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Provera, Clomid, & Me.
I am 23yo and my husband and I got married in June of 2007. However we will have dated for 8 years in April this year....yes high school sweethearts :) My entire life I have had irregular periods. When I was younger I had extremely heavy flows and painful cysts on my ovaries. They put me on birth control when I was 15 or 16 to regulate my periods which helped emensly. I didnt miss a day of school after being on the pill due to my horrific periods. I went off the pill this past october and we have been trying to conceive since then. However I hadn't gotten my period until now since Christmas. It makes it kind of difficult to get pregnant huh?! :( So I went in to an OB dr. and he did some tests and he said my testosterone levels are slightly elevated and I might have PCOS. Ok, now at least I have a reason why we can't get pregnant and there are no periods. So he prescribed Provera and clomid to help us out. I took the pill for 10 days and on the 11th day i got my period which would be considered day 1 which was Saturday. So i started my clomid on monday (day 3) and will take it through day 5 (friday). My period started off kinda light but now it is in full force! Last night which yesterday morning was the first day i took clomid I got severly dizzy and lightheaded in the evening. I had to immediately sit down and couldn't open my eyes b/c everything was spinning. IS THIS NORMAL? I went to bed and woke up for work and felt dizzy all over again. I decided to stay home b/c I am an operating room nurse and it would be no good being dizzy and unable to function in a high stress environment like the OR. Will I get this dizzyness every day i take the clomid?
Also, I go in to get blood drawn on day 21 to see if I've ovulated. Will that blood test also be able to tell if i'm pregnant at that point or is it too early? I'm so anxious and excited for day 21 to come. What are the chances I will get pregnant the first time around?
My dr. gave me some tips to help the process and I've done them. I take a prenatal vitamin and have been since october with folic acid. I don't smoke, I don't drink, I limit my caffeine and I"m "destressing" my life. Any other thoughts.
I hope you can shed some light on our situation.
Also, I go in to get blood drawn on day 21 to see if I've ovulated. Will that blood test also be able to tell if i'm pregnant at that point or is it too early? I'm so anxious and excited for day 21 to come. What are the chances I will get pregnant the first time around?
My dr. gave me some tips to help the process and I've done them. I take a prenatal vitamin and have been since october with folic acid. I don't smoke, I don't drink, I limit my caffeine and I"m "destressing" my life. Any other thoughts.
I hope you can shed some light on our situation.
When I was on clomid I was a little dizzy but nothing like your experience. Did you let your Dr. know? When I started clomid I was looking for 1st time success stories too. I did hear some, but it didn't get me pregnant any of the 5 months I was on it. It's not a guarantee, but it does help...and for some does work!!! I was not monitored on it-my Dr. never did ultrasounds or blood work while I was on it and since I've heard most women do get checked out...I wonder why I didn't???? I did do the OPK's but found they are kinda touchy, I would get what I thought was a positive all the time but you have to be sure the result line is darker, not the same color as the other line. It became too expensive for me so I just took the meds. and got busy whenever we could! I'm like you in the irregularity sense...I get my period every 2 to 3 months so I know how frustrated you are! It's hard enough to get pregnant when you only have 12 chances per year-we only have 4 or 5!!!!! The good news is I have 2 children already so it's possible. It just has to be the right time. It stinks waiting...but in the end it's all worth it. I go back to see my normal Dr. for a check up the end of April and I plan on asking what else we can do. I'm anxious to see what your blood work shows! Good luck to you this month-I hope you are one of those first time success stories!!!! And I hope you are feeling better soon, you will be very busy with hubby soon ;) and you can't be dizzy then!!!
OK that doesn't sound too bad - it probably was day one.
I wouldn't bother testing until at least CD 10 - you shouldn't be O'ing until at least CD 14 unless your periods are extremely short. Basically, the time from O til the time of af (the luteal phase) should always be around 14 days. I know it's tough if you have irregular periods, but that would mean you subtract 14 days from whenever you expect your period and that's about when you should O. Mine were always long so I knew it probably would be on the later side. If you go to saveontests.com and click on instructions on the left hand side, than click on "ovulation midstream instructions" - it has timelines and everything you need to know. For example, it says there that if your cycle is 28 days you should start testing on day 11. But it also has any number of other days as reference.
