Vitamin B6 - Lengthen luteal phase or increase progesterone

[ebony2010]

To add to 254's post, it was B3 in the complex that is thought to be a problem but I'm not sure how much of a problem. xxx

 

[DaisyQ]

A mini update on me - spotting has resumed and it's heavier and darker than yesterday. Really looks like AF is on the way, despite my higher temp today. It's very confusing. I may test tomorrow, especially if my temp stays up.

 

[Bean66]

Chart does look good Daisy!

Just read that B3 (niacin) is fine during pregnancy. Daisy?

 

[DaisyQ]

I'd have to look into it. Definitely the amount in a prenatal is fine, not sure about 50-100 mg in the b complex. Probably just no research/ evidence, therefore class c. It is water soluble though so toxicity would be unlikely. To be on the safe side, I might switch just to b6 once pregnant. Will cross that bridge when I get to it, I guess. I'll let you know if i find anything out - but all my reference guides are at work. So probably not till next week.

I know - love that temp! Hate the spotting!

 

[DaisyQ]

AF arrived. Red flow. and a 10 day LP! WTF??

 

[254]

Really sorry to hear that Your chart was looking so good... but I know that temps can lead to false hope. Been there, done that

So is your LP now shorter than before you started the supplements? Did you have spotting before you started on the supplements?

Ebs has been hit by AF today too... she's ended up with a shrinking LP recently plus more spotting than a while ago... I'm just starting to wonder if actually there might be something in the B6/something else that you guys aren't getting on with? I'm not remotely saying for sure... I guess it's just a possibility. Have you considered an 'au natural' cycle to see what happens without supplements, now you're further from stopping BCP?

Have you considered only temping around ovulation? I've found it's really helped reduce stress levels/thinking about ttc, not grabbing that thermometer/analysing each temp every single morning.... each to their own, but do consider it...

Big hugs CD1 is horrible

 

[DaisyQ]

Thank you 254. I am thinking of trying all natural, or at least cutting back on the supplements this time around. Really not sure what to do. I'm going to talk to the RE about progesterone suppositories. And I think I might try acupuncture. This is all getting very $$!

 

[254]

Thank you 254. I am thinking of trying all natural, or at least cutting back on the supplements this time around. Really not sure what to do. I'm going to talk to the RE about progesterone suppositories. And I think I might try acupuncture. This is all getting very $$!

Yeah, tell me about it!! After 17 months I dread to think what we've spent on supplements and food related to fertility... eeek!

With your LP being 11/12 days a few cycles ago, plus your amazing progesterone level this cycle, it doesn't sound like you've got a progesterone issue... I think I mentioned a while back but I conceived just fine with an 11 day LP (one MMC but that definitely wasn't related to progesterone as was discovered at 12 weeks) and although it's shorter than average, 11 days is perfectly normal for some people... and it sounds like it could be for you. 10 days is OK too, although it sounds like from your earlier cycles 11/12 days is more your 'normal' LP... try not to worry. I reckon it'll happen for you soon...

I'm also going to start acupuncture... cheaper than IVF, I figure, and non-invasive/non-risky...

 

[Rebandy11]

I dont know about taking the other B vits during pregnancy but have heard this from Dr's and pregnant women.

https://www.babycenter.com/404_does-vitamin-b6-help-relieve-morning-sickness_2519.bc

 

[Happenstance]

Okay, I'm going to keep this as short as possible but by the end of this post you will all want to punch the doctor that I saw last night. Be prepared to be annoyed!

Mini-update from me: Still spotting

Okay, rest of the story. Yesterday morning I woke up at 5.30am with a really sharp pain in my lower left abdomen. I assumed it was a wind pain and continued with my day. Throughout the day it was coming and going, always in the same place and felt like someone had poked me with a knitting needle (not that anyone has ever poked me with a knitting needle before! ).

