Long time no blog! There hasn't really been any new news lately except that my brother Joel and his wife Meredith are expecting a little GIRL February 10, 2012! Her name is Kaisley Reese, and we are all very excited for her arrival! Also, Josh's brother Travis got engaged!! We are so thrilled for him and Katie!! <3
I have finally gotten my surgery scheduled. Thursday November 17th in the morning. I will be having it done at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, FL. The procedures I am getting are a diagnostic laparoscopy/hysteroscopy (google away! lol). It should take about 90 minutes total as long as there are no complications...with my luck who knows what could happen! Haha! I am very excited and also extremely nervous since I have never had to be put under before.
I have heard many success stories after this surgery was done and great things about this hospital. I am sure I will be in good hands! Thank you all for your love and continued support!
Showing posts with label infertility. Show all posts
Showing posts with label infertility. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
A Break From Blogging....
As some of you already know Josh and I had a chemical pregnancy. This is basically a very early miscarriage at about 4 1/2 weeks. I have decided to take a break from blogging as we figure out what direction we will be going next.
The past (almost) two years have been some of the hardest times for us, and I am still trying to process everything from our recent loss. I may not be blogging again until something actually works or we try something a lot more intense.
So until next time, thank you all for reading and your support =)
The past (almost) two years have been some of the hardest times for us, and I am still trying to process everything from our recent loss. I may not be blogging again until something actually works or we try something a lot more intense.
So until next time, thank you all for reading and your support =)
Monday, June 13, 2011
Wednesday is the Day!
Today I saw Abby and she said Wednesday is the day for the insemination! I am very nervous but also super excited! I think I am most nervous about Josh having to give me my HCG shot Wednesday morning. All I can think about is that Jennifer Lopez movie "The Backup Plan" when she gets inseminated and walks out all funny trying to hold it in! Haha!
Only bad thing, well not that bad of thing, is that I still am only working with one mature follicle...so we will see if the IUI will work with just one. If this fails, Laproscopy surgery is next...let's keep our fingers crossed!
Only bad thing, well not that bad of thing, is that I still am only working with one mature follicle...so we will see if the IUI will work with just one. If this fails, Laproscopy surgery is next...let's keep our fingers crossed!
Friday, June 3, 2011
Hot Hot Hot!!!
Well Summer has begun in full force already here in Tallahassee with temperatures reaching 95-101 every day with one day of rain in the past couple of weeks! I am kind of glad I'm not pregnant right now like many of my friends because I am sure it would be miserable!!
I start my next round of Femara tonight, two pills a night for about five nights. If everything goes as planned, I will be inseminated in about two weeks. I finished reading the book "What He Can Expect When She's Not Expecting." Even though it's for the husbands, I wanted to see what the man's prospective was. Everything in the books, besides the stuff about IVF I could relate to. It is really interesting to read something and say "yep I did that or said that or am that way." Josh is a couple of chapters in and I can't wait until he finishes it so we can talk about the whole book and not piece by piece. I highly recommend this book to anyone undergoing fertility treatments.
In the book it talked about how technical all the procedures make it, when getting pregnant and having a baby should just be a natural thing. I really relate to that because you know what your body is doing and what you need to do every step of the way. When I ever do finally become pregnant, I will know the exact day and time that it happened. So that will be much different than a normal conception. Oh well to each their own I guess!
I just found out the other day that another one of my friends is pregnant. This will be her second. I think this brings my count up to about six now. I guess that is how it is though as you get older. Someone is either getting married or getting pregnant. I turned 25 on May 24th and just couldn't believe how old it made me feel. I know it's not that old and I have older friends I don't consider them old, but I guess that's just one of those things! =)
Thank you all for you love and support!!!
I start my next round of Femara tonight, two pills a night for about five nights. If everything goes as planned, I will be inseminated in about two weeks. I finished reading the book "What He Can Expect When She's Not Expecting." Even though it's for the husbands, I wanted to see what the man's prospective was. Everything in the books, besides the stuff about IVF I could relate to. It is really interesting to read something and say "yep I did that or said that or am that way." Josh is a couple of chapters in and I can't wait until he finishes it so we can talk about the whole book and not piece by piece. I highly recommend this book to anyone undergoing fertility treatments.
