Femara / Letrozole thread

[klabro]

Hi ladies. I have a few questions for those of you that know more about letrozole than I do.
So here is the gist. I have PCOS and have irregular cycles. I was prescribed in May and told to take on CD3-9. Problem is I am on CD 40 now with no period and no period in sight. My OB is going on maternity leave next week and has basically given me the instructions to wait 2-3 months (when she'll be back) and then call if I still haven't had a period and she'll think about inducing one. There are other doctors in the practice who I would be seeing for CD 14 scan etc. after taking the meds. I feel like she is kind of putting me on the back burner right now as I really do not want to wait 2-3 more months before we even begin trying.

Has anyone taken letrozole without an official cycle? I've read about it online and I'm not just going to do it, I'm just wanting more information so that I can call my doctor and at least know that I'm going in with a reasonable request. Thanks for any info ladies!

 

[Aayla]

I have read about it and there are many doctors who have done it. especially if it is has been a long time since a period. Not all docs induce. I think they induce only to have a proper cycle count but the period caused by provera isn't a real cycle.

So if you have no period at 40 days, did you ovulate on the letrozole? or have you not started because you haven't got a period first?

I would see another doctor. My fertility doc went on maternity leave and I was put to another doctor in the clinic. He is the one that bypassed the weight rules and put me on letrozole (now he is my permanent doc). There is no need to have to wait 90 days for a period to show up.

If you are sure you didn't ovulate in the last 40 days I would get the pills to induce a period and just start the letrozole. if you are unsure if you have ovulated make sure to get a blood pregnancy test as you can't take it while pregnant.

If no one will give you the pills to induce and you haven't ovulated and aren't pregnant you could just start them. the day you start is cd 3. and then you time it all from there.

 

[klabro]

I haven't started the letrozole yet because I am waiting for a "natural cycle" we have already confirmed that I am not ovulating so who knows when that will be. My doctor just isn't willing to give me the meds to induce a cycle which makes absolutely no sense to me as that is what my old doctor did when I conceived my DD. She said to call back in 2-3 months if I still haven't had one and we'll look at other options then. Just seems a little ridiculous to me.

I already have the letrozole. The problem with going to a different doctor right now is that I will have to set up a "consult" even if it if is at the same clinic and that puts me at a 2 month wait to be seen by the new doctor anyways. Just really at a loss for what to do and so frustrated.

 

[Aayla]

What rubbish! with pcos you are likely to not get a period at all. I only get on on time because of the letrozole. if I'm not on it, I don't bleed.

I'm quite stubborn and I usually just go ahead and do my own thing. I wouldn't wait for another 60 days and then wait to see what the doc wants.

Have you thought about trying your regular gp? or if you have a walk in clinic you could try one of those.

or you say screw it, start the pills and call it cd 3 and chart from there. They will still work. They don't a period to happen to work.

 

[klabro]

Unfortunately in the U.S. even if I went to a GP doctor they would just refer me back to an OB. So I'm basically just stuck with what she said.

I am REALLY considering saying screw it and starting the pills and even if I don't conceive on that round I would hopefully get a cycle to start the next. I just wanted to see if anyone had some more information on it before I decided to move forward with that. My worry really is because my cycles will be monitored (my OB will do a follicle scan on CD 14) and I didn't know how that would all play out with me not waiting for a cycle and what I would say to her if she asked about it.

 

[OnErth&InHvn]

Yes! Im doing exactly that this cycle! The gyn wouldnt agree to start AF so i started my FE yesterday on CD46.

 

[klabro]

So glad to hear that someone else is doing it. I wonder why they won't start AF? It just seems silly to me. I'm just super frustrated with it. What is is going to hurt. Are you having a follicle scan with it? I'm just really curious if they will somehow be able to tell that I didn't have AF first. I know that might sound naive, but I've never really had monitored cycles before, this is a first for me.

 

[Aayla]

I'm not monitored so not sure what they would see. Possibly a thick lining as it hasn't shed. Or you could flat out lie and say you got one day of bleeding. Enough you thought it was cd 1 and so you went ahead with the letrozole.

Sometimes doctors irritate me. This cycle I went ahead with my letrozole even though I didn't ovulate on it last cycle. I didn't care if the doc wanted me to do something else. I wanted to try one more time to be sure it was working or if not it wasn't my cold that made me not O.

My vote: start the letrozole. On cd 14 go get your scan.

