clomid confusion and curiosity

[SaraBravo]

So I do not believe that I will need clomid or any help ttc my 1st 2 were a surprise. I was reading about it and I saw that it is a perscription drug like I thought but also saw it for sale on another site? Does it have to be a perscription or just reccomended that way. Shouldn't these ppl get n trouble if it is illegal? Would anyone really take it just to increase their odds of having twins? Sounds irresposible 2 me as it can have so many side effects... or is that rude of me 2 think. If u had no trouble with ur fertility would u take it to have twins? Just doesant sound right 2 me....

[MrsD08]

From what I understand, you can buy it from Mexico, but it's illegal because you were not prescribed it. I would personally never do it. If a doctor prescribes something, it's for a reason and if s/he doesn't prescribe something, it's still for a reason! I don't know why women take it w/out a prescription. I wasn't aware that there was an increased chance of twins w/ clomid.

[MaerynPearl]

There is only an increased risk of twins if you are not ovulating on your own. If you are already ovulating and/or are using it to make the ovulation stronger it does not increase it.

It does come with a lot of risks though... which is why it is prescription in the first place. It is NOT smart to take Clomid without medical supervision.

[lifeguard]

You do need a prescription in some countries - but not all countries. Is it risky to take it without a prescription - yeah, there can be some real complications with it (the least of which is the risk of multiples imo).

But I can see why people are tempted - I am currently waiting 14 months to see the specialist who will give me a prescription. I am fairly certain I will need it as it is how we conceived our ds after 6 years of ttc unsuccessfully. So, yeah, illegal, but tempting.

[~Adorkable~]

yes it is RX only in the states, yes a few illegal sites sell it without one, who knows what you are getting. plus there are more sites that sell it and require you to show your RX for it.

Originally Posted by MaerynPearl

There is only an increased risk of twins if you are not ovulating on your own. If you are already ovulating and/or are using it to make the ovulation stronger it does not increase it.

IFAIK this is simply not true, i had read a ton about this drug. if you know something that i have never seen i would love to read it.

twins are cause my multiples follicles forming and releasing , this can happen with clomid at any time. those that o already can develop more than one follicle the same or even easier than someone that is taking it cause they cant make even one on their own

the risks include over stimulation and cycts in addition to the twins thing, it can also thin your lining and lower the amount and quality of your cervical fluid, two things that lower your over all odds of fertilization and implantation of an egg.
yes many women that want twins really bad will take this drug if they can get their hands on it will seemingly no care for the side effects.

almost just as bad is doctors that give this drug just cause ladies haven't gotten preggo fast enough, without testing anything or even caring if they ovulate, those same doctors give it without any monitoring of the cycle.
seems they just like to shut of women, rather than figure out what they really need (which may in fact be clomid or something like that, but they woulnt know either way.

[lovebug]

i will be starting this drug on the 3rd of march in AF does not show up. so i will be and taking

[~Adorkable~]

Originally Posted by lovebug

i will be starting this drug on the 3rd of march in AF does not show up. so i will be and taking

is your doctor going to have you start it without AF first? i know that is done in some cases , but i have had it explained to me that it could lead to less than ideal/old/unstable lining. and that it is best to induce af and then start on day 2 or 3 or whatever your doctor is doing. did i misunderstand your post?

how long has it been since your AF?

[lovebug]

a bit off topic... sorry OP

[~Adorkable~]

lovebug, hey we're kinda thread hijacking, but i would love to talk, we are in realllllly similar circumstances. hey i started this thread about it

[lovebug]

no more thread hijacking i thought that after my post, but i still think it applies because of the thread name. and how the drug should/not be used!

back to the topic! i think its sad that people would put there health in the hands of the internet! you never know what you are getting, plus clomid or drugs like it need to have the watch of a DOC that knows what they are doing. its sad to me that the use of the drug wound not be what it was meant for. but maybe thats just me.

[kel32brown]

I've had six pregnancies, 4 were from Clomid. The additional risk of twins is so small.. I wouldn't count on twins.

It's often prescribed for a better ovulation in women who are getting other fertility treatment. My RE is under the impression that it does not thin the lining of older women, which is the most often quoted fallacy on conception sites that I've seen.

It can overstimulate your ovaries, so that's why it's monitored by a good RE. Buying a RX drug over the internet and not being monitored by a specialist is foolhardy at best. You could ruin your ovaries for life.

[SaraBravo]

Well that's exactly what I thought. Doesn't seem safe 2 b ab le 2 just buy that. I came upon this by googeling how to get pregnant and got how to get pregnant with twins and read that and followed a few links and saw a site to buy clomid from an online drug store hopefully they require a rx it really alarmed me to think it wasn't rx because I thought it was my ex sisterinlaw has polysitic ovarian syndrome and her doc was talking about giving her an rx for it @ one point. She is currently pregnant.

