The Short Luteal Phase Gang

[onedaybaby]

Hi,

I've noticed that the question about a short LP comes up quite a lot, and I would love it if we had our own thread to discuss where methods we are doing to try to increase it, lengths and what the dr thinks!

My LP is 8 days with a 31 day cycle.

I am currently taking Agnus Castus and have had accupuncture for 2 months. I also use the CBFM.

This will be my 9th month TTC. I have had the 21 day blood test (which has to be done on 28), the day 3 blood test and an ultrascan. All tests are normal.

Hi, I have a question I am hoping someone on here can answer. I have a luteal phase of about 10 days, and cycles of 33 to 45 days. I recently went to the doctor as I have been TTC for a while with no success, and she told me I would need a blood test. She said it would normally be done on day 21 but because of my slightly odd cycle that wouldn't work. She thought about it for a while then suggested I get it done 5 to 7 days after I get a positive on an OPK. I thought I would ask you knowledgeable folk on here what day would be best to have the blood test to get the most accurate results? Thanks in advance!

Hi Leigh - I'm sorry you have been having issues as well and poor you having such irregular periods but that will probably be because of the polycystic ovaries. I'm afriad I don't know what the difference is between PCOS and Polycystic ovaries. Out of interest what did yuor progesterone levels show? Has it shown you are ovulating? The trouble with OPKs are that they don't prove you have ovulated. I am not sure how accurate temp taking is but if you are not seeing a rise in temp I would have thought that means an anovulatory cycle but don't hold me to that. Has a good gynae taken you under your wing? I totally understand how concerning things are but the good news is that irregular cycles, anovulatory cycles and short luteal phases can be sorted with metformin and clomid and various other things.
Notinmykitchen - when i had to do my day 21 pogesterone test, i used OPKs and i took my temps as well so i could be sure when I actually ovulated. This may be more the accurate way of finding out when you have actually ovulated as opks can show a surge but don't prove you have ovulated. The rise in temps tell you that you actually have ovulated. I hope that makes snse! Anyway, I went in 7 days after i pinpointed ovualtion. hope that helps.

MrshY - any good news from your end? I went for a scan and have a follicle that should make it. Have been given ovitrelle or something to inject once i see a positive opk. Not sure i'm keen on injecting myself but hey ho! Anyway, i'm being moved on to iui next month i think. i don't get any ewcm on clomid and it has given me thrush at my key time so i'm a bit of a hostile environment i think!

Hi joycep
No positive news here - AF got me today! It's been REALLY wierd and drawn out this cycle though - started spotting at 3dpo - spotting was very scant but turned very dark brownish, small bit of red blood Sunday night, bit more yesterday, then full flow today. Think my total LP (although I wasn't temping) was 10 days, so Clomid at 50mg has 'bought' me an extra couple of days.
I spoke to the hospital who told me that as I ovulated, there would be 'no point' in upping my Clomid dose to 100mg, so they want me to carry on at 50mg. I realise this might be quite contraversial, but I REALLY want to see if by increasing the dose I can O earlier and extend my LP even more - so am going to increase it myself! I have 2 more courses at 50mg, so essentially I have one at 100mg. I think the risks are negligble as I only had the one dominant follicle at 50mg - so it doesn't look like I'm going to be a candidate for over-stimulation.
If it makes a difference, then I'm sure the hospital will be cross with me but at least I can demonstrate that it does. Or, of course, I'll be pregnant!
Glad to hear about your follicle. Home injectables eh? Not sure I could cope with that!
'speak' soon,
L

hi mrshy - really sorry about AF, what a b. Oh i talked to my gynae about my weird AF and she said clomid can do that so don't worry if AF is behaving oddly. I would be doing the same as you and upping my dosage - there is nothing like a bit of self medication. It will be interesting to see what happens. Good luck!

Thanks joycep, I'll give that a go :)

Hi Ladies,

I need help! I concieved my son who is only 9mths after around three months off trying and had a perfect pregnancy!

