CLOMID GANG - the new thread

hi all. not posted for a couple of days as having internet difficulties!!
artoo -your folicle tracking results sound excellent will be keeping an eye out for good news soon hopefully ... fingers crossed for you
Rachee- bleeding for 3 weeks does sound a little long hope everything works out ...get thee to a doctor for some advice i think
Dizzy- good luck for tomorrow hope you get the folicles you wish for . i have found that over the last couple of months on clomid my cycle has been longer so maybe ovulation is later???
Becki- Good luck with the opk smily face are surely easier to interpret hope you get some soon
SKBF- You sound positive at the moment since your recent bad news hugs to you ... whats happening at the moment with you . are you having a break from the clomid for a while?? good luck to you
eldestgirl- i think having positive feedback from the folicle scanning and then having no pregnancy at the end of it can be the most frustrating thing. This has also happened to me i feel that i am getting too wound up about the whole ttc thing but at the same time need to feel like i am actively doing something myself .
I have been reading the toni weschler book 'taking charge of your fertility' which is extremely good and easy to understand. gives advice about monitoring your temps and ewcm and charting it down so you can see when exactly you ovulate.
thinking about doing that this month when af arrives (feel it is only just around the corner no preg signs at all this month on cd 31 should have started yesterday)then i may have a month off the clomid and ask to start iui when i get back from my hols in may/ june as will only be allowed one more month of clomid anyway but just do not feel it is working for us .

Hi all ... am on CD8 and the Clear Blue digi OPK's I ordered have turned up today. Am going to start testing on Saturday which will be CD11, and carry on until I get, or don't get, the smiley face. I think these will be easier than the wee stix that you have to decide if one line is darker than the other. We are being positive this time and I have even looked into independent midwives ... ! Well, you have be positive don't you?

Hi, just a quick msg - SKBF - thank you for your post on the Nov thread. I haven't been about much as I was away for the weekend and am staying wiht a friend all this week to help her with her kids (DS's 8 & 4 + DT's 6 weeks!!) so am very busy! I am doing ok, extremely tired and queasy for most of the mornings, with ginormous boobs and a bloaty tummy but I mustn't grumble :o

Hope you are doing ok. Although you have been through something so sad, you are so positive about things. Sending hugs to all

Hi Dizzy, I am still thinking about you despite my personal goings-on! I think the nurse saying what she said is wrong as she is not qualified to say that so please ignore it. If you have fertile cm thats really good so get BDing!! Can you also do a shoulder stand as well please, pleeasse, I know it sounds daft but worked for a friend of mine twice in first month of trying and worked for me last month even though things did not work out. There is still a chance this month so don't give up!

thank you for all your comments (SKBF, I know you've got lots going on with yourself so appreciate you taking time to advise).

I am on 50mg and was prescribed clomid after iui treatment. I was told as I already ovulate it would just give my ovaries a push to work harder!

I think I was just freaked out because I have had follicle monitoring several times (just completed last unsuccessful iui) and by day 10 the follicles are usually growing. I normally ovulate around day 14 so by day 10 should be lots going on...nurses were surprised that nothing was as well which got me worried even more.

I have to admit I will be very upset if I am told on Friday that it could be the clomid that has caused this lack of activity in my egg production as this was never mentioned as an effect of the medication.

I have noticed fertile cm today so its possible that I may be having a delayed ovulation but again no-one mentioned this could happen as an effect of the drug.

One of the nurses on Monday said 'well maybe you should just go straight to ivf then'....she came to this conclusion without any knowledge of my 12 month history with the hospital. Thats what I'm up against with the hospital I use....unsympathetic nurses who make comments like that without a thought for the patients feelings.

Going to have to wait until friday morn to find out whether theres any change. Its day 12 and still no sign of lh surge on opk....the latest day I have ever had the surge is day 14 (fri) so will see what happens.

Good to read updates from everyone!

Artoo, your results sound fabulous so very good response and lets hope this is YOUR month!

Rachee, that's a long time to bleed. Hope you are not getting anaemic. Hope dr can shed some light and get you sorted.

