Vitamin B6 - Lengthen luteal phase or increase progesterone

[Jen1802]

Hey Betheney
Yep the GP said that he thought I wasn't ovulating because my prolactin levels were really low (but that was actually a result of the AC). However this month I def did ovulate (also the first cycle I've been checking BBT, was using OPK's before that). What I think has happened with my day 21 test is that the AC was lowering my prolactin levels and they were irregular so the GP thought I wasn't ovulating but I think it's been a result of the agnus castus interfering with the tests. I think I am ovulating but my LP is far too short! I'm due AF on Sunday and I've been checking my CP and it's quite low and not as soft (sorry tmi!) so I'm convinced it'll come this month! No doubt I'll be on here on Monday feeling rather sorry for myself! I was going to do a journal but I've no idea how to do it! LOL!
XO Jen

 

[Jen1802]

Hey Jo
Just seen your post there now! Woohoo!! Brilliant, let us know what you think of the book!
xo Jen

 

[LisaRH]

I just got the book by Randine Lewis in the mail a couple of days ago. Thanks for all of the recommendations! As I read it, it seemed as though so many symptoms just fit right together! Not to mention the section on LPD is the most thorough thing I've read yet. I am at the end of my first cycle with B6 (100 mg) and today is 14 DPO and I haven't fully started yet. I had light spotting yesterday morning and a little more this morning. I feel cramps starting, but it is such an improvement over last month. Last month my period started on 12 DPO with spotting on 11 DPO. So I guess I have a 2 day improvement and I only started taking them on Cycle day 5! My luteal phase temps also seemed to stay elevated better this cycle than last so that is an improvement as well. I would still like to improve my pre-ovulation temps though. I think they are often too high and very erratic. Any ideas? Abi, our charts have been pretty similar and I know you said yours are improving. Also, I still had the slow rise in temps after I ovulated. It took about 5 days for my temps to work their way up. ( the really high temp is the day after my flu shot) Here is the link to my charts:

https://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/161fa0

I have read the book (Infertility Cure) and figured out my categories (Ki Yan - , Bl X, Li Qi X). I also have sorted out the combined dietary recommendations for my problem areas, but I am a little apprehensive to just jump in on picking and choosing my own herbs. It says to choose one from each category, but I think I am just overwhelmed. Has anyone had any changes with just the diet and acupressure only? I am thinking maybe I should read through the herbs again and see if any are for erratic temps and slow post-ovulation rise. I welcome any input as I am so new to this! I have gotten so much good information from this site! You are all so knowledgeable! I would have never considered TCM before this site.

 

[abster]

Hey LisaRH, congrats on your new book! It's hard to describe its effect until you've started to read it yourself. You're not kidding that we have similar charts. One important thing - are you making sure you take your temp the moment you wake up, rather than waiting til a specific time? Quing impressed on me the importance of the 3 hours' solid sleep to get an accurate BBT and said the time is irrelevant; I'd lie still for a while, turning over every so often but not talking or sitting up etc and she said even that can make a marked difference. I understand now that it takes 3 hours' sleep for you body to reach its BBT. Every time I wake up during the night I take my temp then check the time. If it's been over 3 hours since i went to sleep I make a note of the temp, if not then I do it again next time I wake up. There's only ever been one usable temp during the night as I don't wake up very often. Mine range between 3 & 7am and I started doing it this way on 1st Dec, the day after my 2nd appt, after Quing told me to ignore the time. See how much more stable my temps have been since 1st Dec and you'll understand the difference it makes.

Have you found an acupuncturist that doesn't do TCM? IS that why you're asking for advice about herbs? Certainly the acu will do a lot on its own but I think you need the herbs as well. Jen, glitterqueen and muncho are getting herbs from their acus and my 2 friends who went to QUing both had herbal pills, like I am.
Goo dluck!
Abi x

 

[bells1980]

Hi all
Hope everyone is going ok.