[Ellie'sMom]

I just had to post re:not increasing the chance of twins if you are ovulating. This is not true. As a pp said, it increases the number of follicles ripening. In fact, if you are already ovulating, I would think that it would be more likely you would conceive twins, though I have no evidence to back this up. Anecdotally, I was rx'd clomid because I had had multiple m/cs and there is some thinking that clomid may enhance the quality of ovulation. I was always ovulating. I conceived twins my first month on clomid.

As far as the risk of twins being low, it's true that at 8% the chances are far lower than with IVF or injectable fertility drugs. However, since the rate of twinning in the general population is around 4%, the chances are doubled, which is pretty significant.

Hope that's not too OT!

[Tear78]

Originally Posted by MaerynPearl

There is only an increased risk of twins if you are not ovulating on your own. If you are already ovulating and/or are using it to make the ovulation stronger it does not increase it.

Originally Posted by •Adorkable•

IFAIK this is simply not true, i had read a ton about this drug. if you know something that i have never seen i would love to read it.

twins are cause my multiples follicles forming and releasing , this can happen with clomid at any time. those that o already can develop more than one follicle the same or even easier than someone that is taking it cause they cant make even one on their own

I was surprised by this, too, since I read so much about it before taking it. I went back and googled and found this:

women taking Clomid who do not have trouble ovulating or getting pregnant, as well as women younger than 25, may have an increased risk of getting pregnant with twins while taking Clomid.

I found it here, but i remember reading it on other very official pages before taking it.

I agree with Adorkable that when taking Clomid it is important to be closely monitored. I took it once, without monitoring, and it turns out I already had my endometroid cyst. I am CERTAIN that the clomid made it grow dramatically, and I'm pretty sure it made me have another cyst which later ruptured in the middle of the night. My OB wanted me to start a new round of clomid without monitoring, and I'm so glad I declined and sought out a RE. I think it can be a very helpful drug to women who need the assistance, but should be monitored by a professional. My two cents.

[~Adorkable~]

My RE is under the impression that it does not thin the lining of older women, which is the most often quoted fallacy on conception sites that I've seen.

I'm not the doctor, but this does not sit right with so much of what I have read including medical studies and the FDA site for clomid. I know there is TONS of missinformation out on the net, and baby sites are ripe with it. But this statement above seems to be ignoring how clomid factually works.

"Clomid is a potent and complicated medication.* Clomid is reacts with all of the tissues in the body that have estrogen receptors, such as the hypothalamus, pituitary, ovary, endometrium, vagina, and cervix.* Clomid influences the way that the four hormones required for ovulation, GnRH, FSH, LH and estradiol, relate and interrelate.* While we do not completely understand the mechanisms by which this drug works, in essence it appears that Clomid fools the body into believing that the estrogen level is low. This altered feedback information causes the hypothalamus (an area of the brain) to make and release more gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) which in turn causes the pituitary to make and release more FSH and LH. More follicle stimulating hormone and more luteinizing hormone should result in the release of one or more mature eggs - ovulation.

Just as women's bodies are so different from one another, their reactions to Clomid vary tremendously.* Some women have virtually no side effects. Others do, but they are more frequently related to emotions.* Side effects may include mood swings, hot flashes, breast tenderness, and thinning of the uterine lining.* About 10 percent of those who use Clomid will have a multiple pregnancy (twins).* Clomid can cause hostile fertile mucous and thins the uterine lining in over 30 percent of the women who use it. The hostile mucus kills sperm, and the thin uterine can prevent implantation or cause an early miscarriage.
this is the best clear but still medical explanation of how clomid works and those same mechanisions leads to low estrogen side effects. Since older women already can suffer natrally from symtoms of low estrogen (many of us have significatly lower EWCM than 5 years ago) I do not understand the doctor that said this particular side effect of the thining lining/endromedrium was not as much of a concern in older ladies. My doctor think that it even more of an issue and is the reason that he is now wanting me to add a injectible for the sole reason of boosting my estrogenic qualities.

Things like getting your lining mesured mid cyle is a great example of who monitoring is so important. Some ladies and doctors think opks or charting is covering their monitoring needs, while charting is crucial in other ways, it is not an either or.

[soso-lynn]

Clomid can definitely increase the risk of having twins for women who do not truly need it. It also does have the potential to prevent the lining from getting thick enough but that depends a lot on the individual. I strongly believe that anyone on clomid should be monitored via ultrasound to make sure of the number of follicles as well as to check the lining. As far as cervical fluid goes, it can also have an impact but that is bypassed with an IUI. Now, if you are thinking that you dont need to do IUIs, then you probably dont need clomid either...

As far as getting it off the internet, it is the same as any other prescription drug. If you look hard enough, you can always find a way to get it illegally but the risks are just not worth it. The biggest concern with unsupervised clomid is that it can give you cysts (sometimes huge cysts). If you get those, you just lost several months of TTCing while your body readjusts or might even need to have it drained if oral contraceptives don't work (and trust me, no one wants to spend 3 months on oral contraceptives while TTCing...)