TTC with Letrozole/Clomid

acaciabluebell · 2022-01-01T14:41:53+00:00

Anyone else here on Letrozole or Clomid for ovulation induction? I'm on my 2nd cycle of Letrozole and looking for others in a similar situation. Info about me: 26 y.o Been TTC for just over 2 years. Dosage: 5mg of Letrozole on days 3-7. Diagnoses: Male factor (0% morphology), low AMH, low progesterone I'm currently on CD10 and using OPKs to track for ovulation. I'll be taking a blood test on 7dpo to check if I ovulated.

xoJellyBean · 02/01/2022 00:20

Hi, didn't want to read and run. I will be starting clomid next month so will follow along your journey 🤞🏻 are you going for scans or just monitoring via OPKs and bloods?

Original poster

acaciabluebell · 02/01/2022 00:57

Hi @xoJellyBean I'm using OPKs and blood tests to confirm ovulation, no scans. Do you know if you will be scanned? And what dosage will you be starting on and when?

OP posts:

xoJellyBean · 02/01/2022 08:29

@acaciabluebell I plan on using OPKs too so that's helpful! I'm not sure of my dosage yet & depends when my period shows up in Feb but will update once I know :) I've gone private so was worried they'd ask for more scans £££!

AttilaTheMeerkat · 02/01/2022 11:14

It is in your interests to determine what is causing low progesterone levels, it may be something like polycystic ovaries. Has this been mentioned to you?

You should also ideally have internal ultrasound scans done to check to see if an egg has actually left the ovary.

I would refrain from at all using ovulation predictor kits if using either clomid or letrozole. Both increase levels of luteinising hormone and the kit could just measure that increase therefore giving you a false result.

Original poster

acaciabluebell · 02/01/2022 11:39

@AttilaTheMeerkat I don't have polycystic ovaries or PCOS. I have regular cycles, low levels of androgens and a low number of follicles. My mid luteal progesterone levels are between 20-30nmol each cycle, I was told this means I am ovulating but progesterone is a bit low.

Is that true about the OPKs? I'm not sure how else I would monitor for ovulation then as I been told by my Dr to book blood tests for 7dpo. Ideally I would do ovulation scans privately but they are hundreds of pounds each

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AttilaTheMeerkat · 02/01/2022 12:32

I would go back to your doctor and ask him how you’re supposed to be confirming seven days post ovulation at all if you’re not being scanned at all.

Are you being asked to do a day 21 test?.

Original poster

acaciabluebell · 02/01/2022 19:40

@AttilaTheMeerkat Yeah I am doing day 21 blood tests on 7dpo. I use OPKs and bodily signs to confirm ovulation

OP posts:

AttilaTheMeerkat · 02/01/2022 19:45

Neither opks or body signs are foolproof indicators of ovulation. Blood tests are more reliable overall.

A progesterone level of 30 or over should be seen to confirm ovulation.

xoJellyBean · 02/01/2022 20:38

@AttilaTheMeerkat yes... but it's still helpful to test and listen to our bodies?! I confirm ovulation with a bbt spike

WaitingForEgg · 03/01/2022 01:54

We have been trying 18 months
AMH high, US shows likely polycystic ovaries, endometriosis, adenomyosis and a fibroid
Starting Letrozole next cycle
Petrified it won’t work

xoJellyBean · 03/01/2022 07:07

@WaitingForEgg I have a fibroid too but they wouldn't start me on anything until I had CT/MRI to confirm it was safe enough 🤞🏻 where is your fibroid?

Original poster

acaciabluebell · 03/01/2022 15:02

@WaitingForEgg I totally get your fear. Wishing you the best of luck! Are you having scans to check your follicles?

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WaitingForEgg · 04/01/2022 19:02

@xoJellyBean it’s very small and to the side of my uterus

@acaciabluebell I’m speaking with the nurse tomorrow. I think they are going to scan me, start letrozole then rescan to monitor progress

Sorry I realise I posted quite a short intro, think I was feeling stressed by it all.
I’m 33, have a 6 year old daughter. My husband is 37
We have been trying for our second for 18 months. We conceived our daughter on cycle 4 with no intervention at all

I feel very lucky to have my daughter, but the larger the age gap grows the more stressed I feel. People have been asking for years why we don’t want any more, it’s the usual awkward conversations I suppose.

I’ve been on metformin for about 6 weeks now, struggled a bit with side effects

How is everyone else getting on?

