# Femara



## hollyw79

I am going to be starting Femara for the 1st time in a week or so I am guessing.. I was curious for those who have ever taken it~ how much were you prescribed and for what cycle days?


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## PCOSMomToTwo

Well Hello again LOL .... 
You probably already know but I take 5mg CD3-CD7. I really couldn't imagine taking a higher dose. I do get headaches from Femara (they aren't migraine like Clomid) but they still suck. 

Here's what's weird, some doctors prescribe higher doses of Femara to produce multiples follicles. BUT, no matter the dosage I take, I still only get 1 follicle with Femara alone. The injectibles are what give me multiples. 

I really thought Femara was to produce good a quality follicle then injectibles to help growth (for example Femara=working out, Injectibles=steroids). I'm really not sure on all the details tho.


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## Mrs. Bear

I take femara in combination with clomid. clomid 150 days 3-7 and femera 7.5 days 10-14. I don't respond to either alone. Usually I have gotten 3 follicles on this combo but this month was 6 so they will reduce it if no BFP this cycle. 

When I took femara alone it was also days 3-7

I don't notice many side effects but I take it right before bed so that may be why. I know some people prefer it because they have less side effects than clomid and overall there is less risk of multiples. Like PCOSmomtoone said, it is very common to combine femera with injectibles. That would have been our next step if the combo I am on now hadn't worked. It is less expensive than all injectibles that way.

Good luck! :dust:


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## hollyw79

Thanks :flower:

I'm not going to do any injectables this time around.. I was given 5mg cd3-8.. he wanted to do an extra day and @ the higher dose.. I'm just wondering if people ever get prescribed over 5mg and if it improves the odds. 

PCOSmom- my FS said the Femara is supposed to make me produce 2-3 eggs.. that would be why I am taking it bc I O on my own. :shrug: I don't know.

I just hope it works.. I'm pretty disappointed that I didn't get preggo au naturale this month after the mc. Oh well.


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## PCOSMomToTwo

Wow, my body must really suck if I only produce 1 on Femara. Booo! 

I have seen quite a few girls on here taking anywhere from 7.5mg all the way up to 12.5mg ... but I don't think they are yielded multiple follicles either. 

RE did inform me your chances of multiples with Femara are less than Clomid. Clomid stays in your system for months after whereas Femara leaves your system immediately. Probably why people on Clomid experience side effects worse.


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## hollyw79

Wow, that's a lot!!! The reason I ask is my sister is a Nurse Practitioner @ an oncology clinic and she has a ton of samples that I could have if I wanted.. so I already have my prescription for the 5mg.. I wonder if it would benefit me at all to take any more?? I don't want to do anything to mess it up.. but I was wondering if it would hurt or help to take more?

Yeah.. the Clomid does stay in your body longer which is why my FS thinks it can affect the pregnancy and miscarriage. :cry: I don't think I'll ever take Clomid again!


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## hollyw79

Also.. did you take both 2.5 mgs @ the same time or separately?


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## PCOSMomToTwo

That's awesome about the sample Femara!!

Maybe stick with 5mg this cycle and see what happens ... if you get a BFN then up it to 7.5mg next cycle and then you have something to compare the results to. I wouldn't want to take "extra" medication if I really didn't need to. Femara decreases the amount of estrogen in your body ... depending on your estrogen levels you wouldn't want to go to extreme and deplete the estrogen completely. Also, I don't know the other girls estrogen blood work levels, they could possibly have high estrogen therefore requiring a higher does of Femara. If that makes sense?!


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## PCOSMomToTwo

I take both 2.5mg pills simultaneously every night at dinner.


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## hollyw79

Yes, that does make sense. I think you're right.. I'll just go with the prescription as it's written and see what happens. *PRAYING* it works for a HEALTHY pregnancy! I'm having her send me 30 pills just to have on hand in case I do have to go another cycle or 2. 

Should I take the 5mg @ once or divide it up at different times during the day?


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## PCOSMomToTwo

Take them together :) that's what my RE told me to do. It will impact your hormone levels better, thus better follicle quality. 

P.S. -- That totally rocks, I need to know people in the right places LOL, my darn Femara costs me almost $100 for 10 little pills! 

I hope THIS month is the MONTH .... that's for sure!


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## hollyw79

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! :flower:

I appreciate the advice!! 

I hope this is the month for BOTH of us~ I think we deserve it! lol


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## PCOSMomToTwo

You're welcome, you're welcome!! :winkwink:
Can't wait for CD1 -- This waiting is torture!


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## HuskyMomWI

Holly - I took 7.5mg on days 3-7 last month and it didn't seem to help but I have high FSH. When I went in for a scan on day 9 it hadn't produced large follicles as the Dr would have expected. I then took 12.5 mg for days 9-13 of the same cycle and ended up with three follicles on day 13 (15.7, 14.5 13.4) and then I ovulated on my own on day 15/16. This month I am taking 12.5 for days 3-7 and have my scan on Tuesday to see if it is working again.

It seems to have worked but I am guessing the higher dose is due to the high FSH/Sleepy ovaries.

