# advice re clomid whilst overweight *UPDATE*



## Tracylou (May 6, 2005)

Hi

I'm going to see the specialist again on 21st March.  I have anovulatory PCOS.  Last time I saw him he said no amount of drugs would make me ovulate whilst I was so overweight and to go away and loose 5 stone at least !! I have managed to loose a stone since then, and am continuing in my weight loss quest.  

My question is this - I have read of other women - equally overweight - who have been given clomid and it has worked for them.  Should I push the specialist to at least let me try 

Any help would be greatfully appreciated.

Thanks
Tracy


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## flowerpot (Jan 20, 2005)

hiya Tracy  
have you tried Metformin?  Kerry has pcos and is on it (was on it with clomid) and I'm on it (awaiting pcos confirmation on test results).  Not only is it making me ovulate, in conjunction with weightwatchers I've lost 15 lbs in about 6 weeks.

I was put on clomid when I was overweight but didnt ovulate for a few months, then I would, then I wouldnt but the addition of Metformin has really helped xxx


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## Suzie (Jan 22, 2004)

hi Tracy

Personally I would ask again!  
I am overweight and have had several lots of clomid in the past.

When i saw my endocrinologist consultant in december she said that even though i am overweight and ovulate on clomid and metformin , there is no reason i cant concieve and my weight wasnt an issue.
Obviously being the correct weight helps health wise etc but i cant see any reason you cant try clomid.

this is just my personal opinion and best chat it over with your Dr but go armed!  and put your point across ! sometimes persuasion is needed!.

You can also show you are trying to help yourself aswell as you have lost a stone and still trying  and with pcos its not easy to loose the weight! as we know 



love
suzie xx


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## Tracylou (May 6, 2005)

Hi Flowerpot - I should have said, I'm diabetic too (because of my pcos) so I am on insulin and also 2x500mg metfomin twice a day.

Hi Suzie - do you mind me asking how overweight you are ?? I am at least 4 stone overweight.  I want to go armed so I can try and persuade him, that's why I thought you good ladies might be able to help.  Unfortunatley Prof Balen does not beleive there is a link between pcos and finding it hard to loose weight !!!

Tracy
xxxx


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## Suzie (Jan 22, 2004)

Tracy

well he hasnt looked at statistics then  best not say that to him 

I dont mind you asking about my weight   I have lost 2 stone in the last 2 months and i still have a long way to go , about another 4 stone ! 

love
suzie xx


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## emsy25 (Mar 18, 2005)

Hi Tracy,

I dont normally post here, but just wanted to say that when we went for our initial consulation with our clinic, my specialist told me I was overweight( I was 16 stone ).  I did not lose any weight and went ahead with tx, I had to take clomid on days 2-5 before my DIUI, I got a BFP on my 2nd and 3rd DIUI.  I just wanted to get the fact across that it does happen for us ladies who are on the slightly larger size.

Good Luck
      
Emma
x x x x


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## Tracylou (May 6, 2005)

Hi Suzie - Prof Balen apparently is the world authority on PCOS which is why it confused us so much when my DH asked him about problems loosing weight being connected to my PCOS.  Thanks for sharing with me how much you have to loose.  I'm definitley going to go for it when I see him and ask him to let me at least try clomid. 

Can I be cheeky and ask more questions ?? Do you have a regular cycle ?? I don't have a cycle at all unless I take hormones to bring a period on.

Emma - thank you so much for your message - I'm 17 and half stone at the moment (prefer the scales at the gym though as they say I am 17 !  )  Did you pay for your treatment or was it on the NHS ?? please don't answer if I am being too nosey - just trying to go armed wiht as much info as possible

Thanks again everyone
Lots of Love
Tracy
xx


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## ♥ M J ♥ (Apr 17, 2004)

hey ladies

i will jump in here too!

im a "larger" lady(loosely use the word lady!!  ) im 5ft 9 tall and my weight has ranged in the past 7yrs ttc from 13st when we started to my heaviest which was about 17st 8- im sick of people saying if you lost weight u would get preg- when we started ttc we has   every day and i was at my lighest and no pregnancy! and i was on clomid and didnt ovulate

however in feb 04 i was put on metofrmin 500mg x3 a day and was prob about 16.7st and in the april i was given 50mg of clomid and did ov(not my normal consultant who gave it to me so only had it for 1 month)

in ref to the weight thing- without the metformin i  put on weight and can not loose it however when on metformin i loose weight however even if im naughty (and eat a whole cheesecake.unless the dog finds it) i dont put on weight- my diet doesnt really change 

i would stand firm and ask for it clomid if thats what u want

is prof balen (adam balen?)

please feel free to shout my way if you want anymore info

hugs
xxx


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## Suzie (Jan 22, 2004)

Tracy 

I didnt have regular cycles before i started the metformin, I do now have them about every 30 days. And i do ovulate sometimes with just the metformin alone.
On the clomid and met combined I do ovulate so just frustrating it hasnt happened for us!