Anyway, it continued all day every four or five minutes and I just couldn't think what it could be. I was nervous it might be associated with a m/c, but it was just one small stabbing pain, not a cramp. So, I didn't go to the toilet for four hours so I could take another HPT (knowing full well it wouldn't necessarily tell me anything useful but it felt like the only thing I could do.) So, I came home, pee'd like a camel (!) and the line on the FRER was darker than the last test taken two days previously and the Clearblue Digital said 'Pregnant 2-3'. I was actually really happy about this seeing as the last one had said 1-2. So, getting to the point, my hubby advised me to call NHS24 because of the pain. I told him it wasn't that bad but he was worried there could be a problem with one of my tubes and I knew it made sense to speak to someone who might know more about it than me. I called and told them my symptoms but also that I wasn't sure what it was and if this was a normal part of early pregnancy. She told me to go to Accident and Emergency, so I did.

When I got there, the doctor was really horrible. He told me to pee in a cup (which I would say I'm now a black belt in!). I told him I had just gone for a mammoth pee before I left and explained the whole HPT thing. They fed me water until I was able to pee again and by the time I did, it was practically just water that came out (sorry, TMI!). He then came back, gave me a horrible look and told me his HPTs had come back NEGATIVE - as if I was lying!!! He asked if my doctor had taken a pregnancy test and I said no, that she thought I was perfectly capable of peeing on a stick and reading the word 'pregnant'. He then said that their pregnancy test strips aren't as sensitive as HPTs and that HPTs are aimed to 'prey on the fears of vulnerable women' as they find out they are pregnant much sooner than they should and that I shouldn't worry as "it's only a 'clump of cells' right now anyway". I wanted to punch him. He said the pain was probably from my bowels and to go home and come back if the pain got worse. HOW INSENSITIVE AND HORRIBLE!

So, if you have ever used or every plan to use an HPT then you are classed as a 'vulnerable woman'. What a complete *!@!*$!

So, I'm either a 'vulnerable woman who is having my fears preyed upon' or else First Response, Clearblue, supermarkets and internet dip test manufacturers have come up with an elaborate plan to fool me into thinking I'm pregnant. When I came away I was in floods of tears and poor hubby thought something awful had happened.

I got up this morning, more blood, so decided to 'have my fears preyed upon' once again. Still positive

Everything crossed for you happenstance. Hopes its a sticky bean. Are you still taking the progesterone? I always thought you had to stay on it until 12weeks if you'd already started. As for the B6 either should be fine. No harm in stopping but also heard it's good for morning sickness.

Crossables crossed!

Thanks Bean66. No, I'm not taking the pills anymore. They were progesterone based but not progesterone only, if that makes sense. They're not recommended when TTC. I asked my doctor about getting progesterone pills but she said they weren't necessary. I would feel so much better if she's given them to me though... Have you ever taken any progesterone or are your levels okay?

How are things with you?

Just to butt in...

I had a 7 day LP and B50 made it go up to an 11 day LP the 1st cycle and a bfp the 2nd so you might find you don't need to start as high as B100.

Happenstance I'm glad my insight on the cramping helped. I really hope that little bean hangs on in there. Look at Struth... she has always had spotting problems and she got her bfp and has continued to spot on and off but her pregnancy is going really well. I know its hard but hang on in there. xxx

Thanks Ebony 2010, that's really nice to know there's a fellow spotter out there who's doing well. I might do a bit of post stalking and see if I can find any of her threads to see if there are any similarities. I really appreciate your kind words and support

And thanks for the B3 tip, that would have taken me forever to Google each B vit on my complex list. That's helped a lot. Next stop, Doctor Google...

happenstance EXACTLY the same thing happened to me.

I got my BFP and two days later i started spotting but really cramping. I started running the gauntlet of tests and scans. Throughout i was spotting on and off and on a couple of occasions the pain was so bad with the cramps i thought i was going to faint. I had my hcg taken and it rose and i still spotted.

i had my FOURTH scan on monday. The first scan with a HCG of 2600 they couldn't see anything. i felt like my world had caved in. The scan on monday showed a little scan and even a heart beat. I have not spotted for about a week but honestly some of the painful cramps i have had are so frightening i think im going to faint.

The drs found out i have a majorly retroverted womb. So retroverted all the doctors were coming in to look at it when i was getting a scan!! that could explain the pain as the wombs not only growing its flipping into a normal position.

