Any thin cysters on Femara?

ilovebailey · 02-03-2008, 05:10 PM

I'm wondering if any thin cysters have had positive experience with Femara? I will be starting it on Friday since I have not responded to Clomid. My RE said that I don't fit the typical profile of a PCOS person who responds to clomid (b/c I am thin) and that he thinks Femara is a better choice. Has anyone else heard that this drug is better for thin cysters?

Thanks.

gapeach427 · 02-04-2008, 04:10 PM

Hi! I'm on my first cycle of Femara as well as FSH (Bravelle). Right now, I'm 11dpo...just waiting until my beta (or if AF comes first) next Monday. My RE uses this almost exclusively in his practice for those with PCOS. Here is a handout he created and it has graphs, statistics (toward) end about Femara/letrozole.

http://www.jarrettfertility.com/PCOS...%20handout.pdf

Good luck with Femara this cycle!

gapeach427 · 02-04-2008, 04:13 PM

Which cycle days are you taking Femara?

I took mine on CD2-6, and then Bravelle/FSH injections from CD7-12 (should have only been up to CD10, but they wanted my follies to grow more). Then I had Ovidrel/hCG trigger shot on CD13. I'm on Prometrium/progesterone right now during the two-week-wait...

ilovebailey · 02-05-2008, 09:14 PM

Thank you so much for that informative link!! Your doctor seems to really know what he's doing. I have actually changed my mind on the Femara for now. I think I want to start metformin and give that a try first before I go broke pursing fertility meds. Would it be alright if I posted that link on another thread that I'm in? I thought it had great info!

gapeach427 · 02-05-2008, 10:32 PM

Happy you found the article helpful. Lots of interesting info! I don't mind if you share it with others

ilovebailey · 02-06-2008, 10:26 PM

Thanks! I thought it was so interesting what it said about the origination of PCOS in thin women. It makes so much sense when I look back. I was so thin as a teen and I just could not gain weight no matter how much I wanted to and my periods were absent. There was also good info about met which I am going to start. Good luck with the femara. It sounds promising. If the met doesn't work alone, that will be the next thing I add.

Tummy · 02-18-2008, 08:26 PM

gapeach -- thank you so much for that link. i have to say that that is the most informative thing I've ever read about PCOS, especially thin PCOS! It's nice to be acknowledged that we're not just abnormal PCOSers, that we have an actual disease, too, that is different from the usual kind! I'm going to post it on some of my other threads. I feel completely enlightened!!!

By the way, I"m on my 4th cycle of Femara, and ovulated all 3 previous times (though not pg yet), so so far, so good!

Rose28 · 02-18-2008, 10:55 PM

Gapeach - wow, that link is great. Finally, some answers! Thanks so much.

wudluvakid · 03-04-2008, 11:18 AM

From the info I've read about clomid and Femera...it looks like Femera is actually possibly a better med than clomid. Less side effects, better ovulation rate...things like that. I had a visual disturbance on clomid so I can't take it any more. Next will be to try Femera...

For those taking either...how do the dr's check to see if you are ovulating?

Tummy · 03-04-2008, 02:11 PM

with frequent ultrasounds, starting around cycle day 10, and then with blood work after the fact to look for elevated progesterone to confirm the egg was released.

cysterChristy · 03-04-2008, 09:03 PM

I loved the article! About me - tried clomid twice without ovulation, was provided by OBGYN. Went to RE, diagnosed with PCOS and started immediately on Metformin. First round of Femara produced follicle! I love Femara for this reason alone...HOPE!

tschreck79 · 03-11-2008, 03:33 AM

Yaay! Femara helped me develop some large follicles the first time I used it this month. Day 3-7 at 5mg. I got an hCG shot to help ovulate and now am waiting for the results! I almost can't wait. (Stomach burning, some sharp pains, and hormonal...we'll see!)

indy2001 · 04-13-2008, 04:47 PM

I am thin and was just diagnosed with mild PCOS. I'll start Femara cd3-7 and Metformin on my next cycle. I actually have very regular cycles and ovulate regularly also. My OB/GYN wants me to try for 3 more mos. on these meds before doing a laparoscopy/hysteroscopy. I am hoping for the best...

My doctor isn't monitoring me while I'm on Femara and Met. Is this unusual?

wudluvakid · 04-14-2008, 11:21 AM

I hadn't looked at the link the first time...just did...WOW! That give me more info on being 'thin' and PCOS than I have heard anywhere!!!!! Thanks!

I've been on clomid and they check my ovulation w/ blood progesterone tests...but I did get some hot flashes and it said that they thought you won't conceive on it. I'm trying Femera next.

Does anyone know...just because you ovulate on a med doesn't mean you will get pregnant. Is there a way to know if you should be on metform in addition to femera? My dr mentioned for me to try diet and exercise first. But is putting me on femera. He did mention metform if diet and exercise didn't help. I don't quite understand what that means. I was ovulating on clomid. How do you know if you need metform?

sonya

HRTinAZ · 04-14-2008, 12:32 PM

Gapeach - Thanks so much for the awesome information! I have been working with a regular endo and will be switching to a RE that I see next Monday -- I feel so informed now that I have read this and feel like I will be able to ask really intelligent questions. :-)

Sonya - Everywhere I have read says that regardless of whether or not the tests show if you are insulin resistant or not (I am thin and the blood work does not show that I am IR, although the studies show that most women with PCOS have some sort of underlying IR)... Met is the first line of defense with women with PCOS, I think this article just further confirms it.