Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Original poster

Clomid for the first time.....questions, questions, questions...oh and pcos for good measure!

31 replies

pussycatmomma · 15/03/2007 17:20

Right ladies, I am not the sort to start new threads very often, and I am a bit of a old timer when it comes to the ttc boards.
The reason I need a bright, spangly new thread is that I have just been prescribed 6mths worth of clomid.
Kind of Hurray, but also kind of sad, cause I so wanted to do this "on my own" as it were. But heyho, this is evidently not to be. I was diagnosed with having pcos, and also had ovarian drilling 6mths ago. My gyny appt today has confirmed that we need to move on to the next stage as it is unlikely now that I will fall prg without a bit of help. I am currently on cd45, with no sign of af but 2 neg tests behind me so far this cycle.
I need support! I need advice! I need all my lovely ttc friends (and some new ones I hope!) to come out of the woodwork, and help me work on my positivity!!
I need to tell myself this is a wonderful opportunity, that it may well work, and that hopefully I wont have to go down IUI/IVF roads.
I also need other clomid ladies, to tell me exactly what cd to start, as the handout from the gyny states day 2 onwards for 5 days (day 2-6) but the leaflet inside the box says start on day 1 for 5 days. So am a bit unsure.
Also , does it matter what time of day you take it? Does it have to be same time each day?
And lastly a bit of tech question, hopefully someone can answer....gyny is dead against temping, advised me to have a ceremonial burning of the thermometer , so I am going with his view and ditching the temping. I have not used ov pred kits since i was diagnosed with the pcos because an expert on here advised me they were really unreliable to use with unstable hormone levels.
But,,,,, what should i do now i am going to be using the clomid??? I feel i have to have some way of knowing what is happening. The gyny has only asked for a 21 day blood test for first month, nothing else yet. I asked him about scanning and checking for impending ovulation that way and he said that wasnt available.
So sorry for long post.
Just feeling sad/scared/excited/nervous and every other emotion we get on the ttc rollercoaster.
xxxx

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
AttilaTheMeerkat · 16/03/2007 09:21

I had ovarian diathermy when it was decided by the cons that I would not be suitable to take clomid at all (sky high LH levels) and as a stop gap before doing the injectible drugs (the hospital had to wait six months for the funding for this to come through). I was also seen very regularly by the hospital before this was mooted for both blood tests and ultrasound scans. I was most fortunate that I conceived as a direct result of diathermy (was also glad of the op as endometriosis was found at the same time and diathermised out). It is very different from laparoscopy which is more diagnostic than a treatment in its own right. BTW a lap is the gold standard op done to detect endometriosis.

I would certainly agree with Ladymuck that PCOS is a very individualistic disorder and affects each woman with it very differently. I was diagnosed with it on the basis of my highly irregular periods and bloodwork which in my case showed the LH/FSH imbalance. My problems were irregular periods and a few stray hairs.

Another problem (and thats an understatement) with PCOS is that there is no one therapy or treatment that will completely eradicate it (the cystic follicles associated with the condition do return eventually). The causes of this are not fully understood either though understanding has vastly improved over the past decade or so.

Clomid is actually quite powerful stuff and monitoring should happen whilst on it. Without monitoring you have no sure fire way of knowing whether its working or not.

PCM - will hold you hand from afar!.

Ladymuck · 16/03/2007 08:20

Another PCOSer mum here.

I guess the surprise re ovarian drilling is that it is fairly invasive, when compared with clomid. On the other hand if it was done during a diagnostic lap and dye say then it is at least efficient.

The problem with PCOS is that it is very unlikely to affect any 2 women in exactly the same way. Most of the time I am completely anovulatory, whereas for other women it results in a slightly irregular cycle or totally different symptoms (and may not even affect fertility.

In my circs it would be pointless giving me clomid and then not scanning, but if you are already ovulating each month, then the consultant may have a different view.

Sorry that you've got disheartened, but bear in mind that there are a lot of clomid success stories on here. My hospital estimated that 50% of women attending their fertility clinic conceived when using Clomid for 3-6 months.

weepootleflump · 16/03/2007 08:14

Sorry pussycat, I'm going off the subject but did your gyny say why he's so against temping? Just intrigued...

Original poster
pussycatmomma · 16/03/2007 08:09

Twig, I may be the confused one here. I thought that the monitoring scans etc were to help you to know if you if and wen you ovulated, I didnt realise they were just if you were at risk of ov hyper stim.
It isnt that i dont trust the gyny. I think maybe what it is, that we can learn so much from internet/books these days that I may have too much info and not enough expertise to go with it maybe? It can all get terribly confusing in ones head, especially with the nature of this forum when people wil post to discuss their difficulties rather than posting to discuss their success. iykwim.
Also my sister has been going through (different cause) fertility problems and has been unsuccessful with ivf many times over. She is still struggleing to concieve. I also have several friends in rl who have had problems ttc and several who have no children because of this.
It is difficult to find a balance of positivity when you probably know a bit too much really.
Coggy, Trace, Wannabe..............are you there?????????

