Is this accurate?

[mangosink0]

I just took a HPT and it was positive today at cd 31. I had a blood progesterone of 1.2 on cd 21 and was told I didn't ovulate. Is the pg test wrong? Of course it's the weekend and I can't call the doc. If it is right I'm wondering if I should start my progesterone pills?

Help!

Thanks,

Hollie

(x-posting in TTC after loss)

[karmab]

i dont know the answer to this. someone here may have good advice for you.

but, that said.....

if you have to figure it out on your own, and you think you are pg and you need progesterone, on cd 31, i would take it until you can talk to someone. but is this an re doc you are talking about not being able to reach? if you have a regular ob/gyn or midwife group, surely there is someone covering for the weekend that could help you sort it out until you can reach the re?

[~Adorkable~]

one possible reason is that you o'd very different than CD14, so that the progesterone test was not done on the right timeframe.
maybe you didn't O till CD19 for instance, you would have not been producing much progesterone yet but now would be 11-12dpo and be getting that early positive test.

do you chart at all? how regular is your cycle in the recent past?

[~Adorkable~]

the one reason that i might not take progesterone, is so that a test first thing on monday morning would be accurate. do you have a past history of low progesterone? was your RE planning on putting you on pills right away? if so i have also heard that they can test and "factor in" to the outcome the pills you are on, but boy i have no idea how they do that!

[calihannah]

Originally Posted by •Adorkable•

one possible reason is that you o'd very different than CD14, so that the progesterone test was not done on the right timeframe.
maybe you didn't O till CD19 for instance, you would have not been producing much progesterone yet but now would be 11-12dpo and be getting that early positive test.

do you chart at all? how regular is your cycle in the recent past?

that

Do you historically have low progesterone or reason to suspect you do? It sounds like it, since you have progesterone supplements at home?

I'm 7dpo today and am going for my progesterone blood test even though I started my progesterone supplements on 3dpo -- my OB reassured me that a) the progesterone was a low, localized dose (vaginally) that would minimally impact the amount of p4 in my blood, and b) whatever impact it did have, she would be able to adjust for it.

[MaerynPearl]

To clarify... was it a dark positive and on what test? Not to say that it IS false positive, but blue dye tests have been giving a ton of light false positives (in the time frame)

but if it was dark and/or a pink dye test then I agree you likely didnt O on cd14 but several days later.

[mangosink0]

Originally Posted by •Adorkable•

one possible reason is that you o'd very different than CD14, so that the progesterone test was not done on the right timeframe.
maybe you didn't O till CD19 for instance, you would have not been producing much progesterone yet but now would be 11-12dpo and be getting that early positive test.

do you chart at all? how regular is your cycle in the recent past?

I do chart, but not temps, just CM and BD dates. My cycles are very regular, usually 25-27 days long. I had EWCM on day 15, 16, 17. And BD on day 14 and 15. So if I am pg, it happened on CD 15, but I guess I could have O'd a few days later than that. What is the normal progesterone level at 3-4 days post O?

I have a Rx for progesterone -- Prometrium 200mg PO, that my OB gave me after I had my second m/c. No documented low progesterone, just gave it to me for the m/c's.

[mangosink0]

Originally Posted by calihannah

that

I'm 7dpo today and am going for my progesterone blood test even though I started my progesterone supplements on 3dpo -- my OB reassured me that a) the progesterone was a low, localized dose (vaginally) that would minimally impact the amount of p4 in my blood, and b) whatever impact it did have, she would be able to adjust for it.

Is the vag progesterone better than the oral? I asked my doc about the vag and he said it was just messier, but if it's better I'll call and get that Monday. Going to start the oral today, and went to the RE this am and got a prog level drawn before I started taking it.

[mangosink0]

Originally Posted by MaerynPearl

To clarify... was it a dark positive and on what test? Not to say that it IS false positive, but blue dye tests have been giving a ton of light false positives (in the time frame)

but if it was dark and/or a pink dye test then I agree you likely didnt O on cd14 but several days later.

It was a clear blue easy digital test. The one that says not pregnant or pregnant. It quickly said pregnant. How accurate is that one?

