Letrozole/Clomid Autumn 2022

[IWillBeWaxingAnOwl]

Hello all, hoping to find some buddies on letrozole or clomid.

My history:
33yrs old, TTC #1 for 2.5 years.
Conceived once in Sept 2020 but fetus died at 11 weeks, MMC at 12 week scan and had ERPC surgery. No cause found (all tests apart from genetics done).
Assessments - AMH, bloods, semen analysis, hycosy, scans X3.
Results - v high AMH, not ovulating alone, tubes are clear, not quite enough cysts to get a PCOS diagnosis, DH semen is great.

Journey with letrozole (since Feb 2022):
2.5mg didn't work
5mg worked for a single cycle (ovulated) then didn't work
Now waiting out one natural cycle (CD35 and nothing happening) then will start 7.5mg

Also trying to lose a little weight to support fertility, stay in range for IVF

@ClubSandwich no problem at all. I had one large follicle and once it grew bigger than 18mm they said they would give the trigger so you may be similar. Good luck with the scan on Wednesday!

@QueenBee22 thank you!

I am not on a monitored cycle (first Letrozole attempt) and didn’t have a trigger shot either but have noticed my temp go up so hoping that’s a good sign for ovulation! Should be 3dpo today 😬

@ClubSandwich how are things going with you?

Not good here I am afraid. The pregnancy tests were light, then darker, then light and lighter and then they faded away completely. I got my period today, which was 17 days post trigger. I am just devastated as I was so hopeful after the positive test last weekend. I am unsure whether the trigger was causing the positive tests or if I possibly had a chemical pregnancy. Either way, onto a new cycle. I am going for scans the week after next.

Wishing all the rest of you every success this cycle!

Oh @QueenBee22 I’m so sorry to read your update 💔 sending you a big hug. I had thought about checking in and seeing how you were getting on, but I figured you may not want to update either way until you were ready. I’m sorry it wasn’t better news. Hopefully this cycle is much kinder 🤞🏼

I’m fed up really, my scan on Wednesday didn’t go to plan. I had a nice follicle developing so the meds did their thing which is good, but the nurse also saw some ‘free fluid’ in my endometrial cavity, not sure what it is or what it means but she said it’s very unlikely I’ll get pregnant whilst it’s there. Back next week for another scan to check if it’s resolved itself or not. If it’s still there then I’m guessing another two cycles of Letrozole is a waste of everyone’s time if it’s very unlikely I’ll get pregnant with fluid there. If it’s gone, she said it could just be one of those things, an unlucky cycle, or it might happen again next month we just don’t know 🤯

@ClubSandwich thank you for your kind words. Very thoughtful of you. I am to try 2 more cycles and then the consultant wants to do the test to check for blocked tubes. Hopefully I won't need that as it sounds very invasive and uncomfortable.

I am sorry to hear that. I have not heard of fluid in the endometrial cavity. Hopefully it will be gone when you go back in next week.

@QueenBee22 ah is that the Hycosy? If so, I didn’t find it as bad as I had expected - it wasn’t nice by any means either. But as you say, hopefully you won’t need to find out for yourself!

No I hadn’t heard of it before my scan, google wasn’t all that helpful in relieving any of my worries either, though I should know better than to spend hours googling and working myself into a state reading negative stories 🙈

@ClubSandwich Yes, that's right! Did you have sedation for it? Did you know the results straight away?

Doctor google isn't the most reliable for sure!

@QueenBee22 i’m so sorry, that’s such disappointing news.. stay positive and I hope the next month brings you all the luck in the world!

I’ve had a HyCosy too (without sedation) and it was slightly uncomfortable (more painful than a smear) but thankfully wasn’t too long and you can see the fluid going into the tubes so you get told if they’re clear or blocked straight away (As a plus point, I was also told that you are more fertile for 3 months after a Hycosy).

Hi everyone. I'm a bit late to the party but hoping I can join? Feeling so depressed and worthless at the moment

I have PCOS and take metformin and am on clomid again. Just done cycle three. I've done seven cycles before in 2019 which gave me my DD in 2020. I had two chemical pregnancies before her and a slightly later one (about six weeks but with constant spotting and bleeding) in May.

My first cycle on clomid was ok and my second, the bloods were good, but cycle two and three my period has started CD24. It's not been like this on clomid before, only this cycle and the last one. I think I might have to give Angus cactus a go...anyone on her struggling with a short luteal phase or lots of spotting ie. Luteal phase defect? Or maybe aspirin is worth a go...just feel so overwhelmed.

Sorry that you are all in here too! ❤️

@septembersapphire7 thank you so much for all the information. I am not good with the smear and would often bleed after it.

I just have a feeling the tube must be blocked after the failed first round of clomid. I am hoping this month that the follicle will be on the opposite ovary and maybe that tube will be okay. Great to know about 3 months after I will keep that in mind.

How are you doing? Hope things are going well for you.

@findingsomeone

I don't have any experience of a short luteal phase but just wanted to wish you luck and hugs! If you are having alot of spotting maybe progesterone? When I was pregnant with my son I had a bleed at 6 weeks and I was put on progesterone after that until the first trimester ended and I didn't have any more bleeding after that.

@QueenBee22 sadly my consultant says studies don't suggest it's any good for my situation (ie. Pre conception/implantation) so she said no when I last asked. I'm glad it worked for you though!

On Hycosy, I too have had one of those with no sedation and it was fine. A bit sharp/sore when they had to dilate my cervix to put the catheter in to flow the gas through, but they're really quick. I had a bad smear after having my daughter where I was really tense and I would have had another hycosy over another one of those to be honest! I find smears OK generally, and I even had a hysteroscopy not so long ago with no anaesthetic and that was OK too. I was a bit crampy after the hycosy but it's a good idea to take painkillers before hand just to minimise it.

I did get pregnant straight after that and know lots who have, so that's a definite perk!

Hi @findingsomeone, my periods are very irregular and usually long. Just had my first round of letrozole, went for a scan on cycle day 11 and had a really good follicle, which was ready to release. So ovulation was around day 13 - all very positive until this morning (cycle day 17) when i started getting brown blood!

Very frustrating and a bit worrying that my luteal phase was literally 4 days!

Has anyone else experienced this on letrozole?

@findingsomeone ah it is a non runner so. Hopefully you can find something else that works for you.

Thank you for all the information on the Hycosy, it is great to be prepared and have some idea of what to expect.

First round of Letrozole failed and I’m a little heartbroken 😔 feel like we did everything ‘right’ and it’s still not good enough so what are the chances of it happening in the future?

The bbt chart showed a good temp rise and I was so hopeful and now I’m really struggling with disappointment and managing my expectations for next month. This is hard

@septembersapphire7 I’m sorry that your first cycle didn’t work, my first cycle failed and I didn’t ovulate either. It’s really frustrating.

What dose did you take and have you had any tests to confirm if you actually ovulated?

I’m trying to look at it as if I haven’t been ovulating all the time we have been trying then as soon as I get confirmation that the letrozole is working (my dose was upped and I’ve had some positive signs for this cycle) I’m just going to try and see it as starting again so it might not happen straight away but I’m in a better position than I was because I know I’m ovulating and the tests I have had haven’t shown there are any other problems.

I say try because I know I’m still going to be massively disappointed if I’m not pregnant this month.

Don’t be too hard on yourself it’s ok to be upset

I am unmonitored until cycle 3, when I’ll get my day 21 blood test. I did bbt with fertility friend (chart attached) and assumed because of the temp rise that I had ovulated- but who knows?

I took 5mg as my starting dose Letrozole and have to take that for 3 Mo this before contacting clinic again.

good luck for this month- I am trying to find a reason to be positive but I’m going to mope today and just sit with the disappointment. It’s been a long journey just to get here (started ttc last July; I’m 38yo).. I just want to cry and I know it’s stupid but it would mean so much to be a mum. It would just mean everything

@septembersapphire7 I’ve only done BBT this cycle and I had covid at the start of temping so I think that has skewed my results but I’m pretty sure that your chart looks like it is meant to if you have ovulated.

I’m 36 and also been trying since July ish time last year. We delayed starting because our wedding was delayed with Covid which in hindsight was probably not sensible but it was so hard to know what to do as all the money was already committed and we didn’t expect to have to postpone more than once!

I totally understand what you mean, I keep getting told to be grateful for everything we do have and I am, I know we are lucky in lots of ways but there is an gap that can only be filled by having a baby.

@septembersapphire7 sorry to hear it didn't work out for you. I am doing a second round of clomid with first tracking scan early this week but am finding it very hard to be hopeful after the failed first round. Unless the follicle is at the opposite side to the last time that might help who knows. It is hard to stay positive. Sending hugs x

Hey hope ur well I was monitored for 2 cycles but no luck then I was on 2 tablets cant remember mg I’ve no idea if I’m ovulating as I have pcos. Why are they not monitoring your cycles

May I ask, does anyone know whether you always ovulate on roughly the same time for Letrozole cycles? Eg if I ovulated day 18 on first cycle, will it be around the same for second cycle or could it be earlier?

(partner doesn’t live with me so trying to plan dates around work)

I’m not sure if this will help or not as I don’t think I’d had a successful ovulation up to this point but my LH surge always came at day 16/17 but this cycle it was day 13 but I did double the dose this month. I have a blood test to confirm if it worked tomorrow.

I hope you are feeling a bit better now.

Thank you @Pixiedusted
i am trying to not focus on the disappointment and just do what I can. It is hard because I live alone and work is demanding (noone else knows we’re trying) so there have been a few evenings where I have a weep but we can only do what we can so onwards and upwards ☺️

Thank you to everyone for sharing your stories- it is really comforting knowing I’m not completely alone.

Hi ladies how is everyone doing? Hope you are all having better luck than I am!

I am on my second round of clomid and have had 2 tracking scans and both showing that the follicles are still very small, under 10mm. So I am a long way off a trigger shot yet.

Hope this is a lucky month for everyone.

Morning @QueenBee22 sorry to hear about the follicles, here’s hoping they grow some more - what CD are you on?

I’ve woken up to AF so I’m feeling sad, I’ve had a cry so now I’m going to have a cuppa and try not to be too miserable for the rest of the day!!