Femara / Letrozole thread

[Asryellah]

Hi! Is there Ladies around who are on femar or on Letrozol?
Would be nice to chat with you and share experiences.

Im on my second cycle, my first one didnt really have any influence from Letrozol. I do ovulate on my own, and my gyn prescibed me those to make me o sooner and stronger.
I o'ed on cd17 which was normal. Now on this cycle I do take 2x2,5mg so maybe that will make me o sooner and do a hcg trigger as I did last cycle too.

Have you had any side affects? For me bad headaches..some night sweats. But not as bad as Clomid was.

 

[Jenntt]

Hi! That's great you o on your own! I take femara cause clomid never worked for me. This cycle I'm on metformin and femara and had 3 nice follicles. We did trigger on 2/21 and iui 22nd.

How many days are you on Femara? I was on it for 5 then on cd12 he put me on for 4 more days. I guess I needed the boost. He said it doesn't matter how much you take but how long you take it for. I don't know I'm just trying to go with the flow.

Are you on progesterone too?

I never had any crazy symptoms tho. Hopefully this is our month!

 

[PatientMum]

hi ladies,
I am on neither of those but feel like chipping in as I am tamoxifen, similar to Clomid, but apparently better for the lining... and feel terrible, achy, headache, feeling really low. Am supposed to take my last pill on friday morning and I'm counting every minute... ouch.
Letrozole sounds like a better option according to this:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4322179/

 

[Asryellah]

Hi Jentt and Patientmum

So we are now awaiting anxiously on Jentt tww! Yay! Are you testing trigger out? I am a serial tested...cant wait to start that again. Though my last trigger still showed when af started, so I guess it doesnt leave fast from my system.

I am taking the pills on cd 3-7, so two days to go. Today a slight headache, not as bad as first cycle was. I did ask for progesterone but I havent heard from my gyn yet, as last cycle my lutheal was only 8 days! Which is crap, and she said that hcg shot would also lengthen my lutheal..well, didnt

Patientmum I have also read few studies and that Letrozole works well with pcos patients! Though we are unexplained so we will see..dont have very high hopes. Our son was concieved by puregon shots and IUI, and then I have had 3 natural BFP's but mc'd. We have also tried IUI, Clomid, Menopur shots..this is the last straw, won't go any further.
Sorry to hear you have sideaffects maybe if you ask your doctor for change to Letrozol if it would treat you nicer
Hang on there friday is soon!!

 

[Asryellah]

https://www.louismanara.com/blog/2013/12/15/letrozole-for-ovulation-induction-better-137730
https://www.ivf.com/downloads/aromatase_inhibitors_table.doc
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1313517

Few links about our meds..

 

[Jenntt]

Hi!

I have mild PCOS and clomid didn't work for me. Femara worked like a dream with no side effects. I would definitely ask your doc.

The progesterone should help with your cycle length. Let me know what they say.

So we're all looking forward to Friday so you can both be done with those pills! This week needs to fly! I'm glad that the side effects seem to be getting more manageable.

I'm not testing until Friday. I decided to not let myself go crazy and just relax. I've planned some fun things for each day. Mostly relaxing. Definitely excited though. Every other cycle I had every symptom in the book!! But this one, nothing. We'll see.

Hang in there you 2! What is the plan after? IUI?

 

[PatientMum]

Asryellah and Jenntt,
So great to have someone to go through this madness with!
Asryellah, I will definitely ask my doctor about Letrozole, or Femara that is working for Jenntt. Thank you.
I ovulate naturally and feel like my body strongly disagrees with this cruel drug intervention, showing it through all these horrible side effects.
Agree with Jenntt, Progesterone should help with the LP or another hcg shot a week after the first shot...
My plan is an IVF following this stimulation. I have a tubal blockage, so an IUI wouldn’t do it for me.
I don't have the nerve to test hcg trigger out! Last time I got pregnant I didn’t even need use a pregnancy test. I knew it would be positive. Unfortunately I miscarried at 12 weeks. I got over the worst and now I’m looking forward!
Yes Friday is nigh and only four more doses to pop. And yes, hopefully this is our month!

 

[Asryellah]

Good to hear from you Ladies

So Patientmum you have a tubalblockage? Is there anything to open it? Hsg? But they will give you do ovulation induction but no IUI? That's weird to me
Though IVF has a lot better success % than IUI. I dunno how we managed to get our son from it but as I told you this will be our last try we won't fo to IUI anymore or any other. My OH thinks that we have gotten naturally pg 3 times that no need to take things that far anymore and he is happy with one. Of course I am too we are so blessed to have a child.
Just that I feel like so many close ppl have passed away, time flies so fast and mortality is almost touchable that I have a need to feel life continues..dont know if you get what im saying. Need to feel I can give a life..

I sound crazy I know

So glad tomorrow is last day for pills ha dterrivle night sweats last night..
About testing I have to test trigger out, I need to know if theres two lines that its legit not trigger. On my BFP cycle I tested it out by dpo 9 and then dpo 10 there started coming another line but last BFN cycle I tested still faint BFP 12 days past trigger even my af was in da house.

But big thumbs up to Jenntt for friday one of those three Juicy follicles must have fertilized!!

