Vitamin B6 - Lengthen luteal phase or increase progesterone

[FrenchyMummy]

So here it goes ladies, my update at the end of first round of vitamin B 50 complex:
-ovulated on day 17 as opposed to day 21 the cycle before
-I got ewcm for the 1st time ever (that I could notice anyway)
-no weird symptoms after taking it besides bright yellow wee

So all in all, quite happy! we weren't trying this month as we had family over, but I hope this is now us on the road to a BFP.

How is everybody else doing? x

 

[Chiclady]

Frenchymummy - That's great progress! how long are your LP's typically? Let us know if you see an improvement!

As for me, I had my HSG on Monday and thankfully everything is clear on both sides. I had my CD3 bloodwork and my FSH is a little elevated at 8.6. I'm waiting to O so I can have my 7dpo bloodwork as well. I've started acupuncture, which if nothing else seems to be relaxing me about the whole TTC thing. We will see! I'm on CD 14 now so here's hoping for a good ovulation around Tuesday or so!

 

[leylak]

First cycle: took for 20 days - cleared 2 days of spotting, LP still 10 days
Second cycle: took until ov. - no spotting (other than implantation) BFP at 11 DPO
Miscarried, then WTT
Third cycle: took for 10ish days - 2 days of spotting, LP 12 days
4th cycle: took for 11 days starting from CD4 - 2 days of spotting, LP 11 days
5th cycle: started on CD1, will take until ov confirmed and will come here to report results

5th cycle: took for 15 days ovulated at CD 15 (earliest ever) and LP was 11 days with 3 days of spotting.
this cycle, I did not take b6 and I guess I will ovulate at CD19

 

[Chloe597]

I was wondering if anyone has had success with eliminating spotting during luteal phase by taking a combination of vitex and B6? I am also taking prenatals and red raspberry leaf. I am concerned because all my life i have had what i consider to be excessive spotting between periods (approx 12 days of spotting total for a 38 day cycle, 10 of those days during luteal phase). A month and a half ago I started taking Vitex, B6 and Red raspberry leaf and for my most recent cycle, i noticed no difference with spotting. I am afraid that since I have not been TTC for very long, my ob/gyn will not want to see me for testing, but this spotting is really quite a nuisance, and i'm concerned it will prevent implantaion. My BBT elevates 12 days prior to my period starting, although it is fairly bouncy, but above the coverline. A concern is that I am going to be taking too many herbs/vitamins that will counteract each other, but I would like to go a more natural route to help regulate myself. Does anyone else have such lengthy spotting episodes???

 

[MrsHY]

Hi guys
Just a quick update from me (am taking Clomid to help me O earlier and extend my luteal phase).
This cycle (100mg): O day 13! LP = ...?
Last cycle (100mg): O day 18, LP = 12 days
Cycle before (50mg): O day 21, LP = 10 days

So in my case, it would appear that the earlier I O the longer my LP gets... but let's see how many dpo I get to this month! Hopefully 9 months worth of dpo....!!

 

[Redemida]

I started taking B6 last month and this month my LP was 10 days, which is an improvement on 7 days! I got off the pill 6 cycles ago, and I am wondering how much of this is left over from that? I read somewhere that it can take up to a year for the hormones to completely level out after taking the pill.......? Anyway, hoping that it will improve even more!

 

[254]

Hi girls... feeling pretty down in the dumps this evening

I'm 7dpo today and have had cramping and now a tiny bit of spotting this evening... so it looks like my luteal phase is going to be the same now as it was A YEAR AGO, despite months of supplements and my daughter only breastfeeding 2x a day now, compared to every 2-2.5ish hours night and day a year ago. 100mg B6 doesn't seem to have done anything... I felt so hopeful reading so many success stories here, but alas mine doesn't seem to be one of them right now.

I think I need to get myself down to the doctors... which I don't like at the best of times, but needs must.

