DHEA or Testosterone messed up my cycle

@Janefx40. How did your FSH test go?

That was meant to say I do acupuncture when I can!

Thanks @Mamalicious44 so the DHEA was meant to take down my FSH. Even tho I'm on this thread, I've not had an issue with DHEA. My levels were tested before and after. Only issue is I had to stop taking it 5 weeks before our IVF cycle because my levels were top of the range (we got delayed unexpectedly) so now I don't know whether my FSH has come back up or not!!!

Other than that I do acupuncture when I beds and I'm on a fertility diet etc and have been for months now. I basically do the It Starts with an Egg diet but with some recipes from Zita West (which are a bit nicer and less extreme).

Xxx

Thanks for the advice- I am going to sit right... as you say at some point my period will come!

@Carlos18 stay positive - any of them could take.... sending you lots of mama love

@Janefx40 waiting for test results is so tough... I always go through cycles of expecting the worst so I am not devastated.... to manifesting my result so it actually happens! What have you been doing/taking to bring down your FSH? Hope it goes well tomorrow

@Carlos18 yes it only takes one. Fingers crossed for your follicles! My only advice on egg collection is don't eat bloaty foods after! I had a massive pizza after my first one and regretted it! Ouch! The sedative is lovely! So enjoy that bit!

Yes I am going in tomorrow for tests. My FSH needs to be below 12 to go ahead along with other hormones playing ball. If not they won't go ahead. It will be touch and go so fingers crossed

@Mamalicious44 I think I would wait it out too rather than adding something else into the mix. Your period will come eventually...it always does....let's hope it is soon

Xxx

Sorry it did not work. Hope period is enough tomorrow and you can go. I think oestrogen and progesterone both fall which leads to period and LH is pretty low throughout except for surge.... but as you say, it’s confusing. Someone suggested I take vitex to balance out estrogen and provide more progesterone like a normal literal phase. The more I meddle the more confusing it gets so just going to wait...... good luck for tomorrow

@Mamalicious44 I find OPKs very confusing. I'm never sure what oestrogen is meant to do post ovulation. Is it meant to go down before your period? I thought LH fluctuates generally throughout the month and it was just the peak that was important.

Sorry I also didn't answer your question but not sure what you meant about short cycles? We did try this cycle but not worked. My period has sort of started but not enough for me to go into the IVF clinic so that will be tomorrow now

X

Hey Ladies- just an update - I am due my period in next couple of days and have assumed it won’t come on time because of this anovulatory cycle with DHEA.... I have been having a lot of mucus (but not stretchy ovulation kind) so I did an ovulation test and it says estradiol is higher than it was 2 weeks ago and my LH is also higher.... so confusing! Have not been on DHEA now for a good 2 weeks so thought my oestrogen would be coming down! Mother Nature is complicated.....how are you ladies doing?

Yes your levels are close to normal and so don’t worry too much......hopefully you are ready to start with next cycle? Fingers crossed for you. @Janefx40 are you trying this cycle - what is a “short cycle”?

No we are not trying this cycle as I did not ovulate so just cruising, waiting for bleed and then maybe the following one or one after. I had such an obsessive control-freak like approach the last 6 months and the DHEA has actually weirdly done me a favour as it has taken the control away. Nothing I can do until my cycle recovers and I have just chilled out a bit.... hope you guys are emotionally doing ok 👍

Hopefully it won't cause too many problems. Your numbers aren't crazy. The reference ranges you mention are different to the ones on the website I linked to yesterday (which I trust and which were broadly in line with the ones from my clinic). According to that you are in range for DHEA and slightly high for testosterone but not crazy high.

But yes I agree that you definitely wouldn't want to take any more.

@Mamalicious44 whereabouts are you in your cycle? Have you been trying this month?

Hmm tricky to know how to interpret- the testosterone is what is needed to get the eggs to mature well.... but too much is bad... so I think this means you should not take DHEA-S even if it is low.... ?

I just bought directly - her books are good too 😇

Thanks @Mamalicious44 I'd never even heard of her. Been exploring the website. Did you buy the CD directly from her site or elsewhere?

We can't conceive naturally so IVF is our only route. We said to the consultant that if we could then we would just keep trying and see what happened. So we are approaching this IVF cycle with that attitude. A very expensive way of seeing what happens.

@Carlos18 I'm feeling better about it. Thanks for asking. I just wish I knew for sure if it was happening - there's always that chance that they'll do my bloods on day one and say "nope, not this month". There are so many logistics to plan especially as I go to a very intense clinic.

How are you finding it? It's your first time isn't it?

Xxx

One single thing that has really helped my is the fertility heart programme by Julia Indichova. Has helped with those feelings of being overwhelmed and hopeless. Try the body of truth meditations and the imagery CDs 1 and 2..... it’s beautiful. She is very powerful and the success stories are just what we ladies need!

Hello Janefx40 and Carlos18,

Yes I think it needs more publicizing as all you read is great stuff about DHEA and you have to dig deep to find our kind of stories. It’s a bit mad that you can order it on Amazon when you think about it! I got my blood tested at my hospital- they were fine about it. BTW I am not doing IVF, I am trying the natural route as chances are the same for someone like me. Changed my diet and reduced my exercise, doing loads of meditation/visualizations, acupuncture and low laser light therapy, taking my supplements, stopped working night shifts etc etc..... will let you know how I get on! I have a good feeling but letting go of the outcome and control are probably the biggest challenges...I will restart fertility herbs once my cycle is back on track.... I’ll keep you posted ladies..... I actually have a good feeling but trying not expect anything....all the changes on my life are good for me anyway, baby or not, so I thank my spirit baby for taking me on this path....

itstartswiththeegg.com/faq/dhea-and-egg-health/

I feel like I should post this link for any future readers of this thread. I realise the 4 of us on here have already stopped taking it anyway but it could be useful for someone x

Hi @Mamalicious44 I'm sorry that DHEA has messed things up for you too. Did your clinic test your levels? Btw it's lovely to meet someone else my age doing IVF.

@Carlos18 glad it all got going in the end. I honestly don't think it will matter that they gave your progesterone. As you said there is nothing natural about IVF. All your hormones are being regulated so it shouldn't matter.

Dear all,

I have had a very similar experience - I am 44 with low AMH and high FSH and have been taking 50mg DHEA for 4 weeks. I have been using the Mira fertility tracker and my estrogen levels went sky high so I stopped and I still have not ovulated. I think the dose of 75mg a day is before ovulation induction for IVF... ie with something like clomid which forced ovulation despite high estrogen levels. For natural conception, the doses are much smaller and require measuring DHEA and free testosterone e levels... also some people covert DHEA to estrogen more than testosterone adding fuel to the fire. I think this has happened to me sadly and now comes the wait of when a new cycle will start....I am not sure if progesterone will helps reset everything with a bleed or not....

It’s so confusing!!

That's a great idea to do home tests. Is it free testosterone or regular that you need to check? I feel like maybe it was the free testosterone they measured but I can double check if you like.

I'm on a short protocol - I think at my age (44) they're interested in "up-regulating" rather than "down-regulating"!!!

Feeling quite stressed about it. I really wanted to try again but now the time has arrived it feels quite overwhelming

Let me know how you get on

Xxx