Metformin & PCOS

[JL1363]

Thanks SweetMel and Krissie!! I feel pretty much the same way - nervous but excited! I'll feel better once they retest my hCG on Monday to make sure everything is rising as it should be. And I definitely agree, this is going to be a trend for all you ladies!!

Baby - Fx that the evil witch shows soon so you can start your new cycle (and that your cycles are regulating!!). How many days was your last cycle?

 

[StayHopeful]

Congrats and FX, JL!

Ok ladies, I'm not sure what to think. This is my 2nd cycle on only Metformin, last cycle I o'd on CD 35. We're saving for IVF so not doing much monitoring (too expensive), but I am getting my progesterone level checked periodically to confirm o and to make sure it's where it should be after o. I've been tracking my bbt in the meantime to try to see when I o and we're bding about every other day. Last month I saw a slight rise in my bbt, went in for my progesterone bloodwork, and it confirmed that I had just o'd so I stopped temping. This month though, my temp has been all over the place. Two weeks ago I was sick and had a fever, so my temp rose but it turned out not to be from o. I had bloodwork two weeks ago and my progesterone was .45, then last Monday I had it done again and it was over 1. The doctor said that was still a pre-o number. So we bd'd Tues and Thurs and were planning on bding again tonight. But today I had bad AF-like cramps. I've never had cramps like this before except for the first day of AF. And I've had a little bit of spotting. Can I get AF without oing? It's possible that I did o sometime last week after Monday, but I don't think so... my temp had risen on Thursday but was back down again on Friday, I didn't temp this morning because I slept in and didn't get up at my normal time. I don't know what to think! The cramps and spotting have me so confused! Any thoughts?

 

[SweetMel]

StayHopeful, You can have cramps at any time of your cycle. I’ve had bad cramps when I ovulate. I have had cycles where I cramped everyday for two weeks and only found relief when AF started. You can also experience spotting during ovulation as the egg “bursts” through the ovarian wall. Are you taking any supplements or anything other than metformin and clomid?

 

[Bunny_Boo]

I'm so behind on this thread congrats JL that is just amazing news!! Good luck for a sticky bean, I certainly have my fx for you!!

Still no AF for me, not sure where's she's went? thought I had slight cramps yesterday but I'm sure it was in my head! Only other (random) news I have is I woke up with such sore cracked lips my body is a disaster! determined to go swimming today though! Tryin to stick to swimming three times a week.

 

[babyjla]

Jl, my first cycle without provera was 34 days. My last cycle (2nd without provera) was 44days. So I'm on CD31 today, & still having lots of pms. I'm very hopeful AF will come before CD44, but even if it does come then, atleast its still in the same ball park. & my last AF was very light & splotchy, so I'm hopeful this one wont be super super heavy. Last cycle was a nice repreave from the ridiculously heavy cycles. My last cycle was like they were in high school, before I got diagnosed with pcos, before I gained 75lbs, & before they quit coming at all. So I'm hopeful it will be atleast an easy AF.

 

[JL1363]

Stayhopeful - I'm not sure it's actually possible to get a real af without a period, but it's definitely possible to have estrogen breakthrough bleeding - which is basically caused by high estrogen for too long during a cycle (which is common if you have pcos and anovulatory cycles). Basically your lining thickens too much and eventually begins to "leak". I had it happen to me several times before I started clomid to make me o. Sometimes it would stop on it's own and other times I would have to take provera to get the bleeding to stop and then subsequently trigger a real af.

Bunny - thanks for the congrats Fx that af shows soon for you and good job with the swimming!!

Baby - So glad to hear that af has been a bit better for you! It sounds like it could be a sign of your body regulating Fx af shows soon and that it's a nice and easy one again!!

 

[StayHopeful]

StayHopeful, You can have cramps at any time of your cycle. I’ve had bad cramps when I ovulate. I have had cycles where I cramped everyday for two weeks and only found relief when AF started. You can also experience spotting during ovulation as the egg “bursts” through the ovarian wall. Are you taking any supplements or anything other than metformin and clomid?

I'm only taking Metformin, I did several rounds of Clomid last year and all bfn. The Met is to hopefully regulate me a bit while we wait for IVF so we can try in the meantime.

