TTC/Pregnancy on Prednisolone or similar part 6

[Arianrhod]

A positive thread for all those diagnosed with High or Very High NK Cells and looking to start TTC or already pregnant on Prednisolone and/or Intralipid treatment.

Newcomers very much welcome!

Part 5 www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/1391787-TTC-Pregnancy-on-Prednisolone-or-similar-part-5

Part 4 www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/1366323-TTC-Pregnancy-on-Prednisolone-or-similar-part-4

Part 3 www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/1348773-TTC-pregnancy-on-Prednisolone-or-similar-part-3

Part 2 here www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/1323594-TTC-pregnancy-on-Prednisolone-or-similar-part-2

Part 1 here www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/1236324-TTC-pregnancy-on-Prednisolone-or-similar

Brown is a good sign. I know so many people now who have had that sort of thing and all has been fine. A friend on another friend had 'brown sludge' for weeks and weeks and has just given birth (no cause for it found - no cause for the sludge, obviously she knows the cause of the eventual birth :) ) and another friend had bright red bleeding - again no cause found and all good at 30 odd weeks still.

And I had those ovulation type twinges for ages too, and aches in the top of the legs. It felt like a 'hormonal pain' if there can be such a thing.

Am admiring your attitude, taking things a step at a time.

Hi Carebear. I think I am the only one on this thread who has never had a BFP (although some others have gone several months without one after getting pg and miscarrying in the past). I went to see Mr S because I was concerned about implantation failure and sure enough, I tested high for NK cells. I have been on the Pred for 4 cycles now (three of those on superov as well) with no BFP. I'm about to try IUI and then moving to IVF in a couple of months (alongside the Pred).

We are unexplained - nothing other than the NK cells has come back as abnormal and they have been treated for the past 4 cycles, so I guess there must be another undetected problem in my case. So unfortunately, I don't have a success story for you, but I do have faith in the treatment, largely due to the successes I have seen on this thread.

Choccy I am glad the sludge is easing up.

Thanks Euro. Good luck with the IUI. I must admit I'm still confused by the different tests and treatments. Did u get tested for just NK cells or full immune tests? Does Mr S offer full range of tests I assume so. And then the pred, clexane, heparin, IVIG.... I'd just got my head round IVF drugs, the mind boggles.
After the immediacy of IVF I'm not sure how I'd feel if he recommended a 6 month programme.

Thanks Free, will do.

I was tested for NK cells and also, at my suggestion, blood clotting issues. The latter tests came back clear but I am glad I had them although they were quite expensive. If I hadn't I would be wondering if that was the problem when the Pred didn't lead to a BFP.

Mr S's tests don't seem to be as extensive as some others. He seems to focus on the NK cells rather than other immune issues. But as Pred seems to be the first treatment anyway, I'm not sure it matters whether or not I have another undetected immune issue as well as the nk cells. Also, I don't think Mr S does IVIG and some of the other more aggressive treatments, but I had decided before getting tested that I would try steroids and/or intralipids if the results came back positive, but would not have any blood product treatments. That is just my own personal limit. I know from reading the forum on fertility friends that many other people are perfectly comfortable with these treatments and have no ill effects from them.

Good luck with your appointment.

Gosh I really need to get a report written, been putting it off all week and here I am wasting loads of time online again. But just wondering, more crucially, where's Digi...?

Spending time on here is never time wasted!!

After a scary splurge of bright red first thing this morning, things seem to have calmed down again to very little, then nothing. Twingey, boobs not sore but still there and looking pg, bit of a taste.... Argh! Such a headfuck!

Remind me when your first scan is again Choccy?

Next Tuesday 17th. Followed by intralipids if I need them...

Sorry all, me post yet again...

I keep having red spurts when I go to the loo and umm, need to push. And have been having cramps for a couple of hours across my lower ab and down onto thighs. But there's very little if anything coming out in between toilet trips, and just colour on wiping if it's only a wee. I've also got really bad indigestion and am v windy, (bordering on the antisocial tbh!) which isn't helping the cramps-toilet-pausing- blood thing.

Dh has Dr Googled and come up with subchorinic haematoma. Sounds plausible given my symptoms and the drugs I'm taking... I'm sure someone's mentioned having experienced this before. Any thoughts or guidance?? I've taken myself off to bed and will obviously take it really easy. Anything else??