I was prescribed clomid from my GP even before i saw my fertility consultant, its at the gp decresion (spelling  )

Its really odd that your cons is a PCOS "expert" and denys that we have weight issues with our pcos! Im not trying to discredit him as he is obviously good at what he does,
My endocrinologist cons and my fertililty cons both agree that pcos find it really easy to gain weight and really hard to lose it! Guess just differing opinions! See i have tried to be politically correct about the professionals  Its all connected to pcos sufferers being insulin resistant etc

Maybe have a hunt on internet to look at pcos research! Just a thought 

goodluck
love
suzie xx


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## sweetpeapodder (Feb 6, 2005)

Well done Tracey Lou on losing a stone   and thank you emsy25 for sharing your   experience


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## Tracylou (May 6, 2005)

Hi girls

Thanks for all your replies - you are so kind  

I'm definitley going to push for clomid when I go   I can't see how it would hurt to at least try 

M J - yes, it is Adam Balen.

Suzie - if Prof Balen says no- I might go to my gp after what you said.  Have done tons and tons of research on the net and reading books.  one thing I have found is that PCOS sufferers tend to be carbohydrate sensative - have been laying off potatoes and bread and i can tell the difference !!!

Thanks again for your replies - any more advice is very very welcome.

Love
Tracy
xxx


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## Suzie (Jan 22, 2004)

Tracy 

The only way i have found i can loose weight is to cut out the complex carbs such as potatoes , bread and pasta etc  Boring i know! but i have been eating bran flakes and ryvita this time round and am losing still  
Boring i know but is working, and my clinic suggested it to me 

 

love
suzie xx


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## Witchie Poo Cat (Aug 12, 2005)

Hi

ive not been on this board for a few weeks and just read your post with interest.

I dont have PCOS but I am very overweight and am currently on month 13 of Clomid (total) 100mg.  When I started Clomid in 2004 I weighed 17 1/2 st. 100mg of Clomid makes me ovulate but I didnt get PG those 6 months.  I had a 6 month break when I lost 3 1/2 stone (got down to just below 14st) but was still not ovulating on my own so went back on Clomid.  again 100mg made me Ovulate but didnt get PG.  I had a 3month break end of last year while I had tests for PCOS but they were all negative.

During my consultation last year in November (I was referred to an infertility specialist rather than a gynae as I was getting frustrated) I was talking with her in great detail about how weight affects fertility.  My arguement being I know lots of big women who have gotten pregnent no problem so it cant be entirely a weight issue.  She explained to me that being overweight causes an excess of oestrogen (fat cells produce it). When we are not eating healthy our liver cannot get rid of the excess and so exacurbates the problem resulting in more and more oestrogen circulating in our bodies.  Clomid triggers our bodies into releasing an egg (I dont ovulate unmedicated even though i dont have PCOS and have regular cycles) but that is only half the battle.  Just being overweight causes an imbalance in hormones which apparently greatly effect the chances of conception occuring.  This was news to me and I felt like I had been kicked in the teeth after all this time on Clomid no one had told me that.  All i thought was get the eggs releasing and Im just like anyone else.  Apparently not, the delicate hormone balance required to allow conception to occur is easily upset by being overweight and thats something Clomid cant do anything about. 

Ive been TTC for over 7yrs now (i worked out this month is my 87th month ttc) and Im learning new things every day about my infertility.  Im now focused on losing weight to get my BMI below 30 for IVF.  Not only that but I have reassessed and changed the types of food I am eating.  I eat only organic foods now (apparently non organic meat and dairy contains hormones) and eat only fresh fruit, veg, lean meat & fish and low fat dairy.  I have started eating more beans and lentils etc too as these are high in essential minerals etc.  Ive also joined the gym and Fitbug and am becoming more and more active.  I guess what Im trying to do is take control of all the things I can since I cannot control my inability to ovulate or conceive.  At least this way i know there is nothing more I can possibly do to enhance my chances.

