No response to Clomid

[sarahharas]

Hey all, I am on a Clomid treatment due to anovulation (1.5 years!). In the beginning I had hope that this would solve my problem, but my body does not respond to this at all. I am already on an increased dose - without any success.

I am so scared that my body will not produce any eggs at all, no matter what they do. I also dont know what is coming next.

And the most important thing is, how can I cope with this? In the last months the days of tears and dispair are countless, I think I am losing my joy of life.

[Princes14]

Hi sarahharas!

It’s like I’m reading my own story, kind of.

I sought investigations for my own anovulation about 4 years ago, and we’ve been on one heck of a journey since.

I, like you was prescribed a course of Clomid, then Clomid plus Metformin, then Menopur injections... all to no success. My follicles sort of responded to the FS drugs but not as much as they would have like to have seen... 😔 I came off my pill back in 2008, I had no periods - nothing, na da. Was then seen by a gynea consultant in 2014 who diagnosed me with anovulation.

It was only in 2014 when my husband and I had been married 2 years and were thinking of starting a family did we seek advise and from there treatment.

Clomid does work for some! The follicles on my ovaries did wake up slightly, but not enough. Only last year in June did we start our first IVF cycle, which sadly ended in a blighted ovum and a missed miscarriage. But I’m delighted to say, I’m almost 10 weeks pregnant now! Our 2nd cycle was our lucky cycle. I hope this is our baby, goodness knows we’ve been through it to get here! 🤞🏼

Good luck with your journey, I’m sure if you’re anything like me, you’ll respond to IVF well.

If you want to ask me anything further please feel free to message me. 💕

[Gemz29 in reply to Princes14]

Hi, I’ve just had a really low amh blood test result & found reviews online that clomid helps with this. Did you both get your clomid prescribed from your gp or your fertility clinic? Xx

[sarahharas]

Congratulations Princes14, I am.super happy to hear that you are pregnant and I hope you have a wonderful time.

Also thank you both for answering, it is always good to hear a similar story, what for the first time gives me hope which I have completely lost. I know that Clomid does not work for everyone but the internet is majorly full of success stories (Pregnant at the first round or something).

I got my Clomid from the fertility Clinic, my GP seemed rather useless in this regard. I fully appreciate that doctors try the easy way first, but I dont understand why wasting time on this when there is obviously no reaction, besides my hair which I am losing. I fear that by the time I get pregnant (hopefully) I will be bold. My diagnosid is PCOS, what I find very ironic as I have a BMI of 20.5, but I hope that they wont start giving me Metformin. I heard them mumbling that we will need to switch to injections, god knows when this happens.

How long did it take until they decided to give you IVF and is everything all right with your husband?

Sarah

[E_05]

I tired clomid for 7 months all unsuccessful and remember feeling so disappointed as I have 2 friends who both took clomid and then fell pregnant but I know everyone is different and fertility problems are different. I’ve since had 4 cycles of IVF - 2 fresh both ending in MMC and 2 FETs both unsuccessful.

I understand your fears but IVF works very differently to Clomid so try not to worry about producing eggs, I’ve had good quality embryos through IVF x

[amyld1985]

Hi, I know how stressful and disappointing this process can be but it can work and I am now 31 weeks!

My cycle just randomly stopped for 2 1/2 years and doctors couldn't explain why. I was finally prescribed clomid, started two cycles at 50mg then 4 at 100mg and had just been given permission to do 6 more cycles at 150mg by assisted conception doctor.

Throughout this I did not ovulate at all until the last cycle (a week before my first appointment with assisted conception) and I was very lucky to get by BFP.

What I would say is be forceful with the doctors I was too timid until later in the process. x

[Gemz29 in reply to amyld1985]

Hi, I’m looking into clomid, my doctors seems to have no idea about it, did you get prescribed yours at a fertility clinic? Xx

[sarahharas in reply to Gemz29]

Hi Gemz29,

If your GP has never heard about Clomid, I would consider looking for a new GP. This drug is prescribed since the 1960s. Or they should refer you to a specialist (what happened to me immediately) - although this totally depends on your postcode and may take several months until you get an appointment (what also happened to me). As I heard before, dont, be timid!

[amyld1985 in reply to Gemz29]

Hi, I ended up being prescribed it through consultant at hospital (gynaecology I think) wasn't at the fertility clinic stage at that point.

Although the actual prescription had to come from my GP so there was a lot of hanging around waiting for letters etc and my GP didn't have knowledge of clomid either but soon learnt!

[Spongy]

Hi,

I am so sorry that you are going through this. I can relate somewhat to your journey.

I am completely anovulatory (5+ years) due to PCOS. I tried several rounds of clomid and had absolutely no response. I also tried ovarian drilling which also had no response.

In the end my consultant advised me to go to IVF rather than trying injections or anything as my body was so resistant.

The great news is that I then underwent a short protocol IVF and stimulation worked brilliantly. They managed to get 17 eggs, 13 fertilised and 7 embryos were frozen.

I then became pregnant from the cycle and have a 22month old boy. I also have a 4 month old baby girl from a FET from that same cycle.

I remember feeling so hopeless and fed up. I was tired of waiting and felt my body to be useless. I was so incredibly low. I started counselling which I carried on throughout my first pregnancy and wouldn’t have coped without it.

I hope this post gives you some hope and maybe think about if counselling could help you? I found it invaluable.

[sarahharas]

Thank you all for your nice replies. Indeed I was thinking about counselling and in my internet research I have found this group,which is alreqdy helping me a lot, but I do want to go to counselling. Reading all your comments completely nails down my emotions and thoughts that I sometimes could not even describe. Even my husband does not understand me as he thinks that the doctors will easily fix this - as if they would be magicians... there is just this incredible fear inside me that it is never going to work. Sometimes I am so down that I can hardly do my daily work, I am just staring at my screen and cry. I feel lonely and empty.

But all your stories give me hope, you all went through this and were rewarded. So I can do it as well!

[cathy-martha]

Hello Sarah. Dear, you just have to hold on to this situation. Everything will be fine. You have to make yourself more strong. Treatments like these do take time. You just have to wait for the right time. They will definitely show its results. Just try to be optimistic in this matter. Best of luck dear. All the best wishes to you. Good luck.