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IUI with clomid/ovidrel or injectibles?
Novanancy80
Posts: 26
I'm 31, single, no known fertility issues, about to undergo donor IUI using clomid and ovidrel trigger with U/S monitoring day 12 and bloodwork. I was curious to see what method others are using? Natural (no meds) with ovulation kits? Clomid/Ovidrel and U/S monitoring? Injectibles?
I asked the doctor to go straight to injectibles since I'm paying out of pocket for everything, insurance doesn't cover anything :( and want "the most bang for my buck" so to speak as injectibles increase the chances, but he opted to use clomid/ovidrel first. Was wondering what method other ladies are going with?
I asked the doctor to go straight to injectibles since I'm paying out of pocket for everything, insurance doesn't cover anything :( and want "the most bang for my buck" so to speak as injectibles increase the chances, but he opted to use clomid/ovidrel first. Was wondering what method other ladies are going with?
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I am 35,divorced, no known fertility issues, going at it alone and also paying for everything myself as my insurance doesn't it. My doctor does the same for everyone I think, based on the high success rate. The protocol goes: US at day 3, Femara day 3 tru 7, US day 9, based on US decides when to do Ovidrel trigger then 24-36 hours later IUI.
It looks like i will be having the IUI next saturday 9/17, and I am fully expecting it to be succesful the first time!!! :)
What donor are you using?
I'm using 12600. How about you?
Wow we will be having our IUIs at around the same time! I think mine will be a few days after yours though.
I see that alot, its a mixed bag between docs using Clomid and Femara. I'm a nurse AND on top of that have been doing too much of my own research about IUIs that it's just making me sooo nervous like am I doing it the best way w the right meds, etc. Are you just doing one insemination per cycle?
Since you are paying out of pocket too im sure you feel the same way about wanting it timed perfectly. I read that thawed sperm don't live nearly as long so the timing must be impecable.
Doc didn't want to go straight to injectibles even though the success rates are considerably higher bc he said it's too risky with multiples, also VERY expensive for all the meds and monitoring.
This process is so stressful...LOL
There are a couple of secret groups of facebook for ladies using CCB that provide not only great information but support so if you are interested let me know and I will tell you how to join us.
I am going at this assuming that its gonna work the first time, so I am trying not to overload myself with information or overly scare myself with the million things that could go wrong. I am very lucky to have an RE that is highly qualified and has received lots of accolades for his work, so I am trusting him 100% on everything which is not easy for me to do since I am type A control freak. LOL.
Anyway, best of luck on your IUI. Keeping fingers crossed for both of us!
I'm also using 12600 and I think Ang was talking about me from facebook. Please let me know how things go with this donor if you don't mind. I had one IUI in June with this donor but it didn't take. (I have a blocked fallopian). Just bought a few more vials and am trying again, I believe, this week depending on how everything goes tomorrow on my US. I initially did clomid/ovidrel but my dr. just switched me to follistim and ovidrel..Wishing you (and me..lol) lots of luck. This guys sperm count was pretty good last time..hoping for the same. You should try to join the CCB site on facebook.
Honestly I was a little hesitant at first bc he doesnt have any reported pregnancies yet but when i called CCB they said he just started the program in June so that's why. I would be very interested in joining the facebook group! My email address is Novanancy80@gmail.com
Im very confident in my RE, he has great recs and tons of experience, I'm just nervous and like you Ang, VERY type A haha ..
Ill start clomid this Thurs and then U/S and labs day 12 then IUI prob day 14 or 15 im thinking. I'm very happy to hear he had good #s last time. Very reassuring. Good luck to you both too!! :)
Novanancy80- go to facebook and search for Aurora May and send her a friend request. She will then automatically add you to the group. Aurora works for CCB. See you on facebook soon!
Are you ladies both also doing this single?
Initially I did all my communicating on the boards here but I also use the facebook page though it's a little confusing at times (at least for me). Both offer something different. Here I think there's more info and the facebook is more encouragement and news on how people are doing. Welcome!
35 / divorced
Riley are you doing Ovidrel trigger too or monitoring with OPKs? To be honest OPKs didn't work for me very well, sometimes the line changed sometimes it didnt. It was frustrating. If you are using them I hope you have better luck!!
Mi campanilla, I met another girl using donor 12600 on here too. She said he had good #s too so hopefully we all have good results, fingers crossed!! I haven't had my first IUI yet with this donor. Same here with the clomid day 3-7. Have you done Clomid all 8 tries? Same donor too?
I am doing an HCG trigger - yes. Here's my protocol - Clomid 100 days 5-9. Come in on day 12 for monitoring and bring my trigger med (I have two prescriptions - 1 for clomid, 1 for the trigger). Then they will monitor and tell me to come in again, etc etc until they think I should trigger at which point they will administer the trigger. Then I come back at an exactly timed appointment for a single insemination. They said since they are triggering, they don't need to do two inseminations because they already know the very exact timing. So no OPK for me. Sounds like you and I are on the same protocal - except my cycle is naturally 32 days, so I don't think insemination is more likely on CD 15/16/17 rather than 14/15. Oh, good luck to you!!!
