Low progesterone - anyone been here?

[Broodyaf]

Hey all,

So I'm nearly 37 & I've been TTC #1 for 26 cycles and got 21day bloods took last week. Progesterone came back v low at 9.8, range is 16-18, which suggests I'm not ovulating.
Went for internal scan yday which is day before AF is due and sonographer says the lining of my uterus is too thin at this stage of my cycle for egg to attach to.

Referral for infertility clinic was sent off last week but waiting list is lengthy.
I'm going back to GP next week to see is there anything can be done in between now and fertility clinic appt

Anyone been in my shoes before or have any advice?
Thanks

Mine came back at 3 a few times. The assumption was I ovulated after day-21 not that I wasn’t ovulating. Have they tested all the other LH/FSH/AMH? Have they checked your ovaries and womb?

Thanks for the reply @Teddybear45

My cycle only lasts an average of 24 days so they done the 21day bloods at CD17.

All other bloods came back normal

The internal scan was to check my ovaries and womb. Ovaries looked fine, no cysts. womb had too thin a lining for egg to attach.

Did you get positive OPKs?
Have they done anything for you or what's the plan?

I've low progesterone with cycle length between 21 and 25 days. My body responded quite well to the hormones and after my first cycle I got pregnant but miscarried and my second cycle ended with a BFN but we had some good embryos to freeze. However, I'm in the north of Scotland and didn't have an NHS clinic choice. If I could change anything from my first 2 cycles it would be to go elsewhere for IVF, private either here or abroad. There haven't been any investigations or blood checks on hormones since my GP appointment 2 years ago. The fertility clinic just pump me full of hormones to see what works and that's it. We know there's a problem with my lining as in the lining cycle it reduced by half in the 2 days from my 4th scan to egg collection but I've been told there won't be any investigations in to it till I've had 3 failed cycles. Which basically means till I start paying.

I have PCOS and an underactive thyroid and so tend to get thicker lining; but I always had a positive OPK even when I wasn’t ovulating because OPKs measure LH and people with PCOS have that in abundance.

One thing I’d suggest is buy the L1/L2 tests and do them early (ie don’t wait until 2 failed cycles). Yes they are expensive but they are worth it; or at least they were for me.

Thankyou for telling me your story @Runner31
My story so far seems to be similar to yours in the short cycle length and low progesterone.
Was the only option for you IVF and freezing eggs? Is there now pill/cream they can give to increase progesterone?

@Teddybear45 I don't have PCOS so I don't know whether to believe the OPKs in that I am ovulating or not.
What are L1/L2 tests?

Thanks ladies xx

It was the only option I was given but I know from others than they were given extra progesterone to try before going down the IVF route.

Have you went for your 3rd cycle?
I take it this is you trying for #1?
Isn't it just so frustrating when u see others getting pregnant on 1 nite stands.
Who knew getting pregnant would be so difficult and frustrating 😫

We've decided not to do a third cycle. We've our follow up appointment from this cycle next month but I'm done with it. I feel like our lives have been on hold for the last 6 years of ttc. I had a dermoid cyst in 2017 which made me bloated and gave me pregnancy type symptoms, then the hormones from IVF left me with pregnancy type symptoms. I feel like I've spent the last two years feeling like i'm pregnant but without being able to actually get pregnant. It's emotionally drained me so we're going to go down the adoption route. Our lives have been on hold for too long and our end goal is to have a family. If we can do that through adoption without me spending this part of my life depressed and sore then I think that's the better option for us.

Oh @Runner31 this is so sad. But I'm glad you have made up your mind and decided to go down the adoption line. I'm sure you will get your happily ever after family that you have longed for

Adoption isn't an option for me as I suffered with depression for quite a length of time. They won't even consider me for adoption in NI (don't know what the rules are anywhere else but they're v strict re mental health over here)

I hope there is an option of creams or pills for my progesterone levels but I guess I'll have to wait and see!
Going to book back in with GP as I feel like I'm in limbo land!

My progesterone levels were sometimes low, it appears that I ovulate some cycles and others not.
I usually start spotting about a week before AF arrives.

I bought progesterone in a pharmacy when on holiday in Spain to take after ovulation when I tried Clomid (prescribed by NHS but with no monitoring except a blood test which I had to battle for).

It hasn't worked out for me yet but if low progesterone is the only issue you could see about getting a private prescription.

Good luck.

Thankyou for your reply @JeNeBaguetteRien

I live in a v rural part of N Ireland & private clinics aren't available around here. Everyone uses NHS for everything so I actually don't know anything about getting a private script or even how I would go about that.

I use OPKs every cycle and I always get a positive, for 2 days in a row every cycle - and this cycle where my bloods were tested, my LH surge was so strong that I reckon I must be ovulating, but that my lining is too thin for anything to stick to

Were you recommended any creams to try?

Hi Broody
I wasn't offered any creams, I just bought the progesterone myself, the brand was Utrogestan.
When I had IVF I was prescribed progesterone gel (for vaginal use) Crinone gel though many clinics use Cyclogest.

It might be worth checking the reference values of your progesterone tests (ask GP surgery for a copy of your results) as mine was 0-15 no ovulation, 15-29 'equivocal' and over 30 it was considered that ovulation had occurred.

I used Clearblue ovulation kits and got a positive every cycle 6 in a row but I was not always ovulating.
If you're not ovulating you are falling at the first hurdle. Maybe your doctor would prescribe Clomid if that is the case. Or refer you to a fertility clinic, my GP didn't prescribe Clomid but the fertility clinic prescribed that before moving on to IVF.

Thank you @JeNeBaguetteRien

Yes my GP referred me on Thursday to fertility clinic. He said it's been put through as an urgent case due to amount of cycles tried and failed and being over 35 however it is an NHS fertility clinic so I'm sure it will be a few months at the very least

I worked out this cycle though that the blood tests wouldn't be accurate, as I normally ovulate CD10, cycles lasting 24 days, but this cycle I got positive OPKS CD14 &CD15 (cycle lasted 28 days which is the longest ever!!) so the progesterone wouldn't have had a chance to increase??

I pressed "post" too early lol

Therefore I have requested from my GP for my 21days bloods to be retaken this cycle. I have told him when I get a positive OPK I will ring in and make an appt for 7days time for bloods

Hopefully the progesterone will come back in the range.