TTC - Clomid Thread

[MamaMaiasaura]

Hi just wondered if people ttc on Clomid wanted to join this thread unless i have been stupid and missed one.

We are due to fertility clinic on 22nd and expect to go on clomid again.

We have 2 dc. Ds1 is nearly 9 and was concieved without fertility help. THis was a big surprise as have PCOS and was told would never conceive naturally.

Ds2 was conceived after 1 course of clomid 50mg. My day 21 test was awful and still no period after 45ish day. Was put on progesterone to induce bleed. Didnt happen as was pregnant.

Was also on metformin but not currently, waiting for all clear next week. I have dodgy lft generally on medication and also bfing.

Ds2 is 1 now and still breastfeeding. Hoping this will not hinder any treatment as really want to continue this too. I am now 33 so fertility decreasing too.

I dont have a cd currently as all up the shoot so waiting to see what happens really.

Advice sheet? I'm interested.

HOw do i take it?

Day 1 of your cycle is the first proper day of bleeding. Take 100mg clomiphene (2 tablets) a day on the 2nd to 6th day of your cycle. You will the ovulate (release an egg) on about day 13 or 14.

We do not recommend the routine use of LH kits, but if you do use them, they will be positive just before you ovulate. You will be most fertile around that time (days 12-15) and should aim to have intercourse a couple of times over those days.

After you ovulate, the ovary produces a hormone called progesteron. If you fall pregnant this hormone level cntinues to rise. Howver, if you ovulate but do not fall pregnant, the progesterone level rises for 7 days (untial about day 21) and then falls again. It is this fall in progesterone level that brings on a period if you are not pregnant.

A blood test for progesterone needs to be done on day 21 of your first cycle of clomiphene to check if you have ovulated.

Hth. Also the predictor tests are expensive and they will give blood tests to check for ov etc. I am just going to keep bding and hope for the best. I remember with ds2 on climid i had egg wite CM around ovulation.

I am going to bed but the sheet they gave me also covers:

Why have I been prescribed clomiphene?

When do i start clomiphene if i do not have periods?

How do i know i am taking the right dose of clomiphene?

What do i do if my period is late after taking clomiphene?

What are the side effects?

How long should i take clomiphene for?

If you want me to type any of those let me know. Will try tomorrow night x

hi stac14. thanks for help my gp said there nothing they can give me to bring on my period. just waiting to here from the doctors at the hospital. hope it wont be long its been nearly 2 weeks since my gp phoned them just hope it work this time

Hey just seen your advice sheet Awen, were did you get it? I haven't been given anything near as informative as that lol.

Brandybaby have you heard of a natural remedy called vitex and if so what does it do?

There seems to be a few of you ovulating at the same time, hope theres some positive bf's soon XX

hi millymolly,
my gp gave it to me, and he also gave me my first month of clomid, maybe yours is just being cautious. How long will it be before you see the consultant?

Awen

My doctor has taken cloimd herself to get pregnant and she got pregnant with twins(boy/girl). She has been a doctor for 24 years. And I trust when she told me to use OPKs. Plus, I know that OPKs work the right way, because when I went for my blood work and other tests that I had done. It showed up that I ovulated the same day that the OPKs showed as well. Perhaps OPKs work differently for everyone. But for me they work great.

Thank you for that information though. And some OPKs can be expensive. I use Rite-Aid name brand. And they are $14.99 a box. And 7 OPKs come in a box. So it?s not that bad. Plus, I only need one box every month. But if I added up how much money that I have spent on OPKs in the past 14 cycles... I have spent $210. But I feel that it?s worth it.

