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

Ladies sorry if this has been asked before but I can’t find anything on it. I’m starting Dr S protocol for complex nk cells. I’ve been waiting to get my period back since last loss. I’m really worried as it seems so many people struggle to get pregnant on the steroids if taken from ovulation - have many of you found this? Has anyone tried taking a lower dose for the first few days then increasing with any success?

@Chickjen that’s amazing news ❤️

@WeeGi if you’re taking probiotics while taking antibiotics- best to take the probiotic as many hours away from the antibiotic as possible if that makes sense?

Oh that’s wonderful news @Chickjen
Simply wonderful!

@Chickjen yay! So so happy for you after all you've been through. Enjoy your cry. I completely know what you mean. I've cried silently at every scan I've been to...

Well done @Chickjen and congrats.
You get so worked up beforehand that it’s normal to feel emotional xx

@weeGi I just took the deoxycycline along with my prenatal but the mg, ca, zn are all in really small amounts so I wouldn’t think it would affect it too much.

The lactobacillus gasseri were tablets but I split it one time and mixed it with coconut oil as a pessary too. I’ll probably take them orally for couple of weeks. I’ll see how I go 😊

@Wewin just ordering my Lactobacillus! How long are you taking it for? And is the gasseri a tablet or a pessary?

Just a note to anyone taking the probiotics-I came across this when on the VeryWellHealth website "If you have a weakened immune system or are taking immunosuppressive medications like prednisone, methotrexate, or Sandimmune (cyclosporine), speak with your doctor before taking a probiotic supplement." I think its because it's a live culture...? Might be worth mentioning to your doc. X

Hi all, hope everyones doing okay. So my gp prescribed me the doxycycline. I took along lots of print outs from the internet about doxycycline and endometrisis, recurrent miscarriage and infertility, and combined with the fact I'd been a few times in the past for the pain in my pelvis, she agreed it was worth a shot.

Am going to order the Lactobacillus stuff tonight, and start the antibiotics tomorrow. I see on the info sheet it says not to take with medicines containing iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium- @Wewin or anyone else - did you stop your prenatal while taking the doxycycline? I was wondering if I should just get a folic acid only supplement for the duration...

@Chickjen Brill! Thanks for that. Hopefully it doesn't mess things up too much for me either. Got a call today from Dr S offices to say TNFalpha results are back and all within normal range which is a good thing.
Hope you are all doing well too.

@Wewin thanks for the article, interesting read. I may take a 1mg folate supplement with my prenatal so that I’m getting 2mg daily. I think I’ll up my aspirin dosage too, I was taking 81mg but perhaps I need 100. Argh every time you think you’ve got “everything” you learn something new!

Thank you for the replies and the info. I think I may give the doxy a go and hope the system resets by the end of October when we get back from holiday and start Dr S treatment plan. I also go in for a hysteroscopy in 2 weeks (which will be CD26) so being on antibiotics for that can only help. Have any of you ladies had a hysto in the past and if so did it affect your cycles/ovulation in any way?

@Wewin great paper thank you

@zoe16 I found the article:

20mg prednisone daily
20mg progesterone daily
100mg aspirin daily
5mg folate every 2 days (so 2.5mg per day).

This study demonstrates that a combination treatment consisting of prednisone, aspirin, progesterone, and folate results in a higher live birth rate than no treatment in women with IRM. Women who were treated with this combination had a 42% higher live birth rate than controls.

See full text article here: www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(06)00555-3/fulltext

@Belarita I’m so sorry. I’ve had 4 chemicals this year. I hope you’re ok. I know they make me feel really rotten xx

@summertimehere I’ve heard anything up to 12dpo can still show a trigger. I wish you well for this cycle.

@Ultra496 I don’t see any major risks self prescribing. You may wish to scroll up as there was a bit of discussion about specific probiotics to take after to recolonise with friendly bacteria. Lactobacillus gasseri and optibacs women intimidate are what I’m using. It’s hard to say what your pain is. I’ve had pelvic pain in the womb area but no one was really able to tell me. It did get quite bad at times and may have been a cyst perhaps. Even without an infection though the area can get out of whack with unfriendly bacteria that may not even present itself clinically. For me it’s peace of mind knowing I’ve done all I can.

@zoe16 that’s a good prenatal you’ve got. I’m not sure taking another 5mg of folate is needed. I’ll dig around but 1mg in your prenatal if folate is a good baseline. But I’ll get back to you.

@DaniMERL that is a lot to go through whilst pregnant with your first baby. It’s incredibly stressful to learn of medical conditions with your baby in uteru and for them to do immediate surgery and have to be in neonatal for 3 weeks is a lot to take on board. You have my prayers and I hope you have peace. The neonatal teams are just so awesome that there really is no better place for your baby to be. I know it will be hard on all of you. Take good care of yourselves and you will get through this. My little boy was in NICU then neonatal special baby unit and the staff are amazing at looking after our little ones xx

Just a little update from me: not charting, OPK’s etc so just BD when I felt like it. With my health, I haven’t really felt like it until past couple of days and I do think I was/am ovulating so I guess I’m in with a chance again this month. If fertilised fully expect it to be another chemical but I know miracles can happen and there’s a small part of me hoping of course.

