Progesterone levels?

[ForABabyPanda]

Hey everyone - I think I’m out (just waiting on results of confirmatory blood hcg test before stopping my meds). However while still on them I got my progesterone checked at a private lab in Antrim. It’s coming up at 20.6 nmol/l - anyone who’s has theirs checked during tww, what did your doctor say the lower limit was? I have since rung my nhs clinic in Belfast to say about it but they won’t listen and also say they won’t accept results of tests done elsewhere (but they also refused to test me despite my concerns). I don’t really know where to turn now? My GP feels unqualified to comment either way and can’t prescribe support which is totally fair, it’s a very specialist area - but was very nice and listened to me. Also it is probably very literally too late to do anything about it, if it was too low then any implantation that did or did not happen can’t be fixed now. But like I just need to know. Did my wee embryo ever even have a chance at those levels? For reference I was on two Crinone per day only.

[km307]

I’m sorry this cycle hasn’t worked for you. Mine was 29 on transfer day and my clinic said they wanted over 30, so introduced lubion as well as cyclogest. Some clinics say over 50, and I’ve even heard some say 100. I think 26 sounds a little on the low side and I would bring that up at your consultation before next transfer / cycle. ETA, that cycle was then successful for me

[ForABabyPanda in reply to km307]

20 point 6, so even lower than you think. That’s good to know what clinics are looking for. My clinic won’t listen, wouldn’t test. I don’t have any more goes on nhs. I will definitely be asking to be more closely monitored if I do end up being able to go private for another round, but what kills me is that more could have been done to save THIS embaby, and no-one was interested in doing it! And it means I have to go through egg collection again.

[ForABabyPanda in reply to ForABabyPanda]

good to know your cycle was then successful. I really do think had I been tested or had extra progesterone support this might have been successful for me too. It’s so hard not to blame the clinic when I’ve raised my low progesterone from day one. My day 21 progesterone was only 24 and GP wanted to see it at 30.

[km307 in reply to ForABabyPanda]

I’m really sorry, the same thing happened to one of my best friends when the clinic didn’t test until too late and she had a chemical. I would be very frustrated too, it’s such a simple thing to test and rectify and I’m sorry you ended up in this situation. Could you move to another clinic for another round? Or perhaps (unfairly) they will pay more attention if you are paying privately. I hope you are able to move forward as soon as you feel ready x

[ForABabyPanda in reply to km307]

a £10 test they wouldn’t do. That’s apparently how much it would cost them. I will definitely be moving clinics if I can manage another round. This was my last embryo. I can understand them maybe not giving me same cars and attention creating embryos, but once there was life, surely they should be doing what they can to keep it alive, and at the very least they might not be allowed to test or prescribe extra on nhs, but tell me what I need and how to get it privately, and listen when I do tru privately.

[TTC0011]

NHS don’t test progesterone, it’s not funded and not available for them to select for funding and they can’t override it either (for my health board anyway). I’ve had lengthy conversations with my consultant over this as I’m on my last NHS FET cycle. I do test privately through Medichecks but openly my clinic have told me - they couldn’t do anything about the results (eg up or lower the dosage) as it’s not within the NHS standard protocols to do that. You might find your medical team want to help but they just can’t help - it’s one of the many struggles of NHS treatment in my opinion. I feel privelaged to have it but has its pitfalls. My issue is not the same as yours, my progesterone is very high levels and I wanted to bring my dose down but couldn’t.

[ForABabyPanda in reply to TTC0011]

Very insightful thank you! I just wish my medical team would hsve explained it like that rather than ‘two Crinone is sufficient’ it clearly isn’t for me and just saying it’s not their protocol rather than explaining it could be helpful but they’re not allowed to. They made it sound like I was silly for even asking. But I know they’re giving someone else injections because they raised concerns. Even if they could say we can’t fund this but here’s how much it is if you want to self fund. I know they’ve offered a friend of mine a self funded scratch for example.

[Eloquentia]

20 is on the low side for progesterone. Mine was 23 on the day of my first FET and my clinic added crinone to the 2 pessaries of cyclogest I was already taking. For my second FET, I insisted on testing the progesterone both two days before and on the day of the transfer. It was 27 two days before and 24 on the day of the transfer (they said low again, it should be 30 minimum), so they doubled my cyclogest to 4 pessaries in addition to the crinone. I should say we are NHS funded too and they don't test as a matter of course but we did insist and I think that this is what made the difference the second time. Good luck!

[ForABabyPanda in reply to Eloquentia]

yeah I’ve been trying to insist but they won’t listen to me even now I know it’s low. They say it’s too late now which it probably is but I’ve been asking since day 1