Switching progesterone

MAbride0808 · February 2012

For this cycle, I choose to do PIO and DH and I planned on a time (6 pm) that was convenient at the time. Since we have to continue until 10 weeks, I'm beginning to want to switch progesterone to the suppositories. My butt is beginning to be really sore and the last few nights I have had little bumps though we massaged the are thoroughly. We are also finding it very restrictive. We are both going out with friends to night, but have to come home before work and wait until 6 and then go out.

For those of you started with PIO did you stay with it or did you switch? We will be talking to our nurse after our u/s next Thursday, but I want a plan in mind before I talk to her.

ccam · February 2012

I was on PIO from the beginning too and was taken off of meds completely at 9w4d (I was monitored weekly through b/w). At one point my progesterone was low, so they increased my PIO and then added one Crinone daily. So I really didn't have a choice as I was already on both, plus doing more than one Crinone is not fun - I would rather the PIO.

I would heat up a wet wash cloth in the microwave and massage the area after the shot. Or I would sit on a heating pad for a while. They are so not fun, I feel your pain, but it's all worth it in the end!

Also, my doctor told me as long as we did it within the hour of our normal time, it would be fine. I also found out after weeks of the PIO that I could have been using a shorter needle, that would have helped a lot!

bumpuser6119831 · February 2012

I was on PIO the entire time and even had to go to DH's job to get the shots sometimes but it was worth it to finish it out. We found on the days that DH did not massage vigorously I would end up getting the welts. Good luck!

thebeadinglady · February 2012

I am actually in the middle of switching right now. I was getting huge welts from the shots, and they were worried about infection so I am switching to Endometrin. I am doing 3 suppositories a day, and alternating every other day with PIO. If we see a heartbeat on Tuesday then I will switch over entirely to the supps.

TryingforBaby1 · February 2012

I have done crinone, endometrin, and PIO and I have to say, I liked PIO the best. They all come with their downsides. Here is why I like PIO the best:

1.) It shows up in your blood. This is important to me because if my progesterone is low...I have a hard time assuming that it's higher than it's saying without knowing a number. That's just me.

2.) I never did it at exactly the same time. I did it around the same time, give or take an hour or two. I also forgot one night and the nurse told me that it was not a big deal. Granted, my progesterone level was fine at the time- it probably would have been a bigger deal if my progesterone was iffy.

3.) I had an allergic reaction to crinone, so that was obviously out.

4.) Endometrin and I have a love/hate relationship. I could also get past the gross discharge because it was not a shot and it did not make my butt/hip ache for days. However, I bled on endometrin and supposedly, it is common to bleed from the applicators. The heartache and stress that it caused me every time I bled was just not worth it.

I think it's a personal decision and it's worth a try to switch and see if it works better for you. Just keep in mind that they all have sucky aspects to them...unfortunately. FWIW, I stopped progesterone supplements at 8 weeks when I graduated.

DrRx · February 2012

I was given the option of switching from PIO to the suppositories after our u/s at 6w5d when they saw the heartbeat. However, I chose to stay on the PIO because I didn't want to deal with the mess of the suppositories. DH and I just did it before going to bed every night, and sometimes the window of time that we did it was off by an hour or so. We would ice it down for a moment, he would give me the shot, and then he would massage it for 15 minutes each time. I never had any real big welts or anything, although my sides were really sore by the end. I had to use the PIO through the end of my 10th week of pregnancy.

kthappy76 · February 2012

I switched from PIO to supps with our first pg, and lost it. So it wasn't an option the next time. We were on PIO with the twins until 15 weeks, which called for getting creative. I learned to give them to myself when DH wasn't around. The time is not an absolute, within several hrs is fine. I sometimes had to take it with me and do it in the bathroom wherever I was. The bad news is your butt will still be sore and the lumps remain well after you stop doing the shots.

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