Intro and clomid question?

AgGal2010 · August 2015

Hello! Newbie on this board but I frequent the TTGP board. This is cross posted but I thought you ladies might have some experience with this situation and medicine. After my appt today, my RE is confident that I am going to need to start clomid next cycle and I think it's too soon. Here's our story for those that don't know....
DH and I have been married for a little over 2 years. I started tracking cycles in jan of this year. I have stage 4 endo (most recent surgery Oct 2014) and was diagnosed with pcos this year. From Jan-May I had to use provera 3 times to induce new cycles. Follicles never matured and hormones were very suppressed due to being on BC and synarel for endo. Started TTC in May and have finally started ovulating on my own (twice since May) and both times my follicles were very small (<12 mm). I am now on CD19 and my follicles are all very small (~5-7mm) and my dr is fairly certain based on u/s and bloodwork that I might not be producing mature follicles. He is wanting me to start clomid next cycle and I am worried it may be too soon. This was my first full cycle on 2000 mg of Metformin and he said I should know by now if it is going to help. I am not overweight and my diagnosis for PCOS comes from my u/s of ovaries and not my bloodwork. I had an HSG during my surgery last October and DH has had a SA which were both good. While I would really like to get KU I am scared of clomid. After reading about the horror stories of women on here I just don't know if I am ready to take something so strong. (I have read the clomid spill on here countless times.) Due to my endo my dr doesn't want to wait too long before going to the next step for fear that I might end up needing another surgery.

I know it varies between people but I am just curious if this seems like too soon to be starting clomid. Opinions, suggestions, experiences all appreciated. Thanks!

Drove2u · August 2015

What are your fears about clomid? I've taken it for two months and responded really well to it. I got 3 mature follicles last month and 5 this month. Side effects for me were only hot flashes and moodiness.

AgGal2010 · August 2015

I'm just hesitant about starting fertility meds. I know there are concerns with over producing follicles and it could cause multiples or even mess up future fertility. I just was really thinking I would be able to try naturally longer before jumping to meds. I had a lot of health issues over the past few years (severe endo, pancreatitis/gall bladder issues, chronic pain) and I have been on almost every medicine under the sun and so I am just naturally hesitant towards medicine. Just curious how long others waited before trying medicine to help TTC.

Based on my check up today my follicles have not matured at all in the past week and my estrogen, and progesterone are going down instead of up. So that pretty much just confirms that this is probably not going to happen on its own.

riveridgional · August 2015

I wouldn't be worried about taking Clomid. It didn't wind up doing anything for me, but I would have never known without trying. The only side effect I had was hot flashes, and my third time (the only monitored one), realized it thinned my lining. This was fixed by taking vaginal estrace. I will admit to being incredibly nervous before taking Clomid the first time based on things I read online (a lot of it because I knew I wouldn't be monitored). I think a lot of people tend to exaggerate their symptoms and experiences, so I honestly wouldn't place too much weight into any horror stories. I'm sure anything truly scary about it is extremely rare. I encourage you to move forward if you will be monitored as I don't think you will regret it. I'm now finding myself nervous to start injectables, and I'm trying to temper those nerves by remembering my unfounded fears of Clomid.

Wishes you nothing but the best and sending tons of encouragement to try Clomid!!

Drove2u · August 2015

Are you seeing an RE or your obgyn? I was Ttc completely naturally for 14 months after I had a miscarriage at 7 weeks. And then I just couldn't get pregnant again. I went to see an re in July and he put me on clomid right away. I have no fertility issues and neither does my husband. It's just not happening. I understand you hate meds but if they will help...also how old are you? If you have time to try without meds then I say go for it. If you're older than you may have to think of these options. But clomid is only for 5 days and really not a big deal. Hope this helps a little.

riveridgional · August 2015

I must have been typing my response above before you posted your response to @Drove2u. I was trying for 10 months before I started my first round of Clomid. I did 2 rounds of 50mg unmonitored with my OB before switching to an RE. My RE monitored a natural cycle for me, largely because of the time in my cycle in which I first saw him. He then monitored me on 100mg and that's when we saw it thinned my lining and I still only produced 1 mature follicle. My RE thinks I just won't respond to oral meds and that there must be some type of ovulatory disfunction since I ovulate on my own but experience no change on oral meds.

Ultimately, you need to go at the pace you feel comfortable. I hope some other ladies with PCOS chime in here. I don't have that diagnosis, but I have heard it helps a lot for those women with PCOS. I wouldn't base your decision on fear of side effects, and if you are being monitored it won't affect your fertility other than possibly that one cycle if you lining thins too much and estrace doesn't work for you to thicken it up.

HBamama2B · August 2015

I understand your hesitation. For me, skinny PCOS, I didn't need or respond to Metformin but wasn't ovulating on my own at all or only extremely rarely.

It sounds like you have numerous complicating medical factors and while I understand the hesitation at taking the next step, it seems unlikely that you will achieve what you want on your own before the endo sets you back. If you're not ready this month- take a cycle to think on it, but have a plan for next cycle that you're ready to tackle. Best of luck!

kaitlink33 · September 2015

I agree with HBamama2B, from what I can tell from what you told us I do not think you will achieve a BFP on your own without the next step. I too have PCOS and do not ovulate on my own (MAYBE once or twice a year if that) started femara and am on metformin, am now onto clomid instead of the femara as it was not working for me. My OB/GYN does not prefer clomid (he likes femara better, but they are basically the same thing for the most part) but the only reason he said he does not like it is because it has a higher chance of multiples. Good luck with whatever you decide to do, but if you really want your BFP I say go for it, you never know til you try!

lovelifewife · September 2015

I have "unexplained infertility", am healthy weight and 30 and after 2 MC tried for 18 mos before agreeing to meds and still felt it was too soon, so I get it, but clomid didn't help (5 mos), or progesterone, so now I'm on to IUI and feel I wasted time thinking it would just happen. That's just my experience. Clomid was fine for 4 months. The 5th was not good for me and that's just my body being sensitive I think, since I ovulate on my own already. Hope that helps in just hearing someone's experience!

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