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Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

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Original poster

Noteof warning about Clomid

19 replies

leamington · 14/05/2008 21:26

Just wanted to post this after seeing my gynae today for infertility problems.

When I asked about Clomid he said he could not prescribe it until he had done even more blood tests on me as you have to be absolutely sure your particular infertility problems are such that Clomid is correct for you.

He said that, if prescribed in the wrong circumstances it can 'completely shut the overies down' ie in effect cause menopause (he has seen this happen in practice where it was prescribed before the results of proper blood tests were reviewed). I think it is in cases where levels of FSH in the blood are already increasing

Just wanted to pass this on as I have seen a number of times on here people talking about passing on to others their unused Clomid or getting it from sources other than a gynae.

From what I've been told today that sounds very risky
Thanks

OP posts:

OracleInaCoracle · 14/05/2008 21:30

very good point, and well said. never, ever, ever use someone elses medication. it can be very dangerous!

OracleInaCoracle · 14/05/2008 21:30

on another note, how did it go?

Eleveld · 14/05/2008 21:32

Hi Lissielou

Not great unfortunately. Seems like my only chance of conceiving is IVF

OracleInaCoracle · 14/05/2008 21:34

oh crap. whens your follow up?

Eleveld · 14/05/2008 21:35

I really need to get the hang of computers!

Was helping a friend set up on here, ended up posting my first message whilst still logged in under her new name and then posted my second logged in as me!!

Sorry for the confusion!

OracleInaCoracle · 14/05/2008 21:36

its ok, i figured it out

Eleveld · 14/05/2008 21:37

Have got to have a final blood test on day 2 of cycle (whenever the hell that may arrive, am currently on day 52).

If the levels of FSH are as he is expecting then he said the only option is IVF so he'd refer me then.

Only problem is we really can't afford IVF

OracleInaCoracle · 14/05/2008 21:39

do you not qualify for funding? or would you consider egg share?

flossie64 · 14/05/2008 21:41

Very interesting . I was given this by my GP 5 yrs down the line ,after seeing what seems like millions of doctors, I have been confirmed as in the menopause.Just had a DEXA scan to check bone density.
I had rising FSH ,so I suppose I am one of those who were put into early menopause. I am only 43 now.
I find that devestating as I would have loved another child, but it is impossible now

Eleveld · 14/05/2008 21:42

Unfortunately I'm too old!

Am 38. He said I'm too old for a go on the NHS. I would definitely consider egg sharing but apparently you have to be under 36.

Am determined to have at least one go so we're just going to have to find the money somewhere.

It really frustrates me that these things come down to whether you've got a big bank balance!

Eleveld · 14/05/2008 21:47

Flossie64 - I am so sorry to hear that.

I sincerely hope my message hasn't made you feel worse about it and convinced your doctor made an error.

I suppose there's no way of knowing whether an error was made but that doesn't help you.

Am very sorry for what has happened to you

flossie64 · 14/05/2008 21:52

Well I will never know .
I was told after 3.5 yrs that I was not even suitable for IVF,as all my eggs were gone.
I just wonder as my family have a history of late menopause not early.
I have not had a cycle to speak of since having my dd at 38.
I wish you all the luck in the world as I would give anything to give my Dh the 2nd child he so desparately wanted.

Eleveld · 14/05/2008 21:54

Thanks flossie64 but I feel terrible now. I was genuinly posting my message in the hope that it may help/warn others, not to make someone feel worse about their situation.

Really sorry

flossie64 · 14/05/2008 22:00

Don't feel terrible . Just keep trying as it will all be worth it in the end.

glastochick · 15/05/2008 12:53

This is really scary. My best friend has just been prescribed Clomid at 50mg. Been told to take it on days 2 to 6. She's been TTC for 13 months. Her Dr hasn't run any tests on her at all. Surely they can't prescribe if sending a woman into early menopause is a side effect? It sounds absolutely awful! What are the circumstances in which this would occur?

Sorry, feeling a bit scared now for my friend now. Was really excited that this could work and her dreams would come true.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 15/05/2008 14:09

Glastochick

Your friend should be referred now to a subfertility unit. If there are underlying problems connected with ovulation this should be dealt with further by a gynae; this is not for GPs to try and treat.

Clomid should not be prescribed unless there is definative proof that a woman is not ovulating regularly or at all. If the woman is ovulating clomid can actually have the reverse effect (albeit till the drug treatment stops).

Clomid also ideally should be prescribed by a gynae rather than a GP as monitoring should be done whilst on this drug treatment (it can affect hormone levels markedly). If no monitoring is done there is no way of knowing whether clomid is doing its job properly. What clomid does is to make the ovaries work harder.

glastochick · 15/05/2008 14:21

Thanks Attila

I will tell her to speak to her GP and ask for a referral. She's been going through such a rollercoaster this year, what with one thing and another on top of TTC, that I want her to conceive; but I want her to be safe at the same time.

I know her cycles are regular, and she has no reason to believe she's not ovulating, although without tests she can't really be sure, right? I'm actually quite that she was prescribed Clomid on her first visit to the Dr when I've heard of other people on these boards going through lots of tests for months before being prescribed it.

Thanks again

WorzselMummage · 15/05/2008 14:30

My Dr refused to prescribe Clomid even though he said it looks like i need to, I think i remember him saying that they were not supposed to prescribe it nowerdays because of the risk of overian hyperstimulation syndrome.

I wouldn't have minded but he refused to refer me aswell lol.

I wish he had prescribed it as it is some what tempting to buy it online although i am not sure id ever actually have the guts to take it.

Eleveld · 16/05/2008 12:20

Hi Glastochick

I'm not an expert, and I really don't want to scare you but from what I remember him saying, it's like Atilla said.

He said Clomid works the opposite of how people think. I think it does something like slow the ovaries down so that the pituitory gland then produces more of the hormones (FSH being one of them) so then the ovaries start working overtime and produce more eggs. I may have not got that strictly correct but it was something like that!

He said that in my case it looks like the pituitory gland is already producing excessive amounts of FSH but my ovaries are not responding so prescirbing Clomid could just shut the ovaries down completely. He has to do another blood test on day 2 so see what my FSH levels are like then before making any decisions.

He said he has only ever prescribed Clomid once in his life and he's been a gynae for years.

I don't want to scare anyone, and I'm sure most people get the relevant tests before being prescribed. I just wanted to pass it on as it sounded quite an important point (it was more for people that I've seen talking about using someone's else's Clomid as their GP/gynae wouldn't prescribe it to them. From what I've been told this could be very dangerous as there's probably a reason why they haven't been prescribed it)

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