Stac14
In a normal menstrual cycle estrogen is higher before ovulation and progesterone is higher after. Many women don't realize that an imbalance of these hormones can lead to the entire range of symptoms associated with PMS and menopause! Vitex usually has the effect of enhancing progesterone and decreasing estrogen levels.
Vitex itself has none of the hormonal building blocks that many of the medicinal plants used for the reproductive system contain. Instead, this herb nourishes and supports the endocrine system to find its own balance. David Hoffman, a well-known herbalist, says "Vitex will always enable what is appropriate to occur."
Almost all of symptoms associated with the menstrual cycle can be treated with this plant. It is the single best herb for treating the many possible symptoms of PMS: cramps, flooding, headaches, depression, water retention, constipation, acne, breast tenderness, and irritability. It can help normalize irregular or scanty periods.
It is especially helpful for women who are coming off the birth control pill. For many women, cycles remain irregular for up to two years after stopping the pill. Vitex can greatly shorten that time and helps ease the body into regaining its own natural rhythm.
It is a wonderful tonic to enhance the chances of conception through its ability to regulate ovulation and if taken through the first trimester, vitex will reduce the chances of miscarriage. After the birth, it helps a new mother to produce plenty of milk.
Vitex also offers many benefits to women who are menopausal. It helps to relieve many of the uncomfortable symptoms of this transition time, including hot flashes, irregular cycles, depression, and flooding. Vitex is also an indispensable remedy for women with uterine fibroids, fibrocystic breasts, or endometriosis. All of these conditions proliferate under the influence of estrogen and shrink under the influence of progesterone.
This plant may be taken in tea form, although I prefer the tincture (alcohol extract). The dosage of is usually 30-50 drops, three times per day. Like all herbs, Vitex works best when combined with a lifestyle that includes pure water, whole food, gentle exercise, and plenty of self-love. Although you won't find it in the wild, Vitex is easy to grow in our bioregion. Just remember to leave it plenty of space, since it can get up to seventeen feet tall!
Vitex is a slow-acting herb. I usually recommend allowing three full cycles for the plant to really work its magic, and many women take it for up to several years. In the thousands of years that it has been in use, there are no reports of even the mildest side effects. Vitex is a safe, gentle, and effective remedy, with something to offer women in every cycle of life.

Stac14
I don?t know if you were ever informed about an all natural ?clomid?. It?s called Soy isoflavones. It does exactly what clomid does. This vitamin supplement is a natural alternative to clomid. Soy Isoflavones is a natural plant derived phytoestrogen (phyto means plant), which is an anti-estrogen, just like Clomid. Both are known as SERMs (Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators). It works by fooling your brain into thinking its estrogen levels are low. This causes your body to release more FSH & LH which helps stimulate follicle production (same as Clomid). You take Soy Isoflavones, like Clomid, on CD 1-5 or 2-6, or 3-7 or 5-9. It is not thought to cause infertility if it is only taken for 5 days a month. The recommend dose is from 160mg-240mg a day. So good luck to you! Oh... You can order clomid from online sources. And soy isoflavones can be bought from Wal-Mart of any drug store. If clomid doesn?t work for me this month... This I will be trying the natural alternative.

just waiting to hear from them. my gp spoke to them nearly 2 weeks ago still not had a letter from them. how long did it take for them to put u on it. it driveing me up the way waiting on them geting back to me

awen am interested in the advice sheet

Vitex is another name for Agnus Castus.

It is not always a good idea to self prescribe AC - it is far better to seek out the advice of a properly qualified medical herbalist beforehand to establish the dosage. It can also make some hormonal imbalances worse hence the suggestion not to self prescribe in the first instance.

Natural does not always mean safe. People do forget this.

Would never suggest ordering clomid from any online source. A person may not actually be suitable to take this drug in the first place and many internet pharmacy purchased drugs are counterfeited. You cannot tell whether it is a real tablet or not (many experts cannot). Also if self prescribed you have no way of knowing whether its doing the job its supposed to or not (which is to make the ovaries work harder). No monitoring on clomid is a no-no anyway.

As many women with PCOS have an imbalance of LH to FSH to begin with, taking anything like soy isoflavones that could encourage LH production could make that hormonal problem worse. Again seeking the advice of a medical herbalist beforehand is far better than self prescribing.

BrandyBaby Our friends have been considering termination too. She is very depressed and confused about being pregnant and feels that her life is over. I really hope that she doesn't make a mistake here. It's not fair - there is a little heart beating inside of her - how can you stop that?

Changing the subject - Vitex sounded like a miracle drug the way you describe it, but I got hold of some agnus castus when I had absent peiods 3 years ago, but I never took it as it says on the label, "not suitable for pregnancy". Also, my sister took it and then got pregnant and then had an MMC and blamed the agnus castus. So be careful ladies...