Choccy sorry you are experiencing this. Are you keen to avoid contacting your early pg unit? I don't have exp of the condition you've mentioned, but rest sounds like exactly the right thing to do. Hope it calms down soon.

Thanks igggi. The online advice seems to be that they'll scan you to see what's what, but there isn't any actual treatment they can do, it'll either be absorbed or come out, and ultimately could take the baby with it. Dh reckons from his research that it needn't be game over.

It's no change anyway, still crampy, nothing new on pad, but I just passed a tiny clot type thing. It's definitely not actual flowing bleeding.

If I can I'd rather remain in ignorance until after my Dad's funeral on Friday. Even with this bleeding I can still say it isn't definitely over yet. I think I'll properly crack up if I had to go through Friday knowing for sure. My main saving grace at this moment is the boobs still look pg, and usually they're the first thing to suddenly disappear. Now, they've gone down a bit and aren't really sore, but they look pg... Anything to hang onto I guess. Life really sucks sometimes.

PS I feel I should really apologise for sharing this level of detail, I'm sorry if it offends or grosses anyone out. I don't really feel comfortable starting off my own thread but feel posting here I'll get sensible advice from ladies who've had many experiences of pg, good and bad, and who who know my history too without my having to explain why it's such awful timing. Thanks for being there.

choccy so sorry you're going through this. You want some tmi detail? Read on..

I think I have had two s.c heamatomas. One with a mmc - I had bright red spotting from 5 weeks and when the mmc was picked up they showed me the patch of blood which was separate from the pregnancy sac - so the bleeding was quite unrelated to the mmc iyswim.

With this pregnancy I've had brown and then red spotting from 4 weeks. At six weeks I had that bleed where I swear the "pop" of something bursting woke me up. Hard to say how much blood - a big cupful? Always looks like more - it looked like a pint but it can't possibly have been. I then bled quite heavily - much heavier than a period - for another week. Numerous pairs of pants in the bin.

If I hadn't been having scans every week showing a baby growing to dates there is no way I would have believed that one could bleed so much and still be pregnant.

My other 6 pregnancies I had no spotting at all - and only one of those worked out - what I am trying to say, in a roundabout way, is hang in there!!!!

My advice from Mr S (particular to my pregnancy, std disclaimer) is that i should stop the aspirin if any sustained red spotting and double the cyclogest to 800mg which I am still doing and am hopeful he'll tell me to drop down this week.

Mr S and the St t's consultant said bed rest wasn't necessary (or put the other way it is ok to carry on as usual) but obviously to take it easy if that was what made you feel better. I think they possibly just said that to me to ale me feel better as I was a bit worried about lugging 15kg toddler and buggy on public transport and up stairs etc. and they could see that unless I hired a 24/7 nanny that wasn't going to change. I would vote for you remaining couch bound. Thinking of you.

Thinking of you too Choccy and don't worry - there is never tmi on here. It's something, as PQ says, that we are all used to dealing with - with both good outcomes and not so good outcomes. Like I said too I know of so many people know (PQ included) that have had similar bleeding and splodging and bright red flow and clots and brown gunk and all sorts and all been fine. I am so glad you are being as pragmatic as you can about it until after the funeral and then you can concentrate on the next thing. I feel so awful for you though, it really is not what you need. Do feel you can share anything you like here with us.

Not sure if it is worth mentioning it to Mr S or Louise that this is happening (assuming they might be back at work tomorrow). Again like PQ said there may be something they would want to change about the treatment.

Heavily anticipating news of Digi now! Come on Baby Digi! Hope she can return soon to let us know it is all ok.

Hope everyone else is doing ok too.

I have two more days here in Spain then back to London on Thursday.

choccy Just a very quick post to say first, bugger that you're having to go through this on top of everything else and second, never apologise for sharing what you're going through, we all understand and TMI isn't TMI here, if you know what I mean. And to comment on what freespeculated on, I happen to know from emails with Louise on Thu that Mr S is back this week but she is on leave until the 16th.

/waves to everyone, going back into lurk mode and waiting on news of baby digi

Second the comments made by the others. If u can't ask on here where can u ask? We are all hoping the time passes quickly and uneventfully for you choccy.
You are doing amazingly well.