 

[OnErth&InHvn]

So glad to hear that someone else is doing it. I wonder why they won't start AF? It just seems silly to me. I'm just super frustrated with it. What is is going to hurt. Are you having a follicle scan with it? I'm just really curious if they will somehow be able to tell that I didn't have AF first. I know that might sound naive, but I've never really had monitored cycles before, this is a first for me.

Some drs are just frustrating. I am not monitored, so no scan.

Thats why i put it in my chart as CD1, even though its not because IF i get BFP, they wouldnt listen if i said it happened on cd50billion vs cd12.

 

[klabro]

Thanks ladies. Making me feel way better. I'm just going to go ahead and do it. Can't hurt and I am just over this whole, oh we'll wait it out and see in a few months type of approach. I want to at least get started now. I'm no worse off if I don't conceive on this cycle than I would be for waiting it ouT 2 months.

 

[klabro]

Well funny thing happened. After I posted here I got a message directly from my doctor saying that she was sending in the prescription for provera to induce a cycle. My messages before were both from her nurse so I am not sure why the change of heart. I had already received 2 messages back from the nurse so I have no idea why she changed her mind, but I'm glad she did.

 

[Aayla]

Yay!! We sent out the vibes!!

 

[CanadianLady]

So I just got my prescription for 2.5 MG Letrozole this afternoon which is cd3. My doctor told me to start today. Is it OK to take in the evening? When is the best time to take it?

 

[Aayla]

It is fine to take it in the evening. Just be sure to take it around the same time every day after that. Evening is usually better if you get any side effects as they will happen when you sleep. Although I find there isn't too many side effects.

 

[Aayla]

another negative opk. I don't think I'm going to ovulate this cycle. I have one opk left and the last cycle I used them I ovulated the same day as a positive so we shall see. but I think it's up to my temps to tell me now and if I have not had a temp rise by cd 22 (I am cd 18 right now) then I am sure no ovulation will happen.

This will be my second medicated cycle with no ovulation which means we will move on to IVF. It's not a done deal yet. Few more days to go.

 

[klabro]

Did you end up getting a positive OPK Aayla?

Question for you ladies. Doctor prescribed provera to induce a cycle, but the next day I suddenly started having all of the symptoms of AF..so I waited. I proceeded to spot a tiny bit (only when I wiped and a little tiny bit of red) for 2 days and then it all just suddenly stopped. I called my doctor yesterday and got her nurse who told me to go ahead and assume that the brown spotting was CD 1 and take the letrozole. So fast forward to this morning when all of a sudden a full flow period started. I NEVER have cycles like this so it was just a really weird one. So that would basically mean that I started the letrozole the day before full flow. I have a message in to my doctor now about what to do, what do you ladies think? How will this affect the cycle?

 

[OnErth&InHvn]

Did you end up getting a positive OPK Aayla?

Question for you ladies. Doctor prescribed provera to induce a cycle, but the next day I suddenly started having all of the symptoms of AF..so I waited. I proceeded to spot a tiny bit (only when I wiped and a little tiny bit of red) for 2 days and then it all just suddenly stopped. I called my doctor yesterday and got her nurse who told me to go ahead and assume that the brown spotting was CD 1 and take the letrozole. So fast forward to this morning when all of a sudden a full flow period started. I NEVER have cycles like this so it was just a really weird one. So that would basically mean that I started the letrozole the day before full flow. I have a message in to my doctor now about what to do, what do you ladies think? How will this affect the cycle?

You can keep taking it.

 

[Aayla]

no positive opk but I did get a temp spike today so we shall see what my temps do for the next few days.

hmm. that is a tough one. If you haven't taken any more pills you should wait until cd 3 to continue and then you will only be down one day but you did technically take the pill so hopefully it won't matter. I assume you are taking it cd 3-7?

the pills should still work though. it's kinda a wait and see.

 

[Aayla]

Another temp spike today!! So it looks I ovulated on cd 20. I really wish my body would stop changing my O date.

One more high temp and I can say I am in the tww. Although I likely am. Going for the progesterone test on Thursday to confirm. Testing will begin after that.

 

[klabro]

Yay Aayla! FX for positive results.

I called my doctor about starting an actual period after starting the letrozole and they told me to just keep on taking it and scheduled my follicle scan for CD 14 still so we will see what happens. As it worked out I got the scan scheduled for CD 13. I'm really nervous about if it is going to do anything since this is my first time on letrozole. Fingers crossed, I take my last pill tonight. Follicle scan a week from today.