6 misscarriges in a row ? What now ? ☹️

[ShareLove]

I am unexplained with nhs testing done . 6 early misscarriges in a row and no kids yet , what do I do , where do I go ? Thanks for any advice !! Xx

I had my 4th loss earlier this year and I posted and got some good advice I’ll linked to the thread below.

Are you trying any drugs in pregnancy? With my next I’ll get blood thinners, lubion and potentially steroids.

Could you ask for a referral to one of Tommys clinics?

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/miscarriage/4494274-4th-loss-what-next?msgid=115588779

@ShareLove Hi op I'm so very sorry this is happening, has the bep clinic tried you on the low dose aspirin?

@Tittyfilarious yes I was on this last pregnancy and got subchronic hematoma and was bleeding xx and then lost it still x

@Mancbear88 hey , thank you ! I have tried progesterone aspirin and blood thinners this last pregnancy and I still lost it . My next step is to ask for steroids , but I’m sure nhs clinic won’t give it to me usless I get tested and go private ! X

I’m with the NHS and they seemed ok to prescribe steroids, assuming my blood sugar test was ok. I’ve got an appointment with Tommys coming up and they said to talk to them about steroids as they are the experts but she would prescribe them without them.

Have you had any genetic testing?
Or a hysteroscopy?

NK cells is a more untested one too but seems to help some people.
Tommys clinics also do some clinical trials if your GP can refer to them. Also some people say that acupuncture helps them.

I had 3 miscarriages all supposedly unexplained asroutine testing didn't show anything. Went to see Dr Shehata at the CRP (miscarriage) clinic and he did more extensive testing which identified my overactive immune system might be to blame. I took immunosuppressants and other medication and am now 29 weeks pregnant so it worked for us. Good luck x

I'm so very sorry for your losses. It's heartbreaking.

If you can afford private treatment, I also went to Mr Shehata at the CRP clinic in Epsom. He identified overactive NK cells and I took immune suppressing drugs. I now have an 8 week old daughter.

Epsom and St Helier Trust follow his protocols so you can request a referral there if you cannot afford private fees. The waiting list can be quite long.

I really hope things work out for you soon, it's a tough old journey, you are not alone x

Thank you everyone , much appreaciated !

@RosieLeeD @ginandoreos aww thank you ladies so much ! Can I ask what medicine did you use with dr sheata on your treatment plans as I’m willing to ask my consultant about prescribing it to me if I know what you took , obviously he might say no as I haven’t been tests for NK cells but it’s worth an ask xx and also what was the overall cost about if you don’t mind me asking ? I know consultation is £350 . And tests 1000-3000£ pounds . How do you all afford this money ? Also I live 6 hours away from sheata too , and I was just thinking if I do go to him , then let’s say I get pregnant , do I have to see him every other week for scans ? Which would mean 6 hours trains jorney and pay for scans ect . I’m just so scared of the amount of money involved xx

Hi @ShareLove

I think we probably spent near to £8k in total by the end. It's an incredible amount of money. I actually took on extra work in order to pay for it.

If you are able to get an NHS referral (I understand this is possible, even if it is not your local NHS trust), I think he would prescribe pregnancy multivitamins, aspirin, vitamin D, progesterone pessaries and steroids (prednisolone).

With his private clinic, you are also prescribed intralipid infusions at ovulation each month and then once pregnant, at more regular intervals. These take place at the clinic in Epsom. I think I have heard of women who have managed to have them nearer to home or refused them as part of the treatment, though I think Mr Shehata doesn't agree easily to this. They cost £400 a month .

Initial consultation and initial testing - I think it might have been near to £3k. Numerous tests for yourself and also male dna fragmentation testing.

It's a huge financial commitment, I am lucky enough to live nearby. People travel to his clinic from all over the country and also from abroad.

I have friends who have had success with Mr Shehata via the NHS and privately,

I know that other women mention professor Brosnans (not sure on spelling) and professor Reagan and Tommys and St. Mary's hospital in London as other specialists in this field.

Wishing you all the luck in the world xxx

@ginandoreos aww thank you so much for taking your time to reply such a long essay for me you’re a star! At least I know roughly how much I’m having to pay if I do decide to see him . Xx I’m just wondering if there is anyone else who is as good as him but maybe cheaper ? I’ll have a look around on internet xx

I've just remembered - another possibility, Dr Amanda Tozer - you can have a phone consultation with her. LOTS of ladies say she's fantastic.

You are welcome - I have been in your shoes in terms of searching the internet and forums for help and direction - I am more than happy to share as much useful information as possible. X

So sorry for your losses

Have you been tested for lupus? I believe that's a cheaper test but it's a very common cause of miscarriage and you can be prescribed injections if it is that

Hi @ShareLove,

I was on the same medications that @ginandoreos mentions for over active NK killer cells including the intralipids and was also on Fragmin (a blood thinner). We were doing Dr Shehata's protocol in conjunction with IVF so the amount we have spent in total is eye watering but the biggest chunk for us has been the IVF.