Cla - a huge congrats!!! So exciting - a h&h 9 months to you and your little bean XXX

abster - how is the TCM going? Are you finding it helping with you LPD?

LisaRH - Great news that your LP has increased - good luck with the temps and fingerscrossed for a BFP+

I have ordered a copy of Randine Lewis' book so can't wait for it to arrive. I have booked an appointment with a TCM practitioner for 6th Jan 2010 can't wait! I also have my first appointment with a fertility specialist in 3 days after my Dr finally agreed that I have a problem with my hormones!!! She tried to pass it off as me stressing even though I knew it was more than that - I now have blood results as proof but she wasen't prepared to prescribe anything for it. In some ways I am bummed that it has come to a specalist but in other ways I know we are finally getting somewhere.

 

[Laummatt]

Hi Girls

I hope you don't mind if I join this thread. I've been reading the whole thing for 2 days!! So much advice and fantastic support here I actually feel like I might get somewhere.
Im TTC #2, DS is almost 2 and he was a happy accident but that doesn't seem to be happening again. I came of BCP about 8 months ago didnt chart but cycles were 30 days apart give or take a day. The last two months I decided to start charting and my cycles have been 24/25 days with a LP of only 7/8 days!! Not good for baby making. Has anyone else had a problem with cycles since giving birth? I breastfed for 9 months and only went on BCP for about 8 months or so wouldnt have thought it could mess me up like this!!
anyway Ive decided to give B50 time release a go started yesterday and am taking pregnacare too. The only other query that I have is that I have coeliac disease so the Dr recommends I take 5mg of folic acid as I dont absorb vits very well but am scared this might be overkill with the other vits Im taking. Does anyone else have this?

Anyway Im rambling now, have made an appt at the Dr for Tues as I dont thnk there is anypoint waiting for the yr to come around if I know there is a problem now!!

Just wanted to say thanks and I really dont feel on my own anymore x

 

[abster]

Hi all
Hope everyone is going ok.

Cla - a huge congrats!!! So exciting - a h&h 9 months to you and your little bean XXX

abster - how is the TCM going? Are you finding it helping with you LPD?

LisaRH - Great news that your LP has increased - good luck with the temps and fingerscrossed for a BFP+

I have ordered a copy of Randine Lewis' book so can't wait for it to arrive. I have booked an appointment with a TCM practitioner for 6th Jan 2010 can't wait! I also have my first appointment with a fertility specialist in 3 days after my Dr finally agreed that I have a problem with my hormones!!! She tried to pass it off as me stressing even though I knew it was more than that - I now have blood results as proof but she wasen't prepared to prescribe anything for it. In some ways I am bummed that it has come to a specalist but in other ways I know we are finally getting somewhere.

Hey bells, you've been busy! I'm sure the TCM will do a lot for you. I'm feeling very positive about it myself. Its really working for my pre-ov temps. Have started spirulina tablets and wheatgrass today (recommended ion Randine Lewis's book). Have decided not to up my B-100. Will leave it as it is at the moment as good things seem to be happening to my temps.

Laummat, will reply to you properly later as I'm in a hurry at the moment and I want to do it properly.
Abi x

 

[LisaRH]

Abi, I actually haven't found an acupuncturist yet. I was thinking of giving it one more cycle with the B6 and adding the diet changes, herbs, and attempting to use the recommended pressure points myself. I am now on day 14 and still only spotting so I think my cycle has taken a drastic turn in the right direction. I am hoping the second month of B6 will straighten out the spotting and slow rise and then I would just be left with the rocky period temps. I try to take my temp the minute I wake up, but now that I think about it I am sure there could be a few times where I woke up briefly and went back to sleep less than 3 hours before I woke up to take my temp. I will have to be extra diligent this cycle and see if it helps. You are right, your temps have certainly leveled out.
Thanks Bell (sorry, now that I am posting I can't remember your user name!) I am so glad the B6 worked so quickly for me! I am glad your Doctor is finally acknowledging that there is a problem. That seems to be such a hard thing to get them to do. My Doctor also told me if I wouldn't stress I would get pregnant! It is infuriating. Good luck with your appointment.
I can't remember who asked, but I also am having trouble with getting pregnant the second time. I think it happens to a lot of people. I didn't take BCP between, but I did nurse for 22 months (stopped in May).
Lisa

