IVF with intralipids, steroids, aspirin and heparin...?!?! Anyone else?

[Lou32]

Gill, great news! Boy am I not looking forward to a furry face, but sadly would go through it to get preggers! Amber - OH is on healthy diet and every antioxidant known to man. These include Pycnogenol, lycopene, high dose vit C and E, as well as fertilaid and some antioxidant drink we found on the internet called Zambroza. Just hope it all makes a difference. Out of interest, how much did you all pay for your Clexane? I will be taking 40mg doses. The hospital say they are cheapest but I want to shop around.

 

[Missy01]

Hi Gill,

I hope your last scan went well and that you are starting to feel better.

I was wondering at what points in your cycle you started taking each of the following drugs: aspirin, clexane, intralipids, and steroids? Ie. which did you take from cd1, first stimming day, EC and ET?

Thanks.

Missy

Hi Missy,
I had a look back on my charts on fertility friend to see. I went straight from a TSI cycle into an IUI cycle and then straight into ICSI. I started the steroids, aspirin, and clexane when I started stimming for the TSI and haven't been off them since. The first intralipid infusion was a few days before the TSI. I had one again a few days before IUI and the same for ICSI. I had further intralipid infusion when I got BFP and I had another one in week 9 of pregnancy. I hope that is some use to you!

The last scan went extremely well. Crl was perfect at 10+3. Another one next week. Not sure if that will be the last one with the clinic. Im hoping that if it goes ok, there will be one more after that. Im really afraid of leaving them.

Cons said I could go off the pregnyl too. I would have been due another shot a few days ago and still sick as parrott 24/7 so I know my own hcg levels must be peaking. Interestingly I've never gotten sick, just permanently on the brink of it. I've read that steroids are sometimes prescribed for vomiting in morning sickness so perhaps they are stopping me actually throwing up. Cons said she will wean me off the steroids soon and I will feel more human again. and perhaps look less like a monkey. My face is so furry!

Hi Gill,

I am so glad your scan went well!

What dose of clexane and streriods were / are you on? Have they kept it constant?

Missy

 

[GillAwaiting]

You know Im getting getting used to the fur. I enjoy rubbing it!! (but I'l never say that in public, hehe)

 

[GillAwaiting]

Hi Gill,

I hope your last scan went well and that you are starting to feel better.

I was wondering at what points in your cycle you started taking each of the following drugs: aspirin, clexane, intralipids, and steroids? Ie. which did you take from cd1, first stimming day, EC and ET?

Thanks.

Missy

Hi Missy,
I had a look back on my charts on fertility friend to see. I went straight from a TSI cycle into an IUI cycle and then straight into ICSI. I started the steroids, aspirin, and clexane when I started stimming for the TSI and haven't been off them since. The first intralipid infusion was a few days before the TSI. I had one again a few days before IUI and the same for ICSI. I had further intralipid infusion when I got BFP and I had another one in week 9 of pregnancy. I hope that is some use to you!

The last scan went extremely well. Crl was perfect at 10+3. Another one next week. Not sure if that will be the last one with the clinic. Im hoping that if it goes ok, there will be one more after that. Im really afraid of leaving them.

Cons said I could go off the pregnyl too. I would have been due another shot a few days ago and still sick as parrott 24/7 so I know my own hcg levels must be peaking. Interestingly I've never gotten sick, just permanently on the brink of it. I've read that steroids are sometimes prescribed for vomiting in morning sickness so perhaps they are stopping me actually throwing up. Cons said she will wean me off the steroids soon and I will feel more human again. and perhaps look less like a monkey. My face is so furry!

Hi Gill,

I am so glad your scan went well!

What dose of clexane and streriods were / are you on? Have they kept it constant?

Missy

The clexane shots are 20mg each and Im on 25 mgs of steroids (Prednisolone) 5 pills of 5mgs each. Doc also has me on vitamin b complex which interestingly I had been taking for months myself before we got to the fertility clinic. Its supposed to be good for luteal phase defect and progesterone levels. I've been taking pregnacare conception for what seems like forever too and OH on the male version of it.

The pills aren't so bad and you get used to the clexane injections. Even if it does go all to pot for us now, I really feel like meds helped and got us this far but I still obsessively knicker check in the million times I go to the loo every day and night. Oh there's something. steroids make you pee loads at night. it was that way a long time before our BFP and the cons confirmed it for me. But it's ok, because due to the steroids, you aren't too exhausted! It's crazy what these little balls of chemicals do to us.