In the book it talked about how technical all the procedures make it, when getting pregnant and having a baby should just be a natural thing. I really relate to that because you know what your body is doing and what you need to do every step of the way. When I ever do finally become pregnant, I will know the exact day and time that it happened. So that will be much different than a normal conception. Oh well to each their own I guess!
I just found out the other day that another one of my friends is pregnant. This will be her second. I think this brings my count up to about six now. I guess that is how it is though as you get older. Someone is either getting married or getting pregnant. I turned 25 on May 24th and just couldn't believe how old it made me feel. I know it's not that old and I have older friends I don't consider them old, but I guess that's just one of those things! =)
Thank you all for you love and support!!!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Awesome Article for the Hubby's
I found this great article on cnn.com written by TV and film comedy writer Marc Sedaka is also the author of "What He Can Expect When She's Not Expecting: How to Support Your Wife, Save Your Marriage, and Conquer Infertility!" The Sedakas' have twin daughters and a son.
It gives some great advice to the Hubby's!!
CNN) -- "Hey, did I tell you my old girlfriend's pregnant?"
It doesn't take a genius to know that you probably shouldn't share that information with your wife. But it takes an absolute moron to share it with a wife who's spent the past six years of her life trying to get pregnant.
Allow me to introduce myself. I'm a moron. Or at least, I used to be.
For almost seven years, I stumbled, flopped, backpedaled and apologized while my wife went from one failed infertility procedure to another.
It's not that I didn't care. It's just that I didn't know ... what to do, how to act, who to be. And, amazingly, there wasn't that much information out there to help me.
So now that I'm on the other side of all this (and the father of three beautiful children), let me share with you the five most important things to remember when your wife is going through infertility.
1) Communicate.
From the first twinge of concern to the last IVF treatment, you have to make sure your voice is heard, and make sure hers is heard as well.
First off, confirm that you both want the same things before you so much as step into a fertility doctor's waiting room.
You might think it best to keep your opinions to yourself right now, but believe me, it's a lot better to air those concerns before you invest all this time, money and energy than after.
No wife wants to hear that you never really wanted kids when she just had a painful steel probe stuck up her ... well, you get the point.
And don't assume that your wife is going to initiate all these discussions, either. In fact, this might be the only time in your marriage when she's even more closed off than you are.
This is because many women consider infertility to be a shameful topic. And, because of it, there's a good chance your wife is feeling scared, embarrassed and inadequate.
So it's up to you to assume that these feelings exist and keep those lines of communication open. You can't know how to help her unless you know what she needs.
2) Empathize.
Don't just sympathize, empathize. The last thing your wife wants right now is pity.
In my own case, I used to get my wife flowers after every failed IVF (we had nine), and after maybe the fifth or sixth, she finally confessed that the flowers weren't making her feel better.
In fact, they were just a sad reminder of how she had failed. Pity flowers, as it were.
Now, maybe your wife loves flowers. Maybe she'll find the gesture endearing.
But if you have to put your money into something, better to put it into something that celebrates your successful marriage (let's say a romantic dinner at your wife's favorite restaurant) rather than mourn the temporary failure to conceive children.
3) Set unbreakable goals. Be willing to break them.
Conviction is great. A single-minded purpose is great. But you have to be willing to shift gears as the situation warrants, and you have to make sure your wife is willing to do so, as well.
I cannot stress enough that infertility is a process. And yesterday's "never in a million years" may easily become tomorrow's "I want it more than anything."
So, for example, when you feel like shouting "I'll never adopt!" consider altering that to a more open-minded "I'm not ready to adopt."
Your point will still be heard, your priorities will still be addressed, but you'll save yourselves heaps of stress and aggravation should your wife be of a different mindset right now.
4) Put your machismo aside.
We're men. We never admit wrongdoing. We never ask for directions. And we never surrender to anything that may emasculate us, embarrass us or otherwise jeopardize our prized masculinity. All well and good.
