After our fertility tests all came back fairly normal, our doctors decided to try us on a cycle of ovulation induction. Ovulation induction consists of taking several medications that cause your ovaries to produce more than one egg. When the eggs are ready, a medication is used to release them within a specific timeframe to help with ovulation and conception. (For more information, I’ve included a description of the medications used during this process at the bottom of this post.)
We were told from the outset that clomid, the primary medication taken during ovulation induction, generally makes you hormonal. When David asked our doctor what to expect, she smiled slyly at him and answered, “We’ll let that be a pleasant surprise.” And, oh, what a pleasant surprise it was!
For me, the medication made it difficult to process questions and to make decisions no matter how small or simple they were. I felt like my brain couldn’t make simple correlations between what was being asked and what the answer to the question was. Additionally, I was angry for no reason and the only way not to lash out at people around me was to be alone. The worst thing about all of these feelings was that I KNEW they were due to the medication and not because of me but I couldn’t do anything about it. I felt out of control.
Unfortunately, my parents ended up being in town the week I began taking clomid. I was so happy to have them here but I felt like a horrible hostess since the meds were making me pretty crazy. One night we headed to Taco Bell and David asked what I wanted to eat. To my medicated mind, his question seemed like a huge task. I felt angry, overwhelmed, and put upon. Additionally, I thought I might hurt the teenage boys goofing off in line in front of us (they are lucky to still be alive today).
All of the side-effects seemed worth it, however, when our doctor told us my body had responded extremely well to the clomid and I had three viable eggs. In fact, my three eggs looked so good our doctor asked us if we wanted to proceed with ovulation since there was a high chance we could have triplets. David and I seriously considered this possibility and prayed about it but, in the end, we knew we needed to proceed with ovulation. If we truly wanted a baby, we had to be grateful for what (or however many) the Lord wanted to give us.
In the days after David gave me the shot of ovidrel to force ovulation I felt pretty horrible. I began getting sick every morning, I was bloated, I began craving random foods, and my appetite changed drastically. In short, I felt like I was pregnant. David and I were sure the medication had worked and we were so happy. For me, that week of thinking we were pregnant was one of the happiest weeks I’d had since starting to try to get pregnant over two years before. It was a relief.
Unfortunately, our pregnancy test came back negative. The ovulation induction hadn’t worked.
Below is a list of the medications used during ovulation induction along with a description of each.
Clomid: Increases egg production within the ovaries. A pill taken once a day for five days.
Tamoxifen: Generally used for cancer patients, tamoxifen helps maintain your uterus lining since a side-effect of clomid is that it thins your lining. (NOTE: Most doctors I’ve heard of only have you take clomid during an ovulation induction. I would recommend asking your doctor if you can pair clomid and tamoxifen if you are thinking of going through this treatment as it strengthens your chances of getting pregnant.) A pill taken once a day for five days.
Follistim: Made from human urine (weird, I know), this shot is only taken to supplement the clomid if your body does not react appropriately to the clomid. I never had to take this.
Ovidrel: Made from Chinese hamster estrogen (I’m completely serious!), this shot forces your body to ovulate. It also makes your ovaries feel like they’re exploding so if you feel that way after taking it, don’t worry, that’s normal!
Ovulation induction is an extremely time sensitive treatment. I’ve included a copy of our instructions below so you can understand how precise and involved you need to be during one of these cycles.
General Ovulation Induction Instructions
• Call the appointment desk when your period begins. You will ask to schedule a BASELINE ULTRASOUND. The visit can be done any time before 2pm and must be done before the 5th day of your cycle. It does not matter if you are still bleeding as long as it is not after the 5th day.
• Day 1 of your cycle is the first day of full flow bleeding. If you are only spotting this is likely NOT day 1. Wait for a full flow bleed.
• Please be sure you do not have extensive vacation plans during the month you are planning to take fertility meds as this may interfere with your treatment. This includes weekend trips.
• We cannot give you a list of appointment dates or times as these are determined on an individual basis according to how you are responding.
Specific Ovulation Induction Instructions
*Each time you have blood/ultrasound tests, you need to call for your results the SAME day for instructions.
1) Take Clomid (brand only) Mon. 5/2 through Fri. 5/6
2) Take Tamofen (generic acceptable) Mon. 5/2 through Fri. 5/6
3) Blood draw on Sun. 5/8 at 7:30 am
4) Call for results in the afternoon for instructions:
Follistim instructions? If NO go to #5
5) Return for blood work at ______________
Return for ultrasound at ___________
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