PCOS and Clomid/IUI

Hi!
We've just been given a PCOS diagnosis and my FS has suggested clomid and IUI.

I was a bit surprised at the IUI suggestion - I was expecting him to suggest clomid but I assumed it would be a case of trying a few clomid cycles befoer moving on to IUI. And I've always thought of IUI as being associated with hormone injections etc and I would just be taking the clomid, doing some monitoring with bloods and u/s and then the IUI.

I know clomid dries up the CM and the FS mentioned this as one of the reasons for wanting to do the IUI. DH and I are just trying to decide if we will go with the IUI straight away on the next cycle or give clomid a couple of cycles first.

Anyone else jumped straight to the IUI like this? and anyone else done the IUI with no hormone therapy other than clomid?

I guess I'm trying to decide if it is worth paying the money for the IUI straight up. if I knew it would work and if I knew clomid alone wouldn't, of course I would go for it but don't want to spend the money if clomid is sufficient. oh dear... I am so torn, I don't know what to do.

What would you do?!

Hi Hannah,

I was in a similar situation about 18 months ago, except my doctor wanted me just to try the clomid to see if it would make me ovulate (without IUI). Instead, I bled really heavily and ended up with anaemia.
Last week I was offered the chance to try IUI or IVF. I was told IUI would have a 15% chance of conception and IVF would have 45% chance, and the differences in cost were only about $700 out of pocket. The IUI that I would have had if I had chosen that option would have been just clomid.
I guess what I am saying in reply to the "What would you do" question is, if you are going to go with just clomid or IUI, I would do IUI. But I think the highest chance lies in IVF, maybe it would be worth discussing it with your FS?

hannah,
i'm on my second cycle with provera and clomid (100mg dose) and are going to see how this goes :pray:. when i saw my fs at the beginning of this cycle he said we had 2 options #1 keep going with provera and clomid but have 100mg instead of 50mg or #2 have provera, clomid (50mg) as well as fsh injections with bloodtests and ultrasounds to monitor when i am ready to ovulate.
i don't know what your personal situation is, but i was under the impression that iui was for couples that both have fertility troubles, not just the female.
As my dh has no troubles my fs said that if clomid doesn't work by itself then he said that the fsh injections by themselves should hopefully work for me. otherwise i think my dh and i will be looking at ivf, due to the severity of my pcos.
hope this helps you out.

Hi Hannah,

Once my FS had done all his tests he diagnosed me with PCOS and DH had low and abnormal sperm (but not drastically bad) he suggested straight away to go to IUI. I actually asked if we could try drugs first as I just wan't ready to go with IUI yet. He said ok, he said 4 months on Femara which is similar to clomid and then if no success we should then move on to IUI. I am mid way through my first round with Femara.

Good luck with what ever you decide to do.

thanks for the replies.
It is really reassuring to hear your stories.
I think I just needed to hear some similar experiences that others have had to reassure me a little bit. This whole world of assisted conception is so new to me - I know others who have had to go down this road of course but never had to think about it too deeply myself. I'm a little bit freaked out, really!
minime - good luck with your IVF. I assume you are going down that route?
epayne - fingers crossed for you that the clomid does the trick. good luck!
nellym - good luck on the femara.

thank you for the crossed fingers hannah every little bit helps.
i know that it is so dawnting the first time you have to think about assisted conception. i have only just started to feel comfortable with the whole thing of having to need help to fall pg.
this forum is so good as its just everyday people going though the same thing as everyone else. the advise that i have gotten from here has been great and extremely helpfull with putting my mind at ease about alot of things.
hop everything goes well for you.

hi there, this is my first time using this forum... I have been dignosed with pcos i have irregular menstral cycles from the age of 12.... i have been to gp and had ultrasounds but nothing was found,,,, i have been going to gp's for 12 years and they said i am ok and its just a phase my body is going through.... i just got married last year and we have been trying to fall pregnant for over 1 year and a half but no luck... so i went to a private gyno and was sent to private st vincent and with 2 days i was dignosed with pcos,,, i started clomid today 25g from days 5-9... i have a side effect hand tingling and slight numbness is this normal>?? i am 25years old and i am so ready to have a baby.... the waiting is very stressfull... days are going past very slow and all i can think of is having a baby... i am trying to stay positive as much as i can... its hard to talk about this to anyone beside my partner... i want to hear some success stories with clomid to keep my mind and body positive.... well hopefully i hear a reply from someone... thanks :D