Dizzy, agree with what was said below which is that a woman can have the odd anovolatory (sp?) month. Don't know how this works with clomid but the fact that you are being monitored and measured means that you are responding well. Keep going. We all have to!

Just me agian , trying to keep up with every one, just to let you all know i came on, and now have been on for 3 weeks !!! can't wait to get back to England and go down to the doctors about this !!!

so needless to say, no babies, as no sex !!!

Relax and Dizzy: Sorry I can't be of any help. I don't really know enough about all this yet.
SKBF: I am on 50mgs, 3rd cycle. It's frustrating because I am have had really positive feedback from the follicle tracking scans that the clomid has worked perfectly, everything is the right measurement and I do ovulate. I BD when instructed to (!) but it hasn't worked. I think I need to RELAX. Easier said then done.
BTW, could you still ovulate this month as a hangover from the last dose of clomid?
Good luck Artoo!

relax - I was told when I had my bloods done for progesterone that any result above 30 was what they were looking for, so your 39 sounds fine to me.

dizzy - hugs, sorry there's no activity this month, but clomid can have a cumulative effect, so perhaps your body is working up for a great O next month. I know it is not at all uncommon for any woman to have the odd annovulatory cycle, don't know how the clomid affects this though.

SKBF - hopefully everything is cleared out now and your body is gearing up to start all over again.

My news - I got my little egg symbol on my fertility monitor today, and my follicle scan went really well. Last month I had a 7mm lining and a 16mm follicle, this month I have an 11mm lining and (get this!) a 27mm follicle! OV is imminent, so plenty of BD-ing for me and DH, let's hope this is a good cycle.

Hugs,
Artoo.

Hello everybody!

EldestGirl, I lie in bed at night wondering how I will cope if I never have another baby and it's an awful thought. A friend of mine said that I might worrying unnecessarily and next year might have No 3 in my arms. I think she is right and it is best not to think on those lines and just be determined to get preg and do everything in your power to do so including clomid, epo and shoulder stands! Remind me what dosage you are on.

Dizzy, what dosage are you taking? Do they need to up your dosage do you think? I thought that is what they would do if there is no activity as they phrased it. Sometimes we don't ovulate one month here and one month there so please don't worry but do ask lots of questions.

Relax, I do not know anything about serum progesterone but if you google this you may find the answers like I googled hcg levels and found lots of information.

I went for a scan today as now day 3 to see how the bleeding is progressing. I told them that I passed some tissue and I thought that this was my 4mm sac. Anyway, the sac (sp?) has gone when I was scanned so it probably was that. I asked for another course of clomid and said that i just wanted to get on with it and not wait but they really want me to have a natural cycle and get rid of the lining from the pregnancy completely and then start again. I left with OPKs, clomid for next month and also had a blood test. HCg levels are now 50 and they would prefer 30 or below so will have another test next week.

Wishing you all luck this month...!

Relax - sorry, I don't know about this follicle tracking or what the numbers mean! I hope someone else can help you with this.

can anyone answer this for me????
i have just had my serum progesterone levels back from day 23 as my follicles were not big enough on day 14 and had the injection on day 16 so bloods one week after that( the level was 39 ).
i am presuming the blood result means i haven't ovulated this month as last month the levels were 89 but this was on day 22 is this right ????
what is an ovulatory level???
thanks

thanks nadtitude. do feel a bit more relaxed this morning.

I have been using opks for a long time and I ususally ovulate between day 12 and 14.

The scan I had yesterday was an internal one that they do for iui and ivf treatments...it can see maturing follicles. By day 10 can usually see some small follicles growing but yesterday there was nothing. I have been monitoring usual fertility indicators with opk and cm but nothing yet and I'm on day 11 . I have not read any evidence that clomid can delay ovulation significantly. my cycle is 26/27 days so there definteley should be something going on in my ovaries.

