Fertility drugs and running

Just a thought, and I'm probably out of line here, but have you considered the fact that your running may be adversely affecting your fertility? 50-60 mpw may not be much around here, but it's still considered pretty nutty by just about everyone else. Placing that kind of stress on your body can certainly affect your reproductive capacity. I'm sure that you've already discussed this with your physician, but I thought I'd bring it up anyway. Sorry I didn't really provide an answer to your question, by the way.

I took Clomid, but by that point I wasn't "training" at all. I was running about 40 miles per week and no speed/tempo stuff. I don't recall the fatigue, but it may now in my mind be overshadowed by the fatigue I felt once pregnant.

A serious question, though, is what are you training for while trying to become pregnant? Perhaps most women runners are not 100 percent into their training while undergoing fertility treatment and this is why there is a lack of information on "training" while on Clomid. Just a guess.

Thanks for the responses.

As far as I can tell, running/training only affects your fertility if it interrupts ovulation. I have been regular for years and seem to be fine as far as that goes.

I have been trying to conceive for two years. I know a lot of people get pregnant easily, but that's not happening for me. If I put off everything in life until I get pregnant, then I would be setting myself up for many disappointments and years of putting things on hold until the baby happens. Talk about messing with your head! Like it is not a difficult enough process already.

Training is just one of many things that would be affected. I am looking forward to the day that training gets interrupted by pregnancy, but I can't put off training and racing and other things I enjoy as I try to conceive. If it were interrupting ovulation or I had low body fat or some other directly related health and fertility issue, that would be a different story. For now, my running only makes me healthier.

I have not been at 50-60 mpw for the entire time I have been trying to conceive. That's just where I am comfortably settled now as I start taking Clomid. While that is a difficult level for some, it is easy for others. It is comfortable for me at my current level of fitness.

Any other experiences out there?

i can pretty much guarantee you that for most women, that kind of mileage will not affect fertility. in fact, it probably helps it.

the only time running has been shown to affect fertility is if the woman is not eating enough to have a minimum amount of body fat to have regular periods.

apparently you don't have to eat that much because starving women in 3rd world countries who have physically stressful lives far beyond the stress of running have no problem conceiving.

mammawannabe wrote:

After taking this for a few days, I was so tired all the time that I just wanted to put my head down on my desk at work and take a nap. Evenings at home are even worse, and I get about ten hours of sleep at night and still wake up feeling tired.

boy, this sounds like you are actually pregnant....is it possible at this point?

I would back off the mileage even more if you really want to get pregnant. While ovulation may not be the problem, hormone levels that support implantation could be affected. If I am not mistaken, your progesterone levels are at play in this(help from endocrinologists, please?) . The 30 to 40 mile a week range might give you a better chance, then you can bump your miles back up post baby, if you can find the time!

I just had baby #4 and had to take 2-3 rounds of Clomid with #1 and #2. I was a 70-80mpw girl normally and while getting preg with the first 3 I had to purposely limit my mileage to 4-6 miles a day. It was tough! I was able to continue running throughout my pregnancies at about the same amount, 4-6 miles a day. I found that if I did much more than 45 min, my ovulation patterns were so off that even on Clomid, I was not very regular and therefore was not able to conceive until I backed off the miles.

It seems to be an energy consumption issue. To you, 50-60 seems rather pedestrian now but your body may still shut off certain vital functions related to ovulating that may adjust if you just go down another 10-15 miles. Or, you can just try eating more. That seems to work in the same manner as you are consuming more calories. Just work to find the balance that is right for your body whether it is running less, eating more, laying off the weight training, etc.

I guess, this topic can be discussed on http://edrugforum.com/ . I've seen many topics like this on that forum. When it comes to any health issues, it's much better to post them on the specialized forums rather than general ones.

Don't worry, Babe. I'll help. ;)

This is an interesting topic bc three of my friends who were more hard core than I am and on the leaner side all had issues conceiving. Unfortunately one just gave up. Is this normal? I feel like I haven't seen much literature or science on the issue, and maybe it's just my small sample.

Here are some tips to boost fertility

1.Consume plenty of water

2.Have a healthy weight.

3.Cut caffeine.

4.Manage stress.

5.Stop drinking

6.stop smoking.

7.Have a lot of sex.

8.Eat food rich in antioxidants.

9.Eat a bigger breakfast.

10.Avoid fat foods.

11.Cut down carbs.

12.Eat more fibre.

13.Take time to relax.

14.Include iron content foods.

Eating a nutritious diet and making positive lifestyle changes can help boost fertility.

For more details

http://astermedcity.com/centresofexcellence/infertility-and-reproduction

Good nutrition is vital for a healthy body and reproductive system.Best of luck

My fertility treatments started with a laparoscopy for endo, 6 months of lupron, then clomid. I’d slowed down after the surgery but was back to 50mpw again by the time clomid was introduced. My doc didn’t see it as an issue, but did ask me to get with some protein and fat (his words). I was a vegetarian and I’m just skinny. I think I managed to put on about 10 lbs, though I wonder now how much of it was water weight from the drugs. I don’t remember being tired. I do have very, very vivid memories of lupron hot flashes and an extremely short fuse. I’d come home from work and make a beeline for my running shoes before I could accidentally inflict my pre-run self on my husband. I can’t imagine getting through the hormone nightmare without running.

If you're taking Clomid, I'm sure you're aware that there is about a 50% chance of a multiple birth. If you do have a multiple pregnancy, once you are a little ways into your pregnancy, your doctor will advise you to not run as it will be considered a high risk pregnancy and running increases the risk of pre-term labor. That being said, before we knew we were having twins, my wife and I did a marathon (while ten weeks pregnant, we had to wear a heart rate monitor to keep her level of exertion below a safe level). The next week we found out we were having twins at the ultrasound. Best of luck to you.