I am continuing to gradually wean off of my medications.
I got my blood drawn again yesterday and my hormone levels are continuing to rise.
I've dropped to two estrogen patches for the past week or so and my estrogen levels are up -1,116 as of yesterday.
Progesterone has been dropped to 1/2 cc daily for the past several days, with no suppositories, and is a stable 35.44.
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| photo credit: Goodbye City Life |
I've now been asked to drop to one estrogen patch and to do the 1/2 cc PIO every other day (gulp).
I'll get the levels tested again on Thursday or Friday.
I asked at my local clinic when people tend to go off of their meds and they said at 8 weeks (!), so I guess Denver is taking their sweet time with me.
That's just fine. I want to be sure my body can handle these hormone things all on its own. This pregnancy was way too hard-fought to be careless with in any way.
I'm curious though, when did you wean off your medications if you had a successful FET?
Mo
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After my FET, my doctor told me to get off my remaining drugs at around 9 weeks. My progesterone level dropped a lot (but was still at the low end of acceptable) and I talked to him about going back on my meds. He didn't think I needed to but told me that if it helped my peace of mind, there was no reason not to go back on the progesterone. So I ended up taking my progesterone suppositories (my body wasn't absorbing the progesterone shots anymore at that point) until I ran out at 11.5 weeks.
ReplyDeleteWell, my transfer was fresh, but I think DE protocols pretty much work the same as FET. I weaned off progerstone/estrogen SLOWLY from 10-13 weeks, which was consistent with what I'd done with LG (that was just progesterone). Let me tell you know nice it was to take that last PIO shot!
ReplyDeleteI stayed on LOvenox until 35 weeks, switched to regular heparin until delivery, and back on Lovenox until the hematologist cleared me at 3 weeks postpartum...
I was weaned off of PIO extremely slowly. I think I got my last shots in week 16 or 17. It surprised me, having not needed PIO when I got pregnant after a fresh transfer, and having had no previous issues, that they kept me on it so long, but as I am sure you can appreciate, I just did what I was told.
ReplyDeleteI was on P17 until week 18. My levels were up and down forever until they finally started evening out. I was TERRIFIED to stop and had 2-3 weekly blood draws for a couple of weeks. It worked thankfully!! Hang in there!
ReplyDelete9w2d. But considering your history and anxiety level, it's good that they are weaning you more slowly. So glad to hear things are continuing to go smoothly!
ReplyDeleteI feel like all I ever say to you is "I have no idea about any of that" (and it's what I have today). So, count me as your ignorant cheerleader :) You do whatever you need to do to get some peace of mind.
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ReplyDeleteMy RE didn't wean me. She told me to just stop at 12 weeks. Freaked me out, so I weaned. Your placenta is pumping out hormones. BTW, even though the RE said to stay on them til 12 weeks, at my first OB appt the OB said that in her opinion I no longer needed them by 8 weeks, but I should follow the RE's instructions.
ReplyDeleteIt will be fine. Your ass will thank you.
Hi Mo... CCRM wanted me off of all meds by 12 weeks at the latest. My progesterone and estrogen were all over the place so I was late getting off the supplements. At 11.5 weeks when I weaned off of progesterone entirely, I started spotting. My progesterone had dropped to 6 and my OB put me back on the suppositories. My nurse at CCRM was not too happy... something about progesterone being harmful to the developing reproductive organs of the fetus after 12 weeks. My OB had never heard of this, so I didn't know who to believe. But my nurse was adamant that I get off the suppositories immediately. I went with my gut and stayed on it for several more days. At a little over 12 weeks I stopped the suppositories and my Progesterone remained stable at that point. It was an anxious few days to say the least. I have a 9 month old baby now... he is just fine (and so are his reproductive organs from what I can tell!) :)
ReplyDeleteWe did fresh IVF/ICSI, but I think the protocol is similar for progesterone. I stopped PIO at 10 wks and pro.metrium at 12 weeks.
ReplyDeleteSo thrilled for you and Will (love the u/s pic!), and hoping that the fears will ease with each passing week and that you will be able to start exhaling a bit soon as you head deeper into this wonderful, uncharted territory.
I spent my entire pg feeling terrified and although it was justified with HOM, I wish the experience was more "typical.") Wishing for smooth sailing for you, for at least 200 more days.