But not in the world of infertility. Don't want to take the semen analysis test? Too bad. Feel uncomfortable discussing your personal life with the nosy doctor? Get over it. Infertility is demoralizing, invasive and messy. That's just the way it is. Sorry.
The bottom line is -- and you know it's true -- you're just going to wind up doing all the stuff anyway, so are you really helping anybody by putting up a stink? Probably not.
Plus, as hard as this might be to believe, by being a willing participant, you're actually being a bigger man.
5) Share the burden
Remember when you walked down the aisle and said all those words about better or worse and sickness and health? Well, nowhere are those words more fitting than when you're going through infertility.
There is no "she is infertile." There is no "her last test failed." It is "we," and it is "us." Probably more than any other time in your marriage, your wife needs her partner now. An equal, split-down-the-middle, 50/50 partner.
One who is as willing to share the credit as he is to share the blame. Anything less is unacceptable. Anything less, and you're not even worthy of her.
Remember these points, and never forget them. Put them on stone tablets if you have to. They may very well save your marriage.
It gives some great advice to the Hubby's!!
CNN) -- "Hey, did I tell you my old girlfriend's pregnant?"
It doesn't take a genius to know that you probably shouldn't share that information with your wife. But it takes an absolute moron to share it with a wife who's spent the past six years of her life trying to get pregnant.
Allow me to introduce myself. I'm a moron. Or at least, I used to be.
For almost seven years, I stumbled, flopped, backpedaled and apologized while my wife went from one failed infertility procedure to another.
It's not that I didn't care. It's just that I didn't know ... what to do, how to act, who to be. And, amazingly, there wasn't that much information out there to help me.
So now that I'm on the other side of all this (and the father of three beautiful children), let me share with you the five most important things to remember when your wife is going through infertility.
1) Communicate.
Yes, you've heard it all before. Communication is a vital component of any marriage. But never so much as when you're in the throes of infertility.
First off, confirm that you both want the same things before you so much as step into a fertility doctor's waiting room.
You might think it best to keep your opinions to yourself right now, but believe me, it's a lot better to air those concerns before you invest all this time, money and energy than after.
No wife wants to hear that you never really wanted kids when she just had a painful steel probe stuck up her ... well, you get the point.
And don't assume that your wife is going to initiate all these discussions, either. In fact, this might be the only time in your marriage when she's even more closed off than you are.
This is because many women consider infertility to be a shameful topic. And, because of it, there's a good chance your wife is feeling scared, embarrassed and inadequate.
So it's up to you to assume that these feelings exist and keep those lines of communication open. You can't know how to help her unless you know what she needs.
2) Empathize.
Don't just sympathize, empathize. The last thing your wife wants right now is pity.
In my own case, I used to get my wife flowers after every failed IVF (we had nine), and after maybe the fifth or sixth, she finally confessed that the flowers weren't making her feel better.
In fact, they were just a sad reminder of how she had failed. Pity flowers, as it were.
Now, maybe your wife loves flowers. Maybe she'll find the gesture endearing.
But if you have to put your money into something, better to put it into something that celebrates your successful marriage (let's say a romantic dinner at your wife's favorite restaurant) rather than mourn the temporary failure to conceive children.
3) Set unbreakable goals. Be willing to break them.
Conviction is great. A single-minded purpose is great. But you have to be willing to shift gears as the situation warrants, and you have to make sure your wife is willing to do so, as well.
I cannot stress enough that infertility is a process. And yesterday's "never in a million years" may easily become tomorrow's "I want it more than anything."
So, for example, when you feel like shouting "I'll never adopt!" consider altering that to a more open-minded "I'm not ready to adopt."
Your point will still be heard, your priorities will still be addressed, but you'll save yourselves heaps of stress and aggravation should your wife be of a different mindset right now.
4) Put your machismo aside.
We're men. We never admit wrongdoing. We never ask for directions. And we never surrender to anything that may emasculate us, embarrass us or otherwise jeopardize our prized masculinity. All well and good.
But not in the world of infertility. Don't want to take the semen analysis test? Too bad. Feel uncomfortable discussing your personal life with the nosy doctor? Get over it. Infertility is demoralizing, invasive and messy. That's just the way it is. Sorry.
