Letrozole first cycle

[ChipAndDip]

Hi ladies,

I’m due to start taking letrozole next cycle for the first time, just waiting for my period to start. I’ve got some spotting so reckon it will be in the next couple of days.

I wanted to see if anyone else is at a similar stage and wants to join me on the journey? Or if you’re already taking it I’d love to hear your experiences!

I’ve been reading all about the side effects so I’m a little anxious, but generally just excited to give it a try! My cycles are very irregular, and although I always get a peak OPK recently this hasn’t happened until around CD32, so I have a lot of waiting to do! Really hope the letrozole speeds things up 🤞

@ceruleansky @Daisywillow17 @AnnieStar12 congratulations 🎉❤️ such good news xxx

Huge congrats to the recent BFPs, such amazing news!

Ive been laying low as my third round of letrozole has not brought a BFP. Back to my doc next week to talk next steps.

Best of luck to those of you who are still trying, letrozole does seem to have a good outcome for so many! Xxx

Tested today at 13dpo… in shock! My first cycle back on let after the miscarriage. (Have only had one period since June!)

took a while to sink in but getting excited now. Letrozole really does sometimes work so well, I’m so grateful for it

Oops, forgot to add photo!

@graceinc22 wow, congratulations! That’s great news.

Sadly, I found out I’ve had a missed miscarriage. Im 8 weeks now but there’s no heartbeat and growth has stopped. I’m booked in for medical management next week. The only silver lining is I found out now rather than at my 12 week scan as the fertility clinic were monitoring it all quite closely. Im just waiting for it to be over so I can start again, although I can’t quite believe I’m going to be right back to square 1.

Can I ask how long did it take after your miscarriage for you to start ovulating again? Seeing your message today has definitely given me hope!

So sorry to hear about your loss. It’s just such a painful thing and such a grief. Sending hugs ❤️

I ovulated post mc at 57 days - took absolutely forever!! It was really frustrating at the time, it felt like my body had gone into hibernation. I had to have a scan and everything but they didn’t find any problems - one nurse suggested my corpus luteum (which had turned into a cyst) may still have been producing some progesterone and stopping a period starting. I was offered provera but wanted to wait naturally. Finally finally my period came, I didn’t get pregnant that cycle but could then go back on let, and now, bingo!!

lots of people ovulate much sooner though - especially if the miscarriage is complete at slightly fewer weeks on. how close together do your periods tend to be?

wishing for your physical and emotional recovery ❤️

@graceinc22 thanks for the message. Glad your period finally got there and you were successful so quickly! I really hope I get mine sooner as it took us months of TTC to get this pregnancy so want to get started again asap! My cycles are usually quite standard around 28 days but I’ve heard lots of ppl say miscarriages can mess with their cycle lengths.

Hi everyone! It’s been really nice to read back through this thread and see everyone’s journeys.

I wanted to ask how everyone was getting on and if anyone had used letrazole for unexplained fertility? (I have a regular period 30ish days and get peak OPKs CD19-21)

I’m currently on round 2 of letrazole. Started on 2.5mg & my blood tests indicated I didn’t ovulate.
For context my fertility consultant told me not to use OPKs and just book a 21day blood test. BUT i did test with OPKs and got a peak on CD20 so I think my day 21 test would have been too early.

This cycle I was put on 5mg and again tested using OPKs and on CD14 I got the darker peak I had ever seen! (attached photo) Never had a peak so dark which was exciting. So my cycle day 21 blood test might actually be accurate.

AF is due on xmas day which is always fun.
We’ve been TTC for 2.5 years. I had an early MC 2 years ago at 6weeks after TTC for 6months and I’ve never fallen pregnant since.

Hi everyone, checking back in…

sorry @AnnieStar12 to read about your loss. I hope Christmas wasn’t too difficult a time for you ❤️ how are you getting on?

How are you progressing @graceinc22 ?

hi @Rosestar123 , how was round 2 for you?

I’m back on letrozole, round 4, after having a break due to not getting prescription in time. I’m usually a very regular ovulator (day13-14) but this cycle I’m day 19 and still no peak or even a rise :( has anyone else experienced this with letrozole? I also bbt so very certain I haven’t just missed it as temp is very low. Only other thing is I added Coq10 this month which I’ve read very anecdotally can delay ovulation, but I bought a very low dose of the cheap stuff so doubt it’s actually doing anything!

hi @Sierra26

So my 2nd cycle of let on 5mg, blood tests confirmed I ovulated!! But ended in a BFN. Mentally that hit me hard, even though I’ve been TTC for 2years - I think the fact ovulation was confirmed gave me hope.

Anyway - on my 3rd cycle and keeping with the 5mg and will book a Hycosy when my period starts. I’ve gone back to the assumption it’s not going to work.

Out of interest has your consultant mentioned the max number of months they will let you use let? Mine hasn’t mentioned - I went private but I was assuming it was around 6months

@Rosestar123 sorry that your cycle ended in disappointment, but great that you defs ovulated. if it gives you any hope - my consultant said that if you’re not a regular ovulator eg due to pcos then your ‘normal’ success chances only really start when you start letrozole. So it’s okay for it not to work first few times as not many people get pregnant on their first few tries.

My consultant said we can do up to 6 rounds (nhs), but we also have ivf consult in two weeks so expecting to switch to that instead. I’ve read people on here who’ve had more than a year of letrozole treatment though.

i finally got a positive lh test today so hoping we have a chance this round even though it’s taken a week longer to get there! Would love to get a BFP in final cycle before ivf…

@Sierra26 wishing you lots of luck!!

Yay for peak LH!

I read so many stories that people get their BFP the cycle before IVF!! So I hope that’s you (or even sooner!)

