My best friend also suffered from PCOS. I watched her struggle to have her first child and wondered what I was in for when it was my turn to try to have children.
Right before Myke and I married, I went off of BC pills and my doctor put me on Provera. I took Provera every other month. The months I took it, I had a cycle. In April of 2001, my doctor put me on the Provera/Clomid combo. Provera to help my cycle start...and Clomid to help me ovulate. The first Clomid round didn't work. So, she upped my dosage for the 2nd round and I again tried the Provera/Clomid combo. At my Clomid check-up in July 2001, my doctor told me that my Day 21 bloodwork indicated that my progesterone level was at a 3.6! Normally, they want to see it around a 10. She really didn't have any hopes that would be the cycle, but told me to wait another week and do a pregnancy test to make sure and then we'd start Clomid cycle #3. I didn't even wait a week! Just a few days later, I started feeling nauseous. It was exactly 2 weeks after I thought I ovulated. My test came up +!! I couldn't believe my eyes!!!! So, I did about 4 more tests...all coming up +!! That next week, a doctor's test confirmed my + results! But then there was the waiting. I had to wait another 7 weeks for an ultrasound to make sure it was a viable pregnancy. It was the most excrutiating 7 weeks of my life. But, at 9 weeks, the ultrasound showed our little mouse. And Daniel was born on March 20, 2002.
Fast forward to September 2003. We decide it's time to start trying to have #2. I had a couple of sporadic cycles on my own, but I didn't get pregnant. So, in May 2004 (I just decided to wait until my 'annual' visit!), my doc put me on Aygestin (simliar to Provera) and Clomid. She started me on the dosage I was on when I got pregnant with Daniel. We decided to start the Clomid in July. So, in August at my Clomid check, my Day 21 bloodwork showed my progesterone level at a 0.75! (Remember...they want at least a 10!!) So, she upped my Clomid dosage to 150mg and also put me on Metformin. And that's where we are now. A year later...still trying to conceive #2.
Will update after this cycle....and crossing fingers for baby dust this month!!
11/8/04 update: Well, the baby dust didn't work last month. :( I had my Clomid check on 10/7/04 and my progesterone level was 0.75 again. My doc wanted me to try to up my Metformin to 2 times a day. I tried...but just can't do it. It makes me feel sick to my stomach. I can at least handle once a day (850mg). She gave me 2 refills for 150mg of Clomid. She doesn't like to go higher than that dosage because the side effects worsen with the higher doses. She said if I don't get pg during the next 2 cycles of Clomid, I would have to see an Reproductive Endocronologist (RE for short).
I had previously asked her about using some type of progesterone supplement, but she basically swept that idea under the rug. I figured...if my progesterone is so low, why not try to supplement it to get it higher. (Her thought is that is what the Clomid is supposed to do. OBVIOUSLY not helping yet!!) So, I took matters into my own hands and bought some progesterone cream. We'll see if it does anything this time around.
I'm currently on CD3 and day 1 of round 3 of Clomid. Baby dust this month?!?! PRETTY PLEASE!!
11/16/04 update: I'm currently on CD21. I think I ovulated!! I had no signs of ovulation until CD16. Then I saw the EWCM. So, I did an OPK test. It was the closest to being positive that I've ever seen!! I also had ovulation pain - and I know I experienced that when TTC Daniel. The day after I thought I ovulated, my temperature spiked. But the days following, it went back down. And I had started using the progesterone cream again (because I've read not to use it prior to ovulation otherwise it can suppress ovulation!)...so it went back up. So, I guess I won't really know until next week. I'll either get my BFP....or I'll see AF.
The good news!! I've lost 20 lbs!! :) And I'm starting to take 1 1/2 pills of the 850mg Metformin (1275mg total)...and I'm doing okay on it.
And I made my appointment today for an RE in December. His name is Dr. Michael Thomas here in Cincinnati. I've heard lots of good things. Let's hope I end up not needing to see him!
12/21/04: Appt. with Dr. Thomas today. He seemed very nice, yet also very determined as to what course he wanted to take. He wants to up my Metformin to 1,000mg twice a day! Yikes!! And I will be using Clomid again which will be upped to 200mg (4 pills a day for 5 days). I will also be doing an HCG shot to "release" the egg. Had some bloodwork done and an ultrasound which showed the PCOS ovaries - no big surprise there! But no BFP for me. :( Which means I didn't ovulate like I thought I did. Dr. Thomas is starting me on Provera for 10 days which will induce AF. I will go in on CD 3 for an ultrasound to make sure there are no cysts. If not, I can proceed with the Clomid.
1/13/05: CD11- ultrasound showed 1 follicle of 15mm. They want it at 18mm before the HCG shot is given. So, another ultrasound on 1/15/05. The bad news was from the SA results. Looks like there are more bad swimmers than good swimmers. So, doc recommends doing an IUI to increase our chances.
