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Switching from Clomid to Femara

Brooke888Wed157297Brooke888Wed157297 member
in Trouble TTC

Getting ready for IUI#3 for my next cycle (CD1 about 9 days away). I've done my past 2 IUIs with 100mg Clomid, and I seem to have responded well with multiple mature follicles, then trigger, then BFN. Anyway, the nurse called today to say that my RE is switching me to Femara. Has anyone switched and what differences did you notice (results, side effects, etc)?

I've googled it but come up with all kinds of crazy studies that are long and drawn out.

 

 

****CHILD/BFP WARNING****

TTC since 2/11 - Unexplained IF B/W revealed high prolactin levels. Taking bromocriptine for prolactin.
IUI #1-3 = BFN
IVF #1 = Cancelled (undermedicated = small follicles)
IVF #2 = ER 12/6 - 6R/4M/Only 1F
Transfered our one and only blast (3AA) on 12/11 = BFP!

Trying for Baby #2

IVF#3 - 13 eggs retrieved, 7 fertilized. All 7 got a fungus and arrested.

IVF#4 - February 2016 - 13 eggs retrieved. All arrested.

IVF#5 - June 2016 - 12 eggs retrieved. All arrested. Told I need a donor egg.

Changed REs.

IVF #6 - September 2016 - T-priming, HGH, Lupon flare. 31 eggs retrieved!!! 12 made it to blast! Transferred 2 blasts (5AA, 4AA).

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Re: Switching from Clomid to Femara

  • notquiteblushingnotquiteblushing member
    I tried Femara after I didn't respond at all to my second round of Clomid.  It gave me a mature follicle right away but my estrogen level was really low so they don't really think it's the best thing for me but I've seen a lot of people have success with it.  Good luck.
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  • Bizzy80Bizzy80 member
    Hi there.  I have had success on both.  I responded well to 50 mg Clomid with multiple mature follicles but it really thinned my lining and made me a hot mess.  My last 2 Femera hybrid cycles I haven't had any of the nasty side effects and have responded about the same as the Clomid. 
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  • chelsmclchelsmcl member
    I switched after I didn't respond to Clomid and I've been very happy. Less side effects, the only thing I really notice is I get very sleepy the week after I take the Femara.
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  • tayray1tayray1 member
    I took 50 mg of clomid with my first IUI and had 2 great follicles, but my RE thinks clomid contributed to my cysts, so this cycle I used femara. No side effects here, but I also only produced one mature follie. Good luck!
    Patiently waiting for our 1st since 9/2010.
    Dealing with MFI, good count, good motility, 3% morph-HSG all clear, all other test results came back normal, IUI is our next step
    May 2012- Clomid 50mg + IUI = BFN
    June- Cycle Break
    July- Forced cycle break due to cysts
    August- Femara, Trigger, IUI#2= ?
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  • Aurora1181Aurora1181 member
    Yep- I switched. I did 50mg of Clomid, had two follicles, but a thin lining. On 2.5mg of Femara (letrozole), I had one mature follicle, great lining (10mm!), but no pregnancy. I had hot flashes with Clomid, no side effects with Clomid. My RE said that 2.5mg of letrozole was not as powerful as 50mg of Clomid..which was why my lining was better but I had only the one follicle. So I dunno what the equivalent to 100mg of Clomid would be. 5mg? 7.5?
    ---------------Siggy Warning--------------------


    Image and video hosting by TinyPicimage
    Me: 32, DH: 34  / TTC since February 2011 / SA: all normal, HSG: all clear! / on Lovenox for anticardiolipid antibodies
    4 IUIs with Clomid, Letrozole, and Menopur. All BFN.
    9/12: lap / hysteroscopy: found and removed mild endometriosis, cervical polyp, and 2 para-tubular cysts
    5/13 IVF #1: Follistim, Menopur, Ganirelix, 10R/4M/4F, ET of 2, 5 cell and 4 cell, no frosties = BFN
    12/13 IVF #2 = November / December 2013. Microdose Lupron Protocol: 15R/6M/6F, Froze all 6 due to high E2 and P4
    FET 1: Jan 22, 2014 of one 4AB blast and one 3BB blast (3 blasts on ice!)
    BFP on HPT 4dp5dt, Beta #1 9dp5dt: 310, Beta #2 11dp5dt: 899
    First u/s on 2/17/14: TWINS!!!!! both w/HBs of 114 at 6w3d, HBs 150 and 152 at 7w5d
    5/27/2014: Team purple!!!!  EDD 10/10/2014 / 
    Delivered by c-section at 32w0d 8/15/2014 due to preeclampsia/HELLP syndrome
    Baby Boy 4lbs 1oz, 17 inches
    Baby Girl 3lbs 5oz, 16 inches

