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[mirandaf]

I took Clomid for 3 months with no ill-effects at all. Successfully conceived a child (my daughter). That said, a friend took it and had very negative experiences similar to those described by others in this thread.

[francie_]

I believe that the reason Clomid becomes less effective with successive attempts is that it causes the cervical mucous to thicken, which is why it is better to combine it with IUI right away.

Best wishes, OP.  None of the infertility meds or treatments are a walk in the park, but the right combination can work in most cases, even when the causes of the infertility are unknown.

[profwannabe]

My OB/GYN had the opposite approach from yours, she said that if Clomid didn't work she would have to send me to an RE anyway, so she just sent me straight to an RE.  Good thing, too, as like cityprof it turned out the problem was with my male partner, so three months of Clomid would have been three wasted months.  (Note: in case you haven't had your partner checked out, in general infertility is equally likely to be due to the male as to the female partner)  We're gearing up for IVF now!

[aristotelian]

For a useful first person account check out the blog of a friend of a friend, www.unwellness.com.  She used Clomid and had a miscarriage, but eventually got pregnant within about a year.

[chalee]

I took clomid several years ago after being diagnosed with unexplained infertility. While I didn't experience emotional side effects, the surge in estrogen really set off my migraine headaches, and I had several migraines within a few days in each of the three cycles I did with clomid. Not fun. But in my case, I did conceive and now have a four-year-old (as well as a one-year-old conceived naturally, of all things!). However, as you probably know, clomid in and of itself doesn't have a high rate of success statistically; usually it is more successful when paired with IUI (which was my situation, and it took three cycles of medicated IUI to conceive). I agree with a previous poster that if you don't experience success very soon, you may want to get more agressive in your treatment. And I would also suggest finding a good reproductive endocrinologist. One thing I found during my experience with infertility is that your average OB-GYN is not really very well-versed or well-equiped for treating infertility. It is a very complex medical speciality and you need an expert. Also research the success rates of your clinic.

I'm sorry you're going through this--I remember the intense stress and disappointment of infertility quite keenly, and the difficulty finding support since most (fertile) people just don't get it. If you don't have a good support network, you might check out the Resolve message boards or even better infertility blogs like "A Little Pregnant" might reflect your experiences. Good luck to you and keep us posted!

[edwidge]

Okay, there seems to be consensus building, OP: find yourself a reproductive endocrinologist posthaste! Not to sound too dramatic or anything, but you're probably wasting your time now with your gynecologist. Let me restate this: without a complete, thorough workup from a good RE, you don't even know if Clomid is what you need. As others have mentioned, your SO might be the problem, or you might have something going on for which Clomid is ill-suited.

[bone_gal]

Yep, I agree with the previous posts. I haven't used Clomid but had two friends who did and got pregnant almost immediately. Also have many friends who needed to go various IV routes. If it were me (and I'm also 37), I would not waste any more time and get moving with a specialist immediately. I was fortunate and got pregnant naturally, but my OB had said that we'd give it 6-9 months only before moving on for testing, etc. I actually had that timeframe marked on my calendar so I wouldn't get busy with life and forget.  I know life is busy, but you have a narrow window of time to get pregnant and your chances will continue to diminish with age. Sucks to be us, but that's true.

One thing I also agree with is to get your partner tested ASAP if you haven't already (I don't think you mentioned that you had). Of my friends that did various IV solutions, almost every one of them had to do it because of issues with the MALE partner. And one had issues with both of them.  So you can't ignore your partner!!!!

[mns234]

Hi Hiddendraggon, Clomid is the first step of several things a fertility specialist can do.  I think you should speak to a good fertility doctor as soon as you can to discuss your options. Ask around and try to get an appointment with a good doctor. Don't wait. You already waited too long. Go right away. Good luck.

[gennimom]

After reading other replies, I'm reminded of my last experience. I didn't realize at the time what it was doing to me, but GD said that it changed my personality. I was moody, emotional, nauseated all the time, and just plain not myself. I don't remember those experiences during the first attempts, but this last one after my daughter was born was totally different.

