My fertility journey & now starting Clomid - Any advice or experience?

[Crazydoglady123]

I have a child who is 9 and fell pregnant easily. A year or so after I was diagnosed with PCOS after a scan. I suffered with an eating disorder and my periods stopped for 6 months. I then went onto various contraceptives (pill, depo) as my circumstances changed. I then tried the Mirena coil and everything seemed great on it till it disappeared and at the same time I started being in lots of pain so had a pelvic scan (to locate coil) and discovered I had a 6cm ovarian cyst which a few days later I ended up heavily bleeding so was admitted to hospital and had cyst removed. The consultant also removed my coil and upon waking from surgery told me that it'd started to embed in my uterus and it was that which caused the bleeding and pain.

Fast forward to more recent, I'd been on the depo again since (no probs). I stopped it two years ago to TTC with my partner (not my Childs dad) and finding it really, really difficult to conceive :( He has had two sperm evaluations as the first was low but the second was much higher (although slightly low morphology) but the doctors seem to be fine with him now and back looking at me. I've tried ovulation tests (which always showed a surge), I've had a Hycosy which everything was fine and just finished 3 cycles of Letrozole which was a high dose. My 21 day blood test showed my progesterone at 23 and it apparently needs to be over 30 to have ovulated. I'm not due to start tonight Clomiphene. He's prescribed me 100mg a day (day 2-6) so from what I've read again is another decent/high dose but I didn't get to speak to him properly and feel a bit anxious as hear lots of lovely side effects with these! Is it true they're better taken at night? Also online I read that there's a 10% chance of developing an ovarian cyst with these so I'm not sure if I should try and book a private scan after the first cycle to make sure I haven't got one again? I have two rounds of this then another blood test. If I ovulate on it then I'm allowed another 4 goes, if not on the sheet he gave me it said Gondatropins may tried after or keyhole surgery to make holes in my ovaries... Any experience or advice greatly appreciated!

Hi

I have PCOS and started Clomid in October .. I fell pregnant on the first cycle but unfortunately miscarried at 7 weeks. I’m currently on my second cycle and hoping for the best! I’m taking 100mg on days 2-6, which I take in the morning. I haven’t had any side effects yet but have heard they can be pretty rough.

All the best x

@HT1507

Hi

I have PCOS and started Clomid in October .. I fell pregnant on the first cycle but unfortunately miscarried at 7 weeks. I’m currently on my second cycle and hoping for the best! I’m taking 100mg on days 2-6, which I take in the morning. I haven’t had any side effects yet but have heard they can be pretty rough.

All the best x

Thank you HT. Sending you virtual hugs about your miscarriage. So far the tablets have been fine but I've been taking them at night just in case. Do you have to have scans with your Clomid cycles?

I was meant to go for bloods on day 21 of the second and third round of Clomid, but that will now happen in the third and fourth for me due to the gap between my first round in October and my second round this month. Additional scans haven’t been mentioned, although I had a HSG X-ray before starting Clomid.

My cycles have been 34-38 days recently though so I’m thinking that will have an impact on the day 21 bloods .. I have a telephone appointment with my fertility specialist at the start of February so will ask him then.

Have you been advised to have scans?

@HT1507

I was meant to go for bloods on day 21 of the second and third round of Clomid, but that will now happen in the third and fourth for me due to the gap between my first round in October and my second round this month. Additional scans haven’t been mentioned, although I had a HSG X-ray before starting Clomid.

My cycles have been 34-38 days recently though so I’m thinking that will have an impact on the day 21 bloods .. I have a telephone appointment with my fertility specialist at the start of February so will ask him then.

Have you been advised to have scans?

I think reading the HSG X Ray is what my hospital refers to as a HyCosy which I've had too.

Is this your first child? What day are you on of your cycle now? I'm on day 5 today.

I felt really hard done by when my consultant rang me last week as I'd waited for the call all day with so many things I wanted to ask and typically while I was in Tesco's doing our shopping early evening he rung and I had to balance between getting signal in only part of the shop and trying to find 'quiet' aisles to discuss spotting and other lovely things plus as I've somehow been referred to a hospital an hour away and he can never find my notes so not a lot more than I was to start two rounds of Clomid and blood test on 21 day of round 2 and go from there. If I hadn't have had a large cyst about 5/6 years ago I wouldn't feel so anxious about the Clomid...just praying I don't get another one!

Yes, we’re TTC our first. I’m on day 11 of my cycle and we’re having sex every other day, which is what worked in October. I’ve found that I’m very dry, whether that be due to PCOS or Clomid I don’t know, but I’m using Preseed this month to combat that.

