Evening primrose oil question??

[KitKat30]

Hi - newbie here, although have been lurking and reading for a few weeks!

I have a question about Evening Primrose Oil (EPO) ? I'm taking the Well Woman multivitamin supplements which contain the necessary folic acid etc. But it also contains EPO? I?ve been reading on the boards that it could negatively affect my TTC chances if I take it post-ovulation. Is that right? Should I stop taking them and switch to folic acid on its own?? Any advice would be appreciated!

Also, am considering buying the Clearblue fertility monitor ? has anyone had any success with it?

Thanks for your help all!

Generally it is advised not to take EPO post ovulation. Not sure why, but if I were you I'd switch to folic acid only or to one of the pregnancy supplements.

Sure others will be able to enlighten you as to why

I take EPO up to ovulation, and switch to Flax Seed Oil after ov. You shouldn't take EPO when you are (or could be) pregnant, as it can cause contractions, which I suspect could put you at risk of miscarriage. Here's a link with some more information: www.babyhopes.com/articles/epo.html

I would also be wary of taking a generic "women's" multivitamin - if it's not designed for pregnant women it may contain too much vitamin A, which you should not have when you're pregnant as it can result in birth defects. I take a pregnancy multivitamin, which contains the folic acid required without the vitamin A. There's more information on that here: www.babycenter.com/refcap/pregnancy/pregnancynutrition/675.html

I have a clearblue fertility monitor and I love it! I find it easier to use than OPKs. I'm not pg yet, but I have a short luteal phase and my dh has a low sperm count, and the CBFM can't help with either of those things!

Good luck!

Hugs,
Artoo.

Thanks both! Off to Boots tonight to buy new tablets...and fertility monitor!

Artoo - how long have you been trying?

Sorry if that's too personal - just curious bec you seem to know loads about the subject. Although I've been charting for 6mths, I've only just cottoned on to so much info (mainly from these boards!)

Hey KitKat, don't worry, I'm pretty open with my information here and I don't mind you asking at all.

I've been trying for 15 months, am currently in my 18th cycle (one advantage of a short cycle is that the next attempt comes around very fast!). As I mentioned before, it looks like both dh and I have issues, so we're now waiting for IVF, which we've been advised we should be able to start in the new year.

Hugs,
Artoo.

Will keep everything crossed for you!

x

Hope you don't mind if I crash your thread! I was thinking about giving up the EPO and just taking Flax seed oil for the whole cycle. What do you think?

Also, my LP is never longer than 11 days (I have been charting for 4 months now having come off the pill). I took B6 in addition to my pre-natal vits last cycle to see if it would extend the LP as it is meant to. It didn't but I had less PMS signs so that has to be a good thing.

Artoo - do you think I should be worried about my LP? what have you tried to try and lengthen yours? Hope you don't mind me asking, you seem like the kind of person who reads alot.

EPO can cause miscarriage which is why it shouldn't be taken past ovulation

vit B6 has to be high dosage 100 - 200 mg .. ask for it specifically .. also it builds up over 6 months or so .. you wouldn't see an immediate result to length of LP .. although an 11 day LP is fine for conception so I wouldn't be worrying about it personally

also check your WellWoman multivits .. do they have Vit A in them too? you should be taking a special pregnancy supplement not a generic one .. too much vit A can be damaging to an embryo's development

HTH

Artoo - that Baby Hopes site was very interesting, thank you. Might not give up the EPO after all!

No Vit A in the wellwoman multivits... I cant pinpoint ov day, so have no idea when to stop taking EPO - so now just switched to taking folic acid supplements instead. Prob safest I hope!

Thanks TwigTwoolett

hope no-one minds me butting in with my info.

I take epo pre-ov and DHA post ov as recommended by Zita West. I was also taking 50mg of B6 as recommended by her but have since read that there can be serious side effects to the nervous system. Apparently there is no real benefit according to this book by a doctor (her books is called 'Planning for a baby). Scared me so I stopped taking it. There is 10mg in pregnacare which I am still taking.

There is so much different information out there, how can we possibly take everything.

Heres a new one for you. Have a shot of wheatgrass (at a juice bar) every day for 2 months. Has been shown to reduce infertility in cows!!?? I have tried it, its not nice and its about £2 a shot but its extremely good for you (1 shot is about the same as having a 1kilo of veg!)

Hey MrsMcJnr, sorry for the delay in replying - it's been a hectic time at work!

You're right - I have been doing quite a lot of reading - I'm a person who believes you can't have too much information

It's hard to say if a luteal phase of 11 days is too short. Usually it's only a lp of less than 10 days that is considered a problem, but some doctors think there could be cause for concern with less than 12 days. There's a bit more information here: www.babyhopes.com/articles/luteal-phase-defect.html (I do like the babyhopes site!)

The following is a list of things that may help extend your luteal phase:

1. Vitamin B6 - 50mg - 100mg per day (best taken with a pregnancy multivitamin, or vitamin B complex supplement)

1. Evening Primrose Oil - 2000mg per day - up to ovulation ONLY - don't take during the LP (I switch to Flax Seed Oil during my LP to ensure I am still getting my essential fatty acids and omega 3 )

1. Red Raspberry Leaf - supposed to help with your uterus lining, which can also help LP. I take 1000mm daily.

1. Progesterone supplements taken during the LP. I have tried the progesterone cream that can be bought over the counter in the States, and it didn't seem to have any effect on my LP at all. This cycle I have been give progesterone suppositories by my consultant, so I'll let you know how they work out!

Whilst Agnus Castus can help with luteal phase defect, and a lot of women take it successfully, it is recommended to only take it under the guidance of a herbalist, and not to self-medicate with it. I did take it for a couple of months before I started on clomid, but it didn't seem to make a difference.

The thing that worked best for me was the vitamin B6 - my LP grew from 7 to 10 days with that.

Hope this helps,
Hugs,
Artoo.