MTHFR and progesterone, any happy endindgs?

[natlar]

Hi, I was diagnosed with MTHFR when I had my 4th miscarriage. Then I miscarried again even with supplies of Folic acid, baby aspirin, Vit B-6,and B-12.  Now I am on my 6th miscarriage if it's possible to say so: I had my 8 week appointment sonogram. The doc said the fetus looks too small, only 5 weeks, 6 days, no heart beat. They want to do another sonogram in 3 weeks to confirm the miscarriage.

Does anyone who has MTHFR like me has a good story with a happy ending? I really would like to hear it!

Thanks.

[LivingWithMTHFR]

I know this is an old post, but I need to comment for anybody who may read this thread. Anybody with the MTHFR gene mutation CAN NOT break down folic acid, we lack the enzymes required for the methylation process. You could be taking a very large dose and your body still will not turn it in to the form we need. In order to have a healthy pregnancy you need to stay far away from synthetic folic acid in supplements and food. You need to either take folinic acid, or L-methylfolate. These are the final forms of the methylation process so our bodies do not need to break them down and can absorb them straight away.
So please, don't let your doctor give you plain old folic acid, this ups your chance of a miscarriage. You need to eat lots of green vegetables to get natural folate and take the supplements I have noted, along with progesterone, baby aspirin (or lovenox depending on your clotting risk), and a very good prenatal with l-methylfolate or folinic acid (these should be designed for our gene and have plenty of already broken down b vitamins so we can easily absorb them) Do not take anything with folic acid, please for your own health and the health of your future babies.

[BabiesInHeaven]

I hope that you ladies have all had your fairy-tale endings since this post is 3+ years old.  I am homozygous for the C-variant of MTHFR, DH is heterozygous for the A-varient.  I have had 2 MC thus far and am currently in an injectable cycle TTC again.  I am taking Folgard 2.2, baby asprin, 3mg more folic acid, and metformin 175mg/day (I don't know how you ladies can STAND metformin as even this little bit KILLS me!), and *if* I get my BFP will start on the vaginal progesterone.

It's so hard to be positive, but I am willing to take shots, pills, anything to have my *healthy* baby.  I would love to hear any words of wisdom as how to handle this pain, whether physical or emotional, that comes with each MC.  There's not much else I feel I could do if I don't get pregnant this cycle, or especially if we MC again.  

Please keep us posted on how everyone is doing, it would be reassuring to hear your stories.
xoxo

[nyc31]

I have had 4 mc's and been diagnosed with a heterozygote MTHFR AND low progesterone.
been taking baby aspirin for 3+ months and prometrium pills as soon as i ovulate. still, had a mc
doc wants to put me on heparin injections 2xday + progesterone injections (poss suppositories) and clomin... does anyone have a happy ending with a similar diagnosis??? i am terrified that i'll never have a baby of my own. thnx

[natlar]

1mg of folic acid is not enough. My doctor gave me 4mg a day and I still miscarried. If yo have 400mcg folic acid, you will have to take about 7 of these in addition to 1 mg of prescribed medicine.
Did they tell you to take Vitamins B-6 and B-12 with that? They help to absorb folic acid.

I think you should get a second opinion on your medication from either perinatologist or reproductive endocrinologist. I am worried they didn't give you everything you need. I don't want anyone in the situation like mine.

Take care and keep us posted. Good luck!

[natlar]

Thank you for your information. What is prometrium? I have never heard about it.
I nearly died on Monday. I started miscarring Sunday night and I had severe blood loss. At the hospital I overheard a nurse  saying,"She is passing blood clots size of my fist". I think that baby aspirin doesn't help much when you are pregnant.

[Kijdestler]

I have also had 2 mc . The last one was in March 2006. I decided since I was already blessed once without complications, my little girl is 41/2, I wasnt  going to push my luck. Needless to say, I was trying to kid myself I now want to try again. The bloodwork that I once refused I had done and  was diagnosed with the MTHFR gene. I am terrified. I had to convince my husband  into this and I am so affraid. Today I spoke to the RN at my ob/gyn office and insisted that they give me something in case I am getting pregnant as we speak! They gave me a script for 1mg of folic acid vitamins. In the meantime, I went to cvs and bought a bottle of 400 mcg of folic acid plus the 1aday vitamins I am taking has 400 just to hold me over. I feels good to know there are people who understand the situation.

[projectbaby]

Hey...I am sorry about the m/c but I also had 2 m/c and I demanded more testing...I also have hetero MTHFR...and autoimmune issues.... I am now 13 weeks pregnant but as soon as I found out I was put on Lovenox 30mg daily, baby asprin, prometrium, and Folgard....I think you also need this.... My Dr.'s didn't think it was necessary but I DEMANDED and look where I am now.....I think you will end up with your dream baby you just need to be your own advocate..... be persistent and make them listen...you know your body best....luck to you...please keep us posted.....
Jacquie

[natlar]

Thank you for your information. It is very important, because I wasn't on heparin, and I had no idea about Metanex. Is it a pill or a shot? I am going to try one more time and I am going to a fertility center this time. I will be armed with the information you gave me, may be it will help. My husband was checked for this too, and he doesn't have the same mutation. That's why docs said we had a good chance.

And most of all thank you for sharing your story. I am sitting here writing you an answer in tears, because you have given me hope which I already didn't have.

I pray for your family to have another healthy baby without any complications. Good luck! And once again thanks a lot.

[luvmybaby121]

I wanted to mention one more thing my OB told me regarding the MTHFR mutations.  Does your husband have a mutation?  He said that one reason for the miscarriages could be due to the baby receiving the mutations (which the odds increase if both parents have mutations).  If this were the case, then like you, the baby can't process folic acid and therefor could have problems thus causing the miscarriage.  This of course is a theory, but what an interesting point.  He said that 40% of the population has at least one of the mutations (which isn't bad unless you have the combo's - 20%).  That is why he uses the Metanex (L-Methylfolate) which is the broken down form of folic acid.  