The bottom line is -- and you know it's true -- you're just going to wind up doing all the stuff anyway, so are you really helping anybody by putting up a stink? Probably not.
Plus, as hard as this might be to believe, by being a willing participant, you're actually being a bigger man.
5) Share the burden
Remember when you walked down the aisle and said all those words about better or worse and sickness and health? Well, nowhere are those words more fitting than when you're going through infertility.
There is no "she is infertile." There is no "her last test failed." It is "we," and it is "us." Probably more than any other time in your marriage, your wife needs her partner now. An equal, split-down-the-middle, 50/50 partner.
One who is as willing to share the credit as he is to share the blame. Anything less is unacceptable. Anything less, and you're not even worthy of her.
Remember these points, and never forget them. Put them on stone tablets if you have to. They may very well save your marriage.
And this is coming from a guy who knows.
Monday, May 9, 2011
New Plan
Happy Two Year Anniversary to Us!! <3
Time has just flown by these past two years! I feel like it was just yesterday that I was saying "I do" to my best friend!
We had our appointment today and have a new game plan....
Time has just flown by these past two years! I feel like it was just yesterday that I was saying "I do" to my best friend!
We had our appointment today and have a new game plan....
I will start a birth control pill tonight and take it until the end of May. I will start my period and then take letrozol (ovulation stimulator) for 5 days. I will then get checked every couple of days, and then get my hcg trigger shot once my follicle(s) have matured. We will then be inseminated (josh brings in a semen sample and it is injected into the fallopian tubes through a catheter...fun stuff) lol....If I am not pregnant by the end of June, then I will have the Laproscopy surgery done to check for any scar tissue, endemetriosis etc. which would be in July some time. In the mean time, Josh is getting his semen checked one more time with a different procedure...forget the name. My doctor is very optimistic about this treatment plan and I am feeling good about it. He in no way thinks I need IVF at this young age and wasn't too enthused about the hormone injections either. So I am feeling really good that he has our best interest at heart and we are not just paying his salary!! haha
Friday, May 6, 2011
Seven Months
Today marks seven months since we started fertility treatments...I have kind of gotten to a place in my mind where I am getting super frustrated and discouraged. I am hoping that after our appointment on Monday I will bounce back and feel better about the process. I think I am just putting too much pressure on myself since I know that everything with Josh is ok, I on the other hand feel like my body is "broken."
I will be turning 25 this month and just don't understand why I have these troubles of getting pregnant at such a young age. When you hear about women with fertility problems, you think women in their 40's etc. I know that everyone is different, but I just see all the baby bumps popping out all the time and I'm getting anxious!
I hope everyone has a great weekend and I will blog again Monday some time to let you all know what will happen next!!!
I will be turning 25 this month and just don't understand why I have these troubles of getting pregnant at such a young age. When you hear about women with fertility problems, you think women in their 40's etc. I know that everyone is different, but I just see all the baby bumps popping out all the time and I'm getting anxious!
I hope everyone has a great weekend and I will blog again Monday some time to let you all know what will happen next!!!
Monday, April 25, 2011
D-Day
Today was another blood test....an another negative. I am starting to get used to seeing the negative, who knows how I will react when I actually get a positive! I had taken a test yesterday, so I already knew the outcome of the test. I was still holding on to that one shred of hope though that it was a false negative. No such luck! Abby, the ARNP, that I see every time sounded just about as disappointed as I am feeling. It really makes me feel that they really do care about their patients and I am being treated at the right place.
I made an appointment for me and Josh to go talk about our next plan of action on May 9th. Which also happens to be our 2 year anniversary!! We will discuss injections as well as IVF I believe, but who knows what will be right for us. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we reach uncharted waters and rising costs! Lol
So after a little bit of an intermission, we will continue on this long hard journey and hopefully some day see it come to an end!! =)
I made an appointment for me and Josh to go talk about our next plan of action on May 9th. Which also happens to be our 2 year anniversary!! We will discuss injections as well as IVF I believe, but who knows what will be right for us. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we reach uncharted waters and rising costs! Lol
So after a little bit of an intermission, we will continue on this long hard journey and hopefully some day see it come to an end!! =)
Friday, April 22, 2011
*-*-*Waiting Game*-*-*
So I ended up again only having one mature follicle. I know that you only need one, but for me it seems that is not enough. But who knows, maybe this time one will work. I still have a few days until I find out if it worked or not. I will probably test the day before again like last time so that I will be prepared.
