20 replies to this topic

[WashingTheDishes]

Hi Dr. Fiona!

My apologies if this has already been answered in another post and i just couldn't find it, but I'm curious if and when to stop taking coQ10, and if there is anything else I can add in during the tww to help improve our chances.

I've been taking 350mg/day since suppression start (i didn't know about the benefits of it until i found this forum and your posts around that time!) and we ended up with both great numbers and quality so thank you so much for the info, I'm sure it helped!

I'm now 3dp3dt and am unsure weather to continue with it, lower the dose, or ditch it entirely. Only other things I'm taking now are aspirin, (protocol) omega 3 (switching to high DHA formula instead of my high EPA formula on your advice from another post) vitamin D and a B75 complex. Anything else you'd recommend to add in for the tww?

Thanks again for your advice, it's really appreciated!

[doodle bug]

WashingtheDishes- I'm no doctor, but I was told by my clinic that I can stay on my Coq10 right thru 2ww and entire pregnancy....
I think it must've helped my egg quality too, since I got some great embies, at 39 with endo. Yay for CoQ10!

[Riley22]

Hi Dr. Fiona!

My apologies if this has already been answered in another post and i just couldn't find it, but I'm curious if and when to stop taking coQ10, and if there is anything else I can add in during the tww to help improve our chances.

I've been taking 350mg/day since suppression start (i didn't know about the benefits of it until i found this forum and your posts around that time!) and we ended up with both great numbers and quality so thank you so much for the info, I'm sure it helped!

I'm now 3dp3dt and am unsure weather to continue with it, lower the dose, or ditch it entirely. Only other things I'm taking now are aspirin, (protocol) omega 3 (switching to high DHA formula instead of my high EPA formula on your advice from another post) vitamin D and a B75 complex. Anything else you'd recommend to add in for the tww?

Thanks again for your advice, it's really appreciated!

Hey!

I am not a doctor but I would think it would be fine to continue. I always continued on with it during my 2WW so I hope I am not wrong

Good Luck!!

[DrFionaMcCulloch]

Hi Washing,

It is completely ok to take CoQ10 throughout your 2ww and likely to be beneficial as well from what we know now. I wouldn't start up anything new though during the 2ww, just keep going with what you are doing, which sounds great.

best wishes!

Dr Fiona

[babatime]

Dr Fiona,

I was taking CoQ10 before my transfer then I ran out and didn't get more. I am now 4w 5d pregnant, can I or when could I start taking it again?

Thank you kindly,
Kat

[leigh14]

Doodle,

How much CoEnzyme Q10 do you take?

Thanks,
Leigh

WashingtheDishes- I'm no doctor, but I was told by my clinic that I can stay on my Coq10 right thru 2ww and entire pregnancy....
I think it must've helped my egg quality too, since I got some great embies, at 39 with endo. Yay for CoQ10!

[doodle bug]

Hey Leigh

I'm taking 750 mg per day. I just get the big bottle of 150 mg capsules from Cost-co, ($35) and take 5 with my morning shake that has 2 tablespoons of UDO's in it. (CoQ10 should be taken with FAT- hence the Udos oil is perfect).

At this point I really dont know how i got top grade embryos- Im just so thankful that was the outcome. With an AFC of less than 7 and Endo cysts in both ovaries and being 39 I am thrilled...so who knows if it's the CoQ10, but worth $35 per month!! Now I'm just really hoping that my Wiggle and Stick will be joining me for the ride of a lifetime!

goodluck!

[leigh14]

Hi Doodle,

Gee...I never thought about Costco! Thanks for the tip. I've been taking 200 mg for 2 months and just upped that to 400mg. I'm due to start a cycle in about a week and a half. Did you take your CoQ10 during your cycle?

I didn't know that CoQ10 is supposed to be taken with fat. How come?

I will be keeping wiggle and stick in my thoughts! Sounds like you had a great cycle. I hope that things work out for you!!!

Leigh

Hey Leigh

I'm taking 750 mg per day. I just get the big bottle of 150 mg capsules from Cost-co, ($35) and take 5 with my morning shake that has 2 tablespoons of UDO's in it. (CoQ10 should be taken with FAT- hence the Udos oil is perfect).