Also - It doesn't seem like too many dr's are putting people on Heprain for the mutations.  BOTH of the specialists I have seen have suggested the heparin due to the blood clots.  I know I have the 2nd to the worse of the mutations, so for the less severe cases that might be why.  But if you have what I have (the MTHFR C677T and A1298C) I would def. ask about it.  

I hope this info helped.  I know when I experienced my 4th loss, my question was why.  And this helped answer that question.

[luvmybaby121]

Hey there.  I have both the MTHFR C677T and A1298C.  I have struggled with miscarriage after miscarriage.  I was fortunate enough to have a beautiful little girl a couple of years ago and we are trying again.  What I have found to be the most important part of having this mutation is finding a doctor that knows what this is.  I have had a couple (we have moved around and needed to find new dr's) that had no clue how to help and all of my miscarriages were with these dr's.

I am now working with a perinantologist in Columbia, MO and an excellent OBGyn there as well.  They know what they are talking about and that has brought my level of anxiety down - which is important as well.  

I am on heparin (blood thinner), baby aspirin, l-methylfolate (which is the broken down form of folic acid).  The l-methylfolate (Metanex) is due to our bodies not able to process folic acid.  That is why dr's increase the folic acid recommendation to 4 - 5 mg during pregnancy.  They also suggest taking b6 and b12.  My OB has also suggested staying away from refined sugars (enriched flour, donuts, ect.)  he thinks a Mediterranean diet is a good diet to follow.  

It is also important to remember that the whole pregnancy should be viewed as high risk.  Not just the first trimester.  Your dr can give you more information on this.  

Please know - for those that have the miscarriages, you can do this.  We pushed through after 3 mcs and now have a perfect child.  We had another mc after her (when we started trying again).  But I know that we can do this.  My Ob's nurse also has had a successful pregnancy.  

Good luck and remember that there are Dr's out there that know exactly how to help you.  We drive an hour to see ours.  It is worth it.  

[natlar]

Thank you, ladies for all your support. I forgot to tell you ,yes, I did have all the blood test imaginable done even twice, first time, they didn't find anything wrong with me, second time they found MTHFR.
My regular ob did it, but then I miscarried again,and he referred me to perinatologist. Is it the same as RE or not? He didn't give me folgart, but he prescribed me everything separately. He said my progesterone level was 12.7, is it good or bad? He told me I should have at least 25, and prescribed Progesterone. I had another doctor during my sonogram, and he told me, that 12.7 was normal(!!!)
I have morning sickness, breasts tender, tired and sleepy, actually my morning sickness can be at night. And I don't understand if it's from Progesterone. When I had missed abortions before I never had morning sickness. I feel miserable.

I hope that JennyB473,and baby 1234, and ashort, you all will have successful stories for me. I pray for you all.

[ashort]

I also was diagnosed with heterozygous MTHFR.  I had one m/c and insisted on seeing an RE and he gave me like 17 blood tests and that is the only thing that came back.  I decided when I had my m/c I wasn't going to sit back and take the "it happens all the time" excuse.  I'm a doer so I had to find out what was going on with me and that's what we found.  My RE put me on Foltx (which has the B vitamins and folic acid in it) I'm also taking a baby aspirin.  My homocysteine levels are fine but he said when I get the BFP again he wants to monitor them.  Were you tested for anything else also?  I have heard people post on here that they have had sucessful pregnancies with MTHFR so I'm sure it's possible.  Good luck to you!

[baby1234]

I am compound heterozygous for mthfr. I also had two miscarriages before we found out. I went on Lovenox (a blood thinner), folgard, baby aspirin, and progesterone supplementation this time for the first trimester and am now 24 weeks pg with twins! I am still nervous, as anyone who has had a mc would be, but I am feeling the babies move and have now reached a point where there is viability should something happen.

If you haven't yet, I strongly suggest you see a reproductive endocronologist (RE). My RE was the one who ultimately got me to stay pg I believe.

[jennyb473]

first of all I am so sorry for all you are going thru.  I have had 4 mc in the last 2 years and am currently in the tww - hoping the 5th time's the charm!  I have homozygous MTHFR and am on baby aspirin and folgard (which is the folic acid, vit b-6 and b-12).  My RE checked my homocysteine levels which is the hormone that the MTHFR gene controls - and mine is fine, therefore even though I have the gene mutuation from both my parents it really isn't doing anything bad to me.  I take the baby aspirin and folgard as a precaution - peace of mind for me really!.   Did they find anything else on you that could be causing the mc's??  I was told I have PCOS as well and am now on metformin 2000mg/day.  I went off it when I got pg last time and carried for longer than ever before (8.5 weeks vs 6.5 max), but still ended up mc.  I am going to stay on it this time thru at least the 1st trimester - hopefully that will be what does the trick for me.  I also started on progesterone supp on 3 dpo because I always feel like my lutual phase is shorter than it should be and my progesterone is always borderline (like almost 10, but not quite there on 7 dpo) - so again, for peace of mind my new RE gave me the prescription.  I started those on Saturday - and let me tell you I feel pg already!  Sour stomach, sore boobs, tired, etc...but I know that is probably from the progesterone but hoping I'll find out next week that I'm pg too!!  I wish I had a success story for you - hopefully I will in 9 months, but for now all I can say is keep up the hope and make sure you've gotten every test under the sun done to rule out any other factors (did you go to an RE or was it your regular doctor that diagnosed the MTHFR??).

good luck!