Soy Isoflavones - advice pls

Hiya
I appear to have a peak reading today (day 15) but looking back I had the same last month when I didn't take the soy Isoflavones 🤷 so goodness knows if they're working! Hopefully they might at least do something for egg quality!?

Hi everyone sorry I’ve just had a chance to read through this thread again. No news here, I’m 6dpo today on 2nd soy cycle. Didn’t have any issues with dryness but my husband was away for my fertile window - just managed to DTD on the Sunday before he left and then ovulated on the Wednesday and couldn’t DTD until he was back on Saturday. But just waiting for AF to arrive now and see if there were any changes to my cycle this month like last month. How’s everyone else getting on?

@JS5 I started taking them on day 9 this month, 5 days before day 14 when I'd ideally ovulate 🤷
Total guess work!

I've had a good get an app called Take Your Pills 😅

@JS5 oh I was getting a bit muddled with the cough syrups so I bought guaifenesin capsules 400mg and take 2 a day (morning and night) after realising I probably couldn't get enough from the actual syrup.
But who knows eh? It didn't work last month so I dunno 🤷

I'm practically rattling with the amount of pills I'm taking at the moment 😅
www.drugs.com/medical-answers/mucinex-you-pregnant-3572752/

@JS5 hello!

I just realised that we are both on another thread when you updated there too ❤️

Yes I believe soy Isoflavones can dry you up a bit. I got guaifenesin capsules last month and am taking them again now. Guaifenesin is the active ingredient in Mucinex and other cough syrups that loosen up any mucus in the body.

I am also using lh strips just to monitor what's what and see if the soy Isoflavones have done what we hope x

@itsLKtoday it's great that your ovulation has moved now, so is your luteal phase longer? That's got to be a good sign!

I'm so sorry you've had such a shit time - I'm exactly the same, since my last MC my PMS has been like another level, really really low before periods and feeling so upset about ttc. I think it's definitely the hormone imbalance and it's come with changes in my cycle that looks like low progesterone too (lighter/shorter periods and spotting). And like you I also tried my usual methods like running, meditating, having chill days etc, and it wasn't working any more. And now I'm back to my normal routine with the boost from the SSRI. I've noticed a huge improvement since I've been on the SSRI so I hope it helps you too! i went up in dosage after about 3 months to get the full effects and it really helped me - just mentioning this as i was quite anxious/reluctant to go up in dose. I shouldn't have worried as it helped so much, so don't stress if you need to do, but you might be absolutely fine xx

I've actually had quite strong side effects from the isoflavones - feeling quite head-rushy and sometimes warm, a bit spaced out. Apparently this can be an effect of estrogen?! it's so weird but at least I know something is happening. i don't usually use OPKs as i get ovulation pain, so hopefully i still do this month and i can see if it moves at all.

fingers crossed for all of us this month, sending you all lots of baby luck!

@JS5 yes d&v diarrhea and vomiting 🤮 was trying to be delicate haha 😆 I don't know why as I'm not shy haha.

I have previously taken them all at once in the evening day 3 to day 7.
My ovulation had been around day 21 and first month I took the soy Isoflavones in September it came forward to day 17. I think i took them in October and ovulation was day 23. I think I didn't take them in November because they hadn't made a difference in October. Definitely took them December (I remember because I had to wear a tena lady to leave the house for security just in case of "d" 😅 ovulation was day 17 then haven't taken them again til now;
September - took them - forward 4 days to say 17
October - took them - day 23
November - didn't take them - day 17
December - took them - day 17
January - didn't take them - day 20
February - didn't take them - day 17
So who knows if they're working or not! My luteal phase has definitely improved though but may be combination of other things!?
Oh and I had covid in September for the first time! I remember testing positive for covid and getting an lh peak same day. I had it again in January but that was in the luteal phase

@chutney1 thank you for sharing re SSRI! I was prescribed it "to help get a good night's sleep" thing is I was sleeping fine. But I'm absolutely foul from around 9dpo when my hormones must crash + the general upset of being unable to conceive has been absolutely consuming me for the last 8 weeks or so to the point I'm avoiding social and some work scenarios. I have tried my usual feel better methods and can't shake it. Will continue to try them at night for this first two weeks then might swap to morning!

