Clomid for the "older" woman - questions

[Prettybird]

I've just been prescribed Clomid to see if that helps with ttc. I've been prescribed it at 100mg.

I'm 44 and the blood test that the GP did said I am still ovulating, but the specialist I saw yesterday said that the Clomid might help stimulate a "better quality" of egg - plus at my age I'm probably not ovulating every cycle anyway. He did take a blood test anyway to check - it happened that it was about Day 21 (or day 18 in my case as I have a 24-26 day cycle).

Is there anything I should be aware or watch out for?

We've already got a ds of nearly 5 and I had a missed miscarriage 2 years ago - so this is really my last ditch attempt at a sibling for ds, as don't want to go down the IVF/IUI route. (Dh is ambivalent enough about antother one - no way would he want to spend the money required - and I don't think I would want to either, as I am extremely conscious of my advacning years).

[Prettybird]

Bump.

I've had a look at some of the other threads on clomid, but they mostly seemd to also involve PCOS, which I don't suffer from.

They also talk about follicle scanning - that's not something that was even mentioned to me. Should I have asked about it?

The consultant who saw me is retiring in three weeks - so I'll only just have taken the first course of Clomid then.

I'm feeling a bit "left on my own" on this.

[bundle]

i've a friend who's just taken clomid after 2 years of ttc (she has 2 children already and is in her 40s) and she had her ovaries scanned so they could see how many follicles were there. as there were quite a lot they advised her not to ttc this month and reduced her dosage, but i think how they do that is a bit hit & miss. that's all i know i'm afraid!

[hunkermunker]

PB, I took Clomid to conceive DS - I have endometriosis and PCOS (I wasn't ovulating).

I took one cycle, had follicle tracking (at Chelsea & Westminster) and produced one egg, which I saw on the scan.

That egg is now my 13mo DS

Before, my cycles had been about 42-50 days long; taking Clomid I OVd on day 13 (incidentally, my birthday - lovely present!).

I would see if you could talk to your specialist on the phone, ask him what the procedure is for taking Clomid (not everybody has follicle tracking - and I don't think I'd have had it beyond the first cycle - they just wanted to make sure my ovaries weren't over-stimulated to produce a dozen eggs). Also ask him who will be taking over from him. Which hospital are you under?

As far as side effects, I found that it gave me very bad OV pain (especially considering there was only one egg there!), but nothing else. And it was worth it

Good luck with it all - CAT me if you need any more info xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Prettybird]

I'm in Glasgow, nd I'm being seen at the Victoria. he deson't know who is taking over from him - he doesn't even know who will be taking his clinic in 3 weeks time, when he'll be away. He told them he was retiring in January!

I pick up my presciption tomorrow, so maybe once I've read the notes I could ring him with some questions. When I asked him about contra-indications, he just thrust the BNP (? - the pharmacists' book anyway) at me open on the relevant page.

I'm a wee bit worried that as I do ovulate, I might be hyper-stimulated. I usually do get an ovulation pain - sounds like I should expect a mega one next time around!

And you never know, we might even have "done" it this cycle and I am pregnant already, so I won't need to take the Clomid But been going though that monthly disappointment for a year now - actually even more frequently than that, as my cycle is normally around 24 days.

[Prettybird]

Anyone else got any advice?

[tabitha]

Might be worth looking here as it's a site specifically for 'older' mothers. I know that there have been some discussions about Clomid on the TTC Board.
Hope this helps

[Moomin]

I took clomid last summer. No probs with ovulating but just hadn't manage to conceive after 18m of trying. I too was worried about producing eggs like frog spawn! However, I was scanned/tracked each time and was just producing 2 or 3 eggs which is perfectly normal. Side effects stopped me taking them after 2 months though, as I developed blood cysts on my ovaries. Other side effects were just tiredness and it made my period late both months.

I wouldn't be too worried about everyone else's experiences, tbh, prettybird. The thing is with all this assisted ttc and wherever hormones are involved, everyone is completely different. It just so happened that I had a sensitive reaction to the clomid - lots of other people have had success with it. I know it's sometimes comforting hearing other people's experiences (god knows i drove myself mad on the ttc boards desperately looking for similar situations to mine) but at the end of the day, everyone is so different that it's sometimes more hindrnace than help. Sorry if this sounds a bit crass - I do have some idea of what you're going through, though. If you're getting scanned and tracked at the right times, any problems will be spotted.