PIO once a day till 10 weeks. Estrogen patches too.
ReplyDeleteI was weaned slowly, much like you are doing (I'm sure they were careful with me too, given my SCH bleeding at 7w). So I did my last .5cc PIO every other day and last patch between 11-12 weeks. Closer to 12 weeks. And my final p4 was 18 - which scared the hell out of me to just stop PIO with that number, but my nurse told me it was all me, and everything turned out just fine in the end! I remember feeling like it was a slow wean, until that last week, and then bam! it was done, and it felt so very fast. And I have some fuzzy notion that they want you off everything by 12-ish weeks anyway, I can't remember why...so get ready for it, because you'll be a graduate soon!
ReplyDeleteYour numbers look amazing, so don't be surprised if you are off everything by early next week. :)
my ccrm nurse told me the same thing about research showing that p4 support can create reproductive issues in male fetuses. my peri and OB had never heard of such a thing, and my peri was very pro-p4 support when necessary, and said it was hogwash, lol... basically saying that if you need it, you stay on it. my levels were wonky thru the 1st tri, and i stayed on PIO until week 16- they had leveled off by then, and i switched to 17p shots for the remainder of the pregnancy. i weaned off e2 at 10-11 weeks.
ReplyDeleteyour levels are good, so don't worry too much about when to wean, when other people weaned, etc... its is totally individual. your body really seems to be groovin' along, a great way to get into the second trimester, mo!! you are doing it!
it may be worth it to ask your ccrm nurse about the studies about p4 and male fetuses. who knows how based in facts this study is? it was the first and only time i was told that. i did give birth to a son from that pregnancy, and he has no reproductive issues (i mean, his parts all look fine and seem to operate well... don't know if it is a fertility issue or an organ-development issue...).
keep on keeping on, mo & will!
Hi Mo! This is Anonymous who is 2w1d behind you from CCRM (my name is Alina). They started weaning me off at 8w1d, which was terrifying. We went from 1CC PIO daily + 3 suppositories to 1/2CC PIO daily + 3 suppositories. Then at 8w4d we went to 1/2CC PIO every other day + 3 suppositories. Then at 9w1d we stopped PIO, but are continuing on 3 suppositories daily until hormones check at 9w4d. CCRM told me I have to be off everything by 12 weeks b/c then we would graduate (OMG - this is so far away...) Good luck - you are doing great and your P4 is so much higher than mine! At 9w1d, my P4 is 28 and they still told me to drop PIO! Yo are doing wonderful, Mo!
ReplyDeleteMy OB said I could go off at 10 weeks but the RE wanted me to stay on until 12 do I did to be on the safe side.
ReplyDeleteI'm like Gwinne and had a DE embryo transfer and would have been stopping around the time of the first scan (7-8 wks) but begged and pleaded to stay on the prog till 12 wks and weaned after the 12 wk scan. I was also on LMW heparin and stayed on that throughout the pregnancy and for 12 weeks after (with a brief gap for giving birth) but I have a clotting condition, so it was mainly for that and not immunes.
ReplyDeleteMine was a fresh cycle, but I stayed on 1 PIO until 10 weeks. I remember being nervous for a week or two, thinking something might go wrong because I went off of it but I was ok.
ReplyDeleteI did Lovoenox up until a few weeks before birth, briefly switched to heparin, and then my OB told the Rheumatologist that I should NOT continue Lovonox after the birth and she agreed. Thank goodness.
After my FET, I went to almost 11 weeks on estrogen and progesterone.
ReplyDeleteI am 17 weeks pregnant after a FET at CCRM. I was finally weaned off PIO at 13w5d, and I was weaned off Vivelle at 11w5d.
ReplyDeleteI was weaned off at 12 weeks from CCRM, I did have to go in for one last blood draw at 13 weeks to make sure everything was still looking good.
ReplyDeleteMy RE, who has tremendous success rates, took me off PIO at 12 weeks for both fresh and frozen transfers, with no weaning process. That was his standard protocol. I don't recall what the dosage was, or if I had any supplemental estrogen after the transfer. I'm mostly supplying this sketchy information to illustrate something that's absolutely mind-boggling to me now ... that I just don't remember it. It consumed me totally 'round about 8 years ago, and then again 4 years ago. May these details someday be a similarly hazy memory for you.
