# Starting clomid for the first time



## hopetocomplete07 (Feb 2, 2007)

Hi Girls
New to this thread, I'm due to start clomid for the first time next tuesday/wednesday.  Quite apprehensive, this is the first actual 'treatment' I've embarked upon (apart from surgical removal of endo.)  I got pregnant after surgery last time and missed taking clomid by a month!  Not so lucky this time.

My cycles are usually 30 - 34 days but can be 28 - 36, and the reason I'm starting clomid is because my cycle lengths are getting longer, up to 40 days, I hit 49 days this time last year.  So, will this shorten my cycles?  I'm worried about timing sex since I've read EWCM can dry up, do I still look for the same signs?

He's put me on 100 mg straight away, this worries me too, as if he's not expect me to respond well??  I've had PCOS ruled out.  I have to have a scan during my first cycle, I'm terrified of there not being any follicle!

Any thoughts, tips experiences greatly welcome.

Thanks
S xx


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## angel83 (Mar 14, 2005)

Hi Hope to

I did dry up, but i purchased a sperm friendly lubricant called preseed. And it has made things alot better. I use ovulation predictor kits OPK. and im happy with those.

Dont worry you will have follicles. Have a positive metal attitude as much as possible. PMA

My cycles too where messed up 28 - 34. But the clomis 1st month was 28days and every other cycle it has been 32days. So ive regulated a litlle, which was why i was put on it.

Hope this helps

Angel83


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## dakota (Feb 6, 2007)

Hi hun,

I had 100mg prescribed aswell. I think it varys from each consultant as to what they will prescibe first.

My cycles were anything between 28-50 days So i avaraged it out over 12 months and came up with 32 so i based my cycle on this. I didnt have any monitering just made sure i had bms every other day or 2.

Good luck hun    

Nikki


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## NuttyJo (Jun 29, 2007)

hi hope

i found clomid lengthend my cycles but only by a few days, it made them a little more regular too and i had ovulation pains so could time bms. but some people dont have this so i would advise trying bms from cd10 - cd20 at least, every other day. CM sometimes does dry up with clomid but as angel said, theres a sperm friendly lube you can get called Preseed which is aparently very good. OPKs can work too, but arnt very good for people with PCOS and sometimes get too addictive as i found out! as you're having scans, it will probably be easier to predict the bms timing as they should be able to tell when you're likely to ovulate.

hope that helps

good luck!  

jo x


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## ☼♥ Minxy ♥☼ © (Jan 13, 2005)

Hi

Clomid can lengthen and shorten your cycles so really no guarantees either way, you may find it helps regulate them a bit more though, although this isn't always the case.

We all react to the drugs differently and where some women may experience lots of side effects, others may notice little difference...but it can vary month to month, just to completely confuse the issue even more !

Some may find that the clomid dries up there cervical mucus (not just ewcm) but this certainly doesn't happen for everyone...I never had a problem at all, in fact, slightly the opposite !

I put together a lists of side effects as well as some hints and tips to help you...both are "sticky" threads towards the top of this Clomid board...

http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=48662.0

http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=41641.0

I was prescribed 50mg clomid a few years ago (when I was 36) to help boost and also regulate my cycles. I used to have regular 28 day cycles with ovulation on cd14 but then following 2 naturally conceived early miscarriages, alternate months suddenly started being a bit erratic and I'd have cycles of for example 28 days, then 30 days, then 28 days, then 31 days etc etc so consultant decided clomid may help regulate things and also help boost things ie release more eggs (theory being more target practise for the sperm...his actual words !).

I did respond well, released 2/3 eggs every month (was on it for 6mths) but sadly didn't result in BFP for us....but then I do have several things effecting my fertility....severe endo, adhesions, polyps, fibroids, bicornuate uterus, blood clotting/immune disorders...the list seems endless.....and ovulation actually isn't one of them thank goodness !

Although I still ovulated on cd14/15 (follicle tracking scans through first 3 cycles as well as progesterone blood tests) confirmed this, my cycles lengthened but regulated to 30/31 days....and it's stayed the same almost 3 years later.

Are you having any form of monitoring such as follicle tracking scans and/or progesterone blood tests to check for developing follicles and also whether you've ovulated ? Perhaps it would be worth requesting these for at least the first couple of months to see exactly what's happening. Charting your temps (although clomid can raise these a little), in combination with checking CM and noting any other ovulation symptoms (eg pains, twinges, nausea, sore boobs, frequent peeing, back ache, bloatedness etc) may help you build a picture of what's happening with your cycle....not everyone will get all those ovulation symptoms...some may get none...I was just using as an example as I get pretty much all those most months from around cd10 onwards, getting progressively worse until I ovulate...and when I was on clomid it just exacerbated them.

