Immune/NK issues - aka Pred Thread no. 23!

[Chickjen]

A quick introduction to this thread.. it has been running for many years and is a group of women who have experienced recurrent miscarriage and are now exploring immune issues as a cause. We have members at all stages, from waiting for first appointments, mid treatment, to take home babies. Please join us if you are experiencing this too, loads of friendly advice here and somewhere to share your hopes and fears.
@KittyKatSmile @DaniMERL @Megan234 @Wishing5tar @ginandtonicformeplease @Pop1234 @Belarita @Naticle @EmsIMO @MrsMargot @kdd1980 @MairMum18 @Wewin @zoe16 @fnej01 @Hopeful07 @Cream123 @Anatrina @summertimehere @Lau2019 @PoppyJ1 @WeeGi @RedPandaFluff @Chilliandlime @Thumbellini @AcornHill @Maranello4 @Sunshineblonde1 @Nixwix @HappyApple05 @Widdendream77 @Zest11 @mezgaski

@Belarita you're welcome my darling x

I've had my seven week scan today and all is well. As my previous two died at 8 weeks, I'm booked in for a scan at 9 weeks - Xmas Eve.

Thank you for the encouragement guys its helping to lift my spirits. Think the hormones may be playing a part on my down mood as I couldn't stop blobbering at work today lol! Will try and shake out of it. Thanks @KittyKatSmile! An altercation on the northern line? Hope you are OK? Thanks @Belarita, all the best for your scan next week 🍀xx

That's great news @ginandtonicformeplease!! Sending positive vibes for your next scan xx

Good luck with the new treatment regime @NicLondon1, it is working for so many of us all at different stages and we are here to answer any questions you may have xx

Hello ladies, I hope that you are doing well? I've not been on here for the last couple f weeks so catching up, wow so many positives, congratulations to all, wonderful news 😊.
I got another BFN this morning, I was meant to test yesterday but it was my birthday and I didn't want to be upset so I left it until today. Another year older and no further along. I've been really struggling the last few weeks and I don't know what to do, since being on the meds I have no idea what my cycle is doing, taking the OKP stress me out so much and I feel like that's messing up my ovulation as well as putting huge pressure on my relationship. I'm considering looking into IUI as I feel it may take the pressure of ttc off and my partner is due to be away for weeks at a time next year. I'm not sure he'll be on board with it. Has anyone else tried IUI ? Along with the meds still? I wonder if it may help take the pressure off, I feel like I can't cope and that it will never happen for us. Sorry for the negativity, it's just I know you ladies understand. xx

@KittyKatSmile I’m on clexane for similar reasons as you were hence no reason to stay on past twelve weeks. It would def be nice to stop at 12wks as you’re right about cost and sourcing! I haven’t found the injections too bad, been doing them without ice and no bruising. I think I’ll stop at twelve weeks too once everything looks ok.

Congrats @ginandtonicformeplease so happy all is well with you, all the best for the next scan💜

@MairMum18 @Belarita good luck on your upcoming scans, I know it will be positive 💜

@Belarita I too spoke prematurely about lack of symptoms, I’ve been nauseous and tired all day everyday but enjoying every bit of it! I’m on holiday and finding it very hard to do the things I had planned to do. Actually looking forward to going home on Saturday so I can just sleep.

@Eeviee so sorry this month didn’t work. We’ve done IUI in the past and while it does take the pressure off from having to DTD often we still had to DTD after the IUI. My IUI worked but mc (now I know my problem was NK and not conception so we had no chance without the meds). Since you would be doing IUI with the meds I would say give it a go to help speed things along. Are you seeing DrS? Ladies on here have mentioned his super ovulation plan, have you tried it?

@Eeviee I've done IUI a few times but they didn't work and as @zoe16 says, there is still some time pressure, albeit of a different sort...

I too would probably see if you can do Super O; I believe it's worked for quite a few people. Then maybe try medicated IUI for a set number of months and maybe consider IVF after that. For me I felt that just having a plan really helped. Take care of yourself and remember not to abandon Project You in your pursuit of Project Baby x

@Eeviee I met a lady at the clinic who had been trying for a year and was fed up so booked for IVF. She had all the appointments and literally just needed AF to arrive to start the treatment, only AF didn't arrive and she got her bfp. Maybe just looking into IUI will be enough to tempt fate? I know it has worked for me in the past, if I can distract myself enough I get lucky, this time it was painting our exterior window frames!
Also, I really recommend temping instead of OPK's if you don't mind to DTD regularly rather than timed. You will know when O has happened to start the meds, but without all the build up.
Keep going, maybe Xmas will do the trick 🍀🍀❤️

@Eeviee actually, here's a thought: I've got Ava, a tracking thing you wear when you sleep. You can have it if you like? PM me your address and I'll send it to you as a Christmas present xx

@KittyKatSmile what is Ava and what is it used for? I don't track tenps as I found it all too confusing. Plus i work early hour on weekends so my temps were all over the place. I'm on Dr S super ov plan - should I start tracking temp?

I have just a normal thermometer I brought from boots. I go bk to see him on Friday for a scan following the meds he gave me while on days 2-6 of cycle.

