AboutElayne Glantzberg Expertise I can answer questions on PCOS, Clomid, spontaneous reduction, preterm labor, severe prematurity, micropreemies, NICU, how to raise triplets without outside help, life with triplets and more, cerebral palsy, visual impairments, Asperger's/autism, and breastfeeding.
Experience I have bgg triplets born in 1999 and three more boys born in 2002, 2006, and 2008, the last two by VBA2C (vaginal birth after 2 cesareans). My triplets were born at 26 weeks. My singletons were all full-term and fully breastfed. We have raised our triplets with no help and with a blind father. One of our triplets is also disabled with mild CP and mild autism, two have some vision problems, and one has had lung issues since birth.
Question I have heard so many complaints about using clomid to help achieve pregnancy. I am on my second month. Is there a better drug to increase the chances?
Answer Not necessarily. Clomid is the only drug I know about of its level, or strength, for stimulating ovulation. There are other drugs that will do this, but they get progressively stronger and stronger, and with that, your chances of hyperstimulation of the ovaries and/or multiple gestation increase dramatically. If you're only on your second cycle, it's definitely too early to move up to another drug.
If you're wanting to increase your chances of pregnancy while decreasing your risk of multiples, you may want to look into other possible treatment for your specific cause of infertility. I have Stein-Levanthal or PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome. Until very recently, the only fertility treatment for women like me was clomid and other related ovulation drugs. Now, though, there is a new treatment available that restores fertility and corrects the rest of the symptoms of PCOS without increasing the risk of multiple birth. If you do some research online on PCOS, you can find out about Glucophage or metformin treatment for it. I was able to do this the second time I tried to get pregnant, and I only had one baby that time. Plus, I still take Glucophage on a long-term basis to manage my syndrome and alleviate the symptoms.
If you think you might have PCOS and your doctor has not mentioned this treatment to you, you should bring it up at your next appointment, because this is a much much safer route than just starting on Clomid. It is a new treatment, so your doctor simply may not be aware of it or believe in its efficacy. However, the FDA is currently reviewing its labeling of Glucophage to add PCOS to the approved uses, and there is a fairly good body of research now available on this treatment. You can find links to this research from most of the major PCOS-related websites, and you could print some of these papers out to bring with you to support your argument with your doctor.
Here are a few links about PCOS:
www.pcos.net
www.pcosupport.org
www.obgyn.net/pcos/pcos.asp
