CLOMID GANG - the new thread

Hi Dizzy,
Sounds like a good idea. I wasn't sure if it was helpful passing on what my Consultant had said about my FSH, as I wouldn't want to cause unecessary worry, but on the other hand I think it is essential to know all the facts (not that its possible) as like you say each Consultant thinks differently and a lot of it is trial and error. I do know that when I conceived my daughter naturally after 7 years, it was at a time in my life that I was very happy and feeling really well. So I am convinced that if I am going to conceive again, I have to get into that state of mind. I hope you manage to get a break, and that things go well. Please post again, so we know how you are getting on. I'm not going to start my clomid yet as we have a holiday booked (because I thought I wasn't going to be able to use clomid), which means flying and I just know that I have to wait till after that now. Fingers crossed the FSH stays low, but I won't know until I go for a scan I suppose

hi, hope everyone doing ok

Flustered - since ttc-ing I have been tested twice by drs and on each occasion I have been shown to ovulate normally. Have also done temp charting and opks which show the same.

Skbf - I think your right in that I am worrying about the whole ovulation thing. I think you can research too much sometimes as you start to think it all relates to you.

I think all the conflicting feedback I have had regarding my fsh has started to affect me so I am going to try and stop dwelling on it so much. Consultants have told me not to worry about it so am going to try not to. My 2nd pg took 15 months to conceive so its possible my fsh may have been high even then. It still happened for me so theres every chance it will happen again. Important to stay positive

no lh surge on opks so looks like still not ovulated. Its day 19 so if it happens hope its soon. It would be so much better if drs explained how fertility treatment can affect your cycle instead of getting the fright of your life when things change. on instructions for opks does say clomid can lenghten cycle so may need 2 packet which is a bit reassuring because i am on my 2nd packet

From my experience gynaecologists seem to have vast differences in opinion which must be based on their individual experiences rather than fact. My consultant actually said some of the younger drs like to go straight onto technological treatment like iui/ivf and bypass clomid altogether.

Going to try and try to get away over easter weekend in Lake District if everywhere isn't booked up. Maybe a break will do me good and get me back to thinking more positive.

Thank you for all the comments/advice. Been very helpful and reassuring

yes but am ok now, did try taking them to court, but it was such a big this, i gave up, was just glad i was ok

Bl**dy hell trace. That's serious.

ita pulmery emberlisem, a blood clot on my lungs, due to taking the pill

Hi all .. well I'm on CD14 and still no ovulation. Am using the Clear Blue digital, and am desperately waiting for the smiling face! According to FF I ovulated on CD25 last month, so I'm not overly stressed yet. Just got to buy more tests!

trace, what's a pe?

Dizzy, I know its hard not to worry but please don't. But you do need answers from the doctor who knows what he is talking about. I was told that below 10 is a good level for fsh which is an indicator of egg reserve and by taking fertility drugs will give it a kick start. If it is at the level of perimenopausal (I don't know that number without looking it up) then there is no point in taking fertility drugs as the egg reserve is too low to respond. If they like to see 10 and below and you are 12 that is just abit over but not much.

Re: ovulation, two summers ago when I was really working hard and quite thin (about 8.0) I felt physically quite fit and healthy but tested every month for ov and didn't get a sign. I think this went on for 3-4 months, I had 46 day cycles and then started to take epo, which reduced them to their normal cycle which was 32-34 days and I think at that point I did start to ov and I got preg in September but miscarried in Nov 2004. So sometimes we don't ovulate but that is normal for some women, maybe due to stress and nutrional levels? For those not ttcing, they would not be aware that they have had an annovolatory (sp?) cycle but the fact that you are ttcing, you are aware of it and are becoming worried. Please don't worry but do get some answers from your dr.

lol ShouldKnowByFriday , i did think that my self, but i carnt take it now as i has a pe witch nearly killed me.

