Clomid. Will a Dr. prescribe it if I am ovulating?

Hi ladies, I know there are several of you out there who have tried clomid and I would like to know if there are any criteria that I have to meet in order to get it prescribed by my Dr.? Do you just ask for it and he gives it to you? Or does he have to run certain tests first? Do I have to have been TTC for a certain period of time before he will prescribe it? Is it something thats safe to use if I'm fairly certain I am ovulating on my own? I wouldn't mind having twins! Sorry too many questions. Just looking ahead for my next options. Thanks in advance for any and all answers, advice or suggestions.
~Christine

[Risa615]

Hi Christine,
I go  to Kaiser for REI appts, so they may be different. They first ran all the blood work on me, then on dh's sperm, then we had to go to class to learn about ovulation.  Then they check me to back sure ovaries looked fine, uterus too, then finally saw the doctor and I did my first cycle of Clomid.  Second cycle was a stronger dosage, and then I switched to fermara.  Of course with me, it is high FSH and your FSH is great, so I am sure your doctor will check you two over and then give you Clomid if all checks out.

Risa

[mamamia40]

Thanks Risa. I appreciate all the information. I'm going to call my Dr. and see if I can start the process. I'm just afraid that I will be told I haven't given it enough time yet. I know I'm impatient, but time is of the essence at our age, right!? Thanks again!
~Christine

[bevfly]

Hi honey,I am 41 and after 18 months since the start of my fertility journey i have now finished my first round of clomid.So yes you are right to think about time and go get everything moving now as it takes so long.I started with all the tests on me and ny partner with the answer we got was  unexplained infertility.I have 1 fallopian tube and i ovulate on my own so the clomid was given really to help my follicles.My partner has a daughter from a previous relationship and all his tests were above average so nothing wrong there.So it must be my age and the fact i only have 1 tube.So if you get clomid i hope it works for you and you get a result.SSBD xx

[mamamia40]

Thank you ~ How was your first round with clomid so far?
So, does the Clomid actually help with the growth and maturation of eggs so that the chances of a healthy egg are more likely to get at ovulation? Or does the Clomid just make you ovulate MORE eggs in hopes that at least one of them is healthy?? Thanks!
~Christine

[bevfly]

Hi honey,My first round was not too bad although i did get a few side effects.Hot flashes,headaches,shivers,dizziness,cramping,and just not feeling myself really.Clomid helps your follicles to grow bigger and regulates cycles.My cycles are 26/28 days and i ovulate right in the middle.I just got my progesterone levels from a blood test on day 21 in my cycle (7dpo) and it was 94.I had 3 follicles the biggest was 18mm.So i did ovulate and i am now waiting for AF but i was due today or tomorow so keeping fingers crossed.The doctors want a few large follicles not more than 4 so 3 was a good number for me.Its because of the multiple birth risks.So yes clomid makes your eggs bigger and helps ovulation to be regular especially if you have irregular cycles.I would be so happy with twins,my sister has a boy and girl twins so im hoping i can too.But hey i hope we all do honey,Hope i was helpful but im just like you with all this as its all pretty new and ive had to educate myself with all the goings on in a womans cycle,but i am learning more every day and think on here is very helpful.SSBD xx

[mamamia40]

Thank you so much for the info! I would love to have twins too, so I'm not concerned with ovulating more than one egg! I just want healthy ones so I can get preggers! Thanks for letting me know all the side effects, I was wondering about that. Are you on the lowest dose?
Well, I really hope it works for you and AF doesn't show up! I'll be keeping my fingers crossed! I'm supposed to get AF tomorrow, and my temp went way down this morning, so I should start a new cycle in a day or two. I'll call my Dr to see about scheduling the tests so hopefully I can get started on clomid soon. SSBD!
~Christine

[Risa615]

Hi Christine,
Yeah, Bev is right, Clomid will help your follicles grow and more of them. I usually had 3, but only one would be a good size.  The goal is to be at least 20mm and then follow with injections and do an IUI. Hope you insurance covers it.  Hope you get to take Clomid!

