PCOS with Clomid rule, I am shocked!

[StephOinAZ 0]

On a dark and stormy night, wait...no...it was a bright and sunny 118 degree Arizona day...I was looking up information on Clomid because DH and I had given up trying to get pregnant naturally. We honestly haven't been trying as long as some, but to me 3 years is long enough. Any time I brought up the idea of Clomid to my OB/GYN she told me I needed to loose some weight before she'd agree to put me on it. She never told me how much, I never thought about asking. Well, after loosing only 10lbs after an entire year (thanks a lot insuline resistance), I felt that I deserved to be put on Clomid anyway since I made a huge effort. It's the thought that counts, right? So for the millionth time, I was lost in some web of threads looking up info, tips, success stories, etc on Clomid when I happened to see a thread with a topic I've never see before. The user was asking if anyone knew the exact BMI one would have to be in order to be approved for Clomid. Huh? You had to be a certain BMI? I opened up the post and saw dozens of replies, each of them from women all over the country, all of whom stated that the maximum BMI that you can be to be approved for Clomid is 30. THIRTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I currently weigh 345 with a BMI of 54. It took me ONE YEAR to loose 10 lbs and now I have to loose 120 before I'll even be CONSIDERED for Clomid?!?!?! At the rate I'm going that could take me 12 years!! Has anyone else heard of this rule? I mean this whole time my Dr. was telling me to loose weight I was expecting that she wanted me to loose like 20 or 30 lbs, not 120! So as I resolved myself into a pool of tears, I saw a little square flashing at me on the side of the message board screen with an add for Lap-Band. I opened it and now here I am. I'm just starting down this road and I have a LONG way to go, but I'm here. And that's a huge start.

[kamicola 1]

Stephanie...

That is rediculous... I wouldn't believe that as a general rule... 7 or so years ago, when my husband and I had tried to get pregnant, I went to an OB/GYN for lack of bleeding issues.... she put me on birth control for 3 months to regulate my period, then I went off of it and went on Clomid to get my ovulatin cycle going... I was probably about the same weight, and there were not any issues... however.... the Clomid was not successful... it was not until I went on a strict low carb (less than 20 grams per day - of veggies... no bread products or potatoes or anything like that) and got my blood sugars tightly controlled and after one month I was pregnant for the first time in my life at age 30. It was a year after trying Clomid, so I don't think that drug had anyting to do with it. I kept my blood sugars tightly controlled during pregnancy, only had to take small amount of oral diabetic meds and had a problem free pregnancy... I did have a c-section only because my doctor wanted to induce me as the last few weeks of pregnancy could take a turn with being a diabetic and since my daughter's lungs were fully developed (confirmed through amniosentisis), she induced me, but it didn't take, so I went c-section, problem free. With all the reading i have done on PCOS, there are ways you can eat to relieve the symptoms and often that can trigger fertility. Are you banded yet? If not, I would hightly recommend that you either wait on banding for a few years or you get banded quickly if that is your decision and then lose a significant amount of weight first, then get pregnant... the last thing you want is to finally get pregnant after all this time and then have possibly major complications due to your weight.... you are young, so I would say choose the health option first, get yourself healthy, then get pregnant... but that is me... I am 37 now and wanting to drop 50-75 pounds before I get pregnant again.... I am down 38ish since 5/27/08 when banded... so I am half way there! Good luck!

Kammi in Everett, WA

DOB 5/27/08

335/297/180

Dr. Kuri - TJ Mexico - Self pay

[wannababy 0]

Great post. I am 28 and also have pcos. I am planning on getting banded w/in the next few months. My main reason...I want to be healthy and have some babies!! I struggled with infertility for 3 yrs now....did clomid, IUI, and was about to start IVF when I decided to pursue banding. I worked with a reproductive specialist and was ok with treating me...my weight was 320 at the time bmi 48 so I think every Dr is different. I am extremely hopeful the band will help me lose a ton of weight and get pg too. Good luck!

Amy

[thatDEgirl 1]

We did Clomid when I was about 220 at 5'3". My doc never suggested that I needed to lose weight to take it. She realized that with PCOS, it just isn't that easy.

[StephOinAZ 0]

Thanks for the replies! I really appreciate it :smile: I really want to loose weight first, before I get pregnant. My hope is that I am banded within a few months and then wait at least a year before we start trying. I'd really love to just get prego naturally w/o Clomid but I'm willing to do whatever I need to do.

