Hello, Ladies!
I hope you won't mind me joining you. I usually post on the "Spouses With Low Sperm Count" and "Trying To Conceive Over 35" boards. I was happy to find your discussion about elevated DHEA-s levels.
I have been diagnosed with PCOS by other REs I have seen. (My sister, who is 19 years older than I am, was diagnosed with PCOS in 1975 by Dr. Robert Greenblatt. She had the classic case of PCOS. In 2005, she was diagnosed with Endometrial Cancer. She had a hysterectomy in 2007.) The RE my husband and I are seeing now, diagnosed me with Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency and a touch of PCOS.
Our RE has diagnosed my husband with high chloresterol and a testosterone level on the lower end of normal. My hubby also had a SA done which showed he had a low sperm count. He's had 4 SAs done now and has shown improvement with each one. We are still trying to get his morphology to improve.
Here are the results of DH's fourth semen analysis taken on March 16th –
PH – 8.1 - Normal 7.2 to 8.0
Volume 2.1 – Normal 1 to 6 ml
Concentration – 42.0 – Normal greater than 20 million
Motility (%) – 60 – Normal greater than 50%
Progression – Normal greater than 25% A or 50 % A+B
A= Rapid Progression = 25
B= Slow or Sluggish = 25
C= Non-Progression = 10
D= Non-Motile = 40
Morphology (by Krueger strict criteria*) *Very poor fertilization may occur with less than 5% normal forms – 2%
Total Motile Sperm – 53.0 – Normal greater than 20 million
Liquefied within 30 minutes – yes
Viscosity – Normal
Appearance – Normal
Cell Debris – Yes
Cell Clumps – Yes
Agglutination – None
Comment: Poor Morphology
Here are the results of the first semen analysis taken on June 1, 2011 –
PH – 8.3 - Normal 7.2 to 8.0
Volume 2.0 – Normal 1 to 6 ml
Concentration – 6.0 – Normal greater than 20 million
Motility (%) – 50 – Normal greater than 50%
Progression – Normal greater than 25% A or 50 % A+B
A= Rapid Progression = 10
B= Slow or Sluggish = 30
C= Non-Progression = 10
D= Non-Motile = 50
Morphology (by Krueger strict criteria*) *Very poor fertilization may occur with less than 5% normal forms – 4%
Total Motile Sperm – 6.0 – Normal greater than 20 million
Liquefied within 30 minutes – yes
Viscosity – Normal
Appearance – Less Opaque
Cell Debris – No
Cell Clumps – No
Agglutination – None
Comment: Oligozoospermia
Here are the results of the second semen analysis taken on July 15, 2011 –
PH – 8.0 - Normal 7.2 to 8.0
Volume 2.0 – Normal 1 to 6 ml
Concentration – 10.0 – Normal greater than 20 million
Motility (%) – 41 – Normal greater than 50%
Progression – Normal greater than 25% A or 50 % A+B
A= Rapid Progression = 10
B= Slow or Sluggish = 22
C= Non-Progression = 9
D= Non-Motile = 59
Morphology (by Krueger strict criteria*) *Very poor fertilization may occur with less than 5% normal forms – 2%
Total Motile Sperm – 8.0 – Normal greater than 20 million
Liquefied within 30 minutes – yes
Viscosity – Normal
Appearance – Normal
Cell Debris – No
Cell Clumps – No
Agglutination – None
Here are the results of DH's third semen analysis taken on November 15, 2011 –
PH – 8.0 - Normal 7.2 to 8.0
Volume 2.5 – Normal 1 to 6 ml
Concentration – 19.0 – Normal greater than 20 million
Motility (%) – 58 – Normal greater than 50%
Progression – Normal greater than 25% A or 50 % A+B
A= Rapid Progression = 26
B= Slow or Sluggish = 21
C= Non-Progression = 11
D= Non-Motile = 42
Morphology (by Krueger strict criteria*) *Very poor fertilization may occur with less than 5% normal forms – 3%
Total Motile Sperm – 28.0 – Normal greater than 20 million
Liquefied within 30 minutes – yes
Viscosity – Normal
Appearance – Less Opaque
Cell Debris – No
Cell Clumps – No
Agglutination – None
During my June 6th appointment, our RE ordered blood work and discussed plans with me for an ultrasound soon. Here’s what happened.
