DHEA, borderline PCOS ?

[Edk0]

So, I had a failed round last month (4 mature eggs, none fertilised with ICSI). I'm 40 so need to get going with my next cycle, had my DHEA levels checked, 10.2umol/l, apparently within normal range for my age but when checked against the fertility Bible and other sources it seems way above what mine should be and may be in indication of PCOS. Now, I've had several test when I was younger as I suspected I had it due to excessive body hair and skin tags but have regular peorids without pain, additionally I had the typical amount of follicles and eggs collected for my age. I also recently had my AMH measured again 3.68 so that doesn't really correspond with PCOS. I haven't had my testosterone checked yet but will request it.

I'm at a loss, do I take DHEA? Is it possible to have borderline PCSO? Wtf is going on? So sick of all the twists and turns with IVF. Really need some form of decision tree for all eventualities or an infertility PA!

[Krystal_43]

So I’m not a supplement expert, but I think you should avoid dhea if you have high testosterone/dhea-s levels. But maybe try to chatting to your doctor for their opinion? Your levels are double mine and I’m just tentatively starting at 25mg p/day. I think myo-insitol (not sure if that is spelled right) can be helpful for egg quality and works in an opposite way to dhea. Also COQ-10, but you probably already take that one. Xxx

[soccerkt6 in reply to Krystal_43]

I also wouldn't take the DHEA. Since it's a hormone and not just your average supplement, I'd err on the side of caution if you/ your doctor aren't 100% sure that you need it.

It's possible that you have PCOS or at least insulin resistance - have you ever had your blood glucose levels checked? Since PCOS is more a combination of symptoms rather than a definitive diagnosis, it can be easily missed. (And the name is misleading because you can have PCOS without having polycystic ovaries!) Regardless though, I second the recommendation for myo-inositol. It helps improve egg quality and, if you do have PCOS or insulin resistance, it's beneficial in that it improves insulin sensitivity and helps regulate blood sugar. Inofolic Alpha is the brand I use. Good luck! xx

PS - You may want to look at your most recent LH and FSH test results. They should be in about a 1:1 ratio, but if your LH is significantly higher than the FSH (like 2 or 3 times higher), that can be another indication of PCOS.

[Edk0 in reply to soccerkt6]

Thank you, this is so helpful. I can't recall if my blood sugar levels were taken, it was so long ago but all doctors were adamant I didn't have it. Also think it was missed by the fertility clinic as they didn't test for it since my transvaginal scans didn't reveal any issues. Looking at my latest blood test there's a huge disparity between the two (FSH 3.6, LH 0.2) however these were taken after my withdrawal bleed, not on the second day of my period. Reading your advice and it starts with an egg I think I'm insulin resistant as I don't quite fit the criteria for PCOS. xx

[Edk0 in reply to Krystal_43]

Thank you. I won't be taking it since its extremely high for my age. Once I have my testosterone levels checked I'll most likely take myo-inositol. I'm cuttentky taking 600mg of CoQ10 daily. Just thought I'd throw everything at it but this is a curveball which has thrown me, especially since I've had lots of blood tests and this has never been picked up. Xx

[Hidden]

I personally wouldn’t take it, I’ve always had borderline testosterone levels (lower than yours) and self prescribed DHEA as I was desperate to improve egg quality. Within about a week I had terrible insomnia (like 1 hours sleep a night), hideous greasy hair, greasy skin, loads of spots and just felt hideous, it also sent my periods mental. I so wish I hadn’t done it as it took me months to get back to normal x

[Edk0 in reply to Hidden]

Sorry to hear about those symptoms, really Nit what you need on top of IVF. I'm definitely going to stay away from it, have you tried myo-inositol which the other replies have suggested?