One thing, a lot of fertility specialists won't do a lot once you hit 40. My doctor said she wouldn't bother referring me as they wouldn't attempt IVF, even if I had been willing to try it.

[threadkiller]

After reading other replies, I'm reminded of my last experience. I didn't realize at the time what it was doing to me, but GD said that it changed my personality. I was moody, emotional, nauseated all the time, and just plain not myself. I don't remember those experiences during the first attempts, but this last one after my daughter was born was totally different.

One thing, a lot of fertility specialists won't do a lot once you hit 40. My doctor said she wouldn't bother referring me as they wouldn't attempt IVF, even if I had been willing to try it.

Really?  That sucks.  What is the rationale?

[cityprof]

I think the not working with women over 40 is related to the sharp drop off in fertility that happens around then for most women; many fertility clinics don't want to work with cases that they think are not likely to be successful, because it lowers the clinic's overall success numbers. It's pretty shady, actually. They attract patients by being able to say "we have a 60% pregnancy rate and a 45% live birth rate," etc., and these numbers are higher if they work with younger women.

But this practice is not the case with all clinics. The place I am working with specializes in "difficult cases," so their overall numbers are lower, but they are happy to accept women over 40.

The other thing is, many clinics are HAPPY to work with women over 40 if they are interested in using donor eggs. Donor eggs drastically up the chances that a woman over 40 will conceive and carry to term. The eggs age with the woman; usually a 40 year old can carry a healthy embryo as well as a 20 year old woman, but it's harder to produce a healthy embryo with 40 year old eggs.

[cityprof]

Double-posting to say, thus when you hear about all of these 45-year old celebrities becoming first-time moms to twins, etc--they are most definitely using donor eggs + IVF. So many people wrongly believe that most women can conceive naturally well into their 40s because they see celebrities doing so, but these celebrities have often paid tens of thousands of dollars for treatments and are not biologically related to the children to whom they've given birth. Not that they'd admit it.

Of course, it is possible to conceive naturally over 40, but becoming pregnant naturally for the first time in one's mid-40s is rare.

[hiddendragon]

Thanks to everybody for replying. I feel a little bit better and I do think I will need to be more aggressive in seeking treatment. I am not getting any younger. 

As to the questions about SO, yes, SO did have a check up and his results were "normal".  Now, that does not mean that the ball is in my court as there could still be issues that the test does not reveal about his condition.

Sequioa, don't worry about coming off bitter.  I can identify with your disappointment. I have never really known the meaning of failure until now and I am deeply disappointed with myself. I find myself wondering if I have sacrificed my fertile 20s for a career that is more stressful than rewarding and a degree.  I know my lack of success is also affecting my SO and I'm trying to be understanding, but I guess I have to have moments of rationality and be willing to say that if SO decides on plan B, then it's probably for the best anyway. Although most of our fights can be attributed in part to the Clomid, reflecting the personal stories some of you have shared here, they are probably symptomatic of something much deeper between me and SO as well and cannot be blamed on the clomid alone.  There are definitely issues there that need to be addressed.

I'll keep you all updated.

[msparticularity]

As to the questions about SO, yes, SO did have a check up and his results were "normal".  Now, that does not mean that the ball is in my court as there could still be issues that the test does not reveal about his condition.

There's also the wide-open field of possibilities about the interactions between the two of you, chemically. The postcoital exam brings new meaning to "command performance." Spontaneous - not.

[art_admin]

OP,

My Dr. buddy calls Clomid the "twin hammer" and I might say that it worked for my SO. Even more interesting is that it seemed - acc. to the ObGyn - absolutely neccessary for things to happen in talking about any plausible #1 but then a few years later #2 came almost immediately upon the heels of "no more little pink pills" so methinks that things like Clomid might be a "gift that keeps on giving" so to speak.

Can't say anthing about any side effects other than the not really awful need for continued and regular sex during the proper Clomid defined cycle. Knock yourself out (up?) and good luck.

AA