Does cyclogest/progesterone help for a short luteal phase?

[Lily1990]

Hi everyone,

Since I had a MMC at 12 weeks in March, my luteal phase has been 7-8 days consecutively. I'm taking metformin for PCOS, which helped bring my ovulation forward, but my luteal phase is still really short. I have been prescribed cyclogest and used it last month but still didn't get pregnant. So wondered if I have a "weak ovulation" which causes the short luteal phase, and maybe cyclogest won't help.

Anyway, I wondered if anyone else has tried cyclogest (or progesterone) for a short luteal phase, and if it helped get a BFP or not? If not, was there something else that helped you get your BFP?

Thanks so much for any advice shared.

Congratulations! Hope the next nine months are healthy and uneventful x

@SilentNightDancer Congratulations! Wishing you a healthy and uneventful pregnancy.

Also to update - I conceived in November and my little girl is 10 weeks old tomorrow. It was a difficult pregnancy and I'm struggling with PND now, but we're absolutely in love with our little girl.

I think my short luteal phase was connected to stress and over exercising. I conceived just after my wedding, when I'd had some time off from both work and exercise and relaxed. That may not help anyone, but I think stress can definitely play a role in fertility.

@Carlotta27 Thank you!

@DesertSnow Congratulations! Interesting that luteal phase length could be linked to stress. I knew ovulation can be delayed, but hadn't realized luteal phase length could also be affected.

Hello,
I hope you are progressing well. Would you mind sharing how you were directed to take the cyclogest to support normal luteal phase. When did start in the cycle and how long for?
Thank you

hello! I was told to take cyclogest from the day after confirmed ovulation and for fourteen days, with a pregnancy test in the fourteen day. I continue cyclogest if pregnant up until 12 weeks but stop it if not pregnant and bleed about 2 days later to start a new cycle. I expect once you’ve been prescribed cyclogest the Dr should provide that information as I’m aware it may vary slightly from person to person, so best to follow their advice tailored to you! Hope that helps

Just came across this thread so hoping someone might be able to help. I started cyclogest the day after I ovulated (currently 14DPO) and was told by my Dr to take it for 12 days and then stop. I ovulated a lot earlier than I usually do this cycle so I'm not sure when my period is even due but I took a pregnancy test today and its BFN. Still no sign of AF. I typically spot from 8DPO until my period start around 11-12DPO and the cyclogest has stopped the spotting which has been nice, but now I am just waiting. Typically how long did anyone wait until their period started after stopping cyclogest? Feel like I am in limbo a bit as assuming I'm not pregnant given I am 14DPO.

@erose1006 hello! Sorry this cycle looks like it hasn’t been a success. I usually start my period two days after stopping cyclogest, but I was told up to five can be normal too. Hope you can move on quickly as it’s so annoying being in limbo x

I did this twice @erose1006 and both times it took 2-3 days for my period to start.

i usually spot too but didn’t on cyclogest (except for a little on day 3 or so of using them which I put down to irritation caused)

@Carlotta27 thank you, that really helps. I was given them by my Dr but then no information on what to expect after.

@Sierra26 ok that's good to know too. It's been nice with no spotting but now with nothing it's even harder to know what's going on!

Did either of you have side effects from the cyclogest? My boobs have been sore pretty much since taking them, but the past few days I have had headaches, constipation and serious bloating which hasn't seemed to pass since I finished them on Sunday. Assuming it will take a few days like my period for the symptoms to stop too.

@erose1006 interestingly I have very inconsistent experiences!

first time - only symptom was very swollen boobs + the spotting I mentioned

second time - absolutely nothing except the spotting

ive now just finished ivf stims and egg collection - I’ve not been taking progesterone as we’re not doing a transfer this cycle, but I believe I’m producing lots of natural progesterone due to the 20x more than normal number of follicles my ovaries produced. I’m blaming the awful constipation I’m experiencing on that, along with the biggest boobs and nipples I’ve ever had!

Did it stick for you? I’ve just had a surgical procedure , used cyclogest to extend luteal phase and now had a miscarriage at 5.5 weeks.

Did it stick for you? I’ve just had a surgical procedure , used cyclogest to extend luteal phase and now had a miscarriage at 5.5 weeks.

@Willsoo hi, the cyclogest did work for me in the end and I had my baby recently! It took about 12 cycles though and I had two early losses.

i did blood tests to check the progesterone levels while on cyclogest after ovulation to check it was high enough and was told the early losses were simply bad luck as they are of course very common. I stayed on cyclogest until 14 weeks of pregnancy until it was no longer needed when I did fall pregnant.

I’m so sorry you’ve been through that rollercoaster of getting pregnant and then losing it. So long as you were still on the cyclogest and it was a high enough dose, I expect it may be another reason for the loss. So there’s every chance you can concieve again in the cyclogest and with some luck for it to work out 🍀

Thanks for your message. The problem is the Early Pregnancy Unit won’t give me the cyclogest until they see a viable pregnancy , I have some left over but only enough pessaries to last me just under 8 weeks and that’s taking 1 a day not 2. I just don’t know where to get the cyclogest from if they won’t prescribe me it otherwise. Feel fed up. Would I be better taking old clomid but it runs out 2021?

@Willsoo It’s so hard to get hold of cyclogest, isn’t it?! My gp wouldn’t prescribe it and I was happy to pay as it’s only £30 a packet! I ended up going to a private clinic who were happy to prescribe it for 6 months. Clomid / letrozole didn’t work to lengthen my luteal phase the way cyclogest did, but that’s just my experience!

can you get a referral from the GP to fertility services if you have been trying for a year or more? They might be able to prescribe cyclogest and do further investigations if it doesn’t work …

When you went to the private clinic who prescribed cyclogest, did you just contact them and make an appt and ask for cyclogest ? Or did they want you to do lots of other tests etc? I feel like they see pound signs coming your way sometimes!

@Willsoo yes, unfortunately I had to pay for a few hundred pounds for an initial appointment and spent about another hundred on blood tests, so it wasn’t cheap :( after that they were happy to prescribe cyclogest for 6 months initially, and then 12 when I asked to extend it. For my, I had a 5 day luteal phase and conception without it was near impossible, so it felt unfair that this couldn’t be prescribed on the NHS!

I have a short luteal phase and have been prescribed cyclogest from ovulation. I've used it for 3 cycles in my TTC journey and got pregnant each time. Unfortunately only one pregnancy was out the three was viable (2x ectopic which I'm convinced was due to the progesterone, 3 other pregnancies with miscarriages before that).

Do you think I’d be better taking clomid next time? Although it ran out in 2021!

@Willsoo clomid / letrozole (a similar product to clomid) didn’t work to lengthen my luteal phase and it sounds risky to try without a dr monitoring as it can change your cycle and result in multiples! Good luck whatever you chose to do, it’s really tough when it costs so much to get private help x