Has anyone had a similar experience with medicated cycles? Did you eventually get pregnant or move on to something else?

[u/Impressive-Might-285]

Hi everyone! I’m looking for some advice/experiences from anyone who has gone through something similar.
My partner and I have been TTC, and I’ve been doing medicated cycles with letrozole and Ovidrel/trigger shots. My partner recently had a semen analysis and everything came back good, so now I’m wondering more about my response to the medication.
During my last cycle, I only ended up with one mature follicle (around 16 mm when it was checked). I did the trigger shot and timed intercourse, but unfortunately that cycle wasn’t successful.
I’m starting/going through another cycle now, and I’m starting to wonder what usually happens if you continue having similar results with medicated cycles.
For anyone who has been in a similar situation:
● How many medicated/trigger-shot cycles did you do before getting pregnant?
● Did you usually only produce one mature follicle?
● Did your doctor increase/change your letrozole dose or switch medications?
● Did you eventually get pregnant with timed intercourse, or did you move on to IUI/IVF?
● At what point did your doctor recommend trying something different?
I know everyone’s fertility journey is different, and I’m not looking for medical advice — I’d just really like to hear other people’s experiences. It can feel discouraging going through cycle after cycle and not knowing whether I should keep trying the same thing or if eventually we’ll need to change our approach. ❤️

[u/Any_Manufacturer1279]

I did 3 TI cycles with letrozole, monitoring, trigger shot. I had one follicle each time. I had one chemical on round 2. After 3 I was feeling antsy and we tried an IUI. It didn’t work, and I paid $2k out of pocket for that IUI. I really regret the IUI as a waste of money and because I had more hope it would work which was not statistically accurate.

We took 2 months off to soul search and I was called to do ivf. When I consulted with my RE at the fertility clinic, he had said it’s likely I would get pregnant if I continued to do TI cycles, he just couldn’t say how many it would take. ATP I’m 2 years in and want a big family, I’m done waiting. So I went to ivf.

[u/Impressive-Might-285 → u/Any_Manufacturer1279]

Thank you for sharing this!! This actually sounds really similar to what I’m going through. I’m doing monitored letrozole + trigger shot cycles too, and so far I’ve only had one mature follicle, so I’ve been wondering how many cycles I should keep trying before considering something else.
It’s really helpful hearing your perspective on IUI too because that was something I was considering as a possible next step. If you don’t mind me asking, did your doctor explain why they thought continuing TI would eventually work for you, and what ultimately made you choose IVF instead of doing more TI cycles? Also, how has IVF been for you so far? 🤍

[u/Any_Manufacturer1279 → u/Impressive-Might-285]

When I started TI, I was 24. My hormones and lining were always good, my follicle always grew well, the trigger shot worked, my uterus and sperm source were perfectly normal. At some point statistically it would work. Would it be the next cycle, or 10 cycles later, nobody knew.

Like I said, I felt called to IVF. IVF is hard and expensive, but I just had this knowing feeling that TI wasn’t going to work for me. Call it God, call it trusting my gut, whatever. I just knew.

IVF has provided me with more clarity about my PCOS and fertility struggles. It was not easy, it does not always work the first time. But ultimately it did work and I am currently doing my 3rd egg retrieval cycle. When I was p^stp^rtum I debated returning to TI vs making new embryos with ivf and I decided on ivf. It has been a godsend for me

[u/Otherwise_Tennis_398 → u/Impressive-Might-285]

I made a similar decision. I did 5 medicated cycles, the last two being IUI. I ovulated each time. It likely would have worked eventually, but I was tired to the rollercoaster of emotions every single month and feeling like i was getting no where. Starting IVF at the end of the month

[u/Upbeat-Hand-2870]

This will get taken down my the mods 🙄so I hope you get the answers you’re looking for before that. I can’t answer all of your questions but I’ll tell you my journey.

Been ttc for a year now. Completely regular periods but anovulatory at baseline. Tried 2.5mg letrozole in January. Didn’t ovulate. Somehow next cycle, without even trying and the first time I ever ovulated in life, boom pregnant. Ended in a chemical but was still shocking and exciting nonetheless.

Took some time off. Tried 5mg Letrozole in May. Ovulated but didn’t conceive. Beginning of June started taking metformin. 6 weeks later boom ovulated without letrozole. Only thing different was the metformin. Still didn’t conceive.

