Calling all PCOSers!!

[cherry22]

After more than 4 years of trying to concive and 3 M/Cs my GP has refferd me and my OH to see a fertillity specailist,

So now i have this appointment i dont want to waste it by being fobbed off with crappy answers!

So i would like to ask anyone else out there who has also seen a specailist what type of important questions should i ask?
How do be assertive enough that i get the answers im looking for with out sounding rude!!
Im needing more than a little motivation at the moment to keep going!!
I want to start on clomid can enyone tell me what its like?
Also i have been told that metformin will only be given to very over weight women who need to loose weight and control insulin levels but i thought that all women with pcos have insulin resistance?

Thank you all for your help xx

 

[MillieMoo]

Hi Cherry. I was diagnosed with PCOS in may last year and as soon as the fs made this diagnosis he put me straight onto Metformin. I only weigh just under 9 stone so i'm not over weight at all but like you said it's not just to help you lose weight it also help rebalance your hormones.

The metformin didn't shorten my cycles though so after 3 months of trying with just met the fs then gave me clomid.

I'm not really sure what questions to ask as our fs was really good and just explained everything to us so there was no need for questions but i would say that if they give you a plan of action of what they are going to try make sure you really understand what they are doing and why etc.

Before leaving our appointment I made sure i knew what the next plan of action would be and when our next appointment would be. This helped me as it means i knew that if the first treatment didn't work then i had something else to try next time and look forward to.

Hopefully you'll have a great fs and they will just explain everything to you and give you what you want.

Good luck!

 

[sparkle83]

I'd be asking for blood tests for fsh, lh, oestradiol, prolactin, tsh on cd#3, also a fasting glucose (to check for the insulin resistance). Also an u/s to diagnose the pcos, plus ask about HSG (they put dye inside and xray to check tubes/uterus are clear) and for dh a basic semen analysis.

Ask for a time frame for metformin/clomid, how long you'll do each, whether they'll take progesterone levels on cd21. also what to do if you fall pregnant, whether you'll give you hcg blood tests/early scans.

be prepared with cycle history and details of your m/c (how far along etc).

good luck sweets!

 

[chocolate]

Just to let you know there is a brillian thread in the miscarriage section about PCOS - hn1 has some great info on PCOS and miscarriages or problems that could cause miscarriages on her visitors board in her profile. Well worth a look

 

[Dancingkaty1]

hi i was diagnosed with polycysts on my ovary last june & saw my fs at end of aug for 1st time....i think its important to write down a list of everything you want to ask or mention as i know i came out feeling frustrated that i had forgotten to mention certain things!!!

Def ask for the day 3 & 21 bloods & a sperm test......then assuming how the results are with those i would of thought they would put you on clomid. Are you having periods? I am lucky in the fact i have always had periods but because of that i was shocked about the diagnosis of the polycysts. I had all the bloodwork done & it appeared i was ovulating ok but the fs said she would put me on clomid still but after a hycosy ( where they flush dye thru tubes to see if blocked) i had that done in sept & am now on my 3rd cycle of clomid.....

i would def push for what ever you want.....say exactly what you want.....i have found you dont really get what you want unlesss you are pushy.....i have had symptoms of endometriosis last year which got worse every mth, my fs said i didnt need a lap & dye as all my scans showed no endo.....i spoke to my doc who said that this is rubbish & infact scans wouldnt show it up!! he refered me to a private hospital & i saw a endometriosis specialist who agreed i need the lap!

I really hope you appointment goes well, wishing you all the best xx

 

[Lol78]

I have PCOS. I (think) I am currently having my second chemical pregnancy so I'm calling the doctors this morning for an appointment where I was to get a referral. If you look at the thread in miscarriage support it has some good advice.
I'll let you know how I get on. Hb, chocolate, you and I seem to be at a similar stage, trying to get/being referred at the moment.

 

[cherry22]

Thanks ladies that gave me loads of help.

Millimoo im glad to hear your getting there! i was diagnosed with pcos about 4 years ago now and was told there was no need for eny treatment. iv asked over and over about metformin only to get the brush off from my gp.

Dancingkaty1 i was havin periods but when i had my last m\c in july iv only had 2 periods and my cycles were really different! i thought i had ovulated 2weeks before christmas and when my af didnt arrive i was soooooo excited on christmas day i did a test BFN!! and still no sign of it!! i will push though as im not coping very well with it all at the moment!!

Lol78 if you dont mind me asking what is a chemical pregnancy? iv never heard of it before?? i lost my 1st really early on, 2nd was complecated but i was 16 wks it broke my heart and 3rd was technically 12wks but i was'nt coz without sounding graffic what came out wasnt a 12wks so i think it had gone weeks before!!!
life is really crappy but im trying to stay saine!!

thanks again x

 

[hb1]

Hi there Cherry - I'm currently lurking around the miscarriage section and don't know if I can be part of LTTTC section as only trying since May but I have been referred to a specialist re PCOS and trying to ensure I don't go through that again and my appointment is Monday - will let you know how I get on - obviously as no PCOSer seems to be the same it might differ to how yours goes but any info is good in my eyes!! I'll def be asking for a hormonal profile. I was on metformin for years and they told me to come off it in May so will also be asking about my insulin resistance and going back on the metformin. Am taking my oh so he doesn't feel left out of all the testing ! Fingers crossed it all goes well for you too hx

 

[Anatelle]

I wanted to post a link with for a website with so many information about PCOS, you don’t need to read anything else. But this forum won’t let me. They wrote this: “In an effort to stamp out forum SPAM only members with 10 posts or more can post website links or email addresses.”

Anyway, if you google: INCIID and PCOS, it should be the 1st link proposed.

I was diagnosed with PCOS about 2 years ago. I am pretty slim (with a BMI around 18.5/18.8) and have been prescribed metformin and clomid. I started metformin in October (1500mg per day) and it regulated by cycles. They used to be around 70 days, but are now around 35 days. So they don’t only prescribe it for overweight people. I started Clomid 50mg end of November but didn’t ovulate. I then went to 100mg and had 4 dominant follicles. I also had an injection of HCG (Ovitrelle). Can’t wait to find out if I’m pregnant or not…

I have another friend who has PCOS. She’s very slim too. She irregular cycles as a teen, and went on the pill. When she stopped it (10 years later) she never had her periods anymore. Even Norethisterone didn’t induce her periods. She took metformin for one year (200mg per day) and it regulated her periods within a month!! She only started to try conceiving after 10 months of metformin. And got pregnant within 2 months. She was on metformin alone. She’s now 7months pregnant and all healthy.

Good luck.

 

[imogenwanted]

thanks great web site

 

[Carrie29]

I wanted to post a link with for a website with so many information about PCOS, you don’t need to read anything else. But this forum won’t let me. They wrote this: “In an effort to stamp out forum SPAM only members with 10 posts or more can post website links or email addresses.”

Anyway, if you google: INCIID and PCOS, it should be the 1st link proposed.

I was diagnosed with PCOS about 2 years ago. I am pretty slim (with a BMI around 18.5/18.8) and have been prescribed metformin and clomid. I started metformin in October (1500mg per day) and it regulated by cycles. They used to be around 70 days, but are now around 35 days. So they don’t only prescribe it for overweight people. I started Clomid 50mg end of November but didn’t ovulate. I then went to 100mg and had 4 dominant follicles. I also had an injection of HCG (Ovitrelle). Can’t wait to find out if I’m pregnant or not…

I have another friend who has PCOS. She’s very slim too. She irregular cycles as a teen, and went on the pill. When she stopped it (10 years later) she never had her periods anymore. Even Norethisterone didn’t induce her periods. She took metformin for one year (200mg per day) and it regulated her periods within a month!! She only started to try conceiving after 10 months of metformin. And got pregnant within 2 months. She was on metformin alone. She’s now 7months pregnant and all healthy.

Good luck.

Hi, did your doc prescribe the metforim or did you have to get that from a gyne?

Cheers

 

[cheerios]

Hey you all! Great posts about PCOS! May I ask if any of you have tried both Metformin and Clomid? Can you tell me the pros and cons of both?

Also, can all PCOSers use Metformin? Or is that only a type of Pcosers???

 

[hb1]

This is a very indepth metformin thread on soulcycsters with lots of links to metformin related info:
https://www.soulcysters.net/faq-about-metformin-48708/

The only problem I encountered with metformin was the nausea but helps to take with food - I was on 500mg 3 times a day but had this changed to 850mg twice a day as easier just to have with lunch and dinner. Metformin is not a fertility drug but stabalising the insulin resistance can aid hormonal balancing. Clomid is a fertility drug here is a link re clomid :
https://www.babyhopes.com/articles/clomid.html

I have no experience with clomid but am sure plenty of PCOSers on here do!

Cheers hx

 

[MillieMoo]

Hey you all! Great posts about PCOS! May I ask if any of you have tried both Metformin and Clomid? Can you tell me the pros and cons of both?

Also, can all PCOSers use Metformin? Or is that only a type of Pcosers???

I have been on both met and clomid now for almost 6 months and i do have regular cycles now. I am on slow release metformin so i take it with my breakfast and dinner and i've never really had any side effects from it.

The clomid is a bit different as it does mess with your hormones and can make you very depressed and upset all the time but now i'm on my 6th month i don't get any side effects. Its a small price to pay tho.

 

[hb1]

Hey Milliemoo - is there a benefit to slow releasing met? Was on met for years came off when ttc, am going to specialist on Monday after mc last month so it may be worth me asking about this as will most likely be going back on.

Any advice appreciated, much obliged hx

 

[Anatelle]

Hi Carrie29,

It's my gyne who prescribed Metformin. But I am pretty sure a GP ca do it.

 

[DragonMummy]

Yeah my GP prescribed my metformin x

 

[MillieMoo]

Hey Milliemoo - is there a benefit to slow releasing met? Was on met for years came off when ttc, am going to specialist on Monday after mc last month so it may be worth me asking about this as will most likely be going back on.

Any advice appreciated, much obliged hx

I think the only benefit of the slow release met is that the side effects are reduced. Basically the drug is released slowly into your system so doesn't mess with your body so much!

 

[annmc30]

hi ive got pcos been trying since i had my 14yr old been 2 the gyne for over 2yrs my bmi was 37 they put me on met and clomid was on them for 2yrs sill on the met now had 1 m/c last augs but now my bmi is down to 27 i start ivf on the 27th jan

 

[imogenwanted]

a huge well done on the weight lose good luck for the 27th x