TTC/ pregnancy on Prednisolone or similar

[freelancegirl]

I am not sure there are enough people here to start a thread but have been chatting on one on the pregnancy boards and was wondering if I could find any fellow ttc'ers on Prednisolone or similar?

I have just received a diagnosis of very high NK cells. It was a bit of a shock actually as it turns out I have some of the highest levels - 3.79 when anything over 1.8 is considered 'very high'.

Am trawling through Dr Beer's book and Dr Google and trying to found out more. I have been recommended 25mg prednisoline steroids for two weeks starting with ovulation, increasing to 40mg if/when BFP and then Intralipids Cyclogest too. I still have 13 days until I pop my first Pred.

There now just seem like so many hurdles - actually getting pregnant being the first one. I was prepared for high NK cells as I have high thyroid antibodies but it was shocking to be in the top 5% of people treated at the clinic. I am not sure if that gives me much less of a chance of being successful.

It would be great to hear from anyone else who is undergoing treatment and of course also if you've had successful treatment.

Hello all - I just thought I would pop in and say Hi :)

I hope you are all doing OK

free How are you getting on? Have you got a follow up appt with Mr S at all?
Digi I hope you are feeling well, and are plodding on with nothing to report?!

I am due to OV on Friday /Sat so pred at the ready. I did email MR S to ask if I should take it as I have OV a month a go but didn't have a period, so I am hoping the lining is just building up after the ERPC. I am hoping that I am not going to turn into a moon face, but I will let you all know!

They are quite evil these Prednisolone aren't they? I have a lovely pair of eye bags too, even though I'm not suffering with insomnia in the least. I did spend most of the weekend with a pretty hideous stomach ache though, completely bloated so that I couldn't do my jeans up most of the time which was really helpful seeing as I was away with nothing to wear but jeans! Also really bad acid feeling all the way through my entire digestive system. And that's 4 days after coming off the Pred.

Ended up in floods of tears and feeling thoroughly fed up at the prospect of taking the buggers for months and months on end before even getting pregnant, and then the possibility of it not being successful and having to do it all again. I can't help wondering what taking Pred is doing to long term health. Does anyone know? It's all getting on top of me a little bit at the moment. I suppose you've probably noticed! Throughout most of my experiences over the last 4 years I have been very pragmatic and strong about my situation but sometimes I get to the point where I do think "Bloody hell, poor me! This just fucking stinks!". Also, I know 5 months isn't really a long time to keep getting BFNs but it is when it's added on to the other 4 years of shit and includes feeling like hell for 2 out of every 4 weeks it really does make me wonder how much more I can endure. I mean, when do you decide enough it enough?

Sorry for the moan. I just need to vent really. I'm guessing you've all felt similarly.

Yeah the hard core drugs are a total pain in the arse. I felt like having a bit of a cry when I saw my bubble cheeks in the gym mirror yesterday. My face looked really bloated! It looks a bit better today, which is odd as I am pretty sure that just one day off the Pred isn't going to affect it that much. I guess I have been tapering though so hopefully it is getting out of my system. I can relate to your stress though kittens. I definitely have eye bags too - it's like my swollen cheeks are pushing them upwards. Nice! I don't know about long term health issues, I think the issues are just when we take them - which is something to be thankful for I guess.

It is hard kittens to be pragmatic, practical and detached all the time. Sometimes it really can get to us. There are bound to be low points. It is so frustrating. I guess what we have to remember is that we are doing all we can. No compensation though sometimes I know.

That's interesting about ovulating without a period Battery. I wasn't aware that could happen . Don't worry too much about taking the Pred at first. It's not so bad until you start to be on it for a while. Yes I must say, Kittens that the prospect of having to be on it every month and then having to take it for a lot longer when pregnant is not very appealing. My stint on it this time was 10 weeks all together (two weeks on 25, around 8 weeks on 40 and the rest tapering).

Great that people think you are looking slim digi! I was hoping, when pregnant, to have at least some sickness to put me off food and counteract the Pred but it never happened. All that did happen was I ate more. The dry patches at the side of the mouth don't sound fun. I also had a couple of days when I got a really dry mouth inside, that no amount of water would ease. ALong with this I got rather chewy saliva! I kept having to pick bits out of my mouth! Nice...

