Friday, March 24, 2006

Fantasia

At Ezra's and Erin's urging, I called the clinic to report my (really, really mild) visual issues. (Seph and Flicka, you get credit for also telling me to call, but by the time you commented I had already left a message.) Nurse Space Cadet called back with instructions to not take tonight's Clomid dose, adding that hopefully I'd already had "enough hormones." Enough for what, I don't know, but she was kind enough to also express her hope that the emotional effects this go-around hadn't been too intense. Finally, she told me that if the floaters, etc. get worse, I should "see [my] eye doctor." Ha. As if I have an eye doctor.

Obviously, this was all over voicemail, or else I'd have told her precisely how the emotional effects have been.

I called back to double check on whether I should still go in for monitoring next Thursday, or if they wanted to change the date (still waiting to hear back). Then I called Ezra and started crying into the phone, telling him I shouldn't have called for "nothing." Wonderful, level-headed guy that he is, Ezra reassured me that they would not have told me to skip the dose if they weren't seriously concerned (and that Erin's comment had him worried enough that he was very relieved when I called).

So, here's where I am. 400 mg of Clomid into my system - still more than the 250 mg last time, but not the full 500 mg I thought I'd be getting. If this doesn't make me ovulate (or even if it does, but I don't get pregnant), will I be taking Clomid again next time? Or is one instance of visual side effects sufficient to put me off the drug for good?

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At 4:39 PM, March 24, 2006, Blogger persephone said...

OK, I'm really glad you called. When I had visual things happening, they also told me to stop that day. When I tried a lower dose the next time and still had them, they told me never to take Clomid ever again. I was frustrated but also sufficiently impressed that there's something pretty serious they worry might happen.

As for whether they'll let you take it again - I think you can ask. The side effects are supposed to increase with the dosage, so it might just be that your system got too much of it this month, what with the back-to-back rounds and all. Maybe if you start at 100 next time (without 5 days of 50 first), and promise to discontinue at the first sign of trouble, they'll be okay with that.

But if they do tell you this is it for Clomid, don't take it too hard, please? Plenty of women simply can't physiologically tolerate this drug - it's a very clumsy approach, like throwing a whole vat of estrogen at you instead of applying it right to your ovaries. You might do better AND be more comfortable on injectibles.

And it might be nice to try something that doesn't make you depressed or homicidal, no? :)

 
At 6:32 PM, March 24, 2006, Blogger Jen said...

I didn't read your last post in time to put in my two cents about contacting the dr., but fortunately Ezra and your other friends in bloglandia had the same sage advice. Please don't feel bad about stopping the Clomid. For all the benefits that Clomid may have, there are considerable side effects like the blurred vision and its effects on CM and uterine lining, so if you have to stop early for one side effect, it might also help to prevent/reduce some of the others.

Also, if you find that Clomid is intolerable, perhaps you might want to consider Femara (letrozole) before moving to injectibles? I took it a couple times and liked it SO much better than Clomid. Might be something you want to talk about with your doctor.

 
At 7:00 PM, March 25, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

The thing that sucks about Clomid is the more you take it, the worse the bad side effects get down the road, and how the good effects of the drug disappear. I couldn't take it after my third round. I'd hit my limit.

Hopefully you won't hav to move on to anything bigger.

 
At 7:10 PM, March 25, 2006, Blogger Robber Barren said...

Thanks for all the supporrt and wonderful advice, ladies. I am emotionally at peace with having to move on to injectibles next month, if necessary; in fact, I think I would prefer it. Well, maybe "at peace" is not the best phrase, because I'm not paticularly at peace with having to use medical intervention in this arena at all, but...

 
At 1:09 AM, March 26, 2006, Blogger Heather said...

Okay girls... what are the long term effects of these visual imparements? I had flashes of lights on my 7th day (5th dose of Clomid) but have not had anything else since then. Should I be concerned?

 
At 2:11 AM, July 12, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Enjoyed a lot!
personal debt

 

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