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!

Hi @JadeS174 I’m ok thank you. Having a few weeks off from everything helped. Waiting for AF to show up as needed one cycle after MC before we could try again (naturally) but I don’t have strong hopes for that tbh.
Can’t wait for our clinics to be up and running again so we can all move onto the next part of our journey.

Will keep my fingers crossed for you this month 🤞🏼 xx

@TTCbabyONE I'm glad it helped to have a break from things.
So sorry about the MC; this journey is such a rollercoaster. All the best to you too 😘 xx

I'm currently CD33! Waiting patiently...

We've gone private so have an appointment next week for ovarian scan and then a zoom consultation the following week before starting IVF.

With everything going on we've realised the most important thing is health and family/friends so we are planning on going ahead with private clinic.

X

CD1 😢 ....and we start again!

@unknownscot so sorry 😢
Good luck with your appointments coming up. Feel like it's going to be IVF for me as well. X

Hi ladies
I just finished my last cycle of letrozole. CD 13.
Husbands got his SA rebooked for next Friday so fingers crossed, we have asked to be put on the IVF list as soonest appointment is September x

Hi all
I was having cycles lasting about 50-60 days but since covid etc I haven't actually had a cycle since January! I've been to the fertility clinic and was due to start letrozole with my next period...which unfortunately just hasn't come a long!

I now have to take norethisterone for a week to induce a bleed and then start the letrozole as planned. Presumably I'm going to have to do this each month to ensure I get a bleed and then can take the letrozole!? Has anyone done this and ovulated successfully?

Hi @puffinpippin i am very similar to you, very long or not existent cycles!

I initially had to take provera it to induce a bleed and start the letrozole. If you ovulate you should have a period (this is what my clinic told me). I have done 3 cycles of letrozole and ovulated successfully twice so fingers crossed you will only have to kick start one bleed and the rest will come naturally once you ovulate xxx

@TTCbabyONE thanks for your reply! Did you have a bleed a few days after stopping the norethisterone?

This forum is so useful! We get bombarded with information in the clinic appointment and then only later have more time to think and have loads more questions!

Hope everyone is staying well and safe at the moment x

@puffinpippin yeah I had a bleed a few days after, the first one was quite bad cause hadn’t had one in a few months and didn’t ovulate that month.
Then I took it again to induce and that cycle was successful ovulation and a nice lining that month then came on naturally and ovulated again. The ball was rolling then treatment for stopped because of Covid.

I find this thread great because we are all in same boat and might know different things. I used to always think of a million questions after my appointments so always come here to ask xx

@TTCbabyONE thanks- it is really helpful to know that we’re not alone!

I was wondering how open people have been with their employers about all this? I haven’t said anything yet...and wasn’t planning on doing so because I think apart from the scan to check if the letrozole is working I don’t think it will impact on work at this stage...

At work though....we’ve had to complete a risk assessment for covid19....if I was pregnant then I would be considered higher risk and have to do less face to face. I guess though I’m no different to any one else trying to conceive in terms of risk...I’m just overly anxious and want this to work as much as possible!

Sorry that was a loooong post!

Hi everyone,
I'm just starting out on ttc number 2. I have PCOS and have been on metformin for a long time. My consultant has agreed to start me on 3 cycles of letrozole. I have a baseline scan in 10 days. Really excited to get things started! But i had a few questions.

1. Is a baseline scan trans vaginal or abdominal?
2. My consultant said she wants to do it to check for cysts etc...It didn't occur to me at the time of speaking to her but now I think about it I don't really understand. Surely I definitely WILL have cysts as I have PCOS.

Sorry for the really basic questions. I'm very new to all of this. Thank you for your help!

Hey @Rg1987 :-)
The scan for me was internal to check ovaries etc aswell. But I'm unsure about checking for cysts as that was so long ago. Hope that helps x

@Rg1987 - hi!
I'm not too sure to be honest....I thought the scan would be transvaginal and to track follicle size? Ideally I think they need to be a certain size to be likely to become mature enough? But also don't want to have too many as then would be at risk of having multiple pregnancy?

Maybe ask at your scan for clarification?

I've just started my first cycle of letrozole today so have my scan booked too...I'm hoping they then give me more information as there has been some mention of a blood test for progesterone but not when?

Also not sure when likely to ovulate - do people check ovulation sticks regularly? Which ones to use!?

Hi, just to share my experience. I've been on Letrozole for 6 months, had two scans and day 21 test done. The scans showed 1 good size follicle each time (22mm on day10). I asked if I should increase the dose to achieve more follicles but the nurse assured me the 2.5mg dose and 1 follicle is fine she said they don't want to overstimulate the ovaries.
The good thing about this drug is that I had no side effects and my cycles became more regular, ovulating day13-15.
The scans also showed that my lining is on the thin side so maybe that's the reason I didn't get pregnant yet. Back to the clinic next week.

@Carleyxo - thank you that's really helpful! I always remember so many questions to ask the Doctor AFTER my appointments, oops!

@PuffinPippin - Hey! Good luck with your first cycle. The scan I'm having on Thursday is to check everything is ok before hopefully starting my first letrozole cycle the day afterwards. My doctor says to book my follicle check scan on CD12...Is that a similar day your scan is booked for?

@Chicasimona - Hey! Thanks for all that info really useful. So pleased you've experienced no side effects and glad you're getting some answers re lining etc...Did your doctor recommend a scan on CD10? I'm a bit worried CD12, which my doctor recommended, is a bit late?

Hi @Rg1987, don't worry day 12 is not too late. Our clinic advised to go for a scan between day 8-12, I only went on the 10th because the way the weekend fell. Ovulation also depends on the days you are taking Letrozole, I was taking day 3-7 but it depends what protocol your Dr is following. Good luck X

Thank you, that makes me feel better. I'm going to double check at the clinic as my protocol is day2-6

@Rg1987 @Chicasimona

My protocol is 5mg letrozole on days 2-6 and then a scan on day 11-14, so I've got my scan booked for day 12.

It's a bit strange how our protocols are all slightly different!

@PuffinPippin yes I'm finding it all a bit confusing. My consultant wants me to start at 2.5mg so I'm not sure why she didn't suggest 5mg like you?

@Rg1987 yeh - although there's a risk of an over-response with the 5mg, so perhaps it is better to start at 2.5mg and then if you don't respond they might recommend going up to the 5mg?

@PuffinPippin yeah and I guess they want to be cautious because this is my first cycle with it. Hopefully I respond well but if I don't, I'll definitely be asking to go up to 5mg.

@Rg1987 fingers crossed we respond well to whatever the protocol is! :)

Puffin Pippin 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼

My first cycle of letrozole was 2.5mg. I never got a scan, just D21 bloods. Remember day 21 is for a 28 day cycle though. So actually my bloods were roughly day 26.

Second round I upped my letrozole to 5mg and D21 bloods.
Stayed on this for 6 months.

No pregnancy.

We start IVF in July (private) as NHS wanted us to try IUI before IVF. So we would be at least 14 months until IVF in the nhs.