In answer to your question, there is no reason not to be allowed to go on Clomid so i would ask for it.  However, research suggests that the highest proportion of pregnancies resulting from this treatment are in women with BMI's under 30.  My infertility specialist told me that had she been the person who saw me first she would not have prescribed it to me until I got my weight down as the chances of a pregnancy were so small, and i told her im thankful that she was not my first consultant! haha 

I have no experience of PCOS but I know several people who have it.  These friends of mine swear by the GI diet in alleviating their PCOS symptoms and losing weight.  I guess you have to give everything a try until you find something that works for you.

Wishing you the best of luck on your TTC journey.  Ask for the Clomid next time and kick up a fuss if you dont get it 

Hugs

Witchie Poo Cat


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## Becksie Boo (Oct 7, 2004)

Just thought I would share my experience too.

I too was told I couldn't have Clomid because of my weight.  This was back some years ago when I was living in Yorkshire.  Then 3 years ago I moved area and hospital.  My new consultant said there was no reason why I couldn't have it and was given it straight away.

As you can tell I am a success story and have fallen pregnant twice on Clomid (although I had a m/c with my first).

Please don't be fobbed off.  I often think they use the weight issue to get you off their books (so to speak) for a while!!

Please IM me if you want to chat

Becky


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## Tracylou (May 6, 2005)

Hi Witchie  - thank you so much for replying. What you said makes alot of sense. My blood sugars have improved dramatically whilst on the Low GI diet, so I will have some evidence for him that I am at least on the right track !!! Not trying to be defeatist here, but if I can bargain with him, you know something like, well if you don't give it me this time, if I loose another say stone and half before I come back can I have it then ?? at least I will feel like I am on the right track - after I last saw him I was depressed for 2 months after he told me to go away and loose 5 stone !!!  I need a bit more encouragement than that. Yes, I know I have a nice goal at the end, but that doesn't help, because all I think is, if I loose the weight and then they find something else wrong, then something else....you get my drift  Great on you eating the organic stuff, I really hope it works hun  keep me informed

Hi Becksie Boo - thanks also for replying. Was it Prof Balen that said you couldn't have it ?? Congrats on your beautiful baby  I will PM you if that's ok 

Any other views really really welcome, am building up some nice evidence to take to him now - thanks girls


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## Suzie (Jan 22, 2004)

witchie_poo_cat said:
 

> Hi
> .
> 
> . She explained to me that being overweight causes an excess of oestrogen (fat cells produce it). When we are not eating healthy our liver cannot get rid of the excess and so exacurbates the problem resulting in more and more oestrogen circulating in our bodies.
> ...


Hi just wanted to add my point of view 

Personally i am overweight and have pcos but eat a very healthy diet so sometimes that argument with the dr's doesnt wash wash me  but i am hard to please  , my consultant actually acknowledges that pco sufferers find is hard to keep there weight stable and its often to do with the insulin resistance.

The GI was actually suggested to me by my consultant and its working so far 

I agree that obviously maximising your chances of concieving is also the best thing to do by the ways suggested, however my consultant says my eggs are actually probably no worse than they would be if i was my optimum weight, and that with getting to ovulate regularly he sees no reason why i shouldnt concieve, but we all know this is not an ideal world  and if only 

Guess what im trying to say is that i dont always buy the age old argument of the weight issue  
sorry if this hasnt come across well but it is sunday morning and im at work 

love and luck
suzie xx


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## Tracylou (May 6, 2005)

Hi Suzie 

it's unfortunate isn't it that most experts opinion is one of loose weight = result and no treatment !!!

If only  



Love Tracy
xx


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## Suzie (Jan 22, 2004)

tracy

I know the feeling   but i wont go into much detail on here but you do have to keep plugging away at them til they give in! and listen to you. I know its not always easy as we see them as the experts but ive come to learn that we are the only ones who know our bodies!! 

just listen to what yourself is telling you and go for what you want 

love
suzie xx


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## Witchie Poo Cat (Aug 12, 2005)

Hi Tracey

Glad you are having success on the GI diet, I know of a few PCOS sufferers who swear by it.  Since I dont have PCOS Im sticking with WWs No Count plan, it works well for me!

I think knowing you have so much weight to lose adds too much pressure and actually makes it harder to lose the weight even although the incentive is so huge.  Everyone keeps saying to me "Oh, you'll do it you have such a good incentive" but they dont understand that just knowing "if I dont lose this weight i might never concieve" is such a huge burden it drives me to want to comfort eat!!  I saw my midwife counsellor for the first time last week and I was explaining to her that if I dont lose the weight and never conceive I will spend my old age wondering "if only".  At least if I lose the weight and I still dont conceive then I know I have done everything in my power and it just wasnt to be.  Does that make sense?  its the only way I can deal with it.

