# advice please - clomid doesn't work for me...



## moo84 (Oct 14, 2011)

Hi all,

I have tried clomid at various dosages, alongside metformin and more recently acupuncture. I just don't ovulate on it 

So my question is, what are my next options I have PCOS, dh has no issues. I know a little about ovarian drilling, but are there other medication options? I am not entitled to IVF on the NHS until next autumn when I will be 30, but there must be other things before that surely??

I am seeing my consultant again next week, but ideally would like to go in with some ideas as to what to expect and some options to ask about.

Many thanks for reading,   to all xx


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## Dudders (Jun 18, 2012)

Hey moo  

As you know I had ovarian drilling so if you have any questions about it, just shout.  In the grand scheme of things it's a relatively minor op, so worth considering if it's offered.  It did actually work for me but cycles got longer pretty much straight away.  If my consultant hadn't previously said that he wouldn't do IVF with us unless I had drilling, then I would have given things a bit longer to see what might happen naturally.

Another option, which is quite unlikely on the NHS is Femara (also known as Letrozole) - it's a bit like Clomid but often works for Clomid resistant women.  It's worth asking about but even private consultants can be cagey about prescribing it as it isn't licensed for use as a fertility drug.  It's actually a cancer drug but is used effectively as a mainstream alternative to Clomid, particularly in the USA.

The other option, which seems to depend purely on your consultant is injectables - my consultant wouldn't do it because he felt we couldn't control the dose adequately to produce just one or two follicles.  Some consultants are happy to try, but seems to be less frequently used with PCOS because we over respond to even low doses.  Worth a go if it's offered, but it may take one or two cycles to get just one or two follicles.

Good luck with the consultant hunny xxx


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## staypositive xx (Nov 24, 2012)

Hi Moo84, 
YES! There is another option GONAL F INJECTABLES! I am exactly the same as you with pcos being the only issue, I did 5 doses of clomid with only the first round that made me ovulate the rest a waste of time..I just knew it wasn't working but as NHS not private I had to carry on up to 150mg made me fee awful. I then did a lot of my own research gonal f injectables and got the go ahead to do these as I didnt want to have the ovarian drilling unless completely necessary. I done my first round of injectables beginning of march and am now very very pleased to say we have our BFP!!! Never again will I waste my time on clomid even though it does have great success with some woman it made me feel absolutely awful whereas the injectables I had no side effects, they are so easy to administer and as you are scanned reguarly (due to pcos) its easy for them to up/lower the dose until you have a follie/s big enough there for them to trigger. I wish you the very best of luck (from someone who thought I would never get to be writing a success story) it WILL happen just hold on keep the faith and push and push for what you want if I can help in any way with my experience please feel free to msg me  LOTS of BABY DUST stay positive xxxxxxxxxx


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## moo84 (Oct 14, 2011)

Thank you Dudders - you know I always appreciate your advice   xx

Thanks for your advice staypositive - Huge Congratulations on your BFP - you must be over the moon!!   
I would like to pick your brains a little more about the Gonal F - at what point in your cycle do you inject? how often? what is it?? - you mentioned ovulation being 'triggered' - is that a different injection?
how often do you have the scans?

Sorry, that is a huge heap of questions!! any help would be appreciated... I'm off to Google   !!

Congrats again xx


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## marzipanned (Apr 9, 2013)

Hello,

I had ovarian drilling and as Dudders said it's quite a minor op. It didn't make me ovulate naturally but I did have a much stronger reaction to clomid post the op than before it. Unfortunately I have very short cycles on clomid and the op didn't solve that, so I'm hoping I'll go onto injectibles soon.

The op is probably worth having if offered but I was given the choice between that and more clomid or the HSG and straight onto injectibles, in retrospect I sort of wish I'd gone for the latter. Mind you it partly depends on how much of a rush you are in to get that BFP... whether you are willing to try everything even if it slows the process down or would rather go straight for the more hardcore stuff. 

