25mg Steroids for FET

[Loosy80]

Has anyone ever been prescribed 25mg prednisolone for an FET, and if so from how long before transfer?

My clinic don't believe that immune issues are relevant, but were willing to prescribe 10mg of steroids empirically from 5 days before transfer until OTD, then stop. I said I was concerned with this as what if they were needed beyond that (I had a chemical in December with a euploid embryo which I now having tested so many other things think was probably immune related)

They told me if I wanted to have steroids to get a second opinion, as they wouldn't be involved in it. I did this as got my NK cells tested, which came back high (although it seems that everyone who gets these tested gets told this), with cytokines that are 3 times more active than they should be. This doctor advised me to take 25mg of prednisolone from day 7 along with intralipids, until week 12 if I'm successful.

I sent the results to my own clinic who still recommend only 10mg until the pregnancy test, but to start from day 2 instead. They say 25mg is too high and can be toxic, but so many people on here seem to have success with high doses for a lot longer than 3 weeks. I'm really confused and don't know who to believe - I don't want to cause any harm but I don't want to not take enough that it won't make a difference and for the same thing to happen as before. This is my last chance so I really want to get it right but I don't know who to listen to. So hard when you get conflicting views from people who are supposed to be the experts!

Any experiences in taking this dosage for up to 12 weeks?

[Hidden]

I'm on 16mg prednisolone. Currently 9days post frozen embryo transfer. Will be reduced to 4mg daily for 12 weeks providing I get positive BHCG on day 12 and 14. This is to prevent your immune system from attacking the embryos.

[Titawine in reply to Hidden]

When did you start taking it ? The say of transfer or before ?

[Hidden in reply to Titawine]

5 days prior transfer I started taking 16mg prednisolone.

[Loosy80 in reply to Hidden]

Ah so yours is somewhere in between the 2 opinions I've been given says stop after pregnancy test even if positive and the other is continue on the same dose for 12 weeks. So hard to know what's right! Good luck with your result, you must find out soon?

[Hidden in reply to Loosy80]

My BHCG blood test is tomorrow morning (Monday). The earliest il get my results is Tuesday. Its my 1st FET (had ICSI 2 months ago but had polyps & thick uterine lining precancerous so had to have polypectomy and d&c to remove it on egg retrival day). 3 embryos transferred 4 embryos in freezer.

It doesn't look promising because it's my 1st & I already had issues with my uterus and NK cells etc. I personally think 16mg prednisolone is too low for me but we shall see what happens after my blood test.

Il keep you updated. Don't let your dose of prednisolone put u off u need it for a reason!

[Rol81]

Hi x I don’t think everyone does get high NK cells, so if you do , I don’t know why they don’t see the relevance.

The majority on here seem to be prescribed steroids , I wanted to be , but I wasn’t , instead I was given hydroxycholiquine . I have been taking them daily since March . Hoping to do FET next month.

Good luck x

[Loosy80 in reply to Rol81]

I did ask for that as I've read a lot where that seems to make a difference but they didn't seem keen as they only test the pregnancy tissue with steroids, intralipids or IVIG.Do you mind me asking why you were prescribed that? Along with high NK cells I also have a positive Rheumatoid Factor (my mum has RA so I was tested, but that was the only abnormality they found), I've always thought I had a strange immune system though as don't get ill as much as a lot of people and have been around people getting Covid multiple times but not caught it (so far)My clinic are very much into natural IVF and as little intervention as possible, which is fine if that works but not everyone is the same. They say there is no evidence of steroids working but I think many people on this forum would disagree!

Best of luck to you in the next cycle too, I hope the hydroxychloroquine works x

[Rol81 in reply to Loosy80]

After my continued ivf fail and last one been an early miscarriage , I was referred to early miscarriage unit . They did the full blood tests on me, I can’t back very high NK cells and positive for lupus anticoagulant . There plan for me was :

Hydroxychloroquine for the Nk cells

& if I ever get pregnant blood thinning injections for the lupus anti.

Aspirin every night regardless

I was desperate to get steroids because of so many positive outcomes and advise from lovely ladies on here .

When I pressed my consultant she said there was not enough evidence to support steroids and intralipids .

Probably in a few years there will be enough but right now they are only prescribing what they are finding statically works. Also I wonder if it’s an immune thing due to covid etc, is this another reason they aren’t, hydroxycholiquine is a little be gentler

I’m going along with it but if I’m still not getting the result I want maybe I’ll be pushing for steroids. I will be asking more questions again when I start my FET .

[Seren0119]

I was on 25mg for 16 weeks after two failed PGS tested embryos. It worked and now I have a healthy daughter - it wasn’t toxic at all. Go to an immune specialist and they can prescribe for you separately x

[Loosy80 in reply to Seren0119]

That's great to hear and congratulations on your daughter. My chemical last year was with a PGS tested embryo that's why I think there must be issues to do with with me rather than the embryo. But have had a hysteroscopy and microbiome tests which were ok, so it points to an immune issue I think. I've had testing at the Lister but that's not where my only remaining embryo is so I've got 2 different places with conflicting views which makes it difficult to know what to do. I have been prescribed 25mg, but my clinic are telling me to only take 10mg. I think I will take the 25mg though - glad to hear it worked for you! x

[Seren0119 in reply to Loosy80]

It’s hard to say…the specialist miscarriage clinic in Epsom uses 25mg for high NK cells but I would maybe tell your doctor you are taking 25mg to be safe. Wishing you lots of luck xxx