# any advice from clomid uses ?



## sweetietweetie (Mar 29, 2009)

Hi, i was hoping for abit of advice from you bunch of lovelies ?

mines abit of long winded story so please bare with me

Im 30 and OH is 41, i have hypothyroidism and take 300mg a day of thyroxine ( was diagnosed abt 5 years ago) we have been trying for abt 18 mths and currently am using the clearblue monitor, taking agnus castus, vit b6, folic acid and high dose of epo.
have been tracking days, temp and cm for the last few mths with still no avail !  Have had bloods of lh, fsh, test and prog back in may/june done and these were

prog - 5.8
lh - 3.4
fsh - 9.1
testosterone 0.9

my actually gp explained that clomid was an option before the results came back and after they did i saw a diff gp who said that it looks like i have POF (which was a total shock !) and that as my thyroxine level needs to be upped  they cant give clomid for another 3/4 mths plus abit more time to lose weight ( have lost abt 19lbs but do need to lose the same again !) then can have clomid then after that will be referred !

my questions are this..

after doing my own research have seen that even though not ideal my lh/fsh levels arent horrendous and ertainly don show that i def have POF , am i able to request bloods to  be taken again ? if so apart from the ones i have had are there any other bloods i can request ?

also can gps willingly prescribe clomid ? esp if they think i have POF ? How many of you are prescribed it via gps or are u referred first ?

Finally can i demand to be referred esp with my serious thyroid prob as a prob cause of fertility probs ?

anyway thank you for taking time to read my tale and tia for any help and advice

Genna


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## JW3 (Apr 7, 2008)

Hi Genna

Here is my experience,

I had my first blood tests done by the GP.  Because I had irregular periods I was able to get my Bupa cover to pay for me to see a consultant privately (who happened to be a gyno and fertility expert) (although my GP was going to refer me through NHS I would just have to wait).  

When the consultant looked at my bloods he told me that my GP had missed something, which was understandable as he is not a fertility expert.  The consultant insisted on doing the bloods again himself as well.  After my lap& dye the consultant referred me straight onto an NHS clomid programme which also included scanning to check for follicles.

You may find your hormones change as you lose weight as well as my results were different on the second set of blood tests.

I'd recommend trying to see a fertility specialist.  I would even now pay to see mine privately which costs about £180 for an initial consultation because they know so much more about all this and see similar cases regularly.  

Because of my irregular periods (which were really bad) I was referred immediately after my GP had done the bloods and I had an initial ultrasound at the local hopsital.  Yes I would insist on beign referred because thyroid has such an impact on this.

Most GPs cannot prescribe clomid anyway so you might get referred to a gyno anyway.

Hope some of this helps

Jenny
xx


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## ☼♥ Minxy ♥☼ © (Jan 13, 2005)

Hi there

Obviously none of us are medically qualified so we can only offer interpretation of your results based on what we've picked up through our own personal experiences. Since you've been ttc for 18mths then I would definitely ask your GP to refer you to a fertility specialist.

Whilst your FSH is slightly on the higher side, I wouldn't have said it was an indication of POF at all and since your LH is lower than the FSH there doesn't appear to be any indication of PCOS either.

FSH levels to indicate ovarian reserve (all in IU/l):
under 6 = Excellent 
6 - 9 = good 
9 - 10 = fair
10 - 13 = diminished
13+ = hard to stimulate

A level of 30 nmol/l or over at 7dpo indicates ovulation.

Here's some more info on hormone levels....but do be aware that this is a US website so the unit measurements can vary......

http://www.fertilityplus.org/faq/hormonelevels.html#female

What cycle day did you have these tests done on ? FSH & LH should be tested at beginning of your cycle (along with Oestradiol and Prolactin) and then Progesterone should be tested around cd21. Progesterone checks for ovulation and ideally should be tested at 7 days past ovulation (dpo) but is often tested cd21 which assumes you ovulated on cd14. Having tested at beginning of your cycle, at same time as FSH etc, would be of no use at all. If you can get your hormones tested again then I would do.

Clomid is usually prescribed for ladies who don't ovulate properly eg if they have PCOS but sometimes it can be prescribed if you do ovulate fine but to try and boost. Basically if you don't ovulate naturally then it can trigger ovulation, if you ovulate naturally it can boost things and make you release more than one egg each month. I was prescribed it to boost several years ago by fertility consultant. Some GPs will prescribe clomid but not all will and in some ways it may be better for you to see a fertility consultant and get your hormones tested properly rather than being prescribed clomid by GP with no proper monitoring in form of follicle tracking scans and progesterone blood tests. Also, since you have problems with your thyroid then best to be prescribed by a fertility specialist who can take this all into account.

Personally I would be very wary of taking a herb as potent as Agnus Castus whist you're taking other prescribed meds like the Thyroxine. AC is a strong herb that can effect your hormone levels and whilst it is readily available over the counter, a herbalist once told me that it's not a good idea to take these herbs without seeking professional advise from a qualified herbalist or naturopath who will be able to tailor what herbs you need specifically to your requirements. Many clinics will advise against you taking any herbal remedy like this during treatment or when on certain meds as they can interact and interfere with one another. With the EPO you should only take this until ovulation and not afterwards as it may cause uterine contractions...but before ovulation is fine.

I would go back to your GP, ask for more blood tests for you (done on correct days)...FSH, LH, Prolactin, Oestrogen (oestradiol/E2), Thyroid and Progesterone. Maybe also get a sperm test for your partner. Your GP can refer you to a fertility consultant but at least you're getting the ball rolling whilst you wait for the referal.

You may also be interested in these books/websites...

"Fertility & Conception" by Zita West

"Taking Charge of Your Fertility" by Toni Weschler ( www.tcoyf.com)

Good luck and take care
Natasha 

/links


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