I feel hopeful but that horrible thought that it may not ever happen lingers in my mind. Xx

@Eeviee, so sorry you are feeling down, I totally understand. I think there's some good advice in that trying to distract yourself can make a difference. This also means you won't feel so much pressure. I know we hated having to time DTD every month which just took the romance out of it all. We did have a holiday away and had a month off trying then we got our bfp the month after. I also started acupuncture which I believe helped too. I've not tried temping or IUI so unable to comment on that. Hang on in there🍀🤞 xxx

Ladies, can I ask when Dr S has said to stop your meds? wean off pred from 12 weeks and by how much? Progesterone stop from 12 weeks? Aspirin throughout? Vit D, Folic acid and Omega 3? I assume the vitamins will be taken throughout the pregnancy? Thanks x

@williteverhappen you need to wean off the pred, the photo is my chart but it depends on your starting dosage. Stopped clexane, progesterone and oestrogen at various times, all at or before 12 weeks. Aspirin throughout. I stopped taking the prenatals once I ran out after 12 weeks and started taking vitamin D.

Oh god, woke up this morning with spotting. I really freaked out. I've phoned the nurses and am waiting to hear back from them with their advice. Trying to keep calm. I had a terrible night with a horribly upset stomach, night sweats and very little sleep... having felt pretty great all day, which of course also worried me. Just reading back your posts @Chickjen and @MrsMargot about early bleeding and subchorionic haematoma. Praying that's what it is and not the start of MC.

@Belarita I am sure it will be fine. I am saying this and I know how I would have freaked out too... try and do as less as possible and talk to the nurses. They told me that if I have any spotting or bleeding I should stop aspirin and double my progesterone. See what they say. When is your next scan?

@Belarita I'm sure the clinic will advise to stop the aspirin and double the cyclogest as @MrsMargot says, so that is something you could do now so you can feel you are doing something. I can't remember if I had spotting before the bleed, I certainly did afterwards, but I think I probably did because by the time I went for the 6 week scan I was convinced I'd had all my usual miscarriage symptoms (including an upset stomach) and there was absolutely no hope. Mr S told me a story of a patient the day before who had heavy bleeding including clots and their scan showed twins both with heartbeats! It's the pred, you literally have to throw everything you knew before out the window, and try and hang on to your sanity. How long till your scan?❤️

@williteverhappen I am taking pregnacare multivits, omega 3 and vit D and plan to continue throughout. The pred I started weaning off after the 12 week scan, 5mg less every 5 days. The cyclogest I stopped promptly at 12 weeks as I couldn't wait to get rid of it, only to be told at the scan to continue with it till 16 weeks. The aspirin I stopped when I had bleeding at 6 weeks and never started it again.😀

@HoldingOn2Hope the main reason for temping is to track O and just a rough guide if your hormones are doing odd things at odd times, I would imagine the super O program pretty much makes it invalid as they will be tracking all that with the scans and meds. But it might be worth asking at your appointment if there is any benefit. 😀

@williteverhappen, sorry forgot to attach the photo I referred to.

@Belarita hang on in there. We all know how terrifying this is and we're here for you x

@Chickjen what’s your vitamin d dosage?

@KittyKatSmile so you’re still on aspirin?

@Belarita I would be freaking out too, every time I use the toilet I check the tp, but I’m hoping all is well and you just need to double up on cycolgest as others have said. Can you sit and put your foot up until you speak to your doc?

@zoe16 yep I'm only on aspirin and vitamin d now. 75mg of aspirin and one vitamin D tablet a day, not sure of how much that is.

Hi @zoe16 the one I'm taking is 2000 IU

Thanks so much guys. Yes I spoke to the nurses @Chickjen @MrsMargot and, as you said, they said to stop aspirin and double cylogest. Good call @zoe16, I've been able to stay home from work today and I think trying to relax and get my emotions in order is helping. I have my scan on Monday but they are checking to see whether there might be a possibility I could be seen tomorrow. There are reasons that it might be better to wait until Monday as it would be very early to try to see a heartbeat tomorrow and my husband can't be there, which I'd find difficult. My instinct is to try to take it easy and wait until Monday. Thanks so much for your support. Means the world. xx

@Belarita my spotting always seemed to be worse in the morning, it would taper off during the day, but then be back the next morning. Just something to be prepared for tomorrow in case it happens to you too, fingers crossed it doesn't and today was a one off 🤞

@Eeviee I completely understand how you’re feeling 💔 another BFN for me this morning too and the crushing reality that we face another Christmas & new year without having a baby or being pregnant 😭 I’d like to say that I know I’ll get there eventually but with each passing cycle my belief lessens and I find myself wondering if maybe I just wasn't meant to be a mum.

The whole OPK’s stressed me out too as I hated dehydrating myself so I switched to Ovusense. It’s a little device you wear inside each night and it records your temperature. It only confirms ovulation a few days after it’s happened so you need to understand how to read your temp charts to know when to start taking the meds but the more data it has, it does predict your fertile window xx

@Wishing5tar I'm so sorry for your news today. Stick with it. None of us can say for sure of course (I say this because I despise empty platitudes not founded on facts) but I think we've probably all had those thoughts and know the despair that comes with them. Hopefully you can try and enjoy Christmas a bit and take your mind off bloody TTC. Be kind to yourself

(Also Ovusense sounds the same as Ava. It was good (although expensive to take advantage of desperate women) although it used to come up with exactly the same window as my free periods app after fucking round and changing its mind for a while beforehand! Still free to a good home if anyone would like it x

Thanks @KittyKatSmile and @Chickjen I'm on 25mg pred so reckon I'll have to wean for longer maybe 5day each then alternate at the end. My consultant is still being very vague so I'm so glad I've got you guys to ask. My scan today said I'm 12+2weeks and so glad I've managed to make it this far although still have that niggling worry in the back of my mind but will remain positive. I now have my official dating scan on Tues in antenatal x

@Belarita I had spotting before my 6 week scan and was convinced it was all over. I did make sure I rested more and put feet up as I felt I was doing something. I also upped my cyclogest. I hope it all goes well for you at your scan on Monday. Will be thinking of you 🍀xxx