Hi Dizzy,

I'm glad to hear that your scan showed a good sized follicle. Even with higher FSH Clomid must still be worth a try? I am wondering though, how you can be sure that you were ovulating every month anyway? I have never been 100% sure that I am, especially as the last OPK I did never came up with a result.

ps to all who are concerned about there hormone levels (sorry, hope I've not been scaremongering).

when I was first referred in april of last year drs exact words were 'yes, everything is fine and normal'. I found out later that my fsh at that time was 14! so why was I told that everything was find and normal? Furthermore his suggestion was to keep on trying naturally for another 12 months and then try iui. It was lucky I didn't take his advice because when I started on IUI the first thing they said to me on day 2 was my fsh is 'slightly' high and possibibility 'may not respond'. My consultant at that time (different one) then explained to me what the high fsh meant basically that my ovaries are having to work a little harder and it probably wouldn't have been a good idea to wait a year before starting treatment. My 3rd consultant referred to it as 'a little ovarian resistance' but again he was not concerned about it and promptly prescribed the clomid. In the meantime I've got the nurses telling me that 12 is 'ooh that is very high'.

I have since discovered that the nurses are saying it is high for fertility treatment but luckily not gone against me.

I have read on net that there are tests that they can do to check ovarian reserve especially using clomid....day 10 fsh levels are a good indicator. Hospital refused when I asked them about this as its not something they do...unhelpful bunch at Mcr.

As far as I know my other hormone levels (like lh) have been normal which at least means not perimenopausal. So when asking about hormones make sure you ask about oestrogen and lh levels also.

thanks skbf, I have read up on fsh and ovarian reserve but still not clear to me what it means when drs say may not respond to fertility drugs if elevated fsh. The response to fertility drugs is induced ovulation so a no response would be no ovulation would it not. So if someone ovulates normally without fertility drugs anyway what would be the 'no response' they refer to when there is a high fsh. Are they saying that the combination of high fsh and fertility drugs could cause no ovulation at all even for a normally ovulating person....which was my fear this month.
Downside also is my cycle will probably be longer than usual which means longer to have another go next month!

It is unusual for such late ovulation for me. Its day 18 now so could ov tomorrow or later. Don't think my cm is very fertile...I know the clomid can dry it up and epo and 2l of water doesn't seem to have helped either.

Nurses say no probs in me carrying on taking it for a couple more months if necessary but not sure as got the fright of my life this month.

Oh! DP away skiing at the moment and I am on day 10 so will start testing tomorrow just in case. He is back on day 15 and I usually ov on day 17 or 18. I may ov earlier if clomid still in my system, we shall see, I hope not though as I am still going to try this month.

Hello everybody!!

Trace2, if you got preg on the pill, maybe that is your answer and not clomid! Good luck though! If no cervical fluid, you may like to try 500mg of eve prim oil three times a day to produce it. I didn't have this but started taking it and hey presto it appeared. I stopped taking it as thought I was getting neurotic and cm disappered so does work.

Dizzy, 19.5 is a good size. When I had 2 follicles of I think 15mm and 17mm I was told they are ready to release an egg at around 18mm in size so keep your hopes up. My ob's wife who is not my dr but a friend (who also is an ob who I text when I have a question) said that clomid can bring on earlier ovulation as I asked her if i should give clomid a miss last month as DP going away. She told me to take it as it can bring on earlier ov which it did. The follicles ripend quicker. If it hasn't brought on earlier ov with you please don't worry. We can respond differently. FSH levels and responding to clomid, I have googled this and read that fsh levels refer to your fertility and egg reserve. If you are under 10 (I was 7.2) then there is a good chance that the patient will respond well to fertility drugs. If you google it you can read about it.

Coggy, I hope you get preg very soon and have a good holiday in April.

Naditude, days 2-6 are recommended whatever day you are expected to ov as the earlier u take it the sooner the body can recover in order to get the cm produced. Clomid if taken later (my ob's wife, also an ob explained this to me) can at anytime produce a dry hostile environment for the sperm and that is why it is prescribed for the early part of the cycle. Re: results, when I had my follow up appt with the dr to discuss my day 3 and 4 blood results, I got out my book and wrote EVERYTHING down. My fsh for day 3, my estradiol(sp?), everything and questioned them. When I didn't understand what he told me I asked him to explain again as it was very new to me and alot to take in. When he finished I told him that I had a list of questions for him and wrote down the answers. I really put him through his paces and he looked bemused but he was helpful and patient. I can't remember if you are going to a private clinic or not but even if it is NHS, you are paying for the NHS through your tax, your parents did, etc and you are entitled to a good and fair service. Regarding results over the phone, I don't think they like to do that. Also, the governing body called HEFA (can't remember exactly) lays out very strict rules about confidentiality and all clinics must comply or they get warnings, etc so very serious.