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  • Brooke888Wed157297Brooke888Wed157297 member

    imageAurora1181:
    Yep- I switched. I did 50mg of Clomid, had two follicles, but a thin lining. On 2.5mg of Femara (letrozole), I had one mature follicle, great lining (10mm!), but no pregnancy. I had hot flashes with Clomid, no side effects with Clomid. My RE said that 2.5mg of letrozole was not as powerful as 50mg of Clomid..which was why my lining was better but I had only the one follicle. So I dunno what the equivalent to 100mg of Clomid would be. 5mg? 7.5?

     

    Good point! He has me taking 2.5mg of letrozole when I was taking 100mg of Clomid. I will be sad if we get down to it, and I only have 1 follicle. Blegh.

    ****CHILD/BFP WARNING****

    TTC since 2/11 - Unexplained IF B/W revealed high prolactin levels. Taking bromocriptine for prolactin.
    IUI #1-3 = BFN
    IVF #1 = Cancelled (undermedicated = small follicles)
    IVF #2 = ER 12/6 - 6R/4M/Only 1F
    Transfered our one and only blast (3AA) on 12/11 = BFP!

    Trying for Baby #2

    IVF#3 - 13 eggs retrieved, 7 fertilized. All 7 got a fungus and arrested.

    IVF#4 - February 2016 - 13 eggs retrieved. All arrested.

    IVF#5 - June 2016 - 12 eggs retrieved. All arrested. Told I need a donor egg.

    Changed REs.

    IVF #6 - September 2016 - T-priming, HGH, Lupon flare. 31 eggs retrieved!!! 12 made it to blast! Transferred 2 blasts (5AA, 4AA).

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  • Killer TomatoKiller Tomato member
    I did two IUis on each. I preferred the femara...less s/e (only a tiny bit of nausea after taking it,) and responded the same to both. GL!
    4 IUIs: Bfn
    Antagonist IVF 7 retrieved, 4 fert w/ICSI&AH, 2 blasts transferred. Beta #1 9/20: 367 Beta #2 9/22: 841
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  • MrsPBandJMrsPBandJ member
    Hi, I'm lurking a bit over here, but as you can see in my siggy I've been on both.  With Clomid, I never had any mature follies, but have had 2-4  each time with Femara and have gotten KU twice on Femara cycles. I had no SE with Clomid, but hot flashes with Femara that I find are better if I take it at night.  Also, I'm on 12.5 mg Femara, which I think is the highest dose (I had no response all the way up to 200 mg Clomid). Good luck!
    Me:32 dx anovulation, unknown reason DH:41
    4 cycles Clomid=No O, 6 total cycles of Femara + Ovidrel
    BFP #1 3/14/12 EDD 11/21/12 MC 3/23/12 5w3d Back to TTC Femara + Ovidrel April/May 2012 
    BFP #2 5/19/12 EDD 1/27/13 No hb @ 7w1d 6/11/12 1st dose cytotec 6/18/12 8w1d 
    RPL panel: MTHFR compound heterozygousStarted folic acid/baby aspirin, cleared to TTC 9/12BFP #3 10/25/12 EDD 7/9/13 Beta #1 13DPO 119 Beta #2 15DPO 264 
    Baby E born 7/8/13

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  • zookbridezookbride member

    I only did one round of Clomid --never again! When the RE suggested Femara, I jumped at the chance b/c I hate Clomid.

    Femara was leaps and bounds better. I still got CM (didn't at all with Clomid), I had a nice thick lining and ended up with a nice mature follicle every round. Of course no pg but we have MFI too. I would say 100% go for the Femara. 

     Now, it does make your E2 low... I was freaked out when they said where my E2 was at during a monitoring cycle but I was told not to worry b/c Femara will lower your estrogen. 

    As far as dosing my RE put me on 5 mg which is 2 tablets daily.