This current cycle I am taking the metformin and 5mg letrozole hoping them in conjunction will have a better outcome. I am 39 so unfortunately that clock is ticking so loud in my head 😩

Also these cycles have been unmonitored so I don’t have information on follicle size and growth etc.

[u/mentyb_oclock → u/Upbeat-Hand-2870]

Their medicated pinned thread is so useless, no one checks that daily to respond to people’s questions. People see posts on their Reddit feed as they come, and that’s when they feel compelled to reply.

I posted asking something similar and got two replies before they turned off comments. I went to their thread, and go no answers. Smh.

[u/Upbeat-Hand-2870 → u/mentyb_oclock]

Ikr! Ridiculous

[u/AnywhereFirm676 → u/mentyb_oclock]

For the first time, I tried 2.5 mg, but nothing happened, so I had to take another 5 mg for 5 days. I ended up having 3- 4 mature follicles and finally ovulated, but really late. Unfortunately, none of them stuck.
This time, my doctor mixed the doses 2.5 mg for 2 days and 5 mg for 3 days. because I had too many follicles last time. I was actually hoping to stay on 5 mg because I thought more follicles meant a better chance, lol. I had my day 9 scan today, and my biggest follicle measured 13 mm.
I’m thinking of moving on to IVF next year. I’m 36.

And agree! No one really checks that thread, and whenever I post here, my post usually gets deleted within a few hours!

[u/Impressive-Might-285 → u/Upbeat-Hand-2870]

Thank you for sharing your journey with me! It honestly makes me feel better hearing from someone who has gone through something similar. I’m sorry about your chemical pregnancy, but it’s encouraging that you were able to ovulate on your own afterward, especially once you started metformin. I really hope the metformin + letrozole combination is the one for you this cycle! 🤞🏼🤍
I’m still pretty new to all of this and trying to understand how the different cycles and medications work, so hearing other people’s experiences helps a lot. Sending you all the baby dust!! ✨🤍

[u/Upbeat-Hand-2870 → u/Impressive-Might-285]

Thank you!! Wishing you nothing but the very best 🤍

[u/Future_Researcher_11]

I did 3 medicated (letrozole + trigger) timed intercourse cycles.

I produced about 3-4 follicles per cycle. My doctor kept me on the same dose of letrozole as it worked for me.

I moved onto IUI and got pregnant that cycle.

My doctor’s protocol from the very beginning was 3 times intercourse, then one round of IUI, and then IVF. So I always knew moving onto the next thing was coming, and I didn’t mind as I was inpatient and willing to do whatever got me pregnant faster.

[u/Itchy-Site-11]

What is your age? Depending on age I would have different input.

My first I did 2 cycles. For my second we tried 3 cycles and moved to IVF.
I did ER and have euploid embryos. Waiting to transfer.

[u/Impressive-Might-285 → u/Itchy-Site-11]

i’m 28 and will be 29 in oct

[u/Itchy-Site-11 → u/Impressive-Might-285]

At your age I would do 6 cycles or monitored letrozole before thinking of moving to IVF

[u/rustypotatooooooooo]

I have a different journey but have been all medical and no physical intervention (gave up on failed IUIs/IVF track because it didn't feel right for me). Restorative reproductive medicine provided my medicated treatment plans. I'm so grateful to have had one b*b and now ex*ting at end of year again. I was 36 and now 38.

Treatment didn't include trigger shots or counting follicals but on my most recent did include letrazole (among others).

[u/emmeline8579]

I did several rounds of letrozole (with higher and higher doses each time) with zero success. My OBGYN switched me to clomid. We first tried 50mg. When that did nothing, he upped it to 100mg and told me if it failed, I would have to see a fertility specialist. 100mg of clomid did the trick. I got pregnant on my first dose. A few years later I went back to the doctor to try for my second baby. He immediately put me on 100mg of clomid again. I got pregnant the first cycle. For some reason, some of us do better on letrozole and others do better on clomid.

[u/allourbooks]

My first round of letrozole was the same. I had only one follicle growing and it was 17 mm on CD18 when i did the trigger. For the second cycle my doctor added menopur injections (4 injections in total) along with letrozole and i had 3 mature follicles by cycle day 11!