Dr Shehata advice

[Wolfemum]

Hello, I am currently experiencing my 3rd consecutive miscarriage and my 2nd MMC. I have been told I will now be referred to the RMC unit but due to my age (42) i think I need to go privately and I was wondering what your opinions are on Dr Shehata? I've heard he has a brilliant reputation but is quite focused on NK cells and less on other things. Can anyone share their thoughts, opinions experiences?
My first pregnancy was healthy and resulted in my 6 year old boy but the last 2 MMC we saw a heartbeat at 6 weeks but then no growth or heartbeat at 7/8 weeks.
Many thanks for reading

@MeganBistram I am so happy for you!! Also been thinking of you all day (actually for the last 2 weeks!!) and was so hoping it would be good news! What a way to start the weekend!

I went to the clinic for ovulation intralipids this week and to collect all my meds for phase 2 but despite tomorrow being day 14 of my cycle I’m still getting blank circles on the clear blue opks (I started testing on day 10 and have a 28-30 day cycle) I’m so worried I’ve missed my fertile window and it was all for nothing this month. My husbands been away for work this week so tonight is our first opportunity to try. I was so sure I’d ovulate this weekend so it would be fine but maybe it was really early this month for whatever reason (hasn’t ever been before). Feeling a bit deflated and like I’ve just wasted £400 :(((

@JandL2020 when is your ivf booked for?

Thinking of you all so much
xxx

Ohhh @KatyTTC I know how you are feeling. I have been a mess trying to figure out my ovulation this cycle. First my period was short and the whole ovulation has been difficult to figure out.
You might get a static face straight without flashy face I mean. That happened to me even though I am not sure how reliable the clearblue OPK was because it came so early. it just didn’t feel right at all. I used another new pack but never got solid face.

I emailed CRP to ask what I should do with my medication if I don’t get solid face. I was told I should only start taking it if I see natural signs of ovulation or solid face on OPK. I should not take medication if I don’t see any. That was not helpful at all. As a sign, usually I only get clear cervical mucus during ovulation week but this cycle there was no such or any sign. I am not sure if it’s because I never ovulated or progesterone is causing lack of mucus. But I still started taking medication just in case. Now I am on cd19.
Also I was told I can go for a scan to see what’s going on or wait until my next cycle. I decided to wait. So now it’s been a waiting game. 10 more days to go until next cycle. It’s been a mental torture.

Sorry I am not being very helpful here. But the best thing is to maybe follow SMEP method. That’s what I did. So if you think this weekend might be your ovulation, not to miss any chance, you can try tonight, and on the weekend. And maybe every other night for few more days.
I just feel sometimes these OPK can be unreliable.

@Hope646 yes I was also wondering about the medication. Ok that’s great advice.
I’ll take the meds anyway from CD15 as I think that’s roughly when I normally ovulate and try the SMEP starting from this eve.
Thank you for replying.
Fingers crossed for you for the next 10 days… agonising :((

xxx

@KatyTTC @Hope646 thanks so much ladies
Gosh it’s such a mind field this trying especially when you have to factor in a lot of drugs.

The only thing. I would recommend is not to take the progesterone until you know you have definitely ovulated as it can actually stop you ovulating. I actually did it 3 days DPO on this cycle I got pregnant as I kept reading on the FB groups that people were struggling TTC when starting it from day 1. Also day 3 is when they do it on IVF cycles.

if you do want to do the scanning to track your cycle I suggest you do it elsewhere as it will be cheaper. If any of you are in midlands there is one in Sutton which is £150 xx

Thank you so much for the tip @MeganBistram i had a feeling that could be it. I wish we were told this by the clinic. If that’s really the case, then 2 cycles have gone waste for me. If I remember it correctly, I was told by Dr. S to take the medication from the day I see solid face. You pay and invest so much in them, you would think it’s ok to trust them blindly. It’s frustrating

@Hope646 thats definitely the advise and by all means please don’t listen to me. Plenty of people who start of day 1 of ovulation get pregnant fine.. I just have no idea after my surge when I actually ovulate as my temp doesn’t go up.. so I went with better safe than sorry and waited until 3 days DPO :)

