# 3 week cycles, short luteal phase



## Maiamaiamaia (Mar 28, 2010)

Hi,
My cycles have been short and unpredictable since I had my son 3.5 years ago. Early last year the doc found I had an underactive thyroid and put me on thyroxine. This has seemed to stabilise them a bit, however this year I keep getting very short cycles. I check for ovulation so I know it is the luteal phase that is particularly short, my period starts about a week after ovulation. I know that I am getting on a bit but my AMH levels are supposedly good ( 17 last August ) so I keep hoping. 


What does this mean? I start feeling cramps at about 2 dpo so even if an egg had been fertilised is my womb preparing to shed before it even knows whether there is an egg to implant or not?


Also, AF is so light. The first time this happened I though perhaps it was implantation bleeding and had to wait another week before getting a bfn. Does this mean my lining is too thin for anything to implant anyway?


Also, will it affect my chances of success with donor egg ivf ( when I eventually save up the £££s)?




Thanks,


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## ~Lindz~ (Mar 17, 2010)

Hi Sheena,

I saw no-one had replied so I thought I would try and help.  Progesterone supplementation will help with luteal phase deficiency, not the "progestin" used in the progesterone birth controll pill as it is synthetic, but a bio-identical or natural progesterone either as a cream absorbed transdermally or pessaries as in Cyclogest (used for luteal phase support in ivf).  You start the progesterone the day after ovulation and continue up until menstruation.  If you do get pregnant you may need to continue supplementation during part of your pregnancy.

You need not worry about luteal phase defect if you are having egg donation; I have discussed the possibility of this with my consultant and you are given hormones to prepare your womb for implantation which will override any hormonal inbalance you may have.  Hope this helps,

Lindz. xxx


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## elinor (Jul 4, 2008)

Hi there

there is a thread on here somewhere called something like 'unexplained explained' that gives examples of women using progesterone supplementation to sort out short luteal phase cycles and having success in getting pg. Think it is on the 'diagnosis' board.

It goes back quite a long way, but one part of it discusses getting GPs to prescribe cyclogest (or equivalent) - some are willing to do so, others not (yet it is hugely less expensive than IVF! and they prescribe it for toher things!!). Some folk were trying it out and found it helped to extend the luteal phase, so if an embryo had developed it got a chance to implant before the lining was shed in menstruation. I will hunt for it and see if I can post a link, but I am pretty technically incompetent...

best wishes
Elinor x


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