TTC or pregnancy on prednisolone or similar part 11

[Buzzybee123]

This is 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!

Hi Baking how are you getting on?

Hi Yorkie I think so many of us are on different protocols it's hard to say which is the right road to take!
I myself haven't had my uterine NK cells tested but my blood tests showed Very High NK cells that don't respond to any of the treatment other that IVIG! I was was on 25 mg prendisolone from OV and then 40 from positive plus intralipids plus clexane and progesterone. Unfortunately i mc recently on that treatment so I will be having the IVIG plus all of the above next time.

I think everyone is different so maybe see dr Quenby or Dr Shehata?

I hope it all works out for you! Keep us posted!

Xx

Thanks everyone I really appreciate the support. First attempt with Clexane was a bit of a disaster as needle felt a lot thicker than others I have used in the past and ended up with three puncture wounds. However the recommendation of ice worked a treat as no bruising at all. Had to inject whilst as a wedding yesterday with no ice and have a lovely purple stomach today so ice is definitely a winner!! Booked in for my first ever intralipid infusion tomorrow at New Life . Am trying very hard not to panic and think too much - just going with the flow.

Welcome Yorkie - sorry you find yourself here but it really is the best place for great advice and support. Regarding your results, I too had the uterus NK cell test and the blood test version and also around the 20% mark. Both types of test showed similar results but I think that the bloods show a little more detail - 1st and 2nd line NK Cells. I wouldn't worry about having the uterus version as well. Regarding the Pred I think you'll find that different women on this thread have had different experiences. I have used it twice (25mg) with no side effects other than a rash on my face (as it can cause some skin sensitivity so facials not a good idea), but other than that I have been fine and am now on 40mg with no side effects. Either way I wouldn't let it put you off. Good luck with everything.

Hi Luna good luck with intralipids! There is nothing to it! Just extremely boring!

Xx

Book and blanket at the ready Team

Haha! Yup! I took my iPad and watched harry potter! I would take something to eat and drink with you too! Not much round there to eat! Lol! (I always think of my belly first) lol

Xx

Hope all goes well for you tomorrow Luna

Had follie scan today for SO and have two 15mm follicles, so have been told to inject with Ovitrelle tomorrow night. I've read the tips on this thread (thanks Ari) about using ice on the injection site when injecting with Clexane, so will be doing that!

Hi Village that's good news! Can I just ask you what dosage of letrozole you took? I have my scan Monday coming!

X

village - if you have the pen to inject your ovitrelle you probably won't need ice for that, I never did - it's just the clexane needles that are bigger (and a whole lot blunter!) that need the ice. Good sizing on the follies!

Village great news and good luck. The Ovitrell is a breeze to inject and leaves no marks. Very sharp thin needle. It's the Clexane when you get to it that I would highly recommend ice for. After three nights injecting (two of which were without ice) I can definitely see the difference. It is not an attractive look but if it works then so so worth it. Good luck.
Am off for my intralipid infusion - yum yum xx

Hi Team, I took 5mg letrozole. Good luck for Monday!

Thanks Ari - phew, glad to hear you say that about the Ovitrelle pen. I don't mind anyone else sticking needles into me in the slightest, but have never self-injected anything before. Was up last night, ridiculously, prepping for tonight's stabbing by watching an Ovitrelle how-to-do-it You Tube video. Just being a wuss!

Hi Luna, glad to say I won't have to do Clexane (blunt needles? Argghh!) Hope the time passes quickly during intralipids!

Baking, hope you are still doing well and that time is flying by

Waves to everyone else.

Village good luck for the self injecting. I spend all day sticking needles into defenceless kitty cats, still a bit about sticking them in myself.
luna hope the intralipids go well today.

I'm ok thanks, would not say time is flying though!

Thanks Village I'm on that too! Be interesting to see what happens with mine as I have been pregnant naturally with twins 3 times out if 6. So will be interesting for me to see how many there are!

Louise wanted me in half that originally but dr S said 5!

Waves to everyone
X

Good luck, Team. Maybe quads for you next time thanks to the letrozole? I'm actually curious as to why letrozole doesn't produce a multiple pregnancy even though it triggers more than a single egg - does anyone know? (Or can it result in multiples??)

Glad all is well Baking, hang in there . Are you still being scanned once in a while, or do you have to wait for the 20-week scan now?

Injecting the Ovitrelle was easy, just as you all said - thanks ladies

Lurking but no time to post at the mo. just wanted to add cautious congrats to Luna! Yes just enjoy the relaxation of intralipids. And also welcome to Yorkie. Waves to everyone else. Hey we are nearly full up! Can someone do a new thread please?

