Soy Isoflavones - Help me understand dosage

[WTHamI?]

Okay, I'm planning on starting soy isoflavones tonight (CD 3). From what others seem to do I was planning on 150 mg for two days, 200 mg for two days, and 250 on day 5.

The bottle I got (Nature's Way Soy Isoflavones with Digestive Enzymes) says the serving size is 2 capsules, 1000 mg of "isoflavone complex" which "delivers 30 mg total soy isoflavones."

Does this mean that in order to get 150 mg I have to take TEN of these? Since each capsule would only have 15 mg? Which would mean that I'd have to take about 13 on days 3 & 4 and about 16 on day 5? That's insane, that can't be right.

Am I totally wrong on my label reading or do I need to go get another bottle that has a higher concentration of isoflavones in each pill? Or is this just how it is and I have to choke down 10-16 of these a day for the next five days? Help!

[Banana731]

You are looking for the isoflavone content.

I know that some gals take that increasing dosage, but I couldn't find an actual reason for that, or anywhere else that recommended that. You are basically taking soy on the same schedule as you would Clomid, and that is not taken that way.

What I did find is that around 80mg seems to be the lowest amount that has any effect.

Remember, you're just trying to encourage your body to produce a little more estrogen, so you may want to start small. A lot of ladies here have started at 80 or 100mg per day.

[WTHamI?]

Even if I just stay with a dose of 150mg for five days that's still 10 pills a day with the kind I bought. That seems...excessive.

[karmab]

walmart's (spring valley) is 40 mg per tablet, so you could take 2 or 3/day. i dont think you are supposed to take more than 200 mg/day.

and banana is right about taking one dose all five days.

i actually think you really could try even 40 mg. any dose will have some effect. the rule of thumb is it's half clomid strength. most start at 50 mg clomid, so 100 mg isoflavones, 2.5 tablets. but even eating tofu and edamame on days 5-9 or whatever schedule you choose will have some effect.

[WTHamI?]

Thanks for the input. I ran to Walmart and got the 40 mg ones. I think I'm going to do 120mg (three tablets) for all five days.

This is my second cycle on soy - I did take the other ones I had last cycle at a lower dose, but just noticed when reading the back today that it was actually half what I thought it was (since I didn't notice the dosage was based on 2 capsules so each only had 15mg instead of 30 - so I took five which would have been 75mg but I thought it was 150mg) and I don't think the 75mg had much effect since I still didn't O until CD 23 and not strongly enough to get a good temp shift. But seeing as I'd still have to take 5 tablets to get to 200mg, I think I agree with you, karmab, that 200 or more would probably be too much. Thanks again.

[karmab]

anytime. and just remember, soy wont help everyone. if you havent talked to a doc, you might want to. if you've got a thyroid issue for example, soy will make it worse, and that is counterproductive- it can keep you from o'ing! as far as temp shifts and 'stong o's' this is a bit controversial. ff did a big study, maybe 120,000 charts or something like that, that showed no correlation between the degree of temp shift and pg rates. remember the coverline is arbitrary. but if your lp temps seem low, it's also possible that there is a luteal issue that might be treated with soy/clomid in the follicular phase, or much more commonly, progesterone in the luteal phase. just food for thought.

[WTHamI?]

Thanks karmab. I did not know that about soy and thyroid. My thyroid levels were fine the last time I had them checked but I do have a family history of thyroid issues so it's good to know. If the soy doesn't help this cycle I'll probably take it up to 160mg next month, and if that still doesn't help that will be it for the soy. I normally avoid soy in my diet completely, but decided to give it a try since my main issue is PCOS and my next step (which I'm not quite feeling ready to take just yet) is probably clomid. I have had many looong cycles, anovulatory cycles, and just BARELY got crosshairs this time but had to discard my "fallback rise" temp to get them. So anything that might move O up a little and give me a clearer pattern is worth a shot IMO since I definitely have real fertility issues beyond my chart just not looking textbook pretty.