# where do I start at over 40yrs



## quisty (Mar 31, 2012)

Hi all

I'm 43 and my DH is 33 yrs. I've had 2 m/c  the 1st 3yrs ago at 9 wks and the  2nd last week at 4 wks both natural conception. We've been trying for about 3 1/2 yrs The only test I've had is a blood test that said my FSH  was 38.2 but it also showed I had under active thyroid. 2 wks after taking meds for thyroid I was pregnant but then lost it.  My doc thought that even though my FSH says I'm in full menopause that it  was more likely I have a hormone in balance or problems with my tubes as i still have my periods and no hot flushes etc.  I haven't had my ovaries checked or any other tests and in the past I've had 3 burst cyst.  I live in Madrid and will have to pay privately for any tests due to age. My DH has been tested and it seems he's a 1 man army lol. So the problem is with me. I am also very over weight but have always been this size it never fluctuates.

I would really like some advise about what to do from here. Do I go to a gyni 1st to get tests done or straight to a fertility clinic? We Are really hard up so we need as much as possible a cost effective route like everyone else. We have an appointment at IVI Madrid this coming Monday.

I really admire the ladies on here. I read your stories and your courage really gives me hope. Thank you x


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## LellyLupin (Nov 12, 2011)

Hi Quisty,

I would go and make an appointment at a private fertility clinic and see what they say.  I went through my doctors and I ended up waiting a long time to be referred, they also admitted that they are not experts in fertility.  I did cost me £250 but it was worth the money to be advised properly and have all the options explained.

At 43 I would take the shortest route you can to get the best advice.

I wish you lots of luck and hope you get a happy ending


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## quisty (Mar 31, 2012)

Hi Lesley

Thank you for the advise. It really helps just to get a clear picture. Time is not on my side so I think it's the smart thing to do. 

I hope you get your happy  ending to x


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## Mellie289 (Dec 9, 2011)

I would think the fact that you've gotten pregnant twice means your tubes might be okay (or at least one of them), but m/c is more likely the result of poor egg quality (anomalous chromosome number) with advanced maternal age.

I'm 42 and have just started taking a number of antioxidants recommended by my RE to try to improve egg quality since I have had only one chemical pregnancy with 5 IUI attempts. I've added other supplements myself, in particular DHEA, which has been shown in several studies (many by the Center for Human Reproduction http://www.centerforhumanreprod.com/dhea.html) to help women get pregnant by IVF, stay pregnant, and there's anecdotal evidence that it helps some women get pregnant naturally. I'm hopeful it will help me, but it's too early for me to say whether it will help. Most of what I see is that these supplements usually require 4-6 months before egg quality is improved because of the length of time from when follicles are first recruited.

There is a lot of disagreement among fertility clinics as to whether DHEA and other supplements will help or not, but my RE's attitude is to try whatever I want because of my age and the short time I have left to to try. I wish she had pushed me to be much more aggressive right from the outset when I started out a couple months shy of 41.

I would also recommend going straight to a fertility clinic based on my experience (in the USA). There are other causes of m/c that you might want to explore with them as well. I love my RE, but from what I've read on a couple boards, I'd also be prepared to switch if you feel like you're not getting the support you want from your fertility clinic. Find one that wants to get you pregnant!

/links


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## quisty (Mar 31, 2012)

Hi Mellie

thanks for getting in touch. I didn't actually know that it was possible to improve egg quality I assumed that you could only try to prevent them from getting worse. As far as supplements are concerned I'm getting on it. I haven't even taken folic acid for months I thought i could get pregnant anymore.... so i'm back on them as well.

Have you seen this post? http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=226042.0
It's great it's a list for of advise about vits etc it's a huge list. I also have a book called the fertility diet. I found some interesting info in it so it maybe worth taking a look.

I will go straight to the clinic I really don't want to waste more time and i feel the doctors here already took 2 yrs of my time.

I hope all works out for you Mellie please keep me posted.


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## Mellie289 (Dec 9, 2011)

Thanks, I have seen that post! For 2 1/2 months, I have been taking lots of things on that list.

I've been taking the following since late January as directed by my RE:
1 mg folic acid 2x daily
200 mg Co Q-10 2-3x daily
500 mg Vitamin C 2x daily
200 IU VItamin E once a day
Prenatal Multivitamin (morning) 
Super B Complex (evening)
5 mg melatonin before bed

Plus I added the following from reading various literature and fertility forums:
25 mg DHEA 3x daily (75 mg total)
500 mg L-Arginine 2x daily

This last month I added:
200 mg Alpha Lipoic Acid once daily
500 mg niacin (inositol) once daily
100 mg B-6 once daily

Whenever I take the supplements I also take fish oil (DHA/EPA) evening primrose oil or flaxseed oil since some of the supplements are fat soluble (DHEA and co-Q10) to help with uptake. I'm thinking of adding royal jelly and wheatgrass, but I'm already popping so many tablets, it sometimes seems crazy! 

I have to say that even if these don't do what I hope, I feel great. I have more energy than I've had in years and my mind can focus better. The down side is that my last cycle was shorter, but I guess I'll see if that happens again next week. I think a lot of that is to do with the DHEA specifically, but I'm hopeful it will help.


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## TammyWynet (Mar 31, 2012)

Hi Quisty and other ladies, 
I am 41 years, started out when I was 39. I would say go straight to a fertility clinic and also go see a immunologist. There could also be things wrong with your immune system. With me everything was fine but I had two miscarriages and several early miscarriages short after the day of testing positive. 
I had to go abroad to get the right treatments but it is worth it. I now know there is nothing else wrong with me than my immune system and that also gives peace of mind that I do not have to focus on other things that might be a problem that I do not know about. 

I use a high doses of vitamine D and Omega 3 also in a high doses. And of course folic in a high doses and a pregnancy pil. Vitamine D and Omega 3 are very important. 

Good luck to all of you ladies!


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