Does anyone here have experience of going to the doctors for fertility issues? What sort of things did they ask you? Did you take charts with you? I know that they'll probably do blood tests to check for ovulation (chatted to the registrar I saw for my regular ovarian cyst checkup last month), although I know I'm definitely ovulating already... but I also know that the guidelines say GPs should recommend against charting, so am worried my years worth of charts (and knowledge from charting for over a year before I was pregnant with L) will be dismissed, even though they clearly show that I have a very short LP.

Goodness, when we started trying a year ago, I never imagined that 12 months later I wouldn't be pregnant/have a newborn. Life does throw us curveballs, sometimes, doesn't it? Still, I know I am so lucky to have my little girl, and although we really wanted our first 2 close together, I have to accept that it hasn't happened and appreciate what I have.

 

[googly]

Hi girls... feeling pretty down in the dumps this evening

I'm 7dpo today and have had cramping and now a tiny bit of spotting this evening... so it looks like my luteal phase is going to be the same now as it was A YEAR AGO, despite months of supplements and my daughter only breastfeeding 2x a day now, compared to every 2-2.5ish hours night and day a year ago. 100mg B6 doesn't seem to have done anything... I felt so hopeful reading so many success stories here, but alas mine doesn't seem to be one of them right now.

I think I need to get myself down to the doctors... which I don't like at the best of times, but needs must.

Does anyone here have experience of going to the doctors for fertility issues? What sort of things did they ask you? Did you take charts with you? I know that they'll probably do blood tests to check for ovulation (chatted to the registrar I saw for my regular ovarian cyst checkup last month), although I know I'm definitely ovulating already... but I also know that the guidelines say GPs should recommend against charting, so am worried my years worth of charts (and knowledge from charting for over a year before I was pregnant with L) will be dismissed, even though they clearly show that I have a very short LP.

Goodness, when we started trying a year ago, I never imagined that 12 months later I wouldn't be pregnant/have a newborn. Life does throw us curveballs, sometimes, doesn't it? Still, I know I am so lucky to have my little girl, and although we really wanted our first 2 close together, I have to accept that it hasn't happened and appreciate what I have.

Hi 254, sorry you're feeling down I know what you mean though, we've only been ttc for 7 months so far, but it seems like an age, and I never for a MOMENT thought it would take this long... my sisters have had 6 children between them and none of those 6 took more than 2 months to conceive! I think they were probably lucky, but still y'know, that was my reference point...

Sometimes I wonder if we'll still be doing this a year from now - as many here are - and I'll look back on 7 months and think 'wow, how naive was i - that was nothing!'

I also never really had any luck with B-complex, although I know others have... I guess it depends on what your issue actually is.

Anyway... back to your question. I can tell you my experience with GPs. And that's that they were fairly useless actually! Didn't appear to really know what they were talking about re. ttc or reproductive hormones in general; pretty much dismissed my concerns about my very short LP and light AF, and told me they didn't really think I had a problem. They DID suggest and do CD3 and CD21 blood tests, but when the results came back they just told me that they were "normal" when in actual fact (I found out later) the exact levels of 2 or 3 things (crucial things like progesterone, estradiol, and FSH) were really on the very lower limit of 'normal'.

I know not all GPs will be like this - by any stretch! But I just think that they're not the specialists here, and be aware that they MAY try to dismiss things as not a problem.

In the end I asked to get a referral to fertility specialist, because I was really convinced that I DID have an issue with my LP. To be fair both the docs had mentioned it as an option open to me - they usually prefer that people have been ttc for a year, but that duration drops when you're 1) over 35 and 2) have an observable issue. So I don't think they really believed me about the LP defect, but they did end up referring me on that basis.

After that things definitely started to improve, and the FS was AWESOME. Such a reflief to talk to someone who knew what he was talking about, and could suggest courses of action. In particular he agreed that a short LP WAS a problem, and I'm now on Clomid to try and fix that.