 

[Jenntt]

Hi Patientmum, It seems like you're really in tuned with your body so if the meds you're on aren't agreeing with you, I would talk to your dr. All the best on your IVF journey!! You have a lot more meds to deal with and shouldn't be miserable. My advice is to eat a low carb no sugar diet. I had 5 failed iuis and 2 failed IVFs all because of high insulin. My new Dr finally decided to test my insulin. You're right about going through the worst and now looking positive to the future. It really helps!! Have they mentioned a laproscopy for the blockage? There's gotta be something they could do! I wish we could just go to each others doctors and fight for one another. Haha

Hi Asry! Oh no!! more night sweats! That's so strange! 1 more day of pills!! Cheering u on!! And you're not crazy! It's soooo natural to feel that way.

Yeah 3 is exciting! All my other iuis have only been 1!

I'm praying this is our month girls!!

 

[PatientMum]

Jenntt, you are absolutely right about the meds. However, I decided to ride this one out, last pill in less than 24 hours..., and see what happens. But if I have to repeat this, I will definitely ask for different meds or none at all.

I did get pregnant before thanks to a natural ivf when they just take the one and single egg that is mature that cycle. It resulted in a chemical pregnancy and clinics keep discouraging patients from doing this, saying the likelihood of getting pregnant is very small. I hate this statistics approach. As if making babies was just math!

Actually there are no more meds to be taken during this so-called mild stimulation ivf, just the trigger shot before egg retrieval.

During the regular ivf with a stronger stimulation i had hardly any side effects! Isn’t it ironic? THIS one is called “mild”.

Thanks for the advice regarding diet. A good point!

I will keep my fingers crossed for you on Friday!

Asry, yes, you are very blessed to have a child and be able to conceive naturally. I do see your husband's point, and yours as well.

I think feeling the way you feel, as you described it, is a great precondition for getting pregnant.

They give IVF patients a hcg trigger 36 hours before egg retrieval, I’m not quite sure why, but they say the retrieval wouldn’t work without it.

I hope this is your last try because you will get your BFP and will not need any more!

I’m praying with Jenntts that this is our months girls!

 

[Asryellah]

Jentt!!!! Did you test??!!

So glad its friday and weekend is here, and we are done with the meds Patientmum are you going for a ultrasound check soon?
I dont have any now, I had on my first cycle and gyn said that no need to come more..
Just need to start opks soon..and

 

[Jenntt]

Hi girls!

Yes, I did. 1st had a very, very faint line and then next no line. So, I'm going to wait a couple more days and see what I get.

Yay no more yucky pills!! Good luck on this next cycle!

 

[Asryellah]

Exiting!! Hopefully tomorrow lines are back!! Keep us posted!

 

[Jenntt]

Tested again today and negative. Now just waiting on af.

I think it's time for another IVF. I'll be 34 soon and still trying for 1. Time to hurry this baby train up. Now that my insulin is down, maybe I'll have a better result.

How are you girls feeling now?

 

[Alyna]

Hi all! I recently entered the world of assisted conception. DH and I have one son together already (3.5 years old) and have been trying for 18 months to conceive number 2. I'm 35, and my biological clock is ticking, so a few months ago, I went to my ObGyn for advice. She prescribed me 5 mg of Femara/Letrozole.

In the 4 cycles I've been on it, I've experienced no negative side effects. My cycles have been more regular, and my periods shorter and predictable to the day. I can also feel when I'm ovulating (a dull ache in the ovaries).

This week we started seeing a fertility doctor. He did an ultrasound, found 2 mature follicles, prescribed me an hcg shot, recommended I take a daily baby aspirin, and gave us instructions for timed intercourse.

I usually ovulate later in my cycle, but the hcg shot triggered early ovulation, so (for the first time ever), I get to experience the infamous tww.

Fingers crossed that this all works!

 

[Asryellah]

Jenntt, oh sorry for the BFN. That sucks. I know how you feel with the age, but you are still young. I was your age when ttc DS and now about to turn 40 !!! we have had this project for 2 yrs now, if my first pg would have been ok we could have 1,2 yrs sibling to DS now..
So do you still have Letrozole cycles or are you done? How many cycles were you prescribed?
I think I have left 4 cycles..

Alyna nice to have you here our sons are almost exactly same ages really having the tantrums time to time..Oh my
Good luck to you, hope the trigger does the trick! dont they say better eggs when o earlier? Though many do O late and pg easy.

The 4 times I have gotten pg have all been from ovulating early cd 12-14 never from my later ovulations. And I also tend to ovulate later from oct to february and sooner in spring and summer. And all pg have happen in spring or summer. Weird how body works.

 

[Jenntt]

It's so frustrating when we have a plan and it doesn't happen. Something that is so natural and it's so easy for everyone around you having their 2nd or 3rd child.

This is only my 1st iui with new Dr so I'm trying to stay positive but this is our 3rd year. I really don't want to do ivf again but it's looking that way.

They say it takes 6 cycles! Ugh I'm going to stick to to the letrozole, it's the only thing that has helped me to ovulate. So, just do it again.

So, you're done with pills, on to ovulating soon!! 👍👍 keep me posted!

 

[Jenntt]

Good luck Alyna!!

 

[molulife]

I am joining in guys. I had a cycle just last month bfn. I am going to test a new theory of mine in this next cycle and if it works I am going to post it everywhere so that it helps everyone. Anyways, hopefully I can start my cycle on Tuesday and then it all begins...

 

[Jenntt]

Hi Molu! Please share. I'm so interested. It's nice to hear new ideas!