Luteal Phase Defect
This is why we take progesterone. You can find out if you may have a LPD if you have your progesteronen level tested 7 days after ovulation. Some less knowledgable doctors still tell women to test progesterone on day 21 of their cycle, which is silly at that only applies if you have a perfect 28 day cycle and ovulate on day 14 - most of the women i know with fertility issues absolutley do not. Your progesterone level should peak 7 days after ovulation (cycle monitoring being the best way to show exactly when you ovulated). Results above 30 are fine. Mine were often around 27 or 28.
Luteal Phase Defect
A luteal phase is the time in a woman’s cycle between ovulation and
menstruation. In a pregnant woman, during the luteal phase the fertilized
egg will travel from the fallopian tube and into the uterus for
implantation. The luteal phase is normally 14 days long and on an average it
can be anywhere from 10 to 17 days long. If your luteal phase lasts anything
under 10 days it is considered a luteal phase defect. But some doctors
believe that if the luteal phase falls under 12 days, then it is a problem.
If you conceive and you have a luteal phase defect, you will have an early
miscarriage.
A luteal phase defect cannot sustain a pregnancy because the uterine lining
in these women begins to break down, bringing on the menstrual bleeding and
causing an early miscarriage. There could be more than one reason for the
luteal phase defect which can be found out after medical analysis. Going by
statistics, the number one reason for a luteal phase defect is low
progesterone levels. Your doctor can do a progesterone test on you 7 days
past ovulation to determine exactly how deficient you are. Once you know
that there are several ways of correcting this defect.
Causes of Luteal Phase Defect
The three main causes of luteal phase defect include poor follicle
production, premature demise of the corpus luteum, and failure of the
uterine lining to respond to normal levels of progesterone. These problems
occur at different times during the cycle but can also be found in
conjunction with each other.
Poor follicle production occurs in the first half of the cycle. In this
case, the woman may not produce a normal level of FSH, or her ovaries do not
respond strongly to the FSH, leading to inadequate follicle development.
Because the follicle ultimately becomes the corpus luteum, poor follicle
formation leads to poor corpus luteum quality. In turn, a poor corpus luteum
will produce inadequate progesterone, causing the uterine lining to be
inadequately prepared for the implantation of a fertilized embryo.
Ultimately progesterone levels may drop early and menses will arrive sooner
than expected resulting in luteal phase defect.
Premature failure of the corpus luteum can occur even when the initial
quality of the follicle/corpus luteum is adequate. In some women the corpus
luteum sometimes does not persist as long as it should. Here, initial
progesterone levels at five to seven days past ovulation may be low; even if
they are adequate, the levels drop precipitously soon thereafter, again
leading to early onset of menses and hence a luteal phase defect.
Failure of the uterine lining to respond can occur even in the presence of
adequate follicle development and a corpus luteum that persists for the
appropriate length of time. In this condition, the uterine lining does not
respond to normal levels of progesterone. Therefore, if an embryo arrives
and tries to implant in the uterus, the uterine lining will not be
adequately prepared, and the implantation will most likely fail.
Correction of Luteal Phase Defect
Fertility charting is an easy way of detecting whether you have luteal phase
defect. If you do, don’t worry because luteal phase defect can be easily
corrected. Immediately seek the advice of your physician first before
starting any treatments to correct it. In most case, luteal phase defect can
be corrected through over-the-counter remedies and/or with prescription
drugs.
1. Over the counter remedies for luteal phase defect:
The two main over the counter remedies for luteal phase defect are vitamin
B6 and progesterone cream. Vitamin B6 is perfectly safe and can be taken
daily in dosages from 50 mg to 200 mg. Taking vitamin B6 every day during
the entire month will help to lengthen the luteal phase.
A progesterone cream is usually targeted for menopausal women; however this
cream is also useful in lengthening the luteal phase. A cream with natural
progesterone works best. Use about 1/4 to 1/2 a teaspoon of progesterone
cream spread on the inner arm, inner thigh, neck, and chest - alternating
places - twice a day from ovulation to menstruation or until the 10th week
of pregnancy.
2. Prescription drugs for luteal phase defect:
The most common prescription drugs for luteal phase defect patients are
Clomid or progesterone suppositories. Clomid is taken orally as prescribed
by the doctor. The suppositories are taken through the vagina after
ovulation has occurred and until either day 14 post ovulation or at some
point weeks later during a pregnancy, if pregnancy occurred.
http://www.early-pregnancy-tests.com/lutealphasedefect.htmlLuteal Phase Defect and Fertility
Defining LPD and what you can do about it...
