Regular cycle, short luteal phase, next steps?

Hi again everyone,

Im just curious what you may think. So the cyclogest I’m taking after ovulation is stopping my brown spotting however 5 months of it and no pregnancy - so maybe I have more / different issues. My periods are still starting brown but they never used to before my miscarriage so I’m paranoid thinking If old brown blood is sat there then surely the lining isn’t fresh for implantation and how would that even work with IVF?

I went for my follicle count scan done last Monday and my AMH blood test and the nurse said she could see some clear signs of adenomyosis on my scan along with 2 cystic spaces in my endometrium lining. I’m just so down and unsure now whether to spend so much financial cost and more years of heartbreak on IVF? What if my chances are super low and what about this brown I still get before and after my period regardless of being on progesterone?

Hi @LondonladyTTC thank you for the quick response. That makes sense re the medication used in IVF and I’m pleased you had success elsewhere, the costs I saw online for fertility plus did look 2 / 3 x what I’d expect!

thank you for much for the advice and wishing you all the best health and luck for your pregnancy xxx

@Sapphire27d with IVF they medicate your whole cycle so I think having a short luteal phase is irrelevant for that cycle. Depending on how long you have been trying and the other factors which may impact it (your DH sperm), defintely worth trying some other treatments before jumping to IVF I think.
I didn't get IVF at fertility plus as it was going to be about twice the cost of where I did get it in the end (ABC).

Hi @LondonladyTTC thank you so much for the quick reply! It’s such a worrying and lonely time so I appreciate the response :) Just wondering then, are IVF treatments also helpful / suitable for short LPs? Noting you did have other reasons for this too xxx

@Sapphire27d I saw Dr Gudi at Fertility Plus. He has a YouTube video on short luteal phases somewhere, which made me realise that he takes them seriously. Although we didn't get pregnant without IVF (found out my DH actually had a very low count as well as my luteal problems), he was great!
Best of luck!

Hi all,
A bit late to the thread and also concerned about my LP length
@LondonladyTTC many congratulations ! Would you be able to share the details of the Dr you saw on Harley street with expertise in LP?? Struggling to find real specialists in the area xxx

@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 congrats! What amazing news! I’ve just started accupuncture actually. Well I did it a bit last year but couldn’t keep up with it because she didn’t work in my area that often so I’ve found a new one.

Did it help the spotting? I’ve been TTC now 17 months since my miscarriage and I’m not sure how much longer I can keep going!

@Loz2467 I'm really sorry that is so rubbish. I also got pregnant and have an eight month old. For me I think the acupuncture really helped sort my cycle out

@LondonladyTTC Aw congrats! That’s great news. I’m assuming you kind of forget a lot of the pain and upset when your so close to the end. I hope one day TTC will feel like a distant memory but I don’t know. I’ve priced up some IVF packages in prep for the new year and I’m already under a clinic etc for my meds so I’d stay with them.

Ive got 3 more months of cyclogest. Well 2 really but I’m not hopeful xx

Hi @Loz2467 so sorry to hear about your loss.

Opposite experience here but with a similar ending- I never fixed my short luteal phase and ended up going down the IVF route. We were very lucky and it was successful first round, I am now 37 weeks pregnant.

Wishing you all the best whatever path you end up taking.

@NorthernLass213 congrats! What amazing and positive news to hear.

for me it’s secondary infertility so I’ve got a 3 year old and we started trying for our second when he was 15 months and we got pregnant and then obviously had the loss. Since then we’ve been TTC so since April 2021. The spotting star s July 2021 and I can’t help but think of the vaccine. This is my 4th medicated cycle and I have enough cyclogest / progesterone for 2 more months after this and if that doesn’t work it’s IVF in the new year. It’s so hard to get my head around. I’m thinking have I had chances to get pregnant with this spotting from 7 dpo or sometimes even 5 dpo. I just don’t know. :( infertility after loss seems so cruel. Well infertility in general xxx

Hi Everyone I know this is a little bit of an older thread but does anyone have an update. I’ve had a short LP since my covid vaccine in July 2021. Brown spotting starts at 7 dpo but temps always stayed high so I was in denial it was a progesterone issue. I’ve had a few blood tests at 7 dpo all varied. One at 61, one at 37 and one at 21. I’ve heard it can fluctuate a lot throughout the day so it’s hard to get an accurate read. Plus on the higher ones it could of been dramatically dropping the next day.

I went private back in January and paid for a hysterscopy to check the lining and for polyps and nothing came back. So we tried cyclogest 400mg from 2 dpo. I’ve had 3 cycles of this now and no positive test. It has completely stopped my spotting though.

I saw on the thread someone say LP issue can be from a few different things but is mine likely low prog because since taking the prog it’s stopped? Or is it a lining issue maybe? We had a MC at 18 weeks in feb last year so I’m wondering if that’s affected my lining in anyway.

Thanks xx

@NorthernLass213 I hope it works for you 🤞

@CH2205 wow she sounds thorough, great to see a osteopath first! I wasn’t offered one. I’d ask her about the soy first maybe if you’re starting the acupuncture soon. I’d already done a cycle of soy and asked mine if she wanted me to stop (she said to continue) but I’m sure they’re all different. Ha yes mine is £85 a session, and she wants me weekly for six weeks, so yes it’s expensive! However I’m in Central London. Others I spoke to are paying £45 to £60 for a Zita West trained acupunturist ourside of London

@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 thanks for tagging that thread on acupuncture- I’ve just had a read through all the comments -Interesting to see everyone’s experiences. It all seems pretty positive 👍🏻

@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 thanks that’s really helpful to know - I think I’ll look into the soy. I have spotting, short luteal phase and now you’ve said it I don’t get a strong OPK either and I’m also I ovulate late - (this month was day 22!)
The lady who does acupuncture is a fertility specialist one so she asked me to see her osteopath first who she works jointly with to check for any structural issues so I’m going Saturday to see her and then I’ll start the acupuncture. If you don’t mind me asking though how much are paying per session? My acupuncturist charges £85 and wants me to go weekly. It just seems extremely expensive?!

