Advice! Prices of private treatment :(

[Yumymumy22]

Hi ladies,

I've been lurking for a long time now. My journey started back in July 2012 when me and my husband decided to TTC a brother or sister for our now 5 year old daughter.

After months and months of nothing I was referred for NHS testing last week.

Day2 and 21 - Mostly ok aside from low progesterone on day 21. Also resistant to German measles immunisation.

Tubes - hycosy showed clear tubes and internal ultrasound showed my ovaries are also fine.

I mentioned to the consultation though I have a regular 28 day cycle, my fertility monitor indicates I don't ovulate until CD21 - I also have frequent spotting in cycles. He suggested I use Clomid, to jump start ovulation and hopefully bring it forward a little back to where it should be.

Received my letter yesterday - Basically due to the fact that I have a daughter already, regardless of my contributions since the age of 16 - I have to pay privately for clomid. I need to decide before I call which package I am going to go for so that I can pay.

The consultation is £180... just

The clomid itself is either 15-45 per cycle im assuming depending on the mg.

The scan! is £220.... my question is, ladies who have to package it this way... did you opt to have the scan or not? What are the implications of me not having the scan, as it appears from the letter it is not compulsory?

Any advice I would love please, this is very upsetting right on top of Christmas. Its basically wiped out any gift me and OH planned for each other

YM22 xx

 

[Trina86]

Hi Yumymumy,
I'm sorry to hear they are charging you for further testing. I am on my 3rd clomid cycle now and have not had any scans. My doctor checks my progesterone levels on day 21 and he says if they are higher than 10 that means I ovulated. I initially was wanting a scan also but the blood test tells me whether the clomid has worked or not. However the blood test assumes that someone ovulated near day 14, which isn't always the case. Do you know how much a blood test would be? Maybe you could just ask for monitoring wih bloodwork to start?

 

[Yumymumy22]

Brilliant idea. I will compare the price with blood work! According to my initial tests I am ovulating on my own, just a little bit later than I should - hopefully the clomid will bring it forward, twins would be welcomed too!

Do you know how the decision is made initially on the dosage given? Thanks

YM

 

[Trina86]

Most often I've seen the dosage started at 50 mg taken for 5 days. I've also seen on here some 25 mg starting dosage for those who already ovulate on their own. Best of luck to you this cycle!

 

[fashionqueen]

Has your husband been tested?

I know someone who took clomid but the scans showed it wasn't working properly so she had to get I think an hcg shot too? Then it worked. Without the scan she wouldn't have known so it might be worth doing it.

 

[CareBear]

You can challenge the funding decision and put in an appeal. I'm looking at paying for treatment privately and where I go do a package of three months ovulating stimulation with all the monitoring for £900 and the costs of the medication on top.

 

[Yumymumy22]

Thank you Trina86 - fingers and toes crossed

FashionQueen - My husband was the first to have tests and his sperm count was brilliant (39mil p/ml) all clear for him. Just apparently late ovulation that's holding us back right now...

CareBear - did you challenge your decision? I really don't know what grounds I would have if that's the policy I have checked the letter I have received and it says "Referral for Private treatment - Ovulation Induction - So I'm assuming Im not even considered an NHS patient anymore?! Surely I would be entitled to a medicine, I don't know how this goes in the same category as assisted conception as it's pretty much the same as any drug?

Really upset about it. Im going to ask the consultant for minimum cost treatment - i.e. highest dose and no scans! Its the only option I have, aside from paying my friend to bring Clomid back from Egypt in February! I am paying for my own Masters right now and this would set me back a bunch!

Thanks for your replies

 

[Plex]

I think it different from area to area - All my initial scans, tests and consultation were free as i had been refered from my gp. Then consultations after that were £120 each scan was £120 too.

With using ovulation induction i was told that i would have to be monitored for the first cycle to make sure i wasnt over stimulated. For that first cycle I paid 390 for all the scans before treatment started (4 scans in total).

Clomid is fairly cheap compared to some drugs - make sure you get them from asda though as they charge book prices and dont sell fertility meds for profit. I made the mistake of getting my meds from boots - they charge way over the odds!!

I already have a son so did not qualify for nhs treatment either. My son was the result of my free round of treatment in 2010

For peace of mind i would go with the monitoring for the first cycle at least, my consultant insisted on one monitored cycle - i had 12 in total so 11 un monitored.

I wish you the best of luck on the clomid xx

 

[Yumymumy22]

Hi Plex, thanks for reply.

The scans with the practise Im with are £220, consultations £180 I guess they will make the first month compulsory. With collecting the Clomid, it says on the letter I will be given it there and then? That's the only positive thing I guess. Im hoping I can go straight for 100mg dose in first month then up it if that doesn't work. I don't know why Im convinced 50mg will be useless to me. That's the pessism

Well I shall soon find out. Just wish there was another way, Im really fed up of this now x

 

[CareBear]

No I'm ttcing number 1 so gave had clomid on the nhs. I'm going privately as the nhs just want to refer us for ivf and we don't want to go straight to ivf when there are other less invasive options available that the nhs won't let us try. If you want to challenge the decision I would contact your pct or your gp and ask about the process. In my area only ivf is not available for couples who already have a child, I'm sure clomid and scans is available. U could always see if your gp will prescribe clomid.

 

[Foxybabyhg3]

I googled for a private GP (Glasgow) and emailed them. Told her of my dilemma (couldn't get it prescribed due to BMI), she charged us. £65 for the consult and it was about £10 for the prescription in Boots. I started on 50mg days 2-6 but got a BFN, it was the 3rd time and going to 100mg that gave me my bfp, sadly it was a chemical, but I didn't have any scans and wasn't monitored, was just made aware of the symptoms of over stimulation.

Good luck-hope you manage to get hold of some

 

[fashionqueen]

I'm not sure it's the late ovulation - plenty of people get pregnant ovulating around day21, I did myself - but id be more concerned about a short luteal phase, unfortunately the nhs is not good at treating /understand this.

Have you tried taking vitamin b6 for this?

It would just worry me as I know people who clomid has not made them ovulate earlier at all, and if you're ovulating, cd21 shouldn't be an issue.

However, it definitely could make you ovulate faster so I hope it does. I thought it was just ivf that wasn't allowed if you already had a child but maybe it depends on the pct.