Cervical and uterine pain and symptoms

[katniss]

Hello Oo,

Sorry to hear that things are tough. I do hope you’re able to have a baby, either biologically or through fostering/adoption. But only when you are mentally and physically upto it. It is THE hardest job in the world, and for the well-being of both yourself and baby, you need to be in the right state of mind. Hoping that a baby will make everything okay is not right. But hoping for a baby when you feel mentally healthy is absolutely okay You will find true love as well. But again, hoping that love or your ex boyfriend will make everything okay is not right either. Only you can make help yourself get better and that’s through time spent on strengthening yourself physically and mentally. Because if you haven’t completely healed you won’t be able to give your best to either a love relationship or a mother-child relationship.

[O_O]

Thank you. I know it isn't best for me to have a baby now. However, I do need to have the egg extraction and fertilisation now, and then freeze any embryos that are created, because I won't have any chance if I leave it much longer. I have spoken to two fertility consultants about this and that's their advice.

I have had my latest round of pre-IVF blood test results back and things are not good. I spent so much money on complicated chromosomal translocation tests a few months ago, which showed nothing, when I could have just had some quick blood tests at my GP which would have revealed a whole host of issues.

My results are as follows:

AMH - 1.21 ng/l - this level shows diminished ovarian reserve, what may be expected for a woman of 40 or so
FSH (day 1) - 11 iu/l - another indicator of diminished ovarian reserve, and most women of 40 wouldn't even have a level this bad.
TSH - 4.3 miu/l - indicative of subclinical hypothyroidism which hopefully can be treated with levothyroxine.
Prolactin - 1030 mu/l - extremely high level, possibly linked to hypothyroidism, and means that my body is working extra hard to ovulate every month. Can hopefully be brought down with bromocriptine.
Plasma viscosity - 1.74 mPas - on the high side, which is strange since my CRP is perfect at <1 mg/l. Could be related to some sort of chronic underlying inflammation, maybe linked to hypothyroidism or autoimmune problems. Ties in with my high ESR result a few months ago, which was 19 mm/hr.
LH (day 1) - 11 iu/l - 1:1 ratio with FSH, which is good, but ideally would be lower.
Oestradiol (day 1) - 107 pmol/L - not too bad
Progesterone (day 20) - 43 nmol/L - perfect!
Testosterone - 1.3 nmol/L - perfect!

So, in summary, I'm hoping to start on levothyroxine and bromocriptine to treat the thyroid and prolactin issues which I hope will improve my fertility generally. I also plan to take heparin, a blood thinner, which would be a precaution.

I have joined a group for women with diminiswhed ovarian reserve and related fertility problems and they are pushing me to get a complete adrenal panel done, given my high TSH and extremely high prolactin. There is an obvious hormone imbalance and they all seem to think I should see an endocrinologist and get to the bottom of the problem. If I do have adrenal insufficiency then I would also consider taking prednisone during any pregnancy I may have, although I would be a little lairy since it can cause side effects.

Adrenal insufficiency is not something I have considered before, but given my low appetite, low weight, constant fatigue, low blood pressure, and chilliness (not to mention the TSH and prolactin) it does make sense.

It is all very confusing. There are so many things wrong and I don't know how they are linked or if there is one underlying problem which, once fixed, will make everything else better.

Low ovarian reserve can't be fixed - I can't magically replenish my supply of eggs - but if the egg quality is low then I might be able to make improvements. Hopefully if I can get a proper diagnosis and receive treatment to balance my hormones then my egg quality will improve.

My miscarriages could have been due to the foetus being abnormal, due to poor egg quality, due in turn to my bad FSH/AMH and other hormone levels. You would expect chromosomally abnormal embryos to not even implant in the first place but I wonder whether my womb lining might actually be a bit too receptive, even to embryos which cannot survive. But, of course, low egg quality might not even be the problem. Perhaps the embryos were normal and it was an adrenal or thyroid issue which killed them. This thought is harder to stomach. I hate to think that I could have had two perfect babies if only I'd had a hormone panel done beforehand and taken medication to remedy the problems.

I simply don't know what the cause is. I just know I have issue upon issue which are negatively impacting my fertility.

I also suspect I may have silent endometriosis. It would explain the random light bleeding that starts around 4 days before my actual period starts. However, without a laparoscopy there is no way of knowing for sure so I'm going to let that one lie for now and focus on fixing my other issues.

In an attempt to possibly improve egg quality just a little I am currently taking the following supplements daily:

Methylfolate - 1000 mcg
Folate (quatrefolic) - 800 mcg
DHA 700 - 2000 mg
CoQ10 (Ubiquinol) - 300 mg
CoQ10 (Ubiquinone) - 300 mg
Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) - 5800 IU
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxal 5 phosphate) - 4 mg
Vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin) - 12 mcg
Biotin (d-biotin) - 600 mcg
Myo-Inositol - 2000 mg
D-Chiro-Inositol - 50 mg (not sure about this one, but it's in my multivit)
Choline (choline bitartrate) - 50 mg
N-Acetyl-Cysteine - 1250 mg
Melatonin - 2mg

Plus selenium and zinc and vitamin C etc - they're all included in my multivitamin as standard.