    New to 3T? Check out this website first:
    TroubleTTC

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    Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end --Semisonic

    **TTC since 04/09, C/P 02/02/10; 4 weeks, 3 days**
    **Dx: Anovulation, Hypothryroidism, Mild Endo, Pituitary Adenoma (prolactin issues), PAI-1, MFI **

    **7/10: Clomid + TI= BFN**
    **3/2/11: 1st RE appointment**
    **DH= Morph= 2%, Motility= 30%**
    **HSG= All clear!!**
    **3/11: Femara + Pregnyl + TI= BFN**
    **5/17/11: Laparoscopy / hysteroscopy = mild endo**
    **7/11: Novarel + IUI #1= BFN (7mil, 75% motility, 2% morph)**
    **8/11: Femara + Novarel + IUI #2= BFN (11mil, 35% motility, 1% morph)**
    **11/11: Femara + Novarel + IUI #3= BFN (9mil, 2% morph)**
    **Jan 2012: Follistim (75ius) + IUI #4= CANCELLED due to cyst -put on bcp**
    **Feb 2012: Follistim (75ius) + Novarel + IUI #4.2= BFFN (2.5mil, 13% motility, 1% morph)**
    **Mar 2012: Follistim (100ius) + IUI #5= CANCELLED due to 35mm & 14mm cysts**
    **On med break indefinitely...IF Sucks!**

    **Jan 2013: Follistim (100ius) + IUI #5.2= CANCELLED due to high prolactin level, MRI scheduled, pituitary adenoma found, put on Dostinex**
    **Mar 2013: Follistim (100ius) + IUI #5.3= CANCELLED due to uterine polyp, surgery scheduled for polypectomy and D&C**
    **03/22/13: Hysteroscopy, polypectomy and D&C**
    **May 2013: Finally got to start a cycle!!! Follistim (100ius) + IUI #5.4 = BFFN (6mil, 74% motility, 2% morph)** 

    **Jun 2013: Decide to start IVF**
    IVF w/ICSI #1 (Long Lupron Protocol)
    06/26/13: Start BCPs
    07/02/13: HSG #2= all clear
    07/15/13: Start Lupron 10 ius
    07/25/13: Suppression check
    07/28/13: Start stims (225IUs Follistim + 75IUs Menopur) drop to 5 IUs Lupron
    08/01/13: Monitoring: 12 follicles all about 10mm, E2- 313
    08/04/13: Monitoring: 18 follicles (15mm, 13mm, a few 11mm, rest 10mm or below) E2- 1,505
    Start Augmentin- antibiotic prep
    08/06/13: Monitoring: 13 follicles (18mm, 17mm, rest b/w 15mm-16mm!) Ready to trigger!! E2- 2,248
    08/08/13: ER-- 14R, 13M, 10F 
    08/11/13: One fertilized late, we now have 11 embryos!
    08/13/13: 5dt-- 2 blasts (Sheldon and Penny) 3AA and 3BB, none to freeze
    8/23/13: BFFN... Sheldon and Penny didn't stick**

    **8/29/13: Follow up... bad fragmentation issues. Changing protocol to Antagonist for round #2 coming soon! Also started on 81mg Aspirin after getting blood panel done and found out I have PAI-1**

    **Oct 2013: After large cysts, finally starting IVF #2**
    IVF w/ICSI #2 (Antagonist Protocol)
    BCPs started back in Sept due to cysts
    10/27/13: Start stims (225 IUs Gonal-F + 75 IUs Menopur)
    11/03/13 - 11/05/13: Add Ganirelix to the mix
    11/06/13: 3 follicles at 18mm-- Ready to trigger!
    11/08/13: ER-- 17R, 13M, 8F
    11/13/13: 5dt-- 2 blasts (Luke and Leia) 5AB and 4AB, 1 frostie
    11/20/13- 11/23/13: light positives on FRERs and Wondofos
    11/22/13: BFN per RE office (under HCG of 10)
    11/27/13: CP ::sigh::

    *12/03/13: Follow up...great response and quality this time, was given 50% chance of it working, just didn't stick. Great plan for 2014! 

    **Jan 2014: Last IVF of our SRP**
    IVF w/ICSI, freeze all, then FET
    12/27/13: Start BCPs
    01/19/14: Stims (375 IUs Gonal-F + 75 IUs Menopur)

    Congratulations Cutebride!! --TWINS!! Congratulations, Luvie, on your sweet boy! Congrats, Jess! So happy for you ladies! <3<3  
    ~~Also best of luck to Kati, illinigal, and youngin!~~

    *S/PAIFW*

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  • girlofsummer78girlofsummer78
    I don't know about symptoms from switching because I was only on Femara for my IUIs.  I didn't have any symptoms from Femara.  I did take my pill at night before bed. My doctor suggested that because, as she said, if I were to have any symptoms (headace or such) I'd get it while sleeping and it wouldn't impact me.
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