Clomid questions - I'm taking the plunge

[foxey13]

Hi All -

I've been lurking for about 6 months now. I'm amazed at all the information I get from all you amazing women. Now I have a HUGE question.

After 18+ months of TTC without any medical intervention - except for all the diagnostic tests - we are taking the clomid plunge. I'm starting the clomid challenge test tomorrow. So what am I in for?

Any suggestions to:
a) keep me sane if I feel a bit "hormonal"
b) suggestions to keep that CM fluid
c) best OPK to use. I'm currently using the clear blue fertility box, and I'm concerned that it will give us false positives.

Any thoughts or advice would be so great! We had a very early mc this month - surprisingly I'm not that upset b/c at least now I know I can get pg!

You are all such a great resource, I appreciate any advice or thoughts you may have!

Shannon

[Dena]

Hi Shannon!

I start the clomid challenge test myself - probably in about a week or so, depending on when AF decides to rear her ugly head. :

I have taken clomid before to attempt to get pg, and it did make me pretty cranky (also got some weird hot flashes), but not everyone reacts that way. I have one friend who actually got giggly on it. If only...

I think this time around I am going to focus extra hard on getting enough exercise (particularly yoga), maybe stepping up my acupuncture appts., and making sure my diet is as good as it can be. Hopefully that will all help.

As for the CM, I know from experience that Evening Primrose Oil and Flax Seed Oil do wonders for CM production (even had one friend go from none to tons wiht this combo), but what I don't know is if it is compatable to take with the clomid. You would need to ask your clinic. Mine didn't even want me taking flax seed oil in our recent embryo transfer, so it is possible it skews the hormones somehow. :

As for the opks, the one and only month I used them I never did get a positive reading, though I am sure I ovulated. So I guess I don't put much trust in them. I can usually get a pretty good idea from CM and cervical position when my O is near, anyway.

I am so sorry about your m/c, but I know what you mean - it is ALMOST good news, in that you know it can happen, it is just a matter of time and maybe some hormone fine tuning.

Good luck to you - I will be interested in hearing how the test was for you so I know what to expect!

[funnygrace]

:

Good luck to you. I'm on cycle 15 with no meds yet (except progesterone)... and I might be starting Clomid around cycle 18 myself.

[HopesMom]

I am on our second round of clomid. It does make me feel quite tired and VERY ill during my LP. Very pregnant-like ill so that can be crazymaking.

I do have less CM, but I seem to have some. Whether it is too acidic (as I've read can happen) to support my husband's swimmers, I do not know. I've been drinking green tea daily trying support the CM.

We also use the Clearblue OPKs. So far they seem to have been accurate for me. Although it hasn't gotten me pregnant. So...

Good luck to you!

[lesliesara63]

I'll be interested in hearing about your experience with Clomid. I'll probably be starting that next month and am very nervous about my cm drying up. I don't have much to start with!

[foxey13]

CCT update

Hi Everyone -

I'm on day #3 of the challenge test - 100mg day 5-9. So far so good. I found myself getting pretty dang grumpy : with my DH, realized it was a combo of food and hormones, apologized and haven't had anything since.

I think I'm having a hot flash or two during the night, but other than that no side effects. We'll see how I feel once I stop taking the drugs and start the hormone rush. I'll keep you posted.

Now let's just hope this does what it's supposed to. I'm not sure for me it's the right path since I have unexplained infertility, and I'm just rolling with it until we go to the next step.

Good Luck this month! Here's setting our intentions for a ton of BFP's!!!!

shannon

[Cloth4Colin]

Many, many warm hugs and well wishes to all of you mamas!! DS#1 was a Clomid baby. We conceived on our third round at 100mg taken CDs 3-7. The Clomid made me have hotflashes and I was rather cranky...it was sort of just one of those things you just try and live with...we knew just about any sacrifice would be worth it - we had TTC for a year prior with NO ovulation at all.

The first two rounds (at 50mg, CDs 5-9) didn't produce ovulatory cycles, but changing the dosage and CDs for the third round did the trick. We were then able to conceive.

As for CM, I took two Tbsp. of Robitussin (the GREEN box - very important...it's an expectorant) every day from the start of AF until I O'd. I drank TONS of water and drank grapefruit juice as well. It's really helpful if you stay WELL hydrated, as Clomid can zap your CM.

