Hold up, what?
For the record, my progesterone the day of embryo transfer (the last time we checked) was 151.
WTF?
I asked Miss Scheduler if that kind of drop was normal, and she just kind of hemmed and hawed and said it was fine. And I was kind of shocked, but at the time told myself to relax and stop over analyzing things. If they weren't worried, why should I be? (I am currently on 1cc of PIO and 2 vaginal suppositories of 100mg each daily).
Breathe.
Google. I'm sure this has happened to someone before, right?
Only, not according to Google. I can't find any evidence of 1) anyone even checking progesterone pre-transfer on a fresh cycle, or 2) anyone ever having a drop of 100 points. Ever. Regardless of outcome. There are a zillion posts about minuscule drops of less than 10 points, and five zillion more about low progesterone, but none that I could fine where a persons levels fluctuated THIS MUCH.
I am a medical freak.
(I did find one website somewhere that showed the conversions between nmol/l and ng/mol, and I am wondering now if that's all this is. I did have two different labs runs the bloodwork (though both Lab.corp), so perhaps they used different units? In which case my p4 is holding steady and right in range.)
I've decided to go ahead and be That Patient and am calling the clinic back in the morning. I want to talk to my regular nurse and have her explain how in the hell my numbers could drop so drastically when we've actually ADDED progesterone suppositories since beta. (And yes, I know that the supps don't show up in bloodwork. But, my PIO has remained the same and my levels should not have dropped so significantly.) And I want to know how often they have seen this, what it means, and what our outlook is. I know that low progesterone is an easy problem to fix, but mine isn't exactly low. But what, I mean really WHAT could cause such a huge drop? And am I just fooling myself thinking that things could possibly still be okay?
Has anyone else ever seen or heard of anything like this?
So I can't comment on the drop. What I can comment on is levels and the suppositories.
ReplyDelete1) A progesterone level over 25 is very good. Especially with you only on 1cc of PIO. The highest of progesterone levels were was 68 on 2cc PIO (only checked post transfer).
2) The suppositories act locally, so it's hard to get an accurate value of the levels as they don't tend to accumulate in the bloodstream.
I think talking with the nurse is a good idea, but I'm willing to bet you're in the clear.
Hang in there and I hope the conversation with the nurse calms your fears and answers your questions
i have done 5 fresh ivfs and have never had my progesterone level checked pre transfer. i think the value is inflated, just remember that after retrieval of all of the follicles your natural progesterone level increases a lot. i also have been told many of times that bw related to progesterone is always confusing because as you mentioned not all of it shows up in the bloodstream. i would def call your nurse because it will make you feel better. but try to keep in mind that you have no baselines to compare yourself to on line as the value is not checked pre transfer. was their a reason they checked it?
ReplyDeleteYour levels are always going to be really high between retrieval and transfer. After you ovulate naturally your progesterone levels spike. IVF is unnatural, which is why doctors have us supplement, to protect you from wild fluctuations of progesterone. A level over 30 is excellent. Most clinics test for prog before retrieval to make sure you haven't ovulated, but I haven't heard of anyone testing it prior to transfer. In fact, I've done this like a gazillion times and the only blood work done on transfer day is on the way out the door to get a baseline for E2 and HCG.
ReplyDeleteChickenpig said it perfectly. That has been my experience as well. I'm sure that all will be well.
DeleteFingers crossed!
My RE told me that progesterone levels can fluctuate widely, even on one say you could get vastly different levels. I wouldn't worry so much that it looks like you had a "drop" but instead focus on how good your current levels looks. And keep taking your supplementation.
ReplyDeleteI hope all continues to move smoothly.
Your progesterone level is *great*, that's really all that matters.
ReplyDeleteI agree with others; I know mine wasn't checked before transfer, just after. Hormone levels do fluctuate.
Breathe.
My progesterone level wasn't checked before transfer, but I know that I was at 70 something for my first beta test and it had dropped to 40 something just two days later at my next beta test. They just want to see it over 25- that's all that matters. But as everyone else, you may want to check with your nurse/dr.
ReplyDelete