QuestionHi,
I'm 26 years old and my husband and I have been TTC for 11 months now. The last two months I have taken 50mg of clomid, with no luck. This month I am on 100mg of clomid. I am worried I may have endo given the fact it has almost been a year of trying with no luck and about 5 months ago I started having tailbone pain and rectal pain with bowel movements the first couple days of my period. I've done a lot of research on that and everything I can find points to endometriosis. I told my doctor about this and she thought it could possibly be endo or just something as simple as hemorhoids (she did feel a couple, during my last exam, a couple months ago). She wanted to try the clomid first a few months to see if we get any luck. But I'm just so scared I have endo. Given my symptoms, what do you think my odds are? Oh and by the way I have no history of endo in my family, that I know of. Thanks!
AnswerHello Jennifer from the U.S.,
I am wondering if you had any infertility testing prior to starting on the Clomid, or did your non-infertility specialized doctor just put you on the Clomid to "help" you along? Certainly based on your symptoms, endometriosis is a possible explanation. It is also part of a basic infertility evaluation and prior to going onto treatment an evaluation should have been done. The treatment has to match and treat the problem or problems found. If the evaluation has not been done then what are you treating? I received thousands of letters and one of the prevailing findings is the number of patients that waste a lot of time and money with doctors that are not treating them appropriately or not qualified to treat infertility. I am worried you might be in one of those categories. My recommendation is that before you go any further with your current doctor, you seek the consult of an infertility sub-specialist (in addition to this one). Someone that can actually take care of you properly.
I have written extensively about how a Clomid ovulation induction should be done in my blog. You should look it up and make sure yours is being done correctly. We don't increase the dosage of Clomid simply because you didn't get pregnant in that cycle. It is only increased if you didn't respond to that dosage of medication!
Good Luck,
Edward J. Ramirez, M.D., FACOG
Executive Medical Director
The Fertility and Gynecology Center
Monterey Bay IVF Program
www.montereybayivf.com
Monterey, California, U.S.A.
for additional information check out my blog at http://womenshealthandfertility.blogspot.com check me out on twitter with me at @montereybayivf and facebook @montereybayivf