I feel like we haven’t had much support on our TTC journey and we are kind of fending for ourselves. I get a consultation every 4-6 months but sometimes questions come up in the meantime .. when I’ve tried to contact my specialist he’s been off or on holiday, which is fine, but apparently there isn’t any other specialist I can talk to. I just have to seek help from Dr. Google instead which usually includes lots of conflicting information to sift through! I’ve written down what I want to ask in my February consultation so I don’t forget anything.

I’ve found it helpful checking out these forums and reading stories/experiences/advice. I don’t talk about intimate details of our fertility journey with family or friends, so it’s nice to be able to discuss things with women going through the same thing

Have everything crossed for you for this cycle! Have you been trying long and is Clomid your first treatment?

My consultant seems good and I feel like he is pushing for things to get done quick for me but like you I wish I could call and have a chat in the interim. There are two fertility nurses at the hospital I have rung and spoken to a couple of times when it's been important and they're always really helpful. I just like to know what's next all of the time so knowing I have two rounds of Clomid and if that doesn't make me ovulate he wants to try something else, I want to know what that else is exactly.

Definitely nice to be talking to someone with similar experiences. Again like you I haven't discussed this with any of my close friends as my partner is so adamant he wants to surprise everyone when we are expecting so he doesn't want our friends knowing we're trying. I find it hard at times especially when they're all getting pregnant around us which is why I've decided to join a couple of forums to at least let me talk to someone.

I came off the pill at age 27 when hubby and I married in 2015. I didn’t have any period for 9 months, and then it was either random spotting here and there or constantly for days/weeks. OPKs were always negative and I’d been putting on weight year on year .. I knew there was something going on so I went to the GP. First I had a smear which came back clear, then I started having weekly blood tests to see if I was ovulating .. 4 blood tests later and nothing.

I got my diagnosis of PCOS when I was referred to the specialist in 2018. He said Clomid would be the first option but I’d need to lose weight first and wait for cycles to become regular. He recommended I take Inofolic to help with this. My cycles finally became regular towards the middle of last year and I’d lost 3 stone, so I was given Clomid to start in October.

Our family is aware that we are struggling to conceive and have started Clomid, but I don’t discuss any intimate details and I’ve not told anyone about the miscarriage. My brother-in-law and his wife have had 2 children between 2015 and now. I’m happy for them but I find myself not wanting to talk about the kids or see pictures, which then makes me feel horrible. It just stings when I see babies or pregnant women .. the TTC journey is particularly emotional at the moment!

How old are you, if you don’t mind me asking? I hope the Clomid works for you! It clearly made me ovulate the first time round .. I just hope it happens again and results in a successful pregnancy. I’m going to ask my specialist about Metformin as I’ve read it can reduce the risk of miscarriage in women with PCOS.

You're the similar age to me then, I'm 32. I thought I was being dramatic being two years TTC but your journey has been a lot longer! Congratulations on loosing 3 stone though. It sounds like you've had to do so much hard work and waiting yourself and for your body to regulate itself. I really hope this time is your time. Everything crossed for you!

Can I ask what test diagnosed you with PCOS? I feel like the last 10 years I've been diagnosed, then undiagnosed with it constantly. I've lost track if my fertility consultant thinks I have PCOS or not now! I've had two internal scans over the years that have picked up polycystic ovaries but sometimes my ovaries are fine on a scan so I think my consultant is now saying I have PCO rather than PCOS. For me it's super frustrating as when I had my son nearly 10 years ago I had no problems.

Last night of Clomid tablets round one tonight! Last night and the night before I woke up in the night to hot flushes but other than that I've felt okay on it.

Ah, same age then Hubby and I are both 33 in the next few months .. we were really hoping to have 2 children by 35 but have learnt that we just need to take things as they come.

Apart from the blood tests to check ovulation and the X-ray, I’ve not had additional tests. I assume the specialist reached the diagnosis based on the bloods and the symptoms .. a history of PCO/PCOS in the family, weight gain, fatigue, not ovulating. I also started to get small skin tags, and a lot of redness on my face which looks like rosacea.

Are you taking anything in addition to Clomid? Vitamins or supplements?

I do remember having a vaginal scan actually but can’t remember whether it was before or after being referred to the specialist

Aww me too! I'm 33 in April! My other half is 30 this year so a few years younger and he wants a few kids but realistically with what we're going through I can't see it happening.

Ah okay. I did do a blood test for it with this consultant and he said it looks normal so god knows.

No I have tried off the shelf trying to conceive tablets but nothings changed so haven't taken them for a while. Do you take anything alongside your Clomid?

