Repost: Is/Was anyone else on Clomid and a trigger shot (Ovidrel)?

Blessed1010 · April 2009

I'm glad I was directed to this board b/c there seems to be alot more people in my situation.

Here's my story...

I've been married for 4 1/2 years and sexually active since the age of 21 with one partner (DH). I have never been on birthcontrol but we did practice the withdrawal method. I've never gotten pregnant or had a scare. Finally, in November I got pregnant and that sadly ended 5 weeks later.

We've had the infertility tests done and I'm in the clear. Everything seems to look good. However, I can't get pregnant.

Last week Wednesday my OB put me on Clomid 50mg, to begin on Friday. My RE prescribed Clomid 100mg, also to begin on Friday. He stated that if we were going to do it, we would have to do it right. Well, I chose the 100mg and have been nervous ever since. Yesterday, the anxiety and worry worsened and I took 50mg as oppose to 100mg. I plan on taking 25mg tonight, the final day. I'm obviously tappering off of the medicine. I'm scheduled for a HCG trigger shot on Saturday. I'm so scared, should I opt out of it?

So many things are going through my mind. I've even considered abstaining this month. I've never been so unsure or felt so scared. Quite honeslty, I am terrified of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome, thinning of the uterine lining, birth defects, multiples, and ovarian cancer.

Has anyone had both the trigger shot and Clomid during their first month of Clomid?

By the way, I am scheduled for an ultrasound and bloodwork on Saturday, prior to the Ovidrel.

Thanks and sorry for the length.

Rachael07.07.07 · April 2009

I would have had the Ovidrel this rd with 100mg of Clomid but I didn't respond to the Clomid. I had no mature follies so we held off on the the trigger. I would definately have a convo with both your doctors and all be on the same page. If you are going to an RE, why is your ob giving you the prescription?

Blessed1010 · April 2009

I was still seeing both. I got the scripts during the same week, two days apart.

MayM · April 2009

Yes, I triggered with my first round of Clomid. If you are being closely monitored by your RE, I wouldn't be too concerned about the issues you mentioned. Discuss your concerns with your RE. You should only be doing this if you are comfortable with it. However, you shouldn't change the treatment without doctor's approval! I would call his office now and explain where you are at. Clomid use does need to be closely monitored and you should not self-regulate the dosage.

stepgirl21 · April 2009

I am in the 2ww of my first IUI and I am on 50 mg of Clomid and a Ovidrel trigger shot. I had a very healthy lining and 3 good follicles. I'm not sure what to tell you b/c I have complete trust in my RE. She knows what she is doing and has the experience and knowledge to back it up. I haven't been concerned at all. It is my understanding that OHSS is more common with injectables. I think if I had to be on Clomid for more than 6 months I would be concerned about ovarian cancer but I won't since I am only doing 3 IUIs. I am not scared of having twins and the chances of triplets is so tiny with clomid. If you don't trust your doc, perhaps you should get a second opinion to ease your mind. Sorry you have anxiety about clomid and sorry you even have to go through this at all.

k8enewlywed · April 2009

MayM:
Yes, I triggered with my first round of Clomid. If you are being closely monitored by your RE, I wouldn't be too concerned about the issues you mentioned. Discuss your concerns with your RE. You should only be doing this if you are comfortable with it. However, you shouldn't change the treatment without doctor's approval! I would call his office now and explain where you are at. Clomid use does need to be closely monitored and you should not self-regulate the dosage.

I agree....I took 100mg and a trigger my first round. I would not play around the with dosage on your own! call them and explain what you did and see what they advise you to do!GL!?

Ireland05 · April 2009

OHSS is very rare with Clomid. ?Thinning of the lining is common, but isn't particularly harmful; it just makes it more difficult for the embryo to implant. According to my RE, multiples are about twice as common with Clomid than the usual rate, so 8% instead of 4% (some places quote as high as 10%, but still unlikely). ?There are no studies that I know of to show a link between birth defects and Clomid. ?

You should talk to your RE on Saturday prior to your trigger if you are nervous. ?They will have more info after doing the U/S, and will know how many follicles you have and your uterine lining thickness. ?Read through the product info (it's available online), and do some research. ?I've taken Clomid and I was going to take Ovidrel this cycle (cancelled b/c of scheduling issues), and I'm not concern about either one. ?Well, I do worry about multiples, but not that much.

Take a deep breath. ?It's going to be ok whatever you decide. ??

yogisunam · April 2009

Ditto on not self-regulating yourself on Clomid! Why would you do that?

I started on 100 mg of Clomid and I self-triggered (when the doctor told me too!) as well. Clomid isn't known for OHSS, and you're RE should bring you in for u/s to see how many follicles are maturing. I had 4, with the average desired is 1-3.

cocojack10 · April 2009

My two rounds of Clomid (50mg), I didn't combine with Ovidrel. However, the last 4 were combined. Your concerns are all valid, and you need to speak to your RE or OB to help you further understand the process / risks / etc.

