Laparoscopy/drilling/dye test all clear but no ovulation on my own…

[cbear1989]

currently recovering from my surgery which I had yesterday where I had a laparoscopy to check my womb lining and take a biopsy, the dye test to check my tubes and ovarian drilling. All looked okay and healthy which is good news but also worrying as I can’t really understand why I can’t seem to ovulate on my own and conceive my first baby…

to give a very quick background of my case, came off my pill in June 2021 so have been actively trying since then. Have never ovulated without medication since then. Started off on clomid, first round I started on the low dosage and didn’t ovulate, second time I doubled up and used the trigger shot which I’ve also repeated (I think) 4 more times with one failed letrozole in between which did nothing. With the double dosage of clomid and trigger I’ve always ovulated but I’ve had a consistent problem with a very thin womb lining meaning I still wasn’t getting periods.

After ovulation my lining still wasn’t thick enough to shed so I couldn’t take the provera tablet to induce a period. On the third from last cycle though my lining got to about 8mm so I took progesterone pessaries after ovulation but my lining didn’t stay thick enough to shed. On the second from last it got to around 8mm again but for the first time had the three layers on my lining, which I think is more important… so I took provera and had a period. On my most recent cycle just before Christmas my lining was 9.4mm and stayed nice and thick, I wasn’t pregnant but this time had a natural period for the first time that started on NYD.

just curious really if anyone has had any success in a similar situation where you just aren’t ovulating? My consultant told us to wait and see if I have a period post op and then we can try three more rounds of clomid before we can have one attempt at IVF via the NHS.

the waiting and losing hope is the hardest thing! So desperate for a baby so would just love to hear from anyone going through anything similar or who has had success in a similar route to pregnancy? Starting to feel like it’s just never gonna happen for us, especially as my op didn’t show anything wrong to treat which is obviously good but leaves us so confused to why my body just isn’t working.

Bump

anybodyyyy? :(

@cbear1989 found this thread and thought I would ask how you've got on since?! Do/did you have PCOS? I am in a similar situation.

Had to have Ovarian Drilling and checking of tubes, all fine. Currently on first round of 2.5mg Letrozole but it's not working...no ovulation. I also don't have my own periods. Can I ask, when you went to the next round of Letrozole/Clomid, did you have to induce a period to start it? You mentioned your lining wasn't thick enough to do this...so how did you begin your cycle to start Let/Clomid? Thanks!

Hi @sl7uk 👋

Of course, always helps knowing that you're not alone in these things.

I have been diagnosed with PCOS. when I first started I just wasn't having periods at all, god knows why. it was a while ago now but I had issues with my womb lining for my first couple of cycles and so didn't have a bleed, they also said at that point that there would be no point taking provera as my lining was so thin that the medication just wouldn't bring on a bleed.

I then had a few cycles of doing random starts and it took a few go's before I got it right. I'm not sure of the name for it is but on scans they look for a 3 line appearance on your lining and I just didn't have that for the first few rounds. Once I did though I took provera to start the next cycle and had a bleed. funnily enough the last 2 or 3 unsuccessful cycles I haven't needed provera as I had a period myself. Although that period is still due to medication as when I don't take clomid nothing happens, but hey its progress without taking provera I guess 😅😅

In terms of where I am now... I managed to speak with my consultant this week and I've asked to move to IVF which is pretty scary but I don't feel like I'm getting anywhere doing so many rounds of clomid.

I'm going on holiday in a few weeks so we've agreed to start once I'm back (and hopefully relaxed after some r&r😅🙈). have my initial appointment on 22nd August as I need to be on a low dosage because I have high AMH so am at risk of ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome... so a bit apprehensive but trying to stay positive

How's things with you, what's your journey so far? hope that's helpful, my advice is do lots of research and take control if you need to, don't be fobbed off 🤪🤪

@cbear1989 thanks so much for your reply, always nice to hear other people's journey as it can be a bit isolating! How many Letrozole/Clomid cycles have you now done? And how many did you ovulate on? When did your period start on it's own after the failed Let/Clomid cycles? (sorry so many Qs!)

I haven't been told what my next step will be, but hoping to discuss this at my CD21 progesterone blood test. In my mind I'm going to try 4 cycles of Letrozole before I say I want to move to something different, as I'm not sure I'm mentally geared up for IVF just yet!

Did you do gonadotropin injections for a cycle before your IVF decision, or have you come to accept IVF is the route for you?!

Also, slightly off topic, but do you have any other PCOS symptoms like acne? Really struggling with mine x

Anytime! it's hugely lonely and upsetting so I feel your pain, we've got this!!

My history is I started off on clomid, 1st didn't work, 2nd we doubled up the dosage which worked but I didn't ovulate. After that the winning formula for me has been double dosage of clomid followed by the trigger shot and then progesterone pessaries. In between my cycles we had one go on letrozole but it did absolutely nothing so my body seems to react better to clomid. I can't actually remember how many we've done... I'd say including the letrzole and clomids and that failed probably about 7 or something? we've been using medication since May 22 and I had a break after Christmas which I really needed for my own sanity...

I've not really got a cycle without medication, but when I did have a natural period it came pretty much 2 weeks after ovulation so bang on time.

what have you tried so far? have you had any rounds yet of clomid or letrozole yet? found anything that works for you?

tbh I contacted my consultant because my treatment plan is that I'm supposed to try 2 more rounds of clomid and then it was IVF. we've had a few rounds now where everything has looked really positive but we still haven't had any luck, so I just didn't want to keep putting myself through clomid and having the same result... I feel like with trying IVF at least we might learn something about what might be failing.

Not really had any other PCOS symptoms though tbh... feel like i have a bit of hormonal weight gain on my lower tummy although I have been feeling sorry for myself and comfort eating a little so its probs a bit of both😅😅