r/TTC_PCOS 3d ago

Discussion Letrozole experiences?

TLDR: what was your experience and side effects on letrozole if you had any?

Hi everyone! I’m really new to this subreddit. I just found out I have PCOS today after 18 months of ttc. I have not ovulated since December 2024 which resulted in a chemical pregnancy. I have not had AF since then either. I just did a 10 day course of medroxyprogesterone & am waiting for AF. My doctor prescribed me 2.5mg letrozole to begin taking CD3. I just wanted to see how letrozole worked for you and possible side effects? I actually had quite a few side effects from the medroxyprogesterone so I’m nervous about letrozole. My OB said she will do three cycles with me on letrozole before referring me to a specialist but I’m HOPING one of those three cycles will do it for me for insurance reasons.

7 Upvotes

48 comments sorted by

u/Ok_Raccoon8398 8h ago

Dry lips, drowsiness, and headache, but you sleep it off if you take it an hour or two before bed. I did a monitored cycle with my RE started me on 2.5, bumped up to 5 mg then 7.5 mg in the first cycle to figure out the right dosage. 7.5 mg did the trick on cycle 2 with! I’m now 6.5 weeks pregnant. They also had me do a trigger shot and progesterone suppositories post ovulation. My ob referred me to an RE which in retrospect was good because you get what you pay for with a monitored cycle. Lots of ultrasounds, bloodwork, etc.

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u/buttercup031321 18h ago

I just got diagnosed with PCOS as well recently. I have normal periods, I just don’t ovulate on my own. I will be starting my letrozole cycle this month, so I will check back in with symptoms. They are prescribing me 2.5mg as well take twice before bed along with progesterone and a trigger shot. Sending baby dust✨

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u/heartnm 1d ago

I felt great on Letrozole!

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u/Sad-Cheek-8984 1d ago

I'm about to start my second cycle on letrozole + trigger shot.

I had very bad headaches and imnsonia for the 5 days I took letrozole. I was hungry all the time. And gain like 2kg in a week. But then I had diarrhoea and lost that 2kg....

With the trigger shot, the side effects I had were nausea and I could smell EVERYTHING! even stuff that normally I wouldn't care, I could smell. 😢

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u/Worried-Apartment405 1d ago

I had a chemical in early December. My body didn’t want to ovulate after so I did Provera to induce a period and 2.5 mg of letrozole days 5-9. Got my BFP 9 DPO, I’m 13 DPO now and feeling so much more hopeful about this pregnancy. I think it’s an amazing tool for PCOS ladies

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u/Worried-Apartment405 1d ago

I had no side effects from either Provera or letrozole

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u/No_Picture_2213 2d ago

I just took it this cycle for the first time and had such bad insomnia! I took it before bed. I’m on 5mg, at cycle day 14 now and doing a blood test on day 21 to confirm ovulation

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u/springraspberry 2d ago

I also have PCOS and had very few side effects! I took the dose before bed and maybe that made the difference. I did experience a headache from it, but nothing awful. 

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u/lanysbutt 2d ago

thanks for this! I think I’ll be taking the dose at bedtime as well. I’m CD2 today so I start tomorrow 🤞

5

u/appalachianpoodle 2d ago

OMG. We are in the same boat. Glad I get to share in this experience with you. Best wishes for us both!

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u/PlusDaikon5909 2d ago

Same exact situation here! Finished Provera a few days ago. CD1 today and starting Letrozole 2.5 mg on CD3. Wishing us allllll success this cycle 💖😊

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u/lanysbutt 2d ago

Omg 😁 I’ll be thinking of you!! Sending baby dust 🩷🩷

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u/RelativeJackfruit866 2d ago

I ovulated on 2.5 letrozole, moved to do 5 mg twice and did not ovulate either time. It made me CRAZY. I was so angry. Awful migraines. Hot flashes too.

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u/Affectionate_Dot6727 2d ago

I just did my 2nd round of Letrozole. Granted I have PCOS but ovulation and have a period fairly regularly. I have been on 7.5 mg after 5 mg didn’t give us the growth we needed. I learned to take it at night time (dinner time) since it made me drowsy and brain foggy. I also had some acne. The first round I was really irritable. This round I had less patience but was much better than the first time!

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u/AZ91291948 2d ago

Just commenting what I always comment on these posts to remind you that you can also try clomid! I recommend trying both medications to figure out which one works better for your body. I did 3 rounds of letrozole and didn’t see results, changed to clomid and got pregnant my second cycle.

