Anyone taking progesterone after 1 miscarriage

[Princess2022]

I spoke to my gp and told him I suffered 1 miscarriage and now I am pregnant can he prescribe me progesterone medication and if i can get a blood test done to check hcg levels as I am scared if bleeding happens again. He said where are you reading this from and how do you know about progesterone nhs doesn't provide that. He said if you had 5 miscarriages in a row then we will do further testing. I didn't like the way he spoke to me.
Has anyone else been on progesterone after having 1 miscarriage or does it have to be recurrent.

The NICE guidelines say progesterone should only be prescribed based on previous losses once a heartbeat has been seen on a scan, plus when there has already been bleeding. Progesterone makes more of a clinical difference with recurrent losses.

Nice Guidelines:
www.midirs.org/latest-news/news/2021/updated-nice-guidance-on-miscarriage-using-progesterone-to-help-prevent-pregnancy-loss/

Tommy's PRISM trial:
www.tommys.org/about-us/charity-news/prism-trial-bleeding-early-pregnancy-and-miscarriage

I asked my GP and they did a referral to ask for advice, but I am older, know my progesterone is low from previous blood tests and recently had a MMC with dropping / low progesterone. I'll ask again at the EPU when I have a scan at 6 weeks, but it's because I am at higher risk of loss due to age and previous history, etc.

If you have had one loss, the chance of another loss are lower than for recurrent losses. You can also send for private hcg blood tests, which is what I do with Medichecks to check if the hcg is doubling or not. This isn't really something they provide on the NHS as far as I am aware (my previous GP used to 12-15 years ago).

Hi somethingluscious
I wasn't aware about it. Thank you for all this info. I really appreciate it. I will do private maybe.

Hi @Princess2022

I am taking progesterone after 1 miscarriage. I asked my GP and he wasn’t keen as it’s not standard practice after 1, but he contacted a specialist at the hospital who said it’s becoming more common to prescribe just in case, so the GP agreed to do it for me on this basis.
I did have some light spotting this week so whether the progesterone has prevented some heavier bleeding I don’t know

Hi Natpat81

I was assuming they shouldn't have a problem in giving that. But not all gp will be that helpful. I hope you have a healthy safe pregnancy ahead.

Hi @Princess2022

I took progesterone after 1 miscarriage, however I bled at weeks 4, 5 and 6 and once they’d seen a heartbeat at 6 weeks, that’s when they prescribed it to me (I had lots of spotting in my miscarriage which was ignored by the EPU as it was dark blood). They told me they wouldn’t have prescribed it without the episodes of bleeding in the current pregnancy.

Wishing you all the best ✨

Hi all I've had four miscarriages - some very early but have been told this only helps once you see a positive test? Can anyone shed light on this

Hi Cdoc
Sorry to hear what you been through.
I hope your pregnancy goes smoothly.

They prescribe it in the US much more willingly, so women may take progesterone after ovulation has been confirmed to support the luteal phase. They would then stop it without a +ve pregnancy test after a normal luteal phase length, so that period then comes.

I know others who have had progesterone prescribed where they have a known luteal phase defect or deficiency but are pregnant, but it's hard to get a GP to do this.

I believe they use progesterone in IVF too I think, but the cycle is completely controlled then.

With early miscarriages you need to get to the point where you see a heartbeat due to the NICE guidelines. The chemical pregnancies I've had at 5-6 weeks didn't have or wouldn't have had good hcg doubling, so progesterone won't make any difference to an non-viable pregnancy anyway, but may delay the inevitable, which is why i think they possibly wait for a heartbeat to be confirmed and bleeding or spotting may indicate progesterone issues (though a drop in estrogen levels can cause spotting in your cycle too).

Thank you so much somethingluscious for giving me this detailed info. Really appreciate it. I'm gonna try not to stress about it. Doctor said miscarriage are usually a one off and then you have a healthy pregnancy the next time you conceive but I don't think that's always true.

I've been doing urine tests a couple of days apart to see progression. They seem to show up better on FRER (first response) so started to relax a bit now at 18-19 days past ovulation. I was getting worried about line progression as my tests with MMC were much darker from the get go at 11dpo, but I did a 2-3 weeks clearblue test so feel a bit better.

My GP phones to say the recurrent consultant gynaecologist got back to her and recommended going for scan with EPU then ask them for progesterone. I'm trying to relax and remember that every pregnancy is different and take each day as it comes. I'm doing blood tests at 15, 19 & 22 days past ovulation and will do another around time of scan and probably the week after (due to last time). They only scan from 8wks past start of last menstrual period, but that will put me at 6w3d.

Hey somethingluscious

I wish you a very safe pregnancy.

I asked for it after they found a heart beat at six weeks with my current pregnancy. I had a MMC in April and had read the NICE guidelines so I knew they were supposed to offer it to me.

Hi TheBirdintheCave

I wish I could do a early scan so I'm reassured but it will have to be transvaginal and I don't wanna go through that.

@Princess2022 I've been prescribed it after one miscarriage. My miscarriage was in August at 7 weeks. A heartbeat had been seen earlier on, but I'd also had a week and a half of spotting in that pregnancy. I then had spotting in this pregnancy which started just after 5 weeks and again went on for over a week. Had a scan at EPU which showed a heartbeat. I mentioned progesterone to them and they didn't say much, but I then got a phone call from them in the afternoon to say they were prescribing me it. I've now been on it for a week or so.

Is there any reason you don't want a transvaginal scan? They're honestly not that bad x

Hi rach971

Thanks for letting me know.
I just panic. I refused it when I had my miscarriage 2 months back. I'm just scared.

It's standard practice in most of the uk to do nothing until youve had 3 losses. Tbh I understand why as one mc is so common and usually won't need any further help.
I had two mc and took aspirin daily from the Day I got my positive test and I carried that baby to term so you could always try aspirin as well as you don't need a prescription.

@whosaidtha I wish I'd remembered aspirin as I would have taken that from the start too but it's a bit late now :/

I was prescribed progesterone after 1 MMC but chose not to take it - this was through the EPU at the hospital though not the GP. The nurse said the guidelines had fairly recently changed (this was Nov 21) so it was a new thing they were trying

@tfh Was everything okay even though you didn't take it?

I asked the EPU about this last week (optimistic future planning). She said something about the guidelines recently changing and in the process of being updated, where the guidance is to prescribe progesterone if you've had a MC with bleeding previously. She said it hasn't been determined how it's going to work, whether through GPs / Midwives / EPUs, but for now best to ask the GP.....

Thank you everyone for sharing all this information.
I'm 4 weeks and 2 days shall I start taking aspirin? Is it gonna help? Or shall I ask my gp 1st? I think my gp will end up saying why do you wanna take aspirin and where are you getting this information from. They seem to give opposite answers. Anyway I have seen aspirin in boots but there is different ones. can someone suggest which one to get please if possible
Thanks

I took normal aspirin, own brand or anything is the same. Really small dose though. 75mg. It may or may not help. I was advised not to take it by my gp but did anyway. No idea if it would have worked out anyway
I will say though that after 1 miscarriage the chance of having a second one is around 1% so hopefully you'll have a successful pregnancy this time.

Thank you whosaidtha
I'm trying not to panic but can't help it.

Yep all good, I'm 36 weeks now! I didn't really understand the benefits of taking it so decided not to - obviously completely up to you if you want to though!

I've had 2 miscarriage and didn't take progesterone. The next pregnancy stuck.