Last night we went over to my moms for dinner and a play date with Katie and baby Jonah! He is growing so much!! He's starting to get chunky and smiles a big gummy smile.
This weekend is Easter and I am really looking forward to having it at our house this year! Josh and I will spend Saturday preparing the house and coloring eggs. We just love our new house so much and really enjoy having people over now. Josh is so excited to get to use the fire pit he built!
Last night we went over to my moms for dinner and a play date with Katie and baby Jonah! He is growing so much!! He's starting to get chunky and smiles a big gummy smile.
This weekend is Easter and I am really looking forward to having it at our house this year! Josh and I will spend Saturday preparing the house and coloring eggs. We just love our new house so much and really enjoy having people over now. Josh is so excited to get to use the fire pit he built!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Grow Follies, Grow!!
I had an appointment yesterday with my Dr. after doing the three pills a night for five nights. I have really been getting some serious hot flashes and headaches from this round of meds. I had three good sized follies, two that measured 10 and one that measured 12. This was really good because usually I am a really slow grower! I have another appointment on Friday and am hoping that they have a significant growth spurt so that I can go ahead and get my trigger shot and get busy of the weekend....I have been told by a couple of my fertility buddies that Preseed lube is the way to go, so I will try to find some tomorrow!
I am starting to feel some pain in my right ovary today which is a good sign! My left ovary never produces any follies, so my right one is working hard for me! So hopefully we will see some progress on the screen on Friday! Fingers crossed that 4th round will be the winner!!
I am still scared of the thought of another miscarriage, but I am trying to put that in the back of my mind and just think about making a baby first!! Thanks again to everyone for your thoughts and prayers!!
I am starting to feel some pain in my right ovary today which is a good sign! My left ovary never produces any follies, so my right one is working hard for me! So hopefully we will see some progress on the screen on Friday! Fingers crossed that 4th round will be the winner!!
I am still scared of the thought of another miscarriage, but I am trying to put that in the back of my mind and just think about making a baby first!! Thanks again to everyone for your thoughts and prayers!!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Another Month, Another Negative
So another negative test to add to the millions we already have seen! I already knew it was negative since I took a test yesterday, but I still got the blood test today just in case. You always hold on to that glimmer of hope for that false negative. I was bummed yesterday, but not today since I already knew the outcome. It was a lot easier seeing it alone and knowing ahead of time instead of getting the call at work and retreating to the bathroom for twenty minutes.
I talked with Abby, my Nurse Practitioner that I see every time I go, about 15 minutes ago. She called to break the news. She said she wants to try one more time with the same medication and up the dosage again. She will start me on day three of my cycle instead of day five and keep me on it for longer than five days. Our goal is to produce more than one mature follicle. I am crossing my fingers for this fourth try because the next step would be injections.
I am trying to be patient, but it's hard seeing the months go by...oh well I'll just have to keep a smile on my face and keep on trying! =) I am so thankful to have such an amazing, supportive man at my side through all of this! xoxo
I talked with Abby, my Nurse Practitioner that I see every time I go, about 15 minutes ago. She called to break the news. She said she wants to try one more time with the same medication and up the dosage again. She will start me on day three of my cycle instead of day five and keep me on it for longer than five days. Our goal is to produce more than one mature follicle. I am crossing my fingers for this fourth try because the next step would be injections.
I am trying to be patient, but it's hard seeing the months go by...oh well I'll just have to keep a smile on my face and keep on trying! =) I am so thankful to have such an amazing, supportive man at my side through all of this! xoxo
Monday, February 28, 2011
Medication Info
Since I haven't had much to report, well actually I am just being stingy with my info, I googled some info on the meds and things that I have been using. It will give you more insite on the monthly process I go through! I have an appointment today at 1:00 to check out my follicles. I am hoping to have more than one mature one this time around! I tested positive on my Ovulation Test today, so we are crossing our fingers.
