Can soy isoflavones make af late?

[goodbyehorses]

Ok so I'm on my 2nd cycle of trying out soy isoflavones (thought I'd give things a little boost) my cycles are usually 27/28 days long. On my first cycle of trying these my cycle only lasted 25 days, however I am now on my 29th day of my current cycle with no af as of yet. I've had mild hot lower crampy back pains on and off during the week but nothing so far. Also had a headache on and off for a few days. I have a feeling that I might have messed my cycle up taking these. I did a test just now with a bfn so makes me think my cycles have been messed up forgot to mention I usually ovulate around days 12/14 no later however I didn't check the last two months on the soy.

 

[snowbee]

Yes. It can affect your cycle by making it longer or shorter. Generally if you have a regular cycle and ovulate then you shouldn't take soy, it is only worth trying if you have irregular cycles and erratic ovulation.

What days and dose did you take?

 

[goodbyehorses]

I took is on days 2-7 with both cycles - I just assumed if af came it would be earlier as last cycle was only 25 days long. I took 40/40/40/80/80/120 on both cycles also. I know it is generally for people that don't ovulate or have irregular cycles but id also read a lot of info on people who have taken it in the same kind of circumstances as me,, just out of curiosity and I guess also willing to try anything to get that bfp, needless to say I won't be doing it again though. I also wonder if it may be late as I just feel a little u see the weather and groggy this last week and have had an upset stomach. Either way I just wish af would hurry up so I can start over and get my cycle back to normal

 

[phonixgirl]

I agree with what Snowbee says. I tried it one cycle and it shortened mine to 26 days (they'd been 28 days) so I'm not going to take them again. I also agree that you should only really take them if you don't ovulate or ovulate irregularly. If your cycles are regular then they may do more harm than good.

My cycle was back to 28 days the next month so hopefully it will sort itself out quite quickly xx

 

[goodbyehorses]

Very true, it's bad sometimes what we do to try and get what we want. Thankfully it's only my 2nd cycle on them so hopefully not too much damage was caused

 

[Sugarpop]

The one time I took these I had a really long cycle. They did nothing for me so have been reluctant to try them again.

 

[snowbee]

I think part of your problem was you took them for longer than is recommended, so should either be days 2-6 or 3-7 and you altered the dose as you went along, you should only take the same dose on each day. So by taking a large dose on the last day that will most likely have confused your hormones and that has knocked ov and therefore AF back a bit. Don't worry though, once AF arrives you should go back to normal again for the next cycle as it shouldn't normally affect more than one cycle. Also it is possible you are pregnant, if you ovulated later than normal you just might not know it yet! good luck

 

[goodbyehorses]

I'd like to think it's the latter lol but after ttc for this long I'd never expect it. I've read so much conflicting stuff about soy and dosed it based on what some others had taken during their cycle but it is silly really to be taking something that you have no idea about or the consequences it may have on your body. First cycle I took it my boobs hurt for the 2 weeks during ov/until af and this cycle nothing- bar for this week having sore boobs on and off. I didn't really feel like the soy had any affect on my body until I now realise my cycles late so it must have. I am just taking ttc easier now- trying not to symptom spot or analyse anything but it's definitely a bad habit lol. So annoying getting that back ache and cramping and running to the loo but nothing happening- such a torment!

 

[snowbee]

How long have you been ttc? You never know that might be the reason!

I took soy last year and I researched it loads as there is so much conflicting advice out there. I did see a lot on forums about increasing the dose daily but the only 'proper' research I found said not to do this. It didn't work for me so I stopped after a few cycles. I probably wasn't taking a high enough dose though as I need a high dose of clomid to produce one egg and soy is supposed to be half the strength.

 

[goodbyehorses]

I have an 8 year old and pretty much hadn't used contraception since. We had a proper "ttc" try for maybe 3 years- then I got a new job and kind of left it alone for a while but still continued loosely trying but nothing. I'm not sure if it was the military part of it that may have put a dampener on things as all you ttc'ers know it's always in your mind and it's hard to really enjoy bd'ing when you know wanting a baby is always in the back of your mind. I've been properly ttc again since Feb/March this year. I had all the relevant tests done maybe 3 years ago now, I was fine- had lap dye, blood work etc all ok as we thought my emergency c/s may have been the problem but my partner turned out to have borderline sperm count, slightly abnormal and relatively low morphology. I found that a shock as we never tried properly before and it only took 3/4 months after coming off the pill to conceive. Funny how things work! Soy was something I stumbled upon and thought I'd give a try but will leave now. Just going to continue trying to be healthy and laid back and if it happens it happens. Definitely a frustrating journey but I know a lot of people are in the same boat.