At this point I really dont know how i got top grade embryos- Im just so thankful that was the outcome. With an AFC of less than 7 and Endo cysts in both ovaries and being 39 I am thrilled...so who knows if it's the CoQ10, but worth $35 per month!! Now I'm just really hoping that my Wiggle and Stick will be joining me for the ride of a lifetime!

goodluck!

[doodle bug]

Hey Leigh-
No problem- everyone needs a cheap deal when their doing IVF! LOL. Yes, started in Jan and took it right through the whole cycle. You know, Im not sure if I read it- I think I did, I think someplace on the internet I read that CoQ10 needs to be taken with fat (like with eggs, or meat etc) I think it has to do with it being soluable in fat... so absorption is better? But then my naturopath mentioned it, and as well, the "expert" at the vitamin store I shop at....So that's why I always take it with my Udo's oil in the AM and then its done.
Thanks for the well wishes, I am hoping Wiggle and Stick are here for good! Best of luck to you in your upcoming cycle!
PS.
And if you are on Puregon, always insist on the 300 cartridge (not 600 or 900). Reason being they overfill them 125 units. So if you buy 3 x300= 1275 units. If you buy the 900 = 1025 units. (same price, but getting way more DRUGS !! yeah!!!-Will save you lots of $$$.)

[doodle bug]

Hey Leigh- I just found this , its a response about CoQ10 from March from DR. Fiona....mentions taking CoQ10 with fat in paragraph 1.


Posted 04 March 2010 - 09:12 PM
CoQ10 is generally available as ubiquinone in most supplements. Absorbability of ubiquinone depends on several things, but most especially depends on it being attached to a lipid. Several studies show a much higher availablity of CoQ10 when delivered with a lipid carrier. A high quality coq10 supplement will often contain a lipid carrier that is proven to increase absorption, but if yours does not, try to take it with a fat containing meal, or an omega 3 fatty acid capsule for example.

Ubiquinol is the active antioxidant form of CoQ10, basically the body will convert ubiquinone into ubiquinol through a chemical reduction process that occurs in the body. Pharmaceutical ubiquinol is a fairly new product that was developed in Japan, and therefore it does not require your body to convert it. Be careful about which brand of ubiquinol you buy, as keeping ubiquinol in its active state requires advanced pharmaceutical processes. A Japanese company, Kaneka makes ubiquinol which is quite expensive, but this type is very bioactive and stable due to the years of research and development spent on their product. The thought in the community is generally that many younger people will convert ubiquinone to ubiquinol well, as measured by serum levels of ubiquinol after taking CoQ10 supplements. So for most patients, higher levels of ubiquinol in the body can be achieved by increasing the amount of CoQ10 dosed within the safe range.

It is also important to remember that most in the many volumes of studies to date showing benefits of CoQ10 on fertility have been conducted on ubiquinone, not ubiquinol. Since ubiquinone has effects on generation of ATP, a cellular energy molecule, it may have very important effects which are different than those of ubiquinol. It definitely would be interesting to see more studies on fertility using the ubiquinol form, but because they have not been completed I tend to go with the one that has proven benefits when looking at fertility enhancement. In older people (especially those over 60) it appears that the ubiquinol form may be better utilized since the conversion process may reduce with age, so for them(especially in those with heart disease) ubiquinol may be a good investment. CoQ10 is excellent from what I have seen clinically, for both men and women. Sperm are highly affected by oxidative stress, and CoQ10 has been shown in many studies to have a direct correlation with sperm quality and count. Follicles can also be affected by oxidative stress, and for this reason CoQ10 is also an excellent therapy for women to protect integrity of follicles during folliculogenesis.

All the best, have a great evening,

Dr Fiona

[kerrilyn]

My RE recommended 800mg CoQ10 (400mg 2x/day). I found it online WAY cheaper than anywhere I have looked, one of the girls here actually sent me the link...

www.swansonvitamins.com

[DrFionaMcCulloch]

As a reply to babatime...firstly, congrats! So happy to hear of your news.
As for CoQ10 in pregnancy, the research on this is still in its beginnings. CoQ10 supplementation has been associated in a 2009 study with a reduced risk of pre-eclampsia. There is still much more left to be known about this though so its best to consult your physician or naturopath before taking coq10 in pregnancy.

all the best,

Dr Fiona

[babatime]

As a reply to babatime...firstly, congrats! So happy to hear of your news.
As for CoQ10 in pregnancy, the research on this is still in its beginnings. CoQ10 supplementation has been associated in a 2009 study with a reduced risk of pre-eclampsia. There is still much more left to be known about this though so its best to consult your physician or naturopath before taking coq10 in pregnancy.

all the best,

Dr Fiona

Thank you so much for your reply Dr Fiona.