Letrozole is a medication that has been widely used in women with breast cancer. It is sold under the trade name Femara. Letrozole belongs to a class of medications known as aromatase inhibitors.
Recently, the manufacturer of Letrozole sent a notice to doctors warning that there are reported cases of birth defects that arose in the children of women who received Letrozole while pregnant. Novartis, the manufacturer of letrozole, reviewed their safety database and found 13 reports of pregnant women receiving the drug worldwide. Of those 13 women, two had children with birth defects. In the United States, the labeling of letrozole already warns that it has been associated with birth defects. Novartis has never sought FDA approval to market letrozole as a fertility medication and is clearly concerned about their liability if given in pregnancy.
However, there are no reports of letrozole being associated with birth defects when given prior to pregnancy. It is important to make the distinction that when used as a fertility medication, letrozole is given before the establishment of pregnancy. Letrozole is a medication that is metabolized rapidly in the body. It is not thought to have significant levels in the blood or tissues for a prolonged period of time.
At least one major pharmaceutical company, Serono, is conducting studies with a similar medication called anastrozole in the hopes of obtaining FDA approval to market it specifically as a fertility medication.
Aromatase is an enzyme that is responsible for the production of estrogen in the body. Letrozole works by inhibiting aromatase thereby suppressing estrogen production. Clomiphene citrate, on the other hand, blocks estrogen receptors. In both cases, the result is that the pituitary gland produces more of the hormones needed to stimulate the ovaries. These hormones, FSH and LH, can cause the development of ovulation in women who are anovulatory or increase the number of eggs developing in the ovaries of women who already ovulate. As a result, several studies have now been published using letrozole as a fertility drug.
One of the earliest studies using letrozole as a fertility drug looked at 12 women with inadequate response to clomiphene citrate. Ovulation on letrozole occurred in 9 of 12 cycles and 3 patients conceived. A later study by the same investigators compared the effects of letrozole to those of clomiphene citrate. This time 19 women were studied. Ten women received clomiphene citrate and nine women received letrozole. This study was unable to demonstrate any difference in the number of women who ovulated, the number of eggs that developed in each woman, or the thickness of the uterine lining during treatment. However, a more recent study by a different group of investigators found that compared with clomiphene citrate, letrozole is associated with a thicker uterine lining and a lower miscarriage rate.
Nobody has yet identified the optimal dose for letrozole. Three dose regimens have been tested: 2.5 mg, 5 mg and 7.5 mg. Different studies comparing these dose regimens have occasionally found favor with one dose or another but there is no conclusive data that one dose is better than another. The usual length of treatment is for five days.
Some early studies suggested that the pregnancy rates with letrozole far exceeded those with clomiphene citrate and were possibly even higher than gonadotropins. Further data has determined that this is not the case. Pregnancy rates with letrozole are similar to those seen with clomiphene citrate and are lower than the pregnancy rates seen with gonadotropins. Older patients have a lower chance of success than younger patients.
Treatment with letrozole may still be successful even if other treatments have failed. For example, some data shows that in women who did not ovulate with clomiphene citrate, they still may ovulate with letrozole.
