's very attractive. I probably wouldn't want to dtd with me...

@zoe16 I struggle with knowing what to do for exercise, my first 2 losses I miscarried right after swimming so thought that may be why, then last time my acupuncturist told me to do NO exercise at all apart from walking which was hard as I felt unattractive and fat. I try to still do exercise but less intense than other times. I don't know if HIIT is the best for preconception or pregnancy as it's quite full on, could you switch it out for something a little less intensive? Or maybe just adapt and do a lesser version? I also use the Nike Training app to do workouts at home but I know it's easier to do a class sometimes.

@MrsMargot I was told I'd have to take heparin right up until I gave birth but I have diagnosed APS. If your Lupus coagulant is positive I reckon you'd be on it the whole way through.

@PGJV sorry I don't have an answer but keen to hear what others say as I suspect I'll be in the same boat at the rate we're going. Last month and this one are write offs...

Hello ladies its me again. Any one TTC on Dr S's protocol as me and unsuccessful for two consecutive cycles? - Pred, progesterone, vitamin d + pregnacare with omega 2 softgel and aspirin (75 mg)

If yes I have a question - I've just emailed the midwife at their clinic regarding my situation and asking about next steps and I've been told to make and appointment to see Dr S again. If you've been in the same situation as me then I'd like to know what happens at this appointment? Will I be given more pred and asked to go back and try again? In that case its going to be such a waste of time as I wont be able to get an appointment immediately and I might miss out on the next cycle. @Chickjen were you with Dr S? I know you'd said that you were successful in your 3rd cycle while on pred. Such mixed emotions I am going through at the moment!

Thanks in advance to all of you!

@Eeviee sorry you have to go through this. It would be best to sit and talk it out with him.. it’s really hard for everyone..