Prednisolone during covid times with IVF

[Lullabywish]

Hi Everyone, after having three rounds of IVF, two which have ended in miscarriage both at around 9 weeks we are about to go for round four. We have been trying for a baby for over 4 years now so this round we want to throw everything at so I'm going to be on cyclogest, prontogest and progynova which I have been on before but this time adding clexane and although the consultant wasn't 100% happy about it I have requested to be put in steroids because I have ready they suppress any natural killer cells women might have and we just want to give ourselves the best chance this time. I will be in 20mg a day and will be self isolating. My worry is I'll be in steroids for 10 weeks which some research says can be bad for pregnant women but then other studies say how much good it can do to help with recurrent miscarriage and then throw into that covid. Has anyone taking prednisolone to help with RM, did it help? Has anyone taking this during Covid? Am I insane to take them or doing the right thing. Please help... Thank you!

Hello, I have taken Prednisone for first 14 weeks of my pregnancy with my child who is 7 years old. Before having her, i did IVF 1 round which didn’t work and a missed miscarriage from a natural pregnancy. I got pregnant with my daughter naturally while waiting for our 2nd IVF round but with her pregnancy I started light spotting again. So we thought that we will privately see Dr. She hats and even before testing me for natural killer cells (which was high after testing came back) he started me on prednisone. I think this 100% helped me to have my child.

Sorry to hear about your unsuccessful IVF and miscarriages.

I thought the evidence of benefit for prednisolone and NK cells was poor at best and more recently it was decided not to improve outcomes.

This is not what you want to hear, but I took prednisolone during 2 rounds of IVF, the side effects were vile, I put on 3kg which 7 years on, I have never managed to lose (I usually lost weight during ivf so it was definitely down to the prednisolone rather than the other ivf drugs) and both those rounds of IVF failed. I refused to take it again.

Guidelines re add ons have changed since @windyWillo experience in 2014. I started this shit in 2013 and finished in 2019 and the advice I was given re NK cells changed significantly in that time.

Nothing to do with IVF etc, but in terms of 'Covid times,' yes have been successfully living on them through Covid last year and this one.
I know nothing of the IVF side, but if you do need them, then you're not insane to take them.

8 years of trying, 4 rounds of ivf. The successful round was the one with the prednisolone; 20mg for 12 weeks plus progesterone suppositories. Wishing you all the luck in the world. Dreams do come true and medical science is amazing!

I had no scary side effects either apart from a little trouble sleeping

I've had 4 cycles of IVF and the cycles that worked were the cycles that I took steroids. I was on 40mg prednisalone and in early pregnancy when the pandemic hit back in early 2020. Due to my work (A&E), I was placed on shielding leave until I was weaned from the steroids. Unfortunately both my husband and I likely contracted Covid (before mass testing) during this time but i was fine after a week or so.
My baby girl is now almost 9 months and practically perfect in every way (except the sleeping department).
20mg seems quite a low dose of prednisalone and may not require full shielding, might be worth double checking perhaps?

Same here as some others- 7 cycles and the only successful one was with Pred. Are you jabbed OP?

I can't tell you how much better I feel already reading your messages. We both felt we wanted the steroids because we want to throw everything at this rounds and to hear so many of you lovely people say you've taken it and its the one that worked just makes me so happy. @EarlGreyT I'm sorry to hear you had a bad experience on steroids. I'm aware of some of the worse side effects and although id rather not gain weight I'd happily do that if it means I get to bring home our baby. @choosername1234 Im sorry you contracted covid whilst pregnant and on steroids, did it effect you pregnancy in any way? I'm so happy your baby girl is practically perfect in every way. . @Ethelfromnumber73 I am double jabber yes, that's why I pushed for them because I thought I'm the most protected I could be plus I will be shielding as much as possible too. I love Mums net so much.

Covid was unpleasant but nothing serious for me, despite the steroids. I was only 5-6 weeks pregnant at the time so hadn't had contact with midwifes yet, however nobody knew much about it then. Things might be different now, there might be extra scans etc

@choosername1234 how long were you in the steroids for surfing your pregnancy? I'm going to request extra scans along the way anyway. I'm just so grateful for everyone's feedback and so happy it worked for you.

I had 6 embryo transfers and the only two successful cycles ( which led to my children) were the ones I took pred for. I took 20mg till 10 weeks with my son and then 15mg till 10 weeks with my daughter.

I had three cycles with no hint of a pregnancy before the one where I first took pred- my NK cells had gone back as high. Then had a normal pregnancy.

Due to potential psoriasis/ steroid complications I then tried a cycle without steroids which didn't work. So that is why I took a lower dose with my daughter.

I firmly believe my body was rejecting the embryos ( all high quality/ lining perfect etc) and steroids helped to calm that reaction. My clinic also used clexane.

Good luck.

When I say cycles I meant transfers. I had two full cycles/ egg collections and my children were both frozen embryos.

I’d also have happily gained weight if it meant a successful ivf cycle, but the cycles I took prednisolone on all failed. The subsequent cycle I took intralipids for the NK cells instead- also failed.