thanks for sharing the AC, i might try that too! I actually bought a progesterone cream to use (lol!) after ovulation, so might double up if it doesn't help on its own

I've been taking the soy isoflavones at night only - they seriously knock me out so i don't think i could take them in the daytime! my strongest dose was 120mg on the last 2 days and i think it makes me feel a little dizzy/lightheaded sometimes but not worryingly so.
I'm also on a different SSRI @itsLKtoday and i take that early in the morning, first thing as it keeps me awake if i take it too late. I had side effects with that in the first 2 weeks but it really calmed down after that so i hope it's the same for you xx

That's a good question!
I was taking all of my dosage at night as I thought it might be making me feel a bit yuck but this month I've started an actual medication (citalopram/ SSRI) which has various side effects including d+v so this month I have been splitting it as I kinda thought it won't make a difference to my general queasiness anyway 🤷

This is my last day taking them for this cycle so I will take one in the middle of the day too then see what's what with the lh strips.

I moved to a low dosage (40mg) of Angus Castus which I start taking the day after lh peak or the day the lh goes down as I figure at least it's helping with PMS and potentially helping progesterone. I do think since taking it my spitting has reduced to almost nothing, my luteal phase is a couple of days longer and my period more...ehh.... concentrated (?), like, it's heavier for a shorter time instead of spotting for 5 days before and a couple of days after.
When I used AC last year I had 1000mg and probably took them pre ovulation 🤦 definitely not right for me for my current objective!!!

I can't remember where I got my current ones but I had to search the internet for 40mg.
Thankfully have found these on Amazon for this month
Natures Aid PremEeze Agnus Castus, Relief of Premenstrual Symptoms (PMS), Vegan, 60 Capsules https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00STMP68M?starsLeft=1&ref_=cm_sw_r_apann_dp_ATHAACSE6NMS24437WGF

That's the article I'm going with for now. Seems to make sense doesn't it?

I think you can take Angus Castus for your full cycle if you're not taking isoflavones but i just cannot find a consistent message on it for dosage for fertility.

I think I might have tried taking it pre ovulation last spring (before I heard of isoflavones) because of something I read and that cycle I got an lh peak on day 26 so i freaked out and didn't try that again!!

@JS5 yes don’t take Agnus cactus and the SI together as said above. Don’t worry too much about the spitting / full flow I would probably go as day 1 of spotting if it’s quite heavy not just when you wipe.
also I was wondering if anyone knows @itsLKtoday my pregesterone is usually low so would it be good to take the Agnus cactus after ovulation ? I heard some people just take AC up until O day and not after

Good morning!

Lots of sources say spotting doesn't count as your period, I don't really understand why because they obviously it's the lining breaking away but he-ho 🤷 apparently it's full flow is day 1.
Probably no great shakes of a difference between day 2 and 3 for this objective. I started on day 3 before this time too.

I read somewhere that you shouldn't take the Angus Castus on the same days as the Soy Isoflavones or it'll cancel it out. The isoflavones are to do with estrogen at the start of your cycle and encourages ovulation and the Angus Castus helps progesterone in the luteal phase.

There's just not enough information out there on this is there!? There used to be an amazing website called Sister Zeus sisterzeus.com but it's really tricky to get into and navigate now.

these are the ones im taking - I had no idea what the difference between them all was! I picked this one purely because I've got other vitamins from the same makers: https://amzn.eu/d/20ORM2f

@JS5 cycle was on the short end to start with so yes lengthened my whole cycle to 32 days and also my Luteal phase went from 10 days to around 13 days which I see as a plus. I started taking them as I wasn’t 100% sure if I was ovulating due to low pregesterone and also because of the high level of success I’ve seen on other threads. Im taking these from Amazon Healthspan Soy Isoflavones 100mg... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07VFBQ53K?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share.