Our initial miscarriage testing was done privately but wasn't as extensive as what Dr Shehata offers. I remember having 17 vials of blood taken for all sorts of things like thyroid, blood clotting disorders, NK cells etc. If you can afford to invest in the testing then I can't recommend it highly enough, so many clinics appear to fall short of being as comprehensive and a lot of medical professionals don't even believe in the NK cell theory, my IVF consultant being one of them! I had nearly lost hope so for Dr S to tell us he thought he had found our problem was a real turning point for us. I was nearly ready to give up hope since it had taken us 5 years to achieve 3 pregnancies (2 natural, 1 IVF) all which we lost very early.

I hope you get some answers soon and wish you all the best in your journey xx

@ginandoreos aww thank you , you’re amazing ! I will do some reasearch on Amanda tozer now on internet and see what I find

My consultant doesn’t belive in NK cells , I mentioned it to him and he said many people have high nk cells and still carry pregnancy’s , he said in London private clinics they just want to steal your money witu nk testing .

@jackstini hey , yes Iv been tested for lupus and it was all okay ! So there wasn’t any problems there . Xx

@RosieLeeD
Hey , thanks for your message , I am doing NHS ivf so for me that’s is a bonus as I have 3 free cycles all together . I’m on my first one still , one frostie left .
Iv done 2 frozen trasfers already , first one negative and second one misscarrige at 6 weeks .
Every new fresh cycle counts as one go so if you have any Frosties then it doesn’t count as 1 go so that’s good .

So if I do see dr sheata then at least I don’t have to pay for the IVF , which would be massive help .

I was on progesterone and Fragmin 5000iu this frozen cycle and it still failed . I got massive subchronic hematoma , blood clots which was 40% of the size of baby at 6 weeks . So I’m not sure if that maybe affected pregnancy or maybe I would have lost it anyways like I did all the others at 6 weeks .

I have had 6 losses over 6 years , 5 natural and 1 ivf . All lost at 5-6 weeks . What a bummer ……

I am going to ask my consultant for predionsole for next frozen cycle and if he doesn’t then I’ll go private for testing for nk cells and go from there . Im not going to do another frozen cycle unless I get a new plan in place otherwise there is no point of hoping . Xxxx thanks for replying xx

I remember some ladies who had had testing with Dr Shehata then took what he prescribed to Amanda Tozer and she was happy to prescribe it, if I remember rightly. This would avoid having to travel to a epsom for consultations, reviews etc. And you could leave the intralipids, or if you felt you wanted to have them, there seemed to be other clinicians around the country who could administer them.

Find the thread on here called 'Pred thread' and there are lots of lovely ladies on there who must be able to help you too xxx

@ShareLove sorry to hear you have to go through IVF as well.

I would definitely do the same and not go ahead with another transfer without trying something new. I would however highly recommend having the testing before trying prednisolone as I'm pretty sure the level you would need (if applicable) would depend on your results and if your consultant has little experience of prescribing it and no results to go by, it might not be effective anyway.

It's difficult when your consultant doesn't believe in the NK theory. Mine was very tactful and just said there are different schools of thought but we all have the same goal which is to get me (and keep me) pregnant. So whilst he didn't really believe it would work for us, he was supportive in a sense.

I was 37 when I went for my first egg collection so we decided to have genetic testing of the embryos for chromosomal abnormalities. We only had one normal the first time which was a bit of a shock in itself and whilst I got pregnant, I had an early loss. My consultant just said it was bad luck and whilst I went ahead with another egg collection (and got 6 normal that time, a big leap for us), I wanted a second opinion before going ahead with another transfer. This is when I went to see Dr S. When my NK results came back he told me straight that my first transfer had no chance of survival and I should have been on immunosuppressants (his bed side manner is not always the best). That was very hard to hear but at least we had an action plan to move forward.

I know the testing is an investment but for us knowing we had found a possible reason for the losses and a way forward was massive step and helped me to continue on the journey.

I also had a heamotoma (large bleed) at 6w +2 which was 5cm by 4cm so much bigger than the baby and gestational sack was at that stage and I was told it was touch and go but the bleed reduced and was ok. You'll never know if it played a part in your loss but with 6 in a row, it really does sound to me that there is something else going on.

Below is the link to the pred thread that @ginandoreos mentioned. I was quite active on here for a while but not really now as I was really struggling with anxiety a lot at the beginning.

I wish you every success and I hope you find some answers and that you have the support you need xx

Immune/NK cells - pred thread 28 www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/4290124-immune-nk-cells-pred-thread-28

@ShareLove sorry just noticed the link I sent was up to 1k messages so I assume I new one was started but hopefully you can find by searching pred thread xx

@ginandoreos @RosieLeeD thank you both ! You are so much help to me at this difficult time !! You were just what I needed to hear ! You have given me directions and ideas as what to do next and I am very greatful for that not much help out there without you lovely ladies helping other woman find solutions xxx

@RosieLeeD , the reason I had my first ivf this time is because of recurrent misscarriges and my consultant thought it’s chromosome problems even though I have never tested for this . I didn’t have problems getting pregnant really , it was just the losses so when they sent me for ivf , I was a bit confused as why , as I can get pregnant myself . I don’t think it will be this because it’s very rare to lose 6 at early 20’s age . I am very healthy otherwise and no other reason could be found on nhs testing !
I will talk to my consultant and see what he says about trying steroids first , and if he doesn’t want to give to me , I’ll ask him about me going private and put the ivf on hold until I get results
I also agree not to go ahead with new cycle until I find a new plan xxxx

@RosieLeeD I will check out the thread you have sent me thank you xxx

It's no problem at all, hopefully something here will lead you towards some answers, it's such a difficult and lonely time isn't it.

