Clomid questions and concerns

[Asling]

Hi Ladies,

  I'm in the midst of my first run on clomid, and could really use some advice and perspective from those of you who have already been through it all. If there any success stories out there, by the way, please do tell, because I really need to buoy my spirits at the moment.

DH and I have been TTC since December. My cycles have been horrendously irregular since coming off of the pill, and I suffered an early miscarriage in mid-August (just at about 5 weeks). Had to do a 10-day run of provera to draw down AF a few weeks ago because I hadn't had a period since the miscarriage, and I am now CD 17 and I have not yet ovulated. I took clomid (50mg) from Days 5-9, and my doctor seemed rather convinced I'd ovulated on CD 14 (even though I've historically had 6 week cycles -- when I was regular, of course).

I've been temping, and there has been no temp spike the past several days. My cervix (sorry for the TMI), however, is now high and open (has been that way since yesterday).

What I'm wondering is whether or not any of this sounds normal, and whether or not the cervix position is a reliable gauge of a looming ovulation while on clomid? I know that looking for EWCM is unwise b/c clomid messes with its production, but I'm trying to look for reliable signs so that DH and I don't miss our window. OPK's drive me absolutely insane, so I'm avoiding them for my own sake at this point. Did any of you ovulate past CD 14 while on clomid and if so, what tipped you off that you were about to O?

Also (and sorry for all the questions), when do you think I should call my doctor if I don't O?

I just feel so lost and uncertain about everything right now. It's making it hard to think about anything else :(

Thanks in advance for you help!

[andaluza]

You can look at the clomid thread on this infertility board for more info. and experiences. Please join us!

First, why is your dr convinced you o on cd 14. Any symptoms? I would keep bd every other day at least if you cannot determine when/if you ovulated, since that should cover your bases.

To answer your question: For the past three months I have used clomid, temping and opks. I agree that opks are annoying, especially because I hate reducing fluid intake and not urinating for hours at a time. It seems so unhealthy for someone ttc. 

I take clomid cds2-6 at night. Here is a link to my charts so you can see, but I also summarize below:

http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/35e363/

Anyway, my first month on clomid I got a + opk on the night of cd 17 and ff crosshairs for that day. Last month, I got +opk on cd 16 and crosshairs for cd 15. This month I am on cd18 and got a +opk this morning. So for some reason it seems to make me o pretty late, but my progesterone numbers have been strong, so I definitely o.

Don't worry. It is possible that you may need a stronger dose to ovulate, or that it is imminent, but the dr should be able to assess that through a blood draw.  One woman on the clomid thread reported that she apparently didn't ovulate, but then had a bfp that cycle, so that may be comforting.

Best wishes for a bfp for you!

[lifeguard]

The clomid cycle I conceived ds on I o'd on cd 23. The 6 cycles I did for dd I didn't o on most of them but when I did it was always later than cd 14. A clomid cycle though is not going to really mimic what your "normal" cycles are like because it changes how your hormones are working.

As for the cervix - I got into the habit of checking my cervix daily - almost obsessively with the whole ttc process (it took us many years to conceive ds). With dd we had done 6 cycles of clomid without success, I was taking one month off & then on my next cycle we were going to try a clomid/femara combo. Out of habit I continued to check my cervix during our month off. One day I checked to find my cervix very open - hadn't felt anything like that before except for just before I went into labour with ds. On a whim dh & I decided to give it a try & dtd & 14 days later I had a positive opk. The ONLY sign I had for o was the open cervix.

For contacting your doctor - did your doctor not give you a guideline on this? My doctor had a fairly set timeline in which he wanted to see things happening. It was a bit irritating but it did make things pretty clear for us.

[Asling]

Thanks for the replies, ladies! I really appreciated your insights and and your stories. Sadly, no O yet. Doctor wants me to get bloodwork done to check progesterone levels early next week (CD 24-27) and we'll go from there. I am really discouraged by the whole process. I'd had such high hopes that this would work :*( I really wish my doc had told me that the first cycle on clomid can be this way. I never would have let myself get my hopes up if I'd known.

[lifeguard]

I found every cycle of clomid emotionally charged.

[andaluza]

I hope that things turn out well for you! 

 I don't know the accuracy of these figures, but here are some that I came across regarding clomid from the following site: http://pregnancy.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Success_Rates_of_Clomid_and_Fertility_Shots

(Copy/pasted):

• Approximately 80 percent of women taking Clomid will ovulate within the first three menstrual cycles.
• Research shows that about 40 percent of women using Clomid are able to conceive within the first three cycles. About 50 percent of women are able to conceive within six months of use.
• The live birth rate for women using Clomid is thought to be between 30 and 60 percent.
• Clomid is believed to increase a woman's chance of having twins by about 10 percent.

[Asling]

Thanks for the additional information/assurances, ladies.

Quick question -- have either of you heard about the chances of birth defects caused by taking clomid? Apparently some new studies were released last month to that effect; in one, a 2010 Harvard study, the risks of having a child with autism nearly doubled with clomid,. Kind of freaked me out to read all of this today. I'll be talking to the doctor soon but am starting to reconsider my decision to stay on this medication for a few months. Not only is it making me feel crazy, but I don't want to do anything to jeopardize the health of our (hopefully) future babies.

[andaluza]

That's alarming, Asling, I had no idea. I had only read the following on drugs.com "There is a chance that clomiphene may cause birth defects if it is taken after you become pregnant. Stop taking this medicine and tell your doctor immediately if you think you have become pregnant while still taking clomiphene." http://www.drugs.com/cons/clomid.html

Clomid has been in use for quite a long time, so are you sure it is an effect of the clomid or older ladies (like me, 35 and over) relying on it? Since at my age and above there is a greater risk of autism and other issues anyway. Can you link the study here?

As far as I know, clomid manipulates the way our hormones work to ensure strong ovulation. I am unsure how that could somehow provoke other issues with the child, but I would be more concerned if I were taking a higher dosage for a longer amount of time.

[Sol_y_Paz]

Originally Posted by andaluza 

You can look at the clomid thread on this infertility board for more info. and experiences. 

I searched and couldn't find it.  Can you include a link please. 

[andaluza]

There are 17 pages for your reading pleasure sol_y_paz!

 http://www.mothering.com/community/t/1311612/clomid-ladies