Advice or tips on Clomid

[Dreamer_D]

My best friend has been TTC her second child with a new partner for over a year, and has just seen a specialist. She recommended clomid, in part because my friend's 12 months of charting suggest she may not be ovulating regularly, and her cycles are long and unpredictable. She is starting her on 50mg on CD 5-9 (or something, I can't recall the days).

Does anyone have any good websites for information? Or tips/stories from about their own experiences? Side effects? Other things you wished you knew? Things she should ask about?

Thanks!

 

[JGator]

Hi, Dreamer. Send my best wishes to your friend. After a MC at 10 weeks, I started seeing an RE. I took Clomid 100MG for 3 cycles along with an Ovidrel trigger shot to confirm/trigger ovulation. On the 3rd cycle, we were blessed with a sticky BFP, and I'm currently almost 37 weeks pregnant. I did not have many side effects from the Clomid - I do remember feeling warm immediately after taking it in the stomach area maybe 1 or 2 different times out of the 3 cycles X 5 days that I took it. I also took it at night rather than in the AM on my doctor's advice to avoid being awake for any possible side effects. Here are some links that I found helpful along the way of TTC for a year.

http://www.fertilityplus.com/faq/hormonelevels.html - knowing what is normal on the blood tests that they take while you are being monitored.

http://infertilityblog.blogspot.com/ - A NY doctor's bog on infertility and different treatment options -

http://www.nytimes.com/ref/health/healthguide/esn-hypothyroidism-expert.html?pagewanted=all A NY Times article where my regular endocrinologist was interviewed about thyroid disorders in pregnancy -

http://www.colocrm.com/ - A fertility clinic in CO that is well respected - more information on different treatment options.

 

[tammy77]

Dreamer,

First, I'm sorry to hear that your friend is struggling with infertility. I hope that the clomid does the trick and she tolerates it well! When is she going to start the meds?

Second, thank you for asking this question because I am due to start taking the same dose myself (cd 3-7 though) next week. I'll be sure to take it at night too, and will pop back in with my experiences if it's before she starts hers.

Please keep us posted!

 

[Puppmom]

Dreamer, I hope Clomid does the trick for your friend!

I have a good friend who is taking Clomid. She has had some side effects but is sensitive to meds generally speaking.

She has had some hot flashes and headaches but nothing else physically uncomfortable to speak of. The other issue she had is that her cervical mucous all but dried up. So, on the Clomid without IUI cycles, she used a sperm friendly lubricant.

Her docs were looking for *stronger* ovulation since she already ovulates on her own around CD 18 - 20. One thing she was surprised by is that Clomid did not make her ovulate any earlier. She O'd on CD 18 on the money her first two cycles on Clomid.

 

[Laila619]

Hi Dreamer,

I really hope this does the trick for your friend!! One thing I've read is that it's actually a bit more effective to take Clomid on CD3-7, instead of 5-9. Not sure why though. I personally didn't like Clomid because it can really dry up your CM. Hopefully that won't be the case with her. However, that is why a lot of docs recommend IUI with it, to bypass the hostile CM problem.

 

[pavelover]

Hi Dreamer
Hugs to your friend. My experience with Clomid was pretty short because I moved onto IVF after 2 cycles. I think I took 100 mg from days 3-7 the first month- planned on doing TI (timed intercourse) but then got with an RE and we converted to an IUI using a trigger shot. She commented that I did really well on clomid as far as cervical mucus goes. I didn't notice much in the side effects dept. One episode of feeling like lightheaded or something and I think that was it. May have been more "hormonal" as in cranky but that's hard to sort out from any other month, lol. The second month I took the same dose of clomid and also used fsh shot to help things along. Felt worse on FSH as far as bloating and headaches. I think with clomid (the first time) I had u/s starting from around day 10? I got a few follicles. The second month the dr. told me to take the doses am and pm instead of just pm. Not sure if it made any difference in anything since the fsh was added in anyway.
I feel like the timing was off for my iuis. I didnt' really use opks but I would if I did it again (which I wont)!
Hope that helps.

 

[LtlFirecracker]

Dreamer,

The way I think of clomid is that it actually is an competes with estrogen in certain places of the body and has antiestrogen effects. I know you know a little about this from your TTC days, but the hypothalamus makes a hormone that tells the body to make FSH/LH. FSH and LH tell the ovaries to make estrogen, and the estrogen level is measured by the hypothalmaus and if it is too high, it turns down FSH/LH production. Clmoid competes with estrogen in that region and "tricks" the hypothalamus into thinking the estrogen levels are low, thus making more FSH/LH to induce ovulation.

If you get this, you can understand the side effects of clomid as most of them are effects of having low estrogen level (so even though your estrogen levels are high, the clomid is competing for the receptors). I got most of the common ones. Mood swings, hot flashes (those were a nice preview of what is to come in my later years), and the drying of the CM. Everyone is different how they react. I found the side effects lessened shortly after going off it. I took it at night, it did make me tired. I also found that lessened the side effects a little during the day. I think the only advise I can give is know what might be coming, know what the common side effects one and the more concerning ones are. And if she does have the annoying, but harmless side effects, try to think that it is a small price to pay for the chance to grow her family.

Wishing her luck.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Thank you everyone! I will pass this along.

