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Irregular Periods. Taken Clomid. Chances Of Getting Pregnant?
Question: Hi, may I answer your health queries right now ? i am 45yrs old and desperately want one more baby, my periods are regular up until XXXXXXX this year and then became 5wks apart instead of 4wks, i havent had a period now since 6th of feb, i have taken pregancy tests and all have been neg but could i still be pregnant? and can i still get pregnant with irregular periods, i had a course of clomid for 6mths with no luck, HELP!!!!
Hello,
Thanks for your question.
Well, the question you have asked has been asked by many.But let me try to explain the mechanics in a detail.
At 45, you are almost in the early peri-menopausal age group where you have started the journey into menopause.
Basically what happens is that as your age advances, the quality and quantity of your own eggs deteriorate as time goes by. Due to the depletion of eggs, one rarely ovulates after the age of 40. By the time you are in your mid forties, the chances of having good quality eggs is almost 10-15%. Hence, the possibility of getting pregnant with your own eggs after age 43-45 is pretty low. Here, it should be noted that the paternal age also matters. Although he can father children almost till age 60-65, the quality of the sperm also deteriorates. With low quality eggs and sperms, the chances of chromosomal abnormalities and birth defects are also high and often the pregnancy ends up in complications like miscarriage, Downs' syndrome etc. Advanced age pregnancies also have some complications like high blood pressure, Diabetes, Placenta preavia, miscarriage etc.
On another note however, the use of donor eggs is feasible in such cases because eggs donated by younger women are much healthier and of good quality, thereby, casuing reduction in complications.
To answer your question now, You have already undergone 6 months of treatment with clomid which is a drug helping in ovulation induction. From what you say, the treatment was not successful. In your case, this is the scenario that i see:
1.You have irregular periods since last couple of months: That is because you are probably in early menopause and hence your cycles will get more irregular and you may skip months between cycles. That occurs normally in per menopausal women.
2.You need to get ovulation studies done to determine whether you are ovulation at all or not.Your doctor may also put your on hormone injections/drugs like last time to get maximum benefit.
3.If you are still ovulating and have good quality eggs, then you probably shouldnt go for natural conception. Intrauterine insemination is a procedure that helps in such cases.
4.If you are not ovulating at all, even with help of drugs, then the chances of becoming pregnant with your own eggs is remote. In such cases donor eggs are usually used and IVF is the procedure done.
5.You may have be able to use your own eggs, but there is a definite chance of bearing a child.
6.Nowadays,with good general condition and no health problems, most women even over 40 can bear a healthy child.
7. You will need the help of a fertility specialist at this point and natural conception will not be easy. I suggest that you see a specialist, get your options known,and then decide how to proceed.
I hope I have managed to address all your queries.Please do contact me if you need any clarifications.
Best regards
Thanks for your question.
Well, the question you have asked has been asked by many.But let me try to explain the mechanics in a detail.
At 45, you are almost in the early peri-menopausal age group where you have started the journey into menopause.
Basically what happens is that as your age advances, the quality and quantity of your own eggs deteriorate as time goes by. Due to the depletion of eggs, one rarely ovulates after the age of 40. By the time you are in your mid forties, the chances of having good quality eggs is almost 10-15%. Hence, the possibility of getting pregnant with your own eggs after age 43-45 is pretty low. Here, it should be noted that the paternal age also matters. Although he can father children almost till age 60-65, the quality of the sperm also deteriorates. With low quality eggs and sperms, the chances of chromosomal abnormalities and birth defects are also high and often the pregnancy ends up in complications like miscarriage, Downs' syndrome etc. Advanced age pregnancies also have some complications like high blood pressure, Diabetes, Placenta preavia, miscarriage etc.
On another note however, the use of donor eggs is feasible in such cases because eggs donated by younger women are much healthier and of good quality, thereby, casuing reduction in complications.
To answer your question now, You have already undergone 6 months of treatment with clomid which is a drug helping in ovulation induction. From what you say, the treatment was not successful. In your case, this is the scenario that i see:
1.You have irregular periods since last couple of months: That is because you are probably in early menopause and hence your cycles will get more irregular and you may skip months between cycles. That occurs normally in per menopausal women.
2.You need to get ovulation studies done to determine whether you are ovulation at all or not.Your doctor may also put your on hormone injections/drugs like last time to get maximum benefit.
3.If you are still ovulating and have good quality eggs, then you probably shouldnt go for natural conception. Intrauterine insemination is a procedure that helps in such cases.
4.If you are not ovulating at all, even with help of drugs, then the chances of becoming pregnant with your own eggs is remote. In such cases donor eggs are usually used and IVF is the procedure done.
5.You may have be able to use your own eggs, but there is a definite chance of bearing a child.
6.Nowadays,with good general condition and no health problems, most women even over 40 can bear a healthy child.
7. You will need the help of a fertility specialist at this point and natural conception will not be easy. I suggest that you see a specialist, get your options known,and then decide how to proceed.
I hope I have managed to address all your queries.Please do contact me if you need any clarifications.
Best regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
Answered by
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