I went to my appointment nervous but determined that I was going to convince him to go through with the ultrasound he mentioned in December. One of my biggest problems is that I know what I need to say and that I need to be assertive, but I’m used to being soft spoken and following orders. I sat there practicing what I wanted to say and praying that I would be able to say it when the time came.
After he came in and been in the room for a couple of minutes, I decided I should start telling him what was on my mind. Suddenly, flashing through my mind was my post on the Trying To Conceive Over 35 board mentioning my often having brown blood periods in recent years and Grey Eye’s answer asking me if I had ever mentioned this to my doctor. I realized that this was something I did very much want to tell him about and had almost forgotten it.
Right then, I brought it up. He was interested. It was then that he ordered blood work and a pregnancy test. He said that if he determined that I wasn’t ovulating, we would begin medication. Then he went on to ask when my next period would start because he would order a sonogram done a week after my period starts.
WOW! All this only because Grey Eyes prompted me to tell him about the brown blood, and I had never thought too much about it.
He wanted to see me in a week. I made an appointment for June 15th. He wanted me to have blood work done on June 8th.
On June 8th, after my hubby’s graduation program and reception for his internship, I went to have my blood drawn.
I was still using the ovulation strips for a few more days. I finally saw the second line and it stayed there for a couple more days of testing but never darkened.
I went back yesterday, June 15th, for my follow-up appointment. I was still anxious because I wasn’t sure if our RE was going to change his mind about what we had talked about the week before. Thankfully, he hadn’t.
My DH was with me for yesterday’s appointment. (He was working at his internship last week.)
Our RE came in and told us my results which still have us shook up and really worried my DH. I felt so bad for my hubby.
Our RE said that I’m not ovulating and my DHEA-S and Prolactin was high. (Although later as my hubby and I were looking back over my test results, we noticed that my Prolactin level was listed as in range. I’m going to post my lab results for you to see.) He was prescribing 3 medications for me. One was Decadron or Dexamethasone 0.5 MG tablet to lower my DHEA-S level. The second medicine was Parlodel or Bromocriptine to lower the Prolactin level. I can’t remember how many milligrams he prescribed. I think it was 2.5? The pharmacy wouldn’t have it available for me until Monday afternoon after 4:00. Of course the third pill was Clomid. I’m supposed to start taking it on the 5th day of my period and take it for 5 days.
The day I start my period, I’m to call our RE as soon as possible, so he can set up an appointment for me to have the ultrasound to check my tubes. I should have started my period either this past Saturday or someday through the 19th if it stays on schedule.
Here are my blood work results –
DHEA-S 334.3 High Ref. Range 45.0-270.0
BHCG-Serum Ql Negative Ref. Range Negative
Prolactin 17.41 Ref. Range 2.8-29.90
Progesterone 0.45
Interpretive Data: Normal menstruating females:
Mid-Follicular phase 0.31-1.52
Mid-Luteal phase 5.16-18.56
Testosterone, Total 64.7 High Ref. Range 11.0-56.0
Testosterone, Free 15.4 High Ref. Range 1.3-9.2
Sex Hormone Binding Globulin 19.7 Low Ref. Range 30.0-135.0
I talked to our RE about my adrenal level. I told him that when I was seeing another RE, she was very concerned about my DHEA-S level. Concerned enough to have me take a CAT Scan to check for tumors. The test was negative.
So far, I don’t have another appointment with our RE. Waiting until my period begins to get the ultrasound set up.
Our RE did bring up that he would probably want to do an insemination once we get things under control. I keep praying that we can still conceive naturally.
I took my first Decadron or Dexamethasone Friday night with supper.