Try not to worry. Rest and dont pick up heavy items and take painkillers. im only six weeks now so no where near out of the woods but it is far more common than i first realized.

good luck xxxx

Oh my goodness! How frightening! And painful! I can't believe you're having to go through all of that. Have they given you anything for the pain? Are they giving you any treatment or are they just letting it flip its own way into a normal shape? I really hope things get better for you soon and that the pain stops.

Thanks for your advice and for sharing your story. I really do feel far more reassured when I read about others who've had spotting too. Has your spotting stopped now? I hope so, sounds like you've got enough on your plate! Also, how many weeks were you when you had your first scan and they didn't see anything? Mine is planned for six weeks (fingers crossed) but they've said they might not be able to see anything at that point.

Hi ladies. Thank you all for your support.

Happenstance, I like your epic post. Fx the bean sticks. If it were me, I would keep taking the b50 for sure. It can't hurt, might help with ms, and there are far too many stories of women miscarrying after stopping for my liking. I am not a doctor or an expert on b6 and pregnancy, but I am a nutritionist who works in a hospital, and I can tell you that most doctors are utterly clueless about nutrition, vitamins etc. They receive no training in it all, and know just the barest basics.

DaisyQ, I'm so sorry to hear that AF arrived - particularly after your positive temps. And I know how you feel about the LP but as 254 says, anything above 10 is classed as normal. Last cycle my LP was either 6 or 9 days (depending on when ov was). I'm keeping everything crossed for you that this month is going to be your month.

Thanks for the advice on the B50 - particularly as you're a nutritionist! You must have such a cool job. I hope you don't mind me appointing you as my new official nutritional guru (not that I had a nutritional guru previously - other than DH and he doesn't count as he lives on a diet of pizza and curry! )

Happenstance... There's been quite a bit of debate on here as to whether to continue a B complex after finding out you're pregnant... t'was several months back when LancyLass got pregnant, as I know she did lots of research into it (and may've linked to some articles?) I know something she read said that it wasn't the B6 or B12 that was an issue, but that high levels of one of the other B vitamins wasn't recommended in pregnancy... Ebony or struth may know more than me as I know they looked into it (I'm just taking B6 and B12 separately)?

It's your choice... doctors will always recommend just taking a prenatal vitamin as that's what they 'have to do'... so in this situation you just have to do your own reading (trying to find the actual research articles/reports and not just reading other people's comments on forums, obviously) and make a decision.

It does sound like the progesterone tablets could well have helped... I guess you'll never know! But anyway... I really do hope everything ends up OK for you. Spotting in pregnancy is scary... but the thing is... people spot in pregnancies that end up fine, and people spot in pregnancies that don't. Unless it's heavier red blood and with major cramping, it's not necessarily a bad sign. I spotted at 6-7 weeks in my pregnancy with L, and she's now 22 months old, I didn't spot in my first pregnancy (MMC at 12 weeks) and only had implantation spotting and nothing after in my pregnancy that ended in the early MC in October... so for me, I've spotted in my successful pregnancies and not in the 2 unsuccessful ones, so definitely don't view it as an automatic bad sign!

I'm also hoping to give acupuncture a go... would much rather try that before any invasive fertility treatments...

254, you always have such good and knowledgeable advice, I love it! Thanks for sharing the info on the B50. Ebony2010, said it's the B3 in the complex that seems to be the problem so I'm going to look it up online and see if I can find out anything about it. I'm not sure if I should just take separate B6 and B12 along with my prenatal? I'm just not sure which B-vits are important and which aren't (other than folic acid obviously).

I'm sorry you had two m/cs and your experiences of spotting in pregnancy are really interesting. I just hope I follow your lead and have a positive outcome. How are things going for you this cycle? I've heard of a lot of women who've tried acupuncture and it's worked wonders for them. I remember reading something about the ankles being a hotspot as your ankles are in some way connected with your uterus and ovaries - I'm not sure how that works! Have you booked an appointment yet?

Once again ladies, I would just like to thank you all for your masses of help, support, reassurance and information. It's like having an online team of life coaches who are amazingly wonderful ladies.

