[krisb]

Hi ladies,

I have been taking Provera on & off for a year, but have just started taking it every month since we are getting more & more serious about TTC. I don't know if this is a dumb question or not so bear with me
I am scheduled to take Provera on the 16th day of my cycle every month & it makes me start my period about 10-12 days later. What happens if I miraculously get pregnant one month, but don't realize it, then go on to take my Provera on its scheduled date? Am I essentially killing the baby by taking the medicine & starting my period? Should I take a pregnancy test before I start the meds every month? And if I do that- would a preg test even pick up the right hormones on my cycle day 16?
I have been hoping that regulating my periods will also regulate my ovulation & I'll get pregnant that way- but we will be trying clomid very soon.

Thanks for your help.

[Ritzbitz]

my best advice is to ask your doctor. i really do not know what would happen if you were pregnant and were still taking provera. call your dr, i am sure they will be glad to answer !! good luck!

[Carrie429]

If you are TTC I would ask to be switched to Prometrium - it works the same/similar to Provera but is safer for pregnancy. Provera is advised against during pregnancy - It won't necessarily terminate it, but it can have adverse effects.

If you are TTC I would start charting/OPKs/etc to see if you are ovulating (or you can check with blood draws or ultrasound if going that route). How provera/prometrium works is that it simulates the hormones (progesterone) released by the corpus luteum after ovulation. If you ovulate, you shouldn't need to use the drugs to bring on AF. After you ovulate if you get pregnant, your progesterone levels should continue to increase, if you don't the levels will drop and AF comes - Provera acts that way - you take it, progesterone levels increase as if you had ovulated, you stop, they drop, AF.

HTH!!!

[Sk8ermaiden]

Totally agree. Those two drugs work pretty much the same. They are progesterone and should not really harm a fetus - lots of women are prescribed progesterone in early pregnancy.

But then there is the fact - if you are dependant on the provera to have AF, then you're not ovulating. If you are ovulating, AF will come on its own. Have you ever charted? It might give you a baseline to see if you are ovulating or maybe just ovulating later than normal.

[krisb]

I've tried charting before, could never get solid results. Temperatures were all over the place & sometimes I would skip 4-6 months in between periods. Not sure if I ovulate or not

[Sk8ermaiden]

It might help you to chart again. There are lots of women on the boards very good at helping understand them. But if you never got temp shifts then you probably were not ovulating.

IF you ovulate, you will get AF 10-16 days later. It sounds like you might not be ovulating. If that's the case, Clomid would probably be the option your doc would choose next? I don't really know.

[Carrie429]

You probably are not ovulating, which is why you need the provera to bring on AF. The chart may have been a solid result of an annovulatory cycle, which explains why you go 4-6mo w/o AF - you're not ovulating which is a very common problem with us PCOSers. Provera won't make you ovulate.
I have a lot of annovulatory cycles, too - its rough! My 2nd baby was conceived on Metformin and Clomid and I use prometrium to bring on AF if I go too long without ovulating.

[krisb]

I probably should have started charting again while on the Provera, this will be my 3rd month in a row that I've taken it. We are starting Clomid next cycle in November- should I try charting again during the clomid?

[Carrie429]

I would - it could help determine ovulation and when you should go in for labs if your doctor draws progesterone at 7dpo (or commonly CD21, assuming a CD14 ovulation).