sick of prometrium - messing up my cycles

[Anonymous]

Been TTC for about 6 mos now, and dr has me starting prometrium after ovulation (I'm charting temps). Supposed to stop taking it if I get my period, but the problem is that the prometrium is messing with my cycle and delaying my period. I'm 18 DPO and got a negative HPT this morning and a negative a week ago when I thought my period would start and didn't. About a week ago I had some cramping (which has been happening when I do finally get my period, on the prometrium). This morning also started VERY light spotting (can't see it on TP, but I can see it on panty liner).

I can get a blood test today, but I won't get results until Monday. That's another 3-4 days on the prometrium, further messing up my cycle if my body is actually trying to have a period. Two cycles ago (my first on prometrium), I got a blood test before stopping prometrium, so I just spotted for about a week - and then bled for a week - and totally messed up the following cycle. Trying to avoid that this time and move on.

Anyone think there's a chance I'm actually pregnant? I don't really, given that I assume that 18 DPO a HPT would be accurate. I'm sort of leaning toward just stopping the prometrium so I can have a period, but there's this teensy, tiny nagging doubt that "what if I'm pregnant?!" - anyone been in this position before? What would you do?

Going forward, dr says I can get a blood test 2 weeks after ovulation and just stop the prometrium then - don't have to necessarily wait for signs of a period. Wish we'd been doing that this cycle! Ugh.

[Anonymous]

are you actually stopping the prometrirum, or just continuing to take it until you get your period? I had one OBGYN tell me to continue to take it until I started bleeding, but as long as I took it -- I wouldn't bleed! So, another OBGYN said you have to stop it in order to get your period. She had me taking it from day 15-26 and then if I got my period, then take it again next month beginning on day 15. But if I didn't get my period (and suspected pregnancy) to go back on prometrium until I could get in for a blood test.

[Anonymous]

OP: yes, that's what is happening to me. On the prometrium, i'm not having a period. For the next cycle, I have lab sheets so I can go get blood drawn on day 28 or whatever and know right then. But they just came up with that plan. So for this cycle, I'm 21 DPO (I counted after posting earlier) and just started a tiny bit of spotting. Just talked to dr again, and she said to go ahead and just stop the prometrium and not bother with blood test b/c at 21 DPO I'd be showing positive on HPT - plus I'm spotting. That was my inclination, so I'll do that, and now with the plan in place I should know in time to stop and have a regular period. Oh well.

[Anonymous]

correct me if I'm wrong: the idea of the prometrium=progesterone in an IVF cycle is that the corpus luteum is not there that would normally produce the progesterone after ovulation, it's not there because the egg was retrieved with the fluid, and it cannot involute normally. Now in a natural cycle - why take the prometrium? Short luteal phase? But how do you know it's really too short due to lack of progesterone? If you take the progesterone the menses should be delayed, even if there was no fertilization... I find that difficult to pinpoint and recommend taking it from ovulation to ... your expected period date... unless you have super super regular cycles...

[Anonymous]

PP here: I meant that I find it difficult to give or accept a recommendation unless someone has super super regular cycles or US/blood monitoring during this time to decide when to stop the prometrium - is that what you are doing? How often will you or did you go for monitoring of the luteal phase?

[Anonymous]

OP here. After first pregnancy ended with early miscarriage, they tested progesterone levels then and with next pregnancy. I was at the low end of normal - which dr said could mean I was totally normal or could mean I was below normal - but either way right on the border. He said then (and others in the practice have said since) that there's no harm to the pregnancy in taking the progesterone, so no reason not to go ahead and try it, just in case low P levels were the reason for the m/c.

The catch is that once you start supplementing, you have to stay on the P until end of first trimester. That was fine with my pregnancy b/c I got pregnant quickly. This time, though, I'm on cycle 4 with this idea of starting P after ovulation, to supplement.

The new game plan is to just get a blood test 2 weeks after O, and if it's negative, stop the P. Dr. felt pretty confident that if I was sure on my O date, then 2 weeks later I should get a positive blood test if I'm pregnant. And if not, then I stop the P and have a period.

[Anonymous]

So I just had my first IUI a couple of weeks ago, started prometrium "just in case" a week ago and got a negative blood test yesterday. So I stopped the prometrium yesterday (the AM was my last). So when do you think I will start my period? Is it a pretty quick response or might it be days? Normally I would have started a few days ago, so pretty sure the prometrium delayed it. Now I'm worried that my cycle will be off, and I am anxious to proceed with round II of the IUI. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

OP here - I start within two or three days of stopping the prometrium.

[Anonymous]

I am taking prometrium. If a pregnancy was not going well would one still bleed anyways? I was just wondering what kind of magic the prometrium works. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Prometrium is progesterone - which your body should naturally produce. But if you don't have enough naturally, you can't sustain a pregnancy. Catch is that you don't really know if you're pregnant or not when you'd need to start taking the prometrium, and if you're not pregnant and would have a period off prometrium, sometimes the rx can inhibit your period or delay it. If you're on prometrium, you have to stay on it until the end of the first trimester. Coming off during that time could result in m/c.