Progesterone pessaries success stories - 3dpo, CD1 or once you had a BFP?

[DancinOnTheCeiling]

I’ve had three miscarriages and am going to try progesterone pessaries. Was on holiday visiting a friend who lives in Germany; I saw a private gyno there who prescribed it.

EPU here said they’ll give me progesterone if I get a BFP and if I start bleeding (which happened in all 3 of my miscarriages) but I’d rather take progesterone even if there is no bleeding. I forgot to ask the gyno when to take it. Reading up on it, I’ve read either to take from 3dpo, CD21 or once you get your BFP. Can anyone give advice who has had success with this? I know it defo has to be after ovulation.

I’m also taking 150mg aspirin, started a different thread re when to take it and received very helpful advice.

Posting under pregnancy as I figured the best advice will be by those who have managed to fall pregnant this way but might post under conception as well..

@AnnieDav thanks for sharing your story and your good wishes. So glad progesterone worked for you. Do you mind me asking how much you took? I’ve heard of people taking 2x200 per day but some seem to take 2x400 per day.. and how long were you on it? Most people seem to be on it until week 12 or 16 it seems

I’ve had 4 miscarriages. I was luckily seen very early on. I was told aspirin from a positive test, which I did, and heparin injections as I have a blood issue. I’m not sure if anything actually works as often it’s just an embryo issue, but my journey was:
1st - nothing - miscarriage
2nd - nothing miscarriage and referred
3rd - heparin and aspirin from positive test, progesterone from 6w scan - miscarriage
4th - as above plus Metronidazole as a precaution (can’t remember exactly when I had the course, maybe 7-8wks? Successful pregnancy!
5th - heparin, aspirin, progesterone when I found out I was pregnant (had some of the latter left over and thought I’d start it earlier). Ectopic pregnancy, had the injection, no loss of tubes.

Just started trying for #2 and will do aspirin and heparin from positive test and wait to check in with the consultant regarding progesterone and Metronidazole.

Good luck!!

Oh wow what a journey @Krakenes. Thanks for sharing. Sorry for all the losses but glad you had a successful pregnancy, and that you didn’t lose your tubes. What is Metronidazole? Wishing you lots of luck for #2 🤞🏻🍀

In case anyone is still reading this thread, I have another question. So I started progesterone from CD21 (approx 7 days post ovulation but not 100% sure when I ovulated). I’m on CD29 today, no period so totally got my hopes up and planned to test today until I read that lots of people didn’t get their period but weren’t pregnant - it was just the progesterone delaying their period. Obviously the only way to know is to do a test which I will later but if it’s a BFN, do I then just stop the progesterone and start again once I’m 7dpo next time? I will definitely update re the outcome of my test..

Hi OP - fingers hugely crossed for your BFP!
I read a lot of stories about progesterone masking a period and/or a MC but the studies don’t really support that being the case and it seems to be more anecdotal. Even when I took progesterone my MC started to bleed pretty much as soon as bchg stopped increasing - don’t have experience with the impact on a period as we conceived on the 1st cycle where I took progesterone immediately after ovulating.
if you’re not sure of ovulation dates, I would do a test now but even if it’s negative, perhaps give yourself another week on progesterone before coming off and trying next cycle?
sending lots of baby dust your way x

Thank you @Texasholdem20. I took a test - BFN 🥲. But no sign of AF so I’m praying that I’m pregnant and it’s just not showing up on a test yet.. I don’t have a good feeling but will probably go with what you suggested (which makes sense to me), ie to stay on progesterone for another week and if still BFN then I’ll stop taking it. DH has just been put on new meds for a medical condition and we just realised (from a goggle search) that the meds could lead to birth defects if taken in the three months prior to conception, argh! Annoyed at him for forgetting to mention to the GP that we’re TTC, I’m sure there must be different meds he could try. Argh, feeling sad and frustrated 😤

Hi ive had 4 miscarriages in the 18 months. I'm taking 2 x 400mg projesterone either rectally or vaginally. This was provided by my reoccuring miscarriage nhs doctor..I was told to take from 3dpo (if tracking temp) or 5dpo if using ovulation test until 15dpo where I do a pregnancy test. If negative I stop. I have found my period hasn't really started until about 3 days after I've stopped projesterone so it is making my cycles slightly longer. Ive been told 75mg aspirin but ive read online alot that 150mg is better so will increase this. All the best and hope this helps!

Thanks a lot @9pmchange, that’s very helpful. Interesting you’re saying your period doesn’t start until about 3 days after you stop progesterone.. fingers crossed for you too, thanks so much for sharing this info 😊

Hi,

I know this thread is a bit older but had anyone managed to get progesterone from their GP? I have had 3 early miscarriages and am waiting to see recurrent miscarriage clinic but if I get pregnant again in the mean time I’m wondering if I could get any beforehand. In certain it’s due to low progesterone as I always spot before my period is due and have done with all 3 positive tests.