Hi All intralipids went really well. Actually found the experience quite relaxing and had a little doze too. Had a sneaky blood test whilst there just to absolutely confirm the pregnancy - in my head I kept worrying that it might be a false positive (it wasn't). Have to wait now until a seven week scan with Mr S but at least I can have a blood test with GP (if I need reassurance) to monitor my HCG levels to ensure they're going up. It all comes down to that control and the need to feel like I am doing something and not just waiting around.

Have also now started to experience the insomnia so many ladies have mentioned. 4:30am seems to be my body's choice of wake up time at the moment, so am now trying to go to bed at 10pm. Have also worked out that holding ice on the Clexane injection spot for 20mins seems to be the best time to prevent bruising - sad fact i know but it might help some of you.

Village glad all went well with the Ovitrelle injection. Enjoy the next part

Team I was also on 5mg of Letrizole. 3 out of 6 were twins?! Is there a history of twins in your family or do you think it was solely related to the meds?

Hello Yorkie, sorry not to have said welcome before, have been completely sidetracked by the ins and outs of superovulation! You will find great advice and support here.

Hi All I need some advice. Am REALLY struggling with the Clexane injections. The needles are so blunt that I struggle to get them in. It really hurts and I'm starting to look like a bruised pin cushion. Any advice/tricks would be very much appreciated.
Hope you all have lovely weekends xx

Hi Village DH and I said exactly the same!! Haha

Luna no meds involved! All natural and all me! Haha

With regards to clexane are they the preloaded ones!?
If it's the same as I got from Dr S look at the needle closely it has a sharp point to it! And if you look even closer you will see the hole the meds come out of. I had a nurse show me how to do it and she said have the hole facing upwards and the needle at a 45 degree angle and inject into the fat!

But there is defo a sharp point to it!

Hope that helps! X

Thanks Team I will try that tomorrow. I have given up tonight after 6 attempts. Am hopeful that one missed jab won't be the end of the world. I desperately want to be brave - especially if it means finally having a baby. I will master this!!

luna There are a number of things to make life easier with those drafted clexane injections. These are all things I have done personally.

1 - get some xylocaine spray and apply it ten mins before you inject. Xylocaine is a local anaesthetic, and it does help.

2 - buy some insulin syringes and some very fine needles (I use 30g) and transfer your clexane into that before injecting. Can be done very easily (I can point you to a thread with instructions if you want) and it then makes injecting clexane SO much less painful. You can do this even if you have those spring-loaded syringes.

3 - when injecting, do not grab/pinch skin. Gently stretch the skin taut with one hand and then push the needle in slowly at a 45 degree angle. Once in, inject slowly and when you've finished, leave the needle in for a count of 10 before removing.

4 - use ice/bag of frozen peas (wrapped in a cloth/tea towel) on the injection site for 20 mins or more.

I started with (1) and ended up with (2), (3) and (4). I ended up with much much less pain and minimal bruising. Oh, and some injection sites hurt worse than others - you can tell as soon as you try to push in the needle. Even with very fine needles some areas just hurt. If you find this, don't push the needle in, move it to another site.

Hope this helps!

lol Dratted, not drafted!!

4 was meant to say use it on the injection site AFTER injecting.

Thanks so much Ari that is great advice. DH was trying to convince me to follow your option 2 suggestion so good to know its possible. I have realised that 20 mins is the optimal icing time to prevent bruising but trying to force the needles in was starting to freak me out. I didn't realise I was such a whimp. I will definitely be off to the pharmacy tomorrow. Thanks to you and Team it helps to not feel so alone in this.

Oh Luna I really feel for you, hope the injections get easier! It's so reassuring to have the ladies on here

Has anyone else ever felt totally exhausted after taking the Ovitrelle trigger? Since ovulating I just feel ready to crawl under a rock and sleep. I'm assuming it's the Ovitrelle with its shot of synthetic hcg that's caused this, as the pred is supposed to have the opposite effect! For the last few days I've felt drugged (DH: "You are drugged.") Just wondering.

Hello to everyone.

luna suggestions 3 and 4 of arian's worked for me. I used ice before injecting instead of the local anaesthetic, and found the small clexane syringes (not the massive spring loaded ones) much better. The other thing that helps is to expel the air before injecting, even though the instructions say not to do this.
How would you feel about your DH injecting you? Sometimes it's just hard to willingly cause yourself pain.