Letrozole - How long did it take to ovulate?

[Hannahx1992]

Hi All,

I have PCOS, no cycle at all since stopping the pill 18m ago, and high AMH.

I have just finished by 4th round of letrozole and i am currently cycle day 8.

I have previously had 3 cycles of 5mg with the following results:
Round 1 - Ovulation Day 24
Round 2 - Ovulation Day 21
Round 3 - No Ovulation

I have started a 4th round but at an increased dose of 7.5mg.

So my questions are:
What day do you ovulate when taking letrozole?
If you increased your dose did you ovulate faster?

This will be my final round of letrozole before IUI next month, so looking for a miracle! 🤞

Round 1 2.5mg: CD18
Round 2 2.5mg: CD17
Round 3 2.5mg: CD23
Round 4 2.5mg: CD40
Round 5 5mg: CD13
Round 6 5mg: CD15
Round 7 5mg: CD12 - this was our last round and luckily it worked for us

Getting the dose to 5mg worked for me. 2.5mg wasn't working properly.

This gives me some hope. Really hoping increasing the dose will shorten my cycle.

Glad it worked for you! X

With the lower dose even though I was eventually ovulating the follicle size was still on the smaller size, this increased with the higher dose this my body clearer needed the extra amount. Fingers crossed for you, good luck x

Hoping this is the case for me.
We have been paying privately so haven’t been monitored as was extra cost, just had bloods every 7 days to confirm if ovulation had occurred or not. X

I did 3 rounds back in 2020 - first round of 2.5mg didn't work at all. Second round of 5mg resulted in ovulation but not pregnancy. Both those cycles were monitored with ultrasound. Without looking it up, im sure i got my period at almost exactly 28 days after the second cycle, so i presume i ovulated around day 14-15. So did a third (unmonitored) cycle which resulted in DD1 and based on dates / measurement, I think I ovulated around day 18.

DD2 was a natural conception with ovulation on about day 26!

Thanks, always good to hear success stories! X

So yesterday, CD14 I got a peak on a clear blue digital, solid smiley face. However I just don’t ‘feel’ like I’m ovulating.
I have only had confirmed ovulation 3 times previously in my life, but I have felt it.
I took a cheap strip test which looked nowhere near positive.
doubled checked the digital and there’s no sign of flooding.
has anyone had this before? Is my body trying? Are the clear blues more sensitive?

thanks!

Hey @Hannahx1992 did you manage to get to the bottom of this? Only commenting as I'm on Letrozole too and last cycle I got a positive on the Clearblue tests but the cheap ones were nowhere near so I asked my clinic for a blood test which confirmed I hadn't ovulated.. not sure why the Clearblue gave me a positive!! Only thing I can think is that my body tried to and didn't quite get a big enough spike, but the CB picked it up?

I was the same as you where I just knew my body hadn't because I get clear signs like CM and also really sore boobs afterwards, and I'd had neither. Hopefully this wasn't the case for you but just thought I'd let you know it happened to me! x

Hi!

Yes I had bloods and didn’t ovulate. I knew I hadn’t, nothing else seemed to add up.

I am now on day 24 with no sign of ovulation. Have been testing and temping and no signs.

On days 18/19 I began to bleed. I thought my period had arrived but it just stopped after. That’s never happened before on the letrozole.

I really can’t understand why it was worked twice on a lower dose then stopped. But I guess that’s just part of this rollercoaster!

how long have you been on Letrozole? Has it worked at all for you?

x

Well good for you for knowing your body/trusting your gut!! I felt EACTLY the same and I could tell the nurses were getting a little irritated thinking I was just overthinking things.. I think you just know your own body don't you so sometimes it is worth being pushy rather than just waiting around. I'm sorry you didn't ovulate though, I know how frustrating it is when you put so much energy/effort into each cycle for it to then not work.. I remember feeling really angry when I was told.

Not sure if this is even helpful but the doctor has 0 idea why I didn't ovulate last cycle, so we tried the same dose again this month and I had a big juicy follicle on cycle day 12, so it did it's job this time round. We then introduced a trigger injection to make sure the egg was released, and that seems to have got things back on track. I honestly don't even think my body produced a follicle last month though, I just had 0 symptoms at all!

