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Infertility

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Thyroid, testosterone, progesterone...

6 replies

HM2024 · 01/05/2025 20:53

Hi all,

I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with these issues and any positive stories of improvements after medication?

  • Thyroid - my TSH levels have been very high. Firstly 5.6, then 4.9 and now (after a month of levothyroxine) at 3.5. I've increased dose from 50mg to 75mg so hoping that helps me get down to 2.5 soon. Frustratingly, the NHS consultant didn't flag this as an issue when it was at 5.6 and it took a private consultation to point this out.
  • My Testosterone levels have been very low, ranging from 0.2 to 1.4. Again NHS guy said no issue but private consultant said we're aiming for 1.5-2.5 and recommended taking DHEA so I have started that.
  • Based on having a short luteal phase and spotting before my period, I think my progesterone is dropping too quickly. The private consultant prescribed me Cyclogest to try for this. Month 1 no difference and month 2 extended my luteal phase.

It feels great to be trying a few different things but I don't feel very hopeful.

OP posts:
Tipu87 · 02/05/2025 19:05

Hi, I have thyroid issues also and like you it was my private consultant that highlighted it, frustrating my GP was hesitant to prescribe any medicine to get it under the 2.5 recommend. I was also given progesterone pessaries aswell as a part of my treatment. I am 37, no periods without medication and I had to have a FET because of my high BMI. We did ICSI because my husbands sperm was poor due to his diabetes. Against all the odds, I am currently 8 weeks pregnant. I won't lie, I am constantly spotting so I am mindful of not getting too excited. But I think given all of the above if its worked for me, everyone has a has hope.

HM2024 · 02/05/2025 20:55

Tipu87 · 02/05/2025 19:05

Hi, I have thyroid issues also and like you it was my private consultant that highlighted it, frustrating my GP was hesitant to prescribe any medicine to get it under the 2.5 recommend. I was also given progesterone pessaries aswell as a part of my treatment. I am 37, no periods without medication and I had to have a FET because of my high BMI. We did ICSI because my husbands sperm was poor due to his diabetes. Against all the odds, I am currently 8 weeks pregnant. I won't lie, I am constantly spotting so I am mindful of not getting too excited. But I think given all of the above if its worked for me, everyone has a has hope.

Congratulations! Hope all goes smoothly for you from now on 🙏

It wasn't even my GP, it was a professor in the NHS fertility clinic. He looked at all my blood tests and didn't see any issues. My TSH was the highest possible in the 'normal' category (5.6). I've been learning more about it and it's such an obvious red flag! So frustrating how much research we have to do on our own.

How long did it take for your TSH to get to 2.5?

OP posts:
Tipu87 · 03/05/2025 10:49

Thank you, I started Levothyroxine in June 2024, on the lowest dose, my GP wanted me try it for 12 weeks and then have another blood test to check if the dosage had worked. In October I went up to 50mg but really had to insist on it and then by mid December I made it to 2.5. I had already done my egg collection a couple of weeks before. My clinic at that stage had said to me it's my choice if I wanted to proceed which I did because by that point the stress of not progressing was really wearing me out. Maybe if I had waited I may have gotten better quality eggs but honestly who can say?

Cornish13 · 04/05/2025 21:26

I’ve always had issues with my TSH fertility wise. My very first private consultation they picked it up and put me on levothyroxin. By some miracle we conceived naturally but we are back private for a sibling and I am back on thyroxin. After trialling different doses where my TSH was 4.6, 75mg is my perfect does to getting it under 2.5 😊

HM2024 · 05/05/2025 08:29

Cornish13 · 04/05/2025 21:26

I’ve always had issues with my TSH fertility wise. My very first private consultation they picked it up and put me on levothyroxin. By some miracle we conceived naturally but we are back private for a sibling and I am back on thyroxin. After trialling different doses where my TSH was 4.6, 75mg is my perfect does to getting it under 2.5 😊

Thanks for sharing!

Did you make any other big changes before conceiving naturally? How long was it after your TSH got to 2.5?

I've started on 75mg for the last week. 50mg got it down a bit so hoping it shouldn't take too long to get to 2.5.

OP posts:
Cornish13 · 05/05/2025 08:42

@HM2024 absolutely nothing! It was the same month we had our very first consultation and my partner found out about his severe oligospermia so tensions were high and we were arguing constantly. That month we actually only had sex the once 😂 I only started the thyroxin that month as well so it wasn’t that as it takes a couple of weeks to take effect.

I’m not 100% sure how long it took to drop however I started taking thyroxin again in September 24 as we had gone back to the clinic to do ICSI for a sibling as my TSH was 4.65. I went onto 75mg and in November 24 it was 1.32. I stupidly dropped back to 50mg as I get bad headaches and I find thyroxin can trigger them and when I had it checked in March 25 it had creeped back up to 2.46. I’ve gone back to 75mg upon recommendation from the clinic and I’ll be retested in a couple of weeks before treatment next month. If that timeline helps 😊

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