Anyone on Letrozole?

[rubywoo24]

Hi everyone

I have been prescribed 3 cycles of Letrozole and I have just started AF after a very very long few months. So quite excited to finally getting things going!
We're currently away and I do have my medication with me but not the leaflet that came with it. So just want to double check that I am taking it correctly:

• do I count tomorrow as CD1 as AF only started at 9.30pm today
• is there a specific time that I have to take the tablets, I think night time is recommended?
• do I take both tablets together?

Any other help or advice would be much appreciated!

We've not really spoke I've caught whatever he had on Wednesday too so feeling groggy. We will talk tonight I'm sure, I came in from work and had a long bath and chilled so just come downstairs now.

Oh no I'm so sorry it's so rubbish it really bloody is, when did he last have a SA? Our bodies are so confusing!

I think the same as you once we've used letrozole it will be IVF. How far would you have to move? @Sylva123

@Carleyxo we'd have to move about an hour away so not the end of the world, but it adds £300 onto the train commute every month, which is the really tricky bit.
OH's last SA was back in September I think. It was fine. The one before that had some mild issues. I'd just like to feel that we're in it together - not one of us saying "I'm fine, you're not". At the same time he's telling me he wants to be there for all future preg tests cos he wants to be more involved, but then I'm going to feel even worse for letting him down. Remember last month I did about 7 preg tests not wanting to believe the BFN was true!
Hope you guys make up. I've had a similar evening to you. A lovely bath and relax now. Hope your lurgy goes away and you start feeling better.

I completely agree being in it together is much more fair, there is no point trying to pass the blame.

We didn't dtd last might I felt so rough and today even worse, huge head cold, bad headache and aching everywhere. So typical as I got my peak this morning and I'm now worried we didn't dtd since Thursday. Hoping I feel better later so we can do it. Having a nice hot bath now @Sylva123

Hi all, so I’ve been obsessively testing for the last couple of days despite today only being 12 DPO - I’ve only ever had a 10 day luteal phase before so, although telling myself it’s probably just the effect of the trigger shot, that little hopeful voice in the back of my head that I’ve tried to suppress keeps telling me maybe it’s my lucky month! Clearly BFNs so extremely unlikely but am hoping that the progesterone test results come back positive this week and at least I’ve ovulated this month. Have to keep telling myself that that would be a massive step in itself but am still bitterly disappointed (and annoyed at myself for getting my hopes up!)

@Sylva123 still going strong on day 23? Sounds like we both got our longer cycles this month - fingers crossed there’s more good news to come. How did your progesterone results go? Hoping that Wednesday brings you some good news ahead of the appointment on Thursday but good that you still have some supplies to keep trying in the meantime if needed. We live about 5 minutes across the border from 2 other counties that both would offer IVF on the NHS but sadly not in Oxfordshire - hubby and I said to the consultant that it’d be cheaper to rent a place nearby than pay for IVF but were told that you have to be resident for a year first so check the rules where you are before making a big move. I’m not sure if you have to go through the whole referral process from the start too. It’s infuriating though that it’s a postcode lottery as to whether you get it or not, you’d think there would be a consistent policy - just another thing that’s unfair in all this. Like you said, it’s all just so bloody sad when deciding to start a family should be an exciting time. My hubby’s SA is fine so feel like I’m letting him down all the time and I hate that feeling so can imagine that your OH’s comment really stung even if he didn’t mean it that way. x

Welcome @HarrietM87 - sorry to hear about you mcs, fingers crossed for your results on Monday. Is all such an ordeal isn’t it? I thought letrozole and trigger shots were bad enough let alone having to take cyclogest and steroids too - all worth it in the end though if it works I guess! x

@Carleyxo sorry to hear you’ve had such a shitty week. Is all so stressful and horrible without the added pressure of the tests that are supposed to help you feel more in control throwing you different results. I hope OH has had a bit more time to come to terms with the results and how he feels about it so you can talk things through. It’s tough for all of us to feel like our bodies are “failing us” on the one thing we so desperately want and I’m sure the men feel the same. Hope you feel better soon x

@LongtermTTC that sounds really positive! Even if it is a bfn, sounds like you’ve ovulated and have a good long luteal phase which is brilliant!

I don’t mind being on all the drugs - id go through a lot more if it meant I could have another baby ❤️.

