# Help! Thyroid auto immune issues, low sperm and DHEA told to get? Require Advice



## Aspi (Oct 3, 2010)

Hi there

I hope that someone will read this and be able to offer some advise, I am so confused! 
Have been reading the threads and discovered the discussions concerning thyroid and autoimmune and antibodies. After receiving one free NHS ICSI cycle at Homerton - I was also advised to wait and see Mr Gudi the head consultant for the follow up. I am glad that I did as I raised my concerns over the whole process and also raised the issue of the thyroid and why had I not been tested? Apparently they don't test further than thyroid function on the first stage and mine was "under control" with 100mcg thyroxine. 
He then did lots of tests and we had to go back yesterday for my DP sperm results (after a VR in february). My aim was to hope that DP results were ok and that I would be prescribed chlomid. I got told the following:

- DP after having his test had 15 million sperm, after they washed them only 12% were moving therefore a very low count
- I have antibodies and autoimmune issues from my thyroid - I have asked for a copy of the results (I live miles away from the hospital and they can only be picked up by hand - anyone going past the Homerton this month?  lol
- My eggs during the cycle of treatment all grew at totally different rates and sizes smallest being 4 and biggest @16
- My Reserve has dropped from last year being 15 to now being 9.1
- My oestregon is high but it did not mean that it produced as many viable eggs and they thought it would - basically my levels lied to them!  

So chlomid was off the menu! 

Mr Gudi has said to do the following over the next few months - advising that the "paper" on autoimmune and thyroid issues for implantation and antibodies is not really founded in this country.....however during the protocol he would put me on steroids
He would put me on a short protocol this time of two weeks (I was on three and a bit last time) and he would increase the drugs to 400 (I was on 350) I think gonal F and suprecure?

However over the next three months (and missing out the olympics month! Getting to homerton would be a nightmare in his words) I should take DHEA, when I asked him where I should get it from he said its easily found and try amazon. ***** 

My DP should be taking lots of supplements - He recommended Be Daddy? Any one got any other ideas

*****This morning I called the Zita West Clinic as I have had supplements from them before - She told me that DHEA is not licensed in this country and that over the last few weeks they have had increased calls about it. So I called the Homerton to check I had got it right, I had - no idea how much to take though and should I really be taking something unlicensed?? Does anyone know how much to take? It seems like a bit of a shot in the dark. Obviously I want to get taking things asap, got a scan (for the fibroids in June 8th) so I could ask him then - or just order a low dose??

Any advise anyone? Please?

Also checked out Zita West ICSI package - but the consultant there (who specialises in autoimmune issues) does not have a consulting slot till october......and then IVF would start three months later, whereas homerton would start me in september.

Any advise on good clinics either in London or the midlands My head is going to explode and the amount of crying I did yesterday has had its toll!   

p.s my DP thinks we can try naturally........OMG, now I have to explain it to him tonight. - yes - he was there yesterday!

Thanks in anticipation


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## Arianrhod (Dec 30, 2011)

Hi there -

I'm a bit of a lurker to this board, as I'm not undergoing IVF (well not right now anyway) but I also have thyroid issues (I'm hypothyroid), immune issues and MTHFR issues into the bargain, along with most probably egg issues since I'm 44! I take DHEA, and from my own research decided on the McPherson Labs www.dhea.com micronised DHEA as being the best that I could tell. It took a week to get to me, but you can pay for it to get to you faster if you want to. It's not cheap ... but then again, compared to IVF drugs, perhaps it is! Again from reading around it seems 75mg DHEA is the 'usual' dose to take, either taken in 3 doses of 25mg or as I do, 50mg in the morning and 25mg in the evening.

I am no doctor and not medically qualified, I know quite a lot of places say you should have your testosterone/DHEA-S levels tested and monitored before/while taking DHEA, has your consultant mentioned this? I am risking it and taking it without being tested, purely because of my age and possible egg issues (I'm on Letrozole with an Ovitrelle trigger to hopefully superovulate), but I'm not saying you should do that! Be aware that there are possible side effects to DHEA .. the only ones I've encountered are loss of hair and more oily skin, although the latter mostly settled down after a month (I've been taking it 2 months now). You may get side effects, or you may not, everyone differs. They are temporary though, apparently, so will go away when you stop taking it. Plus I understand it apparently takes 3 months to have any real effect on your follies - much as all supplements do, I understand , due to the life-cycle of follicles.

Anyway, hope this has helped a little, back into lurk mode 

/links


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## Aspi (Oct 3, 2010)

Hello! Thanks for this its really helped, my consultant did not mention the linkage to testosterone .......my nutritionist did! She also said that because DHEA is a hormone it can choose a pathway to take and because I am prone to fibroids it may have an effect on them.....no mention of side effects, I am seeing Mr Gudi on friday for a scan so I will ask him then and see what he says!

Many thanks for your response, any others are welcome to give their thoughts too

many thanks for reading and responding!


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## SueQiwi (Apr 21, 2012)

I have taken DHEA in the past--my Dr says it improves the egg quality in us older women. He had me take 25mg 3x a day. So 75mg total a day for 4 months before cycling. My skin got a bit oily and a few zits--but no other side effects. I did get pregnant at 42 after taking DHEA, but sadly miscarried. But I do think it had a positive effect and hope it helps you too.


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## KandK (Nov 17, 2011)

As arianrhod mentioned please get your testosterone/free testosterone/estradiol/DHEA-S checked first. Also be aware that DHEA is contra-indicated (so don't take it) if you have PCOS, endometriosis, fibroids, myomas and any history of "female" cancers in you or your close family history. I was on DHEA last cycle and got mine from dhea (dot) com. As someone else mentioned yep they are expensive but they are good. As far as I know it is not licensed in UK (or Australia where I am from) but it is freely available in other countries over the counter.

Avoid many on amazon because there are two ways to make DHEA from natural based I think yams? and then the synthetic pharmaceutical grade. The natural one is very unreliable and can have way too much or too little effective dose. I had minor side effects, just a few pimples and itchy skin, especially scalp and had to wash my hair more as it was greasy quickly.

Did it make a difference to my cycle? Dunno  you can make your decision: 1st cycle (no DHEA) I was taking 450iu Menopur and got 9 eggs, 6 of the 9 fertilised but one was a little slow. They put 2 back but I bled before test day (2 days before period was due). 2nd cycle (DHEA one) I was on 350iu Gonal-F and 150 Menopur and got same number of eggs but only 5 of 9 fertilised then the miscarriage at 6 weeks. The DHEA cycle I had one more grade 2ab embie (grade 1 being best) so 3 grade 2ab and the rest grade 3, previous cycle I had 2 x 2ab's and the rest grade 3. Not much in it really and no great improvement I think with the DHEA which is why I didn't take it this cycle and instead took Metformin for egg quality. You can read here if you want info about that: http://www.hormones.gr/556/article/article.html

/links


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## Aspi (Oct 3, 2010)

Many thanks for all these it does help immensely, I will try to get my GP to test my DHEA's and maybe ask the new clinic I hope to attend whether to take, Serum clinic is undecided about it but would still treat me if I took it. I do have a BIG history of fibroids that's why I am a little concerned about taking it - but I would be willing to give it a go! thanks Ladies and good luck!


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