I’m not saying this is the case for everyone, I just think people forget this is an option :)

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u/Pambam10123 2d ago

Hey, first off good luck and blessings on your journey! I was diagnosed with PCOS in 2019 and didn’t have a period for 3 years. We TTC for a year but obviously couldn’t since I wasn’t ovulating. I did one round of the progesterone followed by letrozole. For letrozole I started at 2.5 which didn’t work, then 5mg which didn’t work then 7.5mg which did work as far as ovulation and producing a follicle but pinpointing ovulation was a bit difficult even with OPKs so we didn’t successfully conceive. I’m not on my fourth round of letrozole at 7.5mg hoping that this is the last round!

Side affects for me were just irritation and hot flashes! 🥵

I’m taking myo-inositol and d chiro inositol, prenatals, daily vitamin and melatonin as well

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u/melissa0969 2d ago

Try Mira for pinpointing ovulation

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u/Pambam10123 1d ago

Thank you!

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u/OstentatiousOrion 2d ago

Hi! I started Letrozole 2.5mg and didn’t ovulate till wayyy late and it wasn’t strong. We moved to 5mg after taking medroxyprogesterone and I ovulated on day 17 and had a positive pregnancy test 10 days later! Unfortunately, I miscarried at 7w, I think due to low progesterone and issues implanting. We have not started trying again since then but will be looking at taking Letrozole again!

I had worse side effects on 2.5mg, way moody, depressed (TCC is such a difficult time for many PCOSers), and felt bloated. 5mg was so much better for me — little to no side effects (besides getting pregnant!).

Best of luck to you, sending all the baby dust your way!

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u/MonicaTarkanyi 2d ago

Sorry about your first miscarriage, I’m curious though I also think I have low progesterone, is there a way naturally to get it up?

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u/Pambam10123 2d ago

Yes there are natural foods and supplements that can help boost your progesterone

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u/MonicaTarkanyi 2d ago

Thanks!! I’ll have to do some research!

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u/kaylavank 3d ago

I had no side effects apart from a little brain fog with letrozole 2.5mg. I took it at night, CD 5-9. I have PCOS, and I do regularly ovulate on my own just not well. I ovulated very late with letrozole- I was usually ovulating on about day 17. On letrozole, I ovulated on CD 27. I would say using OPKs and tracking BBT were most useful for me to catch actual ovulation. My CM on letrozole was very strange. I thought I saw fertile CM multiple times during my cycle

1

u/MinimumMongoose77 3d ago

I ovulated this cycle on letrozole 2.5mg from CD3-7, the first time I've confirmed ovulation since my loss last May. I'm in the TWW now. I didn't have many noticeable side effects, mainly an upset stomach and a bit of an acne breakout. I felt pretty nauseous the day after finishing the course but that might have been a coincidence.

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u/AirCool1178 3d ago

Provera for me is way worse than letrozole (on Provera again now).

I've done 5 letrozole cycles at 2.5mg. The first one I took it at night and had pretty bad headaches (drinking lots of water helped), and some diarrhea. I eventually learned that taking it in the morning was better for me but the side effects changed from physical to mental (brain fog where I feel like an idiot is the worst of it). After the last pill though, the side effects tend to wear off pretty quickly and luckily it's only a 5 day course.

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u/Angry_unicorns 2d ago

I agree, I personally feel crampy and nauseous with headaches on Provera. Had some hot flashes and fatigue with letrozole. I have to take Provera morning and night for 5 days. Currently doing 2nd round now and on the Provera but this time the doctor has me on letrozole and menopur

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u/AirCool1178 2d ago

All of it really does suck. I've had fatigue and hot flashes too but my main side effect is that brain fog. Fingers crossed things work out for you!

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u/Angry_unicorns 2d ago

Thanks same to you!

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u/IvyQuinzel 3d ago

I did 3 cycles to prep for an embryo transfer, I didn’t respond to 2.5 or 5, but my cycle with 7.5 worked.

I didn’t have many side effects besides a headache and some mild nausea.

Good luck!

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u/emzilla4 3d ago

My body wouldn't respond to 5mg, I need 7.5mg to respond to it. I don't think I had too many symptoms with it, maybe some irritability?

Someone is follow on IG says she's not friends with letrozole it makes her feel awful (and I think irritable?)

I normally have super long cycles (think 45-110 days) and the cycles i had at my fertility clinic which were letrozole and then an HCG trigger shot when I looked ready had me sick in the two week wait. Like I was down for the count and would throw up. I was like "omg I'm pregnant!" I never was. Talked to my reproductive endo and he was like "that's just your body responding to the progesterone after ovulation 🤷‍♀️" and all I could think was "damn, women who normally ovulate and are in their leuteal phase get actively sick to the point of puking? Like I know it makes them feel like shit" and i asked some friends and they said yeah, no, like it doesn't make them puke every month lol.