CRP are fabulous at given us a lifeline and hope but I think they do to sometimes apply the same to all xx

@MeganBistram congratulations on your first scan. X
@Hope646 sounds like you are having a stressful time. I’m surprised they don’t monitor your ovulation with monitoring scans? Surely more reliable?
@KatyTTC I hope end of July

however, and this is a big however …I have been quite poorly with my tummy…bloating feeling sick etc
so I really don’t know what to do now 😞
xx

@JandL2020 im so sorry to hear this. What do they thinks causing it? Are you thinking you might have to delay your cycle as a result :(( ? Xx

@KatyTTC possibly something like IBS? Trying to think if there is a pattern to it but there isn’t really but always occurs after eating…so I’m avoiding foods and sleeping a lot…think I slept for about 4 hours today completely wiped out. That was after eating a bit of mashed up avocado and boiled egg. I’ve thrown away falafel as that made me really ill yesterday. I thought I just had a gluten problem but now I’m thinking it could be something more serious.
by time I get a GP appointment it won’t be until my next round starts so I don’t know what to do. I’ve stopped taken metformin will see if that also isn’t helping things. I haven’t felt right since end of feb after ectopic surgery. Before that I was fine. If I go private to see a specialist this week will be £200. Xx

I’m so sorry to hear this @JandL2020 . Can your ivf clinic help or fast-track a referral perhaps? How frustrating for you. X

@KatyTTC thank you. I’ve been putting off going to get checked because some days I am fine but when it happens it is awful. My ivf clinic won’t be interested. Xx

@JandL2020 so sorry to hear you’ve not been feeling good, I know you mentioned you have had awful stomach pain when we spoke about meds previously. But it sounds like it’s been going on a while. Hopefully things can get investigated fast, especially if you’re in pain. Thinking of you. Must be so stressful on top of everything else. Sending strength x

@JandL2020 have you had your thyroid retested in full? The tiredness etc. sounds like it could be that? Xx

@Lara8 thank you…yes it doesn’t help. GP full up as well so may have to just go for a private appointment this week and pay for it 😞

@MeganBistram I’ve had that checked, that’s all good. I only get really wiped out when I get these stomach cramps,bloats and feeling sick

i took a picture other week of my stomach. I look about 7 months pregnant. Sadly not the case 😞

xx

Hey, that’s annoying you can’t get a GP appointment. Maybe try lots of kefir and probiotics in the mean time. Hopefully you will
be able to find a cancellation appointment, keep calling them. Did it start after the medication? Or before? I wonder if Dr Shehata could be of any help in referring you or have any ideas into tracing what’s triggered it. Xxxxx

@JandL2020 i also wondered if Shehata could help or refer.
It doesn’t sound anywhere near as bad but since I started the Humira in April I’ve been incredibly bloated (always after eating but also even just after water or a cup of tea etc) and I’ve been SO tired.
Do you think it could be related to that?
This is me first thing in the morning last week and then after a light lunch yesterday! It’s insane. I don’t normally have a flat stomach (I wish!) but people definitely wouldn’t wonder if I’m pregnant…!

xx

@Lara8 @KatyTTC thanks ladies. I ended up going to my GP this morning and they can see me this afternoon. I’m amazed!
wow that’s how I was…it could be related but I had issues before I started taking it. I can’t remember what the side effects were. Are you on progesterone yet? That can slow down digestion. I feel absolutely fine today 🤷‍♀️

hope everyone is doing okay today xxx

@JandL2020 thats so good! So pleased for you. Hoping they get to the bottom of it. This treatment can be so anxiety provoking. And having anything added on to this just isn’t helpful!

@KatyTTC I’ve also been so tired since humira. I get my bloods done on Wednesday to see if the two jabs have worked but i was told I’d prob need a further two. Hoping this doesn’t push me further into exhaustion. I also want to find how how long it takes for humira to leave the body as it would be nice to enter the winter bugs period not having low immunity!