@CH2205 I did actually make a thread about it to ask others www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/4229105-Acupuncture-for-fertility?msgid=106847207#106847207

@CH2205 I’m really sorry about your chemical, it’s so disappointing. Hope you’re okay.
For the luteal phase, I’m chalking it up to soy as last cycle I had a luteal phase of 12 days, with ovulation at day 14 (compared to about day 20 previously). I wasn't taking anything else different last month, and got clear opks and temp shift. Cycle last month was 26 days instead of 30, but luteal phase 2-3 days longer.
I started acupuncture 2 weeks ago, got my 3rd session this week. So far it seems okay. It’s not really relaxing and some of the needles sting. But I’ve heard a lot of good stuff about it and she seems very knowledgable and from the consultation she thinks my issue is a hormone imbalance which she can fix (spotting before period, shorter luteal phase, bad skin, bloating, not clear opks sometimes etc). She said to stay on the soy, ovulation was at day 14 again, I haven’t noticed any changes really between this and last cycle so far.
When are you starting?

@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 I am 36 (will be 37 by the end of the year). I am considering starting acupuncture- I recently had an assessment. How have you found it? Do you think it was the acupuncture or the supplements that have helped your luteal phase? Or a bit of both? X

Thankyou @unCliche I’m ok. I have a feeling this may have happened before but I’ve just not known about it as this is the first cycle I’ve ever done a pregnancy test.
Sorry to hear you’ve started spotting despite the cyclogest. I hope you can get it sorted and good luck with your IVF consultation x

So sorry @CH2205 you are going through a CP. It's really must be hard. I hope you're looking after yourself 💕

Just thought I'd update on my cyclogest experience. So I'm currently 12DPO and started spotting yesterday so looks like my LP will remain unchanged if AF starts today. I haven't gotten a BFP so it's just a case of waiting for a full bleed now. It sucks but who am I to stand in the way of the witch 😅

Maybe my LP isn't actually a problem as I can't say for sure if sperm has ever met egg due to DH's sperm count, so the only way to guarantee they meet is through IVF.

I probably need a higher dose of medication but not really sure I want to wait around to find out without addressing DH's sperm issues but I hope you guys can get the help you need and it gives you all a beautiful 14 day LP!

Hi so sorry I’ve only just replied. Thanks for your messages @NorthernLass213 and @LondonladyTTC. Everything you’ve said is so helpful and I had no idea it could be anything other than a progesterone issue which clearly isn’t my issue (by my blood results).
I’ve literally just had a chemical pregnancy too. Got a positive on pregnancy test (clear blue fertility monitor) yesterday at 10dpo. Really clear result. Started my period however late last night. Pregnancy test now negative this morning. It’s a complete emotional roller coaster 😢

@kennetrose and @LondonladyTTC - who was the doctor you saw at Harley street if you don’t mind sharing? I live in Essex so could go to Harley Street if needed? Thanks so much for sharing all the info too @kennetrose- I have booked an appnt privately for Friday with a local fertility doctor/ gynaecologist so I’m going to mention what you’ve said to them.

I really hope you all get your BFPs soon and we can sort these luteal phases! X

Hey @NorthernLass213 I'm sorry you're dealing with this. I have the same problem - been tracking ten months and have never had an LP longer than 8 days. Typically 7/8 days. I have been taking 100mg vitamin B6 and 1000mg vitamin C every day for six months and it's had zero effect. Went through the NHS referral process, had some tests with them and once they confirmed I was ovulating (just - progesterone test at 5dpo was 19.8, an improvement on 4.1 at 7dpo, but enough for them to be happy I was ovulating) they just didn't care any more. They said there was nothing they could do to lengthen my cycle which is just wrong but can't force them. They said there was 'potentially' enough time for implantation which I found infuriating.

I made a similar post recently and someone replied saying they were going to Manchester Fertility for LP issues and were being taken seriously so that could be an option for you? It is really a mixed bag as to whether doctors believe it or not. Personally I think it is something that is an issue in some people but not in others, and if you've given it a few unassisted cycles with no luck it's worth pursuing treatment. Unfortunately NHS rarely agree as it isn't a proven cause of infertility so private treatment is the only option usually.

I saw a Harley Street doctor last year for a fertility MOT and mentioned my short LP to her and I don't think she really believed me and said it hadn't been proven to be an issue.

I saw a different Harley Street doctor on Friday (same one recommended @LondonladyTTC who I cannot thank enough!) and he immediately believed me and agreed it was something worth treating. He said LP defect could be caused by egg quality, corpus luteum failure or a lining issue. I'm now on letrozole for a week and will get a trigger shot before ovulation, then another trigger shot at 5dpo. This should hopefully give my corpus luteum enough of a boost that my LP is longer and an embryo stands a chance. This cycle is diagnostic and if it doesn't work, then it's probably a lining issue and that can be treated instead.

@unCliche just curious what fertility clinic you're going to? Obviously PM me if you're happy to share. I am also in Berkshire. I'm very happy with my Harley Street doctor so far but if I could go somewhere more local that would be ideal.