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 🤞

@AnnieStar12 thanks for sharing all of that! Amazing to hear your clinic are willing to open on a Sunday to get the right timing if needed. Although understand why you would have preferred for them to have just got on with it already! Hopefully you can still relax a bit this weekend.

I’m in London so yes, if you wouldn’t mind I’d really appreciate the name of your clinic. PM me if you prefer (I have no idea how to do that 😬).

@AnnieStar12 we sound even more similar now ! I’m with a private clinic too and they have suggested a few round of medicated IUI too for the same reason. We used the trigger because we did bloods and my LH level was only 11.5, which they told me was still rising and not at peak but the follicle was 20mm and lining was good so they went with the trigger. I’m not ready for IVF though and find it very invasive so really really hoping this works. Wish you luck with your procedure in the next few days.

@Sierra26 all the best to you too for your cycle !

So my home tests showed LH starting to rise naturally on Saturday night and so the clinic told me to do the trigger and then they did the IUI on Sunday morning. I don't actually think I've ovulated yet though (I can normally feel it) so will try naturally tonight just to increase the chances!

@bstrong0805 - how long did your clinic wait in between trigger shot and IUI? I've read so many different opinions about the optimal timing! Mine was only like 12 hours so I hope that in the end it wasn't done too early after all my worrying about it getting late!! Yes I hear you about wanting to avoid IVF, let's hope this works!

@Sierra26 - it is Bridge Clinic London, based in Kings Cross. Feel free to DM if you have any questions x

How are you all finding the TWW? I think this one will be hard as the trigger shot rules out early testing meaning I will just have to wait the full two weeks which seems like forever!!

@AnnieStar12 I waited just over 18 hours to which I questioned also as being early. I did the trigger on Thursday at 3pm, IUI on Friday at 11am. I felt ovulation pains on Saturday morning so I think I ovulated about 36 hours after the trigger. The doctor said better early than late as sperm can survive for 2-3 days at least. So now in the TWW !

@bstrong0805 thanks for that. It's reassuring to know you had it the next day too. I've been reading some more about it today, and have found some studies that say there's actually better results doing it closer together, so who knows! I probably need to find a new hobby for the next two weeks so that I stop thinking about it as it's all done now!

I'm really struggling to know if I've actually ovulated today - I've been feeling "heavy" around my womb since yesterday evening, but not exactly ovulation cramping like I often get. Also, I've done some OPK test at intervals throughout the day and they are all over the place but I think that must be because of the trigger shot - anyone else have this issue? I usually get a really neat and quick rise and then decline of LH within 24/36 hours. But I'm now still getting super high readings 48 hours after the rise started...

@AnnieStar12 yes the doctor told me not to track OPK after the trigger shot as it messes with the hormones so I haven’t tested.

Hi ladies just checking in to see how you are all doing? 8/9dpo here, not entirely sure when I ovulated after the trigger. Starting to get antsy & wonder about every twinge. Hope everyone is doing well!

Hi all! So I got my period end of last week which means I’m no longer in the letrozole crew 😔 I need to call my clinic to discuss next steps, but I might see if I can do another few months of let while I wait for further tests (I’m on the wait list for a laparoscopy and will also need a hycosy) 🤞

I hope everyone else is doing well! x

@ChipAndDip so sorry to hear that, so disappointing. I’ve only got two months script but I’m hoping to do one more after this round & see. Spoke to a friend last week who’s sister conceived the month after stopping 3 rounds of letrozole - so here’s hoping there’s something to that 🤞🏻

@ChipAndDip sorry to hear that ! My doctor made us do a hycosy even before starting letrozole- it was not pleasant procedure ! But they say it helps flush the tubes and sometimes just that helps too. Lots of stories of people getting pregnant in the 2-3 cycles after hycosy.

@Lovemusic2015 same here about 5/6 DPO at the moment. No obvious signs but thankfully I’m very busy at work this month so it is taking my mins off the TWW !

@AnnieStar12 hope you are feeling fine too !

@ChipAndDip I'm so sorry, hope you're able to do something nice for yourself. What a rollercoaster! Did you do three rounds already? Guess it makes sense to keep trying with Letrozole while you wait for next steps. Hopefully you won't need to wait too long for those tests. Will you do IVF/ICSI if you are offered it?

@Lovemusic2015 always good to hear those positive stories - there just seems so much randomness to fertility and what works for who and when.

@bstrong0805 lucky you are busy at work, all distractions welcome during the dreaded TWW!

I'm now 2DPO so a way to go..

When will you all start testing? Will you be strict and wait for the full 14 days? I know Ovitrelle can give false positives for up to 10 days so that means anything before 8 or 9 DPO wont' be accurate, and probably too early anyways.

Sorry @ChipAndDip :( Let us know what the clinic say about next steps.