I think I have answered all that I can comment on. Let's keep going and be determined. Today was the first day I woke up with a slight headache instead of a headache typical of a hangover so feeling better. I thought when I took clomid that the side effects would start there and then and as there weren't any thought I had got away with it! Not so!

Chin up everybody!!!!

i only go 26 to 29 days

OMG, i asked yesterday if i can phone for results of my blood tests and dh sperm tests and she said i had to wait until we go back in three months

Trace2 - Try to use your opk and when you get a pos, then book in for your blood test for 7 days later. I got a pos result and I'm on clomid.

There's no use going for a CD21 blood test if you've not ov'd by then. You sound like you have long cycles like me.

Naditude x
CD4

I have just rang the hosp to get my past results of blood tests and they won't give me them!

I tried to explain that he has given me them before when I went in but I didn't really understand them then and didn't write them down. But now having read what you are all posting about your FSH levels, I will be able to learn more about my cycle.

She said that I will have to wait for my next appointment! AUGUST! Fuming's not the word. I asked her to send them in a letter, she said the secretary is off for a week!

Naditude x
CD4

naditude i have no idea what happens, but i have to go for blood tests on day 21 every month to see if i have ovulated, and ive been told that if i use my person, or ovulation sticks becuase of clomid they can give a false reading, so will have to look for other signs of ovulation, but because ive not been ovulating i have had no cevil fluid so will have to do bding from day 10 to 24 omg dh will be knakerd

Trace2 - Hi! I have also just completed my first cycle of clomid (un-successfully) but I was also wondering about what you said - We are to take them on days 2-6 but like you said, you prob won't ov until a few weeks later. I too don't ov on the 14th day, in fact about the 20th - 27th. So does anyone know if we should be taking the pills later? Or do the wonder pills do 'whatever they do' at the beginning of the cycle?

Loubie - What a dilemma. But the other scary thing is that these highly qualified doctors are getting prescriptions wrong, I know we all can make mistakes, but imagine what an irresposible desperado (like me!) would have done with your higher dosage!

And like SKBF said, its prob not a good idea to take something that has not been prescribed for you.

But I'm going to take a leaf out of your book and get the results from my cons. I don't know any of my levels for anything!! Someone said earlier on here about having to 'peer over the docs shoulder' to try and see the results. It shouldn't have to be like that!

Good luck all!

Naditude x
CD4

Thanks skbf - it was obviously a massive shock to us both but we coped (and are coping) pretty well really. The real cruelness of it all though was that it took us nearly 5 years ttc the first time..
Being prescribed clomid again has put a bit of a spring in my step as I was expecting another great long wait!
We're off on our hols later today so here's to a relaxing April before the major bd-ing and clomid in May!

hi all, just to update you. I went to hospital again this morning (day 18) and there is 1 19.5mm follicle. I can't tell you what a releif this is.

Nurse said its normal to ovulate later, even though I normally ovulate around day 14. She didn't sound too sure of herself so I wasn't convinced. The main thing is its looks likely that I will ovulate in the next few days (hooray!)

I am going to ask a daft question because I can't get my head round it. in the past I have been told that I may not respond to fertility drugs because of my elevated fsh. When I asked what that meant I was told that I just wouldn't respond! For a person with unexplained infertility who ovulates every month what is a 'no response'. I would have thought this meant the body would continue to do what it normally does i.e ovulate. Am I wrong? skbf you mentioned your dr saying something about this earlier. is anyone able to explain to me?

even with my elevated fsh I have responded fine to the iui drugs and now it seems the clomid. It is gradually coming down (don't know why?) so response can only get better I assume.

hi all

coggy lol, dont worry about it we are all here for the same reason.

ShouldKnowByFriday so sorry with what you going through its the pits anit it! its my first time of taking clomid, and am very scared of taking it, i have 3 children one 22ys in june ,ds 19ys and jack who will be 4 in june, i have never had a problem befor all 3 were accidents and i was on the pill(good ones though), and now when i was one i carnt.

good luck to allxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Coggy I have just read about your heartbreaking loss on another thread and I am very sorry. Can't really say anything to make you feel better, I can't imagine your pain. Hope you are preg soon.

I agree with skbfriday...it's best not to muck around with things is you don't know what they may do.
I tried agnus castus this past month and regreted it - I didn't ov for the first time in months (although this could just be coincidence) but I also worried for the rest of the month in case I was pregnant and it may have affected a baby or my cycles etc. Don't think I'll take that again in a hurry!
Just be careful eh?