OP posts:
Twiglett · 16/03/2007 07:31

Do you trust your obs? I'm not sure from your post whehter you do or not. Can you maybe ask for a 2nd opinion. (I am not casting doubts on his abilities as he is the specialist but I do know you have to be comfortable)

I didn't have any scans booked on clomid because I was on a low dosage .. if you are on a high dosage then I thought it was a good idea to be checked in case of hyper-stimulation

Also as one is only allowed to take clomid for 12 months, personally I'd want some kind of monitoring to see whether dosage should be increased

Original poster
pussycatmomma · 15/03/2007 22:51

hi, just got in from seeing nieces dancing show am thrilled with all this info.
Bigknockersbigknickers, sorry, i didnt read your name properly , there is another poster called normsbigknockers or something like that and i wrongly thought you were her. Sorry.
Atilla.....my guiding angel, so glad you posted.
I asked gyny if he would do tracking in form of scans, it was a question i had on my list, and he said no, was not available at present.
I cant think why i will not be tracked sufficiently. Is it the lh they check on the 21day? Also, if my "cycle" is so irregular, I fail to see how 1 check on day 21 will help
I am going to try and stay positive with what i have though. If the cd21 test shows ovulation, i think it is unlikely that it will, then i will phone gyny to check things out further. If it does show ov then all well and good, but if not, like someone else said, no point feeding myself drugs if they are not doing what they are sposed to be doing.
If the clomid does not work, he suggested i may have ivf if we wished to go down that route (we will). He mentioned we will be funded by the trust, but he didnt mention how many cycles if more than 1 , and if first cycle is unsuccessful. He only mentioned iui when i asked him if this may be a possiblility. He said yes, possibly, but he would discuss this further with us if the need arose (eg after 6mths clomid).
Atilla......your question about going straight for drilling is something i have been wondering and musing over for a long while also. Nearly everyone i have come across on mn or verity has been offered clomid, and drilling as a second option. As far as i am aware i am in the minority having had it as a first treatment option. He did say today that he believed it to be the best treatment option, although sadly, now my cycle length is increasing to silly times, he says the effects of the drilling may be reducing.
I figure that comment, along with me obviously not being preg means it has not worked.
I do feel very sad about this. All of it I mean. I know there are some hopeful stories on here, and thankyou, i do appreciate it, but i do feel like its all a bit bleak to be honest.
Basically, temping is a bit scatty with pcos and not a good indication, and hormones all over the place/ high LH mean opks almost useless. On top of that i feel destined to struggle with my weight, try and lose some and get totally paranoid and upset and all Body Conscious again which after an eating disorder in my teens i swore i would never allow to happen again. All the while im in my 20's thinking "this is ok, you are healthy, it is ok not to be a size 10 "(im a size 12-14) and really my body is tricking me and it actually turns out i have pcos and now fertility hell as well.

I started this thread being quite positive, we had just got back from hosp, and i thought it would all be ok. I think i am coming down to earth with a bump.
But i do thank God for mn because no one else actually tells you how it is and gives such good straightforward guidance.
Thanks everyone x x x x
i will keep you all posted.

OP posts:
tinkerbellhadpiles · 15/03/2007 19:07

Hiya

I also have PCOS.

I took Clomid for two months and developed Ovarian HyperStimulation Syndrome (OHSS) - worth knowing about that just in case. Really horrid, was a hormonal cow for months afterwards.

Doesn't make a difference honestly if you start on day one or day two but the docs normally base that on when they reckon you will ovulate.

Make sure they are doing FSH tests at regular periods to check it's working (no point in subjecting your body to nasty drugs without evidence they are doing something).

I got menopausal type symptoms (hot flashes, extreme rage/depression etc.) nice but it's a rarity apparently.

BTW it can take two months to build up enough to make a difference according to my docs.

We gave up and did acupuncture in the end, it worked for me. I have a 21 week old DD.

Hope that helps.

bigknickersbigknockers · 15/03/2007 19:01

I checked ot your profile and could do with hacing a natter with you about power walking and if you think its possible to do it whilst pushing a pram but have got to go and get the hooligans ready for bed so may catch up with you soon,

bigknickersbigknockers · 15/03/2007 18:59

well clomid certainly worked for me, hope it does the trick for you.

minxi · 15/03/2007 18:52

Have been ttc dc3 for a while, came off depo nov 2004 cycles back to normal last summer, have gyne app next week, have had the cd2 blood test which was fine and dh has had his samples done, so next thing is to discuss options etc with gyne I guess just wondered whether we would be offered clomid etc...

bigknickersbigknockers · 15/03/2007 18:46

are you ttc minxi?

bigknickersbigknockers · 15/03/2007 18:44

no minxi.. I conceived DS1 without really trying. I came off the pill due to migrane and never really got round to deciding what contraceptive to use. Me and DH were 29 and 30 yrs old and settled so if I got pregnant it wasnt a problem. I got pregnant 6 mths later and had DS1. Then the problems started. I really wanted another baby and after a yr of ttc got pg and then had mc. I was lucky I got seen by gyne so soon. I was given clomid and conceived again but had another mc.
I then had 2 more cycles of clomid and got pg again with DS2.
I then started to think about having another baby but was still bfing DS" who was 11 mths old at the time, so I didnt bother going back to Drs as I didnt think there was much point as i was still bfing. It was then that I got pg with DD1.

