Letrozole

[Hgy90]

Hey everyone, I’ve been TTC for 1.5 years now and recently went to a fertility doctor who prescribed me with Letrozole (2.5mg). I’m due to start taking it on day 2 of my next cycle. Yesterday and today I’ve had brown period - should I count this as my period has started or wait for red blood and count that as day 1? Sorry if this is TMI!!

Also, is anyone else starting Letrozole and/or had any success on it?

many thanks!

Hi! I would wait for the red blood. It’s my first Letrozole cycle too and I’m on day 6.. had some spotting a few days before period ‘properly’ started and was told to wait for first day of proper flow.

I’ve been reading lots on forums about it and hope this is a good month for us both 🤞🏽

I conceived DD with letrozole and always discounted the brown spotting blood at the start to wait for the proper flow. Took us 3 cycles (with a dose increase for cycles 2 & 3). Good luck!

@septembersapphire7 Hey! Thanks for replying, I’ll wait for that to start 😊 Nice to have someone else on the journey too and starting the same cycle!

Ive been reading all the forums too! Maybe too obsessively 😂 Have you had any side effects since taking it?

Me too 🤞🏼🙏🏼

@YorkshireTeaCup Great news! Thanks for sharing - gives me hope that it does work!

@Hgy90 no side effects so far so hoping I get away without any 😬 I have been drinking a LOT of water to try and prevent headaches which is the main thing I wanted to avoid. How about you?

my consultant told me to aim for sex on days 9, 11, 13 and 15 but I’m going to be going for every other day if I can… it’s been such a long journey but I finally have some sort of hope after so long.

Hi!

I was originally on Clomid last year which didn’t work for me but I somehow fell pregnant when I ended it after 3 years of trying! This unfortunately ended in a mmc so I went back to my consultant who tried me on letrozole earlier this year. It worked first cycle! Sadly again this ended but was ectopic (I like to look positively at it being 2 very unrelated but unlucky losses rather than being 2 of the same and a recurring issue).

However I’ll be starting back on letrozole on my next cycle and feeling really positive after the success of the 1st cycle last time!

My main side effects on it was insomnia, I would struggle to go to sleep on a night when taking them no matter how hard I tried! Also I didn’t bother aiming for every other day (after 3 year it just became too much) and I relied heavily on the ovulation tests making sure we done it on my peak day and the following day which obviously done the trick!

Good luck to you 🤞🏽

How exciting! I have no advice as for when to start it. But after 4 years of TTC, we discovered I had PCOS and wasn't ovulating. Cycle 2 of letrozole done the trick!

Conceived naturally first cycle for DS2.

Still beyond thankful that such medication is available. Good luck!! X

@septembersapphire7 That’s good then! Yes that’s a good plan, I hear a lot of people get headaches when taking it.
Ahh it’s so hard to know how often to try and have sex. Every other day is good going 😂

@Hopingfor3rdtimelucky So sorry to hear about your losses. Got everything crossed for you!
Insomnia doesn’t sound good! But will take it if it means a success 😊
Good to know that you only did it on peak and day after! Could I ask what ovulation test/kit you used please? I’ve used so many and can’t decide which one is best 😂

@junkdrawer That’s so good to hear, thanks for sharing! Fingers crossed we all have the same quick success too!

@Hgy90 thank you really appreciate it! ☺️

yeah whenever I have any side effects I just tell myself it’s only for the 5 days haha that should help!

I just get the easy@home ones from Amazon and then use the Premom app to take pictures of them and it tracks the level etc and lets you know high/peak.

Will you be getting any scans through your cycle to check your progress of the follicles?

@Hopingfor3rdtimelucky That’s a very good way of looking at it! I’ll take that onboard!

Ah yes, I started using the easy@home ones last month (before I went to speak to a consultant)! They seem good and the app is great as it does all the working out for you!
I didn’t seem to peak last month. It went from low to high (for one day) and then back to low the day after. At which point the app then automatically changed my high to a peak!
So I’m hoping that changes this month with taking the letrozole 😊

@Hgy90 mine did exactly the same! I was testing 3 times a day too so I didn’t miss it haha and the highest I ever got was 0.8 when I fell pregnant so I wouldn’t worry too much about it going past 1, as long as you have a clear raised amount I would go with that!

@Hopingfor3rdtimelucky Oh haha that’s good to know, thanks.
After your peak day and the day after, did you stop using the ovulation sticks or did you keep using them all the way through?

Sorry for all the questions!!

@Hgy90 no it’s fine ask away!

I kept on testing for around a week after just to be sure but wasn’t as strict so back to 1 a day instead of the 3 etc!

@Hopingfor3rdtimelucky good to know, thanks 😊

Just in case you don't know, if you are taking letrozole due to PCOS, ovulation sticks are not really accurate. Best just to get jiggy every other day after your period stops 🤭😂 If you are getting scans though (which you definitely should be!), then the doctor will tell you when the egg is about to be released. I was scanned every other day and the dr even told me how big the egg needed to be to the mm!

How is everyone getting on?

@Hgy90 hello! Hoping to start back on letrozole soon, have to have another dye test done before I can 👎🏽How are you getting on?

@Hopingfor3rdtimelucky Is the dye test where they put the dye in to check your fallopian tubes are clear?

Yes okay thanks, I took my first cycle of Letrozole, had my Day 11 scan and had a large follicle that was about to blow so was instructed to DTD that night and the 2 nights after. However, yesterday morning (which was only 4DPO) I started getting brown blood, which means my period is on its way! Very frustrating and seems very close to my ovulation time too which is worrying!!

@Hgy90 yeah that’s the one! with them removing a tube they want to just make sure the other one is nice and healthy before starting me on any medication again!

If brown blood is normal for you then it could mean anything I wouldn’t rule yourself out yet!! Keep us updated though, also really positive news that you had a large follicle so at least the tablets have worked so try and focus on that 😊

@Hopingfor3rdtimelucky Ah yes, well I have heard that that procedure has often helped ladies get pregnant shortly after they flush the tube! So fingers crossed for you!

Thank you, I will try focus on the positives!! Just very draining at times haha but I’m back in for a scan in a few days so at least I can mention my concerns soon re my last cycle 😊

Hi sorry to jump in, I’m on 3rd round of letrozole, waiting to see if i actually ovulated this time, first 2 rounds I didn’t do this is our last chance to see if it works before moving to injections! Sending everyone lots of luck 😊

@Alexis7890 ahh good luck! How are they testing whether you ovulated?

@Hgy90 ultrasounds, there was a potential follicle on Thursday at 16mm then another one on Thursday morning to see if there’s a corpus luteum. Last 2 cycles I haven’t had any follicles over 10mm so some progress!! I have bad PCOS and don’t ovulate naturally so getting to 16mm is progress just wait and see if it kept growing and actually did it’s thing properly!!

Hello ladies, I know this thread is a little old now but I just wondered if any of you had had a positive outcome in the months since last posting?

I have been prescribed Letrozole for when my next cycle starts in a couple of weeks so any advice would be very welcome.

Hi @hipposinacircle i did 4 rounds of letrozole in the end before moving on to injections as I only ovulated once on letrozole cycle 3. Probably not the outcome you were hoping for! I needed something stronger but I don’t ovulate or have any cycles at all naturally and it does work for lots of people. Sending you lots of luck!!xx