Btw - I am expecting my period Sept 20. So my first "monitoring" appointment should be Oct 2-ish, and I assume a trigger Oct 4 or 5? So this all happens first week in October. I am FLYING!!! I am so excited. PLEASE LET THIS WORK! I want to believe my odds are higher than 10-20%. Novanancy, did your doc give you a sense of your odds?
I'm getting ready to have my first IUI next month & am very interested in using fertility drugs &/or a trigger to help me out.
Riley, I'm in kind of the same boat you are in. I made a deal w/myself when I turned 30 that if I wasn't married or in a serious relationship by the time I was 35, I was going to do this. Well, I turn 36 next month, so it's definitely time. Most of my friends are super supportive & think what I'm doing is great. I have one friend who's completely anti-having kids who thinks I'm nuts, but oh well.
Good luck to everyone.
Tarina
You know, when I started this process a year ago ( 3 failed IUIs with 2 unmedicated, 1 clomid) I really thought it was going to not take very long at all. But after doing alot of my own research and talking about probability to my new doc, the odds are about 10-15% tops each cycle with clomid/ovidrel, he said a little higher w injectibles but risk of multiples goes up with those. He also said that most normal couples take 3-6 months to get pregnant when they are actively trying and that IUI is along those same lines, except we only get 1 shot each month as single people whereas those trying to get pregnant the "normal way" have lots more chances. Soooo, I am trying to keep all that in mind and not overthinking it this time. Trying anyway, haha.
I think we are doing the same thing pretty much except i am doing 50mg clomid instead of 100, u/s day 12, Ovidrel trigger, labs and 1 insemination. He said after this first round if it doesn't work he will check a progesterone and determine if i need higher dose of clomid but i responded pretty well last time to clomid. Did you start at 50 then go to 100 or are they starting you at 100 right off the bat? Did you pick an open or anonymous donor? Was that a big factor in your decision? Good luck to you too!!!!!!!
I picked an open donor. Did not even look at anonymous, so I have no idea whether an even-more-perfect donor was out there. Open was just a huge deal to me. There were 43 of them, and there was one clear winner with no one even a close runner up. A bunch of us using him (12434 - and he's fairly new too) have been chatting, and a few people are already pregnant with him and he just sold completely out yesterday.
What's bugging me .... if the odds are really only 10-15%, I'm bothered why my doc wouldn't let me go straight to IVF. I am 35 anyway - so already over that threshold where more aggressive treatment is warranted). And I was an excellent responder to the first half of IVF (my egg retrieval was all of IVF - all the shots etc - but then just stopped short of fertilization and implantation) and I had no bad issues with the shots/process.
If IUI is only 10-15% odds, and costs a few thousand dollars each try (with monitoring appointments, sperm, insemination, etc), and IVF is $10k but has a 50-60% success rate AND often makes extra embryos for later which can be implanted for the same price as an IUI cycle, why wouldn't you jump straight to IVF? It seems like it's more economical and "faster". If I spend 6 months and $18,000+ on 6 failed IUI tries, I'm going to be really annoyed that he didn't let me start with IVF.
Sorry ... I'm working myself up. When I objected to IUI, my doctor really tried to tell me that the 10-15% odds I heard were for people who already had fertility issues. That fertile people trying naturally have a 25% chance per month if they get the timing right (which IUI will because it's monitored) but additionally, IUI also gets the sperm exactly where it needs to be (past the cervix and all the other things that can go wrong) AND clomid gives you more follicles. The way he was speaking, he was strongly suggesting the odds were north of 25% and/or a "natura" attempt. FYI - I'm working with NYU - one of the top places in the country. So I trust him ... I just ... it's hard to know what to think. I really would have "fought" harder if the odds are only 10-15%.
I TOTALLY understand your frustration!! I feel like we think the exact same about this process, it's crazy...
I feel the same way like since insurance isn't covering any of this anyway, why not do it the most efficient way in the first place!? I went to UPENN in Philly for my first time (they also told me roughly 10-15% chance each cycle) and of course they were all board certified and experts and everything so I knew it was a great place. The place I'm going to now has an awesome rep too but seriously, if we are paying this kind of money, why not make the odds as good as possible and with IVF too you are more in control of the # of embryos etc. With injectibles and even clomid I personally think it can be more risky bc you aren't able to control as well the # of follicles etc. UGHHH... seriously it's nice to vent I guess and its nice to know that someone else feels the exact same way about this process.
My email is NovaNancy80@gmail.com
We should talk further lol.
I am trying so hard to stay positive, as are you, which I guess is all we can do. I def. don't have the $$ to shell out 10k right now (I'm a nurse) but at the same time I don't want to have to repeat these IUIs every month either...