My next appointment with Mr S is on Thurs 8th Battery so nothing to do until then but hope my body is getting back in order. I started bleeding on the 15h August and the ERPC was on the 18th August so those are my markers in terms of measuring when I might get another period in September. My cycles are usually around 30-34 days so it will be interesting to see if I get anything around that time after bleeding/ERPC!

free sorry you are feeling so rubbish :( These days are horrible - try not to worry too much about the pred - you can ask MR S next week about long term effects, but rest assured I know people who are on much higher doses for chronic diseases like Asthma so it is a carefully researched drug. I am sure MR S will put your mind at rest. I had the talk last night with DP that if I am not pg by Feb then that is it. Enough. I refuse to put myself through this time and again. However, once it comes round to Feb I might change my mind.
Don't do too much googling - you will come up with websites telling me I have ashermans which I don't want to think about. I am trying to think to my last ERPC - my first period was super light, barely anything, and I worried myself stupid, but they did get better up until I got PG. I think I will give myself this cycle, and I am booked in with my GP next tuesday to refer me back to gynae as I will be 12 weeks post ERPC then. By the time any appt comes through I will know if I am pg or not.

kittens you have every right to stop and do the 'bloody hell why me?' foot stampy dance. I'm always shocked when you list your pg/mc history and wonder where on earth you find the strength to keep going. Then I look at all of us and wonder how the hell we all do it.
I really hope that you get your turn soon.

battery same for you. Am still hedging my bets that you had an anovulatory cycle and didn't quite ovulate but that you will soon. Fingers crossed for the sods law scan 'hello mr sonographer I've come for a scan to find out why I haven't had a period, oh that's because I'm pg you say? 12 weeks you say? Everythings perfect you say? How lovely. Bye Mr Sonographer, see you in 8 weeks!'

free puffy cheek reduction on day 1 of no pred is a good thing. Am sure you'll be lovely and svelte by the end of the weekend and dh will be asking when he can impregnate you again.

Am gearing myself up for the big weddings weekend. Tomorrow I have a gp appt to get more pred and metformin - am down to my last seven days. Then need to pack and get everything organised for the cottage we're staying in. Driving up about 7pm. Am amazed I've got this far really. No nausea today, but strange twinges down below. Hopefully will be far too busy to overthink anything.

Digi loving your prediction for Battery. Can I have one of those too please? Except maybe 20 weeks at the scan Actually can I just be one of those people who go to hospital with bad back ache and end up giving birth to a beautiful healthy baby?

Hope your big wedding weekend goes well, are you going stand out with not drinking? Of course I forget that not everyone's friends are as fond as the old vino as mine. I have some nice things planned and am busy planning a long haul holiday for the end of Dec/beginning of Jan. Might as well do! Even if I do get pregnant again before then it will be very early days.

Thank you digi, I hope we all do!

freelance how is the cheek deflation going? And the chewy saliva? That doesn't sound very pleasant! I guess, with the thirst you are already drinking plenty but I think drinking water flushes out any water retention which may be the main cause of the moonface, and also it will flush the drugs out of your system. I love digi's comment about your dh asking if he can impregnate you

digi have you tried Eucerin on your dry patches? It's quite good. Especially the one with a high urea content. If you have any manuka honey that can help too, as a sort of face pack. Or indeed any honey, as it's a natural humectant.

battery (and I guess this info is relevant to freelance too) It is often said that people are very likely to get pregnant in the few weeks following ERPC, and on average periods return after about 6 weeks after an ERPC so I guess you do still continue to ovulate once a month regardless of periods. I suppose there has to be some sort of regrowth of lining before you can have a proper period. After my last ERPC my period took about 8-9 weeks to come back but that was fairly unusual. I have had (7!) and 6 out of those, my period took 6 weeks to return.

After all my ranting these past few days, I am now doubly stressed. My mum was sent to hospital this week after having a lot of abdominal pains. they gave her an ultrasound and saw a 4 inch growth on one of her ovaries. She is now waiting to see the gynecologist for a biopsy and also to have an MRI hopefully this week. It could be one of three things and I'm desperately hoping it's the best out of a bad lot, an ovarian cyst, but there is also a possibility it could be either a spreading of her colon cancer, or ovarian cancer. Amazingly it didn't show up on her last MRI which was only a couple of months ago. I tell you what, this last 4 years has been pretty fucking hard work! My mum got her first cancer diagnosis literally the same week we decided to TTC for the first time so we have been on a double rollercoaster ride. I just hope this is something that's quickly dealable with.

digi I love that prediction! Actually I did get a positive opk yesterday so have dashed down the m3 and am now sat waiting for dp to come home and impregnate me:)
free I think you will go to the loo one day and think ' gosh I feel a bit strange' And then realise you are about to give birth - get to the hospital on time to give birth to healthy gorgeous twins ;)
kittens I really really hope your mum is ok. Life really deals out crap it is about time you and your family got some good news x thanks also for the advice on periods. Am trying not to mental too much.

