ERA EMMA ALICE testing thread 8

[Gardenlady543]

@2021ivfagain @kerrym87 @Janefx40 @seven201 @thislittlebird @Spin101 @Enfys23
@CailinInUK @BewilderedBee @Loz2467 @Lori2022 @VenusStarr @clhiu @Faithhopelove83 @APSR @ChickenT2b @Mina209 @IVF22 @Lizzybeth1988 @AM08 @Fluffykins33 @Sar1010

Continued in from thread 7 :)

Sorry for not replying @Spin101 I've felt rubbish and migrainey. How are you doing? I think I would have done what you’ve done and try vaginal route too. I don’t think you’ve got anything to lose though I’m obviously not an expert. I wish they’d up your dose/check your oestradiol and let you try viagra vaginally too! Might be worth a quick check with medichecks blood tests for oestradiol, so that if this doesn’t work out and you do go privately, at least you can tell them this is the level my estradiol got to on this dose and combination of routes, which can then help guide future management more?

I am a rubbish example as my lining just didn’t respond to anything except my own hormones, and even then not great. I hope the viagra pessaries help this time with my stim.

@Gardenlady543 how’s your thyroid doing? When’s the next scan? Sorry your throat is sore, hope it comes to nothing for you.

@kerrym87 supplements wise I take vitamin E and ubiquinol as well as pregnacare max. I did try l-arginine during FET but stopped once knew would head to new stim. Also taking DHEA this time.

@2021ivfagain daily scans sounds intense! Hope all progressing well on scans and you can transfer as planned 🤞🏼

Well I think cautiously optimistic news from my baseline AFC. Never going to be great with me given DOR but 6 on left and 4 on right - though right ovary was a bit hidden so might be slightly more. I hope they all get their act together once I start stims tomorrow! At least there’s something there to respond. And no big cysts or anything.

@Loz2467 wondered if you’d seen this upcoming My IVF answers webinar and be interested, thought of you when I saw, he’s really good this consultant and really nice about answering questions: www.myivfanswers.com/e<a class="break-all" href="https://www.myivfanswers.com/events/what-is-adenomyosis-and-endometriosis-impact-on-recurrent-miscarriages/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">vents/what-is-adenomyosis-and-endometriosis-impact-on-recurrent-miscarriages/

Sorry the link seems messed up but if you Google myivfanswers and look at their upcoming events you can sign up there

I think the sore throat is a cold as I'm congested as well, I did a Covid test which was negative. The worry is people on the immune groups have said their immune markers flared up due to a cold and I'm due to start weaning off steroids from today. I can't carry on any longer as I don't have enough.

@2021ivfagain does the pH changing matter? It's likely because the antibiotics are reducing the lactobacillus. So you won't be able to maintain a higher pH without recolonizing.

@Enfys23 I got my tft from monday:
TSH 0.006 mIU/L (Range: 0.27 - 4.2)
Free T3 6.0 pmol/L (Range: 3.1 - 6.8)
Free T4 25.5 pmol/L (Range: 12 - 22)
So at least T3 and T4 are closer to normal values. The endocrinologist said to stay on the reduced dose and repeat in 2 weeks.

Next scan is Sunday, I'm 12 weeks by the NHS timing and I have no idea what they're doing, they haven't told me about a scan yet. All I can do is leave a voicemail for the local midwives but they never reply to messages.

That's a great baseline @Enfys23

Thank you @Gardenlady543 I don’t really have a prior reference to know how many of the follicles might respond as I’ve never had AFC done by clinic full stop and never had baseline before stims, so here’s hoping. The DHEA supposedly might help with their response and more synchronicity too apparently, my consultant said it will give an element of oestrogen priming with the conversion of hormones which makes sense.

I’m sorry your symptoms are turning into a cold. How much are you weaning the steroids by? Could you ask your GP for some extra?

Your T4 and T3 looking good, sure it’ll all come into range soon.

My BF didn’t have her first scan until 14 weeks. I can’t imagine having to wait that long. I guess if you’ve not been through all of this you take it as a norm and don’t question or worry as much. I’m glad you have your own scans arranged.

@Enfys23 I'm going down by 5mg every 3 days so it's a pretty quick wean. I just got the TSH stimulating antibodies back which are normal, so this is good as this makes graves unlikely. So it looks like the thyroid issue isn't an autoimmune process, so hopefully won't cause issues and will resolve. Yeah I think it can be up to 14 weeks, at least I have the private scans, I hope the NHS one will be consistent, not sure how in-depth they go. Would be good to at least have a date in the diary to work with.