Good luck - I know how you feel because I'm thoroughly sick of my body not responding properly to clomid, and at this point can't wait to move on to injectibles.

xxx


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## staypositive xx (Nov 24, 2012)

XHi Moo thanks yes I am over the moon...can't wait to be a mummy! You'll be posting the same very soon I bet! Gonal f is a follicle stimulating hormones that talks directly to ur ovaries unlike clomid that acts on the pirtuary gland hence why the gonal f is more successful the injections are really easy and I did mine on days 2-13 of cycle and then day 14 was given a trigger shot of hcg which makes u release any eggs that are matured 24-36 hours later..we were told to have intercourse every other day but we did it every cos it was the first real chance we had and I felt like I had to this made me feel like I was giving it my best shot lol. I had a scan on day 1 of cycle to check all ok then had one every two days up until they saw a follie big enough the reason they scan us ladies with pcos is there is a chance of ohss do u have mild pcos or severe? I've always been told mine is slight although I get most of symptoms! Have u had hsg to check tubes? I had that before I went up to 150 clomid and all fine..if u haven't had it done and are going to it is nothing to worry about at all didn't experience ne pain or discomfort. R u nhs or private? What area are you as I no some hospitals do things differently! Xxxx


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## Amy N (Jun 13, 2010)

Like you I never responded to clomid in any dose. I'd been on met for2.5 years too.i had ovarian drilling and although that didn't make me ovulate naturally, once I restarted clomid I did! 3 months later bfp. I also had trigger injections, these help to trigger ov and help time inter ouster.

My dd was born nov 2011 

As you can see in my sig I was blesses with a natural bfp when dd was18 weeks old.

My ds was born nov 2012.

If successf, od can be successf mid-long term In some cases, I was to the the od helps with the hormone imbalance and makes more sensitive to hormones, so better to try that before any other drugs as may be resistant there too. But that just may have been how my clinic liked to do things! 

Good luck, and happy to help answer any questions xxx

Amy. Xx


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## moo84 (Oct 14, 2011)

Thank you all for your replies. I feel like I have some more informed questions to ask my consultant now when I see her on Thursday.
In answer to your question Staypositive, I am in the South west.

Good luck to you all xx


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## Kllkkl2006 (Jan 15, 2012)

Hi ladies
Hope you don't mind me having a read of this thread
I'm very much the same as all u ladies
Mild pcos
Had 6 rounds of clomid with no ovulation 
So next step is ovarian drilling then back to clomid
Can someone talk me through the procedure of drilling
And the after effects and recovery time before starting
Clomid again
Many thanks for reading xx


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## Sho Po (Oct 26, 2009)

I was exactly the same - PCOS, clomid (several doses), metformin, acupuncture....Nothing. I had ovarian drilling followed by clomid again for a few cycles but this still did nothing for me. My next step was ovulation induction with menopur injections (low dose of the drugs given during IVF) for three cycles but I responded a little too well to these. The hospital wouldn't allow the cycle to continue if more than three follicles begin growing. The first cycle was fine (I was allowed to continue to ovulation but BFN), the second and third cycles were stopped as I was producing 7 or 8 follicles from each ovary. 

By the time we reached the end of our three cycles our PCT had just reduced the age of IVF funding from 35 to 30 and I had just turned 30 so we were referred for IVF in the end. As you can see from my ticker the rest is history.

Kllkkl2006 - The procedure is done under a general anaethetic via laparoscopy, meaning you only have a small incision in your belly button area. The ovaries are punctured with a diathermy needle several times. In terms of recovery from the op I would say a couple of days (I took the day after off which was a Friday and was back to work on the Monday). In terms of starting clomid again I believe you should be ok to start from your next cycle (don't quote me on that).


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## Kllkkl2006 (Jan 15, 2012)

Thanks
Sho po
I currently take metaformin too and am going 
For a massage therapy next week
I hope drilling will work for me as I don't have periods
Naturally since coming off the pill
But 5 days of norethiserone does the trick 
Is there any after pain with drilling? Xx


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## moo84 (Oct 14, 2011)

Hi Kllkkl, I had the ovarian drilling op on Wednesday, so if you have any questions feel free to inbox me xx


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## Kllkkl2006 (Jan 15, 2012)

Inboxing u now moo xx


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