I have taken my pred today. No moon face yet but stand by!

Oooh twins?! That would be a surprise!

Sorry to hear about your mum too Kittens. I hope it turns out to be ok. My mum has a large ovarian cyst that's been there for years and causes her some discomfort but they say it is ok. She was also once told she has varicose veins somewhere in the same area! She is often worried things are going to take a turn for the worse with these things.

Glad you haven't got any moonface yet Battery (wish there was a moonfaced emotion :) ) I think mine is starting to go down a bit but am not sure. I filmed it yesterday for the doc (I am still doing on my own filming but haven't got around to filming anyone else again yet!) so you will be able to see it one day in all of it's moon face glory. DH says it's just because I have put on weight all over but I know my cheeks are chubbier than they would be with just this amount of weight gain as I have been this weight and much heavier before.

Now, talk to me about cm please Digi as I know you are something of an expert on the ovulation thing (well, compared to me anyway!). I had twinges in my right side on Sunday. Yesterday and today though I have had what I think might be EWCM. This happened on the month I charted and conceived. The pains were on day 14 that time (along with a rise in temp) and that's when FF had my down as ovulating, but the ECWM came a few days after, along with my triphasic rise in temp. Is there is a possibility that's when I really ovulate rather than when I feel the twinges...?

Thinking of you Kittens.

Ovulation predictor came up positive today, so back on the steroids. Hope I get the same energising effect as before! Ran into a friend today who announced her pregnancy - I find that hard enough but it's worse when their due date is the same as one of your losses. I have other friends with babies born when one of mine should have been, every time I see their kids I have to shut my mind down from picturing "my" baby. And now I have to add another one in.

Freelance, afaik the ovulation pain can come before, during or after ovulation itself. Not much help!

Hi Iggi, back on the steroids today hey. It must be a rather poignant (or something similar) moment when you swallow that first pill again. It is weighted with so much hope, fear, annoyance, potential side effects and a whole host of other emotions.

Or am I just reading too much into it? :)

I haven't had to go through that due date thing yet as my first two pregnancies didn't really matter to me (I must have told you that before - they were when I was 19 and 20 and it was a relief not to be pregnant any more) but the two this year have obviously really mattered and my first due date is the 5th October. I also know people having babies at that time (they handily posted their scans on Facebook to tell the world) and I think it will be very odd.

Thanks for the info on the ovulation pain. It does help! I am thinking I might really ovulate on CD18 ish rather than CD 14 when the pain does seem to fleetingly make an appearance and my temp went up first time. I will be charting again as soon as I get my period (hoping that will be around the 18th) so it will be interesting to see what the charting shows.

Hope Kittens you are feeling a bit better. And hello to digi, battery, comedy, georgie, cheerful, euro and anyone else I have missed. Let us know how you are all getting on!

PS digi good luck for the scan tomorrow! Is that with Mr S? We are all rooting for you xx

free my scan is on Weds at St Marys. Not looking forward to it at all. Have not felt v pg this weekend. Have had a bit of backache and headache, but no feelings of 'growth' if that makes sense. But obviously I'm really hoping it's just the roids that are masking symptoms.

Wrt ov pain and ewcm my experience this cycle was quite unusual because I was taking Chinese herbs. From day 24-28 I had loads of ewcm and ov-twinging. Then day 29 completely dried up. But later that day I got a positive opk. Then lots of bloating and ovulated day 31.

Good luck iggi and battery on the 2ww.

Oh yes, sorry - I remember now. Weds at St Mary's. I know what you mean about 'feelings of growth' in terms of stretching etc. But you have to remember the foetus is really small at this time anyway so you are not necessarily going to get those. And of course the Pred is masking other normal symptoms. It's funny isn't it how we agonise over every feeling or lack of feeling and really there is sod all we can do about it and we know nothing until the scans anyway. It would be nice to be able to just switch off from it, but of course very difficult to do.

Need some distraction between now and Weds. How's your holiday planning going free?

Ohh, happy to oblige. Am working and any distraction is welcome.

Plans are difficult! DH and I were not going to go on a long haul holiday this Xmas (leaving just before NYE) due to possibly being pregnant. But then I lost the second pregnancy I realised if I did get pregnant again it would just be early days and I've decided I can't always keep basing my life around being pregnant when it might not happen or be successful! So spoke to a friend who wanted to go somewhere warm but not too far or exotic (Caribbean or Florida for eg) because they have an 18 month old to come along too. BUT then DH and I thought if we are spending all that cash on one week, why not do two weeks like we usually do and bloody well go back to Asia or somewhere we really love!