Stac14 good luck at the gynae - hope you get all of your questions answered.

Attila where are you at in this whole process? You seem very knowledgable.

Awen thanks for keeping us all updated on where everyone is at in their cycles - I'm CD16 today so you had me one day out - lots of BDing going on. I'm the same day as the date.

Also thanks for sharing your advice sheet - we read and reread these things don't we? But it is reassuring - knowledge is power and all that lol.

I used OPKs pre-clomid and got pregnant and then had MMC at 13 weeks. This was Nov 2007.

My unit gives you a load of OPKs on month one, for me they showed that I hadn't ov'd yet and my eggs were of a size where they should have gone - got 2 scans that month on day 12 and day 14. So vitrelle given. It made sense to me that the eggs were mature and hadn't gone yet. It made me think that this is maybe what happens when I have a really long cycle - so even though I ov, maybe the eggs are past it by the time that I do.

You cannot use OPK after having a vitrelle injection as it raises your HCG and tbh you don't need it as ov is highly likely and predictable.

So, to cut a long story short, you can use OPKs with clomid - there are drawers full of them at my fertitlty unit!!

whoops - I spelt fertility wrong!! lol

fourth post in a row - don't know if this follows mumsnet etiquette or counts as me talking too much - something I definitely do in real life - lol!

My tummy feels funny and all bloated and ovaries are achey. What's going on in there?

Hi Everyone!

Awen Thanks sharing the info you have! That's really helpful -I didn't get anything. If you don't mind I wold love to har what it ways under the header: What to do if my period is late after taking clomiphene; please. Its cd49 for me today you see! Do you think this means it is not suitable for me? xx

Stace Good luck today. Please let us know how you get on xx

loullabelle I've given up with the OPK as my cycle is nearly as long as yours!

hey girls
I'm not at the gynae today, I'm pretty sure its tish who is going on wednesday or thursday this week lol

Thanks for the info brandy and attila, I had heard of angus cactus and used to take it for pmt but I would talk to my gp who is really into homeopathy to see what he thinks, it may help with the side effects of the progesterone and clomid.

Loulabelle, have you phoned your consultant about the no show of your af? The gynae told me that if af hadn't appeared by cd42 I was just to take the clomid, hope that helps a bit.

I am still taking the progesterone and feel like I have pmt and a sore stomach, does anyone else feel like this on the provera?

xxx

eek - so many messages cant post properly now as have 2 ds's here so busy. Will def post rest of info. Was from my fertility consultant so she too knows her stuff ;)

I think there is prob a wide variety of differing views in this whole ttc and depends on each individual circumstances.

Will pop back tonight x

Hi it was me at the gynae today.

The result of bloods shows higher levels of FSH and LH and so ruling out PCOS. Consultant said didn't want to do ovary scan as he said often they're not conclusive and often show positive even when a women doesn't have PCOS(?) He said that as both FSH and LH were high he thinks i may not have many eggs. We couldn't test progesterone accurately as he said this needed to be done a week before period and as mine are unpredictable this would be difficult. now had time to think and I'd thought progesterone tested on CD21?

He had requested another set of bloods, I said given my age (41)we didn't want to hang round and so he's given me clomid (hurray) So I'm not joining you ladies! He did ask if I wanted progesterone to induce period, my brain was a whirr and so I declined and said I'd wait till period came naturally. i'm now wondering if I did the right thing.

No monitoring offered during clomid. He prescribed 50mg and said could raise it to 100 after first cycle.

Phew my brain is mushed!

ooops I said above i would not be joining you ladies on clomid MISTAKE - I meant i would be joining you

Hey Clure
Good to see things are moving forward for you, I take the progesterone to induce period, I am on it jut now so I can start 100mg. Hope Af comes soon for you so you can get started too. xx

Good luck Clure - I'm sure you did the right thing. Did you ask for monitoring? I think it's pretty essential.

got letter from infertlity clinic today got my appointment on the 11 march. so cant wait they say i could be on clomid in under a month. can any one tell how long it takes second time a round to be but on the tablts. hopefully they can give me something to start my period.