ReplyDelete1cc of PIO until 10 weeks exactly. At that point stopping it cold turkey. Same with estrogen (if I remember correctly).
ReplyDeleteBy the end of the 10 weeks of PIO my behind was COMPLETELY numb. It remained numb for about another 15 weeks at which point it slowly started feeling more normal....
You're doing great!
Went off all meds at ten weeks. It was exciting to be done with them too!
ReplyDeleteI didn't have a successful FET but with my fresh IVF (which resulted in my beautiful son), my clinic had me on progesterone suppositories in the am and pm, PIO shots (2cc's) daily in the evening and 2mg of estrace daily until 12 weeks. I was weaned off off everything slowly. I dropped the estrace first, then 4 days later, I dropped the PIO shots and then 4 days later the am suppositories and finally the pm suppositories. I'll admit, I had a really hard time stopping the meds but it all worked out!
ReplyDeleteHi Mo - I'm just thrilled with the way your pregnancy is going! I went off progesterone supps and estradiol at 12 weeks. I probably could have stopped 1 week earlier, but it was Thanksgiving and I didn't feel like doing the blood draw that week. I felt alot better, less tired and nausea, after I weaned off everything.
ReplyDeleteHi Mo - I'm just thrilled with the way your pregnancy is going! I went off progesterone supps and estradiol at 12 weeks. I probably could have stopped 1 week earlier, but it was Thanksgiving and I didn't feel like doing the blood draw that week. I felt alot better, less tired and nausea, after I weaned off everything.
ReplyDeleteDE is sort of like FET. I think my clinic had me start weaning around 10 weeks. The placenta takes over around 9?
ReplyDeleteNBBHY!!!!!
((((HUGS))))
Like others, I had a DE fresh transfer that is pretty much like a FET. I was weaned off the oestogen and progesterone at 12-14 weeks. I had a blood thinner Clexane throughout the pregnancy until 6 weeks post partum. I did start progesterone pessaries again at 12 weeks because of cramping in my unicornuate uterus, I had this until the end of the pregnancy. I was super nervous about weaning but it turned out all good, I hope it turns out the same for you!!!
ReplyDeleteI haven't had to deal with meds like that for pregnancy but I did do progesterone supps. There is sweet relief when you know you can stop and your body has this thing sorted out.
ReplyDeleteCheering you on! :)
I was never on E2, but was doing suppositories until about 12 weeks after the FET. And then just stopped. I remember that it stressed me out, but by that time we had done our CVS test and things looked so normal that I believed the assurances that things would be fine. And they were.
ReplyDeleteI did an FET with our daughter and was very hesitant to go off the drugs too. Our RE had said to stay on the progesterone until 10 weeks...I stayed on until 14 b/c that's how much I had leftover. I wanted to use every last drop. Though at 12 weeks I did reduce the amount I was taking so that it could be a gradual reduction of hormones.
ReplyDeleteI am in CA and went through California IVF...for both my IVF and my FETs....I did the PIO for 12 weeks. My clinic typically feels safe at 10....but I had the meds and I was neurotic...so they said going 12 would not hurt...and we did. For the FET....I also did the estrogen patches for 12 weeks...but only 1.
ReplyDeleteI know most clinics either start weaning or drop all extra meds around 8 weeks...but I have read soooo many times that the placenta doesn't really take over hormone production until around 10 weeks....so personally...that would be the earliest I would feel comfortable stopping.
Great numbers....still so positive and excited for this little baby (yes...I said baby) you are going to have!
kd
I came off all drugs between 11 and 12 weeks. I was very nervous but it was fine. X
ReplyDeleteGlad everything is going well Mo!
ReplyDeleteHi Mo, I am being weaned pretty quickly because my levels continue to rise even when I've been dropped. My estrodial was 4,000 on one patch, so they've just told me to drop everything and then check back in a few days. My progesterone went up for a while but it did drop from 36 to 26 after I stopped it completely. But they still feel that's a safe level so I guess I'm okay assuming it doesn't drop any more. It could be that twins creates more hormones than one, which is why my weaning is happening so fast (10 weeks).
ReplyDeleteThe protocol (in 2009) at my clinic for an FET was PIO until 15 weeks. For a fresh cycle it was either 9 weeks or 11 weeks, I can't remember. I went to Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
ReplyDelete