Has anyone used DHEA to improve egg quality?

[KateM]

I have just started taking DHEA to improve the quality of my eggs for my second IVF attempt. Im headed towards early menopause and my eggs are already poor quality, so we are hoping this may get us to the stage of achiving at least one healthy embyo.
My FS listed some of the side effects of DHEA as: balding, acne, facial hair, increased libido and enlarged clitoros
Im still going to take it, but Im wondering if anyone else could tell me if they experienced any of these scary side effects??

Thanks very much,
Kate

[Mummawannabe]

Hi KateM,

I have no experience with this drug, but have heard of others falling pregnant naturally after just 2 months, when they have been ttc for years! I am interested to hear which clinics are offering this (in Brisbane), and ppls experiences on the drug as I would love improved egg quality!

[Alice]

Hi KateM,

I'm sorry you are facing early menopause but just wanted to say that, yes, I've used DHEA (three months prior to IVF) and I'm using it again now (into my second month).

And I'm very happy to report - I had none of those side effects! But the first time I used it I was very very irritable according to DH

Also happy to report - first time I used DHEA, I fell pg (after nine years of no success and five years of IVF). I have one ovary so I only ever get about six eggs (best count). In the beginning of IVF I got 5 blasties from 6 eggs but none of them stuck and the two other cycles I got 2 blasties, then the next time only one (I'm obviously much older now), then when I used the DHEA I got 6 eggs, 5 blasties on day 3, 2 on day 5, we put one really great one back but had none to freeze. So you can see, it made a big difference for me.

Sadly we lost our bub at 8 weeks but we're trying again now and hoping for a second success. The FS thinks DHEA really made a big difference and I agree. Good luck and all the very best to you

Alice xx

PS I also met someone through an IVF group who had been through early meno and she was lucky to have a friend donate an egg - she got pg on her first go at IVF with the donor egg and has a healthy baby boy so fingers crossed for you!

[KateM]

Thankyou both so much for the encouraging feedback, I appreciate it and am really pleased to hear that DHEA has been helpful fo other people.
Its been over a month now and Im pleased to say I havn't noticed any side effects.
I guess a break after a cycle of synarel and countless needles has made me feel great again too! We will try naturally for a short while (we have a short overseas trip coming up and I don't want to be carting needles and meds around). Then we will have another IVF cycle, Im hoping the new approach my FS has decided on (after seeing how poorly I responded last time), will lead to more sucess this time.

Alice, Im really pleased to hear it made such a difference to you, Im so sorry to hear you lost your precious bub, I hope you have another sucess very soon.

Mummawannabe, I will send you the details of my FS who suggested the DHEA.

Best of luck to you both, thanks for your response and encouragement, it means a lot

[electra68]

Sorry to bump, but those in Sydney, which FS prescribe DHEA?

[KitKat72]

Thanks for this thread. I just learned I have low AMH, and have read that there is some evidence that DHEA may increase my chances of producing more/better quality eggs. I won't know how I respond to stims until my scan next week (I'm currently on Day 2 of my first-ever cycle), but, if my response is not-so-good, as I'm expecting, then here's hoping that my FS will give me a prescription when I see him next week.

Anybody know if any FSes on the Gold Coast are supportive, or at least not hostile, to the use of DHEA for this purpose?

Thanks again!

KitKat72

[KateM]

KitKat72 ~Best of luck with your first cycle, lets hope you have good quality eggs, but if not, at least you will know there are options that can help.
My FS is in Brisbane, there should be someone at the GoldCoast who prescribes DHEA, but if you struggle, message me and I will pass on my Drs details.
Good Luck, I hope your cycle goes really well
Kate

[KitKat72]

KateM - Thanks for that. I ended up asking my FS about DHEA at my first scan, when he said that there were only 7 follies. He said that while DHEA is not part of the usual protocol at my clinic, and that while he's never had a patient who was interested enough in trying DHEA for him to have ever prescribed it, he's heard about some of the reports indicating that it might be useful and said that he'd be willing to prescribe it for me if I wanted it (yay!). He just said that he didn't know the usual dosage, etc., so asked me to provide him some info to assist. I told him that I'd send him the info from the Centre for Human Reproduction website since they have extensive info (including a published paper) on there. Than, when I saw him last Friday at my second scan, where there were still only 8 follicles, when I asked him what else I could be doing to improve my chances, he replied (in addition to talking about diet), "Well, we've already talked about starting you on DHEA." So that apparently confirms that he's willing to give it to me if I want it. I'm so happy that my FS is open-minded about this and willing to work with me. Frankly, I suspect that he must be just as curious to see how it goes as I am since he's never had a patient on it before. By the way, are you doing the dosage that CHR recommends (75 mgs of micronized DHEA given as 25 mg tablets at breakfast, lunch, and dinner)?

As for me, I just had my EPU for this cycle today and hopefully (please!) at least one of the 6 eggies collected will turn into an embryo to be transferred back in either Friday or Sunday. I'm not going to start DHEA until we see how this cycle turns out. But if it is not successful, I'll probably be starting DHEA in a few weeks.

