CLOMID GANG - the new thread

[Roobedoo]

This should be clomid and IUI (for Katierocket) thread. Hoping this one will be luckier than the last - can't be any worse, don't think we had a single BFP did we?

Lots and lots and lots of luck to us all.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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

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

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

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 - 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.

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!

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 !!!

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!

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.

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!

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 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 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 its me again. I know I have had a couple of rants on here but I'm afraid I'm going to have another one!

Just noticed some brown spotting. We bd last night as still sticking to every other day in hope ovulation is delayed this month. What on earth could it be. Sorry if tmi but I was thinking that maybe because I didnt have any fertile cm for 'lubrication' my cervix might have got 'nicked' a little bit causing a bit of a bleed (but brown). Pretty sure not an ov bleed/spotting as not ovulating (yet).

so, no signs of ovulation around normal day and now brown spotting. anyone any ideas? Could this all be down to the clomid? is it normal to spot after bding?

Dizzy,
It's poosible that you may have "irritated" your cervix. I have had this in the past. It's completely harmless, even if it does freak you out seeing brown blood at the wrong time of the month.
OR clomid does interfere with your hormones, so it could just be a little spotting. Brown colour is nothing to worry about though.
Sorry I can't be of more help as I am new to this myself. I don't have the instructions that go with the drug, if you have, you could look to see the possible side effects listed.

thanks eldestgirl. at least I know its not abnormal. I am trying really hard to look at it as just a coincidence to have this happen while on clomid and strange things happening with ovulation.

roll on tomorrow morning when I'll know for sure if going to ov this month

My first cycle on clomid and looks like it hasn't worked. My temp dipped down today so looks like she's on her way. Just in time for me going away for a few days too!

Oh well, theres always next month!

Good luck everyone else!!

well, I went for another scan this morning to check follicles and there has been no significant change since day 10 (now day 14). I didn't think would be as been using opk's and no lh surge so far. The follicles were around 10mm which is nowhere near the size they should be which suggests no ovulation this month.

The nurse suggested that the clomid probably didn't 'agree with me' but I don't accept this. I have researched clomid and no where does it state that a side effect is to cause normally ovulating women to not ovulate. In fact if the consultant had told me this I wouldn't have started on it. The consultant was very blase when he prescribed...'have a go on these for a few months to give your ovaries a boost, have a scan at 12 days IF YOU WANT TO'.

I feel very disappointed,upset and let down at the moment. Its one thing failing to conceive each month but its another to have no chance at all this month. The private treatment I have been getting is no better than nhs...I'm on my 3rd consultant who isn't actually in today so they have to refer my scan result to another doctor! I'm started to doubt whether the nurses are actually qualified! as there medical knowledge seems to start and end at 'I'm not sure what that means, why don't you just do ivf'.

I have to call the nurses this afternoon to find out what the doctor said and If I dont get a full medical eplanation I might blow my top!

I have managed to stay quite relaxed (for me) for the 2 years that I have been ttc and the only time I have gotten stressed is when I get duff information or insensitive remarks from the nurses!

Somebody please say something to make me feel better...I think anything will do at this stage!

Dizzy, maybe they should prescribe 100mg? I haven't read anywhere that it can stop ovulation but some women respond well to it and others don't. And if your follicles are there and growing, maybe they need a higher dosage? I have read that Clomid is the first step as it is a cheap drug with a good success rate. If it doesn't work for somebody, they then go on to other drugs which I think are administered by injection. PLease don't worry, difficult I know, but do ask questions to the doctor(s) concerned. The nurses are not qualified to answer your questions and you are not happy with their answers so do speak to a doctor. I did read that Clomid results can be cumalative so it maybe that next month you will ovulate. Also, some women do have cycles where they don't for no particular reason and it could be that this happened to be your month where you didn't regardless of taking Clomid. Please cheer up and don't give up hope. I am nearly bursting into tears every 10 mins which is either due to the whole sorry episode finally sinking in, hormones + Clomid or the fact that i may never have a 3rd which I will be really upset about. A friend said to me a couple of days ago that in a year's time I might be holding a new baby and wonder why I let myself worry to the extent that I have and she is right. That applies to all of us, the whole thing is just a process, albeit a painful and arduous one, but nevertheless one which we have to get through.

Ask the doctors specific questions to get the answers you want. Which private clinic are you going to?

hi skbf. So sorry to hear how your feeling and can fully understand how frustrating it is to be almost there as you were. At least the positive side is that you know can still conceive and the clomid works for you.

I've spoken to the nurses who have advised me to come and speak to a doctor (going to try and get an apptment for next week) The jist of it sounded like they didn't know. Suggested that no ovulation could have been because:

1. an annovulation month or
2. Because my fsh levels have been elevated could have affected the clomid.

neither of these reasons make sense to me and I told her so. My high fsh levels did not stop the iui drugs from working so why should any other drug not work for me. Her answer 'oh yes, I see what you mean'! I am not paying for private health care without getting full explanation. hopefully the consultant will be able to do this.

The part that confuses me skbf is that if I didn't ovulate naturally and then didn't ovulate using clomid then I would class that as a no response and the drug didn't work for me. But this isn't a no response. Clomid is supposed to fool the body into producing more fsh and lh than normal. In my case it seems to have stopped it completely which is what I want explaining. But no-one seems to be able to and because of that they are putting it down to a possible annovulation which isn't very fair as they have not said there is no other possible reason. I was referred to this hospital (manchester fertility Services) last April, my fsh was elevated back then but it didn't concern them enough to tell me. I didn't start any kind of treatment until July. Its only now that doctors are saying FSH might have something to do with it which sounds too convenient to me.

It is possible that by some huge unfortunate coincidence this month is a normal annovulation month which I suppose is good news because means clomid might work for me.

Sorry to keep banging on about it but am the kind of person that needs to know whats going on at all times even if its bad news.

ps. I also try and think about the time I hold a new baby in my arms and that it won't be long (would be my 2nd). I try and stay positive and most of the time I am convinced its going to happen but occasionally a little part of me gets scared that it won't happen, like at the moment because I see this as a setback and its not a nice way to feel because it stops me enjoying the good things that I have around me. My favourite advice to other people when they are having bad times is to count your blessings. Try to do this myself but really hard when it comes to children...its really hard to be positive sometimes especially when get bad news, have to try and brush yourself off and get back on that saddle but God its hard isn't it.

I really wish you the best skbf. will be thinking of you and going to take your past advice and have a very large glass of wine tonight.