I've ordered some saline nasal spray, strepsils and eucalyptus oil, it's hard to know what I can use and what I can't, these things seem ok though. Also I've vegan so can't have honey but it says golden syrup is good too and who doesn't want an excuse to have golden syrup by the spoonful.

Haha @Gardenlady543 Agave syrup is my new fave - I can pretend it’s “healthy”. I also made some maple pecan oat & banana muffins as batch for the freezer recently - only sweetness from maple and banana with no refined sugar. They were good. I’ve always been a low % milk and white chocolate lover but my desire to be good and cut down sugar but still craving chocolate has finally made me be grown up and develop a taste for dark chocolate - not bad with a Brazil nut either.

That’s good about the antibodies.

@Enfys23 I used to be so good and sweeten whatever I could with medjoul dates from sainsburys. I like agave nectar too although a bit too sweet for me to eat by the spoonful. Re chocolate I like the 70% dark chocolate from aldi. I have eaten a lot of sweets recently though!

@Enfys23 10 follicles is a good start. I had 9 at my first scan but with milder stims I ended up with 4 large follicles. My lining today is 14.5mm and estradiol was 1914 yesterday. I think you’ll do well with 10 at baseline.

@Gardenlady543 That’s good news about your thyroid levels improving. I’m sorry you have a cold, but it’s good you’re coming off steroids soon.

I am actually still in canesbalance twice a day whilst taking antibiotics even though it’s wiping it out. I feel canesbalance is working. Does recolonise mean when I put canesbalance back in with probiotics? I’m only able to continue using canesbalance until Friday inclusive as transfer is Tuesday. My antibiotics end Thursday evening. Will not the vagibiom help to recolonise with the Flora femme as well? I know I can’t continue with canesbalance for long. I always find ph goes up nearer to ovulation. Will vagibiom lower ph and help to recolonise?

@Gardenlady543 It does say that vagibiom balances ph so perhaps it will help. I suppose a less acidic ph increases risk of infections. Do you think it will be safe to use canesbalance on Friday last time as transfer will be Tuesday?

@2021ivfagain most peoples pH will change during the cycle and they still maintain the lactobacillus. Recolonize means for the lactobacillus to build up and adhere to the walls of the vagina, that's what produces the acid under normal circumstances. I think that's fine as like I said someone I knows used vagibiom right through and that has acid in it too.

@Gardenlady543 Thank you. If that is the case, will vagibiom be like recolonising as it has some acid in it? I suppose I shouldn’t overdo the vagibiom or at least use more after implantation phase. When did you start using an acid product?

@Gardenlady543 thank you. Next scan is on Friday. I hope you feel better, it’s got a bit colder. Hope you’re managing to keep warm.

@Enfys23 sorry to hear you’ve felt migrainey! Really glad to hear your baseline went well. I wish they would up my dose too or at least add the viagra to see what it does. I will try to push for a blood test on friday and if not I will try order one from medicheck but not sure if I can still test if they tell me to start on the progesterone over the weekend.

I think I’ll be recommended to go ahead with the transfer and I will probably have to for a variety of reasons, one being in order to be eligible for another cycle on the NHS. I had an issue with my embryos not thawing properly last time so that’s still a concern of mine. it’s all a bit crazy

@2021ivfagain I only use the acid at the start of my cycle. Recolonizing will mean putting the bacteria back in.

@Spin101 I prefer the colder weather :) I like to snuggle under a big duvet at night. Good luck for the scan on Friday, how many embryos do you have?

@2021ivfagain that’s a great lining!

@Spin101 hope it goes well tomorrow. Sending thick vibes!

@Gardenlady543 ice cream is my big vice!

@Gardenlady543 I wish I could say the same regarding colder weather. With the temperature having dropped a bit recently, my feet and hands go cold so quickly, it’s crazy!🥶 I had to get my duvet back out! I’ve got three embryos left but sadly am not hopeful they will thaw well.

@Enfys23 thick vibes, love it! Thank you! x

@Enfys23 I went on a hunt for vegan soft serve the other week!

@Spin101 good luck tomorrow. Was it you doing the moxibustion acupuncture?

Anyone else got appointments coming up?

@Gardenlady543 did you find any?!

@2021ivfagain hang on in there.

@Spin101 just because it’s happened once doesn’t mean it’s going to happen again 🧡. I really hope goes smoothly this time.

I’ve had a shit week at work. Manager clearly hasn’t the tiniest clue what’s it like to go through this and they let their mask slip and said some things that I thought were unforgivable. Would never have said to someone going through treatment for another medical condition or who’d suffered another type of loss etc. Never mind I won’t take their false sympathy in future and just put me and this journey first.

