DHEA - worse results? 🤔

[Celloheggy]

Hey Ladies!

My last cycle was disastrous and I was taking DHEA. Anyone else found they got worse results whilst on DHEA??

Any help would be very welcome!

X

[Hidden]

Hi I am sorry to hear that. I was taking dhea on my 4th round and unfortunately it was disastrous. I can’t give you any advise but I haven’t taken it since xx

[Celloheggy in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for the reply Katrina. Did you use the same protocol on your 4th cycle as previous cycles?

[Starsandsunbeams]

Hi, I'm sorry to hear this. Such a shame when you think you're doing everything you can to help. Can I ask anyone, in what way was the cycle worse? Less eggs? Lower quality? And did you take it for 3 months before EG? I am curious as it's something I'm currently taking! Xx

[Celloheggy in reply to Starsandsunbeams]

Hey! I took micronised DHEA for 3 months before my recent cycle, 25mg x3 a day.

First ICSI cycle in 2016 (AMh 20) I had 13 eggs, 12 mature, 9 fertilised, 3 blasts, and had a baby 👏🏻.

Second ICSI cycle last month with DHEA

(AMH 6.5) had 5 eggs, 1mature/1empty/3 immature but would have never matured (can’t remember term dr used!). It did fertilise but arrested on day 3.

Good luck with your cycle! X

[Starsandsunbeams in reply to Celloheggy]

Thank you for your reply. Such a shame that that happened, so sorry. It must be hard to process. I hope the next steps for you are positive xx

[Running79]

Celloheggy

That’s awful news, I feel for you as starandsunbeams asks what happened?

I have ordered all of the supplements it starts with the egg suggested apart from DHEA

[Kilk22]

Oh no, sorry to hear this. You poor thing ☹️ Was there a difference in protocol or were they the same? I’m taking it for my next cycle. Fingers crossed. Hope your ok.

[Celloheggy in reply to Kilk22]

Same protocol! This cycle I had a higher dose of Menopur because of my lower AMH. They have suggested an even higher dose of Menopur but same protocol for the next cycle. Just worried I’ll get the same results again 😬x

[Kilk22 in reply to Celloheggy]

That is so disappointing. I can only imagine your frustration. You think your doing your best with supplements etc to then end up worse off 😩 I am the same with low amh, high fsh. I have been on max dose of both gonal f and menopur for two cycles so I can’t go any higher 😟 but for my first cycle I wasn’t taking dhea or much supplements really. 4 follicles, 2 eggs. No fertilization. Second I did and diff protocol, showed 4 follicles again but we cancelled before ec so I don’t know if dhea helped or not.

Different protocol again this time and new clinic and new sperm 🤩 so I’m hoping it’s third time lucky. 🤞🏽

Ps sorry for going into my story and off track. I hope you have success in the very near future. X

[Celloheggy in reply to Kilk22]

No I like hear about other people’s journeys!! My clinic want to do exactly the same protocol again, with 375 Menopur, rather than 225. It’s really difficult because the protocol worked brilliantly 3.5 years ago giving me a daughter, but clearly the 2nd cycle was an absolute disaster!! So do I want to try the same protocol again for our very last cycle 😬??! I really don’t know! Had a very restless night stressing about it last night 😴xx

[Kilk22]

Ya I like to hear other people’s too. 😌 ya I get what your saying...it’s a tough one. Have you mentioned it to them about a different approach maybe? I know estrogen priming is a protocol used for women with low amh or poor responders. It’s so shit what the years can do to our bodies and how quick it flys by too. I guess you’ll have to either trust the doctors or go with your gut if it’s telling you to change. It’s a really tough one but the extra dosage of menupor could just do the trick 🤞🏽🤞🏽🤞🏽X

[Celloheggy in reply to Kilk22]

I changed consultant within the same clinic, but he said he wanted to stick with the same. Basically they are writing the last cycle off as an anomaly and just looking at the first cycle. I was quite happy to go with it but when I told my acupuncturist she said I’d get the same rubbish results again. So now I don’t know...but that’s where you lovely ladies come in!! I’ll be posting lots more questions in the coming weeks 🤣🤣

[Jessy1280]

I've been taking dhea in desperation. I have now been taking it infrequently as I'm scared of the same thing. I've read about ladies with DOR or low amh but I've been taking it with naturally high amh. The clinic told me I don't need it (18 eggs last cycle). Of 18, I ended up with 3 suitable for freezing. initially I listened but I was so devastated by my first failed FET that I ordered it and started taking it for a few weeks. Desperate to improve quality. I've since more or less stopped as I'm scared to throw my hormones off balance. There's literally nothing wrong with me. We have male factor infertility. Currently on cycle 2 stims and I'm terrified Ive now jeopardised my chances.

Last time long protocol, this time antagonist due to high risk ohss again

[Celloheggy in reply to Jessy1280]

We had just male factor for our first cycle, when I wasn’t taking DHEA and had a baby.

Now we have male factor and my low AMH and thyroid problems...it never rains it pours!

The consultant I saw yesterday wasn’t fussed my taking it, but said I should stop at the start of stimming. I stopped at EC. Can’t remember why, something to do with the wrong hormones, sorry that’s not very helpful!!

That’s the problem with IVF, it’s one big what if??

How old are you? I’m 36, he seemed to think this was young and there should still be some good eggs in there still! Hence not really needing DHEA.

Good luck Jessy xx

[Jessy1280 in reply to Celloheggy]

I'm 38, literally nothing wrong with me. I have high amh 45.2. No fibroids, no polyps, no endometriosis or pcos. It was really hard to digest when my 4xab failed. I took dhea in complete desperation. Now stopped as I'm too scared.

I'm am still taking inofolic, high strength coq10, vits D and e and melatonin though. I took only folic acid first cycle. Hoping my endeavours this cycle will see more embryos make it to day 5. I'm doubtful though as oh refuses to take his supplements x

[AnnieAnnie]

Hi I too had 2 disappointing cycles after taking DHEA and I was also on the highest dose. These were cycles 2 and 3 for me (menopur 450 - cycle 2 and gonal-f 450 - cycle 3). I had a much better outcome on lower dose stims and not taking DHEA on my first cycle (menopur 225 one day and 350 the next). All 3 cycles were short protocols but the first was a private clinic and 2 and 3 were nhs (but through another private clinic). In cycles 2 and 3 I had a lot less follicles, less eggs collected and the quality was a lot worse. The only thing that was consistent was I had good fertilisation. I definitely think the higher dose was wrong and i even questioned this on the nhs rounds. I've since tried a couple of clomid cycles and have had better follicular response to that than i did on cycles 2 and 3! I think this shows that for me, high dose stims dont work. I have low AMH. It's hard as you are led by them and I felt that if I didn't do what they were suggesting, then what if I was wrong and it didn't work and I had gone against what they had said and wasted my chance. It's so hard knowing what to do xx