Re. the charting, again, the GPs seemed quite unimpressed/uninterested by my charts, but the FS was very interested in them and said they helped him enormously to see what was going on. Meant he could do a diagnosis there and then rather than sending me away to go and chart for 3 months. So all good. Would definitely recommend continuing with that in case you see someone like that in the future.

And as for the docs - see how you go with GPs... but if necessary, my advice would be to escalate it as soon as possible if you feel it is a concern (and my FS agreed that anything under 10 days really IS... mine is 7-9 days). I can tell you that I feel immeasurably better and more calm about all of it since seeing the FS and feeling like I had a way forward.

Good luck!!! Let us know how you get on...

 

[bizzy27]

Ok so here is my situation.

As far as I can tell my cycles vary from a nice normal 28 day cycle to a long lengthy and annoying 40 something cycle. But one thing is for certain.. my LP is always 12 - 13 days long.

However my doctor told me that my progesterone is low and he prescribed me prometrium for during my LP. The FIRST month I took it I got a BFP, however it ended sadly as a chemical. I am wondering if I didn't have a high enough dose.

Anyhow, I no longer have health insurance, but as I am in my mid 30s I don't feel as if I have time to find another job that offers it .. I need to get on the ball now.

So I was wondering if B6 is JUST for women with short LP or if it helps with progesterone levels. I am also taking Maca Root (1 tablespoon) a day and of course my Metformin for insulin resistance.
I have a bottle of Vitex but have a fear of taking it..although I have been told that I can use it in place of clomid. Instead of taking if 5 days like clomid I should take it from CD5 until I Ovulate...

Any advise would be appreciated.!!

 

[254]

Thanks googly - that's really useful to read your experiences. Thank you so much for sharing!

My period did indeed arriving - 7 day LP again.

I'll head along to the GP and not expect much from the initial appointment, but aim to ask for a fertility specialist referral. My charts clearly show an issue which hasn't 'resolved itself' over the past year, and B6 is doing nothing, so I'd really like to talk to someone who can shed some light on possible causes. Fingers crossed.

Thanks again, and I really hope clomid does the trick for you!

P.S. just spotted on your chart that you're trying acupuncture as well - would love to hear how that's going. A friend and her 2 boys came to stay at the weekend and she raves about acupuncture helping her conceive both of them. Not a fan of needles, but I'll give anything a go if it works!

 

[struth]

A friend of mine used acupuncture after a mc and she swears by it. She is now 15 weeks pregnant. Whether it would have happened anyway, who knows? But I do know that she loves it and is far more chilled out (which can only be good) x

 

[ebony2010]

Thanks googly - that's really useful to read your experiences. Thank you so much for sharing!

My period did indeed arriving - 7 day LP again.

I'll head along to the GP and not expect much from the initial appointment, but aim to ask for a fertility specialist referral. My charts clearly show an issue which hasn't 'resolved itself' over the past year, and B6 is doing nothing, so I'd really like to talk to someone who can shed some light on possible causes. Fingers crossed.

Thanks again, and I really hope clomid does the trick for you!

P.S. just spotted on your chart that you're trying acupuncture as well - would love to hear how that's going. A friend and her 2 boys came to stay at the weekend and she raves about acupuncture helping her conceive both of them. Not a fan of needles, but I'll give anything a go if it works!

I had a 7 day luteal phase before my MMC which vit b complex sorted out for me but when I mentioned it at the doctors or the FS they both looked at me like I was an idiot. I mentioned I charted and they just butted it and told me in no uncertain terms to stop charting and to not do opks either as they classed them as unreliable.

I just wanted to mention as most doctors seem to think your nuts if you think you don't have the perfect 28 day cycle and don't ov on cd14. I hope you have better luck than I did. xxx

 

[ebony2010]

A friend of mine used acupuncture after a mc and she swears by it. She is now 15 weeks pregnant. Whether it would have happened anyway, who knows? But I do know that she loves it and is far more chilled out (which can only be good) x

My friends Mum does it and says that it is good for preparing the womb for pregnancy as some women have cold wombs. Not sure what that means but she says its one thing getting pregnant but I think if you prepare the womb you have more of a chance of staying pregnant iykwim. xxx

 

[ebony2010]

Ok so here is my situation.

