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!

Yes all ok @Carleyxo I just had a cat bite and needed to see if I needed a tetanus jab. Unfortunately I do but I've done lots of googling and it's safe during TTC 🙈. My cat was weirded out by the fireworks last night and my hand was in the wrong place at the wrong time!

I had bad mood swings last month but think it was because I had the HCG, the clomid and the progesterone and that was just too much for my brain to deal with! So far so chilled this month, although it was during implantation time that I felt most out of sorts... It came out of the blue and I just got super low. I'm hoping it was a one off. And hope you don't get that way either.
I'm hoping for a new years eve conception last night 🤞🤞 and new year's babies for us all!

Have either of you ever had a positive pregnancy test? I can't believe I'm 36 and I've never had that. @CCPP

Here is hoping every 2nd day will be good @Carleyxo

Oh no @Sylva123 hope you're ok. The poor cat it's not fair on them during fireworks at all!

How come they decided to move you from clomid to letrozole? I have read there are far less side effects on letrozole!

Unfortunately I have never been pregnant to have a positive test and now I know all along I wasn't ovulating so in turn can't become pregnant 😔 but hopefully this will work! I'm 36 too.

Definitely everything crossed for new years babies for all of us xx

Oh bless you and the kitty @Sylva123 :(

Nope no positive tests ever over here, I've only ever had two positive ovulation tests too - craziness..

Here's to hoping to new year babies ❤️ @Sylva123

@CCPP the Clomid just didn't work for me - I had six rounds but none worked for me - I did ovulate just never fell pregnant, I was lucky as didn't have any side effects except the hot flushes in the night. So far no side effects on Letrozole except my bad dream but that could of happened anyway. X

@CCPP it amazes me that we can go out whole lives not knowing all this. I think I do ovulate but I've got a luteal phase defect which means there's never enough time for implantation between ovulation and a new period starting. Something to do with having low progesterone. I can't be 100% sure I am ovulating so they gave me the trigger shot last month. Do they do anything else to help with pcos?
They took me off of Clomid after one round cos it thinned my lining.
@Carleyxo is yours "unexplained"? Mine was til they figured out the luteal phase thing a couple months ago

Yes @Sylva123 completely unexplained however last month during my gap between finishing Clomid and starting Letrozole I ovulated naturally.
My luteal phase is 14/5 days and I get a period now but it's soooo light and lasts around 1/2 days. Hormone levels all ok apparently. It's a mystery 🙄

That is so weird that the body decided just to ovulate naturally amidst all these pills! Sorry they've not been able to find a reason. I find it hard when I don't know what I'm trying to fix. They say the luteal defect is mine, but they're not sure it's the full reason cos other people do get pregnant with a short luteal phase.
I know this is bonkers but I'm going to try some guided fertility meditations this month. I have reached the point of giving anything a go!!!!

@Sylva123 my bloods showed low progesterone too! Oh I dont know I am just baffled by all of this who would have thought this would be the journey we go down when ttc! My dr said she would give me 3 months of letrozole and then refer me for ivf I was really hoping I wouldn't have to go down that road 😔
What are guided fertility medications?
@Carleyxo my periods are same 2/3 days is all!

I'm the same as you @CCPP not wanting to go IVF route. Is there anything natural to help extend the luteal phase? I've read before that increasing your vitamin C intake (a lot of it) helps with that? It's also good for sperm. What vitamins do you take? Also Maca powder is amazing for balancing hormones (very very old remedy) so that may help? It doesn't taste great though😂 I used to do fertility meditation so let me know if you find a good one @Sylva123
It's crazy my periods aren't even heavy enough for tampons no where near, it's weird right? X

@Carleyxo that is weird all our periods are so light too!!!
Oh fertility meditation sorry I thought you meant fertility medication!
The only vitamins I take are folic acid I might look into the ones you mentioned above anything to help avoid ivf is worth a try! Thanks for that.
I have read that women on letrozole get follicle scanning done....are any of you guys having that done @carleyxo @Sylva123? All I am having done is day 21 and day 28 progesterone.
I also did ovulation tests last night and this afternoon and they are negative.

I take CQ10 which improves egg quality (good for sperm too) vitamin c either an orange a day or a Vitamin c tablet, folic acid, multivitamin, iron and vitamin D. All of them have an effect on eggs and balance in your body - everything must be of good quality to ensure you fall pregnant. If anything is "off balance" as such the chances of conception decrease.

I havefollicle scanning so I have one on Monday x

Oh god I'm way behind on the vitamins so!!!!! I will have to get some anything that helps boost my chances thanks for letting me know what you take xx
Oh best of luck with it Monday 🤞🤞 I wish I was getting that done but I feel so clueless to all this only from what I'm reading! If it doesn't work for me this month I will ask about having it done next month!

Definitely get some, every little helps. I'll let you know how it goes. They were always good on Clomid and my body reacted how it should of which is why it's more bizarre it never worked but I think it's because we didn't have sex enough truthfully @CCPP

I'll have everything crossed for you on Monday! Yes definitely let me know how you get on.
Oh stop it's hard to keep having sex! Every 2nd day I am finding a struggle at times haha esp as I am still recovering from the laparoscopy but my dr told me it was ok.

Was it painful? I can't remember what I had but it was something to check/flush my tubes?

When did you have it done? Hopefully Letrozole has worked like Clomid - both times I had two good sized follicles on each ovary.

They scanned me on my first cycle and then the fourth (when they represcribed)

I was knocked out for the procedure thank god! They flushed my tubes and checked around for endometriosis due to my painful and short periods. Thankfully my tubes were ok and I have no endometriosis. The recovery is painful as I have stitches in my belly button and below my belly button at my pelvic area. I had it done 2 weeks ago.

