ERA/EMMA/ALICE Testing Thread 3

[Janefx40]

Hello all,

This is a continuation of the ERA/EMMA/ALICE Testing thread.

New posters are welcome. On here you will find a group of women who are either doing these tests or have done them already and are further on the journey

This is the friendliest and most supportive group so feel free to join and post

Xxx

I'm glad you've spoken to your dh @Janefx40 and you're on the same page ❤️ thinking of you xxx

Everything crossed here @Janefx40

I have a short telephone consultation with my ivf clinic tomorrow. It was meant to be a consultation after a mid-cycle scan, but that all went out of sync due to the miscarriage. I thought I'd keep it so I could ask them if there's anything they'd advise I test for due to the miscarriages. I'll tell them I'm seeing Mr Shehata next month. But now I'm thinking I'm probably just wasting everyone's time tomorrow as I don't think I have much to say or ask.

On the plus side my gp agreed to test me for a lot of things on @Gardenlady543 long list of blood tests - thank you garden! On the down side the receptionist convinced me when booking that I definitely don't have to fast for a test called 'fasting glucose' and that 2pm was fine. Looks like I'm not eating until after 2 as Google has confirmed she lied to me . I really can't be arsed to spend two hours on the phone trying to get it sorted.

@seven201 good to have the consultation. As you say, you can ask them what they'd advise (even if you're doing your own thing, it's good to know their thinking). Let us know what they say.

@StillTrying10000 thank you. Yes I'll get the results the same day.

@VenusStarr ❤️

Thank you to everyone else for all the support xxx

I hope your consultation went well @seven201

I hope you're coping with not testing @Janefx40

So I had my consultation today, I was all set to tell my specialists I'm not doing medicated cycles and then she told me her plan that she'd come up with after speaking to her colleague.

They both think that my lining doesn't seem right, even though it's thick enough and trilaminar. They wonder if it's the artificial HRT. So they feel a cycle without HRT would be a good idea, I'm on board with this I hate the estradiol.

They have suggested that I should take letrozole to produce more follicles from CD2 to CD6, then have a scan and they then want to replicate the ERA timing by starting progesterone earlier than I'm expected to ovulate. I wasn't really expecting this, I thought I would just sack off the ERA and do a cycle without anything artificial.

I'm not really sure about what to do at the moment, we just had an unexpected death in the family. So I'm not really thinking straight.

@Gardenlady543 I think your consultants plan is good. It sounds like natural but giving boosts in the form of the letrozole and progesterone and if it allows you to time implantation window that’s good too. So many women need progesterone supplementation after a natural conception so it’s no harm to have this to keep your levels nice and boosted. Have you ever tested your progesterone in TWW?

I was put on letrozole alongside Stims. I only took it for 5 days and had no side effects so hopefully you will be same ( I also reacted badly to estrogen).

Really sorry to hear about the death in the family. My condolences.

@Janefx40 thinking of you.

I'm sorry to hear your news @Gardenlady543 ❤️ I think the protocol sounds good, it's nice to hear they're willing to explore different approaches for you.

I hope you got on OK today @seven201

@Janefx40 thinking of you 💜

I've had a mental crash today, came on last night where I was panicky in the night 😢 and the feeling of dread has lingered. I guess this is grief, I just forget when I'm not too bad, but when it hits life just feels hard and pointless x

@Gardenlady543 firstly I'm so sorry for your loss. Sending lots of love.

I'm really glad you have a consultant who is really thinking and planning rather than just following a script. It sounds like a good idea to me although I don't really know of course! When might you start?

Yes I'm fine. Just dreading testing tomorrow morning. I could just wait for the blood results but not sure I like that option either! Xxx

So I'm definitely out over here. There is still a very faint trace of a line but weaker than on Wednesday. Bloods today and hopefully they will show that I can stop meds.

I'm actually ok. In some ways it's a relief to have a clear answer and that it's going in the "right" direction given the circumstances. Maybe this won't delay my period as much as a full blown chemical.

Xxx

❤️ @Janefx40 sending you a big hug. Even when you're expecting it, it's still a shock xx

@Janefx40 oh I'm so sorry. I'm glad that you at least now know so can start the moving on process. It really is shitty though.

@VenusStarr sorry you had that. How are you feeling now?

@Gardenlady543 I think that sounds a good plan. I had letrazole in the past (pre ivf) and don't revert any awful side effects. Sorry to hear about the death in the family.

I had my ivf phone appt yesterday. I was hoping she'd be all "that's a good idea seeing Mr Shehata" but I got the impression she thought I shouldn't be and should get on with a transfer. She says she reckons we've had most of the tests and she didn't seem keen on NK testing. Was left feeling a bit flat about it all.

@seven201 sorry your clinic weren't encouraging but I'm not surprised. Firstly I don't think many consultants are keen on their patients seeing an additional doctor at the same time. Secondly if they felt immunes were useful they would be doing them themselves. So ultimately clinics are rarely encouraging about people seeing Shehata or Gorgy alongside.

