Has anyone been prescribed clomid even though you ovulate on your own? I had another appt with my dr today and she suggested clomid to regulate my cycles. We confirmed that I was ovulating through a blood test last cycle, but after she heard of my unpredictable, long cycles, she suggested it - has anyone taken this even though you knew you were definitely ovulating? Is this normal? I am definitely open to it, ovulating regularly before CD20 seems like a dream to me, honestly haha how my expectations have lowered since starting TTC!!
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We did 3 rounds of clomid even though I ovulate regularly. It was just the next step to take on the infertity road.... Didn't work for us. We also did iui with the clomid.
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I started Clomid this month and I ovulate regularly. My RE said it could help me ovulate stronger. I typically ovulate on day 17 or 18 so I've been charting to see if it makes me o sooner.
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Like pp said, it makes everything stronger. I O'd on 14 with Clomid instead of around 18 or 20. And 50mg worked just fine. I also did 3 cycles with IUI and was not successful.
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@chibee: I was just prescribed Clomid because all our tests came back normal and this is a typical first step for unexplained infertility. As others have said, my dr said it will make ovulation stronger, and potentially make me release more than one egg, which of course increases your chances if success (and also increases your chances of twins to 10%). I usually ovulate around CD 19 so I'm looking forward to a shorter cycle
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@chibee: Ok I ovulated any day from CD 19-CD40 and it was never consistent. My RE felt that my eggs weren't getting mature enough because I would gear up to O (positive OPK, temp spike) and then I'd fail (temp drop), so he said even when I did O my eggs probably weren't viable. I went on Clomid 50mg and it gave me cramps and bloating. Nothing horrible and I started Oing on CD 14. I stopped using OPKs and temped only. On cycle two I called and said I was really uncomfortable on Clomid and he switched me to Femara. No side effects, no chances of twins. I O'd on CD 12 and got my BFP that cycle. I am so glad I took the meds I was given. Looking back it feels like it was SO easy once I was ovulating normally.
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In addition to what everyone else said, if you ovulate really late in your cycle the eggs can be too old (there's a term for it but I forget!). So clomid can help you get eggs that are viable.
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My doc recommended this as well...she said the clomid would make it easier to pinpoint O and would hopefully give me a stronger O. She thought I would need the clomid to get pregnant.
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What does it mean exactly to make ovulation stronger? I see mention of ovulating earlier and possibly more than one egg. Is there something else?
@Shutterbug: are your cycles on a whole longer? I ovulate around CD 17 and have 30-31 day cycles. I'm trying to figure out what is considered late. . .
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@Happygal: my cycles are generally about 30 days... I ovulate around day 19, then I have a 10-11 day LP, which is pretty short. My doctor said that the Clomid would probably help on that end, too, but we'll see.
I think when people are saying "stronger" ovulation, they mean that the egg will mature faster/bigger and will release with more of a hormonal response (progesterone) which will sort of give it the best chance of implanting if it does get fertilized. At least that's how I think of it.
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Thanks everyone! I ovulate anywhere between CD19 (that was the earliest, and that was back in September 2012) and CD36 (almost a 50 day cycle with that one).
@ladybee: that's so interesting - if femara gives no side effects and no chance of twins, why do you think they always suggest clomid first??
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@chibee: Femara is actually used as an off-label use for fertility, and Clomid has much more history of working and working well. But Femara worked much better for me than Clomid. Clomid only worked once, after multiple strengths, and then the next month stopped working. Femara worked much better for me, and it's what I was on the cycle I got pregnant (though we augmented it with gonal-f at the end, too.)
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@chibee: my RE said Clomid is cheaper and has been around like 30 years where Femara is like 15 years. On our insurance, Femara was actually cheaper (by $2) but I've got great insurance.
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@ladybee: wow I haven't even thought about my insurance!! Thanks for reminding me - time to look it up!
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I took Clomid 2 months before getting my BFP after confirming O for 11 months while TTC. My Ob/GYN and RE both thought I had a "weak ovulation." We tried progesterone supplements for a few months before clomid, but my RE suggested we strengthen the "before" step to O rather than the after. It worked!
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@chibee: Clomid was $9 a month, Femara was $7. I've heard it was more for other people.
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@ladybee: I just checked to see if i'm covered for Clomid and I am - thank god! I get really nervous with insurance, I just hear horror stories all the time but thankfully I have pretty good coverage through work. Thanks for the info!
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@chibee: I'm glad you're covered! Have you decided to move forward with it?
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I ovulate between day 27 and 32, and then have a 13-14 day luteal cycle, and even though it took longer to get my BFP, I got it without meds and have a healthy daughter. Recently, I read an article that semen may contain a trigger to cause ovulation, so basically the more often you get busy, the earlier you may O. I did seem to O earlier in the cycles we were actively trying...