For those with follicle scans, how many do your docs expect/want you to have and how much letrozole are you on? Mine aims for 2-3 follicles. I got only one on 2.5 and 5mg so I’m on 7.5 now, but he says there can be a cumulative effect so I may need to reduce the dose in future months. He won’t do the trigger if there’s more than 3 because of the risk of multiples. I’d actually love twins but appreciate they are higher risk.

@LongtermTTC apparently there's no rules around having to have lived in that borough for a certain amount of time (I called to check as I'd read about those loopholes) so it should be fine hopefully. Also we can start the first bit paying and then switch to NHS funding when it gets approved (apparently in some places if you start paying private you lose the right to NHS funding, but not there). So it looks like a good option, but still a lot of money to consider with the increase in commute costs. Especially when I'll be on mat leave and bringing in less cash. Also they keep having consultations about cutting it, so there's a risk that we could move and then they cut the funding. That would be awful! That's so crap about the rules in Oxfordshire. We're looking at moving to Surrey if that's an option for you.
I keep writing to my MP about it but nothing ever changes. I just feel the need to do something to challenge this postcode lottery. If I ever come into money I'll set up a charity around fertility - nutrition, reflexology, funding, counseling and all that. It's much needed!

And yay for us having longer cycles this month!!! Mine is longer cos of the cyclogest (AF won't come til I stop taking it) so fingers crossed for a BFP on wednesday, otherwise I stop taking it and then AF will come. It is nice having a longer cycle for once though.

Sorry to hear you've been doing the mad testing thing. I did that last month too. Drove myself totally nuts with it. Fingers crossed the HCG did the trick and it's your month though. Keep us updated this week! BFP could still come, for sure. It's still early days. And at least the BFNs assure you that the trigger shot HCG is out of your system. At the very least you've had a longer cycle so you're nudging in the right direction. But I hope that little voice is right!

@HarrietM87 I'm on 5mg and I had 2 follicles this month. She hasn't really said anything about how many are optimum though... She just seemed happy with the 2.

Oh this journey is just rubbish for us all isn't it @TTCbabyONE

I'm not obsessively worrying the fact I got my peak this morning and we still haven't dtd, does anyone know if you should really do it straight away if the sperm is a bit more sluggish?
Think deep down I'm out this month and only have one more go left 😩😩

I think it's bloody ridiculous that some areas don't entitle one round of free IVF at the least. It frustrates me! Are you currently waiting for ivf? Sorry I'm so rubbish at remember everyone's journeys x

@Carleyxo I think it's ok if you dtd tonight - now you've got your peak that means it's peak time to dtd and that you'll ovulate in the next 24-36 hours so you still have time for something to happen. My reflexologist always tells me to remember just how many thousands of sperm come out each time, so there's a chance that just one of them will be there ready to meet the egg.
I remember someone on the clomid thread got their BFP after only dtd once in the fertile window as well so there's some hope. I understand how you feel though - I've absolutely been there, feeling crappy that we've lost another month when time feels so crucial. Especially as we get to the end of our letrozole prescriptions. So much added pressure. But you haven't missed peak - still some time.

If there are sperm issues maybe it helps that you've had a few days break? (don't know the science there, am just guessing).

You've had a tough few weeks with both being unwell and getting the SA results back. So much pressure. Hope you're finding a way to be kind to yourself. Xx

Oh that's so reassuring and makes sense.

Oh wow did she really once in the window is fab! I wouldn't expect that seeing as right now the sperm is sluggish but you're so right about it just needing one so fingers crossed!!!

I'm starting to feel a little better so hopefully it passes ASAP! He's gone back to bed because he's not feeling great either. @Sylva123 x

@Carleyxo you definitely only need to dtd once to conceive - only takes 1 sperm! That’s how I conceived accidentally this summer - ovulated 2 days early (first time in my life) and had had unprotected sex 4 days before that so should have been well outside the window. Ended up pregnant and then lost the baby because I hadn’t been taking the steroids. It really messed me up because it was all my fault. But just goes to show there is hope!