I used the ovulation tests in the pink box with the baby on the front...I think they are Clear Blue, but I'm not positive. I just remember for sure the box.

Taking fertility treatments is tough, but just keep your eyes on the wonderful things that can come of them. I always think of the mamas who are having trouble conceiving and pray that their road to a baby is short and sweet. Hang in there, mamas!! I'll be thinking of all of you!!!

~*~*~ BABY DUST*~*~*

[foxey13]

Update #2

So I'm done taking the pills and am waiting to O. While taking the clomid I didn't have any reaction - now is another story. Hot flashes aren't too bad - I seem to have 1-2 a night. Crankiness is another story. I'm a bit intense right now. What's maddening is I know I'm cranky and there's not much I can do to stop it. Thank god my dh is such a mellow guy, he might have shot me by now! : I haven't had time to check the OPK's so we'll see.

Still haven't decided if I'll go beyone this one CCT right now. I can't figure out if the benefits outweigh the costs. I don't feel bad, and I don't feel like I'm 100% in touch with what my body is doing. Ususally I'm pretty good at knowing what's going on, and I'm just not sure.

Here's hoping for a BFP this month - provided I can BD without wanting to kill dh!

let me know how you all a doing with this step on the fertility path.

lots of baby dust to all of you!
shannon

[Dena]

oh, Shannon, I know exactly how you feel. My last cycle with drugs I felt like my head, body, everything, was spiraling out of control! It was a huge task just to keep focused. Ugh. :

I start Clomid today. I can't tell you how much both dh and I are looking forward to that! I am just hoping and praying my numbers at the end of the week come back normal. We are doing the CCT just to measure ovarian reserve in anticipation of a January IVF cycle - and for some reason I have this insane fear that I am going through premature menopause and they will tell me we can't do IVF because I have no eggs left. It is not a fear my dr. shares at all, which is comforting, but still...

Hoping that you have a BFP at the end of the month and it all turns out to be worth it!

[foxey13]

Hey Dena -

Good luck this month with the CCT! I will say that I just got my numbers back and they're great:
3dpo - FSH 5
10dpo - FSH 4

Apparently I have the reserve of a mid 20 year old. Great.... so why heck aren't I pg? : Oh well, another thing added to the monthly game plan.

Best of luck to you this month! I'll be thinking about you.

shannon

[Dena]

Wow, those are awesome numbers, Shannon!

My day three was 8.3, which they said was fine considering I am an old lady of 38. But of course I went online and looked at all the information I could find about cct, and having a normal day three does not mean having a normal day 10. Yipee.

Can I ask what time of day you took your pills? They have me taking my in the late afternoon, and I am stressing that the time period between the last pill and the morning bloodwork won't be long enough for FSH levels to drop again - though the nurse seemed to think it was fine.

So, are you in the 2ww yet? How are you doing post pills?

[kristenok18]

Originally Posted by foxey13

Crankiness is another story. I'm a bit intense right now. What's maddening is I know I'm cranky and there's not much I can do to stop it.

I was naive enough to think that the pills only affected you while you were taking them. I've been a raving banshee all month, and I didn't even O till cd27. I don't know if I can do this again to my little boy....he deserves a mama who's not yelling all the time and blowing my top about nothing.

So this is normal to feel so emotionally out-of-control? I'm barely functioning, or so it seems......

Kristen

[HopesMom]

Just wanted to chime in... I was an emotional rollercoaster my clomid cycles (I'm in the LP of the second cycle now).

[Dena]

Yeah, I am pretty much an emotional wreck myself. I feel like an awful mama, wife, you name it.

Added to the emotion malfunctions for us, of course, is the uncertainty that any of this will end up being worth while. Like I told my mom last night, if someone could just say, well, do this and you will be 100% guaranteed a baby, then the hormonal craziness from the meds would be a lot more manageable. For me, at least...

I have scheduled an energy healing for Thursday to help balance me out a bit, and I had my back adjusted yesterday, which also seems to have helped.

Here's hoping this all leads to BFPs for all of us!