I have a quick Q for any ladies taking cylogest ? Progesterone. I have been taking 200mg twice a day since egg collection (ovulation time) and now in dpo10 (egg collection time) and I have the following symptoms:

Swollen boobs
Lower back ache
Bloated firmish uterus area
Tiredness

I know all are progesterone side effects and all are possible early pg symptoms but is it totally impossible to get some indication? 400mg is a lot a day so I could just be going through those but I have tried to search and it seems we will never be any wiser with this one as they could be either. Ahh going mad and actually glad to be back at work tomorrow to pass the slowly moving time.

How are others on here doing? Are there any non super ovulators still about ttc?

Hey Ari and Iggi too.

Duggs I have never had cylogest without being pregnant (for me it was prescribed for taking at BFP both times) but they certainly sound like they could be early pregnancy symptoms too! Without scrolling back to the list, when are you due to test?

Hi all, this is digitalgirl's dh. Just to let you all know, we had a baby boy today at 1.39 pm weighing in at 8 lbs 12. Bit of a dramatic 3 rd stage which she will tell you about once she's finished her transfusion! However mum & tot are fine. Love, dg's dh.

Thanks guys, much appreciated. PQ Blimey that sounds scary. Of course I'm not about to assume advice would be the same for me as for you. Your automatic caveat made me smile though! Lawyers eh I'm determined not to lose all hope. It's still stop-start here, just when I go to the loo. The cramps have eased off a bit too. I'm exhausted!

I was thinking it's awfully quiet on here (though am v v grateful there are people around to keep me vaguely sane!) ... I wonder if digi is just off doing Easter stuff or if there's something happening...!

wooohhh digi has a son... 2nd pred baby..thank you for telling us mr Digi and congratulations [busmile] an Easter arrival...x

free next monda

Ooh what a great time to cross post!!!! congratulations digi family

I'm all teary! And it's wonderful to be teary for a good reason. I'm delighted for you but slightly concerned about the transfusion... Hope you feel ok soon and come to tell us all about it.

digi lovely news :) Have been stalking all day for you xx lovely news xxxx

choccy what a crap time you are having :( I have no experience of this but I will keep my fingers crossed for you xx

Congrats digi

choccy fingers crossed it is all going to be OK. No problems sharing.

I am BFN today, so looks like another month with AF. Looks like I now am having problems getting off the starting blocks now so to speak.

Hope everyone is enjoying the bank holiday. Sorry for the lack of personals.

Huge congratulations to Digi and Mr Digi. Fabulous news!! Transfusion sounds scary though, but really glad to hear mum and baby are both doing well.

Choccy - so sorry to hear you're going through this. Like Ari says, nothing is TMI on here so please don't worry about that. I had a haemotoma discovered by Mr S at an early scan and he warned me that this could cause bleeding. In the end it didn't and just absorbed itself so that's not really much help to you. Like PQ, he did say that I should stop the aspirin straight away though. I think he may also have mentioned that aspirin can make the haemotoma grow (bit hazy about that though). It's so awful being in this limbo, but I can only add to the voices of others who have said that they know people who have bled very badly and still carried a healthy pregnancy.

Waves to everyone else.

Wooohoooo! Mr & Mrs Digi! How exciting. Congratulations! Hope all is ok re the transfusion. Looking forward to hearing from the lady herself, all in good time.

Choccy, you poor thing. How stressful. The last thing you need right now. I second the suggestion of maybe ringing Louise for a chat. She is very good at rationalising and giving good advice. I am wondering too if coming off the asprin might be a good idea - but obviously get the official word on that one.

10dpo and BFN so far for me. I only have one more internet cheapie and a Clearblue (not up to my usual stash!) so will have to be conservative with testing over the next few days so I don't have to go and buy anymore. I have an appointment at St Helier in the morning though. Thought I'd try and stay in the system with Mr S on the NHS too, even if it's only to get some pred on an NHS prescription as it's rather pricey on the private one and my GP won't prescribe it anymore. Boooo! Don't feel particularly PG so won't be surprised if it's another disappointing month but I've now rolled over to the start of my 2nd year on this pred treatment and am pretty fed up about it. It makes me feel like shit and when I first started taking it I was expecting to get pregnant as quickly as I'd done in my previous attempts and was still concerned with the prospect of having to take it for a couple of cycles and then for the 3 months of pregnancy that you have to continue with it, but now I'm a year down the line, feeling like crap for at least 7 days of each month (it gets worse towards the end of my cycle), month after month, for seemingly no reason.

Oh what fabby news, congratulations Digitals! Is that a week early then?