Care to share your blood work results from your doc? Maybe you already did and I missed it. Hope it was all good news

[Lash]

No I didnt post, but I got results late Tuesday. It all came back normal-- I should insert the happy bouncy emoticon here right? So can someone tell me then why my nipples are leaking? Cause even the midwife was alarmed by that
So, I dont know the levels and I'm waiting to talk to them on the phone to tell me where I fell on the ranges, and what it all means but for now I'm clinically not hypothyroid or whatever else causes your nipples to leak,to have low temps, to fit an entire list of symptoms but my blood says I'm fine

I am pretty sure they didnt test progesterone-- when she took me to the "blood lady" as I call her, she told her the things to test and she did not say progesterone. I had this nagging feeling I needed to call back and ask them to make sure and test it and I kept telling myself "its fine, they'll do it, stop being so meddlesome".

I dont WANT something to be wrong.. please hear that. But I put alot of stock, I think too much so, on the idea that I"d finally be getting answers back and I got nothing. I dont think something huge is wrong, but something is whacky in my body-- or maybe not. Maybe I just have to deal with low temps, wierd cycles, wierd LP's that change month to month despite B6 and Vitex, low sex drive, leaky nipples and god knows whatever else.

I have a coworker that just got results back for PCOS. She had been tested for the last 10 YEARS and told she was fine. They didnt really look hard enough and she knew something was wrong. She convinced herself that all her symptoms were her just being a hypochondriac and she convinced herself not to listen to her body. She keeps telling me to listen to my gut

My mom said "well thats 2 docs now that blew you off on progesterone, so maybe its not a big deal". But I know people IRL, whos' docs took it very seriously and it was one of the main things they focused on. Am I just getting bad docs, or do I just need to chill?

I just think its ODD that both times I've been to the doc, they "forgot" to test progesterone levels (if this 2nd one forgot too). I had to call the first one back in Feb and ask about progesterone.. they had tested everything but that. If its happened again, i can't tell you how angry I am

I would be pissed too. One thing I have learned is that you do have to be "meddlesome" or persistent. Maybe call them back and say your progesterone was supposed to be tested, and that you want it tested this cycle for sure! Get all huffy about it too--it is your health here, not theirs. I think it sucks royally that we as patients even have to do this, but there you have it.

And I think it is great you are calling to get the actual results. I was told prior to the infertility stuff that my thyroid levels were normal. Sooooo not true. 3.4 or 4.1 or whatever it was is NOT normal for TTC, obviously. You know, even my hair has gotten thicker again after these past 4-5 months of treatment. Ridiculous! Anyhow, I agree with your friend b/c that was me too. EVERYONE told me it was in my head or stress. Sooo not true. I even had an internal ultrasound by my OBGYN and didn't get to watch, she told me I was normal! No fing way was anything in there normal. That was a full year before we went to the RE. If she had told me, I could be pregnant by now!! Trust your body, if you feel something is "off" it very likely is, and fight to have it figured out. I am pissed for you! Heck, I am pissed in general now!

But it is good to know that for the most part a lot of your blood work is actually normal. You will get this figured out, it just takes baby steps

[Lash]

I keep playing phone tag with the nurse and havent heard anything yet... she wont leave it on my voicemail and its driving me nuts! I am going to keep trying

[**Jenn**]

Big hugs for you Lauren! I really hope you get things sorted out soon. Keep trusting your gut. Chances are if you feel something is off then something is probably off. I think you need to be a PITA these days in order to get what you want/need from your doc.

I had to be that way at Lochy's last dr. appt (12 months). I'm generally fine with vaxines and Liam always got his on time. However, something inside was telling me not to let Lochy get his. It took me (and DH) being forceful a few times but he's not getting any until he's at least 2.

Definitely speak up! You don't want to regret wasted time because you didn't want to be meddlesome! This is your body, your life, your medical care. They work for you and if you want something done you have every right to get it done!

[Lash]

Ok so I got some good answers, which makes me excited..

Progesterone 10.2 I had the test done at 10dpo

Thyroid was 1.59 (dont know which one though)

Yay for answers! So your TSH looks to be normal, and your progesterone is on the low side for conception (I think they want to see it at 15 around 10dpo, I could be wrong though) . Your prolactin was normal though, right?

I am telling you girl, you are one of those women that needs a little "boost" and then gets a BFP right off the bat. I can FEEL it! Are you going to bring up Femara with your doctor? I think it may be a good idea. I am so happy you are getting answers!