So I think I'm doing all I can from a supplement point of view until I can get some proper medication for my issues. I have considered taking the steroid DHEA, which truly can improve egg quality and number for IVF in patients with diminished ovarian reserve, but it can have side effects so I'm going to hold off on that and ask my consultant.

Tomorrow I have a call with my GP where I will ask to be referred to an endocrinologist and/or get a full adrenal panel done.

I have an appointment at my fertility clinic in early January where we will discuss my results. I am hoping to be put on a low dose hormone medication prior to egg extraction because this will not only be cheaper but potentially more effective for me given my egg situation. My body is already working too hard to produce eggs every month and so a high dose of hormones could actually make things even worse and potentially damage egg quality even if it increases the number of eggs that can be extracted.

I knew something was wrong and, even though I wish I wasn't dealing with this now, I'm glad I have a chance to fix things and potentially get some good embryos in storage before it's too late. It does make me worried that perhaps I was right about some of the other things I was scared of, too - but I'm trying not to think about that now.

I have to keep hoping this will work. I can't imagine a happy ending for myself but, then again, a year ago I couldn't even imagine being alive and functioning relatively normally now. So I'm holding on to what I can.

[Violet Blue]

HI Jenny

You just need to chill.

Say if you can't actually have children biologically, do you think this has never happened before? Plenty women can't. It's sad, but you deal with it.

I imagine you've spent thousands on this baby obsession. Do you ever learn from your mistakes, or do you just plough on in and make even more ludicrously expensive ones?

You say rather jubilantly you knew something was wrong. But thankfully you're self aware enough to note that this time last year you thought you'd soon be dead. Focus indeed on that positive.

You're a healthy young woman. You need to find a partner, relax, eat nutritious foods. This time next year you might indeed not be dead but going through a normal pregnancy.

Be sensible, Jenny! Knowledge is not always necessarily power, and I imagine with trying to get pregnant, ignorance is often bliss.

Xxx

[O_O]

Thanks Violet. I know I should chill... it's hard though.


One thing I'm not sure I agree with is ignorance is bliss when it comes to pregnancy! I was ignornant in my first pregnancy, and lost that. I was ignorant in my second pregnancy, and thought everything was fine, but then I lost that one too! If I'd been a bit less ignorant then I could have been receiving the treatment I needed and I might be a mother today - and I'd never have experienced the things that made me cray.


I guess I am glad in a way that I have found some specific things that are wrong because it means that (hopefully) they can be fixed. And they do need to be fixed. It is not safe to try to get pregnant when you have elevated prolactin levels and certainly not if your thyroid is dodgy.


My doctor has presecribed me levothyroxine for my thyroid which I start today. Hopefully my TSH level will drop below 2 miu/l soon and I'll then be in a position to start IVF.


She has also referred me to see an endocrinologist to get to the bottom of the prolactin issues and try to establish whether there's some sort of underlying adrenal insufficiency or autoimmune problem. My prolactin problems were actually discovered when I was 19 and I was given a brain scan because elevated prolactin is quite often caused by a tumour on the pituitary. My scan was clear and I stupidly rejected any further investigations because I was young and couldn't be bothered. I wish I had sorted the problem out then instead of living with it for ten more years. It really has come back to haunt me.


So I'm not sure what the endocrinologist will suggest. Maybe I'll be started on cabergoline to bring the levels down. Hopefully I won't need another brain scan.


If I'm very lucky the levothyroxine might actually bring the prolactin down a bit because sometimes hypothyroidism can cause elevated prolactin. However, I'm not going to hold out too much hope for that.


It would be nice to find a partner so I don't have to deal with everything by myself but, equally, I don't want to settle and I'm open to becoming a single mother if needs be. I meet a lot of men and go on dates but unfortunately the only men I'm ever remotely interested in are already taken. At my age, most of the good ones have been snapped up, I think. I love my ex so much and I can't seem to find anyone I consider as good for me as he is. Anything less feels like settling, and I'm simply not attracted to most men. I wouldn't be able to touch them. Starting a relationship with no physical attraction seems like a recipe for disaster.

[WiseMonkey]

It would be nice to find a partner so I don't have to deal with everything by myself but, equally, I don't want to settle and I'm open to becoming a single mother if needs be. I meet a lot of men and go on dates but unfortunately the only men I'm ever remotely interested in are already taken. At my age, most of the good ones have been snapped up, I think. I love my ex so much and I can't seem to find anyone I consider as good for me as he is. Anything less feels like settling, and I'm simply not attracted to most men. I wouldn't be able to touch them. Starting a relationship with no physical attraction seems like a recipe for disaster.

What nonsense, my daughter is older than you and found a lovely partner (plus we live in NZ where the population is only 4.5 million)!

