This post is a very long answer to Josie's question in the last post, where she asked me how I picked my myo-insoitol dose. Well here goes my experience with this so far. Just some background information you need: In most studies, women receive 2000 mg myo-inositol twice a day, along with folic acid.
My experience with this supplement:
Despite being aware of the dose used in studies, I arbitrarily went with a lower dose initially, because I was frankly nervous about what it would do. I started with 1000 mg/day, of supplemental (and not the prescription preparation myo-inositol) and things looked great that cycle: I ovulated a bit later (CD 19) than that in my recent cycles (CD 17).
Just FYI, in my pre-vitamin D, pre-supplement days, my best-looking ovulations were on CD 20. Sadly, none of my pregnancies were conceived during these cycles, they happened in shorter, crappier-looking cycles where I ovulated on CD 16.
Anyway, coming back to the present day, after that first great-looking cycle (with a nearly 16-day luteal phase) where I was taking 1000 mg/day, I shifted to 2000 mg/day, and stuff pretty much went to hell the next cycle, in a manner never seen before - no EWCM, or CM of any sort, no detectable LH surge. I was not even sure I'd ovulated, except my temperature did go up. The luteal phase was a markedly short 11 days.
Alarmed, I shifted back to the 1000-mg dose. The next cycle (still ongoing) is interesting...there was one alarming day where my temperature short up, making me think I had ovulated, and prompting my last post. But happily, I was wrong, I have not misplaced my surge, this turned out to be a nice-looking cycle; got lots of CM, did show a strong surge, ovulated a bit late (on CD 22).
So,phew.It looks like myo-inositol may not be bad for me, but only at low doses. It has changed my O date. Still have not settled into a pattern, but it will be interesting.
How many women, if nothing changes, ovulate on a certain day every month? I'd really like to know.
Also, if you are a PCOSer, or a non-PCOS infertility case on myo inositol, I'd really love to hear your experience. Please do share, sometimes anecdotal information can also be useful!
Also, some information to note, if part of your issue is low progesterone, this may really be something to try out, since both published literature and my experience (with the 1000 mg/day dose, with the longer luteal phase) suggest that this can increase progesterone levels.
Updated: I did an IVF cycle a few months after this post: I took myo-inositol for THREE CYCLES at least, and then went for IVF. Myo-inositol is supposed to increase the percentage of oocytes that are mature at pickup. We got 14 M2 eggs, 2 M1 eggs, and 3 that crapped out, from a total of 19 follicles.All my M2s and my M1s fertilized too. Overall, this was pretty darned amazing: My first IVF, where the protocol used on me was far from ideal, produced 4 M2 and a few M1 eggs out of 11 eggs, and only the M2s (3 out of 4) and none of M1s fertilized, in contrast to my second cycle, where everything did. I attribute the improvement from IVF#1 to IVF#2 to two things: a very different protocol, and maybe, in part, the myo-inositol.
I have gotten emails asking about a good supplement: I would recommend this (see above),
which combines myo-insoitol and folic acid, and appears to have been used by many women with PCOS successfully.
My experience with this supplement:
Despite being aware of the dose used in studies, I arbitrarily went with a lower dose initially, because I was frankly nervous about what it would do. I started with 1000 mg/day, of supplemental (and not the prescription preparation myo-inositol) and things looked great that cycle: I ovulated a bit later (CD 19) than that in my recent cycles (CD 17).
Just FYI, in my pre-vitamin D, pre-supplement days, my best-looking ovulations were on CD 20. Sadly, none of my pregnancies were conceived during these cycles, they happened in shorter, crappier-looking cycles where I ovulated on CD 16.
Anyway, coming back to the present day, after that first great-looking cycle (with a nearly 16-day luteal phase) where I was taking 1000 mg/day, I shifted to 2000 mg/day, and stuff pretty much went to hell the next cycle, in a manner never seen before - no EWCM, or CM of any sort, no detectable LH surge. I was not even sure I'd ovulated, except my temperature did go up. The luteal phase was a markedly short 11 days.
Alarmed, I shifted back to the 1000-mg dose. The next cycle (still ongoing) is interesting...there was one alarming day where my temperature short up, making me think I had ovulated, and prompting my last post. But happily, I was wrong, I have not misplaced my surge, this turned out to be a nice-looking cycle; got lots of CM, did show a strong surge, ovulated a bit late (on CD 22).
So,phew.It looks like myo-inositol may not be bad for me, but only at low doses. It has changed my O date. Still have not settled into a pattern, but it will be interesting.
How many women, if nothing changes, ovulate on a certain day every month? I'd really like to know.
Also, if you are a PCOSer, or a non-PCOS infertility case on myo inositol, I'd really love to hear your experience. Please do share, sometimes anecdotal information can also be useful!
Also, some information to note, if part of your issue is low progesterone, this may really be something to try out, since both published literature and my experience (with the 1000 mg/day dose, with the longer luteal phase) suggest that this can increase progesterone levels.
Updated: I did an IVF cycle a few months after this post: I took myo-inositol for THREE CYCLES at least, and then went for IVF. Myo-inositol is supposed to increase the percentage of oocytes that are mature at pickup. We got 14 M2 eggs, 2 M1 eggs, and 3 that crapped out, from a total of 19 follicles.All my M2s and my M1s fertilized too. Overall, this was pretty darned amazing: My first IVF, where the protocol used on me was far from ideal, produced 4 M2 and a few M1 eggs out of 11 eggs, and only the M2s (3 out of 4) and none of M1s fertilized, in contrast to my second cycle, where everything did. I attribute the improvement from IVF#1 to IVF#2 to two things: a very different protocol, and maybe, in part, the myo-inositol.
