Progesterone shut-down cycle #1

Today is day 26 of my cycle. I used 96mg of progesterone cream (32 in AM and 64 in PM) each day from day 7 - today.  Tomorrow I will not use it and hopefully within a couple days will get a period (withdrawal bleed).  I have had quite a few side effects / symptoms this cycle, most notable being:

1)  Moodiness - tense and "on edge" much of the time.  Teary and weepy other times.
2)  BBT higher - fairly steady around 97.7, some fluctuations at a couple points during the cycle but no ovulation which is one goal.
3)  Acne - my skin has been the worst it's been in a LONG time, my face has had several places break out, not all over but the ones that were there were big and red and sore.  :-(
4)  Sleep disturbances - night sweats and restlessness, lots of dreams which is very rare for me.
5)  I had some abdominal cramping off and on, days 22-24 I was sore and tender like around ovulation but it didn't happen.
6)  Sore breasts on a few days but not all cycle.

I think that's it.  I'll update when my cycle starts over and let you know how that goes, any changes, etc...  It's been interesting.  I hope that next cycle is better, it did get better toward the end of this one and I am attributing much of this to the temporary rise in estrogen and activation of receptors that is expected at the beginning.  I plan to do 3 total cycles and I'll keep you posted!

Appt yesterday and another Monday

My NaPro doctor moved from NC to MO and he has been helping me via e-mailed charts and prescriptions, etc... This last cycle just was not looking as good BBT wise as the previous one and I was asking him what else we could do. We discussed upping my meds dose and he recommended getting an ultrasound of my ovaries prior to that so that we could make sure there were no large cysts or a lot of unruptured large follicles. I found a family doctor locally who would see self-pay patients (harder than I imagined)! I met with him yesterday. We talked for a while about my history, current treatment, what I needed and he palpated my belly and pretty quickly found my right ovary seemed enlarged and likely cystic. I guess with PCOS, that isn't a big surprise, but I was still disappointed. We have the ultrasound scheduled for Monday afternoon to get a good look and see what is going on there, how many cysts, how large, what kind and how the follicles are looking. It's a relief to finally be getting a "look-see" but intimidating nonetheless. I am also considering and discussing with both doctors trying to get an hsg done to check on blockages and see what my tubes and uterus are looking like... costly, but seems worth it? We are also going to check into getting a semen analysis done, it hasn't been pushed by doctors since Tom is "proven" :-) but a lot can change in 10 years and he is around a lot of chemicals and nasties in his work, so probably worth another check. We figure that throwing over $200 at meds a month, we should be good and certain nothing else is blocking the way. So, that's the update here. It's funny, now that the Dr. pressed on my ovary and I felt what it felt like (tender), I can find it now and feel the cysts. Eeek! I am nervous about the news of what all we find in there.

I've been feeling a little more "off" for the last 2 1/2 weeks. Ever since 10dpo last cycle, not sleeping real well, night sweats, temps erratic. Grrrr.....

May & June cycles

We gave in and have tried some new meds the last 2 cycles. I have taken Femara (letrazole) days 3-7 and hcg injections days 3,5,7 and 9 dpo. These are to stimulate a stronger ovulation and to jump start the corpus luteum into producing progesterone. The cycles have definitely improved, but I am not yet pregnant. They have both been 35 days long and ovulation occurred around day 20 which makes my lp go from 12 days to 15 days - very nice! I am encouraged by these things and thankful that my follicular (estrogen dominant) phase and luteal (progesterone dominant) phase are waaaay more balanced - this is so much healthier for me over all. My bbt chart the 1st cycle on the meds was beautiful and I was very hopeful. The 2nd cycle (ended yesterday) was not as good, temps went up a bit, went up some more but then by 10dpo they were dropping and stayed just barely above coverline the rest of my lp. I also had a tiny bit of spotting on 10dpo and a headache the day before menses (with migraine "aura" the night before the headache), all of this indicates low progesterone to me. So... keeping on keeping on. Sent an e-mail to my Dr and FP tonight to see what's next and if any changes are in store for the next cycle.

B12 and Metformin

This article discusses the malabsorption of B12 that taking Metformin causes.  I am planning to start a sublingual B12 supplement to be sure this does not become an issue.

Looking a bit encouraging

I am encouraged with this cycle so far (granted - only on day 9, but still)... my temps in the AM have been much more steady, haven't seen any peaks or dips showing hormone fluctuations.  I am hoping this continues, we will see.

I am upping my doseage of Metformin to 1500mg this evening which is where Dr. Yeung wanted me and we've gradually increased over 3 weeks now.  I am not noticing any side effects other than a bit of gassiness on the days that I have upped the dose.  Hoping that continues.  I need to get out more blood glucose test strips to check my fasting #s and see what kind of difference it has made.

We have decided to wait another couple months to see if the Met gives me a good strong ovulation before any further testing, etc... I am so anxious and excited, it's hard to be patient, but this is best.  :-)

Antibiotics done!

I am glad that is over.  I only had to take them for a week, but had several side effects that weren't horrid but annoying for sure.  I am praying that the probiotics that I am taking now will take over and repopulate my gut so I don't have any further issues.  I had a weird taste in my mouth, thick swollen tongue, sores on my tongue, burning/dry eyes, a strong sense of smell.  Looking forward to getting back to normal!