As far as I can tell my cycles vary from a nice normal 28 day cycle to a long lengthy and annoying 40 something cycle. But one thing is for certain.. my LP is always 12 - 13 days long.

However my doctor told me that my progesterone is low and he prescribed me prometrium for during my LP. The FIRST month I took it I got a BFP, however it ended sadly as a chemical. I am wondering if I didn't have a high enough dose.

Anyhow, I no longer have health insurance, but as I am in my mid 30s I don't feel as if I have time to find another job that offers it .. I need to get on the ball now.

So I was wondering if B6 is JUST for women with short LP or if it helps with progesterone levels. I am also taking Maca Root (1 tablespoon) a day and of course my Metformin for insulin resistance.
I have a bottle of Vitex but have a fear of taking it..although I have been told that I can use it in place of clomid. Instead of taking if 5 days like clomid I should take it from CD5 until I Ovulate...

Any advise would be appreciated.!!

Hi Bizzy. If no one knows the answer to your question it might be worth skimming through this thread at older posts or posting in ltttc. xxx

 

[254]

I had a 7 day luteal phase before my MMC which vit b complex sorted out for me but when I mentioned it at the doctors or the FS they both looked at me like I was an idiot. I mentioned I charted and they just butted it and told me in no uncertain terms to stop charting and to not do opks either as they classed them as unreliable.

I just wanted to mention as most doctors seem to think your nuts if you think you don't have the perfect 28 day cycle and don't ov on cd14. I hope you have better luck than I did. xxx

Thanks. That's awful that the FS poohpoohed your charting!! Surely if anyone should know how informative charting can be, it's a fertility professional!? Grrr. However, I guess I'm not that surprised... when I was pregnant with L, I met a range of doctors and many had glaring holes in their knowledge on pregnancy and birth. I'm a big believer in doing your own research, though, thank goodness, which I think is the main reason L's birth was fab.

I read that the guidelines to GPs suggest they tell 'patients' not to chart or use OPKs... but I think that's because of the 'a little knowledge is a dangerous thing' thing... to try to stop people charting for, say, 1 cycle and then panicking they have all sorts of issues... but for those of us who've charted a while and researched a lot on it, it can be such a useful tool.

Thanks for sharing your experiences, ebony. I was really sorry to hear of your MMC I hope you have super news very soon.

 

[ebony2010]

I had a 7 day luteal phase before my MMC which vit b complex sorted out for me but when I mentioned it at the doctors or the FS they both looked at me like I was an idiot. I mentioned I charted and they just butted it and told me in no uncertain terms to stop charting and to not do opks either as they classed them as unreliable.

I just wanted to mention as most doctors seem to think your nuts if you think you don't have the perfect 28 day cycle and don't ov on cd14. I hope you have better luck than I did. xxx

Thanks. That's awful that the FS poohpoohed your charting!! Surely if anyone should know how informative charting can be, it's a fertility professional!? Grrr. However, I guess I'm not that surprised... when I was pregnant with L, I met a range of doctors and many had glaring holes in their knowledge on pregnancy and birth. I'm a big believer in doing your own research, though, thank goodness, which I think is the main reason L's birth was fab.

I read that the guidelines to GPs suggest they tell 'patients' not to chart or use OPKs... but I think that's because of the 'a little knowledge is a dangerous thing' thing... to try to stop people charting for, say, 1 cycle and then panicking they have all sorts of issues... but for those of us who've charted a while and researched a lot on it, it can be such a useful tool.

Thanks for sharing your experiences, ebony. I was really sorry to hear of your MMC I hope you have super news very soon.