Kat

[SangrealMazimur]

Hi! I'm thread jumping here.

I just bought a bottle after reading everything here, it's 120mg and it's all natural (Jameson). It says to take only 1 pill 1-2 times daily. I can increase it? Is it more benefitial in higher doses? Do I need to tell my RE I've started taking it?

I'm also taking a prenatal, folic acid, omega prenatal and metformin.

Thank you,

[AnnieT]

My RE recommended 800mg CoQ10 (400mg 2x/day). I found it online WAY cheaper than anywhere I have looked, one of the girls here actually sent me the link...

www.swansonvitamins.com

WOW! I am so glad I read this thread. I paid $47.99 for 400 mg, 60 softgel CoQ10. Your website has 30 of the same for $8.49. Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting!!!

[Zeukko]

I know this is an old thread but I thought I would jump in. We have MF - Dh's SA identified low motility and morphology. The RE believed strongly that we would have to do ICSI in order to get pregnant. About 3 months before our IVF, I bought Coq10 for my husband. We just had our transfer a couple of days ago with a split IVF/ICSI. We had 100% fertilization with the IVF eggs. The doctor didn't think it would be possible. I really credit the Coq10 he's been taking.

[AnnieT]

We did ICSI, though they say DH doesn't have an issue, but 2 RE's have now recommended it, so I made DH take CoQ10 as well as L-Argenine, D&E vitamins & a slew of other things. I figured that if I had to be on loads of supplements, then he should have to do the same! We saw a naturopath who came up with our individual supplement cocktails. I also dragged him to acupuncture & he did Chinese herbs with me for a while. Anyway, we started all of this at the end of August & this is the first time none of our embies have died within the first few days. I really believe the supplements & TCM must have something to do with it.

I've got enough supplements at home to open my own health store!

[Taylor73]

Hi,
I am 41 years old and was pregnant thru ivf with our own eggs and sperm. I went thru one complete cycle the first transfer was unsuccessful with a 5 day blastocyst and on my second attempt I got a BFP from 2x 6 day blastocysts. Unfortunately only yesterday I miscarried at exactly 6 weeks. I am still bleeding and feeling down. I really want my next attempt to be sucessful. Can you please tell me when I should start taking enq10 and what dosage.
Thank you

[Missmisfit22]

I had 2 losses back to back with the most recent in December, I started taking ubiquinol coq10 600 mg per day under the advise of my ND. I spent days researching the best deals online and i order from VitaSave. For me in Canada its the best option. But if your in the US you may be able to source out cheaper options just make sure its Ubiquinol not ubiquinone.

 

http://www.vitasave....oq10-200mg.html

[Taylor73]

Hi Missmisfit22,
Thanks for your advice. Has ubiquinol 600 mg made a difference in egg retrieval and or helping get through the first trimester? Are there any other supplement you are taking? I am trying to prepare for my next cycle. My fertility doctor does not recommend any supplements but said I can take them if I want.
Have a great day!
Taylor

[Missmisfit22]

I have not done any IVF but have had recurrent losses for no reason yet to find. My FC Dr has finally given us the go ahead to do a Monitored cycle with the use of Progesterone Suppositories in the next few weeks. I have been taking the Ubiquinol  for  approx 2.5 months in hopes that they would help with my egg quality. We paid to have the AMH Blood test done and it came back glowing, at 37 i have the eggs of a woman in her early 30's !! I cant help but think these supplements contributed to that. Here is a recap of what i take, My FC Dr never told me to either but I also see a Naturopathic Dr who did recommend.

 

Daily Regime:

Good Pre-Natal,2x day-My ND states once a day is not enough but iam sure that is open to discussion.

Additional 4 mg Folic Acid 

CO enzyme Unbiquinol: 600 mg Day

Good Probiotic 1x day

Good FIsh oil 1x day

I also started drinking Red Raspberry leaf tea and Nettle tea 2-3 x day

 

Good luck!