You are emotionally 'stuck in the past' and need help to resolve this issue otherwise you will fritter your young life away (and your money). You need to get out of the depressive fantasy mode and get on with living in the reality of life. Many others have told you this but you seem hell bent ignoring their advice and continuing down a destructive path. If you want good, positive things to happen then you have to think and visualise positive. Maybe volunteer work and helping others less fortunate than yourself could be a start.

Violet Blue an excellent post

[O_O]

I guess to be honest finding a man isn't my top priority. It would be nice, and I do go on dates, but if it doesn't happen then that's that. You're right, I'm sure there are plenty of good single men out there. Hopefully I'll meet one of them soon!

I don't think having the IVF and treating my underlying medical conditions is destructive, though. A lot of women have IVF. It doesn't mean I have to stick a baby in me right away - that probably WOULD be a bad idea - but it does mean I'll (hopefully) get some healthy embryos in storage to use in a couple of years. I want to have children and this is what I have to do to make that happen. In fact, I'm not doing anything other than following my doctor's advice. Isn't that what we keep telling everyone on here to do?!

I should try to chill out about it though, I know. It feels like a lot is riding on the success of my treatment and I do find it hard to just relax and take things as they come. I don't always help myself. I'm better than I was, though.

[Violet Blue]

What nonsense, my daughter is older than you and found a lovely partner (plus we live in NZ where the population is only 4.5 million)!

You are emotionally 'stuck in the past' and need help to resolve this issue otherwise you will fritter your young life away (and your money). You need to get out of the depressive fantasy mode and get on with living in the reality of life. Many others have told you this but you seem hell bent ignoring their advice and continuing down a destructive path. If you want good, positive things to happen then you have to think and visualise positive. Maybe volunteer work and helping others less fortunate than yourself could be a start.

Violet Blue an excellent post

Thanks WM! It's not often I feel people actually think I'm talking sense just because I like to dish out reality! You do too, and what's the point in pandering to these people?

I do feel for Jenny. I too hanker after someone unavailable from my past so I understand what that's like. It's a self inflicted bloody prison! But fortunately I don't/didn't want children, not even with this person. Unlike Jenny though I'm late 40s. If she thinks it's hard finding attractive single men in your early thirties, she doesn't want to try it when she's older!

Hopefully our Jenny will just let nature take its course, give herself time. If more miscarriages occur (which I know are devastating) maybe after 35 she should seek medical advice.

Merry Christmas, Down Under!

[O_O]

Thanks WM! It's not often I feel people actually think I'm talking sense just because I like to dish out reality! You do too, and what's the point in pandering to these people?

I do feel for Jenny. I too hanker after someone unavailable from my past so I understand what that's like. It's a self inflicted bloody prison! But fortunately I don't/didn't want children, not even with this person. Unlike Jenny though I'm late 40s. If she thinks it's hard finding attractive single men in your early thirties, she doesn't want to try it when she's older!

Hopefully our Jenny will just let nature take its course, give herself time. If more miscarriages occur (which I know are devastating) maybe after 35 she should seek medical advice.

Merry Christmas, Down Under!

I actually find men in their 40s more attractive! :') But, really, this isn't about men.

As for letting nature take its course... I'm not sure what to say to that! Perhaps I am one of 'those people' but if I just leave things until I'm 35+ I will probably be infertile or not far off. I may be 29 but my ovaries are that of a 40+ year old. I am extremely fortunate to have discovered the diminished ovarian reserve now while there is still something I can do about it! Any embryos will be screened for abnormalities and once I'm ready to start transfer then my hormones will be balanced by medication and any autoimmune problems addressed so that the risk of miscarriage will hopefully be lower. That won't be for a couple of years, probably, once I'm ready to try to be a mother again.

All in line with my doctor's recommendations.

If I was in a stable relationship then, once I was medicated, perhaps I could let nature take its course. But I'm not so, short of sleeping with a randomer, I can't get pregnant the normal way.

Diminished ovarian reserve is quite a shocking diagnosis which I wasn't expecting and is rare though certainly not unheard of in women my age. It isn't something that can be just left, unless you don't want children, because it only gets worse.

Yes, I need to relax, but there is nothing wrong with undergoing fertility preservation via IVF, particularly if you have prematurely ageing ovaries.

[Violet Blue]

Hi Jenny

I know I sound like a patronising old trout, so forgive me for that.

I actually thought you were 31, so 29 really is young... I get that science has told you your eggs are older, etc etc.

Well, good luck, I mean that very sincerely, and have a lovely Christmas! t

[O_O]

Hi Jenny

I know I sound like a patronising old trout, so forgive me for that.

I actually thought you were 31, so 29 really is young... I get that science has told you your eggs are older, etc etc.

Well, good luck, I mean that very sincerely, and have a lovely Christmas! t

No, that's ok Violet!! I'm a little worried about the treatment but hopefully it'll be done and dusted soon and I'll get some good embryos into storage and then won't have to think about it for a bit.

Have a lovely Christmas too!