DHEA

[Mouseorchestra7]

Realise DHEA has been posted about a few times on this thread, but hoping my situation is unique enough to warrant another thread.

I have had two failed rounds of mild IVF (produced a few low quality blasts). Moving to standard IVF at LWC and the consultant has advised me to take 75mg DHEA per day up
until I start my cycle in April. Am 36 with no (obvious) fertility issues. I’ve read a lot about DHEA use needing to be carefully monitored. I’ve tested and have normal DHEA-S levels. I’ve ordered the stuff but too scared to start taking it! Why would Dr prescribe it without monitoring? So confused! Your insights would be much appreciated.

@Mouseorchestra7 sorry you've not had success yet with your IVF. It can be gruelling I know.

Lots of consultants seem to give out DHEA without testing (from what I read on Mumsnet). My first clinic did test and re-test and stopped me when the levels got too high (because our cycle was delayed).

My second clinic didn't re-test and said that as long as I wasn't having negative side effects then it's ok to keep taking it. I do trust them so maybe that's fine but personally I wouldn't be keen to take it unless my levels of free testosterone and DHEA were low. I've seen a few women have issues.

I had no problems with it at all but who knows whether it helped!?

Some women have chosen to take a lower dose when they don't know their levels.

Maybe talk to the doctor again? But ultimately you'll just have the make the call on whether to trust your instinct or whether you trust the clinic.

Sorry not to be more help

Xxx

Hi op , I took dhea without testing and my clinic refused to cycle me as it affected my progesterone levels ( which can cause egg quality issues) they knew I’d messed with dhea just from the hormone spike as they’d seen many women do it before. Anyway, I stopped it and a couple of cycles later my progesterone went back to normal.
If you don’t need it don’t take it

I had to take this for one of my cycles (as advised by the consultant, although I was not ever tested/monitored). That was my only cycle where most of the follicles were empty which I understand can happen with DHEA. Moved clinics and they were totally against using it.

Thank you @MabelG that’s the thing. It seems that it can have some really detrimental side effects if you don’t need it. Just don’t understand why my consultant would prescribe 75mg without any testing! I’m thinking of taking 25mg per day just in case. I’m sorry it messed up your cycle. Did you have better results in an ensuing round?

@Boombangboom very useful. Thanks. How much did you take? I’m thinking of just trying out 25mg per day.

Thanks @Janefx40 you’re right. I just need to make a decision. I am contemplating taking just 25mg per day. How much did you take and did your tests show a deficiency initially?

@Mouseorchestra7 My levels were very low - bottom of the ranges. I took 75mg per day and after 9 weeks they were top of the range. I was in a different situation because my levels were low.

I took 25mg

I am 41 with low AMH. I have taken 25mg a day for the last 7 months and have just had my level tested (saliva) and the result was 6.6 which is average for someone of my age. I read that for fertility your DHEA should be similar to that of someone in their 20s which is 13 to 20! So I am still pretty low, am increasing to 50mg for a few weeks before planned retrieval (fingers crossed)

@Janefx40 - am interested to know what your levels were? and did you get a good result from DHEA?

@firefly37 I think mine must have used a different scale or measure because the numbers are difference. I wrote a note on my phone but didn't say which number was testosterone and which was DHEA. So one of them went from 1.1 to 9 and the other went from 0.4 to 2. I know that in both cases the second number was top of the range and the first was bottom! Sorry not to be more help

@Janefx40 thanks. Thanks for the info. Makes me think I should get my testosterone checked as well.

@firefly37 I thought my level was high, but perhaps not. It’s 5.8 umol and I am 35(nearly 36). I’m very conflicted about whether to take this DHEA.

@Boombangboom crazy that such a small dose affected your progesterone like that.

@Mouseorchestra7
Mine was 6.6ng/ml

I've just been prescribed DHEA 25mg. I had my testosterone checked before starting and Dr wants checked again after 3 weeks and every month after. I'm 38 with average AMH, I had a failed fresh transfer in November where I only got 2 eggs so hoping this will help increase my eggs this time. Reading my blood results I think my levels are mid range not particularly low, testosterone 1.2 nmol, serum sex binding glob 55nmol and free androgen index 2.2 ratio. Not really sure what any of these numbers actually mean.

@try9ng sounds like a good call to try DHEA. As long as your testosterone levels aren't high then it should be fine to take and it looks like your Dr is being cautious and checking.

So you know what your FSH levels were at baseline during your last cycle?

X

Hi Jane, I'm not sure what FHS is but my AMH was 7 and when u went for my first scan I had 4 follicles but as I progressed there were 7 all of different sizes. Got 3 eggs and 1 was empty. 2 fertilised but only one made it to blast.

I'm going to try the DHEA, have heard so many mixed reports though x

@try9ng sorry you had a disappointing cycle. In my personal experience (across 6 egg collections) when follicles are different sizes I only get fertilisation from the ones that are a similar size. Sometimes I've felt excited that other follicles have appeared to be growing and sometimes I've ended up getting more eggs than expected but when fertilisation occurs for me it has correlated roughly to the number of follicles that were the same size. That's just my opinion rather than scientific fact.

I also think that Antral follicle count is usually a better guide than AMH to the response so if you had 4 follicles to start with and got 3 eggs then this might be what you'd expect. Having said that AFC can vary month to month so you may find that you do better another month.

The reason I asked about FSH is that sometimes when women with a reasonable AMH don't respond well to stims it can be because FSH is high but if you had an AFC of 4 and got 3 eggs then this might not be relevant for you.

DHEA lowers FSH anyway so if you are taking it then this will happen regardless.

Thanks for explaining that, I don't think my Dr ever mentioned FSH. They aren't very good at explaining things. I seemed to respond well as in my eggs were ready for collection day 12 but they are changing meds for next cycle in hope to allow them to grow slower but longer and hoepfully have a more even growth rate

@try9ng that makes sense. It sounds as though you're in good hands with your clinic. Most clinics don't talk about FSH levels but my old clinic wouldn't start a cycle of levels were high and I often see women in forums (especially in the US) having disappointing cycles with high FSH. I just think it's worth considering.

I think with some clinics you do have to do your own research and ask questions but as I said, it sounds like you are in good hands with yours

Best of luck. When do you start?

Thanks Jane, I think you just have to hope they know what they're doing, they are the experts. Seem to be a lot of trial and error. I'm due to start meds end of March, with egg collection first week in April, if I don't respond better this time I may consider cancelling the cycle and trying again. Did you you get pregnant after trying DHEA?

@try9ng when I first did IVF, we didn't use DHEA and I got pregnant on our second cycle and had our daughter. Since then we've had various treatment for a sibling and I tried DHEA. Had one failed cycle then did 3 cycles of embryo banking and PGS testing because I'm now 44 so the battle is finding a euploid embryo. We ended up with 2 euploids and I transferred one yesterday. So no success as yet and who knows if it helped or not! X

Good luck with the tww @Janefx40 !

Awh good luck Jane, I hope it goes well for you x

Thanks @try9ng and @Dreamsofholidays78 xxx

Good luck @Janefx40 - fingers crossed for you.

Thanks @SerendipitySunshine how are you? Xxx

Good thanks. 25 weeks now and finally thinking it might be real. How are you doing?