First period since D&C and clomid question

Knottie69717311

Hi everyone. I got my period today, 33 days after D&C. June 1 is my follow up appointment, my dr didn't want to see me until 6 weeks. Before I for pregnant my dr was going to prescribe clomid bc my periods are so irregular and I
don't get positive results on ovulation tests. Has anyone been on clomid? What are side effects of clomid? I don't know if I should bring the idea of clomid up or not. My husband said he's on board with whatever I want to do...

catiecatp

I'm sorry for your loss - hugs and love from afar

I don't know much about Clomid, but I believe that is a drug that has a lifetime cycle limit that a lot of women on these boards recommend only taking under the care of an RE, not a OB. I know it has been discussed a lot but I'm not sure how to direct you to the threads. I feel like it came up recently (in the past month or so) with another woman who had similar questions as you have - perhaps someone will be better able to give you some direction.

Knottie69717311

Thank you for your reply. I guess I'm just all over the place right now. I don't even know where I'm going with my thread. With My period here I feel like I can't control my emotions right how. My husband is out of town and I'm feeling extra lonely  

catiecatp

@knottie6971311 - someone on the boards had a signature that said something simple and yet profound - healing comes in waves (there was more to it than that, but it is escaping me right now). It is nearly 5 months since I found out that I had a 50/50 chance of miscarrying (which I then did a few days later). Sometimes it still feels like yesterday. 

We're here to support you as best as we can - this board is quite welcoming and friendly - while we're happy you've found us, we're sad that you had reason to. 

BrightenMySky

I am sorry for your loss.  I really like the signature quote that @catiecatp mentioned...I feel like there's something about waves breaking in different places as they come in, but cannot remember exactly either.

I have done 5 rounds of Clomid under the care of an RE.  I have no known fertility issues, but we have a MFI issue and have been doing IUIs--the Clomid is to increase the number of eggs that I release to increase the odds that a healthy sperm will find an egg.  I actually experience different side effects each time.  I used to get weird shoulder pains that my acupuncturist thought were related to hormone levels, I have gotten increased anxiety, and most recently I think I have started to have hot flashes.  Plus I have gotten an increase in migraines since my loss, and this most recent cycle, the Clomid may have impacted that.  

It is also really important that you monitor your response to the Clomid.  Some women experience lining thinning that you would definitely want to know about, as that can impact future fertility.  And if the Clomid isn't doing anything for you, there are other meds to try, no point wasting your time.  Monitoring is typically with bloodwork and ultrasounds, so you want to make sure your doctor has a plan for that, and if not, consider seeing an RE.  There is also an issue with the lifetime max (6 cycles), but I think there is some debate about whether this is actually a problem (my RE seemed to say that the link to ovarian cancer was disproven, but it's something to look into).  It's possible that some docs adhere to the lifetime max and others don't.

ETA: Happy to answer follow up questions if I can about seeing an RE (for IF, cannot speak to RPL) and/or Clomid.

Wishilivedinflorida

Have you every tried temping? It may be worthwhile, because some women are ovulating but don't turn OPK's positive. You were able to get pregnant without Clomid (I'm not sure how long you were trying though), so you may not need it. You might just be able to start tracking your cycles and see if/when you are ovulating. I echo PP that Clomid should really be monitored by an RE. There is testing that needs to be done before you start it, so that you don't waste the cycles if you have other issues (sperm issues, tube blockages, etc.), plus it needs to be closely monitored to prevent adverse effects that can affect future fertility.

I'm very sorry for your loss and that you find yourself here. There are a lot of women like @BornReady who can help you with further questions and are super friendly! Don't be afraid to be sad, either. It's part of the process. I'm sorry DH is out of town, which doesn't help. Sending you big hugs!

BornReady

So sorry for your loss. Like PP have mentioned clomid is a pretty serious drug that should be taken under the watch of an RE. I only did one cycle of clomid, but I had to sign a 6 page informed consent document and go through a ton of testing prior to taking it, like an (HSG to make sure tubes are clear, blood tests etc.) and ultrasounds during my cycle with it to make sure I wasn't overstimulating or thinning out my lining too much. I ovulate on my own and our only issue is MFI. 

I would agree with @Wishilivedinflorida about the charting. I'm not sure how long your cycles are, but OPKs are only good if you catch your surge. I usually have a very short surge and would have missed it if I wasn't temping. That might be a good place to start and if you are really not ovulating on your own consistently then maybe ask for a referral to an RE for some more testing. We have to assume you are at least ovulating some of the time if you actually got pregnant, so that's good news. 

Good luck!

BornReady

@BrightenMySky Glad you brought up the whole cancer thing regrading clomid. My RE was telling us at our IVF consult that in general women who undergo any medicated fertility treatments are at a higher risk for reproductive cancers. She didn't place too much emphasis on it, but did mention it was kind of a "chicken or the egg" thing in her eyes. For instance are women more prone to infertility also more prone to reproductive cancers due to physiological reasons, as opposed to are women who take fertility drugs more prone to reproductive cancers as a result of the medications type argument. 

Knottie69717311

Thank you ladies for all of your responses and support. I'm very sorry to all of you for your losses. My cycles are about 5 weeks. I haven't tried temping but I think I'm going to. DH and I just go every other day from when I end my period until I get one or a bfp. My OBGYN was just ready to put me on Clomid like it was no big deal. I'm so glad I asked about it on here.

I'm going to stick to what we have been doing and hope, and pray that my baby is a healthy growing baby. Last month I found out my baby stopped growing around 9 weeks, I didn't know until my 12 week ultrasound. I hope all of us have our rainbow babies soon!  

I can't wait until this period ends.