All the luck in the world with the treatment. xx

[Prettybird]

Thanks for the comments. It's helpful to have the reminder that everyone is different.

I suppose my concenr is that there does not appear to be any intention to do any scanning/tracking; it just seems to be "here is a prescription for 4 months of 100mg Clomid, come back in 6 months". Not even a "ring if you are having a problem" - although he did say, "you can drop to 50mg Clomid if you find 100mg too much" How would I know if I should? I know I should have asked these questions there, but it is the usual - you only think of them afterwards.

He also asked my "how many months do you want to take the Clomid" How do I know, I've never taken it before?!

[bundle]

prettybird, i think you should ring up the clinic and ask these v good questions. don't take any s**t from them, x

[Moomin]

sorry, didn't realise you weren't being tracked. I wouldn't take it if I wasn't being monitored. The cysts it gave me were identified as endometriosis to begin with and it wasn't until I'd been scanned again 3 months in a row that my consultant realised it was the clomid causing it. Luckily he'd told me to stop taking it by then anyway but it took 4 months for these cysts to disperse completely.

My best friend is 40 and desperate for a baby after ttc for 14 months and I offered her my clomid that was left over from my prescription (half jokingly). even though she'd dearly love to give tcc a 'helping hand' she wisely refused as she was too scared of the side effects without regular tracking. Don't take it until you've got the tracking appts sorted as well. I just don't think it's worth the risk.

[feelingold]

I was on clomid for about 9 months (I have pcos) but even after huge doses it did not work for me.
My consultant at the infertility clinic would not let me take any of the drugs without blood tests and scans every 2-3 days (I only asked because I lived 35 miles from the hospital). She said that hyperstimulation was very serious and although very rare she was not prepared to let me take any risks. I do not know if things have changed now as this was 12 years ago now but I would certainly ask before you start taking it. Good luck.

[cassiecat]

Just done my 4th cycle of Chlomid and would agree about the tracking, not just because of the overstimulation but because as a 41yr want to check it is actually working, have found that chlomid stimulates follicles-they do not always have eggs, particularly as an older sort, this month have asked for a blood test to check ovulation and they were pretty accomodating. For the previous 3 cycles they scanned twice and did blood tests. I have never noticed ovulation pains but do get really really tierd and its affected my cycle length significantly.

[cassiecat]

oh yes forgot to say would worry about taking it long term some worrying side effects reported -I will do 6 cycles then stop, if you search chlomid you can find some of the ssociated risks-ovarian cancer particularly.

[tattymouse]

I've been ttc for eight months but no joy. I've taken Clomid before and successfully conceived my ds. I would like to try it again. I've had all the fertility tests done and have now been referred to a specialst at the hospital. Unfortunately I've been told I have to wait up to 3 and a half months for an appointment. How easy would it be for me to go privately and would it be worth it? I'm worried if i did go privately they would make me have the tests all over again. Could anyone advise me?

[Moomin]

hi tattymouse. It would be relatively easy for you to go private either through your gp or via your consultant. But why don't you ask your consultant if s/he does private work and if they'd be prepared to take you on as a private patient? That's what we were doing - after 2 yrs ttc with no luck we asked him if he'd do iui/ivf privately and he agreed. The only thing is that we'd have had to use a different hospital but that didn't matter. I was just grateful that he'd have all the background to us already. (In the end didn't have to go through with it as got pg 10 days before 1st private appt.)

FRom what I understand, even if you didn't have the same consultant, you'd have all the initial tests (blood, semem, etc) but not any of the bigger ones, like lap&dye, as obviously this is an op. The inital tests are 'all in' with the price. It would all be done very much quicker anyway. Why don't you try some of the private fertility clinics' websites for more info?

Good luck

[chickennut]

Hi everyone,
I'm just 45 and taking clomid already taken 3 months and it has made me ovulate but not pregnant, I realse my chnaces are slim but need yo know if it worked for anyone this age
I have a 2 year old son so i think thats why they have given me it.they tested my fsh on dday 16 as i should of ovulated on day 12( i ran out of sticks to know for sure )My progesterone was 1.4nmol i think low but they said normal , myFSH was 71.1 thats crazy i think but i didnt they tested it at that stage of cycle. it said my gondatrphin level was high and but noone has called me back to explain these results im just guessing doea anyone know what this all means.I feel really down that i may not be able to have aother child but i undrstand im lucky to have one.
Chickennut