Private prescription for progesterone

[Serenity05]

Has anyone obtained a private prescription for progesterone? If so, where did you get it from?

Long story short, I'm around 6 weeks pregnant after having three miscarriages in the space of a year. I had a scan on Monday which showed a viable pregnancy with a pole and a heartbeat, but slightly smaller than I think it should be for my dates and I started spotting on Monday evening. This is exactly how my previous miscarriages started. I can't sit back and let it happen again, I need to feel like I'm doing something.

I'm under a consultant at the RCM but he's proving somewhere... elusive. No-one knows where he is or when he's due in, his secretary is on leave, the other secretaries in the department are on protected typing time so they're not picking up the phone, and no-one else in the department will prescribe anything without his say so.

So I want to look into getting a private prescription but I don't know where to start. Can anyone point me in the right direction? I'm in Manchester if that helps.

You can get them from ivf clinics HOWEVER have you ever had your progesterone levels tested? You shouldn't really take anything if a doctor hasn't indicated that you need it?

Also at 6 weeks it may be a little late to start - most start it from ovulation or certainly when you get a BFP at 4 week

Losses around 6 weeks are generally due to chromosome abnormality or something like blood clotting x

I second trying an IVF clinic, or a private obstetrician practice - that’s how I got mine. I too had spotting and light bleeds in both of my pregnancies, around the 6 week mark. The private obstetrician I went to put me on progesterone pessaries 400 mg plus 75mg aspirin (available over the counter) and I managed to keep both my pregnancies - currently 33 weeks with my second. He explained that often you have a perfectly viable and healthy embryo but the surrounding environment it’s trying to implant itself into might be suboptimal - too low progesterone levels to nourish the embryo or too thick blood. That’s why a stndard protocol they use in ivf clinics is progesterone plus low dose aspirin to ensure good blood flow to the embryo. Worth giving it a go but since you’re spotting already you probably need to act fast. I am afraid I disagree with the previous poster - you’d be extremely unlucky to have 3 genetically flawed embryos in a row - of course I’m not a doctor but might be worth investigating other factors such as hormone levels etc. Wishing you best of luck. X

Thanks both.

Maybe this baby does have a chromosomal abnormality and there is nothing I can do about it but as I'm facing my fourth miscarriage in 13 months I can't just shrug my shoulders and let it happen. The Tommy's PRISM trial which completed this year showed progesterone has a benefit for women who have had recurrent miscarriage and have bleeding in early pregnancy, so I want to try it.

@mrslebear2 where did you find the private obstetrician?

I completely agree with @Mrslebear2. I’m currently 37 weeks with baby 2 and on the same treatment plan of aspirin and progesterone. My other successful pregnancy was on this combination. These 2 pregnancies followed 3 miscarriages (all between 6-8 weeks). I attended a private clinic for the first pregnancy (and therefore had all of the relevant tests) and managed to get my NHS consultant to prescribe the progesterone for this one- he was very supportive but some of his colleagues less so, so unfortunately it seems to be a case of who you see. However, I wonder if your GP could help- my consultant was happy to prescribe for 3 months but then (I think due to the cost) asked for me to get my GP to prescribe the rest- and I had no problem doing so.
Also, I took progesterone and aspirin from conception for first but with the second, I didn’t see my consultant till 17 weeks- I was spotting from 14 weeks onwards and literally within 24 hours of taking the progesterone, the spotting had stopped. I don’t intend to present it as a guaranteed success but for me at least, it seemed to make a difference. My midwife recommended aspirin from as early as the booking appointment (I was taking it anyway) so it seems that maybe aspirin is now more commonly suggested compared to even a few years ago...

@Serenity05 I’ll pm you with the details

@Serenity05 I got prescribed progesterone by my GP. I know they don't always do this but worth a try. I was told it's completely safe whether you have low levels or not. Apparently low progesterone is hard to diagnose anyway. Mine was prescribed based on a mmc and early mc. I had no spotting or bleeding with either but my GP felt it worth a shot. I'm now 12 weeks after taken it since week 4. Baby is doing great. Good luck and I hope you can get hold of some! Xx

Not trying to be a bummer but your recurrent miscarriages could also be because of a clotting disorder or a thyroid issue (I was given thyroxine, heparin, progesterone and steroids until 20 weeks Then aspirin added to the mix too). Suggest you make an appointment with a private obstetrician (go via Bupa or the BMI clinic) and get all the tests done. Alternatively as you have had 3 miscarriages you will qualify for the progesterone and aspirin from your early pregnancy unit at the nearest hospital that has one - just give them a call.

So sorry you are experiencing the dreaded spotting. After three miscarriages I was prescribed progesterone and Fragmin (blood thinners). Nothing actually came up untoward in my tests but consultant did say you would need several tests to potentially identify a clotting disorder in any event and even if progesterone levels are normal, it's how your ovaries utilise it that is important. Print out the Tommy research and take it to your GP if you can get an urgent appointment, failing that a private clinic. Low dose baby aspirin you can get at a pharmacy. Anything is worth a try after three miscarriages.

Thank you everyone who posted yesterday.

I managed to finally speak to someone at the hospital yesterday who was able to get in touch with the consultant and he asked me to go straight in. I still haven't met him but I saw a registrar and after some begging, arguing that the PRISM trial was more applicable to me than the PROMISE trial (it is) and a bit of crying (for real, I wasn't putting it on!), she relented and prescribed me Cyclogest!

I was told to take aspirin at my first appointment at the recurrent miscarriage clinic, so I'm on that already. I had a round of tests done as well but nothing showed up.

I already feel this morning that the spotting is substantially lighter so fingers crossed this works. At the very least I feel I'm doing everything I can.

