So there I was, standing at the pharmacy counter to pick up my Synthroid prescription when the idea struck me:
“Can you check to see if I have any Clomid refills left?” I asked the pharmacist on a whim, trying to be casual in my best “how’s-the-weather?” voice.
Without a second glance at me she began clicking around on that computer thing-y which pharmacists peer into like gypsy’s reading from a crystal ball. “Yep. You have two refills until this May,” she replied.
“‘K. Can you fill that for me too?” Again, with the fake nonchalance.
And again, the pharmacist couldn’t care less. She refilled it, ran it through my insurance, and rang me up, while appearing über bored throughout the whole transaction. As intimidating at they look wearing those white coats and—for some unknown reason—always standing on an elevated platform so they can peer down at us mere mortals, I’ve always found pharmacists to be pretty benign and tame in the medical world. Even so, there’s always that little bit of white coat syndrome that makes me just sorta nervous when approaching them.
A few hours past then and I still don’t know what urge struck me to refill my Clomid all these months later: it just seemed like a Good Idea. I’m a resourceful chick, I hate waste, and I knew that the odds of getting questioned about my filling a script from the long-fired Dr. B are low: Dr. B closed his practice in late summer because he has (or had) cancer. He hasn’t reopened since. Dr. C would probably do a headstand in front of me while reciting Shakespeare and wearing a pink tutu before he wrote me a script for Clomid.
Since I’m not planning to waste my money on another IUI and since we’re just marking time until my FET, I figured I have time to kill to do an unmonitored medicated cycle. I’m still kicking it around in my head on whether I’ll use it this cycle or not.
So before anyone crucifies me here, please know that, yes, I realize that REs and Gyns go freakin’ bananas about patients using Clomid unmonitored, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand why they feel that way… give ya one guess… Second, I know Clomid can cause cysts, but they do go away. Plus, my dosage is only 50 mg, which is the lowest dose I think they prescribe. Third, although chance of multiples when Clomid actually works is about 10%, that figure is actually much lower for women with DOR such as myself. And fourth, its only Clomid—so why not?
So I said all that to say this: Has anyone done an unmonitored Clomid cycle in the past? Any tips, tricks, advice, etc.? How did you time yours?
There’s still a chance I’ll chicken out here, guys.
The Endo Zone 
I did all my clomid cycles unmonitored. My gynecologist actually gave it to me and I started on the lowest dose and did like 5 cycles till 150 mg.. All unmonitored. I think I did days 3-7. And he didn’t give me a second glance.
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Really—they just gave you a script and that was that? Craziness! Did it work for you? Any problems from it?
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Yup just like that! No it didn’t work for me. I actually got a lot of cysts and didn’t get pregnant. I had hot flashes, weight gain, acne, headaches, and very bad mood swings. But everyone is different. Good luck.
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Hey, I totally went rogue back in November so I totally get the whole thing. I will warn however, I may have screwed myself because I’ve been bleeding ever since after that cycle. But ya know what, if it works that’s an FET you don’t have to worry about for now! Good luck!!
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Haha ‘going rouge,’ I love it. I was kinda looking at it that way too, as in if I could get pregs before the FET then our current snowbaby is an added bonus.
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I hope it works that way for you!
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Oh and btw, my clomid was always unmonitored with my OB
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And therein lies the difference between OBs and REs, right? Sigh.
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Exactly!
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Do it! On IVF we were on way worse things right lol
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Amen to that!
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I think, that if you’ve been on clomid before (I’m pretty sure you have?) you know how your body will react to it. Just take it as prescribed before. And I totally did the same thing with progesterone!
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I have taken it before, yeah. It wasn’t THAT bad. I still have a whole bunch of progesterone supps left too that I would def take early on even if the doc said not to!
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I have no experience doing this unmonitored, but I would do the same thing as you and try it out! Lol. Best of luck if you do go for it!
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I say go rogue girl! Do it!
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I’m pretty sure I would do the same thing if I was in your situation…I hope it works, best of luck!! xo
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I did an unmonitored Clomid in December, as prescribed by my OB. It was fine. Realistically, not much is going to happen on Clomid, especially if you’ve taken it previously.
http://someonestoleourstork.blogspot.ca/
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Endo sisters should do Femara instead of Clomid. My RE had me on Femara due to my history of endo.
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