We have now been trying again for three months, and i have noticed this month my LP is 7days long!!! Period was due 5days ago, and has not appeared, so been testing daily and getting bfn! Today 12dpo i have got three positives! I am now so happy but so so worried i will miscarry, as never knew anything about the complications short luteal phases can cause?

Has anyone else had a healthy baby with short LP?

Help!

Scougy
Sorry it's taken me so long to reply.
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR BFP!
Now, I'm no expert - but most of the things I have read have suggested that a short luteal phase can only be problematic in that it reduces the amount of time for implantation. Before implantation, it's your luteal phase that pumps our progesterone. After implantation of a fertilised eggy, another mechanism kicks in. So I would say that given your egg has clearly implanted - you're home free!
Many congratulations
x

Hello gimmegimmegimme and welcome! How long have you been trying for? I have now had a progesterone test at 7dpo which I had to have done privately - so I'll be interested to see what that says. x

Hello
Same as you really - since November 2010 but a couple of cycles we 'did it' at the wrong time and then in April-May I had a 50 day cycle!
Just got AF today - so will start my second course of Clomid tomorrow. Had a progesterone test at 7dpo and it was really good - 65 (they look for 30 or more) and managed to get a 12dpo luteal phase last time!
From the sounds of it your body is just getting back to normal after the MMC (am very sorry for your loss). But good news that you're getting investigated anyway x

Hi everybody. It's nice to see that there are other people in the same boat as me. Me and DH have been TTC for 2 and a half years. I had ectopic preg last September which was really difficult. I had more surgery then in April and am on IVF waiting list. But while we're waiting we're still trying. I've been having acupuncture for two months and on Agnus Castus for one month trying to lengthen my LP which is about 7-8 days.
The acupuncturist specialises in fertility and recommended AC to try lengthen LP. We'll see what happens but I'm getting pretty desperate and down about it all now. Nevermind, have to keep positive, or so everyone says!!!

Hi patienceneeded2
Good luck with the acupuncture and agnus castus. Neither worked for me but then I have heard them both working well in other women. I also didn't stick at either of them for very long - only a couple of months - which might not have been long enough for them to take effect!
Sorry to hear about your ectopic.
Do keep positive though - implantation can start to happen as soon as 5dpo and then the egg will start to pump out its own progesterone which will override your LP x

Thanks a million for your encouragement MrsHY1. I was feeling so crappy when I wrote that. I've never written on a forum before so must've been bad. Am better and more positive today!! Another month, another chance!

Hi! I've read some of this thread and wondered if I could drop in and join you... I am having a luteal phase panic at the moment and wondered if anyone had words of wisdom to share!

My cycle used to be 28 days before DD1, then dropped to about 26 days after I had her. After DD2 it was reduced to 23 days. I just had a mc at the end of june, and got AF back 22 days after ERPC... I decided to chart this month because of the mc making me paranoid (haven't done that for years and years, since using rhythm method, when cycle was all normal).

I am on day 12 and no temp raise yet, ov microscope seems to show a bit more ferning today, but not much EWCM yet. Ov sticks don't seem to work for me (told me I didn't ovulate the month I got pg with DD2). So if my cycle is still 23 days, I will be looking at 11 days luteal phase max, if I ovulate today/tomorrow (which looks unlikely)...

I am wondering if my mc was due to low progesterone. I am 38, so don't feel I have loads of time to wait if there is a problem. I have ordered some progesterone cream, and thinking of buying some vitamin B6 tomorrow, and am wondering if it is worth visiting the GP. One of the GPs apparently has gynae knowledge as some level of specialism, but I don't really like him. The GP I usually see is lovely, knows my history, and is always good at offering referrals whenever he can, but does not have a specialism related to this issue. I have only had one mc, and obviously haven't even done a whole chart yet, so don't know what I could expect them to say.

I'm worried that, as we have been SWI, if I do get pg this month, and if low progesterone caused my mc, that it could make me mc again if untreated.

Possibly getting totally ahead of myself here - can you tell I am freaking out??? Hoping someone can help!