[quote Lullabywish]@choosername1234 how long were you in the steroids for surfing your pregnancy? I'm going to request extra scans along the way anyway. I'm just so grateful for everyone's feedback and so happy it worked for you.[/quote]
I started the steroids with at egg collection or embryo transfer and then reduced to stop after the 12 week scan. I wasn't offered extra scans because of the steroids. First pregnancy I was scanned as usual, 2nd pregnancy I had extra scans but that was because I was officially old (40)

I have been ttc for over 3.5 years and have an overactive immune system which attacks my pregnancies. I've lost 4 natural pregnancies before being diagnosed (we tested one and he was perfectly healthy, standard nhs bloods revealed no cause for the losses). My private recurrent miscarriage specialist has put me on hydroxychloroquine, prednisolone and intralipids but we've struggled to conceive now. I did my first round of ivf in May with all my immune protocol and did conceive but had an early loss - both my ivf doctor and miscarriage specialist think the immune protocol worked but we uncovered a lining issue... Hopefully after more tests we'll plan another transfer and I'll definitely be on the full immunes again.

With regards to covid, I've had both jabs and I can pretty much shield as I'm working from home. I am more conscious that I am vulnerable due to the immune modulators and suppressants, but if this gives us a chance, then I'm willing to take it. Best of luck x

@VenusStarr I'm sorry for what you've gone through miscarriage is the most painful thing to go through and what's more is the not knowing why. I wish you all the luck in the world when you try again. X

@Allthebubbles I'm the same, great lining, brilliant quality eggs but at around 9 weeks each time I have a MMC. I'm convinced my body is rejecting somehow. I'm rhesus negative blood type but have been told that won't be the issue. I haven't been tested for NK cells because it's very expensive and not always conclusive so crossing everything that the addition of Clexane and Prednisolone really make a difference. So happy you got your family after all you went through x

@choosername1234 that's what my clinic have recommended for me, weaning off at 10 weeks to 12 week scan.

Thank you @Lullabywish I'm rhesus negative too, but never had the anti-D as never got past 12 weeks.
Have you had your thyroid checked too? Mine fluctuates, not massively but anything over 2.5 isn't great for ttc / pregnancy, so I'm on low dose levothyroxine. Also check your vitamin D levels, I take 4000iu daily. Ideally you want it to be close to 100 x

@venusstarr I've only had anti d after I had to have a D&C after a miscarriage but that's it. I've never had my thyroid checked or my vitamin D. I will enquire about those though. Levothyroxine I've not heard of I'll Google that now. So many things we don't get told isn't there. I learn something new everytime something goes wrong.X

Hi all, I'm unsure whether to take steroids with upcoming FET. It'll be attempt no 4 after one MC on the first try and then two unsuccessful transfers. Had slightly high KC number but cytotoxicity fine apparently. Consultant sending slightly mixed messages over steroids and was wondering how high anyone else's KC count was when they did take steroids. Any info would be hugely appreciated as feeling confused and wish I knew what the right thing to do is (especially with Covid vulnerabilities).

PS: Sorry for piggybacking on this thread btw. Mumsnet newbie.

Well I have to tell you the other side of this story with taking the steroids because of possible natural killer cells and wanting to throw everything at it after countless early mc like we did . I did it out of pure desperation .I trusted and listened to a well known mc expert and he did not warn me properly that going on any steroid treatment you can end up with secondary adrenal insufficiency for life . Basically steroids stopped my normal adrenal function 11 y ago and I have never recovered that was after putting on lot of weight and feeling awful on them . Ironically the treatment is more steroid for life without which I’d die . Because they make my heart feel awful i’m on beta blockers and omeprazole to protect my stomach . I have put on huge amounts of weight in the 11 y that seems impossible to loose . Quality of my life is ruined for good . I had two trial small doses then 3 cycles with about 20 mg back to back with further losses . I felt terrible it wasn’t working so we decided to stop and look into ivf and surrogacy in the US . 2 1/2 y from starting to look at agencies our second child a DD was born finally after 5 y of hell .
Some people have success while on the steroid treatment but I would have never ever risked my health if I’d know what can happen I’d gone straight to ivf and surrogacy . I am not an isolated case I have heard of people with the same story it must be rare and can happen with any steroid use but I think women should be made very aware it unlike I was . All he did was assure me how it wasn't a big dose others were on 80 mg a day and that the time I was on it wasn’t long .I with threw from it by the book too . These are serious strong drugs and you should realise that . I wish you good luck with what ever you decide and that you get your baby in the end what ever you decide

Btw my thyroid no were always good during all my losses it’s only few years ago they were a bit raised and I felt awful so I am now on levothyroxine as well . I have ended up with osteoarthritis and been in pain roughly 10 y and only now found out that it was caused by that after some bloodtest result year ago in the summer in the pandemic and with yet more different issues I’m still to deal with this . Also have developed vestibular migraines 6 y ago after 20 y break from them so in all in all I’m really not ok . I do now have 2 children though I am forever grateful for !

@Nordicmom, I'm so sorry you had such a terrible time of it all. So glad you have your 2 kids though - but sounds like quite an ordeal. Thank you for sharing and all the best.