 

[Tillyfloss]

I took it 3-7 and ovulated cd23,! I got my bfp this week, making my cycle about 37days long if I count 14 days from ovulation.

 

[phonixgirl]

Tilly I didn't realise you got your BFP whilst taking soy hun xx

 

[Tillyfloss]

Yep I don't know if it helped or not, but it's the same cycle, so yes my soy bfp

 

[goodbyehorses]

Damn af got me this morning. I expected it though as we really didn't bd enough and I also didn't check my ov dates either. Will leave soy alone now, just thought it may give me a boost but I guess if my cycles are regular as clockwork I shouldn't be taking stuff that could screw them up

 

[phonixgirl]

I'm so sorry she got you. And yep, I was of the same thinking. I took it cd5-9 but it still made me ov early!!!

It sounds like the issues could be with your OH. I've had IVF and not even had a lap and dye - you're lucky! Is he on any vitamins? Maca is good for sperm (get the tablets - they're easier) but actually benefits you both if you wanted to take them too. Also/or maybe some preconception vitamin for him? (Again, you could take the female version if you wanted.)

The usual suggestions should help too - eat healthily, light exercise, if either of you smoke give up (can affect sperm), reduce alcohol intake, get him to wear loose boxers (nothing tight), get him to avoid very hot baths and having laptops around 'that' area.

I'm not an expert on male issues as my DH has nothing wrong but hopefully these suggestions may help! Xx

 

[goodbyehorses]

Thanks for the extra advice phonixgirl. God it sucks when af catches you out each month, I always swear to myself I won't get upset but it's hard not to. I feel a little selfish as some people are struggling ttc their first child and I have one but it still hurts to know it's a difficult journey for me too. I honestly never thought ttc no2 would be so hard and it feels like I've been waiting forever.
My oh is relatively healthy, we are both vegetarians and eat a pretty good diet my only gripe with him is he smokes, not horrendously, maybe a couple a day but I guess it counts as a factor towards his count/quality. I haven't actually had him on a proper pre conception vitamin so that's something I'll have to buy. I'm also considerabljrt healthy I don't smoke and drink maybe a few glasses of wine a week and a few coffees each day. I had my lap dye quite quickly, I had blood work done by docs, had a scan to check for pcos and possible damage from my c section then afterward I asked for that. It wasn't a pleasant experience but I felt relieved that everything was OK. I remember the doctor saying it must be me if my partner got my pregnant before without problems but I guess it wasn't the case. Also just found out my oh has slightly raised cholesterol levels but the doctor said as various members of his family have it it's more than likely hereditary. Sorry that was a rant lol. Just hope something gives one day, I know all you ladies feel the same but the wait exhausts me- I don't think our oh truly understand how it makes us feel each month when af comes along again, the 2ww seems like a lifetime!

 

[phonixgirl]

I don't think they do understand hun!

8 years is a long time, maybe you just got lucky with your first. Even though you've got that one child I can understand why you want another and are experiencing the same disappointment as me each month. It's not like you have a baby!

It seems they've ruled out most things with you so the only thing is the sperm. I have high cholesterol too and was told not to worry about it (I'm 8 stone and at that time weighed even less... they wanted to get my BMI up so it was in the normal range).

Have they referred you to the fertility clinic? I know you might not get it on the NHS but if there are sperm issues IUI is much, much cheaper than IVF privately.

Good luck xx

 

[goodbyehorses]

We originally got referred to a fertility clinic and I saw the doctor there twice, last thing we had done was my oh samples. I just stopped going after that as the stress of it got to me and just upset me too much. I also knew going down the private route would be difficult as we didn't have the finances to think about ivf etc. I might look into egg donation in the future to reduce costs if at all possible as I'm only 28 so hopefully qualify. Gonna try until Christmas I think and then take steps further. Is definitely a strain on your relationship, as oh knows how much it means to me but feels helpless about the whole situation. Definitely puts a dampener on your sex life too! I like to try and be positive though I think dwelling just makes you feel worse x

 

[phonixgirl]

Egg donation is an option and, like I say, IUI could work for you. Honestly it is sooo much cheaper xx

 

[blacksnow]

Egg donation is an option and, like I say, IUI could work for you. Honestly it is sooo much cheaper xx

As you are 28, I would also opt for iui, unless you don't have blocked fallopian tubes or reduced ovarian reserve. If you want to find a reasonably priced clinic that offers ivf with de, you might consider undergoing yr treatment abroad. Eggdonationfriends site is really helpful if you want to compare prices and success rates of overseas clinics.