All the best OP. I'm glad you got to see someone xx

Great news @Serenity05 fingers crossed it all works for you. I hear in many European countries they prescribe progesterone at the first sign of spotting.

I was a participant in this study
www.miscarriageassociation.org.uk/research/the-prism-trial/
And they've just reported. I don't know if h had placebo or progesterone but the initial results are interesting

Glad you got some x

@Serenity05 sorry I know this is an old thread but I’m going through a really similar situation currently so wanted to reach out. I had my daughter in 2016 without complications but just suffered our third miscarriage in 8 months on Monday (all early losses 5/6 weeks bleeding, second was a missed miscarriage but the embryo never grew, only a yolk sac so again, 5 weeks markish). We’ve just started the referral process which I’m fearing will take a long, long time and the Tommy’s PRISM trial resonated with me too. Had you had any tests done when you were prescribed progesterone and did it help you? If anyone can advise me of any private obstetricians, I’d be hugely grateful. I just want to give it a try to see if it helped us. Thanks in advance xx

If you’re in London you can try Dr Philip Kelly at Guthrie Clinic
King's College Hospital. He had no issues prescribing me progesterone, and as much as I asked for. He has a website where you can book an appointment to see him, he is a nice man.

I'm in Scotland but traveled to Coventry to see Prof Quenby after our 4th mmc. No issues found but I was prescribed progesterone and clexane and had a successful pregnancy. Issues were found with the placenta after his early birth, and at a very low weight for the gestation, so for the next pregnancy I stayed on clexane longer and had another successful pregnancy.

@Worriedmum97 and @AHorseCalledCroc - thank you both so much for your replies and suggestions. I’m looking at both of those now - we’re in East Midlands so London or Coventry would work for us. Really appreciate you getting back to me, it’s such a horrible time and I feel like you’ve got to go and do all the investigative work yourself to get anywhere. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! Will let you know how it goes x

@mamabear61016 I'm so sorry you're going through this too.

The good news is that my pregnancy is going well. I'm 23 weeks tomorrow and the baby is healthy. Like I said in my last post on this thread, the bleeding was already noticeably lighter less than 24 hours after I started the cyclogest. After 48 hours it was gone completely. I stayed on a dose of 400mg x 2 per day until 12 weeks, then I went down to 200mg x 2 per day until 20 weeks. I switched my antenatal care to St. Mary's in Manchester and they've been brilliant. The consultant I'm under now seems a lot more knowledgeable about progesterone treatment. I'm fairly sure the doctor who originally gave me the prescription only did so to stop me having a complete breakdown! My advice is to arm yourself with information, download the PRISM info leaflet from the Tommy's website, and keep pushing. If I hadn't argued, I'm certain this pregnancy would have ended in miscarriage too.

@Serenity05 Such amazing news. Good luck for a happy healthy pregnancy x

@Serenity05 good luck for the rest of your pregnancy, excellent news. I totally echo your comments about fighting for the treatment. Despite everything we'd been through I had to fight to get the treatment for DC2 - you'd have thought the successful DC1 pregnancy would have been a big clue that the treatment was needed 🙄 I was lucky that I still had the email from Prof Quenby from 3 years earlier (DC2 was a surprise or I'd have been more organised in advance!)

@Serenity05 this post made me cry (already very emosh!) but I’m so, so happy for you! We’ve only just been referred to a hospital so it’s early days but as we had a baby in 2016 (I was also still taking the pill at the time which has low dose progesterone and oestrogen so maybe that’s a coincidence that our daughter is here today!?) thank you for all your advice, we’re going to keep fighting. We had our second miscarriage checked and they find nothing genetically wrong etc, and three in a row I just find so hard to believe that would be down to genetics. It sounds so mad but I’d try again for a fourth time before waiting months for tests but I think I’d feel safer knowing I’ve got the progesterone and aspirin to take for some reassurance. Wishing you so much luck with your baby and I’m going to keep fighting for ours xo

I'm so glad I've found this thread, I'm currently 13+2 after my 5th MC and I have been with the miscarriage clinic and had testing etc with nothing coming back. 4 of my mc's were below 6weeks and the latest I started bleeding at 11weeks but was told baby was long gone.
I was put on progesterone as soon as I found out (coincidentally had an appointment for more testing the day I found out) and I'm convinced that's why I've gotten so far. This thread has given me so much hope as I'm just riddled with anxiety and about to have my 5th scan (2nd private) as our "12 week" scan isn't until 15 weeks.

Wishing all the best of luck!!

@Leebeemarie, so sorry to hear what you’ve been going through. This thread gave me comfort too during a super dark time. We’re waiting for our consultant appointment but initial blood tests came back normal so who knows what’s next for us, just know I’ve got to try and wait to conceive until we’ve had more tests as hard as that is! I’m convinced progesterone should be offered to all women after two miscarriages, as low progesterone is so hard to diagnose unless you’re pregnant and then it can be too late. A new piece of research was published today about the importance of progesterone in women who have recurrent miscarriages and/or bleeding in pregnancy. It’ll cost the NHS £204 per patient and approximately save 8,500 babies. It’s astonishing, I’m praying it’ll be offered more freely before women have to go through this horrific experience countless times. Wishing you all the best in your pregnancy, try to enjoy it. I know that’s easier said than done. We had a “normal” pregnancy in 2016 and it really was the most joyful experience, I will never feel like that again so I totally understand why you’ll be so anxious. I will keep everything crossed for you that you get to meet your rainbow baby soon xo

@Worriedmum97 I know this is an old thread but was wondering whether dr Kelly prescribed progesterone without doing any tests? I have a short luteal phase so require progesterone to support this. Thanks

@Vickisun I know nobody replied to you above but wondering if you ever had any success getting a prescription for progesterone to support short luteal phase? I’m in exactly the same situation…