clomid for late ovulation, anyone?

I have long, irregular cycles. (anywhere from 38-55 days). TTC has
become very frustrating because I never know when to expect ovulation.
I'm charting but of course that's only showing that I am ovulating
(eventually) and I do have a good 14 day luteal phase. At my last
routine midwife visit, she said I should consider clomid. I'm not
getting any younger (38) and clomid will give me more chances. I'd
like to hear from others who have had LONG cycles and gone on clomid.
How well did it work? I'm a little concerned about it working too
well. I already ovulate, just not quickly. What if my body goes crazy
and releases too many eggs? Can clomid screw up your luteal phase? I
don't want to mess with the part of my cycle that my body does right.
I only have one friend who went on clomid and she did so because she
NEVER ovulated.
Thanks for any insights!

RockyCoast wrote:
I have long, irregular cycles. (anywhere from 38-55 days). TTC has
become very frustrating because I never know when to expect ovulation.
I'm charting but of course that's only showing that I am ovulating
(eventually) and I do have a good 14 day luteal phase. At my last
routine midwife visit, she said I should consider clomid. I'm not
getting any younger (38) and clomid will give me more chances. I'd
like to hear from others who have had LONG cycles and gone on clomid.
How well did it work? I'm a little concerned about it working too
well. I already ovulate, just not quickly. What if my body goes crazy
and releases too many eggs? Can clomid screw up your luteal phase? I
don't want to mess with the part of my cycle that my body does right.
I only have one friend who went on clomid and she did so because she
NEVER ovulated.
Thanks for any insights!

Lots of people use Clomid and are able to conceive single babies. I
wouldn't fret too much over it. Clomid is taken between cycle days 3-5 or
5-9, or in that range, and will cause you to ovulate around cd 14-18ish. A
much more normal range. It shouldn't affect your luteal phase at all,
although after 3-4 cycles it may affect the quality of your uterine lining
and cervical mucus. But overall, yours would be a perfectly normal textbook
case on why to use Clomid.

The only thing would be to ask if your midwife would monitor you during your
cycle -- it's EXTREMELY important to have u/s around when you should be
ovulating, to verify that the Clomid worked at the dose you are on, and to
make sure that you know how many follicles you have. Many doctors prescribe
Clomid like candy, literally giving the patient a 3 month dose and saying,
"Come back when you are pregnant or run out." If the patient doesn't get
pregnant on the first 3 month dose cycle, they'll up the dose and give more.
BUT -- Clomid either works at the dose given, or it doesn't. When I say
works, I don't mean causes pregnancy, I mean does what it is designed to do,
which is block your hormone receptors, causing your body to create more FSH
(Follicle Stimulating Hormone). More Clomid won't make you produce more
FSH. So you want to be on the lowest dose of Clomid that works for you, and
upping the dose of Clomid can cause the other side affects I mentioned even
sooner, such as the thinning of the uterine lining and the inhospitable
cervical mucus.

If your midwife doesn't have the expertise or capability of monitoring you
each cycle that you are on Clomid, then ask for a referral to an RE
(Reproductive Endocrinologist) who can. Many OB's will prescribe it, but as
I said, won't monitor you, so unless you speak to an OB who does do monthly
monitoring, you're probably better to go straight to an RE first, rather
than later.

Good luck!
--

Jamie
Earth Angels:
Taylor Marlys, 1/3/03
Addison Grace, 9/30/04

Check out the family! -- www.MyFamily.com, User ID: Clarkguest1,
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Jamie Clark wrote:


Lots of people use Clomid and are able to conceive single babies. I
wouldn't fret too much over it. Clomid is taken between cycle days 3-5 or
5-9, or in that range, and will cause you to ovulate around cd 14-18ish. A
much more normal range. It shouldn't affect your luteal phase at all,
although after 3-4 cycles it may affect the quality of your uterine lining
and cervical mucus. But overall, yours would be a perfectly normal textbook
case on why to use Clomid.

Thanks Jamie! This is extremely helpful. I read about the uterine
lining and CM issues and I was worried about it. Sounds like (from your
post) these side effects develop with repeated use. That's good to
know, as I plan to get pregnant on the first cycle. (ha, ha) My
midwife has to refer me to one of the group's "docs" in order to get
the prescription so I will be working with an OB. The midwife said
clomid involves a lot of monitoring but she didn't elaborate.

RockyCoast wrote:
Jamie Clark wrote:


Lots of people use Clomid and are able to conceive single babies. I
wouldn't fret too much over it. Clomid is taken between cycle days
3-5 or 5-9, or in that range, and will cause you to ovulate around
cd 14-18ish. A much more normal range. It shouldn't affect your
luteal phase at all, although after 3-4 cycles it may affect the
quality of your uterine lining and cervical mucus. But overall,
yours would be a perfectly normal textbook case on why to use Clomid.

Thanks Jamie! This is extremely helpful. I read about the uterine
lining and CM issues and I was worried about it. Sounds like (from
your post) these side effects develop with repeated use. That's good
to know, as I plan to get pregnant on the first cycle. (ha, ha) My
midwife has to refer me to one of the group's "docs" in order to get
the prescription so I will be working with an OB. The midwife said
clomid involves a lot of monitoring but she didn't elaborate.

Glad to be a help!

As long as the OB's that she has referred you to also say that Clomid
requires a lot of monitoring, you should be fine. And now that you know
what to expect, if they try to give you the prescription and tell you to
come back in 3 months, you can say -- "HEY! Wait a minute! I want u/s's
and monitoring!" If they aren't willing to do that, you can go somewhere
else.

Also, any negative possible side affects also disappear once you stop taking
the meds, so nothing permanent!
--

Jamie
Earth Angels:
Taylor Marlys, 1/3/03
Addison Grace, 9/30/04

Check out the family! -- www.MyFamily.com, User ID: Clarkguest1,
Password: Guest Become a member for free - go to Add Member to set up
your own User ID and Password

RockyCoast wrote:
I have long, irregular cycles. (anywhere from 38-55 days). TTC has
become very frustrating because I never know when to expect ovulation.
I'm charting but of course that's only showing that I am ovulating
(eventually) and I do have a good 14 day luteal phase. At my last
routine midwife visit, she said I should consider clomid. I'm not
getting any younger (38)

Given this information, I would not resort to clomid. I would buy some
ovulation tests! They are urine dip sticks that test for LH, hence
give you a few days' advance notice BEFORE you ovulate. (Tip: pee
into a container, and dip the stick in that; don't fiddle with trying
to pee on the stick.) I found them very helpful; as it happened, I
conceived without them, but they did help me determine that I was
ovulating, and that my luteal phase was long enough. I had charted for
months but my charts demonstrated that I could not rely on the usual
signs.