minxi · 15/03/2007 18:27

big knickers - did you have to have clomid with all three of yours - Sorry was checking out your profile....being nosy...thanks

hunkermunker · 15/03/2007 18:15

Twiglett. I thought you'd mention something

bigknickersbigknockers · 15/03/2007 18:09

whose norms? do you mean me? Just in case you do... no I didnt have PCOS, DH had normal sperm count but the motility wasnt as good as it should have been, and I had antiphospholipid syndrome. We were told we would need IVF but i didnt want to go down that road because we already had DS1 and it coststoo much cash.
Dr referred us to Gynecologist who suggested we try clomid befor using more invasive treatments and it worked

AttilaTheMeerkat · 15/03/2007 17:58

Hi PCM

As a fellow PCOSer I can certainly sympathise with your plight. Please do not feel bad, I certainly needed medical help in order to conceive with regards to my PCOS, many PCOSers do.

At cd45 it is unlikely that you have ovulated this cycle. Would strongly suggest that you not test for the time being. Besides which seeing repeated negatives can be soul destroying.

I would certainly go by your gynae's advice to lay off temp charting; you would end up with a chart that is akin to the Rocky Mountains which would be damn nigh impossible to interpret.

The problem with using OPK's with PCOS is that these measure the levels of LH. With many PCOSers this level is elevated to start with so the kit would be reading the excess level rather than any ovulatory surge. Hence my counsel not to use them at all. They may be helpful for others but certainly not for this condition.

Do you currently know what your LH/FSH levels are?. At a guess I would say that your LH is far higher than your FSH. The LH levels need to come down.

Am a bit confused really - why did they do ovarian diathermy first off?. That seems a bit extreme if this was done first of all without trying anything else. Normally its clomid first off then one of the other treatments like that one you have had.

As you don't really have any cycle to speak of I would go by calendar days with their agreement of this beforehand. If though you are uncertain of when to take the clomid you should speak with the hospital beforehand. Normally clomid is taken from days 2 to 6 of a cycle.

To be totally sure of what's happening when you;re on the clomid you need to be monitored by the hospital regularly. One day 21 test is not enough, you need to be seen far more regularly than that. I would have words with them with getting more monitoring done. You also need ultrasound scans (internal ones) to check that an egg is leaving the ovary. Without these measures you will have no way of knowing whether its working or not.

I was not sure whether to write the next bit or not but..........it may come to pass (hope not but this does happen) that you may become clomid resistant and thus this may not work for you ultimately. Clomid encourages the ovaries to work harder. I would therefore ask the cons asap what plan B is if this fails. You need to know.

I would also say that if you can stay within the correct weight range for your height this will also help. Excess pounds are a bugger to shift with PCOS and this can exacerbate the PCOS symptoms you have.

The more you learn about PCOS the better off you will be when it comes to making treatment decisions. You need to be assertive and ask lots of questions. Do not be fobbed off.

Verity is a very good UK based website when it comes to PCOS and would suggest you read that as well - www.verity-pcos.org.uk.

I wish you well, will try and keep track of your progress.

Original poster
pussycatmomma · 15/03/2007 17:48

did you have pcos too norms?

OP posts:
Original poster
pussycatmomma · 15/03/2007 17:46

omg i am offending celebrities
would you like me to get you a centre spread in heat, ms twiglett? Could I get you anything else, Ms?

am not normally so silly,
gyny appt and actually something happening for a change is sending my brain a bit funny.

OP posts:
bigknickersbigknockers · 15/03/2007 17:45

I took clomid to concieve DS2, i took it CD2-6. I took it at same time each day though I dont think it matters what time of day you take it. I had slight pain around the time of ovulation, but it wasnt bad pain.
hope it works for you pussycat

Twiglett · 15/03/2007 17:42

too feckin' late now

Original poster
pussycatmomma · 15/03/2007 17:41

embarrassed backtracking........errrm you too twiglett, you are a very highly esteemed mnetter too in your very own right....
errrm, back to the clomid !
Well i wont be rushing out to order the preseed then, it is bloody expensive anyhow, but i give the predictor kits another whirl. And of course, shag like bunnies.
Like very tired bunnies actually , we been ttc since we got married and we are coming up our third anniversary this year...
How many children do you each have?
(((pusscat nearly has to have a vodka and a lie down, cant believe she is talking to actual mn celebs)))

OP posts:
Twiglett · 15/03/2007 17:39

Hunker used to follow me round the boards geneflucting on every thread IIRC

Twiglett · 15/03/2007 17:38

oh shagging every other day is best for the sperm btw

Twiglett · 15/03/2007 17:37

'kin 'ell .. Hunker gets billing above me

shit .. I remember when she was a sneaky newbie

ROFL

hunkermunker · 15/03/2007 17:37

LOL PCM, you loon

If I was you, I'd probably do ov tests. And shag like bunnies.

I had sore ovaries when I was taking it though - just to warn you you might. Equally, you might not!

Swipe left for the next trending thread