I cannot imagine there will be an change when I go on friday but will be pleased if there is. I am going to demand a full explanation of my scans though and not be fobbed off with a dont know

BeckiF - (And others!) I just wanted to post you what it says in this marvelous book I am reading on blood tests and ov, (Taking charge of your fertility by Toni Wescheler).

"Many fertility tests are often timed inappropriately...One of the most common mistakes made is the procedure timing. Many doctors continue to perform it around day 14 of the woman's cycle, regardless of when she actually ovulates. Unless the woman does ovulate close to that day, the test is usually invalid amd leads many couples to believe they have a fertility problem when they do not... The progesterone serum detects if ovulation has occured, and if there is an adequate amount of progesterone after ov for implantation to occur. They are usually taken a week after ovulation, when it is typically at its highest level."

I hope this helps. I think it makes sense and so therefore you should definately try and go to give your blood test a week after you think you ov next time.

Good Luck!

Dizzy36 - I'm sorry to hear you're in such turmoil. I don't know what kind of scan they do as early as day 10. Maybe others can help you with that. Nor do I know what kind of 'activity' they can be looking for. Surely, they need to scan when you think you are ov'ing. Day 10 would be far too soon if you have a 28 day cycle.

So my best advice would be to keep charting your temp and use an opk. It sounds like you're new to them, but normally there is a very definate line the same colour as the control line when I'm about to ov. Do you normally ov on the 14th day? (Just re-read your post, yes you do!) Well you should get a pos line on day 12 or 13. Test again then.

Clomid can vary lengths of cycles. But like you say, you normally ov so there's evry chance you will this month. Get some kip tonight! And keep testing with opk's tomorrow and the next few days. And try and use them about tea-time!

Good luck.

rang hospital and they say not to worry(!?!) and they'll check again on Friday....apparently day 10 is too early for them to know what to make of todays result. So I've got to sit and wait for another 4 days before I know anything.

Very disappointed with this. These scans (which last about 10 seconds) are costing me about £50 and they are not able (or willing) to give me an adequate explanation of the result.

Can clomid cause a delayed ovulation and in turn a longer cycle. Even so if I was due to ovulate on day 18 (normally day 14) surely there should be some indication in my ovaries??

Any comments at all would be much appreciated...even if just gets me some sleep tonight!

hi....I need urgent help or advice from clomid users please.....

I am not a regular user but hopefully some might remember me.

I started on clomid this month and am currently on day 10. Went for a scan this morning and the result was 'no activity'. As you can imagine I am in bits over this and I have to ring the hospital in half an hour to find out why this is so.

When I was prescribed clomid I was told that as there was nothing physically wrong with me, the clomid would just give a boost to my normal ovulation. Instead it seems to have had the opposite effect!!

I came out of the hospital feeling ok but as the morning has gone on I have become more and more anxious to the point of shaking! I have read all about clomid and I although I can understand a person not responding if they don't normally ovulate, this isn't a no response, its changed the way my reproductive system works!!

I have been using opk's last few days and I did notice that the right hand line has been very faint compared to the usual dark...the lh hormone is always there and the 2 lines come up when there is a surge. The one faint line suggests to me that the lh might be very low or non existent this month.

I've also considered the possiblity that I might have conceived last month which would result in ovaries not making any eggs....I was a few days late last month, only lasted 2 days but other than that felt like a normal period...I also did a pg test couple of days b4 came on and it was -ve

Has anyone that is on clomid ever had this result where it appears you are not going to ovulate that month when normally you do.

Thanks for the input! I rather think my doc thought that the clomid would somehow give me a regular cycle. She also said that she doesn't like temp charting either. But from waht I have seen it's spot on. Anyway, I will take your advice and use my OPK and go AFTER/IF they show a positive ovulation ... last day of the Clomid today and already I've been hit with the hot flushes for a couple of days. Everything crossed for this month, our last hope at doing it on our own!!

AF arrived on Sunday. Knew it was coming as had no symptoms of pg at all. Still lay awake in early hours of Sunday morning wondering what to do if I never have another baby. These things seem so much worse at night.
So started clomid cycle 3 today....
SKBF: Glad to hear things are resolving themselves naturally.