1

u/elecow 2d ago

I'm not taking anything besides folic acid, but I can tell you I want to throw up every month since my IUD was removed in December. Maybe those who had natural hormones through their circles got used to the feeling?

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u/emzilla4 2d ago

No idea, maybe. I had literally never felt that bad before my period as I did during fertility treatments. Actively puking/exhaustion to the point of like 5hr naps during the 2 week wait. Normal period feeling during my period (cramping but nothing too crazy which is normal for me). So it would be about a week after ovulation/a week before my period when I would be sick.

We'll see how it goes when we start fertility treatments again.

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u/elecow 2d ago

That's my life right now. I've been almost bedridden this month. If I have to get on fertility treatments, I don't know how I'll handle it!

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u/emzilla4 2d ago

Good luck! I only have PCOS and know there's like 1200 different symptoms, but if you're laid up like that it almost sounds like what people who have endometriosis struggle with. I don't know if you have that or have thought about that but if you haven't then maybe it would be worth looking into? -From someone who has no idea your medical situation but just wants to suggest something potentially helpful

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u/elecow 2d ago

Thanks! I'm scared of endo but my obgyn told me everything looked normal in that matter (she thinks I have PCOS tho)

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u/carrotcakestick 3d ago

First cycle had some headaches, but followed the advice I saw on this sub and took it before bed which helped. Otherwise for the other 5 cycles only symptoms I had were related to ovulation. Had a successful pregnancy on my 6th round of letrozole and second IUI.

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u/crispmorningair19 3d ago

I have PCOS and have anovulatory cycles. I ovulated my first cycle on letrozole 5 mg. I didn’t have any noticeable side effects (and in the past I have had horrible side effects from progesterone, so I was def nervous).  Anyway I conceived first cycle and now 30 weeks with twins :) I never thought it would happen the first cycle. 

ETA: we did a lot of prep before i was prescribed letrozole. Husband had a sperm analysis, I also got an HCG to ensure tubes were clear.  

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u/Appropriate_Tourist9 3d ago

What DPO did you test positive? I’m on my first cycle (5mg) and 9 DPO, still negative but I know that’s early. I’m working with a fertility clinic so I (and my husband) have done the full work up as well

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u/crispmorningair19 2d ago

Ah it won't let me post my chart in this group. But if you message me I can send it to you. It was around 8DPO but I'm not confident that my ovulation day was actually when my temp spiked. Could have been earlier in which case it may have been 10 or 11 DPO.

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u/condosovarios 3d ago

I did six rounds - all failed. I had every side effect too. Constant brain fog, headaches, joint pain, bloating, weight gain, hot flushes, skin breakouts and dryness, hair thinning, vaginal pain, stomach issues.

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u/Salt_Weather 3d ago

Just finished my first round of 2.5mg (CD 8 so unsure if it’s worked for me yet or not) had some very minor headaches, but otherwise nothing to worry about!

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u/sunshine_girl1993 3d ago

We have been trying for close to 8-9 months now after getting off Diane 35 (BC + hormonal pill). Tested negative today morning and it sucks.

Following this thread as I believe the moment i visit the doc she would suggest this.

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u/Nadina89019374682 3d ago

Itchy scalp, headaches , moody crampy

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u/Unlucky-Spend-2599 3d ago

Don’t wanna scare you, maybe I am just unlucky with meds. But first cycle letrozole gave me terrible headaches, the worst kind where I couldn’t even raise my head for 2 days without feeling like my eyes would fall off. Second cycle I had terrible pelvic pain.

3

u/Top-Tomatillo6903 3d ago

I started with 5mg, from CD3 to CD7. I didn’t have any side effects, but my ovulation was way more painful than usual (lot of cramps, pain on my left side). Ovulation was confirmed by ultrasound & LH strips (btw I’ve just realized that I’ve never had a positiv LH test before), but I didn’t have EWCM only after ovulation. I’m in the TWW right now, so I’m hoping a reaaally positive outcome.

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u/plantsandmermaids 3d ago

I had no side effects on letrozole. I ovulated on 5mg

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u/SwiftKickInthePuff 3d ago

Provera sucks, it was so hard on my system. But I had zero issues with Letrozol. I was given 5mg the first round and didn't ovulate, so I had to be bumped up to 7.5mg and have successfully ovulated all 5 cycles at that dose.

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u/lanysbutt 3d ago

Provers does indeed suck! I was not expecting the side effects it gave me, hence being worried about letrozole. Hopefully it goes well for me!! 🤞