@CN1126 I've not had any luck anyway. I was told my progesterone was low by my 2 different gynaes as we had been referred for fertility problems. During that time we had a miracle pregnancy in dec but then I began spotting and having some very light bleeding after new years for about a week . Took us 17 years but drs don't care about that. After i week i started bleeding really heavy and lost that pregnancy which is devastating since it took so long , I'm not filled with hope itll happen again. They are extremely reluctant to prescribe progesterone, especially to someone like me whos just lost one. As you've had 3 mcs you should qualify for help. Someone sent me a link from Tommy's website regarding this and there's some good advice on there regarding it

So so sorry for your loss @MK85 😢. Wouldn’t the gyno consultants prescribe progesterone for you?

@CN1126 I don’t know anyone who got it from their GP unfortunately. I hope the recurrent miscarriage clinic will a) see you very soon and b) prescribe progesterone straight away (ie not just if you’re bleeding/after BFP etc - which is what they’ve told me).

@MK85 so sorry to read this. Don’t lose hope! If you are in the UK I would recommend seeing Dr Shehata from the CRP clinic. Sending love your way.

Hi I’m new here!

I hope this isn’t too graphic, but can anyone tell me if it’s possible to push a vaginal progesterone pessary too far up? I was prescribed 2 x 200mg utrogestan twice a day (800mg total) and the pharmacist said they don’t give applicators during pregnancy in case it goes up too far so I should use my finger, and I’m now really nervous! Particularly as there are 2… surely putting in the second immediately after the first could mean I push the first one too far? I’m so worried about doing anything to impact the baby eg by hitting my cervix.

Thanks in advance for any light you can shed on this for me!

@Joho1988 that pharmacist was, for lack of a better word, an idiot.
First of all because loads of pregnant women on IVF use the applicators.
Secondly because... Too far.. How?! They can't go higher than the cervix, and there is zero issues with them going that far up, apart from maybe some mild discomfort.
However, I'm not using applicators and also putting in 2x at a time and almost find that I can't get them hjgh enough!!

@ASGIRC Thank you so much. Honestly, this is exactly what I needed to hear tonight!! I really appreciate your reply.

Hmm yeah I’m finding that it’s almost like there isn’t space for them both. I put the first in OK and then when putting the second in I felt the first hit my cervix which did hurt (and then I panicked that I’d done some damage). Maybe mine is just very short!!

@Joho1988 I haven't hit my cervix, cause my vagina seems to have a bend, but it's a struggle to get them both in far enough that I don't feel they will actually fall out!

And if you aren't yet, wear pads! There will be a constant stream of sticky white goo coming out of you!

@ASGIRC haha thank you for the heads up!! Good tip.
Do you think there’s any downside in them not being high up enough (as long as they aren’t falling out)? Maybe it doesn’t matter, as long as they are IN there. In which case I might not push as far as it really didn’t feel good. I guess that area just feels very vulnerable at the moment, no doubt it’s at least partially in my head but it felt like my body just went “HELLLL NO!”

@Joho1988 I just push mine up to where I can't feel them anymore, much like a tampon!
It is recommended you lay down for 20 minutes after putting them in, but who has time for that?! Unless it is the night one, when you're going to bed!

Otherwise, they'll be absorbed somewhat, but also melt and fall out.
You need to trust that it's working, basically! 😂

@ASGIRC ok got it, thank you! So in that sense, some of it is going to run out anyway, so getting it up as high as possible is just to give it the best chance of more being absorbed I guess. Rather than it actually needing to be nearer the uterus.

Thank you so much for your replies, it’s really calmed me down! 🙏

The pharmacist was talking nonsense - I'm pregnant and my Progesterone came with applicators. I also pushed them in as far as they would go with my finger, which is what the nurse said to do.

If anyone needs applicators I have LoADs that I don't need. All in boxes and sealed, happy to post out for free.

My advice would be to use a pantyliner so the waxy residue doesn't ruin your knickers or get clogged up in the washing machine.

It also leaves a deposit in the loo. Haven't worked out how to prevent that, just have to be aware when cleaning.

@Joho1988 yeah, that's the jist of it!

@Whataretheodds i find that I need to change my liners at least twice a day, if not more, with my 6 a day.
I was using my reusable pads, but couldn't wash them fast enough!!

I've been using progesterone for months now, I was always so scared of pushing to high or too low and the mess were unbearable every day - even with a liner 🤦🏽‍♀️
I spoke to my consultant and she advised to switch to rectally which I have done for last 2 months now and it's so much better with no mess!
The body absorbs them exactly the same maybe even better and there is no mess at all.

Hi ladies, how are you all getting on? I started on utrogestan pessaries two nights ago (at 2dpo). My clinic just said to take them at night, but they didn't actually say how many to use, at least as far as I can recall! I've been putting one in (200mg) but I keep reading online and it seems like most women are using two pessaries a day. I was wondering how many you used, and if it helped?

As an aside, I'm having no vaginal discomfort (luckily!) but I have been ridiculously tired, ended up having a two hour nap yesterday and feel like I've been hit with a truck in the mornings the last few days! Is that because of the progesterone? And if it is, does the tiredness increase linearly with the amount of progesterone you're taking? Thanks!

I was instructed to take 400 a night - but mine are 400 each not 200.
I would call and check.
I think the tiredness is from pregnancy generally x