I also had a haematoma - one with my last loss but also one with my recent pregnancy with my little girl. Dr Shehata described it as the 'bloody nose' in the fight between my body (immune system) not wanting to let the embryo implant and the drugs trying to make it possible... essentially my issues were all to do with implantation and my body trying to fight it.

I know there are a whole range of reasons for what women go through but hopefully something shared on this thread can help you ❤️.

@ginandoreos hey , yes it’s help a lot , massively ! I feel a bit lighter , like a bit of weight has lifted I don’t know why ! I feel like I have a plan now what to do next .
I have one question
So if I see dr sheata , have consultation , do I get to do the blood tests on the same day , on is it specific day in the month that blood need to be done ? Does he do biopsy for nk cells or just blood test ? Also , so let’s say I had the bloods done , I go back for consultation to go through the results , does he prescribe the medicine for me there and then even if I’m not pregnant yet ? Or does he just write a letter saying what I need if I do get pregnant ?
So could I get the answers from him as to what I need and go somewhere else ?
Let’s say he only prescribed progesterone and predionsole ? Will my local consultant accept his prescription even if he doesn’t belive it nk cells ? Or do I get it from dr sheata once I’m pregnant ? I would just love to know what I need for next pregnancy and try and get prescription from elsewhere so I don’t have to travel to him once I’m pregnant as it’s like 6 hours away from me x all I really want is just answers and prescription , to say I need steroids for nk cells if that is the case
Xx

So as far as I remember, you go to your first consultation and Mr Shehata talks with you about your history (you fill out some paperwork and send it in advance and he goes through it with you).

He then talks you through the tests he does and ticks them on a list. They are all blood tests (mine were) and sperm dna testing too if you decide to have that.

Then you take the list back to the waiting room to think about whether you want to go ahead (the prices of each test are on the list so it's then you realise the eye watering cost) and if you want to go ahead you will have your blood taken there and then and your partner can do the sperm sample (downstairs in the disabled toilet 🙈🙈🙈).

Then you go back for a results appointment and if he feels he can treat you he will give you your prescription there and then. You pay for the drugs at the clinic and they dispense them there for you to start straight away.

(So I guess after that appointment you could ask another consultant if they will continue to prescribe the same thing?)

Intralipids are at the clinic every month at ovulation and more frequently when pregnant. Mr Shehata will review your plan if there are further problems or if you don't fall pregnant for example. Eg. You can try superovulation.

I'm not sure if I answered everything... sorry, typing on the go!

@RosieLeeD what have I forgotten!? Xx

You don't go at a specific time of the month and you may have to wait a couple of months for the initial Consultation.

Do you follow 'The worst girl gang ever' on insta? They are great.

They also did a podcast with mr s where he explains his theory which is really worth a listen xxx

@ginandoreos oh wow thank you !!!! It’s really helped me to prepare as I have anxiety and I like to know roughly what to expect 😄🙈 you know the paper work you fill out in advance ? In that sent by post beforehand ?

Also , does dr sheata say what blood tests I should be testing for or can you choose yourself ? I thought maybe he makes me get a blood test for every single test on the list as I don’t have any recent tests done to bring with me ?
I thought he wanted to see the full picture of my health but I know that most of the tests will be okay as Iv had them before , but obviously he might want to do it all again as my tests were done long time ago .
To be honest , my biggest wish is to have the NK blood test done ,
If I could I would only choose this test , as Iv done so many tests before and all been totally normal .
This is the only thing I can think of taht is causing my losses . High nk cells .
Thank you for this insta name , I don’t follow them but I will look now and I will follow for sure 100% I didn’t know about them :)
I will also find the podcast about dr sheata to listen ! And one more question , does it really take few months to see sheata even on private ? 🙈😱 xxx thanks for all your help ! This is the first time someone explained things so well to me , it’s amazing, you’re so lovely for helping me ! Xx 🥰
Can I ask why did you go to see dr sheata ? Did you also had recurrent losses ? Xxxx

Yes I think the paperwork was sent in the post 👍🏼. Then he keeps it all in a file.

I was able to get some tests done by my GP that Mr S was happy to accept because they were recent. Sorry - I can't remember what they were. But you could email before your appointment and ask if he will accept the results of tests you have already had done?

The NK blood testing is done at St. Helier hospital, there may be another way to get the blood tested there??

I think the testing monitors not just having too many NK cells, but also how active they are.

I had 2 early losses and it took one month to get an appointment with Mr S, but I have seen on some forums/threads that it has taken other women a couple of months to get an appointment. Xxx