Hi, just thought I'd check in and see how everyone is doing?

I'm currently on cycle 3 of let at 7.5mg (first two cycles 2.5mg & 5mg I had no response) - don't think I've ever ovulated!
Have follicle tracking scan on Friday - day 11, fingers crossed for some positive news this time!

Hey everyone! I am on cd3 of my first letrozole round and 2 out of 5 days of taking the 2.5mg dose. I ended up going private, have a scan booked on cd14 and am trying not to be too optimistic. I experience anovulatory cycles even though I have a regular period. On cycles I do ovulate, it’s usually around cd18-20! Short(ish) luteal as AF usually arrives 10-12DPO too. I’ve heard letrozole can impact lining development so I’m supplementing with vit c, d, e and b6 too! I’m not convinced this will be my month, but I’m happy to finally be trying something after 2+ years TTC!

good luck to you all and congratulations to those who already have their bpf

Hi all, no luck for me so far. I’m approaching end of 4th letrozole cycle, have 5th arranged but also have first ivf consult this week so we may not go on to 5th cycle.

Ive had no success, but I was already a regular ovulator so think my issue is further on in the cycle (or egg quality).

As a whole I’ve felt really let down by the management of the whole process (nhs). Not being able to contact the clinic, them only being open two days a week, so missing the best days for scans, trigger shots not being available when I’m meant to have them, doctors telling me contradicting things, no continuity of care/investigation between appts, people walking in while I’m being scanned, self diagnosing, having to run through my full history each time, doctors referring to other people’s notes when talking to me, spending hours in waiting rooms and going back and forth for prescriptions that I’ve had to remind them to write, and for blood tests I’ve had to remind them to book. Fortunately I self educated and took full control, and ended up process managing the whole thing myself, but the whole thing has been mentally painful and so frustrating. And all of this was with me having done all the tests privately first.

I’ll be glad to move on to ivf and get away from it :(

Sorry to be a downer, hope everyone is having a better experience than I’ve had!!

@Sierra26 sounds like you’ve had a rough ride. Hopefully your IVF journey will be smoother.

I’m on cycle 3 and hoping to have IUI procedure today - am booked for a scan this afternoon to check all okay beforehand.

Hi

I hope everyone is doing ok on their journeys.

I am due to start letrozole this month so feeling excited/nervous. I normally have regular cycles of 30-34 days but this month it's delayed so I have been prescribed norethiserone to help kick start my cycle. (Pcos)

I've taken this before to help with some tests and it was prescribed for 10 days. This time it's been prescribed for 5. Does anyone have any experience of taking the norethiserone for a letrozole cycle?

@Daydreaming91 Hi - good luck on your cycle, are you doing this on the NHS or private? I'm on NHS and I have been inducing my cycle with norethisterone before Letrozole. I find the norethisterone has more side effects than the Let. I've induced 3 times as first two cycles of Let I haven't responded to. 2.5mg and 5mg. Last cycle I took 7.5mg, went for follicle tracking scan on Friday and I've responded and have one dominant follicle, can't explain how exciting it is after being told no go for the first two!
Waiting for a date for blood test this week to confirm ovulation but feels like starting to get somewhere and in with a chance

@hopeanddreams great news about the dominant follicle! and it only takes one time of ovulation / one sperm if everything lines up. i got pregnant on the first cycle back on letrozole after my miscarriage (after releasing one egg), obviously not everyone is so fortunate but sometimes it really does work.

@Sierra26 sorry you've had such a frustrating time of things with your clinic and with letrozole in general. thanks for checking in. I'm 11 weeks tomorrow. cautiously optimistic that this time, maybe the baby will be ok xx

Hi all.
So 3rd cycle on Letrazole (2nd on 5mg as it was confirmed I ovulate on 5mg) and it’s 11dpo and a negative test.

Really thought this month was it. We were planning on booking Thailand and I said to OH let’s wait until I test - just incase it’s positive.

We are now going to take a “break” from TTC as traveling to Thailand - I had hoped this month would be it. But I suppose one way to fight the sadness is to go abroad!

I think when we are back, we will take a private Zika test and then resume TTC. I have 2 months of Let left so I assume once those are finished the next step is IVF.

Just have 4stone to lose! Sos

@hopeanddreams we were private but now on the NHS after seeing the cost of the scans each cycle 😬. I'm so dizzy on Nores!

That's exciting you have reacted to the 7.5, keeping everything crossed for you!

@Daydreaming91 How is your cycle going?

@graceinc22 Thank you for your kind words - keeping everything crossed!

Little update - after having a dominant follicle it took a week of blood tests to finally confirm ovulation (YAY!). They have estimated I ovulated some time between day 18-20, therefore I'm thinking the TTW window will be up this coming weekend. Everything from the NHS seems so vague! Bu no matter what happens this cycle it looking like I will bleed naturally (double yay as Northisterone seems to upset me) and then stay on a 7.5mg Letrozole dose.

@hopeanddreams

That's positive news! Keeping everything crossed for you and hope the TWW doesn't drag!

The clinic actually told me told to take the letrozole in the end this cycle because I am having a HYCOSY tomorrow and you can't be potentially pregnant to have one. Hoping that everything comes back ok and we can have attempt number 1 on letrozole next cycle.

So I had my HYCOSY Friday and everything come back ok which is positive. They actually told me to start letrozole that day even though I was on day 8 of my cycle. She did say that the first couple of months are about getting the dose right anyway so better to start now then 'waste' a cycle. Here's hoping to something!

@Obione1 sorry just reading this thread and wondered with your cycle with 4 follicles did you have a trigger shot or not ? Thanks