Massive question to ask about DEHA - Fertility Network UK

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Massive question to ask about DEHA

Olivia1980xxx profile image
15 Replies

I from my second cycle I have my baby girl which she is 3 years old (I was 35 then) and I had one embryo left to freeze.

2019 feb we decided to do one more fresh and we had one embryo transferred and another 3 to freeze.

That cycle didn’t work and another two so I have only one left frostie.

So I lost 3 embryos including the one from cycle I had my baby girl.

This March when I had consultation my doctor recommended to take DEHA 75mg a day (25 mg x3 a day) .

My AMH is 6.7 and I’m gonna be 40 in November.

My big question is would u take DEHA without ever being diagnosed or had a test DNA fragmentation or poor embryo quality?

Please any opinion I will be appreciate xx

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Olivia1980xxx
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15 Replies
Starsandsunbeams profile image
Starsandsunbeams

Hiya, when we first had Fertility tests in 2017, my AMH was 3.4. My consultant mentioned DHEA then, and I took some but did not continue for the recommended 3 months before egg retrieval. We started IVF 2018, 2 high grade embryos from that cycle, unfortunately both resulted in a faint positive but neither lasted. I moved clinics and decided to give DHEA a good go, so I took it for 3 months before starting next round of IVF. Resulted in 4 embryos, we transferred one fresh, but BFN. So I have 3 currently in the freezer. I don't know if the DHEA helped or whether it was just chance, as my AMH had also gone up to 7. 2 before that second round of IVF with the new clinic! There is some research to say it can help, which is what my consultant was going on.

Not sure if this helps, but that's my experience xx

Olivia1980xxx profile image
Olivia1980xxx in reply toStarsandsunbeams

My AMH over 5 years ago was 15.7 (age 34)

November 2018 my AMH was 5.7 ( age just turn 38)

2 weeks ago I repeat my AMH and come back 6.7.

I haven’t done nothing to improve.

My embryos and the one I had my baby was grade A .

I just don’t want to mess up something.

samrakkar profile image
samrakkar

Hi lovely

I took them and got preganant x I think I was told them to take them as my AMH levels were low x good luck

Olivia1980xxx profile image
Olivia1980xxx in reply tosamrakkar

Congratulations hun . How low was your AMH ? Xx

samrakkar profile image
samrakkar in reply toOlivia1980xxx

Thanks

But it was years ago now and I really don’t remember - all they said was take DHEA as your on the low side that’s was about it. I didn’t ask any questions and took it x

Cinderella5 profile image
Cinderella5

I took DHEA as a last resort type of thing! I found it helped me to get my embryos to day 5. Sadly our embryos didnt take but my cycles were improved after using it. My AMH was 7.19 and I was 38.xx

Olivia1980xxx profile image
Olivia1980xxx in reply toCinderella5

Hi hun I hope u ok .

I feel like DEHA is my “ last bell” to hep me .... I just want to make sure that will not make things worse XX

Cinderella5 profile image
Cinderella5 in reply toOlivia1980xxx

Just to add, one of my cycle buddies decided to take it after her first cycle and her AMH wasnt too bad and was around 35yrs old but her embryos didnt do very well in her 1st cycle and had to do a 3 day transfer of one embryo which failed. She ended up with 2 5 day blasts on next cycle and transferred both and has twins now.xx

Olivia1980xxx profile image
Olivia1980xxx in reply toCinderella5

Wow that amazing...twins 🥰

I was quite surprised on my last fresh cycle last year with AMH low 5.7 when they say I responded better.

We only got one left frostie and my age so that why I decided to repeat that AMH is my “first” step before we decide what to do.

I have appointment on 16 next week with a doctor who done my operation on my tube few years back . I all ready spoke with him on a phone and I mention to do hysteroscopy just to see if everything “there” is in place ...

Hun I fallow u for long time and u went through so much and u still keep strong ...but I’m not so strong and I just cannot go through another failure cycle 😔 xx

Cinderella5 profile image
Cinderella5 in reply toOlivia1980xxx

You sound like you respond not too bad. My clinic were recommending trying DHEA whe I was using my own eggs....little did they know I'd started it myself....naughty! Its doesn't agree with everyone like Daisy said below but I dont get too many side effects. Just a little bit greasier hair and the odd more spot.

You too have been through a lot too but you have made it through so you are stronger than you think hun!! I worry that I wont make it through too but this is our last loy of embryos and I need to get to the end with no regrets....its what helps me get through this!xxx

I took it because I had read so many good things about it on here. Within a week I had terrible insomnia and my hair started falling out, my cycles also went haywire. I am so desperate for some decent eggs but the side effects were just too much. I’ve since read that you should really have blood tests etc first before going on it, as you may make thing worse (which it seems I did) xx

Olivia1980xxx profile image
Olivia1980xxx in reply to

I’m so sorry hun u had such a bad sides effect after DEHA .

That my worries too but I will ask different doctor which I have appointment next week what he think .xx

Abbywithag profile image
Abbywithag

I took DHEA without any tests just because my consultant said it may help and it did I am now 16 weeks pregnant 2nd round icsi. I started taking it about 10 weeks prior to starting my second round xxx

Olivia1980xxx profile image
Olivia1980xxx in reply toAbbywithag

That amazing hun congratulations.Xx

MontsJ profile image
MontsJ

I started taking it after lots of reading up despite my clinic saying there was no strong evidence for it. My AMH was 2 when I started taking it and went down when to 0.4 while I was taking it. One thing I would mention if you do decide to take it - in the US where most of the research on DHEA has taken place clinics measure DHEA-S and testosterone levels before and when taking DHEA, as having a high testosterone level can be as detrimental as it being too low. I took just 50mg so less than the recommended 75mg and when I eventually decided to check my levels through Medichecks’s they were both very high. I reduced my dose to 25mg every second day and my levels were then quite low. So the right dose for me ended up being just 25mg daily. On the higher dose I got very oily hair, I did lose a lot of hair, and I got terrible bacne (pimples on my back) - this all resolved once I dropped my dose down. I took it for over 12 months in the end and through three IVF cycles but sadly it did nothing for me - in my first cycle I got 4 eggs and 3 embryos (resulting in one pregnancy and then miscarriage), my second was cancelled due to poor response, my third resulted in just 2 immature eggs. But it makes an amazing difference for some women.

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