Clomid: Temps still high but bleeding (long sorry)

[Twiglet2353]

Really need someone who can give me a little insight as my gynaecologist is incredibly hard to get hold of/dismissive of anything if you're not a textbook cycle (poo poos OPKs and temping, says there's no such thing as a short luteal phase etc).

I am now going into my second cycle of clomid. Prior to this my cycles would average 27-30 days with a positive OPK happening around CD18-21. This would be associated with a high, soft, open cervix and a little bit of fertile CM.
My CD21 bloods (done on CD21 as insisted by GP and gynae and also done 7 days after my suspected ovulation) always showed anovulatory cycles.

I seem to have brown spotting anywhere from 2-8dpo and then have some red bleeding which I classify as CD1. This flow always stays light (panty liner worthy) for around 4 days, then I'll have 2 days of medium flow followed by a couple more days of spotting. I never have any bad cramps. These cycles have been the same since I came off the pill in 2017.

I'm just wondering if I should count my medium flow days as proper CD1 as my temps are still high (no drop at all) on my second day of light flow red bleeding.
I'm wondering if I'm calculating wrong this is why clomid hasn't worked at bringing my ovulation forward this previous cycle?
Should I start my next round of Clomid tonight or is it too early?!

I wish I had previous cycles to compare it to but I usually always stop temping when I see red bleeding as I temp vaginally and I didn't like the thought of it particularly.

If you made it this far then thank you. Reaching out to this community has helped keep me sane 😘

[AliceScarlett]

I'm tempted to say red blood spotting is still spotting and not CD1. Pure guess though sorry.

[Twiglet2353]

Thanks for reading @AliceScarlett. Just wish I understood my body a bit more. Ho hum

[AttilaTheMeerkat]

Do you actually have a diagnosis here?.

The first day of the cycle is when you see red blood. Has the gynae ever commented on the spotting you experience beforehand (I only ask as that can be due to lower than normal levels of progesterone).
Temp charting is also not totally infallible either in such circs; you can get a rise in temp in the second half of the cycle when an egg has not been shed.

Are you being monitored whilst on clomid?.

OPKs are uneasy bedfellows with clomid because clomid can cause higher levels of LH to be produced. The kit may be simply reading that and thus giving you a false result. I would not waste your money further on such things.

[Twiglet2353]

@AttilaTheMeerkat thanks for your reply. My diagnosis is anovulation, blocked left tube and endometriosis. My consultant said the clomid would cause me to ovulate thus increasing my progesterone levels to stop the spotting.
I'm not having any monitoring as they don't offer it at my trust unless it's through the ivf unit. I'm still waiting for my referral once these 4 months are completed. The only testing I get is my progesterone readings cycle 2 and 4.

The positive OPK cake at a time when my cervix was high, soft and open and had some fertile CM

[AttilaTheMeerkat]

Clomid will make your ovaries work harder.

What if anything have they said about the blocked left tube and the endometriosis?.

[Twiglet2353]

@AttilaTheMeerkat they've lasered away what they can (this was my second lap where they found blocked tube). They couldn't unblock the tube as it went into spasm. I've been given 4 months of clomid, if successful for early scan to check for ectopic. If unsuccessful then for IVF