Marvellouslymadmum · 05/01/2022 11:34

Hi, I'm 42 been ttc for almost 4 years, we have two children each but none together, one mc 4.5 years ago. I have adenomyosis and possible endometriosis this is my second clomid cycle on 50mg. First month did not go well! I had a scan on cd12 they couldn't even see my ovaries was doing opk and bbt but couldn't detect ovulation, was told still to do bloods on day 21 which came out at 0.2 so obvs hadn't ovulated yet, spoke to the secretary who arranged another blood test and said to have that 7 days after I suspected ovulation, which I did and that came back at 8 🤦🏼‍♀️ so I'd probably ovulated but not until later than I thought, cycle was 61 days in total and when af arrived it was much much lighter than usual so instead of bringing on stronger ovulation I think it scared it away! Cycle two I'm currently cd16 not ovulated yet as far as I'm aware, it's very difficult because I just get 40-50% readings every day but last time I did get a couple of 80:90% ones too eventually, I'm going through so many opk! I think the same thing is going to happen again this month but I'll still do bloods on day 21 don't get a scan this time. Then hopefully the consultant will put the dose up to 100mg cos I can't keep having 60 day cycles!

WaitingForEgg · 05/01/2022 11:45

What are people’s thoughts, are any of these OPKs positive?

Marvellouslymadmum · 05/01/2022 13:24

@WaitingForEgg I'd say you're getting close, I don't get on well with those opk though so I'm not the best to ask

WaitingForEgg · 05/01/2022 17:45

So I had my fertility appointment this am
Plan now is when I get my period next (due the 19th) will have a baseline scan. Start Letrozole for 5 days. Use OPKs. Further scan 10 days later, self inject ovatrel to trigger ovulation and then have timed intercourse. I’ll also be on cyclogest for endometrial maintenance

Phew

Anyone done/doing similar?

Hopefull1981 · 05/01/2022 18:10

Hi ladies,do you mind if I join you. I started taking letrozole on the 26th of December. Did this for 5 days. Had my scan yesterday and had 1 follicle 14.5mm and lining was 5.5mm. Back in tomorrow for a second scan to see if I can trigger. We are going to DTD tonight as I have slight pain on my right side which is the one that has the follicle. I wouldn’t normally ovulate until Saturday. I will then take cyclogest from 2 days DPO. Who says romance is dead. Has anyone been advised when to do DTD post trigger. I read 6, 12 and 24 hours after the shot. Seems like that’s quantity over quality.

WaitingForEgg · 05/01/2022 22:52

@Hopefull1981

Hi ladies,do you mind if I join you. I started taking letrozole on the 26th of December. Did this for 5 days. Had my scan yesterday and had 1 follicle 14.5mm and lining was 5.5mm. Back in tomorrow for a second scan to see if I can trigger. We are going to DTD tonight as I have slight pain on my right side which is the one that has the follicle. I wouldn’t normally ovulate until Saturday. I will then take cyclogest from 2 days DPO. Who says romance is dead. Has anyone been advised when to do DTD post trigger. I read 6, 12 and 24 hours after the shot. Seems like that’s quantity over quality.

I havent been told yet but it sounds like we are doing similar treatment courses. They did mention something about my DH not ejaculating for 3 days prior but no more than 5…. Romance indeed

Are you having a stimulant to cause trigger?

Hopefull1981 · 05/01/2022 23:01

Yes we are. I have the gonsai F trigger. There are 2 boxes. I am hoping they l’ll explain it tomorrow.

Original poster

acaciabluebell · 06/01/2022 13:54

Thanks ladies for joining and sharing your stories. I am CD15 today and quite frustrated because I can't tell if I already ovulated or am yet to ovulate. I'm only doing a day 21 blood test so Im relying on OPKs to give me a peak. I had a dark-ish OPK on CD10 and lots ot ovulation symptoms on CD11. But I never got a proper peak. And all test have been light since then. I'll attach a pic

OP posts:

Original poster

acaciabluebell · 06/01/2022 13:56

@WaitingForEgg They look good, both lines look the same darkness to me. I used to have that brand and found them to be terrible and really confusing. I much prefer easy@home and other brands

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Hopefull1981 · 06/01/2022 14:15

Hi ladies. Had my scan this morning. One follicle measuring 19.5mm and lining at 8mm. I can trigger tonight and the consultant said ovulation will occur 38 hours after the trigger. We will DTD tomorrow morning and Saturday afternoon 😍. I am not seeing anything much by way ovulation symptoms. I am wondering should I use pre seed to help our chances. Also do you know if the trigger has side effects?

WaitingForEgg · 06/01/2022 20:39

@acaciabluebell

Thanks ladies for joining and sharing your stories. I am CD15 today and quite frustrated because I can't tell if I already ovulated or am yet to ovulate. I'm only doing a day 21 blood test so Im relying on OPKs to give me a peak. I had a dark-ish OPK on CD10 and lots ot ovulation symptoms on CD11. But I never got a proper peak. And all test have been light since then. I'll attach a pic

Day 10 11:11 looks peak to me

WaitingForEgg · 06/01/2022 20:40

@Hopefull1981

Hi ladies. Had my scan this morning. One follicle measuring 19.5mm and lining at 8mm. I can trigger tonight and the consultant said ovulation will occur 38 hours after the trigger. We will DTD tomorrow morning and Saturday afternoon 😍. I am not seeing anything much by way ovulation symptoms. I am wondering should I use pre seed to help our chances. Also do you know if the trigger has side effects?

That sounds great, so many fingers crossed for you