 

[abster]

Hi Girls

I hope you don't mind if I join this thread. I've been reading the whole thing for 2 days!! So much advice and fantastic support here I actually feel like I might get somewhere.
Im TTC #2, DS is almost 2 and he was a happy accident but that doesn't seem to be happening again. I came of BCP about 8 months ago didnt chart but cycles were 30 days apart give or take a day. The last two months I decided to start charting and my cycles have been 24/25 days with a LP of only 7/8 days!! Not good for baby making. Has anyone else had a problem with cycles since giving birth? I breastfed for 9 months and only went on BCP for about 8 months or so wouldnt have thought it could mess me up like this!!
anyway Ive decided to give B50 time release a go started yesterday and am taking pregnacare too. The only other query that I have is that I have coeliac disease so the Dr recommends I take 5mg of folic acid as I dont absorb vits very well but am scared this might be overkill with the other vits Im taking. Does anyone else have this?

Anyway Im rambling now, have made an appt at the Dr for Tues as I dont thnk there is anypoint waiting for the yr to come around if I know there is a problem now!!

Just wanted to say thanks and I really dont feel on my own anymore x

Hi Laummat,
I fed #1 from birth til april this year (21 months) - although the last 8 months it was just a morning feed. I wondered if feeding for so long had meant the prolactin I was producing had reduced my progesterone levels, as can happen. I do have low progesterone (rocky, too-low post-ov temps and short LP) but Quing, my acu prac had said this wasn't caused by BF, which is great to know.
Have you considered acupuncture/traditional chinese medicine? It sorks wonders. I can recommend a book - The Infertility Cure, by Randine Lewis - which if you've read a few of my posts you've probably seen me going on about. It has a questionnaire you can use to work out what your issues are exactly and explains everything incredibly clearly. It's ever so reassuring to read about a system of medicine (Eastern) which understands a lot of what western medicine ignores/doesn't understand. It does say relaxing is good, but it doesn't tell you that if you just chill out it'll happen (GRRRRRRR countless women on here seem to have been treated like that).
Hopefully your GP will be very understanding, but western med seems to have severe limitations where it's not a clear diagnosis of not ovulating/uterine probs/low sperm count etc.
Good luck and welcome!
Abi x

 

[jojo-m]

hi,

Just thought i'd add to here, tho especially for you Betheney that I took a full first half cycle of AC this month and last month after mainly just vit b6 I got a day earlier + opk of cd 17, today is cd17 and no + opk so I wouldn't take it. I'm always getting no bfp so had nothing to lose trying it. I did always ovulate tho so will see what happens over next few days, but its obviously not as good as last month so therefore pointless in my opinion. I'd stick with the bvits!

Jo x

 

[Laummatt]

Thanks for the reply abster. I have seen your posts about the book and ordered a copy the other night, fingers crossed it will be here in time for a good Xmas read. Have also looked into acu so shall pop in tomorrow and see if I can make an appt. I have only charted my temps for a month and mine were also low and short LP, have you been to your Dr about this?
I feel so frustrated about it all which cant be good so I just need to chill out, easier said than done! I have also started EPO which I understand I should only take till ov..... I hope this cycle is a little more normal!

Good luck to all of you, will be coming back to this site regularly, its been a real eye opener, so gald I found it!!

Onwards and upwards for this month

 

[abster]

No Laummatt, I've not been to my doctor because I don't see the point - that's not a slur on my GP as he's supposed to be very good.