I’m taking Inofolic Alpha and vitamins. I’ve also started taking low dose Aspirin (75mg) as I’ve read it can aid fertility. I’m considering taking vitamin B6 as apparently it increases the chance of conception, but I’ve seen women say it’s messed with their cycles .. I wanted to speak to my specialist about it earlier in the month so I knew if and when to take it, but he’s on holiday :(

We’re just having to make the best decisions we can with the limited information we have .. I imagine most people are in the same boat!

Hey @HT1507 how are you doing? I just worked out you must be on CD23 now?
I'm on CD17 and I just feel so uncomfortable the last couple of days across my knicker line, like a burning sensation on and off and my abdomen just feels full and heavy like due on. I had this last month too (my third cycle of Letrozole) and thought maybe a sign I was BFP but obviously wasn't. Not sure if it's my ovaries trying to work or something else! Still feeling a bit worried it's a cyst again as also DTD has been uncomfortable too. Thursday night I had to push through it as was a day we had to do it. I'm going to call the fertility nurse Monday if no better and see what she says and maybe go for a private scan to check my ovaries if they won't do one. Meant to be DTD tonight just in case I ovulated late but dreading it

Hi! Sorry to hear you’re having a tough time!

You’re right .. CD23 for me. I’ve been charting my BBT for the first time this month and it says I ovulated on CD17 .. I had mild period style cramping in the couple of days leading up to CD17 and it became more intense that evening, with my belly feeling bloated and tense, also some sharper pains. My chart seems to confirm ovulation so it’s a waiting game now. We didn’t DTD on CD17 as hubby was away with work, but we did on CD15, CD16 and CD18 so pretty covered hopefully!

I hope the nurse can put your mind at rest and arrange a scan if needed. Clomid can cause abdominal pain but you’re right to contact the nurse and get advice if it’s uncomfortable and worrying you!

I’ve just been checking out some information about Clomid side effects. Are you having any other symptoms .. shortness of breath, stomach swelling? Abdominal discomfort and bloating could be a common side effect of the Clomid, but deffo seek advice if it feels more than that! Hope you feel better soon x

Aww that sounds so promising for you! After the wait you've had, I really have everything crossed for you lovely.

I don't know if it's the Clomid or just me as I had this discomfort a bit last month, which was my third cycle of Letrozole. I feel fine in myself other than just feeling bloated and uncomfortable. I'm deffo going to get a scan in the next couple of days to at least put my mind at ease.

@Crazydoglady123 how are you getting on? Did you speak to the nurse?

Hey,

Yeah I spoke to her yesterday and she said they can't bring me in for a scan but if I'm happy to go to the private one that's fine so booked for tomorrow. She said it could be that I am ovulating and that because my body hasn't been doing it for possibly a long time, that my body could be really sensitive to the fluid that's released, like reacting to it. I said that I had similar pain last month but obviously had my blood tests that month which my PG levels showed I hadn't ovulated but she said stranger things have happened...she's had women have the same on a blood test and yet got pregnant that cycle so I am really hoping it's all a good sign and not a cyst but at least tomorrow I'll know for sure and put my mind at ease. My bloating eased yesterday but I still keep keep sharp twinges in my pelvic region.

How are you doing? Any signs for you?

No major symptoms for me, although I didn’t have many when I fell pregnant last year .. just bloating, fatigue and alot of gas and that was in the week leading up to the miscarriage. Before that I hadn’t noticed anything.

I'm so impatient to even know for you! Have got any early pregnancy tests or are you just going to wait till you're due on?

Hey @HT1507, how are you? I had me scan and feel totally fed up now Turns out I have a large cyst on my right ovary and 4 cysts on my left ovary and my left ovary is enlarged. They are all hemorrhagic and this is why I've been in so much pain and bloating. The big one is about 4.6cm and has a lot of fluid still inside it. I'm waiting to hear back from a consultant at the hospital to see what's going to happen. They seem to be a bit concerned that potentially if I released an egg out of every one of the cysts there's a chance of a pregnancy of 5 babies!!!!!

@Crazydoglady123 glad you went for the scan! A pregnancy of 5 babies? that would be a lot for anyone to handle! Do you have any idea what the next steps may be or are you totally in the dark until you speak to the consultant?

I know! No, until I hear back. I've just got to be careful and if I struggle to breathe or feel sick or the pain gets worse go to a & e

@HT1507 any good news your end?

@Crazydoglady123 I’ve got my BFP I’m very happy but also nervous due to the miscarriage in November. I’m going to take each day as it comes and just hope that I can carry a happy, healthy baby to full term this time!