Thinking about trying soy...have so many questions!

kathleenttc · 06-29-2009, 09:35 PM

I also posted this on the Alternative Therapies board...

I just had a miscarriage last week at 13w. I conceived twins using Follistim+Ovidrel+IUI. One of the twins vanished at 6w, and the other died from hydrops/heart failure due to parvovirus infection at 13w. I had a D&E 6 days ago. I am still bleeding, but not heavily.

I made an appointment with my RE to get back into treatment on August 12th. Before then, I'd like to see what I can do at home, naturally/semi-naturally. As far as I know, I don't ovulate on my own. I stopped BCP right before my wedding and had no signs of ovulation or AF for 6 months. Then I started Met (2000mg) and had 1 period. After that, I began fertility treatments and only had AF brought on by progesterone or BCP. 50mg Clomid didn't do anything for me. 100mg caused slight growth to one egg, but it also gave me a thin lining and that cycle was a BFN.

I'm thinking I'd like to try a cycle of soy before we head back to the RE. First, I need to have a period. Well, here are all my questions. I would really appreciate any help you can give me.

1. How soon after a miscarriage/D&E can you take BCP or progesterone to bring on a period?
2. If Clomid didn't work for me, is there still a chance soy could work?
3. I know I need to take soy CD3-7, but I've seen so many different opinions on the dosage. Considering 100mg of Clomid just barely worked, and I'm a 213lb woman, what dosage do you think would be appropriate?
4. Are there any serious risks involved that would require me to do this under the supervision of a doctor?
5. You normally use a trigger (Ovidrel) with Clomid, right? So is it possible that without a trigger my eggs could grow and not release?

Ok, those are all my questions for now. Thanks again!!!

FallenAngels2 · 06-29-2009, 09:54 PM

I'm really sorry for your loss.I know how hard it is. But this is just my thought.I know that you really want to start trying but I would wait and give your body some time to heal. Cause the last thing you want is to get pg again and your body not be ready. Waiting to talk to the Re is the best thing cause he/she can tell you whats best for you. Please don't be upset with my thought. I have been through two MC and both times the doc said to wait and heal for a month or two.

JenSlayton · 06-29-2009, 10:10 PM

I think the Doctors are just concerned about your mental state. My RE told me that there is no medical reason to wait to conceive if it was before 15 weeks since your body treats it like a really heavy period.

But he said that most doctors will tell women to wait a few months because they know that there are a lot of emotions to having a miscarriage. However, he also said that for some women they do better if they can start trying again right away to give them something else to focus on.

I don't know that I would take BCP or Progesterone until you've had one normal cycle or your doctor has checked you though... what happened to me was that I ovulated three weeks after my miscarriage. I didn't think I could get pregnant yet, so went to my doctor thinking that my miscarriage was incomplete, only to find out I was pregnant again. I have heard lots of stories of women whose body sort of freaks out after a pregnancy and ovulates or is super fertile right away just from the weird hormones and such.

If I were you I'd try to get in sooner and get the doctor to start your next cycle, then try the Soy if you want to.

kathleenttc · 06-29-2009, 10:11 PM

Thanks for your response. I know that my body needs to get ready, so I don't want to rush things too much. I would imagine that by the time I'm ready to take the soy it will be about a month from now. I'm going to the doctor who did the D&E a week from today for a follow-up appointment. I'll talk to him about how long my body needs to heal. Nevertheless, I'd still like some info from all you cysters about soy.

kathleenttc · 06-29-2009, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JenSlayton

I think the Doctors are just concerned about your mental state. My RE told me that there is no medical reason to wait to conceive if it was before 15 weeks since your body treats it like a really heavy period.

But he said that most doctors will tell women to wait a few months because they know that there are a lot of emotions to having a miscarriage. However, he also said that for some women they do better if they can start trying again right away to give them something else to focus on.

I don't know that I would take BCP or Progesterone until you've had one normal cycle or your doctor has checked you though... what happened to me was that I ovulated three weeks after my miscarriage. I didn't think I could get pregnant yet, so went to my doctor thinking that my miscarriage was incomplete, only to find out I was pregnant again. I have heard lots of stories of women whose body sort of freaks out after a pregnancy and ovulates or is super fertile right away just from the weird hormones and such.

If I were you I'd try to get in sooner and get the doctor to start your next cycle, then try the Soy if you want to.

Yeah, I know it's a possibility that my body might go into "super fertile" mode. Then again, I have a hard time believing that will happen. I mean, I don't know if I have EVER ovulated on my own. Part of me wants to wait and see, but the other part of me is so anxious to move on. You're exactly right that TTC can give you something to focus on while recovering from a miscarriage. I'm definitely grieving, and dealing with it appropriately, I think. DH and I are seeing a counselor on Thursday. We're not ignoring our grief. But at the same time, we're finding joy and excitement in the prospect of picking ourselves up and trying again. It's helpful to us. We're focusing on a hopeful future, rather than going into a cave and being depressed.

kathleenttc · 06-30-2009, 09:47 AM

bump. help please!

AliciaJ83 · 06-30-2009, 12:49 PM

I had a loss on mothers day and I understand how you feel. I was and still am sad about lil baby I lost. But wanted to get started right away TTC .

You take soy the same days of your cycle as you would clomid. Take double what you would with Clomid, With Clomid I o'ved on 100mg with soy I o'ved using 180mg Its not right at double but it works and I got my first ever bfp the second round of soy. Where as I used clomid 6 times and only ever o'ed... You should do what you feel is best. If you got the all clear from your dr and feel up to it... This my be just how you heal and move on. I wish you good luck and a speedy BFP...

JenSlayton · 06-30-2009, 07:06 PM

I have heard stories of Soy working when Clomid didn't. You might also want to think about taking N-acetyl-cysteine along with it, since that was shown to increase the effectiveness of Clomid in Clomid-resistant women (google "NAC May Improve Fertility").

I think that only people with certain issues, or who are being followed very closely by their doctor use a trigger with Clomid. If you had to in the past, I would think that if there was a reason for it then you would need to talk to your doctor and stick with him/her since I don't think there is a natural way to "trigger" with Soy. Although the Soy by itself might be enough, if there are underlying issues with your follicles releasing it seems like it could just end up causing cysts...

I think that most people who use Soy are doing it without their doctor's oversight... that isn't to say that they should, just that I get the feeling that they do, and I know that I did.

Anonykat · 06-30-2009, 07:16 PM

Have you talked to Melvin's Wifey? She is a success story with soy.

I wish you luck!

elizabeth0531 · 06-30-2009, 10:21 PM

just because clomid didn't work for you doesn't mean soy won't - some women have success with soy but not clomid, and vice versa. by no means is there a direct correlation there, soy is totally different. it's possible you might not release your egg, if you have had problems with not releasing in the past, but if you didn't need a trigger w/clomid, you shouldn't need it with soy either. there aren't any serious risks w/soy, infact it's much safer than clomid. you might get the occasional headache but that's about it, and it doesn't dry up cm like clomid does. i'm not sure about the answers to your other questions, but if you go to June Soy Cysters under TTC Buddies i'll bet my girls over there could help alot too

best of luck to you darlin, i'm so sorry for your loss.

edited to add: i have heard of women taking up to 400mg of soy, which is equal as you know to 200mg clomid. it is safe to go that high, but i haven't heard of anyone going higher and i personally would not recommend it. as for what exact dosage you decide to take, it's up to you. lol, i know it can be nerve-wracking to try to decide, but that's kind of the rub with soy, you have to call the shots. i'd suggest 300mg of soy, that's about 150mg of clomid and i believe a doctor would try that next.