BCP before Clomid? (ticker warning)

lupineaura

Hi ladies,

I am TTC #2 and have a question. I would ask in Secondary Infertility but they have a rule that you cannot post the first time while on your first medicated cycle. I didn't see a similar rule here, but if I am in violation I sincerely apologize and will delete this post.

I have a history of IF and associated medical complications (prolactinoma, Hashimotos, etc...I can give details if it's helpful).

I conceived my daughter after three rounds of clomid. I'm back to an RE to TTC#2. I do not ovulate without some sort of medication so there is no trying on our own first. Unfortunately, my fantastic RE has left the practice and is some distance away, so I saw another doctor there. He seems fine, and pretty aggressive (which is OK by me), but he is doing things a bit differently than my previous RE.

After an internal ultrasound and bloodwork to confirm I have thin lining and have not ovulated this "cycle" (I have no cycle), he prescribed BCP. It's not to induce a period or anything- I am supposed to stay on them until a saline test and pap results, and then he will immediately prescribe Clomid. So, I'll probably be on Clomid (and will have been on BCP) in like, 3 weeks.

I asked both him and the nurse about this, and my understanding is that the BCP is supposed to keep me in a "holding pattern" and I guess prevent me from ovulating until they give me the Clomid, but it is still quite confusing for me and Dr. Google isn't really helping much. I guess I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around taking BCP while TTC.

TL;DR version: Did anyone on here take BCP right up to a Clomid prescription? I am going to see my regular endocrinologist next week as well (he follows the prolactinoma and Hashimotos), so I'll ask him, too.

Thanks!

Pintobean39

Right before my last cycle I was on bc because of a cyst for 2 weeks. My cyst had started going down before he gave me the rx of bc. My RE said it was just to make my ovaries rest before he stared medication again, which was Gonal for me. I actually got off the bc and then started bleeding after I had started the injections. I found it odd but that was the best response to the meds that I've ever had. I'm guessing that's also why they make you take bc before IVF. Then again I'm not positive.

Good luck!

lebradford

I've only heard of it for IVF, but I think it kind of makes sense. It would keep your hormone levels at a kind of baseline so you wouldn't have to either wait for that cycle to end naturally or take Provera. It could end up saving you a few weeks, which would be nice.

Also, I have a prolactinoma too! There's only one other person in all of Bump land that I've found with one. I might PM you some time if you don't mind!

runawaylaurel

I took bcp's before my first medicated cycle, which was injects, not clomid. I also don't cycle on my own. My RE did it to keep me from ovulating while we did testing like the HSG. I'm now taking it pre-IVF to quiet down my ovaries and get them ready for the meds, like PP have said. 

lupineaura

Thank you all so much for the replies! I do feel better. I had no idea BCPs were common in an IVF cycle. 

lebradford, you are welcome to PM me! I've been diagnosed for over 10 years, but they have never seen the tumor on an MRI. Apparently there just isn't a better reason for my pattern of bloodwork, and they just assume the tumor is too small to see. I'm assuming that my endo will put me back on Dostinex until I get a positive pregnancy test (I was off it while nursing).

Thanks again!

Kam10

I was on a month of BCP the month before my first medicated cycle with my RE. I used that month to have my HSG done. Actually if this month doesn't work for us, my RE has us go back on them for a month. He does a 3 months of medicated cycles before he has you take a month of BCP to quiet/reset my ovaries.