Am toying with two different types of holiday - I really like the idea of the Philippines. But that would mean letting down my friend. So am exploring both the Caribbean and the Philippines and seeing how I get on. Speaking to more agents tomorrow.

There's always the possibility that next year I might have a child... so maybe next year we won't feel so comfortable going somewhere far and exotic either. If we do go to the Caribbean we will spend the first week with them at a resort and for the second week go off-piste as it were. The Caribbean coast of Mexico is looking quite promising.

Do you have any thoughts to help me?! The one thing I haven't done however is ask Mr S about flying if I were to get pregnant. I am going to ask him on Thursday. All my clotting tests have come back negative (haven't had TEG of course) so thinking I should be ok. But is that a gamble.... I don't quite know. The earliest I can possibly get pregnant might be around the first week of October - depending on when AF arrives of course. And of course it might be unlikely that I get pregnant first time. Oh I can picture a time when I might have been trying for months and feel how naive I was to worry about booking holidays. See what this damn miscarriage thing has done to us...

I am also booking a week in LA in November for my brother's birthday AND Spain for Christmas to see the parents!

Am thoroughly jealous. I think the two week carribean thing sounds good. We booked a Sods Law holiday when pg with ds. Had to change it at the last minute when I realised that the malaria drugs were not suitable for pregnancy. So as long as you don't need to take anything that's contraindicated in pg then you'll be fine. You could time intralipids around two weeks easily.

My non-ttc/pg excitment is DS starts pre-school on Wednesday afternoon (great timing). We tried to get him into the local primary school pre-school (2mins away) but he's still on the waiting list. So potentially we find out tomorrow if anyone has dropped out and made a space for him. Otherwise it's one about 20 minutes walk away. And then we've got to apply for a reception place for next year. V scary and official.

The whole getting a place at nursery/school place thing sounds like a nightmare all round! I hope you manage to get him in the nearer one at some point. Is he used to being at nursery etc? Either way you must be anticipating his departure. Is your scan on Weds morning and he going on Weds afternoon. Yes that will be odd timing. There is every reason this scan will go well though this time. I really hope the treatment is working for you. It doesn't help with anxiety though, I get that! I almost think it would be nice if someone could anaesthetise you until Weds afternoon and wake you up with news of a good scan.

That's a good point about malaria. I had considered it. I am torn between the two options at the moment. I have a couple of agents working on it and am going to have a good look around online so will see what comes up with prices etc. Either way it is pretty expensive at that time of year but we have to take university time holidays due to DH's work. Yes I think if we go with the Caribbean option it will be nice to be with our friends.

I think my bubble cheeks are slowly deflating btw. Slowly. Where they are slightly puffy it makes me look like I have tired eyes. I have filmed myself talking to camera, therefore at some point I will be able to show you all what I was talking about! It's not hideous, but it is a change in shape of the face. I presented a corporate film the other day and I was really conscious of it. It's lovely being off the Pred though. My palpitations have gone and I had a lovely meal out last night with loads of nice things to drink :)

How were your weddings Digi?

Hope all other Pred Buddies are doing well too :)

Wedding 1 was in a beautiful location - we didn't know that many people there but had a pleasant time. I started getting v paranoid towards the end - bit of cramping and frantic knicker checking but all was fine. Didn't have ds with us so that was one less thing to worry about.
Wedding 2 was amazing. Lots and lots of friends, lots of kids (who were very well catered for with games and a huge bouncy castle), so ds had a great time. The booze was free flowing so dh had a great time as we were staying over. Everyone knows my history so no one mentioned the fact I wasn't drinking. We brought my sis along to look after ds during wedding 1 and she was happy to put ds to bed in the evening of wedding 2 so it really was the best of both. I had a great time dancing when the band came on. And was suitably distracted to not spend the evening paranoid.

Glad to hear cheek deflation is progressing well. Looking forward to the time lapse sequence mapping the rise and fall of said cheeks!

Right, must help dh fill in these pre-school forms.

Weddings sound great! Both of them in different ways. I do love a wedding and have none to go to this year. Four last year, including mine, one already in for next summer.

Time lapse of cheeks is a great idea...I really should have also measured them at their peak

I made the mistake tonight of wandering off from my work (in a virtual sense) and looking up a lot of info about Foresight and their hair analysis/pre-conception plan and now I am worried about everything I touch/consume and it's potentially harmful side effects (everything from toothpaste to tap water). I have also developed a vibrating sensation somewhere in the area of my bum. It is either nothing, something left over from pregnancy as apparently the uterus can press on a nerve, or MS. I guess I really do need to back away from Dr Google.