Risa

[piababy]

Hi,
Just like to share a few observations regarding my personal experience of clomid. I have grave doubts about staying on clomid for long periods ( more than 4 months perhpas) I was ovulating when I began seeing my original obgyn about the possibility of concieving ( I was 42 at the time) and the dr decided to put me on 50iu of clomid ( the lowest dose)with prgnol10000iu shots at ovulation. I think it was really about 'doing something'. To cut a long story short I remainded on clomid for six months. No extreme side effects emotionally, though I did feel a little like pms for the week before ovulation. I do not know if this was because of the med or my own tensions. However, I did also notice as the months went on a drying of the cervical mucus and my lining got noticable thinner. Again I do not know if this was due to old age or clomid. My advice for what its worth is that if the clomid isnt working out for you relatively quickly, you should maybe think of another approach, be that clomid with iui, iui and some other type of med, or even ivf or whatever you think may be appropriate. I say this becasue at my age I feel that I lost valuable months trying with clomid when another approach may have been more effective. The trouble with all tcc attempts is that there are so many unknowns! Its soooo frustrating I could scream!!! But the end will be worth it - I hope. Anyway my top advice is do not waste time if your instincts tell you something is not working, change!
To finish I saw an artilcle lately where a lady who was 46 had a baby after a long battle with tcc.In the end she concieved natually. Her conclusion was that the dr told her that she had a less than 5% of a successfull pregnancy regardless of what approach she took  ( iui, ivf) and she felt that she'd be as well off to keep trying au naturale! I'm not sure I totally recommend this, but luck does play a huge role and I wish you  the very very best of luck and loads of baby dust.

[mamamia40]

Thanks Risa! I really appreciate all the input here.. I do have my reservations about trying clomid, but I also have fears that if I don't get a jump start on lining up my options, then time will quickly pass me by. It's definitely worth me looking into at this point, and then figuring which option to take.

Piababy, thank you for your input, too. I do agree with you that if the clomid doesn't work after a short time, then looking into other options would be advisable. The last thing I want to do is end up in worse shape because of taking clomid, than I am now without any meds, i.e. thinner lining and drying cervical mucus. I don't want to take one step forward just to end up two steps back! But I do want to have a plan! As much as I would love to tell people "I conceived naturally", I know that there is a strong possibility that it won't happen because of several factors. For me, it's not just age, but I was on DEPO shots for 10 years, which I'm sure has taken a toll on my hormonal health, and I did not even have AF for those 10 years. I also had surgery in 2003 where a portion of my cervix was removed due to pre cancer cells. To top it all off, I have orthostatic tachycardia, which basically is high heart rate due to low blood pressure upon standing. My cardiologist did not recommend me TTC while on the meds I was taking, so I weaned myself off of them in April. I tolerate my symptoms in hopes of conceiving. The way I see it, I already have 3 strikes against me, besides age alone, so knowing my options and figuring out a plan is essential. Thank you again for all your info, advice and suggestions, it really means a lot to me to have the support of all you ladies here. I can't imagine going through all this alone!
~Christine

[bevfly]

Hi honey i was on 50mg.I agree with piababy though about wasting time and trying other things if clomid doesnt work.The older over 40 we get time is more important.I dont know about any of you guys but i dont want to be mid 40s when i have a baby.For me if it has not happened in the next 6 months i will be giving up trying.Its a decision i have made as you have to draw the line somewhere.SSBD xx

[mamamia40]

Thats exactly how I feel. That is why I am not wasting time and I am looking at my options... I also agree with you, I don't want to be mid 40's to be preggers, I would like to be no older than 41 or 42. I too have made a decision about this, and I believe if it was meant to be for DH and I to have a baby, then it will happen, and if for some reason it wasn't meant to be, then it will not. If I don't get preggers, I will be happy that I at least tried. I believe things happen for a reason, and sometimes our unanswered prayers are also for a reason.

[shane25730]

Hello all I went to see my gyn they ran all kinds of test nothing is wrong. My test came back normal but I have pcos and I haven't been on my period in 15 years well just last Nov I came on and iam still haveing my periods well iam waiting. To see. What will happen this month I have a gyn apt this month so hopefully they put me on clomid wish me luck