Any side effects when stopping progesterone?

obizyanka

hello ladies happy to say that I have made it through 10 weeks so far. Tomorrow I will be 11 weeks pregnant I have been discharged from my RE and already had my 1st prenatal with a regular obgyn. So yesterday I finished my progesterone as per the RE. Anyone else stop at this time? Earlier? Sooner? Did you feel any certain way when you stopped? This is when my RE told me to stop. My obgyn however said some women continued to take it till the end if 1st trimester. I'm out of meds tho. It's all they ordered for me. I just feel like I'm on my own bc before I was getting weekly blood work which checked progesterone. Among other things. Now I don't have another appt till the 28th. I just feel strange not having a new set of numbers to calm me lol. I feel slightly crampy today. 10 weeks 6 days. Don't know if it's related or not. I just don't want to be lacking support if I need it and other things are going well. Uughh Any one in or has been in a similar position?

riveridgional

@obizyanka I haven't been PG before, so I can't give you any advice. I know I'd be just as nervous, though. Can your OB do a progesterone test in a week just to make sure you're still good?

obizyanka

Despite the fact that they will probably think I am nuts, I am thinking of calling today to see what they advise. I think we infertility it's need more reassuring and support than their regular pts. And for good reason! We have been though a lot!

beckihall

I didn't have any side effects stopping pio. I stopped at 10 weeks as well, and I'm almost 13 weeks now. I've been crampy this whole time so I can't say it's anything out of the ordinary. I hate that i don't get to see my babies on an ultrasound every week anymore, it makes me more anxious about things.

HBamama2B

This is a big fear for me down the road too! The sudden stop of PIO and lack of reassuring monitoring. I'm still ~5wks away from stopping injections but I'm nervous so I understand your fears. I think though that they do it that long out of an abundance of caution so that the placenta has completely taken over before they cut the PIO. 10 weeks is normal. Keep us updated and congrats on your H&H 1st tri! Almost to round 2!

emsmama15

*** previous child mentioned ***

I didn't do PIO with my first, but did supps until 13 weeks and I was scared to death to stop them.  I ended up going to once per day and then every other day, thinking in my IF mind that would somehow help?  I agree with @HBamama2B, 10 weeks is probably PLENTY of time for the placenta to take over but it's still nerve-wracking!  Asking your OB to run a progesterone level would probably give you a lot of peace of mind...  

KidShrink

@obizyanka : we're exactly at the same point (10w6d)! I've also been feeling crampy today, so wondering if it's just growing pains? I'm to stop Prometrium at the end of week 11 (so in a week) and I'm also scared, despite having had really high progestrone levels last time it was tested (around 9 week, I was at 283ish if I remember well). The placenta should have taken over by now though. I agree that asking for progesterone levels would probably be a good idea. I'm wondering whether it drops a little (but still well within normal) when we stop the supplements?

blessedwtwins

OP, I was on twice daily PIO until week 11 and stopped cold turkey. I was extremely worried it would have a negative effect on my body and pregnancy. I ended up having no issues whatsoever.
The cramping you are feeling is probably your body working magic to make room for baby. Also, I noticed that whenever I was particularly worried about there being an issue, I'd feel more cramping or twinges because my mind was concentrating on feeling them.
If you are concerned, contact your provider.
Also, congrats on your pregnancy and making it 11 weeks.

obizyanka

Absolutely, I miss those frequent checks now

obizyanka

@kidshink oh neat congrats to you too, we will have to keep in close touch!  And to all of you ladies, thank you for your commiseration I did end up calling my obgyn. Let me give background by saying that I was on PIO for weeks and weeks and the suppositories for gosh I don't even remember maybe 2 weeks. I'm out of the suppositories. I had been using a mail order fertility pharmacy to get all of my IVF meds prior to today. So I spoke to the DR and he said that stopping today (although really it was yesterday) is totally fine- which is still almost a week more than my RE suggested. He said if I'm more comfortable I can continue it for another week. I told him I'm all out so he called in a script to my local Rite Aide so it would be faster. So I go there to pick up...and surprise surprise this is a med they don't have in stock, they need to order it and it 'should' be in tomorrow. Well I could have arranged the same thing myself lol. Wish they called me as soon as they knew this and I would have called around to other pharmacies and back to my Dr during business hours. Now I honestly feel like there is no point in even pursuing the extra week of medication. Also it will be another $160 out of pocked (fine a drop in the bucket compared to all the costs...but still) I think I won't pursue this extra week since RE did only prescribe for 10 weeks. I took it till 10 and 5, to use up what I had.....its just tough, I agree with the rest of you to not get those weekly check ins and positive affirmations. I also asked about progesterone blood work stating that I was having it checked weekly before and the obgyn said at this point it would be of little assistance. So thats that I guess.
Also on the cramping, you are right, I think when I focus on it lol I definitely notice it more. I had a few weeks in the beginning when I had lots of AF type cramps....then it kind of went away. The cramps that I have now are definitely milder than that, but I can feel them, so I just jump to assume bad things lol its just built in like that. I bet that it is everything growing and stretching in all reality.