DHEA and/or CoQ10

Kate13012

Hi there, does anyone have experience with DHEA and/or CoQ10?  My IVF cycle was cancelled last month and my doctor recommended I take DHEA and CoQ10 for two cycles and then try IVF again on the 3rd cycle.  The side effects from DHEA and/or CoQ10 are more unpleasant than Lupron, Follistim, and Menopur were and, given that there isn't an expansive set of research out there on DHEA and CoQ10, I'm starting to doubt whether they are worth taking.  Does anyone else have any experience with them?  Any experience dealing with unpleasant side effects from them?

Thanks.

Lacyj67

I tried them and didn't really notice a whole lot of side effects and it was all for nothing. They didn't help my egg quality or anything.

jlr96

I took both CoQ10 (actually Ubiquinol) & DHEA & didn't have any side effects at all.  I know several ladies on here take CoQ10 & my RE recommended I do the DHEA as well.  I read somewhere to make sure your DHEA is micronized as it has less effects.  I was on 25 mg three times a day.  Good luck!

ekc0630

I am on both right now and do not have any side effects.  Mid cycle so I will  let you know if it helped with quality.

penad5

I took CoQ10 leading upto and during my first cycle and I was expected to get maybe 4 ok eggs I ended up with 13 eggs, 7 fertilized, and 2 of those made it to Blast and 2 more were good enough to freeze

since it was my first cycle i can't say it was the CoQ10 - but i had no side effects and the research is really looking positive that it can help

Kate13012

Thanks very much Lacyj67, jlr96, ekc0630, lfinTN, and penad5.  Very interesting that you all reported zero side effects.  I'll have to talk with my doctor.  

Thanks for quick and honest feedback.

beachy6

Both my DH and I take COQ10 and have no side effects at all. I don't have experience with DHEA though. I'm taking it for egg quality and DH is taking it for DNA frag. I don't know if they've helped, but the research is positive from what I've read.

cherylanne3550

I am on both right now in prep for my next cycle in June - 75mg on DHEA and 200 of COQ10

Kate13012

Beachy6 and cherylanne3550, thanks very much for your feedback.  Much appreciated.  

SKLH

I took Ubiquinol (coq10 in active form) and had 9 blasts. My previous RE didn't grow my embies to day 5 so I can't tell if it was "normal" for me or not but I was SUPER happy with 9. I say it's worth it to stick it out. I never noticed ANY side effects, it was like I wasn't on anyting at all...

Kate13012

Thanks SKLH.

Prayingforblessing

I have never used the DHEA but I have used COQ10 with absolute no side effects. It worked great during my ivf cycle. I had 24 eggs retrieved and 19 of them fertilized. I am no spring chicken..36 yrs old and Dh 42. It works to improve egg health but it was in I believe older woman. The egg has 200 times more mitochondria then any other cell in the body. Mitochondria is said to deteriorate in eggs as woman age. COQ10 improves the mitochondria. Mitochondria is like a spark plug to every cell in our body. I read a lot about it before taking it and preparing for ivf. I still ended up with a bfn but 14 eggs made it to 5 day blast and 12 are now currently frozen. I strongly believe that it was due to the COQ10 that they all did great in making it to blast. Not saying it will work for everyone but I feel it definitely worked for me. And I would do it again in a heart beat if I had to. I feel like it helped turn back the hands of time a few years on my reproductive system. Now the goal is to successfully get a little one out of the 12 to work.