Thanks again!! :wub:

[a2bachik 0]

Stephine... I share the PCOS problem, bit I have not heard of the Clomid rule. I had a 3 month try on clomid but it wouldn't take. My doc kept upping the dosage but nothing would work... I was the same size I am now. (BMI 45) I have my surgery scheldule for 9-2-08. I am supper excited and I just hope that the PCOS doesn't create any more problems for me...

[StephOinAZ 0]

Oh wow, that's coming up fast! Thanks for the reply, I really appreciate it. Good luck!!

[Sunwyse 1]

I've never heard of such a thing! I've been told even just losing 10% of your weight would greatly improve chances of getting pregnant, but never been told you have to do it to get clomid. Instead of getting info from the internet (which can be dicey at times), go to your local chemist/pharmacist (whoever is authorised to give out medication where you live) and ask them. They have to know just as much about various illnesses and even more about drugs, so you can save yourself the cost of a doctor's visit by asking the chemist first.

[TulipStar 2]

that's definitely not a rule. You can just go to another dr to get it or a specialist. The higher your BMI, the less likely it will work for you. I was on clomid when my BMI was about 46 when I did this. I took 3 times the normal dosage for 3 months and it never worked for me. My Reproductive Endocronologist told me to lose weight and it should work...

[cyndiloowho 0]

My first two children were both conceived with the use of Clomid. I don't know what my BMI was at the time, but I weighed about 240 then and I am 5'4". (Incidentally, our third child was conceived spontaneously when second child was only 9 months old!)

While I have never heard of any BMI rule for Clomid, I can understand why some doctors create their own guidlelines. They have to work within THEIR comfort level for how much risk they are putting their patients in. Pushing a morbidly obese woman to get pregnant is risky.

I hope that everything goes well for you with the surgery/PCOS. There is a chance that you may lose enough weight with the band that your fertility could kick in on it's own! (that does happen!)

[autumnleaves 0]

Steph-Nah there are drs that will give it to you. I have never heard of that rule. BUT I can say that femara seems to be helping women better than clomid. I conceived first round.

[Who'sThere 331]

That "rule" is balogna. The doctor who literally wrote the book on PCOS (Dr. Samuel Thatcher) is the partner to the fella I went to for intfertility. Their practice is called C.A.R.S. (Center for Applied Reproductive Science). I took several rounds of Clomid (and even a breast cancer drug that starts with an L--can't remember the name--that helps with fertility with PCOS) with them. My weight was never an issue, and I weighed over 250 at 5'3". I wasn't successful, but at least they tried.

A couple of years before that I did conceive on my own after losing 100 pounds and gaining back 50. I weighed around 220 when I conceived, but I miscarried at 7.5 weeks. My gyn. says that that weight may be my body's "happy weight." I'm hoping to get banded and see that weight again. At that weight I was still obese, but I felt better than ever..even better than I did at 173. I am at an all-time high at 277, but I hope that will change soon.

I would actually like to get down to a "normal" weight, but my first goal will be to get to 220. Heck, even under 250 would be great! I'll take baby steps.

[PrtyAntOvrYt 6]

Stephanie,

Many things are dictated by health insurance companies. If that is a specific rule of your own insurance, then I would get the band first and lose some weight to get to a BMI of 30. You can do it. My BMI was 63 just 8 months ago, now it is 48. That's 15pts in 8 months. The poster that advised not getting pregnant if you are newly banded - is right. Many surgeons will ask that question when you go for your consult. It doesn't make sense to get the band and then get pregnant before you reach goal.

However, if it happens, it happens AND the best thing about the band is that you can always get back on track and lose that baby weight after you've delivered.

I have PCOS too and losing over 100lbs has made a big difference for me!

Good Luck and You should do fine! You seem like a very smart cookie!

[Totallytater 1]

I took clomid for several different pregnancy attempts when I weighed 300 lbs at 5-6". I achieved 3 pregnancies using it at this weight. One was successful and 2 ended in miscarriages. My doctor never said anything about my weight and clomid. He did tell me that I would be more fertile if I lost weight though.

[MojoLuvsAndy 0]

Hi, I know this post was from August but... I took Clomid for 6 months in 2007. My BMI was 46. I have PCOS as well and it didn't work for me, so I decided to lose weight but I went ahead with the lapband. I am now thinking about trying the Clomid again now that my BMI is 35. I am going to talk to my OBGYN first to see if she thinks I can go ahead and try while working on my weight loss or if I should lose more weight first. I have had the lap band for 10 months and lost 57 lbs. My periods aren't totally regular but I have one every 30-35 days instead of 3 a year. Hope this helps!