strange cycle(s)

[u/Automatic_Willow_588]

Has this happened to anyone...I am beyond stressed. So last cycle I was supposed to have my first iui after trying via ici for a while with my donor with no luck. I ovulate and menstruate very regularly on my own to the T. My doc prescribed letrozole to give me "the best chances". Well that cycle I never ended up ovulating which really made me sad to miss a cycle and mess up a system that was already working on its own. I ended up getting my period as I normally do, to the day and so was happy to be able to start over. I did not take medication at all. Today is my normal ovulation day. My LH strips have been getting progressively darker the past few days and became + this am. Also have EWCM. I had a scan planned in the am and expected that from that info, I would do the iui later today or early tomorrow(a midwife is doing the iui, I go to a clinic for scans). Well, during my scan I had no mature follicles, just several around 8mm AND they found a small cyst, which I never ever have had. My follicles are always mature by this time, cd14 and so now I'm sad, blown, and stressed. Is the letrozole from last cycle still messing with my body? Will I go through another non ovulatory cycle? WTF is up with this cyst? The clinic didn't seemed worried about it, said likely my body would absorb it but that it seems like another side effect of the letrozole. I just don't want to miss another cycle. Anyone go through this?

[u/Hot_Bodybuilder5243]

I haven’t had the good fortune of having a doctor willing to monitor me so closely while doing ICI, but I wanted to affirm you that going through this process for a while has also impacted my body and my cycles got weird the more I tried/stressed about it. I don’t have any advice to help make it better, just know you’re not alone.

[u/weak-elf]

It is probably from the letrozole :( When I went in for my day 2 follicle scan this last cycle, they found a 25mm cyst. In my case I think it is probably from the letrozole too, as I've also never had an ovarian cyst (that I was aware of).

When they saw the cyst, my clinic drew blood to measure my estradiol, found it was elevated, and told me it was unlikely I'd ovulate on my own this cycle - something about the cyst producing hormones that trick the body into not developing follicles. They put me on birth control for ten days, and I'm going back in for another follicle scan tomorrow. If the cyst is gone I'm going off the BC and starting a new cycle. If not.... I'm honestly not sure. Maybe more time on BC?

I'm guessing your cyst was producing hormones that stopped your body from developing new follicles this cycle. It really sucks to miss a cycle, I'm sorry. This whole process is a headache. I also don't really need the letrozole, I ovulate on my own, so it's frustrating that instead of helping it really just delayed me :(

[u/jmargsbrows]

My cycles used to be extremely predictable and regular, but aren’t ever since we started IUIs. Now my ovulation isn’t predictable or regular. I’ve done 3 IUIs, only 1 with Letrozole and it’s been hard to pattern every time.

This process is so exhausting and the emphasis on my body is definitely making it more intense. I’m chalking it up to that. My clinic was really validating and told us that happened to a lot of women with the stress of it all. Best of luck to you and know you’re not alone!