I must give you a laugh, a lady at work today was talking about a friend who has bulging eyes syndrome due to thyroid problems. I've got a heap of nasty thyroid antibodies and cons told me my thyroid is fecked in future. So we had a good laugh at work and said I will look like something from a horror movie with all the fur and bulgy eyes. Always something to look forward to

 

[Missy01]

The clexane shots are 20mg each and Im on 25 mgs of steroids (Prednisolone) 5 pills of 5mgs each. Doc also has me on vitamin b complex which interestingly I had been taking for months myself before we got to the fertility clinic. Its supposed to be good for luteal phase defect and progesterone levels. I've been taking pregnacare conception for what seems like forever too and OH on the male version of it.

The pills aren't so bad and you get used to the clexane injections. Even if it does go all to pot for us now, I really feel like meds helped and got us this far but I still obsessively knicker check in the million times I go to the loo every day and night. Oh there's something. steroids make you pee loads at night. it was that way a long time before our BFP and the cons confirmed it for me. But it's ok, because due to the steroids, you aren't too exhausted! It's crazy what these little balls of chemicals do to us.

I must give you a laugh, a lady at work today was talking about a friend who has bulging eyes syndrome due to thyroid problems. I've got a heap of nasty thyroid antibodies and cons told me my thyroid is fecked in future. So we had a good laugh at work and said I will look like something from a horror movie with all the fur and bulgy eyes. Always something to look forward to [/QUOTE]

Thanks Gill.

It is funny you say that actually as I have high thyriod antibodies due to an autoimmune disease....which is why I think I will be on steriods soon too. Looks like we will both end up being bulgy, furry little things!

Will they start to decrease the dosage of steriods soon? Is that 25mg the initial dosage that you started on? Is the high thyriod antibodies the main reason you are on steriods etc?

Missy x

 

[GillAwaiting]

Hi Missy, yes the clinic started me on 25mgs steroids from the beginning. Not sure when they will wean me off but I guess starting pretty soon. The cons just said 'soon' and my brain wasn't functioning enough to ask when. From talking to my gp about it, he reckons they will go down 5mgs a week, no more and no quicker than that. To tell the truth Im terrified of coming off them now. The clinic started me on the whole shebang because I've had 2 miscarriages already. We had done a shed load of tests with another clinic but not particular one. The antibody test results came later when we were into treatment. I was still looking for some answers and we had done so many tests, I decided to go the whole hog and do the rest.

Do you have any symptoms from your autoimmune issues? Will it change in the future? I had problems with arthritis a few years back (change of climate for a few years helped it) and never thought it would have any connection to infertility or thyroid problems in the future. It's nuts who things are all connected.

Been so sick for the last few days. Had to leave work halfway though day today and go straight home into bed. No more pregnyl shots, hopefully ever. If we have to do more treatment, I think I would leave that one off the list.

Terrified again for Friday. I do fine for a couple of days after a scan and then the fear kicks in for the upcoming one. Should be 11 weeks today.

 

[Missy01]

Hi Missy, yes the clinic started me on 25mgs steroids from the beginning. Not sure when they will wean me off but I guess starting pretty soon. The cons just said 'soon' and my brain wasn't functioning enough to ask when. From talking to my gp about it, he reckons they will go down 5mgs a week, no more and no quicker than that. To tell the truth Im terrified of coming off them now. The clinic started me on the whole shebang because I've had 2 miscarriages already. We had done a shed load of tests with another clinic but not particular one. The antibody test results came later when we were into treatment. I was still looking for some answers and we had done so many tests, I decided to go the whole hog and do the rest.

Do you have any symptoms from your autoimmune issues? Will it change in the future? I had problems with arthritis a few years back (change of climate for a few years helped it) and never thought it would have any connection to infertility or thyroid problems in the future. It's nuts who things are all connected.

Been so sick for the last few days. Had to leave work halfway though day today and go straight home into bed. No more pregnyl shots, hopefully ever. If we have to do more treatment, I think I would leave that one off the list.

Terrified again for Friday. I do fine for a couple of days after a scan and then the fear kicks in for the upcoming one. Should be 11 weeks today.

Thanks for the info Gill.