I know there are a lot of consultants who just wont give treatment if you are a certain amount overweight and I think that is completely wrong.  For example, if you dont ovulate then you have no chance to conceive, full stop.  however, if you can ovulate on medication, and even though chances are low of conception occuring according to the 'specialists', at least you still HAVE a chance, rather than zero chance if you didnt take the meds to make you ovulate.  thats what i said to my infertility specialist when I saw her in November, after she said she wouldnt have prescribed it to me if Id been referred to her first.  I think if you are receiving treatment on the NHS a lot of it has to do with time and money. they weigh those up and think "well chances are low so we will refuse treatment" and thats just not fair.  If there was zero chance of it working due to our weight issues I could see the point completely but if you get an egg and a sperm in the right place at the right time then at least there is a chance no matter how tiny it might be.

If I were you I would just ask for the Clomid.  As long as you continue to lose the weight while you are on it.  That way, if it doesnt work first time round you can take a break, restart it again and you will be even lighter second time around.  Obviously we all hope that it will work sooner rather than later but at least if you have a plan it makes you feel better!  If he wont go for that then yes, your bargaining idea sounds great!  Best of luck to you.

Olive - just wanted to say that I agree with you.  My consultant wasnt saying that weight affects the quality of your eggs, just that the hormone balance required for both conception and implantation is easily upset the more overweight you are - thats why it can be harder for overweight women to conceive.  Saying that, my sister has 5 kids and has been very overweight for 4 of those and she didnt have a problem - some people have all the luck!  I wont even go into what she told me about the likelyhood of a miscarriage the more overweight you are  

Best of luck to everyone, hope the diets are going well! 

hugs

Witchie Poo Cat


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## Becksie Boo (Oct 7, 2004)

Tracylou said:


> Hi Becksie Boo - thanks also for replying. Was it Prof Balen that said you couldn't have it ?? Congrats on your beautiful baby  I will PM you if that's ok


no - my consultant was a guy called Mr Pring. PM me any time.

Becky


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## Tracylou (May 6, 2005)

Hi girls

any more stories please? only 5 days to go and need as much amo as I can get to argue my point 

Thanks
Tracy


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## Tracylou (May 6, 2005)

Hi Girls

Been to see the prof today - wouldn't give me clomid unless I get my bmi below 35 - either on the nhs or private, however I can't beleive the difference between this appointment and last !! 

It felt so much more positive than last time.  He was sooooooo pleased with how I had done, I felt like a little girl getting so much praise from him  really made a difference 

He did agree to put us on the ivf waiting list as it is 2 years for my PCT, but to get ivf from our PCT, my bmi will have to be 30 or below.

Thanks for all your advice and help  I'll keep bobbing in to see how you are all getting on and will hopefully be joining this thread in 6 months 

Love and Best Wishes to all
Tracy
xxx


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## KerryB (Mar 7, 2005)

Great news Tracey. Keep up the good work. We're all here on the diet thread if you need some supoort.

xxx


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## flowerpot (Jan 20, 2005)

Great news, positive at least!  keep us posted and like kerry says were on the diet thread (sticky at the top) if you need help or a moan whilst dieting xxx


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## Tracylou (May 6, 2005)

thanks girls


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## pruflo (May 3, 2005)

Hi Hon,

Sorry you aren't having much luck getting the clomid - just a thought coz I'm in a pretty similar boat although I have got clomid I have been told i have to get my BMI way down if we need IVF. Anyway my point - 5 days ago i started the lighter life diet - www.lighterlife.com and in those 5 days have lost 11 lbs!!!!! It may be worth thinking about - they promise around 3 st weight loss in 3 months but i have met women who lost 5 st in that time. If you need any info let me know - its not as hard as you may think its going tobe. Good luck. Kate


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## baby whisper (Sep 22, 2004)

hi Tracylou

i am about 5 stone overweight i can remember having the same thing said to me  my gyne said i had to go back and loose weight first before he would start me on clomid  as they wont work  yeah right!! a few weeks later i went back for a second opinion from another gyne  he had no problem with putting me on clomid infact the first cycle worked for me and i now have a little girl if you want to take clomid ask for it and if you still have no luck go back and see someone else for a second opinion

good luck
baby whisper xx


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## flowerpot (Jan 20, 2005)

Babywhisper - sorry to but in but I've just noticed you got a BFP!!  Huge Congrats hun! thats great news. I see it was unmedicated too! 

xxx


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