Immune testing - am I over thinking this ?

[missbrightside]

Hello - I'm due to be starting IVF at the beginning of May.

It may well be the case of pre-IVF jitters - but now I'm wondering if I should have had my immunes tested ?

I've always thought it was 'good' that I seemed to have a strong immune system. When I was as school I was one of only two in the year who didn't need to have the BCG vaccination due to not reacting to the test - and as an adult I NEVER have colds (despite spending lots of time on public transport and being exposed to lots of sniffing !!) I've previously had two early miscarriages (at about 6.5 & 7 weeks). Could this all be connected ?

I'm hoping that I'm getting my knickers in a twist over nothing (damn you internet with all your information ! Had never even heard of immunology 6 months ago ...).

I really don't want to delay the start of IVF as I'm feeling ready to go for it. I've got a one more period due before starting treatment.

Lazy question - as I could find out the answer by googling (but I'll then say goodbye to the rest of the day .... !)

1. Have I got enough time to have the tests done before starting treatment ? (not sure whether the tests are cycle related)

or 2. Should I just shut up and get on with it ....... !?

Thanks in advance.

xxx

A book that is worth a read 'is your body baby friendly' by Dr. Beer.

I had 5 mcs and we took ages getting pg for each one and turned out it was my immune system.

We had one cycle of ovulation induction with immune treatment too and now have twins

I recommend Dr Amin Gorgy at the Fertility and Gynaecology Academy on Wimpole Street.

The very best of luck.

Hello :)

Have you had any other tests yet such as tests for blood clotting? After my 2nd mmc - I was tested and found to be factor v leiden which is a clotting disorder, I also was tested at St Marys recurrent mc clinic,(after my 3rd) and found to be TEG positive so now I take double aspirin too, along side injecting with clexane.

I have had 3 mmc - all before 12 weeks. I had my immune system tested for natural killer cells by Mr Shehata in London. I started on low dose steroids, and am now happily 20 weeks (fingers crossed all goes well).

If you want to ask questions about ivf and immunce testing - come over onto the 'TTC on prednisilone or similar thread'. There are lots of lovely ladies there who can answer your questions. Good luck!

PS when I was tested with Mr Shehata, it is not cycle related, and the results took a couple of weeks. I had however had lots of bloods already done on the nhs which save me money and time!

Thank you both very much for taking time to respond. Congratulations on your twins eggtimer and to you on your pregnacy batteryhen.

Thanks for the book recommendation - I think it's a very good idea if I read up a bit more about this area before I start embarking on tests I'm self diagnosing that I need .... ! I think I'm just thinking about everything at the moment ... ! I've had all the standard 'fertility' blood tests - but don't recall that these included any for blood clotting (I'll check - most of the results went straight to my consultant and I never saw the results ... !)

xx

miss I had immune testing before moving towards IVF. My logic was that if my body is making perfectly good embryos by itself (and based on our standard test results there are no egg/tube/sperm issues so there is no reason why it shouldn't) and my womb is rejecting them, what is the point of taking loads of drugs and then having someone make an embryo in a lab for me just so my body can reject that too?

I had tests with Mr Shehata and am now on my 4th cycle of immune-treated ttc. I have just got my first cold in ages and during a recent holiday didn't have the normal "hivey" kind of reaction I have had to mozzie bites in recent years, so I think they might be having some effect.

I also recommend the Dr Beer book. It's an interesting read.

Oh, and I didn't have to get my tests done at any particular stage in my cycle.

Thank you Eurochick. Those are my exact concerns that the IVF could prove fruitless ... !

Hmmm .... think I might make a few calls tomorrow to see what waiting times etc are like .... !

Glad to hear that treatment seems to be working for you.

I made an appointment with Mr S's clinic this morning and the first appointment was 21st April

That's really useful - thank you very much for that. Had overlooked that Easter is coming up so don't doubt that most private doctors will be on a long holiday somewhere hot ..... !

What they all said, esp eggtimer.

I hady immunes done at Argc because it made sense to have coveted all the things that might go wrong before we dropped £8k on IVF and as I suspected my nk s were all over the place. It was a horrid shock but I was treated with heparin and steroids and aspirin and had two cycles, both of which worked and I now have 3 children (had twins!) We didn't take our NHS go and given the state my NK s were in, it probably wouldn't have stuck anyway.

In answer to your question, yes, I'd consider getting them done, and ideally have your IVF somewhere where immunes are a part of their treatment and you can be monitored effectively if they're wonky. I think it's essential to think about what you'd do if there was a problem. Very best of luck.

This page has the evidence. www.hfea.gov.uk/fertility-treatment-options-reproductive-immunology.html

Not a great deal to back it up and private clinics are playing on the 'theory over facts' card, so I wld read as much as poss before deciding if it's for you.

Hi miss - I don't know anything re this area. I did want to provide some anecdotal advice though.

I'm the same as you re the bcg and colds etc. I'm now nearly 6 weeks pregnant. I have had two very early miscarriages (a couple of days after af due). I never get colds and have a constant runny nose at the moment which I presume is pregnancy related.

I'll be watching this thread with interest and will come back and post if I miscarry. Fingers crossed not.

Sausage, that's not "evidence", it's opinion. What is evidential is the startling condistently higher birth rate per cycle in clinics which treat immunes. And by the time you're at ARGC with its astronomic costs, most if the patients have had multiple losses and failed elsewhere, often at NHS clinics with much poorer success rates. It's not snakeoil, or playing on the vulnerabilities of the infertile. It works, demonstrably.

The HFEA position annoys me. It is so out of date. If they would revise it, perhaps immune therapy would be widely available on the NHS to those unable to afford private testing.

I read widely before I decided to go for it and there are many, many medical studies that show it has value. And for a less scientific but closer to home example, you only need to look at the Pred thread to see many success stories.

I am not pregnant after 4 months on the treatment unfortunately, but that doesn't mean that I think it doesn't work. It's possible to have more than one fertility problem at a time. I suspect for me I have something in addition to the NK cells issue that is stopping me getting pg.

I agree with eurochick. I have had 3 mmcs. The last one was at 12 weeks - the tests done on the baby showed no chromosomal abnormalities and no blood clots in the placenta. I was on aspirin and cleaxane with that pregnancy.

I am now 20 weeks pregnant - and the only thing I have done differently now is the fact I was taking steroids. To me that is evidence. I just thought that for the sake of one consultation and bloods, I could try and prevent a 4th MC. However, I also recognise that it can be expensive. I went for my initial consultation, went back for the results and prescription, and have not been back since. I have saved money this way so it can be done. x

BTW I could not tell you the last time I had a cold / illness. When everyone around me is dying of flu and other germs I just don't catch anything. My immune system is 'too good'. :(

Thank you all for sharing your experiences with this. Definitely something I'm going to explore further.

Congratulations to those that are pregnant - and good luck to those who are patiently waiting their turn.

xxx