WOMENS-HEALTH Messages for June, 1997: Re: clomid question

Re: clomid question

From: Laurie (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Thu, 12 Jun 1997 17:50:16 -0500 (CDT)

Messages sorted by: [ date ][ thread ][ subject ][ author ]
Next message: Laurie: "Re: PMS you better answer or I'll bite your head off!!!"
Previous message: Laurie: "Re: Hysterectomy 4 yrs ago,still menstruating"
In reply to: Annette: "clomid question"

At Thu, 12 Jun 1997, Annette wrote: >
>Good morning!

Hi Annette, and good evening!

>
>I have just a few questions and am hoping someone can shed a little light
>on this for me.
>
>Current History:
>
>Day 18 of my 5th clomid cycle (100mgs days 5-9)
>
>Temperature yesterday and all days before was 97.5, 97.3, 97.1 etc. Today
>my temp was 98.1 and I am on day 18 so I assumed that meant I had ovulated.

A reasonable assumption...

> However, today I had an ultrasound (they were doing them for free at the
>hospital I work at) and the US tech looked and said "you have 6-7 follicles
>on your left ovary and more on the right with one large follicle on the
>right too". I said "you mean I haven't o'd?" and she said "nope - not yet"

Sometimes when you ovulate, the follicle doesn't disappear. This can be due to two reasons: (1), the follicle itself can "luteinize" but fail to release the egg, a phenomenon known as the luteinized unruptured follicle syndrome (LUFS)--which is actually kind of a controversial topic, or (2), after the egg is released, the corpus luteum is left behind (a collection of cells that produce hormones necessary to sustain an implanting pregnancy). It is very difficult to tell what's a corpus luteum (C.L.) and what's not on ultrasound. Oftentimes a C.L. has some internal debris that is visible on ultrasound, or the walls are not perfectly round, but sometimes it just looks perfectly round and clear. The difficulty in determining if someone has actually ovulated is apparent when you look at all the different ways we try to determine that--basal body temperature charts, urinary LH predictor kits, ultrasound, serum progesterone measurements, etc. This leads to the saying "the only true proof of ovulation is a pregnancy!"

>
>So what does this mean? Can my temp rise .6 degrees and I haven't
>ovulated?

Just about anything is possible with these human bodies of ours. With LUFS you can get an increase in progesterone (which is what causes the temperature elevation), or it could be that you actually have a nice pretty corpus luteum there. Usually in a situation like this I will get follow-up ultrasounds every day or two to watch the appearance of the "follicle," as well as checking blood levels of progesterone. Some docs use serial shots of hCG [the pregnancy hormone that doubles as the body's LH when we want it to :-) ] to help release the egg.

I wanted the dominant follicle to be on the >left ovary (the one with the good tube) and it's on the right (the bad
>tube).

Apparently, even with an ovary on one side and a tube on the other, you have the same statistical likelihood of getting pregnant.

My final question, when on clomid - do you ovulate from both sides >on just the one with the dominant follicle?

You will ovulate from the "mature" follicles, which we try to determine by measuring on ultrasound, no matter whether they're on the same ovary or different ovaries. The smaller follicles on ultrasound are unlikely to ovulate.

>
>Any answers to any of these questions would be sincerely appreciated!!!!
>
>Thanks
>
>Annette

You're welcome.

--
Laurie Lovely, MD
RE fellow, UNC-Chapel Hill

Next message: Laurie: "Re: PMS you better answer or I'll bite your head off!!!"
Previous message: Laurie: "Re: Hysterectomy 4 yrs ago,still menstruating"
In reply to: Annette: "clomid question"

Women's Insurance Checklist from Auto Insurance Quote

use when must restrict search to only the women's health forum...
Enter search keywords:
	Returns per screen: Require all keywords: