Clomid for secondary unexplained infertility

[Fairy0708]

Hi all

Could anyone shed any experience or thoughts on taking clomid for unexplained infertility? My first child was concieved naturally in the first cycle at 31 (I don't want to cause any upset here, I'll add that he was born with congenital heart disease so it hasn't been plain sailing).

Fast forward to now, been TTC for 18 months (started age 34). My husbands sperm analysis is good, my hormone levels (FSH, LH, progesterone etc) and thyroid etc all normal. Two internal scans and a hycosy. Nothing has been detected as abnormal. Neither of us smoke, drink regularly, overweight etc. Hubby is taking proceeds plus and I am taking folic and vit D.

I was prescribed clomid but won't be monitored and I'm pretty nervous to take it. I've held off for a year now in the hope of a miracle but well, I will try anything at this point.

If anyone has had a similar experience please shed thoughts. X

Hi Fairy0708,

I'm in a similar situation, but older (almost 39). Same tests all came back ok and have had internal scan and HSG.

I have heard others in similar 'unexplained' situation be prescribed clomid. Including a close friend and it worked for her.

When I have spoken to the NHS doctors and mentioned it, it was a straight no as there is evidence that I am ovulating. Did you get it via the NHS?

I am so frustrated and wish there was something I could try :(

Hi @HM2024 thanks for your reply! I'm sorry you are also going through this. Yes it was following an NHS appointment. I think the thing that is niggling at me is that people seem to get different outcomes with different doctors!

How long have you been trying for your 2nd and what have your doctors suggested?

Hey, I posted a similar thread the other day. I'm planning to start a medicated cycle in the next few weeks when I get my period, but with Letrozole. I'm under a private clinic. I've been TTC my second for 2 years now. Had all the other checks including pelvic ultrasound, bloods and a HyCoSy and no issues but I do have low AMH of 2.6 and am 37 so time v much not on my side. Was really reassured though by a very experienced consultant telling me that for those of us who've conceived naturally with no apparent issues IVF is a waste of money. He was also very encouraging about trying the Letrozole for a 'boost'. Honestly I'm slightly sceptical after so long but have to keep the hope alive too. 😊 Have you been prescribed the Clomid on the NHS? Just wondered if that might be the reason for no monitoring. I'm obviously not an expert but it seems a bit odd not to have even one scan? I imagine that might be the case in subsequent cycles but don't they need to monitor if it's actually working in the first few? The only other thing I can think of if it is NHS is to pay for a scan privately? Happy to keep in touch and share stories if you like. I've got my follow-up appt in a couple of days and hoping to come up with a plan if my recent HyCoSy didnt mess up this cycle! Sending hugs as I know the pain of secondary infertility can be so tough! X.

P.S. so sorry OP, I've only just realised you already replied to someone saying it was an NHS appointment

@secondtimelucky87 thanks so much for the reply! That's very interesting to hear, I have been considering paying privately to do medicated cycles for the reassurance of being monitored. I think from reading on her that the NHS prescribes clomid and private is letotrozole, I assume to do with cost. I hope it works for you!🤞 Yes definitely keep in touch, I'm still undecided on whether I will take it.

Re: IVF, it's not something I would consider in all honestly, mainly for mental health reasons I just couldn't handle it if it didn't work.

I'm totally with you re IVF. There's no chance I could afford it and the thought of it not working (which realistically with my age and AMH is a factor) would be pretty devastating after all the effort and money. Im not going into medicated cycles expecting miracles but it's still exciting having something to try that's not invasive and I won't be paying off for years to come! X

@secondtimelucky87 when do you start taking letrozole? So I had an appt with the NHS gynae this week and explain my concerns about clomid. Was a very informative appt which I wasn't expecting!

He said with unexplained infertility, they except couples will fall pregnant within 3 years! He also said that clomid/letrozole increases chances of pregnancy in unexplained infertility by 30% and he has now prescribed be letrozole (I said I hadn't heard great things about clomid) and cyclogest. I think I am going to give it a go! AF is due in 3/4 days. He also said for me it is strange we are now having issues when our first was concieved quickly and has put me on the wait list for a laproscopy in case I have any issues as a result of the c section and to check for endometriosis (I have no symptoms but he said some people have none).

May I ask with your first, did it take long to conceive? Sorry if you've already said I missed it!

Also re: your age, my very close friend is a midwife and has also worked in research and she said the new number is 40 where fertility has a really steep decline so you certainly have some years!🌷

@secondtimelucky87 sorry for all the typos, typing very quickly!

Hiya! So I was prescribed my Letrozole by my consultant just yesterday. She was very realistic about the actual odds of success not being that much higher than with natural conception but tbh I'm just excited to try something. If my HyCoSy hasn't messed up this cycle I should be getting my period in the next 6/7 days so will be starting imminently eek. Then I will have a scan around day 12 and a trigger injection when advised. Sadly it did take us 3 years to conceive our first. I genuinely think stress was a major factor as when we finally conceived it was during lockdown. We were both WFH and really relaxed, even mixing up a cocktail most nights! It's very hard to replicate those conditions and now we're a few years older with crap AMH on my side. What can you do though? Have to keep the hope alive. I'm going to try 3 cycles as it's £400 a pop and only so much I can justify spending really. What your consultant said about unexplained infertility has given me such a boost of hope so thank you for that. Excited for both of us to try! Do you think you're going to go for it? Will you have scans and trigger?

P.S. Sorry can't remember if I'd said but my HyCoSy showed no c section adhesions or blockages. Have you had one of these? I don't think you should need a laparoscopy? I paid privately as don't feel time on my side and ditto with the medicated cycles. Just need to get on with it!

@secondtimelucky87 3 years wow. I can't imagine how you just have felt 😞 I agree about the stress! For the first 9-12 months of TTC this time round I was very stressed and period cycles were 24-26 says when I've always had 27-29 day cycles!

Sounds like we've been given similar ISH advice re: letrozole. I haven't been offered a trigger shot but I have been prescribed cyclogest. From what I understand it's a progesterone supplement to take from 2 days after ovulation until either AF arrives or continue if pregnancy happens.

I've spoken to a LOT of ladies in real life who have taken a few years to concieve.

Yes I had a hycosy back in May last year and everything was fine. It was actually the most painless procedure I've ever had so I am also skeptical if I need a laproscopy!

How old is your DC1😃

I'm obviously no expert but yeah I'd definitely be querying why they think you need a laparoscopy if your HyCoSy showed all fine? That's usually recommended if there are worrying symptoms I thought? Very odd! How come you were prescribed the progesterone if you don't mind me asking? I was told I'd be given that in subsequent cycles.

Yeah TTC for so long really was so tough. Can't tell you how shocked I was when I found out. I had incredibly sore boobs and felt absolutely boiling hot. Then I was several days late but just didn't put two and two together as it'd been so long! I took so many tests. 😂

My little one is 4 next month. I can't believe it. I swear she was tiny yesterday? How about yours? 😊

Ahh excited for us both to try soon!

He said it's possible that implantation is failing and the progesterone may help? I think it's basically a trial and error 🤣 I had the day 21 test in May and my level was 32. Apparently over 30 suggests ovulation but I've no other knowledge beyond that!

Oh wow mine is also 4 in March 😃 he has quite a lot of health issues with surgery in the first 18m and I was adamant I never wanted any more after that. Then when he turned 2 it changed and well... Little did I know 🤪 if life had been different we would have started trying earlier.

I can imagine what an amazing suprise it was after so much heartbreak!

Yeah I've had a progesterone blood test recently too and it was over 50 but who knows. Maybe that was just one month so worth asking about in any future cycles. I've heard the pessaries are quite messy so hoping I can be given tablets 😂.

Wow what a coincidence they are both 4 in march! I need to start thinking about presents/party soon and have no idea what to get her haha. I feel like it was Christmas yesterday?!

@secondtimelucky87 I've just taken my first letrozole! I don't usually get anxious over medical things but I am shitting myself 🤣 I don't know why! I feel like maybe I'm forcing my body to do something it's already supposedly doing 🙈

@Fairy0708
Are you particularly stressed atm as that could make a difference.
Unplanned pregnancy at 26 - even took the morning after pill - regretfully had to terminate and sorry if that’s triggering (also lol thought I’d never have fertility issues give this).
From 30 TTC for 18 moths, clomid prescribed on NHS as precursor to IVF. Tests showed I had lower AMH but otherwise fine all round. I was pretty stressed at work from about 2018 until now. First round of clomid didn’t work second round I took right as I took the first 2 week break from work in about ten years and got pregnant with my DS who is 2.5 years now.
I am now 35 almost 36. Had clomid prescribed privately in summer, this did not work (again stressed). Now I’m doing IVF and luckily work is so much more manageable xxx

Hi lovely, wow we are really in sync! I'm CD1 so no spontaneous post HyCoSy pregnancy for me alas! I think I start my Letrozole tomorrow. I'm a teacher and have two parents evenings back to back this week. Honestly not the best timing. Hoping to avoid hot flashes and nausea while talking to parents lol 😂. How are you feeling? Keeping everything crossed for you. I'm meant to have my monitoring scan on cd12 which falls on a Saturday so I hope they open the clinic that day briefly! All the positive vibes for both of us that this works! X

Agree stress is such a big factor. I was TTC my first for 3 years. I fell pregnant within 3 months of schools closing in the first lockdown and consequently teaching from home. Obviously can't replicate those conditions so I try to reduce stress where I can through therapy, meditation, exercise etc but not quite the same. Work isn't an enormous stress ATM but the general overwhelm of life and parenting a feisty preschooler is! All the best for your IVF cycle. X

Sorry @Toryory21 meant to tag you but it didn't work

@secondtimelucky87 thank you! Best of luck for you as well x

Hi ladies

Yes I think stress this time round may have had an impact (at least that's what I am telling myself)! When we started TTC number 2 if coincided with a high period of stress and for around 6-9 months my cycles went from 27-29 days to 24-26 days so I'm sure stress made my periods shorter!

How are you doing @Fairy0708 ? I've done two days of Letrozole so far. I feel like I have some side effects but hard to know if that's linked to period or end of half term exhaustion. 🥱 I've been getting headaches, slight dizziness, feel a bit off and I'm generally really sensitive to noise! I wanted to snap at my husband for talking this morning because it was like nails on a blackboard 😂. I've got 5 days left then scan next Friday and trigger at some point. X

Hi @secondtimelucky87

Yes I've had really bad headaches! Although today is my last day of pills this round and it's the first morning I've not had headaches so hopefully it wears off? Had one night of hot flushes but that's it so far. I don't have monitoring as it's NHS which I am very nervous about but I'll start the progesterone pessaries after ovulation.

I usually know which side I'm ovulating from and get sharp cramps for a good 3-4 days before and after the opk so it will be interesting to see what happens this month. I usually get the opk on CD13-14.

Meant that I get 3-4 days or cramps basically during ovulation so a few days either side of opk!

I hope it's all going ok and glad the headaches have worn off! Last day of tablets for me today. Yes annoying about lack of monitoring but tbh my consultant said OPKs are generally very accurate too and it's great you've been given progesterone. I'm not sure if I'd be given any in future cycles as I seem to ovulate alone and this is more of a boost but we'll see. Think I'll try to do the SMEP plan this month if not too exhausting. Struggled with BD that much in past but feel like we should maximise chances 😅