Ltl: Indeed I followed all of that. And it is actually hopeful for my friend: at one point she had a hormonal workup (not with an RE but for other reasons) and I recall she was told that she had elevated estrogen levels. I wonder if that means clomid will help out in her care particularly

 

[lizzyann]

Dreamer, sorry your friend is having a hard time. I highly recommend her to do an iui along with the clomid . It ups her chances significantly. I also recommend a trigger shot as it helps control the timing of ovulation. Not many side effects for me just cramping after the iui. Good luck!

 

[tammy77]

Dreamer, I just wanted to pop in and say I've taken 50mg for the past two nights and all that's happened is some good dreams today.

So hopefully she won't have any ba side effects either! Keep us posted, can't wait to hear if it work for her!

 

[BrightSpot]

Dreamer, hugs to your friend. You've gotten a lot of great input here. I've taken clomid twice at 50mg (cd 4-8 & cd3-7). I had a trigger shot & iui both times. Once I had no side effects & once I had hot flashes every night. (Not too bothersome-just enough to wake up, throw off the covers & go back to sleep.) I took it at night to try to sleep off any possible side effects.
I did also have the feeling ltl described of it being a preview for the years ahead.

I hope this does the trick for your friend & she gets her bfp very soon!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Dreamer,

I'm late to the discussion, but I took clomid for 3 cycles in 2009. I remember it vividly. I had read that taking it at bedtime helped to reduce the side-effects, and I'm glad I did. Most people have very little symptoms on 50mg, but I sure did have some! Hot flashes, dizziness, and severe headaches. Thankfully, when I woke up each morning, he side effects were gone.

I certainly wish her well & a quick trip down the ttc road!

 

[Puppmom]

Now that my friend has finished her second cycle on Clomid, I thought I would come back and update. She was on 100mg this go (50mg last cycle). Her ovulation was confirmed via ultrasound and she had an IUI done on the day of O. The result was a BFN unfortunately but what was really upsetting to her is that her luteal phase increased from 14-16 days which gave her hope. She was sure she was pregnant when her period was two days *late*. Apparently, this is common based on her research. She is going to talk to her doctor at her next appointment but this cycle he's putting her on Femara. I hope this is it for her!

 

[tammy77]

Pupp, I'm so sorry to hear that the clomid didn't work for her. Thank you for updating us though, and we'll be praying that Femara does the trick for her! She's lucky to have you as a friend.

 

[Dreamer_D]

I wanted to update this thread for those of you who were kind enough to offer advice and support and well wishes.

My friend did clomid for two months, Oct and Nov of 2012, and the side effects were so bad for her that she decided not to keep using the drug. A lot of bloating, breast tenderness, and really aweful mood swings. In the meantime, she was on the list to see an RE and also was on the list to have her hysteroscopy done and laproscopic exam of her uterus (not sure the whole details, but it was a surgery in hospital). She was scheduled to do her surgery on March 12, and the day of her last pre-operative appointment she noted her period was late....

Sure enough, she tested and she was pregnant! The stars aligned. She and her husband are very very happy and any dust you can offer for a nice sticky bean are appreciated!

 

[momhappy]

I tried to conceive for just over a year and began clomid. It's been several years now, but I don't recall any side effects. I also took plain Robitussin around the times that I was trying to get pregnant because it thins mucus (cervical mucus included) and sometimes clomid can create thick mucus (which is not desirable when TTC). My issue was long/unpredictable cycles and the clomid was awesome in that it took all of the guesswork out of it. I did 3 cycles, got pregnant, miscarried, and then got pregnant again on my 5th round (total) of clomid. It was a a very positive experience for me. I also wanted to mention that I didn't need clomid for my subsequent pregnancy.
Dreamer - so glad to hear that your friend was able to conceive

 

[tammy77]

I wanted to update this thread for those of you who were kind enough to offer advice and support and well wishes.

My friend did clomid for two months, Oct and Nov of 2012, and the side effects were so bad for her that she decided not to keep using the drug. A lot of bloating, breast tenderness, and really aweful mood swings. In the meantime, she was on the list to see an RE and also was on the list to have her hysteroscopy done and laproscopic exam of her uterus (not sure the whole details, but it was a surgery in hospital). She was scheduled to do her surgery on March 12, and the day of her last pre-operative appointment she noted her period was late....

Sure enough, she tested and she was pregnant! The stars aligned. She and her husband are very very happy and any dust you can offer for a nice sticky bean are appreciated!

Oh such an awesome update, thank you for sharing! Lots of sticky dust and healthy baby prayers sent.

 

[pavelover]

That's such great news! Sending sticky vibes your friends way ! Keep us updated!

 

[Puppmom]

Congrats to your friend! I just got news today that my good friend is pregnant with twins after her FIFTH IUI. She did clomid then two cycles of clomid with IUI then one cycle of femara with IUI then two cycles with injectables with IUI. She was starting to lose hope. I am so excited for her!

She said clomid was really unpleasant and, one month, was even tempted to take less than her doc prescribed. She had headaches, hot flashes and hostile cervical mucous. Clomid also made her crabby.

Anyway, I'm sending lots of sticky bean dust to your friend, Dreamer!

 

[lizzyann]

Great news DD! Sticky dust coming her way!