Femara without monitoring?

[Anonymous]

I recently saw an RE (38 yo. have a 3 yo but have been trying to get pregnant again for 8 months with no luck) who recommended IUI to start. His plan involves taking Femara for 5 days (3-7), getting an ultrasound, taking a trigger shot of Ovidrel and then doing the IUI.

I just started my period yesterday but based on the days I'll likely be ovulating this month we likely can't do the IUI (we're traveling for a week). I called the nurse and she told me that I can still take the Femara if I'd like and skip the trigger shot and IUI and just have timed sex. She seemed like this was normal and not a problem, but now I'm wondering if there are risks with not having the monitoring ultrasound (i.e. multiples).

Has anyone taken just Femara without monitoring and just timed sex?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I think this is crazy if you don't know how you will react. You don't want to end up like Jon and Kate plus 8.

[Anonymous]

Femara has a very low rate of multiples.

[Anonymous]

I've done unmonitored Femara, but I had a history of trying it and we knew what to expect on it. I think the most I ever got was 3-4 follicles, but we knew my egg quality was bad so weren't worried about multiples. I only ever got pregnant on it once but miscarried at 9 weeks (Trisomy 13). If you aren't doing the IUI part of it, your chances are lowered, so maybe that's why RE is not concerned.

[Anonymous]

OP, are you comfortable with the idea of possibly having multiples? I did 4 rounds with Femara and 2 with Clomid. I had 7 and 4 follicles on the 2 rounds of Clomid, then anywhere from 2-3 on the rounds of Femara so, in my experience, Femara resulted in fewer follicles than Clomid, but there was still always a risk.
This is your first medicated cycle, correct? So you have absolutely no idea how you will respond to the Femara, or if you will even respond to whatever dose you are taking at all. That would have implications on future cycles (not knowing whether your dosage would need to be adjusted, etc). Personally, I would wait, and it wouldn't necessarily be driven by a concern of multiples, but by wanting the information with regard to how I actually respond to the medication.

[Anonymous]

Without knowing how you react, it's taking a pretty big risk. I have a great friend with triplets as a result of monitored Femara IUI cycle. It's tricky.

[Anonymous]

I did it without monitoring for 3 months and no baby. So I think it is worth the shot. Have you tried clomid etc? My body reacted the same to both... tried for a year wo monitoring and no IUI. Went off everything, added acupuncture and pregnant within 6 weeks. Good luck . Its a hard road.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, are you comfortable with the idea of possibly having multiples? I did 4 rounds with Femara and 2 with Clomid. I had 7 and 4 follicles on the 2 rounds of Clomid, then anywhere from 2-3 on the rounds of Femara so, in my experience, Femara resulted in fewer follicles than Clomid, but there was still always a risk.
This is your first medicated cycle, correct? So you have absolutely no idea how you will respond to the Femara, or if you will even respond to whatever dose you are taking at all. That would have implications on future cycles (not knowing whether your dosage would need to be adjusted, etc). Personally, I would wait, and it wouldn't necessarily be driven by a concern of multiples, but by wanting the information with regard to how I actually respond to the medication.

Thanks for your response. So what did you do for the cycles with 7 and 4 follicles? Did you do an IUI that cycle or was that too many follicles?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Without knowing how you react, it's taking a pretty big risk. I have a great friend with triplets as a result of monitored Femara IUI cycle. It's tricky.

Any idea how many follicles she had?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, are you comfortable with the idea of possibly having multiples? I did 4 rounds with Femara and 2 with Clomid. I had 7 and 4 follicles on the 2 rounds of Clomid, then anywhere from 2-3 on the rounds of Femara so, in my experience, Femara resulted in fewer follicles than Clomid, but there was still always a risk.
This is your first medicated cycle, correct? So you have absolutely no idea how you will respond to the Femara, or if you will even respond to whatever dose you are taking at all. That would have implications on future cycles (not knowing whether your dosage would need to be adjusted, etc). Personally, I would wait, and it wouldn't necessarily be driven by a concern of multiples, but by wanting the information with regard to how I actually respond to the medication.

Thanks for your response. So what did you do for the cycles with 7 and 4 follicles? Did you do an IUI that cycle or was that too many follicles?

PP here. IUI was cancelled for both of those cycles, and we were strongly encouraged to abstain from sex for the remainder of the cycle with 7 follicles.

[Anonymous]

Other clinics won't do an iui for you, but I've been able to go in for a monitoring ultrasound / follicle check at a clinic in a different city. Call around

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Without knowing how you react, it's taking a pretty big risk. I have a great friend with triplets as a result of monitored Femara IUI cycle. It's tricky.

This. My twins were from a monitored Femara IUI.

[Anonymous]

Do it. Give yourself 75 per day for 5 days. Can’t hurt and you could be too old to be missing a cycle. Definitely worth a try. Using OPKs so you know when for TI

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't if you don't know how you will react.

[Anonymous]

You should ask your doctor for stats.

I did it and felt comfortable.