Appointment tomorrow (Clomid related)

kcswifey · May 2010

Hi ladies! I have an appointment with my OB tomorrow to discuss/prescribe Clomid for this cycle. Is there any questions that I need to ask? I have heard that it can dry up your CM and some women take an additional pill to combat this problem. Any advice would be appreciated! TIA.

MrsT1209 · May 2010

Make sure you will be monitored. If you will not be, I HIGHLY suggest you not take it.

I'm facing the possibility of losing an ovary due to unmonitored Clomid cycles.

sarahgcapecod · May 2010

I would ask what type of monitoring they will be doing. I know that some OBs just prescribe it and let you try 'on your own'....but I've never thought that is a great idea. The REs I have seen do vaginal ultrasounds to make sure you are developing folicles and that the Clomid is not thinning your lining. They also do tests to make sure your CM is not becoming too dry or 'combative' to the process (a side effect of Clomid).

Is the reason you are going on Clomid that you don't ovulate at all? Or ovulate late or not strong enough?

kcswifey · May 2010

MrsT1209:

Make sure you will be monitored. If you will not be, I HIGHLY suggest you not take it.

I'm facing the possibility of losing an ovary due to unmonitored Clomid cycles.

EEK! If you don't mind sharing, what happened? I want to sound educated when I bring this one up! So sorry that you are going through that!

kcswifey · May 2010

sarahgcapecod:

Is the reason you are going on Clomid that you don't ovulate at all? Or ovulate late or not strong enough?

See, this is where I am confused. I ovulate every month. I have had some crazy heavy bleeding where I am in the bathroom every 20 minutes changing a super tampon and leaking onto a pad. My doctors have done an internal ultrasounds, a hysteroscopy, and an HSG and cannot determine what is causing the menorrhagia. The "cure" for it is going on BCP or getting pregnant. Since I am having trouble conceiving on my own he thinks Clomid will help. I am pretty nervous, seeing as I have enough trouble getting pregnant and then I delivered my baby early! I don't need any additional problems in the reproductive area!

MrsT1209 · May 2010

I did 3 cycles completely unmonitored on Clomid. All they ever tested was my progesterone at 7dpo.

My OB prescribed it even though I was ovulating just fine. She claimed it would boost my eggs.

My RE is convinced that my ovaries are covered completely in cysts and the left is so overstimulated that it's 3 times the size of a normal one, due to Clomid and being unmonitored.

He's a firm believer that if you are ovulating fine on your own, you should NOT be medicated. He said there is no evidence showing that it boosts your eggs but that there is evidence showing that it can have an adverse effect if you already ovulate fine.

Your bleeding sounds like mine right now which is being caused by the cysts and a fibroid.

Sorry so long but this is an important subject for me. After everything I've gone through and am going through as a result of being on Clomid unnecessarily, I firmly believe you shouldn't use it if you ovulate fine.

Have you had your progesterone tested on an unmedicated cycle to see how strong your ovulation is?

mcoronato · May 2010

now im freaked out too. im supposed to start clomid next cycle...in 7 days! My doc just prescribed it over the phone. Told me there are no real side effects and to just try on our own with it. I googled but didnt see anything about CM or thinned lining. She did say that they dont recommend it for long term treatment.

ps- i ovulate on my own every month around day 14. Wondering if i need a second opinion now!!!

thank you for bringing this up. i think i need to question more!

Frankie · May 2010

I agree that it's really in your best interest to be monitored during ANY medicated infertility treatment. That's the reason my OB sent me straight to the RE.

franciscaz · May 2010

The main thing I would insist upon as T and others said is careful monitoring. Here is more explanation about monitoring: You want a day 3 draw, a day 21 draw, and if possible a day 28 or 30 BETA (the last depends on your OB and isn't a MUST but is nice). Also you need to have at least 1 u/s to monitor follicle production and make sure you are clear of cysts. Ideally you should have a day 3 u/s to check lining and that you have no cysts, I can't remember but I think it was day 12 u/s to again check cysts and to see how follicle growth and production is going, and a 3rd if you are in serious pain later in the cycle to ensure you are not having OSS or problematic cysts..Oh and order some pre-seed for the CM dryness, it rocks!