Welcome to bellybelly lunagal, this is a great site to be on for support and answering questions.
I was only young (16) when diagnosed with PCOS, so it was easier for me to get a referal from my GP to see a FS. I myself am on the 3rd cycle of provera (to get AF) and clomid. My FS started me off at 50mg 1st cycle, 100mg 2nd and now 150mg for my third of clomid. I know what you mean about being stressfull, I don't want to sound pesamistic (sorry for spelling) but it does get easier, easpecially now you know what is going on.

I'm not sure about the numbness, but my 1st cycle I had hot flushes and was an emotional basketcase (I can now laugh about it though), but funny enough I had no side effects on my 2nd cycle.

I myself am on the thread "LT TTC & taking Clomid/Metformin #2" I have found the ladies to be very supportive and great for advice. If you put that into the forum search you can find it.

Hope to see you in the thread.

Liz

thank you liz for all the information... i am very happy to hear from someone...
good luck and all the best with clomid and provenia.... i wish you all the best...

i have my check up on the 13th day of my cycle which is this thursday.... so fingers crossed it goes well... i just hope 25g of clomid works.... its just so hard to get time off work... without them asking to many questions... today i am on my last day of clomid... dont have that much side effects which is great hot flashes are min... but my stomach is very bloated... which is fine...

let me know how your cycles are going... and what days you take em.... we can all support each other and thats what we need to stay positive.... throughout this stressfull period....


thanks again
:D

Your welcome lunagal, it is great to just have someone to talk to, as DH's aren't the best of listeners sometimes and don't understand what our bodies are going through. I'm on day 3/10 of provera and then I have to wait for around 7-10 days after that finishing them for AF to arrive. I then take the clomid on days 2-6 is on the end of july as I only went to one last week.

Just wondering if you have gotten onto the other thread I was talking about.

Liz

hi liz
i will check out the thread tonight... i thought i would update you.. i went to my appointment for an ultrasound after taking a round of clomid.. she said i have two eggs and she gave me a trigger shot.... so i ovulated on friday so all i have to do is try and wait for a result... if it doesnt work i will have to start again... its so hard waiting all i think about is having a baby its so hard to turn my concerntration else where... well good luck with your round too.... :):) thanks for listening too me i really appreciate it... :):)

lunagal, with the thread that I posted it now has a #3 thread now. GL with your TWW my fingers will be crossed for you

Hi everyone, I was just reading your thread and I can now see a bit more hope out there for me. I am 31 and my dh and have been trying for a year. I went off the pill and my periods just slowly dried up over 6months so we actually thought I was pregnant in dec 09 then when all the tests came back negative the gp started testing for other things and found out I had pcos. My family do vaguely rememer this coming up in my teenage yrs but then I was diagnosed with epilepsy at 14 also so I have been concentrating on getting that under control. I have not had any seizures for 10yrs but I am on a trial medication which has never been trial during pregnancy so my pregnancy will be high risk. The gyno put me on provera and clomid 50mg to start with and just found out today that my progestrogene levels are still really low so I didn't ovulate. Now I will have to try 100mg of clomid next cycle. I didn't experience any real side effects from the clomid either. We so desperately want a baby and it consumes me somedays, it also so hard as it is right in that time of life when all of our friends/family are having children also.

Sam:cry::grouphug::crossfingers::pray:

hi sami

i am 24 with pcos i had my first round of clomid 2 weeks ago i ovulated with two eggs.... i was so happy and my dr told me to ttc for 3 days. i tried with dh four just incase.... i was soo sick for the two weeks had the flu/ fever i got to 14/15dpo i thought yay i am pregnant... at 16 dpo got my af... i was so upset... the tww felt like it was a year.. i was crying all day yesterday... when i got my af... but today i woke up thinking positive and to not give up trying... i have 5 tries left of clomid and i pray to god that i fall pregnant.... i understand what you are going through and my advise is be positive and good things will come to you... try not to think about it... because my mind was going out of control.... i will keep my fingers crossed for you and i wish you all the best.... we will fall pregnant.... it just takes time... :)