Thursday, January 3, 2008

Anyone ever take Femara/Letrozole?

What was your protocol?

I'm on my third cycle taken randomly over the last 16 months. The first cycle was given to me by my OB and was ten 2.5mg pills total, taken cd3-5, twice a day. The second and third cycles are the same total amount, 10 2.5mg pills, but taken like this: 1 cd3, 2 cd4, 3 cd5 and 4 cd6. Four days of pills, ever increasing amounts.

I'm all for the current protocol. The first round wasn't monitored (down with OBs acting as REs! Although I do love my OB to death, I promise) but all I ended up with a few cysts. This can't really be counted as a result though, because of my diagnosis of LUF Syndrome (I make the follies, I get the surge, but the follies don't leggo the eggos). With the inclusion of an hCG shot, those follies let go of those eggos faster than a fat kid at breakfast grabs them out of the toaster (forgive me).

So, all I have to look at is one round, C11's IUI#2, which made 2 nice and plump amazing follies which released on cd13-14. Bottom line is I'm happy with continuing that same protocol until proven otherwise.

For me, clomid doesn't do anything special. I still get a follie on time, but usually just the one. (which, I know, is what is SUPPOSED to happen on clomid. Too many people get too greedy with clomid and think their clomid cycle failed them if they only made one egg. Ah, a pet peeve of mine.) Clomid's side effects are on the low side, but damn, it wrecks havoc on my already thin lining. I still get a hot flash or two on the femara, but nothing really to complain about too much.

Anywho, I'm getting way off my point. I'm wondering what other Femara protocols are out there. Anyone?

11 comments:

Katarina Jelly Beana said...

My protocol is for my PCOS addled ovaries, so it both gets the eggies started and then pumps them up.

Metformin, baby asprin and prenatals daily

Femara 5mg days 3-7
Bravelle 75 mil(?) days 7 -- until the follies are big enough (although I get bumped up to 150 a little ways in)

Once they are big enough

Sex/IUI/both
Ovidrel injection
3 days with no meds
Prometrium supositories AM & PM
1/2 an ovidrel about 9 dpiui/dpo

I did MUCH better on the Femara than on Clomid, but I did unmonitored cycles on Clomid, so I can't know for sure. I never did an HCG or follow up bloodwork, so I can't even be sure I ovulated on it. The bravelle makes me crazy, as does the prometirum, but I feel good on the Femara.

My two cycles on it have been "successful," even if they haven't ended up with pregnancy.

If you go the femara route, be sure to use the coupon they have out for a free 30 day supply...link on my blog.

KatieM said...

No Letrozole for me...as you know clomid is my oral drug of choice (although I have to say I actually like the follistim pen) but I digress.

When I did my first round of clomid and only made one egg I was pissed and bummed because I would have done that anyways, but Dr. Jackass told me that was "normal". However, when I went to Dr. W upstate we talked about the whole egg thing on clomid and he said that given my age if I still only made on egg on clomid I might as well have been taking sugar pills and he would have changed protocols sooner to find something that "worked". I think there is some validation to being upset about only one egg on clomid, especially if you O on your own and are using it for a boost.

Saying this though...I by no means wanted a lot of eggs.Regardless of my protocol more than three eggs scares the shit out of me...just two would have been nice. Long story short...still taking clomid but the added injects help ;-)

Not sure what I will do next time around...all injects maybe...who knows.

Jen said...

My protocol was pretty much the same as yours from C1...5 mg on CD 3-7. The main difference would be that they're monitoring me. My CD12 u/s is tomorrow so I'll know more than about whether or not this is working. I'm not so concerned about the number of follies. 1 nice plump one would make me happy! I'm just hoping that it doesn't cause cysts like the clomid did.

nancy said...

oh no Jen, I'm totally monitored. Or were you saying that the difference between the 2 pills/day protocol was different from mine in that you were being monitored?

Jen said...

Sorry for the confusion. I was saying your first round is exactly what I'm doing except for the monitoring piece. It sounded like you had an OB the first round without monitoring unless I misunderstood. I know you're monitored now.

RBandRC said...

I was on Femara CD3-7, 5mg tabs taken at the same time every day. Compared to the Clomid, gave me a lot more side effects including lovely cysts. And it didn't really do anything for me follie wise. I wasn't a Femara fan at the end of that cycle.

Good luck! :)

Ann said...

I'm a Femara gal, but I have to admit, I only have one cycle of experience (it worked its magic; too bad the baby's genetic makeup wasn't quite as magical :) ).
I took 2.5 mg days 3-7, and on CD13 I had one big fat follicle.

HATED Clomid! Didn't work right, and turned me into bitch-lady.

Confessions of a momaholic said...

i actually conceived this past cycle on femara. i was taking 10 mg cycle days 3-7. i would get an u/s on day 13 to check for ovulation. if it was inconclusive, my dr did bloodwork to confirm ovulation. good luck!

nancy said...

Wishing - you took 10mg every day? So you took 4 pills daily for 4 days? I think most femara pills are 2.5mg and the normal dosage for ovulation induction is 25mg.

And I hope you updated your blog! I'm going to go there in just a minute. I have checked your blog every day - multiple times - waiting for your beta recheck. Post it will ya?? :)

Confessions of a momaholic said...

hey! sorry about not posting the beta results. i went away to the hubby's family. while i was gone i got a message saying "levels were excellent." no number, no explanation. i just took it as happy news and let it go although of course i wanted to google the number and obsess over it.

you are absolutely correct. i only took 2 pills of femara a day. i took so many different meds that i got confused with the dosage, but yes...2 2.5 mg a day for days 3-7.

the if diagnosis came due to a number of reasons. it took me 3 years to conceive my son. i was pretty young and never took the route of fertility treatments b/c i was naive and knew time was on my side. my gyne said he had suspected endo early on due to my heavy periods and difficulty conceiving but i never wanted a lap.

when trying for number 2, i was annovulatory (spelling?) for several months. my blood work showed very low progesterone. i had to take provera many months to even get a period. also, since i wasn't ovulating, my ovaries kept producing cysts.

which leads me to my third diagnosis of pcos. i know that i am really lucky compared to many infertiles. i have a few friends still ttc number 1 and don't understand how you can be labeled infertile if you have a child.

basically, i am happy that my "issues" can be treated. i am so thankful that this time didn't take another 3 years. and i am hopeful that this pregnancy goes well!

sorry this comment was so long! hope it answers any questions!

Anonymous said...

My doc just put me on Femara after trying for 1 1/2 years. He really did not go over a lot with me so I'm a little confused. I feel he jumped to conclusions and should have run more tests first. I have a regular cycle (or at least I think it's regular), it's 37 days exactly. I usually ovulate day 23-24. He said that is too late so he put me on Femara CD 3-7 2.5 mg, But I have read that anywhere from 29-42 days can be considered regular. He will be doing an ultrasound on day 10, but I'm not sure what he is looking for. Will the femara make me ovulate sooner than normal? My doc doesn't even know whether or not I have been creating any eggs without Femara.