Hopefully Dr Shehata can give some guidance over the bloating. It seems there are so many side effects to humira. Hopefully it’s short lived

@Lara8 thanks for the tips I’m going to stock up on probiotics.
GP thinks I have an infection so I’ve got to send off stool samples and start antibiotics tomorrow. At least I have a plan and not had to pay ££££

I will speak with the clinic re: if there is any link between the injections. I suspect he will say not and I will ask whether I should delay my cycle arghhhh end of august seems so far away 😩😩😩😩😩

Hi ladies, I hope you are all as well as can be and looking after yourselves.
Have been around the block a few times and yet still stuck in the same position. 5 miscarriages, through the NHS - zero help then went through Dr S, he did all the testing, needed Adalimubab x2 and then the usual intralipids/pred/prog/omp plan.
So here’s my issue - these m/c’s have fawked me up emotionally. I’m getting older and I’m scared to try and petrified to not try. Have suffered bad (health) anxiety, lost friends, isolated myself, spent thousands and to no avail yet. Had lots of counselling and therapy.
i know I need to get back on the horse but just find everything super daunting. Have ttc 3/5 last months on his plan taking everything at ovulation and nothing. (Currently 7dpo and not a flinch only really bad mood swings -steroids no doubt)
In the past I used to get pregnant as soon as we tried and now despite all this treatment we have not made any headway. I hate taking all the meds every month, it’s so expensive. I feel like I’m stuck in a trap. And basically it wasn’t the best time to be dawdling with my emotions because now I’m worried he is going to want to retest me again (can’t afford it). It’s been over a year since I had all the bulk testing done….. does anyone know if he requests retesting if there is no progress and can I ask how do you approach your GP for the normal blood testing instead of getting them through him at a high cost? I feel like the GP won’t do them for me as im under him privately- any tips welcome please xx

@JandL2020 hope you are feeling better. Has the antibiotic help you yet?

@whatsgoingon22 I am so sorry for what you are going through. MCs and Infertility takes away so much from us. I wish there was more support available. This whole journey is draining and on top of that when a high cost is involved when nothing is still guaranteed, it is a lot more stressful.
I was told that after 3 months under Dr. S protocol if I fail to conceive naturally, he would reassess everything. I am not sure what exactly would that be, maybe it would involve a scan, superovulation treatment (just guessing this one), and maybe reassess the timing and duration of the medication. Has he not changed your treatment or added anything to help in the last 1 year you have been with him?

You should definitely approach your GP. Maybe not all the blood test but they can definitely do some e.g. full blood count, thyroid, liver function, AMH and I am sure there are few more. i don't think they would cover any tests to do with NK cells.

@Hope646 not been started on anti biotics yet as stool result not back yet but they have started me on omeperzole which settles the stomach. I’ve felt fine this week and stopped metformin. Just more tired today than anything else but did have a late night and work is boring today 🤣
Didn’t realise you didn’t have to start the super ovulation programme just the steroid therapy? I guess it’s easier to time things if they scan you then more change to catch x

ahh good. Hopefully the omeperzole will help with the bloating and it won’t be any other sort of issue causing the bloating.
yes at the moment I am just on prednisolone and progesterone from ovulation time. And of course the intralipid. Will you be on super ovulation? How does it work? Do they just give it to anyone who goes through ivf or is it for natural conception also?

@JandL2020 sorry forgot to tag 😂

@Hope646 ive tried ovulation induction before and it didn’t work. Started trying naturally in 2018 nothing happened so had ivf in 2020 miscarried miscarried again 2021 and again 2022 …one natural ectopic 4 years later and only one tube now. so I don’t think super ovulation will work for us. Plus we have frozen embryos left. I feel really sad that my chances of natural conception are even lower than they were before. I had a bit of hope before but now just feel like it will never happen. Not even ivf has worked for us 😩think super ovulation is a good option if it doesn’t happen naturally ..it’s a good way of timing things through scans and when best to take progesterone xx