Hot flashes
Headaches
Breast tenderness
1. Call the office on Day 1 of your period.
2. Day 2 or 3 - Office visit- Blood test and ultrasound.
3. Take the letrozole 2.5 mg tablet on days 5,6,7,8, and 9.
4. Start testing urine on the morning of day 10 or 11.
5. Look for the first definite color change. Do not continue to test after the color change.
6. Have intercourse the same day you see the color change and the next day.
7. Call the office when you see the color change. Schedule an appointment approximately one week later for a blood test to verify ovulation
Letrozole for Infertility Treatment: Background information
Letrozole is being used commonly as an infertility treatment. Letrozole is the most recent addition to the drugs being used for fertility treatment. Fertility drugs are used often in infertility treatments. There are two situations in which fertility drugs may be useful. First, these drugs can be used to induce an egg to develop and be released in women who are not ovulating on their own. This is known as ovulation induction. Fertility drugs can also be used to increase the chances of pregnancy in women who are already ovulating. This is known as superovulation . In many fertility centers, clomiphene citrate (Clomid, Serophene) has been the drug of first choice for either ovulation induction or superovulation for many years. In general, it has been a relatively effective medication. However, clomiphene citrate lasts for a long time in the body and may therefore have an adverse effect on the cervical mucus and uterine lining. Some groups of patients, such as women with PCOS – polycystic ovary syndrome, do not respond well to clomiphene citrate. Another group of fertility drugs which are administered as injections are called gonadotropins (Gonal F, Follistim). The gonadotropins are very efficient at inducing ovulation and have higher pregnancy rates than clomiphene citrate. However, gonadotropins are much more expensive than clomiphene citrate and the injectable route is uncomfortable for patients to administer and inconvenient. The risk for multiple pregnancies is also much higher with gonadotropins.Letrozole is a medication that has been widely used in women with breast cancer. It is sold under the trade name Femara. Letrozole belongs to a class of medications known as aromatase inhibitors.
Recently, the manufacturer of Letrozole sent a notice to doctors warning that there are reported cases of birth defects that arose in the children of women who received Letrozole while pregnant. Novartis, the manufacturer of letrozole, reviewed their safety database and found 13 reports of pregnant women receiving the drug worldwide. Of those 13 women, two had children with birth defects. In the United States, the labeling of letrozole already warns that it has been associated with birth defects. Novartis has never sought FDA approval to market letrozole as a fertility medication and is clearly concerned about their liability if given in pregnancy.
However, there are no reports of letrozole being associated with birth defects when given prior to pregnancy. It is important to make the distinction that when used as a fertility medication, letrozole is given before the establishment of pregnancy. Letrozole is a medication that is metabolized rapidly in the body. It is not thought to have significant levels in the blood or tissues for a prolonged period of time.
At least one major pharmaceutical company, Serono, is conducting studies with a similar medication called anastrozole in the hopes of obtaining FDA approval to market it specifically as a fertility medication.
Aromatase is an enzyme that is responsible for the production of estrogen in the body. Letrozole works by inhibiting aromatase thereby suppressing estrogen production. Clomiphene citrate, on the other hand, blocks estrogen receptors. In both cases, the result is that the pituitary gland produces more of the hormones needed to stimulate the ovaries. These hormones, FSH and LH, can cause the development of ovulation in women who are anovulatory or increase the number of eggs developing in the ovaries of women who already ovulate. As a result, several studies have now been published using letrozole as a fertility drug.
One of the earliest studies using letrozole as a fertility drug looked at 12 women with inadequate response to clomiphene citrate. Ovulation on letrozole occurred in 9 of 12 cycles and 3 patients conceived. A later study by the same investigators compared the effects of letrozole to those of clomiphene citrate. This time 19 women were studied. Ten women received clomiphene citrate and nine women received letrozole. This study was unable to demonstrate any difference in the number of women who ovulated, the number of eggs that developed in each woman, or the thickness of the uterine lining during treatment. However, a more recent study by a different group of investigators found that compared with clomiphene citrate, letrozole is associated with a thicker uterine lining and a lower miscarriage rate.
Nobody has yet identified the optimal dose for letrozole. Three dose regimens have been tested: 2.5 mg, 5 mg and 7.5 mg. Different studies comparing these dose regimens have occasionally found favor with one dose or another but there is no conclusive data that one dose is better than another. The usual length of treatment is for five days.
Some early studies suggested that the pregnancy rates with letrozole far exceeded those with clomiphene citrate and were possibly even higher than gonadotropins. Further data has determined that this is not the case. Pregnancy rates with letrozole are similar to those seen with clomiphene citrate and are lower than the pregnancy rates seen with gonadotropins. Older patients have a lower chance of success than younger patients.