ERICA21779 · May 2010

I know you've been told a bit already, but I also wanted to jump on the band wagon...........please make sure that you are monitored on clomid, I feel as though some OB's just give it out like candy and then don't do the most important thing, which is the monitoring!

My experience was it gave me little to no period which was an indication of thinning of my uterine lining per my RE. He said because I wasn't monitored on clomid by my OB that it was pretty much a wasted three months.

GL!

kcswifey · May 2010

Good morning! Thank you for all of your insight! I will definitely request to be monitored. My sister was on Clomid this past month and wanted to be monitored but her doc gave her a bunch of reasons that she didn't need to be (lowest dose, already ovulating on her own, etc.). I think I will either ask for a referral to an RE or just try on our own for a couple more months. Clomid sounds pretty scary! The only problem is we may be moving to KS next month so I will have to start all over with a new RE! We'll see what happens today! Thanks again, you ladies are great!

MrsT1209 · May 2010

If you take your records with you, you shouldn't have to start all over with a new doctor. You should be able to pick up where you left off. My first RE wanted to re-do all the testing that my OB did but I was insistent that I didn't want to pay for it all again. My new RE has only retested things that he considered inaccurate from the first RE.

franciscaz · May 2010

MrsT1209:
If you take your records with you, you shouldn't have to start all over with a new doctor. You should be able to pick up where you left off. My first RE wanted to re-do all the testing that my OB did but I was insistent that I didn't want to pay for it all again. My new RE has only retested things that he considered inaccurate from the first RE.

Ditto this! We moved from las Vegas to NM when we were just about to try for #2. What I did was have my current RE and my OB write up a detailed summary of treatment and get ALL of my records transfered to the new RE. They only made me do a couple of new tests Smile

IMO Clomid isn't scary but it also isn't candy. With proper monitoring it can be a really good drug. All 3 of my kids are Clomid babies. It just is important not to jump into it w/your eyes closed. That bull about being on the lowest dose is crap though. You can have side effects on any dosage!

Out of curiosity do you have a diagnoses?

MrsT1209 · May 2010

*francisca*:
That bull about being on the lowest dose is crap though. You can have side effects on any dosage!
Out of curiosity do you have a diagnoses?

I was on 50mg all 3 of my Clomid cycles, the lowest dose. The first 2 months I had severe side effects and hyperovulated. The third cycle on it, I had zero side effects and barely ovulated at all. My RE said that it can have an adverse effect on women who ovulate just fine on their own.

kcswifey · May 2010

My doc diagnosed me with unexplained secondary infertility two months ago. When TTC #1 I had a miscarriage (not uncommon) and it took 12 months to conceive DS (completely in normal range for a healthy couple). I am not sure why I have this Dx. I know that my doctor wants me to get pregnant soon to stop the crazy, heavy bleeding but I definitely don't want to do any more damage being medicated and not monitored. You ladies have given me a lot of great things to bring up at my appt. I will let you know what happens!

MrsT1209 · May 2010

I really would recommend seeing an RE instead of an OB when dealing with infertility and fertility drugs/treatments. Their knowledge is so much more vast and detailed.

I'd also seek out a second opinion for what could be causing the heavy bleeding. There has to be an underlying cause and I personally wouldn't want to go into a pregnancy without knowing what it is due to possibly risking damage to yourself or the baby.

waitingforbaby#2 · May 2010

I agree with pp, definately get monitored while taking clomid/fertility drugs. For me, I ovulated on my own but after 2 1/2 years with no luck we tried 50mg clomid+ovidrel trigger+IUI and got pregnant on my second cycle of this. (the IUI bypassed the cm issues that clomid can create). fwiw, I barely had any side effects from the clomid. Good luck

I hope you find a dr who knows what they are doing!!

orange682 · May 2010

If the GYN doesn't know what the problem is, I recomend going to an RE. The RE's job is basically to get (and keep) you pregnant, and may have access to more tools, research, and tests, that your GYN may not readily have.

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Appointment tomorrow (Clomid related)

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