[~Adorkable~]

Very doubtful that a digital test would be a false pos. They tend to be on the careful side. Progesterone tests can be wonky and level do spike and fall throughout the day. So the low level could have just been the error. It is still possible that your cycle was strange, but in the you are almost garunteed preggo at this point and should probably be taking the pills if that is what you and your RE decided on. I'm sure you will know more soon with this second blood draw.

And now to important stuff... CONGRATS!!!!!!!!

[karmab]

Originally Posted by mangosink0

Is the vag progesterone better than the oral? I asked my doc about the vag and he said it was just messier, but if it's better I'll call and get that Monday. Going to start the oral today, and went to the RE this am and got a prog level drawn before I started taking it.

congrats on the bfp! that sounds like the real thing to me.

re: the pills vs. the suppostitories- again, im no expert on this topic at all, but my doc said they were comparable, she said it was really my choice. she said the only thing is prometrium is off-label use in pregnancy- that's not necessarily a bad thing at all, but i think officially it's not meant for use in pregnancy. it's mainly used for menopausal women taking estrogen, because unopposed estrogen (without progesterone) has some health risks, and sometimes to bring on your af if you havent gotten it for no good reason, secondary amennorhea- i think it works by causing withdrawal bleeding in those cases after stopping the prog (like the level would normally drop as the corpus luteum regresses.) (hope this is accurate, but i think it is.)

in any case, she said that the suppositories being more localized might possibly be safer in pregnancy, but then she did say there really has been nothing in the literature to say prometrium isnt safe in pregnancy either. im not someone who likes to take meds anyway, so im trying the suppositories first because they aren't systemic, but if they dont help me lengthen my very short LP, i may ask her to switch me to pills. i think the suppositories are just ground up prometrium put into a base.

i know this was long, hope it makes sense. and if you do find that you want to ttc sometime again, you might want to try temping even just for a month or two, because it can give you some good clues as to if the progesterone is the cause of the problem you've had. i hope this one takes for ya- you will be in my thoughts!

[Heavenly]

Definitely take the progesterone! It sounds like you ARE pregnant but that you have low progesterone. Good luck!

[MaerynPearl]

definitely congrats... those tests dont lie when they say pregnant (though the damn things did lie to me three times telling me not pregnant when I was! LOL)

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

Congrats.

[calihannah]

Originally Posted by mangosink0

Is the vag progesterone better than the oral? I asked my doc about the vag and he said it was just messier, but if it's better I'll call and get that Monday. Going to start the oral today, and went to the RE this am and got a prog level drawn before I started taking it.

Well, I take the prometrium vaginally, so it's not messy at all -- it's the same little pinkish pill that you'd take orally, just inserted vaginally. It's not an "approved" use so to speak, but it's what my OB recommended (instead of the crinone gel).

Originally Posted by karmab

in any case, she said that the suppositories being more localized might possibly be safer in pregnancy, but then she did say there really has been nothing in the literature to say prometrium isnt safe in pregnancy either. im not someone who likes to take meds anyway, so im trying the suppositories first because they aren't systemic, but if they dont help me lengthen my very short LP, i may ask her to switch me to pills. i think the suppositories are just ground up prometrium put into a base.

Oh yes, that -- my OB stressed that she prefers the vaginal use of the prometrium because it delivers the hormones more locally rather than systemically.

[mangosink0]

Originally Posted by calihannah

Well, I take the prometrium vaginally, so it's not messy at all -- it's the same little pinkish pill that you'd take orally, just inserted vaginally. It's not an "approved" use so to speak, but it's what my OB recommended (instead of the crinone gel).



Oh yes, that -- my OB stressed that she prefers the vaginal use of the prometrium because it delivers the hormones more locally rather than systemically.

Calihannah, my progesterone is a yellowish gel cap looking thing, 200mg, could I use that vaginally?

[calihannah]

Originally Posted by mangosink0

Calihannah, my progesterone is a yellowish gel cap looking thing, 200mg, could I use that vaginally?

Not sure...I'd ask your OB. It does sound similar to what I take (prometrium 100mg), but I wouldn't do anything off-label without a doctor's orders, personally. Also, I'm on the lower dose (100mg) on the theory that more gets directly where it's needed rather than a higher dose that has to travel through digestion and the blood stream. I hope you have a good talk with your OB on Monday!

And congrats again!

[stellamia]

You're pregnant all right!!!!!


I definitely think you should start on the progesterone.