If your bloodwork says you O'd.... than good luck! You'll probably have to wait another week and then make them draw a quantitative test to see if you're preggers! If not, than you gotta play the waiting game for af or take provera. You never want to take provera if there is a chance you're pregnant, because there are a few studies that say it MAY cause birth defects. So you definitely wanna wait it out and see for sure if you're preg - but a quantitative should tell you for certain.
I wish I was new at this.... :o( been a long time now.
I hope it all works for you!
I wouldn't bother testing until at least CD 10 - you shouldn't be O'ing until at least CD 14 unless your periods are extremely short. Basically, the time from O til the time of af (the luteal phase) should always be around 14 days. I know it's tough if you have irregular periods, but that would mean you subtract 14 days from whenever you expect your period and that's about when you should O. Mine were always long so I knew it probably would be on the later side. If you go to saveontests.com and click on instructions on the left hand side, than click on "ovulation midstream instructions" - it has timelines and everything you need to know. For example, it says there that if your cycle is 28 days you should start testing on day 11. But it also has any number of other days as reference.
If your bloodwork says you O'd.... than good luck! You'll probably have to wait another week and then make them draw a quantitative test to see if you're preggers! If not, than you gotta play the waiting game for af or take provera. You never want to take provera if there is a chance you're pregnant, because there are a few studies that say it MAY cause birth defects. So you definitely wanna wait it out and see for sure if you're preg - but a quantitative should tell you for certain.
I wish I was new at this.... :o( been a long time now.
I hope it all works for you!
On saturday i didn't just have spotting it was definately there but it was light (like a period you would get on bc) but i increased as the day went on. So i counted it as day one.
What days should I do the ovulation tests? day 8 start?
So say I have my blood drawn 7 days after O'ing and it says i did ovulate then we just wait and see if i get my period and if i don't when do they do a blood test to see if i'm preggo?
Thank you for all the advice, I'm so new to this
What days should I do the ovulation tests? day 8 start?
So say I have my blood drawn 7 days after O'ing and it says i did ovulate then we just wait and see if i get my period and if i don't when do they do a blood test to see if i'm preggo?
Thank you for all the advice, I'm so new to this
Well ALT76 did a great job answering all of those questions. The OPK's are just like hpt's only they detect the LH surge the last hormone surge right before ovulation and HPT's detect the HCG. Since I have been on clomid I have always used the clearblue opk's. They can become a little pricey (27.99-39.99) if you don't know when you will ovulate. Some women like the smiley face ones but they are expensive as well, however, they are easier to interpret versus those who have a hard time with the two line tests.
Alt76 hit it the nail on the head about CD 21 test. If you know that you ovulate late then go in 7 days after you ovulate. Some women are monitored depending on whether they go to a regular OB or an RE. In some cases they have their follicles checked. Another way to determine if you have ovulated is to take you Basal body temp which is the temp first thing in the morning because sometimes even when you get a positive opk ovulation can be delayed. When you ovulate you temp will go up and stay up until you either are pregnant or come down if you get your period. Fertilityfriend.com is a good website if you decide you want to chart.
I also stated that clomid can cause either vaginal dryness or hostile mucus for some. If you have dryness then preseed is great. For more info go to preseed.com. For hostile mucus a post coital should be done ONLY around ovulation. This is when you are trying to detect fertile cervical mucus which should be watery or eggwhite looking. If the test is not done around that time and done when you cervical mucus is not fertile then the doc will think you have hostile mucus when in fact they just did it at the wrong time. But this should only be done after many failed attempts.