@DaniMERL that’s encouraging to hear good news but staying sensible in case it’s not Ah it would be amazing after the miscarriages and not gettting pregnant and my age it would be a miracle

@summertimehere I also know someone have success first time on SuperO with only one follicle x

Hi @summertimehere it could still be in your system. I’ve known others have this happen even much later than 10 days (unless they were chemical p) even though the clinic said it would definitely not be the trigger.
Only way to really tell is if the line darkens tomorrow? Nightmare I know xx

Hello all I pop in now and then and read how everyone getting on.

I’m on my first cycle of Letrozole and trigger shot and pred and progesterone.

For anyone else who has done this.. do you definitely think you ovulated as predicted 36 to 40 hours after trigger shot?

My body didn’t seem to show normal signs of ovulation and if anything I would have felt it was 5 days after as had more cm.

Well im 8 dpo (if was 36 hours after) there’s a very faint line on frer but to be honest I think I’m imagining it and it’s just an evap.

Would the trigger definitely be out of my system now?

I’m on a wing and a prayer as at the scan Dr S spotted my lining is really thin and prescribed progynova next cycle to thicken it. Have any of you had success with this?

My follicles weren’t great either just one dominant one .

@belarita it’s totally rubbish :(
Sorry to hear xx

Negative test this morning. Chemical it seems. Thanks for being there you guys. I wouldn't have really understood what was happening without everything I've learned from this thread. Onwards.... x

Thanks so much @KittyKatSmile @Wewin and @DaniMERL for getting back to me so quickly. I think your advice is spot on and its really so helpful to have your experience and perspective on this. Your support means a lot on what has been a difficult weekend. I’m going to take another FRER tomorrow and almost certainly cancel the intralipids appointment. When the line goes completely I’ll come off the pred. If it stays ambiguous I might wait a couple of days and then take a conventional clear blue. I do find an unequivocal Pregnant/Not Pregnant easier to deal with strangely. Huge thanks again and great to hear about your plans for the Birth @DaniMERL. I hope that knowing the plan is alleviating a small amount of anxiety for you. I can’t imagine how hard it must be to absorb all that. You’re very courageous and I hope everything goes perfectly. X

@Wewin I’m taking a prenatal that already has 1mg folate. Can I add more folate supplements like another 1-5mg?

@Ultra496 welcome I do believe some of the ladies on here had multiple chemicals and had success on his protocol so there is hope! Myself and a few others are on/will be taking self medicating antibiotics so unless you have an allergy or medical problem that would prevent your from taking you should be fine.

@Belarita sorry I have been so busy, mainly at hospital appointments. This may be too late but I had 2 failed pregnancies on the programme before this success and I got really annoyed at paying for the wasted intralipids so early each time. The second time I went on day 11 or 12 and the test line had faded by 13 and then disappeared.
So with this successful pregnancy I waited at least a week after my positive (which I only got at about 13dpo as I had my dates mixed up and hadn’t tested). They tried to scare me into going but I just said I was away. Clearly it didn’t affect things detrimentally. I suppose I was fairly convinced that the pregnancy would fail like the others so it felt a waste of money and time to rush to Epsom! i didn’t stop the steroids until it was a complete negative line though.

So I have just scanned through the last 7 pages but can’t keep up!

I’m now 28 weeks tomorrow After being on the complex Mr S plan with steroids and hydroxy. Happy to answer questions but may be best to tag me so I get a notification.

You may remember I mentioned the baby has a problem in his tummy, spotted by Professor A at an optional 20 week scan in Epsom. I have now been referred to Oxford. The baby will be delivered there at 39 weeks, all being well. They will then operate within a day or two and he will be in neonatal for 3 weeks recovering. This will take us right over xmas and new year! It’s been quite difficult but we are getting through it. Can’t really believe our luck after the journey we have been on but I do still feel so fortunate to have even had success.

Hello All.

Firstly thank you for this wonderful thread. I'm finding this a very valuable source of information. Our story is that we've been trying to conceive for 2 years and in that time experienced 4 losses from 4-5.5 weeks. All tests via NHS have come back fine and recently seen Dr S who has discovered that although I have normal NK cells levels they are very aggressive so has recommended the complex treatment plan which I hope to start end of October. Just to say the the TNF a results have yet to come back so may or may not need Humira.

My concern leaving his office is that he didn't seem confident in his protocol treating people with chemical pregnancies. Has anyone with recurrent chemical pregnancies been successful on this protocol?

Secondly i have also had a pain in the left groin area since we started ttc. No one seems to know what it is or believe that it's linked to these losses which does concern me. I have had a laparoscopy for endometriosis and found very mild levels which were removed but nothing in that region. I wonder if going on a course of antibiotics will help with this and if there are any risks self prescribing this... any thoughts? Apologies if this has already been answered.

Thanks so much