My side effects included hot flashes, headaches and mood swings. I actually noticed that the side effects were less on 12.5mg this month than they were on 7.5 last month.

good luck to you! :)


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## HuskyMomWI

Our Dr gave us a coupon that allows us to get it for $10.00, even at the 12.5 dose (that is 500.00+ without any insurance). You may want to ask your Dr or check out the Femara website for the coupon.

I also have been told to take all the pills at the same time.



PCOSMomToOne said:


> Take them together :) that's what my RE told me to do. It will impact your hormone levels better, thus better follicle quality.
> 
> P.S. -- That totally rocks, I need to know people in the right places LOL, my darn Femara costs me almost $100 for 10 little pills!
> 
> I hope THIS month is the MONTH .... that's for sure!


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## Mrs. Bear

Holly, I also take mine all at once. If you do decide to up your dose one month be sure to tell your dr if it doesn't work. That way they can take that into account when adjusting your medication protocol. 

:dust:


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## hollyw79

Thanks ladies :flower:

Can I ask~ did it change your usual O date as well??? 

31andTrying~ I found that coupon thing online actually and printed it out so thank you! If you go to Femara.com~ you can print one off the internet!! My sister can actually get me the Femara for free so thankfully I don't need to pay for it all .. she is a Nurse Practitioner @ an oncology center.. Also~ my other sister works in a pharmacy and she said my insurance will cover it anyway because it's a breast cancer med so I'm thankful I have all of these positives!

Mrs. Bear~ you're right.. I will if I end up upping the dose. I'm going to take as prescribed for the first month and just pray it works! 

:hugs:


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## KEslinger

We've been TTC actively for 6 months (From testing before hand, I know that I'm anovulatory). 

Next cycle (4-8 days from now) I'll be starting Femara, 5mg, at night on CD3-7.

Wish me luck!


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## hollyw79

Lots of luck! That's when I took it! 

:dust:


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## KEslinger

Thanks so much Hollyw79. And, I absolutely love the size comparison tickers. Congratulations on your pregnancy. It's amazing how we assume how easy it is to get pregnant until you actually start trying. :dohh:


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## Chris77

I did Femara with IUI. Best of luck to you! :dust:


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## wantanerd

I am on day two of femara. I was a little nauseous earlier today but that is the only side effect so far. I am really hopeful this is what will help me get that:bfp:


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## KEslinger

:dust:

Best of luck wantanerd. Let us know!!! I'm waiting on CD1... Can't wait to start on it


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## hotsauce

Hi Ladies, 

Can I join you?? I'm on my third round of femara, after a mc in January 2011. I've ovulated every month, without getting a bfp. I've been getting really bad side effects from the medication. I'm getting really bad migranes, stomach pains, hair loss and back pains.


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## Chris77

I took it from CD 3-7. I can't remember the dose I was on now but it was a very low because I ovulate on my own. 

Good luck to you! :dust:


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## wantanerd

I finished my femara on Saturday and didn't have any more side effects. Now I just hope they grew my follicles =)


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## KEslinger

AF showed her face yesterday - I knew that if I had ovulated it was very late (CD19 of 24-28 day cycle) so I knew it was coming. Now that I'm on CD2 I start my Femara TOMORROW!!!:happydance: Hopefully the side effects will be minimal.


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## hotsauce

Congrats! I'm on CD5. :thumbup:


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## wantanerd

Follicles are growing but not where they need to be for me to get my trigger shot. I am hoping they grow in the next three days.


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## hotsauce

They told me the most important thing to remember is to relax. Try not to stress and it will grow.


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## wantanerd

Thanks I am trying to keep busy with exercising and scrapbooking. It's been keeping my mind off of everything.


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## hotsauce

I've been working alot of overtime, so that's been keeping my mind off of things. My back is really killing me, and these tablets are making it impossible to concentrate. I go to the doctor on Saturday to see if my egg has grown.


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## Cpkmomof2

I know this is an older post, as I was google-ing for more info on Femara. 

Did any of you conceive on it? How were your side effects? The only thing that holds me back is that report linking it to birth defects, but I had thought that's only IF you take it WHILE pregnant, not before.


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## wantanerd

I gave birth one month ago to a perfect baby boy with the help of Femara. I had no side effects that I noticed. It took four cycles to conceive and I thought it was a much better experience than clomid. There is a slight risk (i mean .00001%) of birth defects and I had to sign a waiver every month stating I understood the risks but it gave me my baby boy.


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## hollyw79

I had my Femara baby in January after 1st cycle of trying it... had no side effects at all!!! MUCH better than Clomid. I will NEVER take Clomid again. Femara has a very short half life in your body--so by the time you even ovulate- it is out of your system. In addition- when you do conceive.. your baby won't share your blood stream anyway until implantation which is another 7-10 days after. Clomid actually can linger up to EIGHT WEEKS!!!!!!!! I had a m/c after taking Clomid and my fertility doc says he sees more mc w/ Clomid and rarely prescribes it. I would have no hesitation taking Femara!

Good luck! :dust:


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