He's just taken over from my old GP, who retired in the summer but has locumed there for quite a while and it was him I saw when #1 was 5 days old and started vomiting what turned out to be my blood (from my horribly damaged nipples, as she had a tongue tie the ruddy midwife hadn't checked for). He was very good with a panicky new mum and sent us up to emergency paeds. As an aside, we took her to the breatsfeeding/tongue-tie unit at the maternity hospital, the floor below where #1 was born (this is why I said ruddy midwife - we have a dedicated service in southampton and all they need to do is sweep a finger under baby's tongue at birth to identify a tongue tie. The following day it can be snipped and after a couple of drops of blood it's all over. Rant over...)

I just don't see the point in involving western medicine - I know I'm ovulating, my periods are normal, I don't want to take a progesterone supplemen or anything else. Just want o put myself in the hands of my acu prac. I'll tell my GP abou twhat I've been doing when I visit him to give him my good news! Soon.

Abi x

 

[abster]

Really pleased you ordered the book and are looking into acu. Best thin you could possibly do in my opinion. Check out our TCM thread : The Really Interesting TCM Thread.

x

 

[bells1980]

Hi all
Just thought I would check in and let you alll know I got a positive OPK today at CD28 (this is normal for me to have long cycles since being off the BCP) 1st full cycle on 50mg of Vitamin B complex - will BD this PM when Hubby gets home from work then see how the spotting goes fingers crossed for no spotting and a BFP this month XXX

 

[HatterasSarah]

Hi all...I'm a member of team jelly belly (thought we've sort of disbanded now), and my husband and I are in our second month of TTC # 2. I took EPO from CD1 to 1DPO (which made my EWCM amazingly plentiful) and started B6 (100mg) on CD1 and have continued to take it throughout my whole cycle. Ever since my first PP AF after having my son, my cycles have been 26 days long (starting on CD 27), and I am currently on CD 29. I ovulated 3 or 4 days later this cycle (on cd 17 or 18--probably caused by the EPO or B6), so even though I'm 2 days late, I'm not really considering myself "late" since I ovulated late.

I have had a lot of weird symptoms that I had during my first pregnancy (insomnia, bloody nose, bloody gums) and then a bunch of symptoms (headache, moody, sore boobs, breaking out more than normal), so I really can't figure out whether I think I'm pg or not. Some of my POAS pushers from the pregnancy website I moderate convinced me to POAS today about 3 hours ago...but I had peed about an hour beforehand, so I only peed for about 4 seconds onto a CBE digi. Needless to say, I got a . I am 11 or 12 DPO, so the girls all told me to get a more sensitive line test and use FMU tomorrow...but I'm just kinda thinking I'm already out. The only thing that has me wondering are those 3 pg symptoms I'm having now...but I'm wondering a few things that maybe you ladies could help me out with. Would B6 cause bloody noses or bleeding gums? I can't even remember the last time I had either a bloody nose or bleeding gums, so if the is right, what would be causing those 2 symptoms?

Thanks girls!

BTW Vestirse, congrats on the sweet baby boy! I don't know if you remember me, but I remember when you used to pop into our team's thread sometimes!

 

[Jen1802]

Hey girls
That's me out, sodding witch got me yesterday pm! Only a crappy 8 day LP so I'm upping my dose of B Complex from 100 to 150mg. Have acu this evening so will see what Cathy says. Hopefully something to cheer me up as I'm feeling pretty pissed off right now!
xo Jen

 

[Dancingkaty1]

so sorry Jen1802....hopefully 150mg will give you a longer lp phase and you will get ur bfp in jan xx

 

[Jen1802]

Thanks Katy, I can only hope...just want someone to come along and wave a magic wand and fix my stupid LP!
xo Jen

 

[cla]

Thanks Katy, I can only hope...just want someone to come along and wave a magic wand and fix my stupid LP!
xo Jen

hope you are ok, ive just read you have got your af im really sorry

 

[Jen1802]

Thanks Katy, I can only hope...just want someone to come along and wave a magic wand and fix my stupid LP!
xo Jen

hope you are ok, ive just read you have got your af im really sorry

Hey Cla, not really but its out of my hands.
xo Jen