OPKs may be useful but they do only check the LH surge prior to ovulation and you'd usually ovulate around 36 hours after a +ve OPK...they can become a bit obsessive though and as another consultant said to me "turn spontaneous lovemaking into regimented babymaking" (I only ever used them for couple of months when we very first started ttc)

They say that you'd usually ovulate about 5-9 days after taking the last clomid pill but obviously this isn't always the case. The main thing is to try and have as much sex from around cd10 onwards....sperm can live for around 3-5 days but an egg will only survive for about 12-24 hours once released so always best to have plenty of fresh sperm ready & waiting for when egg pops.

Lots of luck
Natasha


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## MandyL (Dec 21, 2007)

Welcome S and I hope the Clomid does wonders for you!  It will regulate your cycles if it successfully makes you ovulate as it does generally make you ovulate around the same time (like Natasha said 5-9 days or so after finishing the Clomid).  I had a 74 day cycle before the Clomid, and had a normal 30 day cycle with it (but I do not ovulate naturally).  It did dry up my CM, but like the ladies said Preseed helps with that, and if you have a problem with it you can discuss with your dr/cons about adding on some estrogen to your treatment.


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## hopetocomplete07 (Feb 2, 2007)

Thanks for all the replies girls, when I posted this I thought it hadn't come up, then last night I spotted it down the list, maybe it just didn't post at the top?  Anyway, thats why I hadn't replied sorry!

Minxy - thanks for the detailed reply.  I am to have a scan during my first cycle and a progesterone blood test during the second.  Will they really be able to tell me from the scan when I'm likely to ovulate?

My period should have arrived yesterday, guess who's gone awol??  She should appear today.

Do I take the 100 mg at once or in two divided doses?  The label says 50 mg twice daily but there was a major balls up over the prescribing.

Thanks again everyone, here's hoping for some fat, juicy follicles this month!

sarah xxxxxxx


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## abbybella (Jan 9, 2008)

Hiya Sarah!

Are you having a tracking scan? where you go over a number of days?

I had this when was being investigated and they can see any follicles and how the grow and when they get to a certain size they should release an egg... they also measure the womb lining etc to check all is as it should be prior to ovulation. They can tell when you have ovulated as well by these scans (i think.... but i never did lol )

Don't know about the dosage for 100mg can you phone your gynae. department at the hospital or your gp to check?

X


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## cleg (Jun 27, 2006)

hopetocomplete glad you found your thread hunny   but please feel free to post on the main clomid chicks thread hunny   the reason it was further down the page is the top topics are locked  

right as for your pills i would ring + ask just to be sure, ir you are anything like me i like to take them all together so i dont forget   but makesure 1st hun

hope that A/F arrives soon, she does have a way of going AWOL when you need her to arrive  

xxx


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## hopetocomplete07 (Feb 2, 2007)

Hiya girls
Started my first cycle of clomid, feels strange, having all sorts of bizzare dreams!

I'm on cd 5 so one more dose tomorrow then thats the first cycle done.  Getting some dull aches around ovaries and can't stop peeing, could this be due to the clomid, is it too soon to be taking effect yet?  I would have thought it was!

Is it worth using OPK's to make the most of the cycle, maximise odds?  I don't have PCOS so am I ok to use these on clomid?  I have to have a scan next Friday to see how I've responded.  What can I expect to be told?  Is it the dildo cam??   I so scared of havig no repsonse esp. as I've been stared on 100 mg, but I usually get loads of EWCM on my own so I can assume my ovaries are quite active on their own......can't I?  I hope so!

Hope evereyone is doing OK

xx


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## cleg (Jun 27, 2006)

oooooh yes its the dildo cam hunny  they will just scan to see how your ovaries are doing + your endometrium (lining) are doing too, as for the OPK's i dont see why you couldnt give them a try if you dont suffer from PCOS just dont let them rule you hunny 

jump onto the clomid girls 2008 thread the girls will give you some excellent support hun 

xxx


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## hopetocomplete07 (Feb 2, 2007)

Thanks Cleg will do.  Where in NE are you, I lived in Newcastle for a year, back in Wales now though, DH is a Geordie.


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## TracyK (Dec 18, 2007)

Not started mine yet but just wanted to wish you the best of luck


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## cleg (Jun 27, 2006)

hopetocomplete im in teeside  got lots of FF friends from newcastle though 

xxx


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## ♥Saila♥ (Mar 27, 2006)

I'm in Teesside too  

Good luck and Welcome to FF  

xxxx


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