Moving onto injectables

smw42088

On CD 13 of my second cycle of chlomid 150mg and 2mg of dexamethasone. I only produced one follicle this cycle and my uterine lining is too thin . RE is suggesting we don't do IUI this cycle and move onto injectables. Has anyone else gone through something similar? Nervous to do injectables and worried about cost?

smw42088

Thank you ladies, I go back on Wednesday to discuss our next option with my doctor. What kind of questions should I be asking? My insurance has been great so far with treatment. I have had an IUI covered and only paid out of pocket about $15 for each cycle of chlomid that I have done. Hoping I will have some coverage on injectables too.

lebradford

Yep, pretty much the same thing happened to me too. I did go ahead with the final Clomid IUI, but it was a BFN. I am in the middle of my first injects cycle. 

It looks like you already have a lot of good advice. If your insurance doesn't cover the injects or they aren't covering them well, then make sure to shop around because prices vary drastically between pharmacies. The cost of monitoring on an injects cycle can also be more than a Clomid cycle because you typically have to go more often. That might be something to ask about. In addition to the other questions people have mentioned, I asked what the goal was for the number of mature follicles, and at what point they would say I over-stimulated and cancel my cycle. 

As far as the actual injections, it is intimidating at first, but the injections don't really hurt. It's more about the thought of everything than actually doing it. 

smw42088

Thank you! Feels nice to know I'm not the only one experiencing this. Somedays it can feel that way. My family and friends just assure me that "I'm young" and "it will happen" I don't think anyone understands the daily struggle of this without going through it first hand.

Is there a limit on how many cycles you can do injectables? What were your side effects with injectables @lebradford @rainbowbridge14 @nariadreaming

lebradford

What @rainbowbridge14‌ said about how many cycles you can do.

For me (and most people, from what I've heard), the side-effects have actually been much less on injects than on Clomid. Like, it's so much better. I have had a headache every day, but it goes away with just Tylenol, so I consider that pretty good!

My non-medical explanation is that Clomid tricks your body into (trying to) produce a follicle, so you get a bunch of side-effects. Injects almost perfectly mimic they way your body would naturally produce follicles (by increasing FSH) so you have fewer side-effects, even though it's more effective.

There are more risks (HOM, OHSS, cycle cancellation), but I'm much happier with injects so far.