[soImarriedAnerd]

ok your nipples discharging is bugging me.....so I have to ask more questions because I need to help at least with ideas. (just call me the WTTC Grad version of House MD LOL)
Is it one boob or both? Do you notice it during a certain time in your cycle or not? Any stimulation or anything boobwise going on when you notice or is it spontaneous? Can you make it happen? Color doesn't do much but it can rule out a thing or two---so what color? Texture--is it sticky or slippery, thick or thin? How much and how often does it happen? Nipples otherwise fine--no redness/itching/swelling/cracking or warm to the touch?? Any injuries to the boobs-I know you lift weights---if you bench press do you bounce the bar off your chest while lifting?
Do you do breast exams---do they seem more fibrous now or any lumps---don't forget to check those armpits! How about anything else--headaches/vision changes/fevers? ok this is going to sound gross--but have you ever tasted it-it would be a sterile thing and couldn't make you sick since its already in you-if so what it like? (oh and feel free to PM the answers to these to me if you don't want to put them out there)

I know you are taking herbs--anise and fennel can cause it--on those? Pot also does this (i doubt your doing that since your TTC however in case we have a lurker its good to know).

a couple things I want you to look more into---
I figured it was going to be a thyroid issue I have to admit--so normal Thyroid has me annoyed. (i mean its GOOD to have it but it doesn't give an answer)
Ahumada-Del Castillo Syndrome
Lactotroph adenoma
Intraductal papilloma (most common)


Oh and a list of every med/herb/vitamin you take. Any diet changes?

[Lash]

the only things I am taking are Vitex and prenatals-- Diet is actually improved, cutting out some artifcial stuff like sweetners and potatoes and spray butter

Its BOTH nipples. I noticed it this cycle a couple of days after ovulation and since prolactin isnt a good thing for progesterone and stimulating nipples raises prolactin, I left them alone.. but I think they'd still do it right now if I squeezed on em.
They've done it in the past as well. No injuries, when I do lifting its not with a bar but free weights and they are never on my chest

NOT spontaneous which apparently is a better thing that I have to squeeze but I dont have to squeeze hard. Sometimes its red and brown (at least one duct on both breasts has blood) and its usually milky and way sticky

never tasted it but not opposed to it either- breast exams are usually pretty normal and had an exam at the docs a week or so ago and she said it was fine too

I totally totally thought it would be thryoid so thats why I'm still so perturbed

Yay for answers! So your TSH looks to be normal, and your progesterone is on the low side for conception (I think they want to see it at 15 around 10dpo, I could be wrong though) . Your prolactin was normal though, right?

I am telling you girl, you are one of those women that needs a little "boost" and then gets a BFP right off the bat. I can FEEL it! Are you going to bring up Femara with your doctor? I think it may be a good idea. I am so happy you are getting answers! [/b]

They seem to think progesterone is fine at that level while I disagree. They also said they dont consider progesterone an issue until 3 losses (come on!!). Femara with this doc is out of the question but I have no problem finding someone else. I just know two docs have acted like progesterone is no big deal and it bugs me

Prolactin they said was normal but they didnt tell me a number. They are mailing me the actual blood results

[soImarriedAnerd]

ok Troy says I have to try to sleep (its 3am here) so I will look more into this tomorrow- I promise!

[Lash]

[tells angela to listen to troy]

I'll say it til I die.. What was your TPO level... aka sometimes TPA.... Did they check, as those numbers are crucial in ruling out Hashimoto's thyroidits..

[Lash]

They were very short with me on the phone which is why I'm having them send the whole results sheet to me

[Lash]

They were very short with me on the phone which is why I'm having them send the whole results sheet to me

[soImarriedAnerd]

Ask them this then if they think your progesterone isn't to low ----"if I took some supplements would it hurt anything".....because even if they see you on the low of normal side some every other day supplements might just bump you up to the higher of normal side but keep you in a normal range...and more importantly one that your more comfortable with. Maybe your body just needs to be a higher normal progesterone level---its a big difference between low normal and high normal (see below):

Reference Ranges for Progesterone
Females:
Follicular phase 0.2 - 1.4 ng/mL
Luteal phase 3.3 - 25.0 ng/mL
Mid-luteal phase 4.4 - 28.0 ng/mL (so you could literally almost TRIPLE your number and still be normal!)
Postmenopausal less than 0.7 ng/mL
Pregnant
1st trimester 11.2 - 90.0 ng/mL
2nd trimester 25.6 - 89.4 ng/mL
3rd trimester 48.4 - 422.5 ng/mL

When you get your labs back---did they do a prolactin level? And what exact thyroid test did they do? And for someone who is leaking from the nipples I would think prolactin would be one of the first tests they think to run?! If for some reason it wasn't run---thats a great test to ask them for,,,,and ask WHY they didnt think it was a good test to run (i would love to hear what they say about that-sometimes they have a good reason, others they don't)

Do you have headaches or any vision changes you have noticed? Hate to tell you but high levels of stress and sex can cause this when combined (those two things together can increase prolactin levels)....you wouldn't happen to be stressing alot and have tons of sex during ovulation would you?! THIS is one of the dumb reasons doctors say "just relax and it will happen"-there CAN some times be a medical reasoning to it....but I don't know if I would ever really TELL that to someone! The fact that its not spontaneous discharge is a GOOD thing!!!

Vitex (what kind do you take and does it say what country it comes from on your bottle--Vitex agnus-castus, Vitex cuneata, Vitex lucens, Vitex keniensis, Vitex negundo, Vitex trifolia )





http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/unders...tin-levels.html
good explanation on prolactin levels