Oh gosh @harrietm87 that is so awful - I'm so sorry that happened. It wasn't your fault - you weren't to know, and our bodies are tricky things. They just won't do what we want them to do. Not your fault. Absolutely devastating that you went through that loss.
But hope that it can only take one go of dtd to get lucky. 💕

@HarrietM87 I only ever get one follicle and am on 5mg but I have low AMH so they don’t expect me to over respond to the letrozole and have said I’m very unlikely to have multiples. It’s the same reason they’re hoping I respond to the letrozole and trigger shots rather than IVF as I wouldn’t get a lot of eggs x

@carleyxo they say that sperm can survive for up to 5 days so there’s still a chance some are hanging around from Thursday but like Sylvia123 said you have 24-36 hours from peak to ovulation so still plenty of time to dtd. Know l it feels so forced having to dtd when you’re not feeling great though, I swore I’d never let it become a chore and dtd to time for purely baby making purposes but when you get to this stage and missing it means risking losing a whole month of a ticking clock it’s hard not to feel the pressure x

@Sylva123 that’s good about not having a minimum period to live there but it’s so crazy that you even have to consider uprooting your whole life because of this damned postcode lottery. Worth doing some sums to see if the cost of moving as well as the extra commute costs actually add up to more than the IVF (sorry, I’m an accountant so whilst I’d sell a kidney to have a baby I’m always looking at the financials too!) Do any of the private clinics near you offer Access Fertility programmes where you can get multiple cycles at a discount with an up to 90% refund if unsuccessful? Not sure if they’re worth it and obviously doesn’t solve the issue of finding the money in the first place but I’m going to look into them further x

@longtermttc oh I wish I had your accountant brain! I am terrible at this sort of thing. I did look into those money back programmes last year with a view to looking into it some more if we ever arrived at this point. Do you think they're a good option? We're renting so moving is much easier than if we had a mortgage, but it could well be cheaper to pay monthly for IVF than pay extra to commute. Saying that though.. with another terrorist thing just 3 miles away this evening maybe moving to a quieter borough is a good thing for the family anyway...

Day 24 for us both tomorrow 🤞🤞🤞. Hope you've got a nice quiet week ahead.

Oh
Gosh @HarrietM87 so so sorry to hear that, you poor thing. 💕

Luckily today we managed to do it with no pressure either which was such a relief after the last couple of days! Definitely think tomorrow will be ok and then the next day to be on the safe side.... here's to hoping.

Ohhh "
@LongtermTTC I'm going to have a little google into that, it sounds like a good scheme, how does the 90% back work? X

So I did a test this morning at 10dpo - bfn. I know I shouldn’t have got my hopes up but I did anyway, so now feeling pretty miserable. Hate hate how this process just consumes you.

Oh I'm so sorry @HarrietM87 :-( how accurate is it usually doing this early? I'm a bit clueless as never test early but I understand you have to. A friend of mine tested when her period was due using clear blue and a FRER and both said negative when she was actually positive x

I use this website a lot - www.countdowntopregnancy.com/ - it says that 66% of pregnant women will get a bfp at 10dpo, so I know I’m not definitely out. In the past I’ve always had a (very faint!) line by now. I have to keep testing til AF comes under drs instructions so will try again tomorrow, but pretty sure now that I’m out so will just be a miserable few days.

Oh I'm so sorry 😢 I hope you can have a "you" day today and chill out. This journey is so frustratingly hard for us, I have all my fingers crossed that there's a small chance it will change for you xx

Oh no @Harrietm87 I'm sorry to read that. I hope it changes for you tomorrow and like Carley said, I hope you can have a gentle day today. It's so disappointing xx

Thanks both of you. I know I should be more realistic but I find it so crushing. Everyone around me is pregnant. You guys know the story! Just a few days of limbo and then onwards to the next cycle I guess. Is anyone else on cyclogest? I find it delays my period a bit so not exactly sure when I’m due.

@HarrietM87 yes I'm on cyclogest. It delays mine til I stop taking it and even then it take a good few days to come back. Saying that, today I feel like my period is coming... Hopefully just cyclogest cramps.
Definitely know the story... It's absolutely crushing. I don't know how many more rounds I've got in me. It's too much. The disappointment and then somehow finding the energy to do it all over again. Hope you're doing okay. You're not alone xxx

It's just such a hard journey... there has to be an end somewhere?!

My husband has gone for his first reflexology treatment tonight I'm desperate to know how he went. He went in at 5.50pm and said he would call as soon as he left and I'm panicking as haven't heard anything and it's a lot longer than I was in there. I'm wondering if his emotions have released maybe? X

@carleyxo did you hear from him? How was it? It's so good that he's getting it too.

I just got my progesterone results... They were only 48. I know 48 is good because it is over 30 so it means I've ovulated, but I've had the HCG shot AND cyclogest which is synthetic progesterone so I was expecting it to be wayyyyyy higher with all that in my system. Do you think it means something bad??