Sorry to hear about your miscarriage.
I went to the GP after only 4/5 months of trying and one early miscarriage.
I fully expected to be shewed away and told to come back in 6 months.
BUT she seemed to know about short luteal phases, I showed her 5 months of charts and she was great. Referred me for all the blood tests I wanted, plus a few more. Said better to find out if there is a problem now than wait 6 months, and I am only 31. I am also convinced my miscarriage was caused by low progesterone and keen to avoid that heartache again if possible.

So you may be lucky. Be assertive, show you have done your research and hold your ground!

I thought I would resurrect this thread as I have found it really helpful.

Since coming off the pill in January my LP has gone from 9 days with spotting for 4 days to 12 days with little to no spotting.

I have just received my latest progesterone test at 29 (vast improvement from 20) still not ideal but I feel like we are making progress!

I have been taking B100 vitamins and having acupuncture.

hi farfalla - how did you impove it? what are your tips?!

Hi joycep, I don;t know if this has made a difference but I have been:

Taking Zita West Vits and B100 (although B100 only for a month)
Cut right down on sugar and booze (have read that alchohol deplets progesterone)
Gone to the gym more
Eaten loads of vegetables
Restriced myself to one coffee a day
Have accupuncture (but only once a month)
Started eating more nuts particularly Brazil nuts as my thyroid is slightly underactive and this is meant to help!

I have had 2 early miscarriages though and currently undergoing some tests but I feel like I moving in the right direction!

I have not tried

Agnus Castus
Natural porgesterone cream
Macca

But I am tempted!!

hi farfa - I missed in your first post that you were on the B100 vitamins and acu. That's interesting about booze. I don't drink too much but i have the odd splurge. I've done the brazil nuts, acu and veg thing but it didn't seem to help but perhaps because i wasn't doing it all together.
I noticed on the m/c forum you mentioned that your consultant believes in progesterone in early pregnancy. Out of interest has he ever suggested you take progesterone pessaries in the 2ww? Also What is your consultant saying about your progesterone levels at 29?

Just going through lots of tests at the moment so don't have the results.

He wants to rule out lots of things first (blood clotting issues and chromosones)

BUT he did say that my TSH was likely to be part of the problem at 3.9 (he likes to see it below 2 for conception) and the reading I have done does suggest a link between the thyroid and most other hormones!!

He has said he thinks likely course of action would be progesterone in 2ww (he thinks from BFP would be too late for me)
I have not discussed progesterone levels with him yet but have the appointment on 3rd November. I think from he has said in the past that he would like to see it higher.

Have you had your thyroid tested at all?

oh that's interesting about your thyroid. Hopefully if that can be controlled then that will help things and that it's not anything else. I've heard so many things with the thyroid and conceiving but hopefully they can sort it for you.
It's weird because i 've always thought that i had a thyroid problem because i'm always frozen and it runs in my family. I'm sitting here witha radiator on and i'm still frozen but my gp said my bloods were all fine. Anyway i'm sure there are more symptoms than that! I might just check what my tsh levels were when i get home because i know they've missed things before.
That's intersting that he will put you on progesterone in 2ww. I've been put on that some months as my level showed 30. Is this a private consultatn?

Hi joycep I am seeing Raj Rai, he does both private and NHS (and run St Marys RMC with Lesley Regan)

I am seeing him privately as I don't qualify on the NHS, he is a lovely man and quite conservative in approach (he does not for example test NK cells and he thinks its unproven, I know lots of people have had success with it though so who knows)

My GP also told me my levels were 'fine' as they are in the referece range which is 0.27 - 4.20. Mine were at 3.9 so technically normal but he said there is new research to say that anything over 3 is not (which I think is the case in Oz and USA) and certainly for TTC it should be under 2.
I don;t have any symptoms really and you would not expect to at that level I don't think!

Will wait and see!

Goodness that is so interesting. I've heard of Raj Rai. Isn't incredible that they give reference ranges which aren't right! It just makes me wonder what else we don't know. I almost want to rush home now and go and check what mine were. Sorry to keep questioning you but what is Raj going to do about your thyroid to get levels down? Also, can the thryoid make it difficult to conceive or more cause a m/c?