I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. Basically the antithyroid antibodies have destroyed my thyroid gland so I need to take thyroxine daily. As long as I am on the correct dosage (which is modified from time to time based on TSH and T4 levels) then I feel fine. I was originally diagnosed about 7 years ago via a blood test. At the time, I was exhausted all the time.

It is probably worthwhile your doctors checking your TSH and T4 levels throughout your pregnancy.

Good luck for your next scan. I will be thinking of you.

 

[GillAwaiting]

Hey guys, coming back with some updates. Went for scan today as I had a few little clots yesterday and freaked out a bit. Called and got scan a day early. The people in the clinic must think Im barmy. So glad we did. Everything grand. Cons said no bleed from uterus at all, must be from cervix possibly irritated by putting in suppositories. Im currently at 11+2 but baby flying around at 11+5 size. It was doing twists and turns all over the place. So had interesting chat with cons about meds. She is taking me off everything starting next week. Terrifying thought but she says the placenta is doing all now and only a percentage of the meds Im taking are actually getting to baby. I asked about weaning off steroids. They do something like this:-
Im on 5 pills at the mo, 5mgs each. They say to take 4 pills for 4 days, 3 pills for 3 days, 2 pills for 2 days and 1 pill for one day. Or something like that. I will take more notes next week at last scan So the clexane, progesterone, estrogen, and folic acid 5mgs are all going too. How freaking scary is that. Will just be continuing on the ordinary dose folic acid. I think I will still take aspirin though. I have a friend who had stillborn baby and for her 2nd pregnancy (which ended perfectly well) she took aspirin all the way through. What do you guys think?

Oh asked about the nuchal scans too. Cons said she wouldnt recommend as she knows people who got bad odds from the test and baby turned out healthy. Same thing happened my DH's sister and she had perfect baby. Cons said to her eye baby looks grand and she has seen trisomy 21 babies. So Im going to take her advice and leave that one off the list.

Im considering putting a ticker up finally. Its a bit late in the day coming out of first trimester but it's a massive step for me. Maybe I should wait until next scan to be sure...

 

[Reb S]

Hey Gill - how're you doing? Still no ticker...hope everything is ok x

 

[GillAwaiting]

Hey Gill - how're you doing? Still no ticker...hope everything is ok x

Thanks for asking! No ticker yet. Im still not brave enough. Everything went ok at the scan last Thursday. I was 12 weeks and 2 days and baby measured 12 weeks 4 days so things looking good but still....

Finished with fertility clinic now. Should have public hospital apt next week. Was talking to them on the phone. It's looking good for the high risk unit but I wont know for sure until I get there. The 24/7 morning sickness is still belting away. Cons said I could go off all the meds and start weaning off the steroids. I've started the 2 week wean off the steroids but I haven't been brave enough to cut the meds yet. I decided to do it when I hit 13 weeks next Tuesday and maybe just do one progesterone suppository instead of two for another month and continue the aspirin until its gone. Any thoughts?

How's everyone else here? Im always babbling on. What are you all up to these days?

 

[Reb S]

Gill, that sounds great! two days ahead...I'm so sorry you've been so sick and haven't been able to relax with this pregnancy yet but I'm sure it'll all be worth it in the end!
AFM, no change x

 

[Lou32]

Hi Gill, Can't believe you have passed 12weeks already! Time has flown, although i imagine it hasn't.for you!
Nell, how are things with you? I noticed on your sig that you have had lining problems again. Can't believe it. Do the docs have any idea what the problem is? It must be bloody frustrating.
AFM, just waiting to start treatment now. Have to call.on first day of AF and go in for b/l scan, pick up my boatload of meds and go through the spreadsheet the nurse has kindly prepared for me to help with the nightmare protocol. To be honest I'm not too confident we will go ahead as I've been having a lot of pain which I think is an old parafimbrial cyst which must have got bigger. Will.just have to see what the scan reveals. Hope everyone well. Xxxxx
Ps, I have a new phone andwhile i can now start new paragraphs yey! I can't seem to type a sentence without typos! Hope it all makes sense.x

 

[_Nell]

Hi Lou Good to hear from you. Hope you don't have a cyst and the scan goes well so you can get started.
Yes I had lining issues, my worst yet Nothing they can suggest other than trying different protocols for a FET really, tbh I doubt i'm ever going to get above 7mm. The plan was a natural cycle break and then try again but with mild injectibel stimms, i think my body is screwed from the estrogen meds and down-reg though so i might have a long wait. I don't ever want to down-reg again

Gill - So happy things are going well for you C'mon, be brave, let's see a ticker up and celebrate?

