Why is clomid said to sway pink?

[Regrow]

PS - reading your siggy, congrats! Those are some fine betas!!

Thank you atomic sagebrush!

[happyheart]

I read the link Leap_of_faith...

It states:
Clomiphene citrate has no apparent progestational, androgenic, or antiandrogenic effects and does not appear to interfere with pituitary-adrenal or pituitary-thyroid function.

Gosh... this makes me nervous as my OB told me that it will help my short luteal phase. I am sooo terrible at reading and understanding this stuff.. thats why I love it here... atomic and the other ladies are awesome at helping me understand!! I will be looking forward to her response.

[queen-of-harts]

I have to say that i was on a secondary infertility support site when i was ttc my 3rd child and the majority of women who took clomid had boys.

[happyheart]

I have to say that i was on a secondary infertility support site when i was ttc my 3rd child and the majority of women who took clomid had boys.

I wonder why this would be? I think I read somewhere that some doctors told their patients to dtd everyother day and though ovulation... my doctor told us to dtd everyday which I thought was good because that was in my plans anyway.

But still... why would this be? Just curious....

ETA: I think the most significant part of swaying is the diet which I am doing... so I am feeling good about my sway.

[atomic sagebrush]

I thought so myself. All responses are from ladies suffering from PCOS so I'm not sure if that will affect anything.

It does affect things because PCOS = higher testosterone = more boys than you might expect, but at the same time, Metformin (which a lot of those gals were taking) = lower blood glucose = more girls than you might expect.

Swaying - it can't ever be easy LOL!!!

[atomic sagebrush]

I read the link Leap_of_faith...

It states:
Clomiphene citrate has no apparent progestational, androgenic, or antiandrogenic effects and does not appear to interfere with pituitary-adrenal or pituitary-thyroid function.

Gosh... this makes me nervous as my OB told me that it will help my short luteal phase. I am sooo terrible at reading and understanding this stuff.. thats why I love it here... atomic and the other ladies are awesome at helping me understand!! I will be looking forward to her response.

Clomid DOES help the luteal phase. I think the study is referring to NEGATIVE effects.

[atomic sagebrush]

It was more boys answered, let's say we wrong and clomid did sway blue, how would it be possible? It raised estrogen and maybe didn't effect their cm as much as others who took it?

(I'm not yelling, spelling this in all caps so people notice it...) CLOMID DOESN'T RAISE ESTROGEN!!!! Clomid BLOCKS the estrogen receptors in the body to the point that some people are actually given supplemental estrogen to make up for it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clomifene

Clomid does not sway blue. It has been studied in controlled fashion (much more controllled than a survey answered by a few people on the SoulCysters site) and found to sway pink in several studies. Is it a magic bullet, NO, but unlike the majority of swaying stuff, it's actually supported by facts. Some other studies say it has no effect. So you're looking at something that either does not sway at all or sways pink.

Now if the question is, why do people continue to have boys while on Clomid, that answer is much more complex. Some (most) people just aren't that affected by it. Others are given supplemental estrogen (Estrace) that counteract the effects of the Clomid. People taking Clomid are also told to use Robitussin, Preseed, and BD in patterns for maximizing pregnancy, all of which can sway blue. Clomid also raises testosterone and that could play a role as well (esp. for those who stay on it longer than a month or two.). Finally, a large % of the people who are given Clomid to begin with are PCOS gals with higher than average testosterone levels to begin with.

That all these things are true and yet when studied Clomid was STILL found to sway pink, I think that is very telling about its effectiveness for the average swayer.

If you don't want to take Clomid, if you think it sways blue, don't take it. I will say that if I was under 35, could get my mitts on Clomid and I was swaying pink, I would take it in a heartbeat.

[atomic sagebrush]

Here is the drugs.com link to their Clomid page: http://www.drugs.com/pro/clomid.html

According to the Advanced Fertility Centre of Chicago’s webpage , Clomid causes hostile CM in about 30% of women for whom it is prescribed, which means that 70% of women will not see an adverse effect on CM.

My own FS explained to me that thinning of the uterine lining is considered a serious side effect of Clomid, right up there with OHSS, and would result in immediate cancellation of the protocol and a shift to injectables. It is NOT common and is usually associated with prolonged use. Every FS I have ever spoken to has been reluctant to keep a woman on Clomid for more than 3 cycles and none would prescribe it after 6 – there is a reason we need a prescription for this stuff ladies. If you’re on it, you need to be monitored, preferably with regular v/us and blood tests to ensure that it’s doing with it’s supposed to (and nothing else).

The studies that found Clomid to shift the sex ratio are based on older research before injectables became part of the main******. I can’t find it now, but I read a study a couple of months ago showing that Clomid has no effect on gender ratio if it’s use is well monitored and only prescribed for a short time.

With regard to the safety issue...

It is important to keep in mind that Ob/Gyns are NOT trained in reproductive endocrinology, though few would rush to point this out. Here is a link to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s page on the steps a practitioner has to follow to become a certified FS: http://www.asrm.org/detail.aspx?id=1909

As the site explains, in addition to qualifying as an Ob/Gyn, an FS has to complete 2 to 3 EXTRA YEARS of fellowship training to be recognised and this holds true in just about every country where fertility treatments are offered. In the US that's 4 years premed, 4 years med school, 4 years of Ob/Gyn residency and 2 or 3 more years of RE fellowship. Though it may not seem like much, those 2 to 3 extra years make a BIG difference in a practitioner's knowledge of the reproductive system and what to do when it gets wonky.

Even in the medical community there are a lot myths and misconceptions regarding Clomid. It IS a safe drug if used appropriately, but the cold hard truth is that doctors are only human and many of them simply don’t bother to keep track of the newest studies on the meds they prescribe. If you are taking it, then it is really important that you educate yourself and ask the hard questions when talking to your doctor.

Sorry for preaching, but I think its important for people to be aware of this.

Great post, thank you!!

[queen-of-harts]

Atomic why do you say "if i was under 35" ??? is it not comonly prescribed to 35+ in favor of injectables are stronger meds?

[XXdreaming]

Oh okay see I thought that it makes the brain think you're not producing enough estrogen so therfore you start to produce more and that's why it raises estrogen, oh but I get it now thanks for clearing that up for me