 

[Happenstance]

Just posted that and realised how RIDICULOUSLY long that was. Sorry! I think I might have to start a journal so I can vent somewhere else without taking up this entire thread!

 

[ebony2010]

I'm so sorry you got treated like that Happen. Thats disusting! xxx

 

[happyh29]

Happenstance -

that is absolutely disgusting. I would write a letter , mainly because what if it was a ectopic? and the knob of a doctor sent you home? Not that i do think its a ectopic but still.

I have stopped spotting for now, but still have pretty nasty pain every now and then. Mainly at night. I have to take paracetamol which is the last thing i want to do but it is awful and it can be unbearable. I think im going to be one of those females who spots throughout, in particular when my period should be due.

I had my fist scan at about 4.5 weeks. My hcg was high at 2600 and they couldn't see anything at all. Three days later they re scanned and could see a little wee sac. Then i got scanned at 6 weeks ( aprox) and they could see a heartbeat. But apparently some people dont see heartbeats until week eight so it must have been in the right position.

All scans were internal.

i think your just having a messy start like me. The hormones to stop your period dont often kick in till too late so you have break through bleeding.
Good luck xxxx

 

[254]

Happenstance - you definitely win the prize for the longest post! But don't apologise... this place is here for us to talk, vent and discuss.

What an awful doctor Sadly, I can TOTALLY identify... at 4.5 weeks in my first pregnancy I went to a&e with a coming and going pain in my lower front/side (told to go by nhs direct). The doctor was really bad... won't go into detail but the height of it was when, after 4 hours, he took my phone number down for someone to call me after the weekend, then joked with my husband how easy it was to get girls' phone numbers in his job!!

In the end, we only got to the bottom of the pain at a scan at 14 weeks (I had an MMC, although the pain wasn't related) - it was caused by an ovarian cyst. It could be something like that for you? I did a lot of research on it, and I think 4.5 weeks is too early for pain if it were an ectopic, so hope that reassures you a little.

Good news that your pregnancy tests are getting stronger... although once you've stopped spotting it might be worth restricting the testing as I know from experience it can drive you nutty!!

Scary times... but big hugs and I hope things settle down soon.

I've enquired about acupuncture at a natural health centre not too far away, and am waiting for them to get back to me. They have two acupuncturists who specialist in fertility stuff, so fingers crossed. Thinking about the cost makes my eyes water, though... but we'll cope, somehow. Cheaper than IVF, though (I'm not eligible for NHS IVF) so I'll certainly be trying 'alternative' non-invasive/risky stuff before we get to that stage.

 

[DaisyQ]

Happenstance, sorry for that horrible treatment. Ugh. So awful to be treated that way. NO worries about the long post. I like long posts! I hope you get more clarity on your situation soon.

I wish the same for myself! My period, which I thought started last night with bright red blood flow, has stopped. ??? I had very little last night, nothing over night or this morning, a bit of red spotting midday, and now nothing. ?? I took a HPT this morning and it was negative. My temp is still up (not as high as my peak temp yesterday, but still around the same as most of my post O temps). The plan is for me to go into the RE on Monday for CD 3 bloodwork (not sure it will actually be CD 3) and they will do a Beta just in case this is some sort of IB...

 

[Miss Broody]

Happenstance, sorry to hear about your experience, and it seems from the other posts you are not alone with poor treatment from doctors!!

Great news the tests are getting stringer! I hope this is it for you now?

Ladies quick update, I brought B100 but an going to take half a tablet for first week, then. Switch up to one. Full B100. X

 

[Happenstance]

Thanks everyone, you are such great friends!

I told my DH that I had gone onto BnB to vent my frustrations about Dr A$$. I told DH that if we weren't an online group of buddies then I reckon we would probably be picking up our torches and pickforks and forming our own little lynch mob! That doctor is so lucky...

Ebony2010 thanks for having my back! Hope you don't mind but I stole your little emoticon up above - great idea! I didn't know they had that one!

