5DP3DT IVF9: Musings on Progesterone
Progesterone used to make me feel intense uterine cramps, make breasts hurt, and just cause me a lot of physical discomfort. Most of my cycles, I was on 200mg/day and maybe even 100mg/day on one cycle. All these symptoms on 100-200mg/day.
In this cycle I'm on 800mg/day of P4 supplements.
And I feel ... well ... nothing. My breasts are normal, smallish actually. I'm not feeling any cramps from the P4. Nothing to really make me think, "Is that the progesterone or am I maybe getting implantation twinges."
It's just rather quiet. Disturbingly quiet.
My last IVF cycle, I believe I had STABBING cramps at the time of implantation. That was the cycle I saw a very faint BFP that appeared for one day and then disappeared before beta day.
I have to wonder if the pain I was feeling in IVF8 was more a symptom of one hell of an immune reaction happening...or of typical implantation. The more I read of other women's experiences before getting a BFP, the more I think I had a major immune reaction. So many women state that they felt little around implantation, were pessimistic about the cycle, and then went on to a BFP.
One thing that comes to mind is that this is the first cycle I've done since my endo surgery at the end of June. Could it be that the cramping was co-correlated to the presence of endometriosis (stage 4) with progesterone levels? I know that endo can cause the body to produce progesterone at random times in the cycle and can cause the lining to be out of sync. Can progesterone conversely affect endometriosis?
Lastly, I wonder if it's age, and my body's lack of response to the progesterone, or something else. There's nothing special about my progesterone suppositories save that they're 400mg each. I should be recoiling in pain, but I'm not.
I wonder.
Anyone else notice a chance in how you feel with progesterone as you age?
I'm baffled.
In this cycle I'm on 800mg/day of P4 supplements.
And I feel ... well ... nothing. My breasts are normal, smallish actually. I'm not feeling any cramps from the P4. Nothing to really make me think, "Is that the progesterone or am I maybe getting implantation twinges."
It's just rather quiet. Disturbingly quiet.
My last IVF cycle, I believe I had STABBING cramps at the time of implantation. That was the cycle I saw a very faint BFP that appeared for one day and then disappeared before beta day.
I have to wonder if the pain I was feeling in IVF8 was more a symptom of one hell of an immune reaction happening...or of typical implantation. The more I read of other women's experiences before getting a BFP, the more I think I had a major immune reaction. So many women state that they felt little around implantation, were pessimistic about the cycle, and then went on to a BFP.
One thing that comes to mind is that this is the first cycle I've done since my endo surgery at the end of June. Could it be that the cramping was co-correlated to the presence of endometriosis (stage 4) with progesterone levels? I know that endo can cause the body to produce progesterone at random times in the cycle and can cause the lining to be out of sync. Can progesterone conversely affect endometriosis?
Lastly, I wonder if it's age, and my body's lack of response to the progesterone, or something else. There's nothing special about my progesterone suppositories save that they're 400mg each. I should be recoiling in pain, but I'm not.
I wonder.
Anyone else notice a chance in how you feel with progesterone as you age?
I'm baffled.
posted by linda at 2:13 PM
Comments on "5DP3DT IVF9: Musings on Progesterone"
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Anonymous said ... (7:57 AM) :
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linda said ... (7:59 AM) :
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Adele said ... (8:28 AM) :
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Anonymous said ... (2:55 PM) :
post a commentI'd say the progesterone has become easier to tolerate with each passing year. I felt a big difference being between 37 and 40 with regards to the progesterone, but my natural cycles (PMS, and now PMS type symptoms around ovulation) have become harder (emotionally and physically) and my cycles are much shorter and periods longer. My husband thinks that after 7 pregnancies and only 1 live birth, that perhaps my body has become less sensitive to actual pregnancy after all the miscarriages, so maybe that's true of the progesterone as well. At least, that's the hope as I'm currently waiting on the call back on my FET beta. Good luck this cycle! From one 40+ to another, I need to see some hope that doesn't include donor eggs (which are illegal here in Germany where I live as an expat). And after 40, they don't cover any infertility treatments b/c the chances of it working are too small.
Interesting. I'll have to ask my doc if he's seen data that our reaction changes with age.
Please check back and let me know how your beta goes. I need some non-donor egg hope over here in NYC myself.
Hugs!
I don't like the progesterone, that much I can tell you. I'm definitely more emotional on it though that does seem to vary month to month. Mostly, I hate the mess:)
Negative pregnancy test on my side but it's always better than a miscarriage for me. I looked for an email on the site to let you know directly, but couldn't find one. I'll be checking in on you regularly and hoping for the best!