Related Article: Learn about Progesterone
Any medical terminology or phrase with the word "defect" attached to it
certainly exudes a frightening tone. However, a luteal phase defect might be
better translated as a simple "shortcoming" in the ability of the body to
produce sufficient amounts of progesterone during the luteal phase of the
menstrual cycle. Moreover, this shortcoming is in most cases treatable
through either medical, dietary, and/or naturopathic means.
To understand what a luteal phase defect is, we must first define the luteal
phase and the role of progesterone in regulating the menstrual cycle and
maintaining a pregnancy. The luteal phase is simply the second half of the
menstrual cycle - the two-week period spanning from ovulation to
menstruation. It's called the luteal phase due to the fact that, following
ovulation, the corpus luteum begins producing the hormone progesterone.
(While estrogen is dominant during the first half the cycle, progesterone
governs the second half, or luteal phase.) The corpus luteum only comes into
being after the egg is released. In fact, a corpus luteum is nothing other
than the ovarian follicle - but transformed into another role following
ovulation.
Progesterone performs a number of reproductive functions: Among, these, it
warms the body. It builds the uterine lining for implantation of a
fertilized egg. In the case of pregnancy, it prevents menstruation - thus
you experience a missed period. When a woman becomes pregnant, progesterone
levels should remain high and the menstrual cycle will be placed on "hold".
In this image, the luteal phase corresponds with the increase in body
temperature associated with ovulation and the production of progesterone by
the corpus luteum. This image represents and idealized 28-day cycle with
normal luteal/progesterone functioning. BBT Charting can help you identify a
luteal phase defect. Also see: What Can BBT Charting Tell Me?
For most women, the luteal phase will last about fourteen days, though it
can span anywhere from ten to seventeen days and still be considered
"normal". A luteal phase defect is typically associated with a shortened
luteal phase of around ten days or less (though there is some debate as to
what defines a luteal problem or shortened phase). In most cases, a luteal
phase defect is attributable to low progesterone levels or
insufficient/unsustained progesterone production by the corpus luteum.
With the decrease of progesterone, the uterine lining begins to break down
(or will not develop properly in the first place) and menstruation takes
place. For women who exhibit symptoms of luteal phase defect, menstruation
simply takes place sooner than it should (and the cycle phases will not be
in balance). Also, the uterine lining may not "build" to a healthy point
where implantation of a fertilized egg can take place. However, in the event
a pregnancy is achieved, LPD may also initiate menstrual bleeding and cause
an early miscarriage.
The causes of luteal phase defect can be traced to a few principle factors.
First off, a luteal phase problem may have its root in the first half of the
cycle. That is to say, for the corpus luteum to function properly, it must
develop and fully mature in its earlier incarnation as an "ovarian
follicle". Maturation of the ovarian follicle requires adequate follicular
development brought about by another reproductive hormone - follicle
stimulating hormone, or FSH. Low levels of FSH (or stress on the ovarian
follicle) can prevent its full maturation; thus, during the luteal phase,
this may lead to a corpus luteum that is unable to perform its proper
function in producing progesterone at adequate or sustained levels. However,
failure of the corpus luteum may also occur even in the case of a healthy,
fully-developed follicle. In either situation, the corpus luteum prematurely
falters or fails to deliver adequate levels of progesterone.
Here's where bbt charting comes in. If you are bbt charting, you'll be able
to identify a short luteal phase (as well as cycle irregularity or ovulation
problems). If you suspect that you have a luteal phase defect, you can then
discuss your chart with your doctor and s/he can suggest treatments or
pursue further testing.
As luteal phase defect may be the result of hormonal imbalances, your doctor
or naturopath may suggest any number of remedies, from vitamin and fertility
supplements (containing the herb, vitex agnus castus) to acupuncture.
Supplements like FertilAid contain vitex and are designed to help support
cycle balacne and regularity. Also, natural progesterone creams may also
prove beneficial in supporting the luteal phase of your cycle. Your doctor
may also suggest prescription medications as well. In any case, the
important thing to remember is that luteal phase defect can be corrected in
most situations. And if you are trying-to-conceive, consider fertility
charting as not just a means to predict ovulation, but as a general tactic
for learning about your body's stages and phases.
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