Happyh29 I'm glad the spotting has stopped but I'm so sorry about the pain. Are the doing anything further to help with that or are they just leaving you to 'suffer in silence' as it were? Surely they must be able to do something for you, it's not fair to have you in so much pain. How often do you see your doctor? I'm glad your 6 week scan showed a heartbeat, it must have really put your mind at ease. My doctors told me they can't scan before 6 weeks but I wish they could just so they could tell me they see something!

254 Thanks for the accolade! I feel you guys should club together and get me a medal or something. Or maybe a plaque for my wall? Seriously though, I need to keep my writing in check! I'm sorry you had a similar bad experience at the hands of a rubbish doctor. What's wrong with these people? I certainly won't have the same patience next time (despite their subconscious attempt to make this happen by calling me a 'patient') and will probably just go straight for the punch next time. And blame my hormones...! Thanks for sharing your story about the ovarian cyst, funnily enough that had crossed my mind too. But I was at my scan on Monday and they said they couldn't see anything (not that I've had the full results yet right enough!). The pain is hardly there today so I'm feeling much better. As for acupuncture, I looked into it too and it is really expensive. But there seems to be so many ladies that have had success with it so it has to be worth a shot. Let me know if you book something, I'm really interested to find out how it all works.

DaisyQ my heart was in my mouth reading your post. I think it sounds really positive and I'm praying this is IB. Just remember, if it is IB, then it will take a few days for the HCG hormone to make it into your blood and then into your urine - so keep testing! I don't know what tests you've used but in my opinion FRER are most sensitive. Good luck and let us know what happens as soon as you know. And good luck with your RE appointment tomorrow. Keeping everything crossed for you

Miss Broody thanks for your post, it's good to know I'm not alone but awful to think so many other insensitive doctors are out there. It's obvious which ones aren't fathers as there's no way they would think like that otherwise. I think next time I go I'll get a t-shirt specially printed saying something like 'Hospital Inspector - be very nice to me or you're for the chop!'. Oh, and I'll remember to take my own HPTs! Good luck with the B100, really hope it works for you.

Mini update on me: still spotting

Take care ladies and thanks again for all the support!

 

[ES89]

Sorry to butt in on this conversation.... Happenstance - I just read your experience with the doctors and I am gobsmacked!! How did you manage not to punch him!!!???
You have got me nervous about going to see my doctor on Wednesday now haha Good luck, hope everything turns out well for you You may have already mentioned this in this thread but do you recommend b50 or b100 to start? is it best to start low and go higher if needed? where is the cheapest place to get them from?

https://global.thebump.com/tickers/tt12a0bd.aspx

 

[happyh29]

Hey happenstance. I got told to take pain killers , paracetamol, which does really help. Try not to take them too often but if I need to then I will. Its not nice but i'm just so happy to see a heart beat. Next scan is Jan 30th
X

 

[254]

You have got me nervous about going to see my doctor on Wednesday now haha Good luck, hope everything turns out well for you You may have already mentioned this in this thread but do you recommend b50 or b100 to start? is it best to start low and go higher if needed? where is the cheapest place to get them from?

I hope seeing your GP is positive! My GP was pretty good when I saw her after 13 months of ttc, and happily looked through my charts and agreed I was ovulating (although she didn't believe a short luteal phase could be a problem... but I expected that)! I see the FS next month and I'm not sure whether they'll be quite as positive re. charting, and I'll eat my hat if they say that a short LP can be an issue...

It's totally your choice, and you just have to do lots of research and make your decision based on the facts you find, but personally I'd recommend starting with 50... I take just B6 on its own, but many here take the B complex (tried it for a while, didn't help sadly, so I decided just to go to the B6 so I wasn't putting vast amounts of other B vitamins into my body if they weren't helping my LP). I got quite bad headaches when I started on the B50, so am glad I didn't go in with a B100.

It 's believed to take at least 3 months for the vitamin levels to build up, so it's worth giving it at least that long to see if it's working. Good luck!

Well, me update... looks like I'm ovulating soon. Been in this game long enough not to get too excited (as I know the odds are very strong that my period will be rolling up in just over a week) but I'm happy that it looks like it's happening relatively early for me (CD15 today... I predict ov on CD17).