So, this cycle I picked back up on all the supplements (I should make a list of them but I'm just too lazy) and added in 25 mg of Clomid on cycle days 4, 5, and 6, started Low Dose Naltrexone, 7 days of Biaxin for the brown bleeding, and, as always, continued with post peak progesterone (200m orally twice a day). I have to admit, I was not really looking forward to the meds, and wasn't very hopeful at the outset. Thank you to all the commenters on the post before the cycle started for giving me the pep talk I needed to stick with the plan.
Things went much better than expected. I noticed the difference from the Biaxin right away, no brown bleeding, yay! I didn't notice any side effects from the clomid really either. The first time I took it I had hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings, but this time I didn't notice any of the first two. I did get a little irritable for a few days, but nothing like before, and no depression/crying/breakdowns, so I'd say that's a major improvement. It may have been due in part to the other new addition, the Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN).
I'm not going to lie, my first week on that stuff was awful. I was fatigued, nauseated, and had headaches all the time for nearly the whole week. I was not a happy camper or fun to be around, and nearly useless at work. Luckily, it magically cleared up right around day 6 or 7, and I've been mostly great since. The only lasting side effects are some headaches here and there (I never got them before, so I think the LDN is the cause) and waking up in the middle of the night. The first two weeks on the LDN I woke up every single night between 2 and 4:30 AM. Its tapered off since then, but still happens once or twice a week. Hopefully it'll taper off completely soon. On the plus side, I've noticed my mood has brightened up a lot, so much so that those around me have noticed too. I don't feel overly cheery, I'll always be somewhat on the Eeyore scale of personalities, lol , but at least I feel like myself again. I missed that, and I was worried that I'd never feel like that again.
I definitely noticed a difference in this cycle. (TMI warning, mucus discussion ahead, lol). The fertile type of cm started up right at the end of AF, including lots of lubrication and some even some clear, both of which I rarely see. I was totally confused, considering I usually peak around day 18 or after. I totally wasn't expecting to peak on CD 12! Oh, and post peak I even had a dry day! The last one I had was back in July, so that was pretty exciting for me and my annoying continuous mucus cycles. I also noticed my PMS symptoms (my tell tale sign is wanting to cry at country songs, lol) didn't pick up until a week after peak, compared to how it had been starting right after, so another good thing! All of this had me thinking I might have actually ovulated, but I didn't want to get my hopes up...
Well, today I had my follow up and...drum roll please... the doctor was able to confirm that I ovulated!!!!! Seriously, you have no idea how hard it was for me to not put that at the top of the post! Dr. S said she saw a good looking corpus luteum in the ultrasound! Totally made that discomfort worth it, yay! First confirmed ovulation ever, and since I started all the treatment! I'm so happy about it! She also said my lining looked good. My progesterone and estrogen were way better than before, but still low. So next round we're going to up the Clomid to 50 mgs, here's hoping the side effects keep themselves to a minimum.
I don't think pregnancy is even a possibility this cycle. Our timing was really bad, partially because I wasn't expecting peak so early and was confused about the CM, and the rest just because of life getting in the way. That combined with the low hormones, and I really don't have any expectations. I'm actually pretty at peace with it, which is a grace from God because I definitely wouldn't normally be ok with it at all. I'm glad I get to be happy about the ovulation without any added pressure of stress of whether I'm pregnant.
At the same time, I keep trying to talk myself down. What if what the doctor thought was a corpus luteum was actually just a new cyst? Or what if it's only a one time thing and my ovaries decide to stop cooperating? Ugh, I need to get out of my head on this. I think I'm just going to go ahead and be cautiously optimistic about what the next cycle will bring.
Eee! Exciting stuff going on with your cycle. :)
ReplyDeleteI agree! Thanks for being excited with me! :)
DeleteHow did you feel on the hcg diet?
ReplyDeleteSo you took the clomid?!?! Go you!
Ugh the HCG diet. Hungry, weak, and tired most of the time. 600 calories a day will do that lol. I would never do that diet again.
DeleteI did take the clomid, thanks in part to your "just do it"! Thank you for that :)