Luteal phase help!

[Nevergiveup31]

Hi all,

I suffer with a short luteal phase- currently 7 days!

Can anyone advise how to try and extend it myself? Iv been to the doctors and she was so dismissive saying it impossible and I must have ovulated earlier. I temp and opk so can pin point ovulation clearly!
Iv been sent for blood tests which results come back this week. But wanted to know if there was anything I could do and if any of you have had the same and managed to get help?

Thank you xx

@Nevergiveup31 I feel your frustration with your GP! I tried explaining to my GP that I have a short luteal phase (I know this from bbt and from doing opks). She told me that everyone’s luteal phase is ‘always’ 14 days and that I must be calculating wrong...

Anyway, I eventually managed to persuade her to let me do my ‘day 21’ progesterone test on day 25 (which was 7 days after I ovulated) and it was fine. If I had done it on day 21 no doubt it would have been low!!

So a progesterone test is a good place to start. I tried vitamin B6 complex to increase my luteal phase. I’m not certain if it worked - my luteal phase has increased from 9/10 days to 13 days but that could just be my body readjusting naturally from taking the contraceptive pill. You’re supposed to take vitamin B6 as a complex and not on its own (so that it can be properly absorbed)

Are you fresh off the contraceptive pill?

I’ve heard that vitex (Agnus castus) can help but haven’t been brave enough to try that myself!

Thank you for your reply!

I had my tests on Friday but it was actually 5dpo, as 7 was today, and the hospital is closed for blood tests so I had no choice but to do it early, also because I knew by 7dpo I'd be spotting- which I am today!

It's so frustrating isn't it!
Can you let me know what b6 you are taking? I do take seven seas trying for a baby vitamins but haven't seen much change from them.

I'm on month 4 of trying, I was on the evra patch before not the pill xxx

@Nevergiveup31 I also spot during my luteal phase and I think it could be a sign of low progesterone. My progesterone levels were ok 7dpo (42) but I think they must drop very quickly afterward so I don’t know if that’s a problem.

If your bloods come back low don’t worry as it was only 5dpo - and also if they give you some sort of progesterone supplement it can only help! I’ve read that progesterone supplements in the luteal phase can’t hurt at all so I would be keen to try!

I take 50mg b6 complex from Holland and Barratt. Some people take 100mg b6 but I started (and have stayed) with the 50mg.

I take that in addition to the pregnacare pre conception vitamins. They have some vitamin b6 in them too!

When I compared the ingredients list I saw that the pregnacare vitamins have higher dosage than the seven seas so could maybe try them too?

My friend had this and swears by acupuncture x

Iv ordered some b6 to try,
I tried pregnacare but that didn't make me feel great, that's why I changed to seven seas.

I'm thinking of trying evening primrose oil too as I don't get much Cm

I'm worried about over doing the vitamins?
Do you think this is okay?
Seven seas x1 a day
B6 vitamins - 50mg
Evening primrose oil 1000mg ( they recommend 1500-3000 but I don't want to over do it)!

Iv thought about acupuncture but when do I have it? Throughout my cycle or after ovulation? I'm ovulating at day 18/19 and then spotting and bleeding from day 25 xx

@Nevergiveup31 I think the seven seas with the vitamin B6 complex (50mg) are fine to take together. The B vitamins are all (I believe) water soluble, so your body just gets rid of any excess and doesn’t store them. So I think all in all they’re pretty safe to take.

I also take vitamin C for the same reason (and always have done, even before ttc).

I don’t know about the evening promise oil and I will be interested to know how you get on as I don’t think I have a lot of cm either. I’m not very good at checking I have to say and need to pay more attention! We have tried pre-seed the last couple of cycles but not sure that’s a good enough substitute really.

I forgot to say I started acupuncture about 6 weeks ago. I do weekly sessions and they put the needles in different places depending on where in your cycle you are. The best time to go is prior to ovulation and ovulation day as it helps blood flow apparently.

I wait and see if I get any good results! Hoping it will lengthen my luteal phase/stop spotting.

My acupuncturist says that it’s all about rebalancing your energy rather than specifically related to hormones - but that the effect of balancing your energy is that your hormones also all balance out if that makes sense??

@RoseIvy that's good, I think I'll give the extra vitamins ago.

I have been checking Cm recently and I don't get much, which obviously isn't great either. We have been using conceive plus but it's done nothing, same thoughts as you, I'm not sure it's a great substitute!

Iv had a google of local acupuncture and might try that too. I'll do anything to try and extend this luteal phase. Every month it's so disheartening! I always try and tell myself it's implantation and it never is lol!

Thank you so much for your help! Xxx

@Nevergiveup31 you are only on month 4 so it could just be taking you a bit of time to get into the swing of things! I think the vitamins will help though because sometimes it is just hormonal imbalance due to previous contraception and vitamins help get the hormones back in check!

I think the acupuncture would probably be good for that also so it’s something to consider although it’s also an added expense!

How long is your cycle overall or has it varied? It may just be taking a bit of time to lengthen x

@RoseIvy I know but I am impatient lol!

The first month was 30 days and it's got shorter every month! This one is 25days! But I'm always ovulating day 18 which is just crazy and I feel like the poor egg just falls out and isn't given a fair chance lol!

I'll try the vitamins and maybe acupuncture at a later date. I was on the evra patch and fertility on those should return pretty quick, but I have been on them for a fair few years so I'll give myself a few more months to reset!

How many months have you been ttc? Xx

@Nevergiveup31 I totally understand the impatience!! especially when your cycles are fine and the problem is just the luteal phase! It’s so annoying when it comes so soon after ovulation!

I also ovulate on day 18. I have read that later ovulation can be your body struggling to push the egg out - but day 18 isn’t considered that late overall so I just don’t know!