Treatment with letrozole may still be successful even if other treatments have failed. For example, some data shows that in women who did not ovulate with clomiphene citrate, they still may ovulate with letrozole.
Letrozole side effects
Letrozole works based on its ability reduce estrogen levels. Low estrogen levels of any cause can cause a woman to have symptoms. The data on side effects comes from women who have been using letrozole for an extended period of time in order to treat breast cancer. The treatment duration for letrozole is only five days. In our experience, we have seen side effects that are similar to those seen with clomiphene citrate:Letrozole and pregnancy
Studies conducted so far have shown either no increased risk of miscarriage or a decrease in miscarriage risk. Letrozole is considered pregnancy Category D. Letrozole should not be given to women who are already pregnant. Studies in rats and mice have shown that letrozole increases the risk of fetal death and malformations. Since there are no studies in human beings, it should be assumed that a similar effect is possible.Letrozole Fertility Treatment Protocols
Monitoring with ovulation predictor kits and having intercourse only.1. Call the office on Day 1 of your period.
2. Day 2 or 3 - Office visit- Blood test and ultrasound.
3. Take the letrozole 2.5 mg tablet on days 5,6,7,8, and 9.
4. Start testing urine on the morning of day 10 or 11.
5. Look for the first definite color change. Do not continue to test after the color change.
6. Have intercourse the same day you see the color change and the next day.
7. Call the office when you see the color change. Schedule an appointment approximately one week later for a blood test to verify ovulation
Friday, February 4, 2011
Those Two Evil Words
All of you out there that have had the pleasure of trying and trying to conceive know exactly the two words...NOT PREGNANT. Those are the two most evil words you can see or hear together during this kind of journey. Those are the two words I heard today.
I was kind of preparing myself for this outcome, but it was really hard to hear the confirmation. I shed a few tears which stunk because I am at work and now feel like a hot mess. I know though that I have a ton of people that encourage me daily. I know it will happen for us but the waiting and all the treatment wears on you.
My next plan of action is not set in stone yet and I will probably have a more definite plan next week, but they may just double up my medication that produces Follicles so that I will have a better chance of conceiving the next try. I will then get the HCG trigger shot like this last time to stimulate ovulation.
This treatment plan is not very expensive at all since I have insurance that covers the Meds and so on, but the $25 co-pay sometimes three times a week adds up pretty quickly. I am thankful though right now that I have this treatment option. We are not doing IUI's yet, but I am thinking that will probably be the next option if this doesn't work next time.
Again, thank you to everyone for the amazing support you have provided for me and Josh we couldn't do it without you! =)
I was kind of preparing myself for this outcome, but it was really hard to hear the confirmation. I shed a few tears which stunk because I am at work and now feel like a hot mess. I know though that I have a ton of people that encourage me daily. I know it will happen for us but the waiting and all the treatment wears on you.
My next plan of action is not set in stone yet and I will probably have a more definite plan next week, but they may just double up my medication that produces Follicles so that I will have a better chance of conceiving the next try. I will then get the HCG trigger shot like this last time to stimulate ovulation.
This treatment plan is not very expensive at all since I have insurance that covers the Meds and so on, but the $25 co-pay sometimes three times a week adds up pretty quickly. I am thankful though right now that I have this treatment option. We are not doing IUI's yet, but I am thinking that will probably be the next option if this doesn't work next time.
Again, thank you to everyone for the amazing support you have provided for me and Josh we couldn't do it without you! =)
Monday, January 17, 2011
The Beginning
Josh and I have been married for almost two years and suffered a miscarriage four months after we got married. We have been trying to conceive ever since the miscarriage in September 2009. After a year of trying on our own we have sought the help of a fertility specialist. We started seeing them in October 2010 and did all the testing. They confirmed that I have PCOS and that my body does not ovulate on its own. They started me on a round of Clomid and we hoped for the best. Unfortunately that was not successful. I am now in the middle of my second cycle taking a fertility pill, Femera, and getting a HCG injection soon. We are hoping that this method will be successful because as all of you trying know that it gets very expensive when you need fertility treatment. I am hoping that through blogging and communicating with others that are going through this I can be hopeful that my time will come soon.
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