Also, for any of you who have taken it, I know that they say that it takes 3 months or so to get the full effect from the DHEA, but did you do any cycles when you had been on it for LESS than 3 months? I'm willing to cycle earlier than that as long as I don't have to stop the DHEA during any part of the cycle. Are you able to keep taking the DHEA during your entire IVF cycle? If you have to stop for part of it, then I'd have to consider waiting out a few cycles since it sounds like you need to take the DHEA consistently for a few months for it to work properly . . . (Maybe I'll e-mail CHR and ask them, too, since they apparently are willing to respond to e-mailed queries about the protocol.)

Thanks all,
Kitkat72

[sevie]

Hi, I've taken DHEA for over a year, but my egg numbers dropped not rose during that year!! but I'm a 'poor responder' and 2 eggs were normal and I dropped to one at the egg. I'm now of the strong belief that little things help, but you are what you are and you just need to work with what you've got, or look at other options of course.
good luck.

[KateM]

Kitkat72 - Im taking a 50mg tablet once a day. I wasn't aware that taking it for 3 months increases your chances, by the time I start my second IVF cycle I will be there, so thats good to know. I will have to check out the CHR website.
Im going on holiday next week and Im hoping the time away could be just what we need
I hope your eggies are turning into lovely embryos as we speak, good luck with your tranfer and 2 week wait. I hope you get a BFP

Sevie, Im sorry to hear your egg numbers dropped, how disapointing
Will you keep taking the DHEA?

[sevie]

The effective dose for DHEA is 75mg per day (taken as 25mg 3 times a day). My twin sister still takes it, but for us I think it's in vain. My AMH result was 1.8 and my sis's was 0.7. terrible!! I've stopped taking it, it was a huge decision. It meant that I was saying goodbye to the chance of using my own eggs. We've started the process of using an egg donor. So sad but oddly exciting at the same time.

[sevie]

duplicate message

[KateM]

Sevie ~ that would have been a hard decision, but i can appreciate it would be sad but at the same time, exciting, knowing you are trying a new option. (with a greater chance at sucess?) I don't know too much about it yet, but I guess if you have a donor with healthy eggs your chances of sucess will now improve and soon you may have a chance to become pregnant, which would be fantastic.
I really hope the donor process goes well for you.
I have had a councelling session which told me a bit about it (as it may become a good option for me before long) and it was wonderful to hear that people are so generous to help others to furfill their dream of having a family. Its the ultimate gift. But I was told it can take quite some time, so Im happy for you that you are on the way to making your dream a reality. Best of luck and I would love to hear how you go.

[Alice]

electra - I got it through Sydney IVF - I think a few of the specialists there prescribe it and I've heard other clinics do too. Send me a PM if you need more info.

Alice

Still catching up on thread - just wanted to post this quickly

Sevie - sorry the DHEA isn't helping in your circumstances and all the best for the donor egg transfer. I too and looking into that - and have had an offer from a much younger friend but finding it hard to think about so leaving aside for now. All the best to you x

KateM - I'm on the same dose as you but have just dropped to one tablet a day because my IVF cycle has been delayed so didn't want to keep taking so much of it for a longer time (already been on it just over 2 months). I hope your time away is just what you need. x

KitKat - how did your cycle go? Are you in the TWW? Fingers crossed for you x

[KitKat72]

Hi Alice - Yup, had my ET last Friday. All seemed to go well -- they transferred one perfect 8-cell embie on day 3. They grew out my other embie to day 5/blast then froze it, so hopefully that bodes well for the even better one they transferred. Still have a week to go before my BT, though. I hope my little speck hangs in there till then! Thanks for thinking of me!

[sevie]

Thanks KateM for your encouragement. Donor cycles are a funny thing. You need your donor so much, and she doesn't need you at all! Our process is quite long-winded and slow, but a lot of that's got to do with my donor being a busy mum of 3!! Also I've found, donors don't seem to mind if the treatment is pushed further and further back because of their busy lifestyles, where as the recipients whole life blood and energy feels like it hangs in the balance! but the recipient's family life feels like it's been on hold for years hey!...aka- me! I've found the counselling very interesting because finally there's someone we can talk to the really gets it...like really understands.
I don't really want donor eggs...I want to use mine, but that's not possible, and the reality is hard. I found VARTA website and others useful, and Monash IVF Melb have monthly info sessions. If I can give just one piece of advice, if there's a kind friend willing to give some of her eggs, ask her to go to an info session, ivf linked counselling (so they can explain the legal, ethical and medical stuff from the get-go, so everone's up to speed so to speak) and read things on-line sooner rather than later so she understands the long term implications.
Without doubt, I'm finding the whole process slow in the end, but that's related to my dear donor's time restrictions! It's hard because you don't want to put any pressure on her but all you want is to start, start, start!!

[KateM]

Hi Sevie,
I was just thinking of you and wondering how you are going? I hope you have had some progress with your donor?!
Im still taking the DHEA, just started trying Chinese acupunture, so fingers crossed something might help!

Hope things are going well for you

[KitKat72]

Hi there Kate,

Just wondering what exactly your AMH level was? Mine was 6.9, which the FS said was pretty low, although still workable. I ended up supplementing my IVF cyle with acupunture, including the "usual" sessions right before and after the embryo transfer, and, well, I can't say it definitely was the cause , but I did get my BFP this cycle despite having only 2 embies from this cycle (1 implanted, 1 frozen), so it certainly didn't hurt!

FX that the steps you are taking work for you.

Kitkat72