AW - my doctor is driving me crazy

[winogirl]

So after trying to contact my Dr multiple times after she told me she would call me Monday (which would have been a week ago) she sent me a message via the online portal. It feels like such a blow-off message:

"Your day 3 labs look good. All of the labs are normal. If you would want to do clomid with your next cycle, call the office with your next period and we would start clomid on either day 3 or day 5 of your cycle. We would schedule you for a cyst check where we feel the ovaries to make sure we don't feel a large cyst before giving you clomid."

We haven't even talked about clomid - what it does / benefits / concerns / etc AT ALL. She mentioned it in passing during my HSG and that has been the extent of our discussion. If I hadn't been on here and hearing about it I would have no idea what clomid is to even be able to say if I "wanted" to do it or not. Even now, I know you should be monitored while on it but I have no clue about anything else. My friend told me it made her a crazy ragey monster and didn't end up doing anything for her. 

Is it too much to ask for a call to talk about all of this?? ugh. Maybe it's just Monday making me crazy and I'll let this marinate for a bit and talk to H about it before responding.

[URMySunshine77]

It seems like OB offices throw Clomid around like crazy. My NP suggested it several months ago, and I'm almost positive that I wouldn't have been monitored. Personally, I would ask for a phone call. You deserve it.

[lennonkdc]

I'm sorry your feeling blown off by your Dr. It sucks to not feel like your issues/concerns are important to the people charged with helping you deal with said issues/concerns.

[winogirl]

URMySunshine77, i'm worried i wouldn't be monitored either. If I decide to stick it out with this DR I will definitely be calling to talk about all of this more in detail.

lennonkdc, thanks - that's totally it. I know she sees a ton of other women so I don't expect white-glove service or anything but I don't want to feel like she is just phoning it in either!

[Divefrog]

It is really not an appropriate response by her at all, and you should definitely follow up and expect to have a converstation with her. That said expect to pay for her time also. I would simply book an appointment and have the conversation face to face IF you think you want to keep using her.

Maybe I just got lucky, but I did 2 unmonitored cycles when trying ttc DD. I didn't do it blindly though. First I understood clomid is an ovulation drug. If you don't have an ovulation problem, I would seriously side eye a Dr. recommending its use. I knew at the time I did have an ovulation issue (i.e. I wasn't ovulating very regularly). Secondly, I was ok going unmonitored because I was only prescribed the lowest available dose. Thirdly, I knew I didn't have any current ovarian cysts. Lastly, I had completed various other testing and DH had gotten an SA, so we had ruled out a lot of stuff BEFORE I used the clomid.

Honestly, besides not getting pregnant I had great results from clomid. It made me ovualte on a reliable schedule. And reset my system enough that the month after those two cycles I ovulated on the same schedule without it and got a BFP.

[winogirl]

Divefrog, thanks! honestly, I would have booked an appointment right away after the blood draw if I knew she wasn't going to call to discuss (which she told me she would). I'm going to think on it and maybe give a call in a day or two to see. DH still has to schedule his SA this week so I wouldn't want to jump into anything until after that.

[boobacat]

Good idea to wait for the SA results since that could be an issue. My OB rxed me Clomid for three cycles but he did monitor me. I also waited three months after HSG and two w/progesterone supplements prior to getting that Rx. Now working with an RE I've taken Femara. He said there are less side effects. I honestly have felt more of an emotional mess on Femara and only had mild cramping on Clomid. Everyone responds differently and neither drug has been successful for me. Probably best to gather all the info like you're doing and then do a consult.

[lickwed]

I don't have any experiences with Clomid, but I agree with others about calling and asking to speak to your doctor or setting up an appointment. The results of my blood tests were given to me by the NP with the details on what our plan would be going forward. I think that is standard. Even with my MCs, I talked with my doctor's nurse. I actually got to talk to the doctor who ordered my blood tests when I asked the nurse a question she couldn't answer. It cleared up my confusion. Definitely speak to your doctor first. With so many patients you have to be really pro active.

[luvmyponies]

OBs do throw around Clomid like it's no big deal. My OB did run some initial tests for both me and DH. Then she put me on three months of unmonitored Clomid. 50mg the first month, and then increased it to 100mg the second and third months. It did absolutely nothing other than turn me into a complete bitch. When I finally met with an RE, he said that he wasn't surprised that Clomid didn't work and that it's a very ineffective drug.

He wanted to re-run DH's SA, apparently the RE uses a newer, more precise method to test morphology (which was on the low side of normal). We also re-ran all my numbers, plus AMH which OB didn't run the first time. My numbers are all good, but we realized that we're actually dealing with male factor infertility - so throwing me on Clomid was a complete waste of time, even if I wasn't ovulating.

At least your OB wants to check you for a cyst before starting Clomid - mine didn't even do that. If I had it to do over again I wouldn't waste my time with my OB and go straight to an RE. Knowing what I know now, I wouldn't take Clomid without being monitored.

[vh2014]

I'd call them back and ask the Dr call you. If they don't fire them and get a new Dr. As someone who fired their OB, it's scary when you think you have to start over but wow... what a difference the right Dr makes in your emotional well being, even with similar news.

[wirt2cute]

winogirl it is not to much to ask your doctor for common courtesy. There is definitely a discussion that needs to be had especially about you and your medical treatment.

[winogirl]

vh2014, luvmyponies, I think that once the results of H's SA come back I'll call and ask to speak with the DR and try to have a whole list of questions so that I don't let her off the phone without either an appointment or all my answers. I really liked her at my previous appointments (prior to the HSG) so I'm having a hard time just cutting and running to the next Dr - but if I still feel iffy after this plan I think that will be enough of a push to get me there.

[teenybenoit]

I am sorry you have to go through this. My fertility Dr also throws around the word Clomid like its no big deal, better bang for your buck. I'm scared to go on it to be honest. And he is a fertility specialist, until this place I would never have thought to question.
Good luck and a phone call is definitely deserved.

[dream2be3]

Sorry I'm late chiming in - I was on a monitored clomid cycle for a single cycle. It thinned my lining so bad they had to add estrogen. It wasn't enough so the next cycle they put me on femara - no lining problems.

I can't imagine not having the cycle monitored. You could end up taking meds for multiple cycles that aren't even right for you.