This last cycle, I was feeling some severe bloat and cramps, and spoke to my nurse regarding possible OHSS, and she said that it is very rare to exprience it w/ such a low dose of Clomid (obviously not unheard of). The symptoms went away, so no further testing was done.

With Clomid, there is a chance of multiples, but again, with such a low dose, the chances aren't that high.

And as for the ovarian cancer, the way my RE explained it is that there are studies that indicate you have an increase chance, and there are other studies that state otherwise. My RE doesn't believe it. Her explaination is that the Clomid makes you ovulate, which you were suppose to do anyway.

It is very important when taking Clomid that you are properly monitored, which includes u/s prior to prescription (to ensure ovaries healed properly and no cysts). Prior to Ovidrel, I get another u/s to make sure the follicles are indeed mature.

epphd · April 2009

I made it through 3 rounds of clomid (up to 200mg for 5 days), 5 IUIs with injectable gonadotropins, and 4 IVFs (with my own eggs) with no OHSS. That is why doctors monitor you. To echo everyone else, you really aren't at risk for OHSS with clomid - even high doses. And changing your dosage will only lower the effectiveness. I understand the desire for control here, but you really need to trust the experts. That said - do ask as many questions as you feel you need to before embarking on any treatment.

The risk of cancer from IF treatment is still being studied, but recent evidence indicates that it does not pose an additional risk. The risk to infertile women is being infertile - not getting treatment. The increased risk due to NOT experiencing pregnancy is counteracted by pregnancy and breastfeeding. So if you are concerned about the (not proven and probably not substantial) risk from meds, your best bet is to stay on them in order to achieve pregnancy.

As for HOM - it is really rare and essentially unheard of with clomid.

GL, and no more self adjusting meds!

BulaS · April 2009

I am also on the 2ww with the 2nd cycle of Femera; ?trigger shot for the first time due to late ovulation on Thursday. IUI was done Friday. ?I recommend you call your RE and discuss your concerns. ?The trigger shot for me was due to late ovulation; the longer the follie has to mature the less viable, I was told. ?They also did u/s to see ?how many mature folllies I had; I had two that looked good. ?You might request an u/s to check for numbers to ease your worries of multiples. ?Good luck to you!!?

Blessed1010 · April 2009

Ladies, thanks for responding.

I appreciate all of the advice and honesty. I realize I have until Saturday to make an informed and well thought out decision.

ladychicago · April 2009

that is my protocol. and i think my mind was put at ease because i had frequent monitoring with my doctor... started CD10, I got b/w and u/s to check on my follie growth, and depending on what they saw, they brought me back in for follow-ups until i was ready to trigger (which turned out to be CD11 and then I triggered CD12). So I got to see exactly what effect the Clomid was having (i.e. not too little, not too much of an effect). that helped me to understand what the drug was doing to my body and why I was doing it.

good luck! and don't hesitate to ask questions!

Dr.Loretta · April 2009

Forgive me for thinking out loud, but I'm confused.

You're seeing an ob/gyn and an RE for the same issue? And they've given you different dosages of Clomid? Do they know about each other? And is anyone monitoring you? Wait, yes someone is, because you have b/w and u/s on Saturday.

The u/s will determine if you are hyperstimulating, and will give them an idea of what your lining looks like. If you are producing too many follicles, they will determine that it is unsafe and may cancel the cycle. Youa re not going into this blindly.

I'm not sure where your fear of birth defects and ovarian cancer is coming from.

Educate yourself as much as possible on this, and talk to your dr. You are the medical consumer, they should be able to answer all your questions and address your fears.

momma mimi · April 2009

I only skimmed over the replies so I apologize if I'm repeating what someone has already said.

1) Why is your GYN and RE both treating you for this? If you are indeed interested in pursuing this IF road, you should stick with just the RE. They are far better educated regarding these matters and monitor your cycles better.

2) You should never alter the medication dosage. Fertility drugs are not something that you should self medicate on. Know that by doing so you probably will not respond to the Clomid the way you were supposed to. You may not even have a sizeable follie to trigger when you go in.

3) You said you were in the clear testing wise. Has your DH had a SA yet? If not you may want to try that route. Not saying something is wrong with him, but it's better to have all the info upfront.

Now on to the question ... Yes I am currently in a cycle of using Clomid (100 mg on CD 3-9) and Ovidrel trigger. I went in for my u/s today. Had a follie at 24 mm. My lining was 7.3mm. I got my trigger shot today.

Best of luck to you. I hope your anxiety lessens. Please know that it's okay take some time to get yourself together before beginning this journey. It's not an easy road to be on and it only gets harder as the months go on.

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Repost: Is/Was anyone else on Clomid and a trigger shot (Ovidrel)?

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