I can say that depending on the severity of your PCOS you may not need metformin. Metformin is for women who are insulin resistant, a good chance is when some women are overweight and prone to type 2 diabetes. However, some cases of PCOS are that some women have high levels of testosterone where they may have hair growth and others may just have the pearl like features of cyst on their ovaries. You may want to have all your levels to checked before they determine what the severity of your PCOS is. Hope that helped.
Alt76 hit it the nail on the head about CD 21 test. If you know that you ovulate late then go in 7 days after you ovulate. Some women are monitored depending on whether they go to a regular OB or an RE. In some cases they have their follicles checked. Another way to determine if you have ovulated is to take you Basal body temp which is the temp first thing in the morning because sometimes even when you get a positive opk ovulation can be delayed. When you ovulate you temp will go up and stay up until you either are pregnant or come down if you get your period. Fertilityfriend.com is a good website if you decide you want to chart.
I also stated that clomid can cause either vaginal dryness or hostile mucus for some. If you have dryness then preseed is great. For more info go to preseed.com. For hostile mucus a post coital should be done ONLY around ovulation. This is when you are trying to detect fertile cervical mucus which should be watery or eggwhite looking. If the test is not done around that time and done when you cervical mucus is not fertile then the doc will think you have hostile mucus when in fact they just did it at the wrong time. But this should only be done after many failed attempts.
I can say that depending on the severity of your PCOS you may not need metformin. Metformin is for women who are insulin resistant, a good chance is when some women are overweight and prone to type 2 diabetes. However, some cases of PCOS are that some women have high levels of testosterone where they may have hair growth and others may just have the pearl like features of cyst on their ovaries. You may want to have all your levels to checked before they determine what the severity of your PCOS is. Hope that helped.
I'd recommend the clearblue easy pee-on-a-stick (POS) ovulation predictor kit (OPK). I bought cheap OPK's first and they weren't working and called my doc and they recommended these, and it was AMAZING the difference! I had almost no line on the crappy ones, and a complete positive on the clearblue easy ones. They are expensive though. Plus, if you're irregular like I was, I ended up testing for about 14 days instead of 7 those first couple of months, til I figured out for sure that I was O'ing late. You may O right on time and it won't be a problem.
The best time to test for your surge is between (I believe) 10am and 4pm - try to drink as little as possible beforehand so your pee isn't diluted. Saveontests.com is where I got the crappy ones, and they have good info and instructions on the website.
If your progesterone is too low and it shows you didn't O, they will probably up your dose. But PLEASE make sure they test at 7dpo, as this is not always at CD21. I always got my period on clomid - it regulated me. Even the month I didn't O on it, I had to wait a little longer, but I still got it after 40 days. However, you may need to take provera again - I had a Rx for it just in case.
Preseed is a pH balancing lubricant that I was only able to find online. It comes in prefilled dispensers that you stick up yourself and squeeze out. It is also supposed to help the sperm get to the egg easier. It's I think about $16 for three uses.
hope this answers your questions - keep em comin! :o)
The best time to test for your surge is between (I believe) 10am and 4pm - try to drink as little as possible beforehand so your pee isn't diluted. Saveontests.com is where I got the crappy ones, and they have good info and instructions on the website.
If your progesterone is too low and it shows you didn't O, they will probably up your dose. But PLEASE make sure they test at 7dpo, as this is not always at CD21. I always got my period on clomid - it regulated me. Even the month I didn't O on it, I had to wait a little longer, but I still got it after 40 days. However, you may need to take provera again - I had a Rx for it just in case.
Preseed is a pH balancing lubricant that I was only able to find online. It comes in prefilled dispensers that you stick up yourself and squeeze out. It is also supposed to help the sperm get to the egg easier. It's I think about $16 for three uses.
hope this answers your questions - keep em comin! :o)
The blood you are having drawn on CD 21 is to test your progesterone level to make sure you ovulated. HOWEVER, this is NOT a concrete date!!!! This happened to me!!! The important thing is that you have blood drawn 7 days PAST ovulation (dpo)! For me, I didn't O on clomid until CD 19-21 ish, so I had blood drawn 7 days after that. If you just O'd or are O'ing at day 21 like I did, it will look like you didn't O at all and they will up your dose for no reason. Remember, 7 dpo is the important part.