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My doctor thought I was ovulating each month bc I got my period each month, but I never got a positive opk. I have done two rounds of clomid. The second ending in a bfp, so I'm a fan:) For me the side effects were mild and the whole process pretty painless. Good luck
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@ladybee: I think I am moving forward with Clomid. DH has to get his SA first though, so once he's clear, I think next cycle for me, will be medicated.
@erinpye: that is so interesting, you caused me to google this whole idea and I had never heard of this before, but it's certainly something I'll have to try to push my body to O earlier! How early did you O when you tried this method as opposed to your normal cycles?
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@erinpye: I have sex quite often and my body seems to gear up to O but then doesn't actually... I'm on CD45 with no O. If this is true, I wish the semen would do it's job (well other job lol).
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Re: stronger ovulation, I think it improves egg quality and therefore the egg is less likely to produce an abnormal embryo.
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@pui: I hope you get answers soon. I wish it was different for your health care
@chibee: I'm excited for you! I remember when we were at the beginning stages of Clomid and everything else. I FINALLY felt like someone could help me get pregnant.
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@pui @chibee: here's the article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2191495/Does-having-sex-make-women-fertile-Semen-trigger-ovulation-mammals.html
Your partner may not have as much OIF if it doesn't work for you. I O a few days earlier when we get really busy
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@chibee: I truly believe Clomid was a huge part of us getting pregnant! We got preggo on our first cycle of Clomid and IUI, but the one thing I noticed was that my Clomid cycle was the first I ever got EWCM. I had always had a regular 27 day cycle prior to that with positive opks and progesterone tests. I really hope it works wonders for you.
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Bumping...
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@LindsayInNY: Helping you bump this thread. I'm on Clomid for the first time, but I don't ovulate on my own, so my experience isn't relevant to this convo. But definitely curious to read others' experiences! And FWIW, I didn't have any side effects from 50 mg Clomid this time, including no emotional side effects, which I was terrified of. GL!
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@HeartAbandoned: Thanks!! I O on my own but am definitely concerned about side effects! Hopefully I have a similar experience as you did
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@LindsayInNY: I just did 4 rounds of clomid and I do ovulate on my own (I even had a chemical pregnancy on my own) - it's just to try to give me a boost and hopefully get an additional follicle or two. unfortunately this time it only got me another chemical, but in 2011 it got me a healthy pregnancy. I do get side effects though . . . hot flashes and general crazy. I had plenty of EWCM on clomid but it did thin my lining over time this year. I ovulated around the same time as usual, maybe 2 days earlier at most.
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@LindsayInNY: My RE recommended clomid even though I ovulate on my own because it can help produce a better ovulation, more eggs (more targets for the sperm to hit), and also since we were doing IUI's anyway it helped with the timing. It hasn't worked yet but I've only done one cycle of clomid and one cycle of clomid with IUI. We will see what happens.
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@bhbee: That's what I was thinking - that it's meant to give me a boost. I had one chemical on my own and this will be my first time taking Clomid. I did warn DH, just in case I get the crazies... I'm wondering what it'll do for my timing of O since I usually don't O until CD20-21 and I'm taking Clomid CD 4-9.
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@LindsayInNY: you might want to start testing a few days earlier (if you are doing OPKs vs monitoring for the dates), but I would also expect that it could go as late as usual unless you are triggering also. the cycle of my successful pregnancy (no trigger) I did clomid CD3-7 and had OPK+ on CD18, on the later side for me.
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@bhbee: I'm going in on CD11 for repeat blood work and u/s. I know I'm doing a trigger shot also. I might do OPKs on my own anyways? I don't know?
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@LindsayInNY: you can probably skip OPKs then - once you trigger it will turn your OPK positive, guaranteed. and likely (based on my exp at least) they will trigger you before you would have gotten a natural surge. I triggered on CD12-13 even though I get my natural surge on CD16-18. once the follicles are big enough to be mature they will go ahead and trigger.
fx for you!!
ETA: my natural surge is that late even on clomid if I don't trigger.
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I ovulated like clockwork but still did 3 (unsuccessful) Clomid/IUI cycles.
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@erinpye: We were very busy last cycle and I still Oed way later than I did the cycle before (CD32 - almost a week later than the cycle before). I'm sure you are correct... I just wanted to say it didn't happen for me.
This is a very interesting thread. I think I definitely O it's just my cycles are getting longer and longer. *following!*
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@bhbee: Okay, even better then. I don't follow this process really so I'd rather just have someone tell me what to do and when!
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@LindsayInNY: Haha just got to the part where you bumped the thread. DOH!
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@LindsayInNY: that is one good thing about this process, you just show up and they do all the thinking!
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