You just have to have the confidence to push on with what you feel you need. The question I always ask (and need to start asking again of myself now) is this "if this cycle fails, will there be something about it I'll regret? Or will I be satisfied that I did all I could?". If for you that is doing immunes then you should go for it

Just at the clinic now for bloods xxx

@VenusStarr I'm so sorry I missed your message earlier. Sorry you're having a crash. Oh this is so hard. And yes this is grief and it's just as valid as grief for any other family member we have lost. You help all of us - you have helped me and I value you hugely xxx

❤️❤️❤️

I'm sorry @Janefx40 I came here to see your update :(

@seven201 just so you know the finance contract might have a miscarriage thing in the exclusions, have a look at your contract. I think it will be fine, just don't tell them. My specialist seemed to be similar as in, no let's not do another ERA let's just get on with the transfer.

Oh gosh @VenusStarr I'm sorry, I'm sending hugs.

@Dochas1211 we only tested progesterone once, day before transfer when I was on 1 lubion and 1 cyclogest it was 46.6, so they increased me up by a cyclogest. So hopefully with some natural progesterone it should be good.

I'm really not sure, the ERA was a lot of progesterone, does the medicated cycle mean anything in a modified unmedicated?

@Janefx40 and everyone, thank you for your support.

What are you doing with the rest of your day @Janefx40 ? I hope you can find a nice distraction with your dh.

@seven201 just had to go and collect £168 worth of meds from Asda. How ironic given that I don't need them but I guess I may on the next go.

Just heading home to DP and DD. I have her so will always count myself lucky.

Xxx

Hcg17.5. Bit disappointed as was hoping it would be super low signalling that it was all resolved - means I have to keep taking meds and go back on Monday for repeat x

@Janefx40 oh that is annoying! Sorry

I'm sorry @Janefx40 ❤️ I hope Monday brings some clarity for you. Thank you for your kind words too, made me well up xx

Can I join please? i was going through IVF treatments, but not having much luck as I have DOR, i couldnt even get to the egg retrieval stage. My lining looked thick and i have a history or uterine polyps, so my clinic did a hysteroscopy. I also asked for the EMMA ALICE tests while there, because I had a miscarriage in sept 2020 and have had no pregnancies since, so i suspected something else was going on. And surprise i have 0% lactobacillus and chronic endometritis.

As i have managed to get pregnant naturally before, my doctor is recommending to try naturally for 3 months and see where we are. because of my DOR and my age (38 this year) i'm a little nervous but i'm going with it. does anyone have a similar story? my doctor is also not recommending a re-test, any thoughts on this? he removed my lining during the hysteroscopy so he doesn't think its necessary. I've done one week of augmentin and going to be on canesflor for a while....

I’m really sorry @Janefx40 I hope you get some clarity today

At @Janefx40 I'm also hoping for some clarity for you, let us know how you get on.

@Katie567 hello :) you're in good company both myself and @Dochas1211 had 0% lactobacillus, we both have managed to get an improvement, @Dochas1211 after one course of treatment and myself after 2 courses. I wrote a post on another forum about the microbiome and how to improve it https://www.reddit.com/r/infertility/comments/rwsxwy/theuterineemicrobiomeemmaaliceemenstrualfluid/?utmmsource=share&utmmedium=iossapp&utm_name=iossmf

I basically- took 2 x antibiotic courses (the first didn't work, so for the second course I used two antibiotics for 2 weeks), then:

• Took a daily oral probiotic
• Restored my vaginal pH with vaginal acid tablets (this is very important as the lactobacillus need an acidic pH to adhere to the vaginal walls).
• Used a lot of vaginal probiotics, including one that I got from USA that has the highest amount of good bacteria in it.

I would recommend a repeat since my 2nd repeat (after I'd wasted a euploid blast) showed I still had 0% lactobacillus. For my third analysis I used a menstrual fluid testing company instead (fetilysis).

@Katie567 what are your EMMA results? I also took augmentin (co-amoxiclav) and it basically killed off all but one of the bacteria which then flourished, so for my next course I took 2 weeks of oral metronidazole and vaginal clindamycin.

@Katie567 yes also 0% here and also on augmentin. I wasn’t told that it was chronic endometris though? If they think it is chronic (which I think is antibiotics don’t improve it) would a recheck not be beneficial? On a recheck my bad bacteria went down to 12% and my good bacteria up to 75% I kept taking the probiotics in hopes the good would keep increasing up and keep the bad away.

@Gardenlady543 how are you - have you thought any further on the new FET protocol?

I was wondering if that was you on Reddit! I ordered some activ.balance after reading that! I haven't started yet as I'm still finishing my antibiotics. Then I was going to take probiotics (canesflor) straight after. Both need to be used at night as a pessary so not sure how to do it?

Attachment of my report -