I have been taking Letrozole for 5 cycles now (since November) but between those I had 2 cycles on lower doses (2.5mg and 5mg) that didn't work at all, 1 ovulatory cycle on 7.5mg, 1 cycle that didn't work and then 1 x ovulatory cycle (this month) on 7.5mg and a trigger which.. so out of 6 months just 2 ovulatory cycles!! Feels like such a long time for only 2 cycles to have worked, ha! No success yet but I think we have another 3 or 4 on this before moving on to other options. Where are you up to? x

Yes, sometimes you just know don’t you?

I find it so interesting (and difficult to deal with) that some times it can work and sometimes not, but on the same dose. I think it’s wild! After the first two successful ovulations I had a laparoscopy and hysteroscopy and nothing seems to have worked since! 😩 but the Dr says that shouldn’t affect anything.

I haven’t been monitored at all as we have been private up to this point. So I have just had the medications and the bloods every 7 days to check for ovulation.

this was my last round before the NHS referral next week (but luckily keeping the same consultant we’ve had privately) where she had originally planned for IUI. However she did say if the response to Letrozole hasn’t been good, we may go straight to IVF. So I should find out Monday the next steps 🤞🏼

God, sounds like you have had a really rollercoaster of cycles! how are you finding it? I’m so drained! X

I know.. it's crazy isn't it!? And I remember searching for similar stories of people who the same dose just stopped working and there weren't very many which made me feel even worse. Even the doctors/hospitals seemed surprised and said it's not something they often see.. I guess sometimes our bodies just do strange things.

Glad to hear you are able to access some help from the NHS moving forwards, and great that you can keep the same consultant because I've definitely found myself having to tell my entire story/history for each different appointment which can be frustrating. Wishing you lots of luck for Monday and hope you get the outcome you want from your appointment. We have 1 more month on Letrozole, then we have to check in with the doctor before they will let us know if they recommend 3 more cycles or moving to something different. In my head I want to put IVF off for as long as possible, but I have a few friends who remind me that IVF was their first (and only) option so when I am getting frustrated with Letrozole I try and remember that we are lucky we have options we have been able to try beforehand. Both of those friends now have children from their IVF so hope that brings you some positive vibes! :)

I find it exhausting too! I think it's the constant emotional rollercoaster and feeling like my life has revolved around something for the past 6 months that has got me absolutely nowhere!! On the flip side though, every month I think could be 'the' month so just got to try and stay positive and not let it take over - which is easier said than done! x

Good luck to you aswelll.
hope we are both nearing the end of our journeys! 🤞🏼

completely get what you mean about IVF. It kind of feels like that’s a last resort / the final option. But also, if IUI isn’t like likely to work, I don’t want to waste time either. It’s a tough one.

hoping the dr has a clear view on it! 🤞🏼

Totally agree @Hannahx1992 .. my mindset is definitely changing the longer this process drags on and I think if my consultant suggested IVF at our next appointment I’d be inclined to go ahead. As you say, no point dragging things out by trying things that aren’t likely to work and IVF definitely helps to separate each of the steps so by the time you come to transferring you’ve already technically conceived!

Definitely fingers crossed we both get there soon :) please keep me updated x

I will do! You too - you’re Letrozole works this time 🤞🏼

Good luck today @Hannahx1992 !! Hope you get the answers you are looking for 🤞🙂 xx

@AnonTTCso lovely of you to remember.

It went really well thank you! It’s completely our call re IUI/IVF. However she advised we do 1 round of IUI so see how I start to respond to the medications.
So that’s the plan, we’ll do one and progress to IVF from there.

feeling both nervous and excited, but finally things are moving for us.

so also found I am actually ovulating yesterday/today on day 30, which is also exciting! So the best case could be we don’t need any of the treatment, but trying not to get our hopes up.

how are you getting on? x

Hey @Hannahx1992 ,

Glad you had a positive meeting, and nice that they gave you a bit of a decision on things. Sounds like you are going with a good approach by trying the IUI first.. I think I'd have done the same.

Amazing news you were ovulating when you went in though!! Sometimes these things work themselves out in funny ways don't they. Have you had any update since then at all? Keeping everything crossed for you!! xx

Oh.. also sorry forgot to update, ha.

All good thank you.. I had ovulation confirmed yesterday so will be heading back into the TWW soon. Depending on the result of this round, we will then have a bit of a break and see the doctor in August to discuss next steps (which I think will be a few more months of Letrozole), but like you.. I'm hoping we don't reach that point! Let's see x