BeckiF, that's encouraging what naditude has said. It does make sense but I can't understand why you haven't been informed of this? Don't give up hope.

BeckiF - I'm not completely sure about this...but, those cd21 tests assume you have a 'normal' 28 day cycle when you ovulate on day 14 - hence they test a week later on the 21st. However, my cons told me to book my blood test in with the nurse for a week after I think I have ovulated (when my OPK says so!). So therefore, I think you're blood test would have def showed you haven't ov'd - because you hadn't by then. So in actual fact, your chart showed you ov'd on day 25 - you should have booked your blood test for day 32. The blood test looks for this hormone present AFTER you've ov'd.

I have irregular and long cycles and am on my first cycle of clomid. But I have had these blood tests for the last 4 months and I have got the corresponding results with my chart, i.e get a pos opk, go for blood test in 7 days, get a pos ov blood test. My consultant has explained this to me, its a wonder yours didn't. Instead I think you may have been given a false neg result on your blood because you just tested too early.

I hope this makes sense. Maybe others will disagree with this but this is what my cons has told me and this is they way I have been doing my (so called CD21) blood tests. They are called CD21 tests but they are based on that old myth that everyone has a 28 day cycle and so will then be ovulating on day 14.

So, this first cycle I ov'd on day 20 (OPK and chart showed this), I phoned the surgery and got appointment for them to take my blood the following friday (day 27). I'll ring the hosp in a couple of weeks to get results(or with a bit of luck i won't need to as I'll get a BFP before!). Hope this helps BeckiF. Talk to your cons about it. Let me know what the outcome is.

P.S If your chart says you ov'd and you did plenty of bd'ing, then there is always a good chance! If my above theory is correct! Good luck!

BeckIf, sorry to read you did not ovulate this month. I can't remember if you are having follicle tracking or not? If you do go down the IVF route, have you chosen a clinic or have you yet to decide? Good luck this month. What dosage of clomid are you taking?

Jodee, I am glad you have bought the epo. Do watch out for the cm, it's a joy to see when you know how important it is and when you know the epo works.

I am due for my blood test on MOnday but haven't arranged it yet as I am not sure about childcare, I have a new mother's help starting on Monday and don't want to leave them with her on the first day but will prob book it for Tuesday. However, thankfully I started to bleed last night which is such a relief. So if that is the case, I probably don't need to go for the blood test as the hcg levels are irrelevant if I am miscarrying? Not sure, will ring on Monday to find out. Usually when I see blood when ttcing I am really down about it! This time I smiled as I have been waiting for it!! Am getting tummy ache and will enjoy curling up with a hot water bottle today.

DP going skiing next weekend for a week so will be back on day 14 of cycle. While I shall give the clomid a break for a month, I will still ttc this month but don't know if my follicles will be large enough or indeed if any clomid from last month will still be in my system and will have an effect. Will also be scanned I suppose when the bleeding stops - how long does the bleeding last, is it just like a heavy period? - and if it mid cycle while I won't be follicle tracked this month, I suppose I will see the follicles? Don't know but will find out.

Good luck this month everybody!

Hi SKBF, thanks for the EPO info, I picked up some one a day capsules today (1050mg) so will take them until I ov. I'm not giving up, this will be the month, I'm sure, sending out loads of positive vibes to you too.

Sadly, and by a strange coincidence as I hadn't seen that thread, I've just found out that a neighbour, who I didn't know was preg, just lost her boy at 18 weeks gest. I feel so, so sad for them.

BeckiF, I really hope you have success this month, keeping everying crossed for you.

Hi all. I started the 2nd and last course of Clomid on Thursday. We were only given two attempts and then it's straight onto IVF. On our last cycle the CD21 blood test showed I hadn't ovulated but my FF chart showed it on CD25, so this time we are going for the blood test ON CD25. Neither of us culd wish any harder that this attempt works. We want to conceive on our own, to be able to share that special time when only we know ... but we'll take an method to bring us a long waited anf wished for baby.

Whoops! Slow computer!