High BMI and Clomid

[JNJP28]

I’m just wondering what experience people have had with Clomid and a high BMI? I’m wanting to start trying for a baby next year and know I need to loose weight before hand. I have PCOS and do not ovulate or even have a period really. I will need Clomid (or something) to induce ovulation. Currently my BMI is 45, what was your BMI and do anyone know the max BMI for treatment? I’m in east lancs area. Thanks! X

[Londonlady2024]

Hi, I have no advise re. clomid however in my NHS clinic in London the max BMI for IVF is 29.9 and 35 if you are self-funding. Thought I'd share that viral TikTok video online of someone who was rejected for IVF due to her high BMI. She bought maca root and fell pregnant:

vm.tiktok.com/ZGe8Ev1et/

Please always be cautious when trying new supplements and meds and check with your Dr. Get your blood work done as well, it may not just be PCOS. I heard inositol is great for those with PCOS as well but there's miro and chiro, you'd need to check which one is suitable for you

Wishing you success.

[JNJP28 in reply to Londonlady2024]

Thank you for this! I will have a look into it. X

[Hoggley]

Hi JNJP28, I had to lose weight for my 1st round of IVF, for my BMI to be under 30. I did it in 4 months by simply not eating main carbs (it wasnt easy) like bread, pasta and potatoes. It was hard but I lost 4 stone in a 4 month perido. I also took (still am) inofolic which gave me period again. My first round of ICSI worked and I now have a beautiful 3.5 year old. Good luck with your IVF journey x

[JNJP28 in reply to Hoggley]

what will power! 🫶🏼 well done you!! Thank you for this, it’s just so I know where I stand and what my journey will look like! What is inofolic is it a vitamin? X

[Behind_Hazel_Eyes]

Hi! As far as I know your BMI has to be under 30 for NHS and under 35 for private treatment. At the moment unfortunately you would be deemed too high risk. Which I understand all too well. I was told in summer of 2022 that I was being taken off the fertility waiting list because of my weight ☹️ Finally last November my BMI was a horrifc 57.9. The turning point was being told (after waiting 2 years for an appoitnment with a consultant) that surgery for my endo would not help my fertility. It was a wake up call. I have now got myself down to 34.7 BMI, after losing nearly 11 stone in just over a year. It is possible. I did it through walking everyday (at least 30 minutes) and going on an anti-inflamatory diet. I have stage 4 endometrosis and found that it really helped with pain. I share this, becuase if i could do this, anyone can! I am now hoping to approach IVF clinics privately in the new year. Good luck on your journey.

[JNJP28 in reply to Behind_Hazel_Eyes]

Thank you for your reply!! Well done for loosing that! That is incredible!! Thanks for the inspiration! I will do it. Got an appointment with the doctors tomorrow to discuss metformin so fingers crossed. Good luck with your journey! X

[DianeArnold Partner Nurse Fertility Network UK]

Hi JNJP. Ideal BMI. Should be between 19-30. Sometimes women who suffer with PCOS have a course of metformin to get them started with weight reduction. You obviously have a long way to go to lose enough weight before treatment, so it might help to join our weight loss group. Details in the support pages section and at rhe bottom right hand side of the home page on our website. fertilitynetworkuj.org do have a look you will find support there . Good luck. Diane

[XXKKXX]

In my area bmi limit for clomid is 35. 30 for ivf. I cant speak for everyone over weight but in my own personal experience I'd definitely recommend trying to lose weight before trying clomid as you can only take clomid a maximum 6 months in your lifetime due to the increased link with ovarian cancer with long-term use so you really want to make the most of it. I'd really recommend intermittent fasting and cutting out sugar as that helped me alot. I limited but but didn't eliminate carbs completely. Also metformin and inositol. clomid did somewhat work , it made me ovulate day 45+ each month. I was told that's quite late and my follicle was abnormal shaped. As I got my bmi down each month it worked slightly better but still wasn't ovulating in ideal time. I felt like I'd kinda wasted my journey on clomid. When I stopped clomid since I hadn't got pregnant ivf was the next step. I went hard-core for months as bmi had to be under 30 to qualify. i reached my goal by late june. Started early feb. I got my bmi to 30 and interestingly as soon as I got that weight off my cycles became regular on their own. For the first time ever I ovulated day 14. Didn't didn't get pregnant so we did ivf in the end in October and I'm currently 9 weeks pregnant. If you put in the hard work it's definitely possible x I managed to lose another half stone since that quite easily. I struggled for years to shift it. I feel alot better in myself aswell and obviously having lost the Weight will benefit my pregnancy and being really overweight makes pregnancy riskier for mum and baby

[JNJP28 in reply to XXKKXX]

Thanks for sharing this! X

[XXKKXX]

Your welcome. I hope your journey is successful. There's definitely hope with pcos.

[Talliebobs]

I did 4 rounds of clomid with a bmi of 42 over 2 years. I have pcos as well. I was put on to a higher dose to help the ovulation which it did and we fell pregnant november 2021 on it but unfortunately I had an early miscarriage. In July 2022 I decided to join the gym and lost 15kg by September and after another consultation i was swapped from clomid to letrazole which after one dose I fell pregnant with my little boy who turns 6 months old next week. I found that the clomid was giving me terrible side affects by the last round hence the swap. I'm based in Manchester

[JNJP28 in reply to Talliebobs]

I’m so sorry for your loss lovely. Congrats on your rainbow baby boy 🫶🏼 this is really helpful as I would come under bother Lancashire and Manchester. Was this private or funded from NHS? X

[Talliebobs in reply to JNJP28]

This was all done on the NHS at Oldham Hospital under Mr. Boulos.