I’m 10dpo and started spotting this morning, which usually means I’m 2-3 days out from my period. So basically I’m out.

This is only first medicated cycle but I just know it’s not going to work. My problem isn’t with ovulation, it’s something else. I’m going to ask my consultant for pdg support for next round. They’ll say they don’t think I need it cus my day 21 results are always fine, but I’m convinced it drops too sharply after that, and surely it can’t do any harm to try it. If they won’t grant it I’ll ask for the IVF referral, and while waiting will do once round of private IUI.

This is all so devastatingly shit. I would have made so many different life choices if I’d known we were going to face all of this. Why am I working myself in to the ground in a senior, stressful and challenging job just to set myself up for a time in my life that may never come. I’m going to need therapy 😅

@ChipAndDip i did a HyCoSy in July before I started letrozole, nothing found on it but I heard it increases chances so wanted to di it.

@Sierra26 sorry to hear you feel it hasn’t worked this round but a lot of people say it doesn’t work first time. It is absolutely shit & the lack of control around it is something I majorly struggle with.

Having said that I had a very faint positive yesterday & a slightly stronger one today - still faint though. I’m not suppose to text until tomorrow which would be 14 days past the trigger. As todays one is darker than yesterday I’m hoping this is it & not the trigger. We had a chemical last year so we’ll see how the next week goes….

@Sierra26 argh, I’m sorry it’s not worked this month. Hope you get those tests you asked for. I know, it’s so rubbish when you plan your life around expecting to be pregnant and then come up against fertility issues. I can totally relate to this!! And feel free to DM if you want to know any more details about the private clinic I mentioned I’m doing my IUI with if you do decide to go down that route.

@Lovemusic2015 sounds exciting! Getting a darker line is very promising. I had a chemical a few months ago and the line didn’t get darker which was what got me suspicious something wasn’t right. Good luck with next few days, hopefully the clinic will scan you soon to confirm?!

@Lovemusic2015 very exciting - hope this is your month !!

I have another week to go so just waiting ! Weekdays are better because work is crazy, but weekends are worse because I’m back to symptom spotting ! Lol. Only officially have to test next Friday !

@AnnieStar12 yes that happened me too but think it got darker initially & then no longer. I didn’t take a pic Thursday but todays seems darker than yesterday so fingers crossed.

@bstrong0805 I know what you mean, very busy week this week which was great, hard to keep the brain distracted!

After 20 months ttc #2 this definitely doesn’t feel real, but it’s feels great to see a positive. Really hoping this is our little miracle!

@Lovemusic2015 that looks really promising !!

@Lovemusic2015 those lines looks very exciting!!

Hey everyone,

I have just started my first cycle of Letrozole, currently taking the medication between day 2-6 of my cycle. Currently on day 4.

Taking 2.5mg to start off with. Going to have a monitoring scan day 13. When did everyone else have their monitoring scans?

Thanks ladies, had a positive on a digital earlier so we’ll see how the week goes. I’ll get in touch with gp & consultant later in the week if all is still going ok.

welcome @Daisywillow17 I’m with a private fertility consultant & on round 1 had 5mg & scanned on day 12 & on round 2, I was scanned on day 11 as it happened to be a Friday & no scans at the weekend. Hope you’re coping ok with any side effects so far!

@Lovemusic2015 fingers crossed for you!

@Daisywillow17 welcome! And good luck. I’m on my first round, also did 2.5mg and got two follicles. Today is CD 20, so currently in the TWW. My clinic ended up doing monitoring scans on days 7,9 and 11. I’m with a private clinic and am taking Letrozole as part of an IUI round so the extra scans were to monitor the follicle growth in order to time the procedure just right. Which I had on CD 13.

@Lovemusic2015 how many DPO did you get your first positive?

@AnnieStar12 thank you for the welcome, this has been my first post on mumsnet!

Were you able to see the growth on days 7 and 9? I have concerns that as this is my first cycle day 13 for my scan might be too late! We have been told to abstain until we have the scan. Might ask to if I can have a scan before hand.

Congratulations @Lovemusic2015! how many rounds of Letrozole did it take for you?

@Daisywillow17 welcome. I have long cycles typically 34-35 days and with 5mg letrozole I ovulated on day 14/15. They scanned me on day 11 and did a blood test a day after. I’m with a private clinic.
@Lovemusic2015 so excited for you !!!

@AnnieStar12 I wasn’t supposed to test until Saturday as took a trigger shot two weeks ago. So it was 11/12 dpo on Friday when I tested & got a faint line. Obviously I didn’t know it that was still the trigger so relieved it got darker Saturday & today. I normally have a 12 day luteal phase too. It’s still very early days I know…

@Daisywillow17 this was the second cycle with 5mg letrozole. 20 months ttc in total & first positive since chemical last November. Fingers & toes & everything crossed!