Reb - how are you doing?

 

[Lou32]

Hi Lou Good to hear from you. Hope you don't have a cyst and the scan goes well so you can get started.
Yes I had lining issues, my worst yet Nothing they can suggest other than trying different protocols for a FET really, tbh I doubt i'm ever going to get above 7mm. The plan was a natural cycle break and then try again but with mild injectibel stimms, i think my body is screwed from the estrogen meds and down-reg though so i might have a long wait. I don't ever want to down-reg again

Gill - So happy things are going well for you C'mon, be brave, let's see a ticker up and celebrate?

Reb - how are you doing?

God, frustrating doesn't even cover it! I really feel for you having gone through all that. Really hope the docs get to grips with this for you as you have a lovely embie there waiting to snuggle in.
Got a stinking cold this week, in fact my first for a couple of years so i was starting to think I'd inadvertantly discovered a cure for the common cold there for a while...not so lucky. At least it's come before treatment starts so can't complain.
Take care everyone.x

 

[Reb S]

Hi all,
Lou - I hope you feel better soon and that your cyst hasn't reappeared - I'm on my 3rd cold of this year and it's only 3rd Feb! I think my immune system has emigrated to Australia or something.
Nell - sorry to hear of your lining issues. There must be something they can dream up. And have you tried acupuncture? Not sure if I believe in it but some swear by it x

 

[_Nell]

Lou - funny you say that about the cold 9not funny you have it of course). Dr Beer reckons and indicatori f having immunes issues is if you don't get colds, bugs etc. I haven't had one in yonks either, but have an iffy throat right now.

Reb - i tried acupuncture for IVF 2, starting a couple of months before. I don't believe in it and it did nothing but cost me money. But times are pretty desperate so i've started again (with a new acu lady) pre my FET, I just want to feel i'm trying everything tbh.

 

[GillAwaiting]

Thanks everyone for all the votes of confidence. I hope you are all doing well now that we are over that long dreary month of January.

Im still a nervous wreck and willing every day to go by faster. And now I've got all these funny pains and stuff that is just freaking me out. Finished with the private clinic, they say good bye at 12 weeks. Felt so weird leaving them. Weaning off the meds now too. Nothing strange has happened as yet except these weird pains now and then. Although I think some of them could be a form of constipation. (TMI right?) Thought the public hospital apt would come quicker but they wont see me until Feb 20th which is the day before I hit 16 weeks. Imagine that. I think that's terribly late. Scary cutbacks. I booked private scan for next week because my nerves just won't take it until then to see if everything is still there. DH thinks Im a nutjob. No ticker yet. I just can't do it. Maybe after the next scan if it's ok...

Nell I've been following your lining issues. Just when you say about down regging. I had problems with that too. We were waiting ages for period to start to get going on treatment. It never happened. Cons did a scan and nothing was there at all for period so we just went straight to stims. I hope you get a solution soon. Your drs seem willing to try stuff so that's good.

Reb I did buckets of acupuncture as did my dh. It did nout for me except as you say, leave me broke. However we discovered that it effected my dh's motility. It was totally crap to begin with on both sp tests. However, after first few times he went to acupuncture, we miraculously got pregnant, he left it for a long while (pregnant and then m/c), went back and then we did repeat sperm test (while checking his dna frag)and his motility was up. He left the acupuncture, we did IUI and motility was back down. Cons was baffled but I wasn't. When he was doing acupuncture it was up and when he wasn't it went down. Apart from that though, I didn't think it did much.

Lou I've never heard of a cyst like that. Im going to google it now and see what it is. I hope it doesn't delay things for you. Will it take long to resolve?

 

[Reb S]

Gill, I'm so sorry you're not able to enjoy this pregnancy yet and I think the private scan is absolutely the way to go. Hopefully it will put your fears to rest and then you can change your emoticon and put up a ticker! xxx

 

[_Nell]

Gill - you have a ticker!!!! wohoo!! So pleased, i hope this means you are starting to enjoy the pg......how has the weaning off the meds been?

 

[Reb S]

Woohoo! Well noticed, Nell!