Hi fellow Derbyshire lass

Yes sadly the NHS hate us having any sort of knowledge and sadly just ignore things like charts. In the end I just shut up as it was falling on deaf ears with the FS and let them do their thing so I could get the right tests and clomid. Sad but true. They told me it was all very unreliable which even my husband thought was stupid.

I totally agree with you. It it so much better to do your own research and thankfully I did and got my luteal phase sorted with the help of this thread. Its sad it didn't end in a good way but these things happen sadly.

I hope you get some answers and some help anyway. xxx

 

[googly]

Thanks googly - that's really useful to read your experiences. Thank you so much for sharing!

My period did indeed arriving - 7 day LP again.

I'll head along to the GP and not expect much from the initial appointment, but aim to ask for a fertility specialist referral. My charts clearly show an issue which hasn't 'resolved itself' over the past year, and B6 is doing nothing, so I'd really like to talk to someone who can shed some light on possible causes. Fingers crossed.

Thanks again, and I really hope clomid does the trick for you!

P.S. just spotted on your chart that you're trying acupuncture as well - would love to hear how that's going. A friend and her 2 boys came to stay at the weekend and she raves about acupuncture helping her conceive both of them. Not a fan of needles, but I'll give anything a go if it works!

Hey no worries, and thanks, I'm hoping Clomid does the trick as well!

Re. the acupuncture - yeah it's interesting! Never had it before so I wasn't sure what to expect, but have heard so many positive stories about conceiving after having had acupunture I decided to give it a go. It's definitely not painful at all, they're barely needles really, and you don't feel anything other than a mild pin prick when they put them in. She seems to put about 10 on me in various places, depending on time in the cycle. I gather the main aim is to send bloodflow to the uterus, and yes, as others have said, raise your basal temperature a bit, particularly your pre-ov temp (my woman has talked about me having cold womb and kidneys!). Mine is also trying to bring my ov date forward, hopefully in the aim of having a longer LP. I'm having one session a week at the moment, starting last cycle, so this will be my second cycle with acu.

Difficult to know for certain whether it's had an effect yet - BUT - one thing for sure is that my pre-ov temps have gone up this and last cycle. The previous two my pre-ov temps were around 36 degrees, dipping below occasionally. Last cycle was steadily around 36.2, and this one around 36.3... quite noticeable when I do the chart overlay thing on FF. My ov date has also been creeping forward from 20ish to 17, and now 15 this cycle. So that's positive...

I definitely think it's worth a shot if you can, even a lot of the hard-core 'western' FS seem to admit acupuncture can be useful for fertility - mine told me not to bother with any other supplements (a true western medicine doc!), but that acu might be useful. So

 

[googly]

A friend of mine used acupuncture after a mc and she swears by it. She is now 15 weeks pregnant. Whether it would have happened anyway, who knows? But I do know that she loves it and is far more chilled out (which can only be good) x

Hey struth, sorry to see you back on here... if that doesn't sound too mean! But I saw about your mc - I'm so sorry hope you're doing ok

 

[googly]

I had a 7 day luteal phase before my MMC which vit b complex sorted out for me but when I mentioned it at the doctors or the FS they both looked at me like I was an idiot. I mentioned I charted and they just butted it and told me in no uncertain terms to stop charting and to not do opks either as they classed them as unreliable.

I just wanted to mention as most doctors seem to think your nuts if you think you don't have the perfect 28 day cycle and don't ov on cd14. I hope you have better luck than I did. xxx

I can second that. The first GP I saw told me "no, all women's luteal phases are 14 days, plus or minus a day". Pfffft.... this is with three months of charts with +ve OPK, EWCM and then a really clear biphasic temp shift, showing my LP was 7-8 days.

I also could not believe their general lack of knowledge about reproductive hormones, cycle and processes...

I know GPs HATE the phrase "I found on the internet that....." but there is really a tonne of useful information out there - medical journals even - I'm so glad we can find out some of this stuff for ourselves.

 

[Steve M]

B6 is very good for expecting mothers my wife used B6 and felt so much better,she said it gave her more enegy