I had my scan today to confirm ovulation. I had trigger 7pm on Tuesday and they couldn’t see the corpus luteum, so I got stressed. Lining increased to 15.7mm! The large follicles were slightly bigger than yesterday. They had to take a blood test and was told it would tell them if I had ovulated or not. I’ve been having blood tests daily to track it all. Still worried me but doctor reviewed it and didn’t have to come back for scan.

I also had neupogen infusion today. As my lining was 15.7mm, I was worried about taking progynova. My oestrogen was over 2000pmol.

@Gardenlady543 Do you think blood tests for tracking ovulation are good? My lh and progesterone had increased. My transfer is next Tuesday.

@Spin101 Personally, I find the cooler weather less stressful with medication, but I know what you mean. I also sleep better when it’s cooler. Do you do acupuncture? That’s good for balancing body temperature. Good luck tomorrow. I hope lining thickens. Are you taking vitamin e 400iu, ubiquinol 200mgx3 times a day, omega 3 and NAC 600mg? I read that NAC can thicken lining. I took that this time for bacterial infections, but I read it can also help lining. You can get it from Amazon.

@Enfys23 Yes. Worried lining is too thick as oestrogen got higher, but said everything is good. It’s strange last time on 225iu every other day from cd3 estradiol was only 510. This time with 300iu meriofert every other day from cd5 estradiol got up to 2040pmol.

When is your next scan? I’m sorry work are not supportive. It’s really hard. I think people who have never had to do IVF do not understand. Are you doing a fresh transfer? If so, I’d take some time off if I were you.

I’ve just had a really stressful week with boiler flooding and more issues with carers, one that had to be reported due to treating my Dad badly. He’s paralysed on right side and they were trying to force him to bend his knee!

@2021ivfagain oh gosh I’m sorry to hear about all the stress this week. I remember how bad I found it when the boiler leaking day after my last transfer in the big snow. It’s like why can’t we catch a break sometimes?! Hope your dad ok. That’s awful.

I think bloods will be more accurate to detect ovulation than the scan especially if they’ve been tracking your bloods daily.

Yes will aim for fresh transfer if can. Next scan on Sunday that I’ve arranged (day 4 of stims - a bit early but no where could fit me in day 5/6 and my clinic refuse to scan me now until day 9/10) and then again next Friday with clinic. It’d be nice to judge if I start fyremadel day 5 or 6 but not sure day 4 scan will really help. Clinic just take blanket day 5 approach but I’ve seen that could stunt development of some of my follicles given my history. I’ve also arranged some medichecks bloods for next week. I did some at baseline yesterday and everything looked good on results today.

@Enfys23 Yes I was worried but they said blood tests confirmed ovulation even though they couldn’t see corpus luteum on the scan. Follicles were still in tact.

I think regular scans are good. My clinic are really thorough with scanning. I’m sorry your clinic are the opposite. I once did a cycle without any suppression at all but lots of tracking. Can you go for blood tests instead or pay them to do extra scans?

@Gardenlady543 Will corpus luteum always be there if ovulation is detected in the blood?

@2021ivfagain no I’ve asked if I could pay but they still won’t do the closer monitoring. The small compromise I had from them was agreeing to a baseline scan this time!

If you’ve ovulated there will be a corpus luteum there but it can be tricky to always detect accurately on a scan initially. I think it’s better they’ve judged it off the change in levels in your daily bloods vs a guess at the look of something on a scan 👍🏼. I’m sure the bloods will time it more accurately for you.

@2021ivfagain a mature follicle will release at least 1000 estradiol I believe, so it wouldn't be this high without a follicle. Your lining is good. :)

@Enfys23 I'm really sorry about what happened at work, honestly this makes me so angry, I just think it's not ok that we are sensitive to most issues but people don't act sensitively to this, people don't get it and even when they mean well we're at the other end of an insensitive comment. On the icecream topic, I did find 2 local sources of vegan soft serve!

My cold is still going, woke up at 11pm coughing and congested but luckily managed to get back to sleep, this is day 4, just want it to go away.

@Gardenlady543 I hope it clears up soon sounds miserable. Yeah it’s not like I’m asking for flexibility or taking time off for a boob job is it. I’ve been so organised and conscientious to give them forewarning and help them plan. I don’t have to do it to the degree I have, I was trying to be helpful. They obviously don’t see it that way. Kind of think stuff them now.

@Spin101 good luck today 🍀