By 7 dpo they like to see a progesterone level of 15 or higher on a medicated cycle (10 for a nonmedicated). There is no real way to tell by your progesterone level if you are pregnant at that point. If you want, you could have them run a quanTitative HCG (as opposed to the quaLitative that they normally run) - this will tell you even the most minute amount of HCG in your system, and they MAY be able to tell from that - but my guess is the "bloodwork" you are getting at CD21 is the progesterone levels.
I had ALL KINDS of awful side effects with clomid - you name it, I had it. So rest assured, if you feel funny in any kind of way, it's probably the clomid.
The one thing I'm concerned about, as I mentioned in one of your old posts, is that you are supposed to count your first "full flow" day as day one of your cycle. Not the spotting. You may wanna give your doc the heads up because it sounds like you counted the spotting as day one, and didn't wait for the full flow to count that as day one.
Finally, if they think you have PCOS, you should really be on metformin to regulate your insulin levels and therby regulate your hormone levels. It will only increase your chances of getting pregnant. INSIST that they test you, and if they think you have it, INSIST that they put you on it. I've had to fight and kick and scream for proper care, but the best thing you can do is educate yourself.
Best of luck to you,
Amy
By 7 dpo they like to see a progesterone level of 15 or higher on a medicated cycle (10 for a nonmedicated). There is no real way to tell by your progesterone level if you are pregnant at that point. If you want, you could have them run a quanTitative HCG (as opposed to the quaLitative that they normally run) - this will tell you even the most minute amount of HCG in your system, and they MAY be able to tell from that - but my guess is the "bloodwork" you are getting at CD21 is the progesterone levels.
I had ALL KINDS of awful side effects with clomid - you name it, I had it. So rest assured, if you feel funny in any kind of way, it's probably the clomid.
The one thing I'm concerned about, as I mentioned in one of your old posts, is that you are supposed to count your first "full flow" day as day one of your cycle. Not the spotting. You may wanna give your doc the heads up because it sounds like you counted the spotting as day one, and didn't wait for the full flow to count that as day one.
Finally, if they think you have PCOS, you should really be on metformin to regulate your insulin levels and therby regulate your hormone levels. It will only increase your chances of getting pregnant. INSIST that they test you, and if they think you have it, INSIST that they put you on it. I've had to fight and kick and scream for proper care, but the best thing you can do is educate yourself.
Best of luck to you,
Amy
Ok tell me if I have this right....On the thrid day after I complete the clomid or rather day 8 I should start doing the ovulation kits...right? Never used one before what do you need to do? Are they pricey? Should I do the kit every day then? In the morning....at night?
If the lab draw says I didn't ovulate which also means low progesterone right? then what will my doc do? Will he increase my dosage of clomid? Then do i just wait and see if I get my period then? And If I don't get my period and the preg. test is negative then will i have to do provera again?
What is preseed? Do you drink it? Where do you get it?
I appreciate everyones help! This is such an emotional rollercoaster. I swear everyone is pregnant around me! My cousin is having twins (1boy 1 girl), my 2 friends are having babies, an old classmate is having twins, another inlaw is having a boy, what am i don't so wrong! :(
If the lab draw says I didn't ovulate which also means low progesterone right? then what will my doc do? Will he increase my dosage of clomid? Then do i just wait and see if I get my period then? And If I don't get my period and the preg. test is negative then will i have to do provera again?
What is preseed? Do you drink it? Where do you get it?
I appreciate everyones help! This is such an emotional rollercoaster. I swear everyone is pregnant around me! My cousin is having twins (1boy 1 girl), my 2 friends are having babies, an old classmate is having twins, another inlaw is having a boy, what am i don't so wrong! :(
You have come to the right place! Just wait until you see all the answers flood in!