Fingers crossed it has worked well for you it's great they are scanning you to see. And great you responded so well to the clomid you will hopefully respond well to this too xxx I really wish they would scan me!!!! They also said they will only give me 3 months at 2.5mg before ivf but I've read some women go up to 5mg and 7mg if the 2.5 dont work! I've alot of questions to ask them now that I'm finding out more!

Oh bless you still fresh then, do you have PCOS? Apparently flushing the tubes helps some people.. how come straight onto IVF? I've been told I can do 6 months of Letrozole x

Yes I have PCOS they found that using an ultrasound!
I dont know why she said only 3 months she told me after I came around from the anaesthetic so I didnt even ask any questions after it. My list of questions is getting longer now for her!

Hi @ccpp it is so frustrating when they don't give you much info. I learn lots on here and then go to my appts armed with questions. I also had a laparoscopy a few months ago (I had an endometrial cyst) and blimey it was sore - I had 2 weeks off work to recover, which was nice.
I recommend getting the "it starts with the egg" book to learn about vitamins. I don't take all the ones she suggests, but I take pretty much the same as @Carleyxo plus omega 3 fish oil because I've been veggie so long I must be deficient. I've also started eating fish, which I don't like doing. I shove cacao in everything (not cocoa, but cacao, because it's high in magnesium) and I also shove flaxseed into most things too. I've also tried "seed cycling" which is meant to help with hormones.... It can be easy to get overwhelmed by it, but I think a few vitamins can really help. I have a lovely vitamin D spray that you spray into the mouth.

@carleyxo yes I tried B vitamins and Agnus Castus to prolong the luteal phase and it did work a bit (it took me from 9 days to 12), but we still didn't get pregnant. I've come off all that now because it was recommended not to mix it with the prescribed meds. Who knows!

@ccpp they only gave me 3 months before IVF as well. I think it's cos of our age :-(

Also @CCPP yes I can follicle scanning, but not this month cos my doc is on holiday. I usually get a few scans each month and then the day 21 bloods but I know it varies everywhere. When I first got referred I had a horrible experience with my consultant and actually made a complaint because it was so awful... And since then they have been amazing! It's a proper post code lottery tho. We don't get free IVF in my borough

@Sylva123 ah you had the laparoscopy too I cant wait to look at my belly button normally again haha glad ut sorted the cyst for you and thank god you are getting looked after properly now it pays to complain about services! It's hard enough going through all this without having a horrible consultant on top of it all!
Oh so the 3 months of letrozole is prob an age thing! Are you on 2.5mg too?
Thanks a million for the recommendations ladies I'll definitely be upping my game on the vitamins and I'll look into getting that book too. Thanks so much xx

@ccpp my belly button only just went back to normal and I think my op was back in September!! It's weird isn't it!
My consultant made me cry because he said me and my husband's attempts at TTC were "inadequate". He'd misunderstood a reply to one of the questions on his sheet and just went off on one at us and wouldn't listen. This was after two years of us trying everything in the book to get preggers and being so desperate for his help! He also said my husband's hip operation was more impactful than my ovarian cyst when it comes to TTC... Hmmm not sure how he worked that one out! He was so rude and mean! Clearly I'm not over it haha!

Yeah I'm on 2.5mg as well and I really don't want to go down the IVF route. We just can't afford it and I do tend to go a bit loopy on the meds so I'm afraid my moods will go haywire. Hopefully none of us have to get to that point.
I'm nervous cos I'm on cd13 and my opks are showing nothing. I usually get "high fertility" by this time in the month. We're going to keep dtd every other day...
When's your next appt with the consultant? Ours is in Feb.

Which vitamin spray do you use? Better you? What's seed cycling?

Oh my gosh he sounds horrendous that's so bad! My consultant doesn't really talk about it I'm the one having to ask her when she recommends we do it and what we should do in terms of diet or recommendations. They seem like they just want you in and out.

My next appointment with consultant is April I think after the three months.
If it's anything last month I ovulated a lot later than expected and it ended up being CD 16 @Sylva123

That's good to know about your ovulation coming a bit later last month @Carleyxo. Gives me hope. Yeah I've got a new consultant now and he seems nice but the most helpful person has been the woman doing my scans. Shes been amazing.

Yes it's Better You that I use. I take so many pills it's nice to have a spray and it tastes minty!

Seed Cycling is a thing where you eat a certain kind of seeds before ovulation and then different ones after ovulation. I don't think I really believe it works but I do it anyway because it helps me to eat more seeds, which is healthy in itself!

Here's the seed cycling info: www.healthline.com/nutrition/seed-cycling
I've not seen any success stories but my reflexologist recommended I give it a go, so I thought I'd try.
It's good that you've got til April. Hopefully pregnant by then!

@sylvia123 oh god that consultant sounded awful so glad you got a new one!!! I definitely cant see how a hip operation would impact anything to do with this! Sounds like an awful experience you poor thing.

My next appointment is after the 3 months on letrozole!!!! So looking at march/April I think I'll be contacting them sooner tho for one! Not even a follow up after my lap procedure!!! I was hoping there would be! I agree they just want you in and out I really feel that!

I'm on CD13 too and not even a faint line is showing on my opk strips @Carleyxo that does give me some hope that you ovulated later thank you. I just have a feeling I'll be sent to an ivf clinic I feel this wont work for me I really hope I'm wrong!

Very interesting on the seed cycling i have never even heard of it!!! I'm after learning loads today 😊

I'm going to look into seed cycling too 😍 I love the better you sprays I take the iron, multi vit and the vit D one it's so nice and much more effective (apparently) doing it as a spray as the cheeks absorb it much quicker @Sylva123