2have4kids, so good to hear from you. I am sorry to read that your DE IVF ended in mc, heart-breaking but at least you are on the right track right now. so the main issue turned out not your eggs but implantation/immunology issues? Are they putting you on prednisolone?
I am still trying to figure out what the hell is wrong with me. DH is undergoing hormonal treatment and I can tell his testosterone is going up, we are yet to find out if this has had any effect on his count. In the meantime I have done some tests and my TSH is on the higher side of normal which may indicate under active thyroid which I know has been linked to infertility. Although last year my TSH was 2 which was OK.
re coq10, I read a very encouraging book on egg quality and apparently recent research indicates that most damage to chromosomal make of the egg happen within 2 months prior to O so apparently you can improve your egg quality and it's about energy so coq10 is the key ingredient. I have increased my dose to 600 coq10/300 ubiquonol. I know that coq10 is not the answer (I've been taking lower doses for years) but it does seem to help with egg quality so I am sticking with it.
I am also considerably reducing my sugar intake and cutting out sugar/chocolate/sweets/potatoes/pasta/white bread and replacing it with protein food
Hi Briss, I was overweight (BMI of 31) and had thyroid issues as well as insulin resistance. I lost the weight because I thought this might be the problem. My gf is a nurse and pointed out that hormones get locked up in fat. I didn't want to go into IVF's knowing I may not respond to the drugs because I was too fat! I also always dream that if I got fit and healthy my body would be able to do what I need it to-HA, I'll keep dreaming. Anyway at a BMI of 23 now, I no longer test low for thyroid/high insulin resistance, I'm off the synthroid, and my blood glucose test came back great as well. Sugar effects egg quality (cited on a diabetes website) and for optimum egg health they recommended cutting out the carbs. Carbs break down into sugar, your body pumps insulin to pack away the blood sugar as fat thereby lowering the blood sugar back to normal levels. Our bodies don't deal well with sugar, fats yes, sugar NO! IMO veg, healthy fats, & clean proteins are the best diet for fertility (and is why SO many PCOS women get their AF back once they cut out carbs).
I did 20mg prednisone along with aspirin with my first DE IVF, it didn't work. I have immune issues where I reject foreign materials (my immune system thinks it's cancer) and bunts it out. For this they treat me with 3 steps:
1. LIT treatment x 3 in Mexico & Athens. They spin my DH's blood cells, gather the white ones and reinject them all over my arms. So eg. if you're allergic to peanuts, they're going to feed you peanuts. We do 2 LIT treatments with Dr Quiroga in Mexico, three weeks apart and again in Athens, three weeks before the DE IVF.
2. Then I get IVIg treatment Right before transfer, which is white blood cells from thousands of people. It takes 3 hours to infuse the IV through my body but this is the most important treatment. And is very $$$ I go to a local hospital in Athens for this.
3. Then they also treat me with Humira. Much of Arthritis and Chrones seems related to infertility issues. I don't really know what Humira does but they said I'll feel like a million bucks on it (I have really bad osteoarthritis).
As well, I tested negative for clotting issues at my local fertility clinic but there's 4 tests, my clinic only tested for 2 major factors. I have one of the two minor factors which causes chemical pregnancies, m/c & late term losses. Even a minor clotting issue will prevent the embryo from implanting deeply. So you can wind up with repeat chemicals, full m/c's and late term abortions because the embryo doesn't get the connection and nutrition it needs. They're treating me with Clexane and aspirin for this. I took aspirin with my first de ivf.
Serum wants me to also take prednisone (10mg) this time. They said NOT to have sugar or salt 1 month before transfer date. Prednisone gets rid of inflammation you get from exercise and food (gluten & carbs cause HUGE amounts of inflammation even though we may not see it physically). I was tested by a naturopath and react horribly to gluten, eggs, pineapple, bananas and the night shade veggies ie broccolli/cauliflower (BOO I love cauliflower). Gluten, soy, and dairy are by far the most common irritants to humans, I don't eat much of these either anymore, only the greek 0% natural yoghurt (protein content HAS to be over the carb content otherwise it's likely the yoghurt is more of a junk sugary food).
2have4kids thanks for getting in touch, I am so sorry to hear about all this that you have had to go through and such a shame your answers didn't happen sooner, but hopefully they have found the problem now and you can get things sorted and a nice SHBFP soon xxx
I am starting off on 140mg N-Acetyl cysteine for a week and up that to 280mg once I know I can tolerate it, and hope it works, I am also taking omega 3, prenatals, aspirin. x
With Diminished Ovarian Reserve the 2 supplements that I was on when I did manage to get pregnant on my own were DHEA and CoQ10 800mg/day Ubiquinol form.
I also now only take methylfolate now instead of the folic acid that was in my PregVit prenatal. Like ubiquinone, your liver has to break folic acid down in order to convert it for use. So not only do you tax your liver with the cheaper forms of the supplements (and ask yourself how many supplements are we taxing the liver to metabolize in a day anyway) but you then also don't get the full pill worth of supplement which is a waste of $$.
There's also a massive population with undiagnosed MTHFR gene mutation where you can't even digest folic acid. When my doctors want me on 1000 mg folic acid, and I take a folic acid 1000mg pill, my liver probably metabolises 30% and absorbs less after conversion. I don't want to have a baby with neural defects or mess around anymore with potential m/c. I'd rather take methylfolate and be safe-it's already broken down, my liver & pancrease will stay healthy, I get to absorb most of the pill (depending on your diet-carbs & gluten coat your intestines). I recommend the same with CoQ10 - take the Ubiquinol form not ubiquinone. And anytime you can get a vitamin in liquid form it's the same concept, you'll absorb it better than a pill for (calcium is a great example) I also take D3 & B12 via liquid.
I've learned ALOT from the ladies on this forum, it's been really great. I totally owe so much to the wisdom of others here!
she wanted me on it early (she's my great aunt, 70). I'm 39 now and I conceived two of my girls while taking it. One at age 35 one age 37. I'm still taking it and just recently had a chemical pregnancy last cycle. My first MC. I really believe it's just age related....we have been fortunate up to now. I HAVE heard it's good for the eggs!!!
did you have a delicious Easter then? How are you doing, still trying IVF or what's your plan going forward?