I have gotten emails asking about a good supplement: I would recommend this (see above),
which combines myo-insoitol and folic acid, and appears to have been used by many women with PCOS successfully.
I took Pregnitude (myo-inositol and folic acid) during my last IVF cycle upon the recommendation of my doctor. There were other supplements as well. Those little embryos (numbers 18 and 19 for me) were the ones that finally implanted and have continued to fo well I have no idea what made this different from my other cycles, but taking myo-inositol was one of the changes. I do have PCOS as well.
ReplyDeleteI have PCOS, and if I ovulated at all, it was somewhere between CD19-30 (based on 2 yrs TTC with my first child). Our BFP cycle 2 yrs ago was an O on CD19 - and I had taken 5 days of 100mg clomid and 7 days of 75iu Menopur. If I hadn't ovulated by CD30, they always turned into anovulatory cycles.
ReplyDeleteI just had my first cycle post partum, and I took 4g myo-inositol through CD30 (which I started taking fairly regularly 2 months before that in hopes of getting my period back). At that point, we went on vacation and there was no O in sight, and I just quit taking it b/c I didn't feel like taking my meds with. I O'd on CD37 (huge anomaly for me, if you can call it that since my cycles are incredibly erratic), and on CD43 I started taking 3g myo-inositol again (different dosage b/c I had capsules this time instead of powder, and they were 750mg capsules).
This is really interesting info about the low progesterone, because that is part of my issue (borderline short LPs of 10-11 days, and even while pregnant, I was on supps through 11+ weeks because my P4 level wasn't rising appropriately), so it is encouraging to me that the myo-inositol could maybe help with that as well!
I'm only on metformin for my PCOS. After one of your last posts about the PCOS cocktail from CCRM, I called my nurse and asked her about it. She said that what's best for me is to stay on metformin, baby asprin, and my prenatal. I'm about 12 weeks out from my next FET (waiting until August). I've read a lot of about "clean eating" for women with PCOS and I'm currently following the Paleo diet. In 13 weeks I've lost 26 pounds!
ReplyDelete1000g or mg?!?
ReplyDeletemg. Not consuming kilograms of this for sure :) Sorry...I think I had a brain fart when I wrote this post!
ReplyDeleteI went back and looked at my other post on the same subject, There,I'd used the right unit of measure. The brain is a very funny thing indeed.
Corrected it...thanks for pointing it out!
That is quite a weight loss..congrats! That aside, I have to say, people like your nurse drive me batty. Bet she never bothered getting educated on any of those individual supplements before telling you that you did not need them.
ReplyDeleteBut anyway, most of the CCRM regimen is aimed towards improving egg quality, so may not make as much of difference in a FET, with the exception of myo-inositol (as it appears to boost progesterone levels) and vitamin D. After becoming pregnant, vitamin D and folic acid become a lot more important.
Best of luck with the FET :)
Dear Jay,
ReplyDeleteI admire the fact that as an expert patient, you are willing to use yourself as a guinea pig - and to share your learning with the rest of the world ! Self-experimentation has a long history in medicine - and it's usually been doctors who have experimented on themselves !
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI am getting my eggs frozen at end of July so in order to give myself
the best chance of good quality eggs I've been taking:
Inositol, 2mg twice a day;
3mg of Melatonin at night,
L-Arginine 1000mg twice a day,
CQ10 200mg twice a day
Vit D 1000IU a day
and Blackmores prenatals.
The plan is to take for 90 days prior to the procedure.
It's only been a few weeks now and the first thing I have noticed about Inositol is that I never have any anxiety or stress anymore.
Other strange difference, my period has always been a 25 day cycle. Perfectly consistent. This is the first time I didn't get my period until day 29.
I don't know which Vitamin has done it but thought I'd mention this in case anyone else is finding the same thing,
I have to thank you for sharing your experiences with myo-inositol. I recently ordered it for stress caused by trying to conceive. My cycles were perfect and predictable before we started trying, and suddenly my worries went wild and my old friend panic disorder tried to make an entrance after being gone for fifteen years! Please keep us posted on your findings- ever so grateful for your posts :)
ReplyDeleteI am not trying to concieve atm, but was diagnosed with pcos a little over a year ago. I took birth control to combat the symptoms but while it helped it is not a viable long term solution so I started taking about 1000mg/day of myo inositol at the same time. A few weeks ago I went off BC and upped my dose to 3000mg to induce ovulation and would you look at that, for the first time in my life I have a regular cycle (without the bc, which isn't actual ovulation anyway). But I want to note that I also take folic acid and have changed my diet in the past year aswell as doing some regular workouts and yoga, and have lost about 5kg. I have always been in the 'normal' bmi range and I'm not insulin resistant, so I guess it's not a particularly heavy case of pcos, but I am very greatful for stumbling upon myo inositol, it has definetly curbed my sugar cravings/normalised my insulin and other hormonal levels.
ReplyDeleteI should add that I got pregnant on that cycle (CRAZY) - and I really think the myo has something to do with it!!
ReplyDeleteIam now clomid day 12.ultrasound shows 12mm size fallicle .is mio inositol work for maturation of fallicle pls help
ReplyDelete