[foxey13]

Okay Kristen we are in the same boat - at first I thought "okay I'm fine while taking these little pills, this month is going to be a breeze. What's all the beef about?" Now I know better, it's the after that makes me nuts. Although I will say it was really only this weekend that I was off my rocker, things have been better the last three days emotionally. Physically another story, it's not bad but I'm definitely hyper-stimulated. My poor ovaries are sore...and the dang hormones gave me a migraine on monday.

Dena I took the clomid first thing in the morning, as suggested by my acupuncturist. Her concern was if the pills gave me hot flashes it would be easier during the day, so I could get sleep at night. I tried to get my blood work done on day 10 at the same time as day 3 - and just an fyi 38 isn't old! I'll be 37 in about 3 weeks.

I think because my numbers are good, and I O regularly, it didn't screw up my ovulation too much - I normally O on day 11, I O'd this month on day 15. A part of me wonders why they wanted me to take clomid in the first place since I do O regularly and have regular cycles, but welcome to the insanity of unexplained infertility.

Now I'm in the 2ww. I've been here so many times that I just think, okay another month of this we'll see what happens. I think when I finally get a BFP I'm going to be shocked because the BFN has been the story of my life...

The jury is still out on whether I'll take it again next month. Yes my dose will be half, but as I said before I'm pretty dang regular so what will these little devil pills really do for me? I'll let ya'll know what I decide.

For all of you my thoughts are with you to a) survive your month(s) on clomid and b) baby dust for BFP's! Here's intentions for all of us to get knocked up! (sorry, that's my new favorite term)

shannon

[foxey13]

Dena - one last thought, I'm with you 100% on the question of is this worth it? If they could guarentee this would work then I'd be much more willing to go through the side effects to have the BFP! Hang in there - I definitely think both the chiropractic and energy work will help. I know that my weekly acupuncture has been a god send. I don't think I'd be nearly as calm as I am.

shannon

[Dena]

Thanks for the info, Shannon. You are the second person I have talked to who took the clomid in the morning. Boy, do I hope that the afternoon pill taking isn't going to mess up my scores! The nurse at my clinic says no, and my friend who knows a lot about this stuff says no, so I am just trying to relax and go with the flow. Yeah, right. :

I know 38 isn't old, but boy do some of these tests make you feel it! My clinic has actually been very supportive of my age - they tell me I am not too old to do this again, I have a year or so to get a pg in, I was a good responder last time, etc., etc., so everything should be ok. I just keep playing that tape in my head every time I get panicky!

I know the chiropractic helped yesterday - I feel so much better this morning! I also feel like my estrogen is pretty high, so that should help my FSH levels balance out. I am doing acupuncture every two weeks, too, and it is definitely a Godsend! I did it with the first three IVFs, and it was SUCH a help. The energy work just adds another dimension to it, and seems to make everything flow much better. In fact, in a lot of ways, I feel better than I have in years.

FYI, we did both Clomid and injectible IUIs to try to circumvent IVF, as for awhile it looked like DH's swimmers would be strong enough to go that route, and the injectibles were MUCH nicer to my system than the clomid. FWIW.

[Dena]

Got my numbers back today, and I actually passed my cct! Whoo hoo!! My day 3 was 8.3, and day 10 was 6.11 - I was told that means my ovaries are responding perfectly, and they will likely use the same drug protocol that was used three years ago. Cool.

Now, on to a January IVF, unless we get the surprise of our lives before hand!

Shannon and Kristen, how are you doing? My energy healing on Thursday was AWESOME, and I have felt almost normal ever since!

[lesliesara63]

Dena wouldn't that be nice if you got a "freebie" as I've heard you call it. Glad all your numbers came back good. That must give you confidence about going forward with things in the new year.

I'm really nervous about doing Clomid but I'm sure that's the next step. My sister tells me to be sure I buy a new broom - cuz I'm going to need it to ride on!!

[Dena]

Haha! So, is there a certain Halloween costume in your future?

Seriously, I was dreading this month like you would not believe, both because I was SURE I was going to fail this stupid test, and because of having been a total wreck on Clomid in the past. I did start to have some side effects, but when they began, I got in for both a back adjustment and some energy healing, and I have felt pretty darn good every since. I would recommend either, or both, as a nice addition to the cycle.

Here's to "free kids" for all of us by year's end! Hee hee!!