A+ for attention to detail...

..is what my OB/GYN said after seeing my chart! She was actually very interested in the program I use and when she found out it was free wrote down the name of the site. I think she's going to suggest it to patients in the future. I thought that was pretty cool.

I went today because I swear she said to check-in after I got off of the anti-psychotic. She said she doesn't think I need to have a blood test done because the whole reason for looking at the prolactin levels was because I wasn't ovulating and now that I'm ovulating there isn't an issue.

I feel really positive about the appt. She said now that I'm ovulating that I could come back in 3-4 months if I'm still not pregnant and we can discuss other options. I mentioned my short LP and the possibility of taking B6. She said she couldn't guarantee it would work, but that it certainly couldn't hurt.

We mostly talked about my other psych meds and possibility of tetragenic effects on a fetus. I explained that my psychiatrist is working on getting me to the lowest dose possible. She looked up one of my meds and because there is some link to causing neural tube defects said I need to take 4 mg (not mcg) of Folic Acid to counteract the effects of the medicine on my folate levels.

Also, I mentioned some pain I'd been having last Wednesday. I was in horrible pain, severe backache, abdominal pains all day, and it seems concentrated on my left side now. Also some slight nausea off and on on Wednesday. She thinks it is possibly a ruptured ovarian cyst (most likely the corpus luteum from when I O'd). She said that if it doesn't continue to get better to set up and appt with her or my PCP next week. That's kind of a relief because I thought it might be kidney related.

So I guess I'm back at the station, waiting to board the O train! I think I'm more excited this cycle than for any I have been before! Most likely because I think it a strong possibility that I'll O and I'm hopeful  that it will be around the beginning of next month.

__________________

Must do research....

I took a test today and BFN. . . but the way my temps are heading I think I may have O'd today! We'll see...I'm not very confident that my temps will go up and stay up around 98, which they'd need to to confirm O.

All of this had me thinking, I was so concentrating on just getting off of the anti-psychotic that I didn't even stop to think about how long it would take the meds to get out of my system and how long after my prolactin levels went down before I might possibly be able to O...one cycle? Two? I was hoping for right away, but now I realize this may be expecting too much.

I'm going to take time to research hyperprolactinemia and it's relation to anti-psychotics.

ETA: So, did some reading and they estimate with the stop of anti-psychotics it may take 2-3 WEEKS for prolactin levels to normalize. Hmmm. I saw the doctor last week before I left for Texas...that means it's only been a week and chances are I won't ovulate soon....well, the month is just beginning!

Hope Springs Eternal

I just had an appointment with my psychiatrist after starting to cut my anti-psychotic in half.  I told him how it has been messing with my sleep as I am now taking less and that I generally wake around 3-5am most mornings. I even have had one or two very sleepless nights.

He stated that I could take Melatonin to aid sleep and it wouldn't interfere with my other medications, which makes me happy because it works really well for me without giving me a hangover.

The most gratifying thing that he said was that because taking a lower dose of anti-psychotic has really affected my sleep he definitely believes the risperdal was the source of my elevated prolactin levels! This excites me because my OB/GYN said all of my other hormone levels seemed normal and thinks that this may be the only thing preventing me from ovulating.

One thing my psychiatrist did suggest that I think I might look into is to have my adrenal glands tested. I have read that a lot of weight problems can be caused by overactive adrenal glands--which produce cortisol and adrenaline.  He suggested that this could be the cause of my weight problems.

I think I might do some research on this further. I'm very excited for this next cycle because he said that I could stop the anti-psychotic altogether in 3 weeks!

Lowering Prolactin levels due to anti-psychotic meds

I get to start tapering my meds!

To explain, this is exciting because a few months ago my OB/GYN ran tests that showed my prolactin levels were a leetle high and possibly causing me not to O. After months of arguing and waiting with my psychiatrist I finally get to start tapering down!

I just hope two things:

1. That I don't start showing symptoms (of Bipolar) as I know my psychiatrist will put me back on the meds in a snap, and

2. That combined with my recent weight loss, inshallah, this will jumpstart my cycles and lead to regular ovulation!

I had gone off all the sites and even stopped charting b/c he wouldn't take me off of it but then in February AF (evil Aunt Flow) showed after SIX months of hiding. At first I was thinking, finally, but how long until the next one. And I was floored when she showed up less than 30 days later! So I started charting again and am now gearing up for trying to conceive again.

So, inshallah (God willing), this month as the meds start leaving my system my prolactin levels will normalize and I will FINALLY have an O date.

Just am really hopeful and wanted to share!

Get more info on how antipsychotics affect prolactin levels--
Antipsychotic treatment: when to measure prolactin.(Adult Psychiatry): An article from: Clinical Psychiatry News