Hello everyone - just a quick post before I go to work. I have now been on my pred for 5 days - I saw a friend at last Friday who told me 'yes your face does look a bit swollen' - at which point I had only taken one day! How very rude. Then she went on to tell me she is 13 weeks pregnant. Great visit that was.
Anyhoooo- quick question for you - does the pred have any effect on temps do you think? My post ov temps are a lot lower than normal - only really above the cover line when usually thay would be sky high now. Of course now I am mentalling that I tried to OV and didn't. I am having my progesteronedone today to see if I have Ov.

Will catch up later - trying to move house and get pg is not fun!

Hello everyone hope u don't mind me joining. Have been following u all for a while but too scared to post ( scaredy cat).

I am now 12 weeks after being on dr s plan since feb.
Didn't actually start on the pred until may and fell pg on our second steroid cycle which I was surprised but delighted with. I am now weaned down to only 2 pred a day and boy am I feeling it! Have cAlled in work sick today as haven't slept (could be because I have another scan on wed and after 4 mmcs I am terrified before every scan) my head is killing and I can't stop crying. Before when I was on the roids I felt amazing I could have taken on the world and was coping well but now I just keep thinking it's all going to go wrong even though dr s told me at 9 weeks that I was out of the woods and to start getting excited !!!

Sorry to rant and go on a bit but hubby is finding it hard to support me (well I feel like he is but could be my mega emotions) and thought coming on here might help.

So good to have somewhere to see people Are going through the same as us and we can all support each other.

Hope everyone else is doing well and coping xxxxx

Hi Stogan, welcome to the thread! Do stay with us. It's lovely to hear that things are going well for you after what must have been an awful time with 4mmcs - i.e. going well with the pregnancy, not with the annoying Pred relating issues. It sounds like you are getting some dreadful withdrawal symptoms. I didn't get them nearly as bad when I was reducing from 40mg to nothing in the last couple of weeks but then I was miscarrying and having an ERPC so I wasn't exactly feeling my best anyway! Conversely though, it sounds like I was feeling a lot better than you are so maybe when staying pregnant and weaning off the steroids it gives worse side affects? I don't know tbh. And I guess everyone reacts to them differently. I never felt as good on them as it sounds like you did. But as I said, it is so nice to see it is going well for you. Gives us all a bit of hope too.

I think all our other halves, to a certain extent find it hard to support us as they really don't know what it is like to live with this day to day. DH really annoyed me on the weekend as he had forgotten we have the appointment with Mr S this Thursday and said I hadn't told him. We have had about 3 conversations about it! He is just busy and forgot to write it down in the diary. But it seems so incredible to me as that date has been shining like a beacon on my diary for almost 2 months! Knowing I would either be getting a check up on my pregnancy or, as is the case now, finding out what treatment plan I will be on next and when I can get the go ahead to try again.

Battery I read your post about your friend a bit open mouthed in shock! What an insensitive cow she was being! Also your face probably wouldn't have been swollen at all and she was just looking for it. I can't help you with the temp and Pred thing being that I got pregnant on my first month of charting and my first month of Pred (not that it worked out!) but my temps were 36.7 ish for the first few days of the month and then went up to 37 and stayed above there with a triphasic shift (as I learned from Digi and others). But every persons temps are different.

Well I have weighed myself this morning and my week of making a concerted effort to exercise and eat well (apart from drinking a lot over the weekend...) has lost me.... ONE whole pound :) Not exactly brilliant... but a shift in the right direction. Gosh I am really falling behind with my work too - although I say I want to get on with my life without this being the main focus, I sure am spending a lot of time online obsessing about it!

Aww thanks freelance.
Dont get me wrong when on 40mg of pred I had mega moon face and the spots still haven't gone, mum even asked me if I had acne at 8 weeks !(bless her we hadn't told her we were pg and now she feels awful knowing why I had bad skin )

I no OH is trying but similar to you he forgot to put this weeks scan in his diary when I've been counting down the hours since a week gone Friday WTF ????
I don't suppose it's easy for him either bless him he must be scared too ( not least from discovering what mood I'll be in each morning lol)

Were back seeing dr s on 21st sept when he says he should be able to sign me off aaarrrggghhh scary but amazing but I'm worried I may need more intralipids although I have already had 3 doses at 4 , 8 and 12 weeks and dr s said this would be enough (although I don't know why)

Anyway enough about me im off to read more about all of your stories.

I hope I've given everyone a bit of hope, even if I am a pessimistic misery today but hopefully on wed I'll bring u all amazing news xxxxx