Well, Clomid (which I am on as well) has a tendancy to make one have blurred vision and dizziness. I haven't had those side-effects really bad, although the first month ( I am on my second month) I had blurred vision for one day like two days after I was done taking it. They said it was possible since it was still in my system. This month, even after increasing the dose, I had none. So I think it is normal BUT you need to tell your doctor. They may not want you to keep taking it.
You are getting your blood drawn on cycle day 21...I doubt they would be able to tell. But I do not know for sure...if you had a normal 28 day cycle for instance, that would be 7 days before your expected period and the FRER tests (First Response Early Read) home preg. test (HPT) aren't that sensitive. Actually, my friend who is four months pregnant took one two days before her expected period and it was a BFN and she ended up taking one three days after she was late and it was positive! So I can't see there being enough of the HcG hormone (which is what the tests detect) for the test or even a blood test to confirm a pregnancy. You can hang out with all of us other 2 week waiters! It stinks!
Good luck to you and keep us posted!
Well, Clomid (which I am on as well) has a tendancy to make one have blurred vision and dizziness. I haven't had those side-effects really bad, although the first month ( I am on my second month) I had blurred vision for one day like two days after I was done taking it. They said it was possible since it was still in my system. This month, even after increasing the dose, I had none. So I think it is normal BUT you need to tell your doctor. They may not want you to keep taking it.
You are getting your blood drawn on cycle day 21...I doubt they would be able to tell. But I do not know for sure...if you had a normal 28 day cycle for instance, that would be 7 days before your expected period and the FRER tests (First Response Early Read) home preg. test (HPT) aren't that sensitive. Actually, my friend who is four months pregnant took one two days before her expected period and it was a BFN and she ended up taking one three days after she was late and it was positive! So I can't see there being enough of the HcG hormone (which is what the tests detect) for the test or even a blood test to confirm a pregnancy. You can hang out with all of us other 2 week waiters! It stinks!
Good luck to you and keep us posted!
Hey!! Welcome to the clomid club. I too am in the same shoes as you. I have had irregular cycles for as long as I can remember. I was officially diagnosed with PCOS in March 07 but I kinda figured I had it from research I did beforehand. there are many factors that you should take into consideration when taking this drug in that it not only helps for those who don't ovulate but who also have short luteal phases or just really long cycles. I am on my fourth round of clomid and fortunately have ovulated on all my rounds. I have never really gotten dizzy, maybe just tired or really hungry but the drug affects different women in different ways. My only major s/e is hot flashes. You really can't really gauge your cycle until you know how the clomid works with your body. Doctors normally will start you on 50 mg but sometimes that is not enough to kick start things and so they up the dose. Once you know that a particular dose is working then stick with it. They say you should ovulate 5-10 days after your last pill. Since you don't know when you will ovulate start taking opk's after the 3rd day from the last pill as they say clomid is known to give false positives for some women. Since I am familiar with my cycle I know that I always get a positive on a certain day so I don't have to use as many. Fortunate for me i have always ovulated on the same day. I took three rounds and didn't get pregnant and they had an HSG done to check my tubes and an SA for my hubby just in case there was something wrong other than me not ovulating. Everything checked out but I didn't take clomid that cycle and ended up having to take provera to induce my period. I took my pills and now I am ovulating today. I will have my blood drawn but not CD 21. It is important to know when you ovulate because if you ovulate late and go in for CD 21 it may come up as you didn't ovulate and then you ovulate on CD 22 and you think its a bust because the progesterone test came back low. since I ovulate on CD 17 I get mine checked anywhere from CD 21-24. Also, progesterone test do not indicate pregnancy. I have seen high numbers where the women weren't pregnant and low numbers where they were. it is good that you are not drinking caffiene or drink or smoke. I have started exercising as PCOS causes some women to gain weight. Oh another thing is that for some women Clomid may cause vaginal dryness down there during the time when you ovulate. Drink plenty of water and something called preseed is pH balance to help the sperm live a little longer. I hardly have any cervical mucus so I use that when it is time to baby dance. Well I hope I answered you questions. Good Luck!!!
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