I’m on cycle 8 now. Came off the pill 7 months ago and my luteal phase has slowly lengthened although I still get spotting before AF. Overall my GP says my bloods are fine but some of them (I.e. testosterone) were right at the upper end of the range so I think I have a hormonal imbalance still!

@RoseIvy have they offered you anything to help at all? I feel like what's the point in doing the bloods and then not helping with your issues?

I just want help lengthening the luteal phase. Day 18 is late if your bleeding on day 25 lol!

Why can't they just prescribe progesterone to help 😭 xx

@Nevergiveup31 I know - progesterone is supposed to be safe even if you don’t have a deficiency so I dont know why they won’t just prescribe it!

My testosterone was high and when I asked if that meant pcos (the only thing I can find on high testosterone) the GP said I didn’t have pcos because my other bloods were fine. In fact I think they’re slightly out of kilter because of their ratio. Her view was that overall everything was close to ok so nothing she could do to help. This is the same GP who refuses to believe you can have a short luteal phase so it’s all an uphill battle!

In the end I’ve managed to get an ultrasound booked for the end of the month and husband has his SA booked in.

After that they’ve said they will refer us. I can’t wait to speak to a specialist!!

@RoseIvy oh that's excellent that you are getting an ultrasound and his having tests too, this is my next route but I'm going to see a different doctor, the one I saw was covering in the surgery, so my plan is to await my results then go in and see the nice doctor 😂

I'm glad you here they haven't told you to wait and try longer! The doctor I saw said I'd be expected to try for 18 months! Absolutely not going to happen lol.

I find you have to ask and push for what your want! Let me know your results!

I don't think I create a proper lining because I haven't bled much at all since being off, spotting, black blood and then 1 day of red with no proper flow, so I'm going to push for more and hopefully he will get answers or at least some bloody progesterone because you can even overdose with those! I'll pay for them ffs lol xx

@Nevergiveup31 you’re definitely right that you have to push for it - I only recently went to GP and she also said that 18 months is the referral time and I just had to push and say I thought something was wrong and wanted to be seen sooner. Think it’s very hit and miss who you get!

What blood tests did you have done?

Having really short periods concerns me but I’m not really sure what it’s a symptom of/what the problem is. I think they can scan on certain days if your cycle to see if the endometrial layer is thick enough so I suspect I will have to ask for that too!!

Just wanted to comment as I was in the same boat when I came off the pill. Luteal phase was 7 days. Took B6 and agnus castus. Not sure if it was my body adjusting or the vits but it extended modestly until it reached 9 days. Then the next month (month 5 of trying) I was pregnant and am now 16 weeks.
So please try not to stress about this, it will happen and clearly can happen with a shorter luteal phase 😊

Just to echo what others have said. Anything less than ten days can be a sign of low progestogen. Sorry the GP was so dismissive!

@RoseIvy I had 3 lots of blood done which worked out about 8/9 tests. I can't remember them all, but it was to rule of PCOS/ and work out weather I'm actually ovulating or not. I should get my results today/tomorrow.

Well done on pushing, I feel like we have to push and ask for what we want! Once I get my results I'll be going back and asking for further tests!

Let me know your scan goes hun, I'll be interested to hear, I'm going to push for that and husbands sperm test xx

@Choo89 congratulations hun I'm so glad to hear that you conceived with a short phase!
This gives me and others in the same boat so much hope!

Did you know you were pregnant right away? You must have implanted early! That's my concern, the poor egg just falling out and not getting a chance lol!

How much b6 and AC did you take please? And did you take AC only up to ovulation?
Did you take any others like seven seas/ pregnacare? Xxx

@sophied1983 completely agree hun thank you. I'm sure I have low progesterone and I'm sure my blood results that are due today/tomorrow will show that. I don't know why GPS don't prescribe progesterone to help automatically! X

@Nevergiveup31 I was told that upon referral to a fertility specialist they will re-do all of the tests again, but I figured it can’t hurt to get in there early!!

Let me know how you get on with your bloods. As others have said, in some ways a result which highlights your short luteal phase (such as low progesterone) might actually be helpful because they’ll actually want to investigate it! My results were borderline in some areas (progesterone was actually ok) and it means they just say ‘oh it’s probably all fine!’

Depending on what your results are, vitex might be something to try

Hi girls, Iv just called my doctors for my blood results to be told the answer is 'satisfactory' and they won't give me anymore info on numbers or levels etc!?

Anyone have any idea what this means and where I stand? I'm really disappointed with being told all I need to know is they are 'satisfactory'! X

@Nevergiveup31 - I’d ring back and ask for the exact numbers. Just say it’s something you’re really concerned about and so you’d like to get better insight into it.
They didn’t tell me mine until I pushed!

@ELW85 I have just done this and she said it needs to be approved by the doctor and I have to call back middle of next week!
I'm really pissed of about it. Satisfactory doesn't explain why I am not having proper periods or not falling pregnant does it lol.
I was hoping for some figures to look over! X

@Nevergiveup31 that’s absolutely ridiculous! I bet the doctor would be really pissed off that you’ll basically now take up another appointment when they could have just told you!
I would book in to see the doc next week and talk it through with them face to face, and that way you can push for anything more you feel you want if their answers aren’t hitting the mark? X

I have to wait around 3 weeks for a normal appointment at my doctors! It's so frustrating and ridiculous isn't it. It's my blood for god sake, give me the actual results.

Telling me they are 'satisfactory' isnt cutting it!

I believe I am not ovulating as I literally spot for 3 days, have 1day light period (no flow) only when going to the loo. And then it's done- I'm pretty sure that isn't normal! They used to be really heavy!

I'm really fed up xx