 

[Aein]

JL, good luck dear once again

Baby, atleast the AF now put u in comfort i am sure

Bunny, after a long time.... ohh God i hooe the witch didnt caught you unless fx'd for you too

Stayhopeful, i am getting my AF on time and Dr said you are not Oing, but BBT shown each month when i Ovulate, you can check my graph. Rest this month scan confirmed me Ovulated after HCG shot and see BBT also shoed O after a day so... hopefully you will get a perfect resukt soon, good luck

Afm, today was not much titred and sleepy day, but i'm feeling crams on left lower abdomen and sometimes i though may be AF is here, meanwhile 3rd day started on Progesterone

 

[Aein]

Stayhopeful, so you Dr didnt put you on Clomid wirh Met, i heard they both do miracle
and even have they scan you for the time you Oing or not? Follicle growth etc??

 

[babyjla]

Well ladies, I didnt have much time ealier to share the dream I had last night with you all so I'm going to now. It was so cruel. I've been having AF cramps, & in my sleep I could feel the cramps. Well, in my dream I was pregnant & going into labor. I had a successful pregnancy with a healthy baby boy, & was sooo ready to meet my child. Each time I had a cramp, in my dream it was a contraction. It felt soooo real, I could almost cry just thinking about it. It was such a cruel dream. I hate my body for working with my mind to trick me. Ughhh, why couldnt it just be real?

 

[StayHopeful]

Stayhopeful, so you Dr didnt put you on Clomid wirh Met, i heard they both do miracle
and even have they scan you for the time you Oing or not? Follicle growth etc??

I did 5 rounds of Clomid last year. It didn't work well for me, on 50mg I was really overstimulated and even on 25mg I was getting 3 follicles and my endometrial lining was really thin. I even did an IUI with my last round of Clomid, then my doctor switched me to Femara and then to Menopur injections for 2 more IUIs. They were all BFN, so our next step is IVF. Since we have to save for several months and I was having really long natural cycles when I didn't take Clomid or another drug, the doctor decided to try me on Metformin while we're waiting to see if it would help stimulate o and shorten my cycles. We're not doing any ultrasounds or anything because we're not doing any follicle stimulating drugs. The bloodwork is just because I've had trouble with low progesterone levels after o before, they think that's what caused my first mc. So they want to make sure that if and when I do o, they put me on progesterone suppositories. My first cycle of Metformin only I o'd on CD 35 but BFN. This cycle I still hadn't o'd by last Monday and now with the cramps and spotting, I don't know what to think. My BBT has always been pretty reliable as far as showing o, but for the past few weeks it's been all over the place. I think it may be because I had a fever when I was sick.

 

[StayHopeful]

Babyj, hugs! That dream sounds horrible. I hate how cruel ttc can be.

 

[krissie328]

Hey ladies- I am having a roller coaster of a night! I took a ic hpt this afternoon. I left if and came back, however, I don't know how long it was. And there was a very very faint line, I took another one and watched it and I think there was a line on that one as well. But then I took a first response and nothing. I know to wait and use fmu, but I am not sure if I will be able to sleep through this now. I have never seen a second line, not even an evap. So trying to convince myself it is nothing is next to impossible. I am going to test in the morning, but the 9 hours until then seems like an eternity!

 

[SweetMel]

Krissie, I so hope you are! Try to get a few hours sleep. FX’d for you!

 

[SweetMel]

StayHopeful,

Estrogen Dominance

Symptoms of estrogen dominance:
Allergy symptoms like asthma, hives, and thyroid issues
Breast cancer
Breast tenderness
Decreased sex drive
Depression with agitation and/or anxiety
Dry eyes
Early onset of menstruation
Fat gain, usually around the middles
Fatigue

“Estrogen dominance” is a term used to describe an excess of estrogen in the body. This can cause hypertension, water retention, abnormal blood clotting, and increased risk of uterine and breast cancer.


Some foods have an estrogen like effect on the body. Those foods include soy products, fennel seed, cinnamon, alfalfa, apples, beets, cherries, chickpeas, citrus fruits, black-eyed peas, dairy foods, flax seeds, potatoes, wheat, yams, pomegranates, red beans, sunflower seeds, sage, blueberries, apricots, dried dates, mung bean

It is best to avoid bottled water as some of the plastics in the bottle can contribute to hormonal imbalance due to their estrogen mimicking chemicals. Avoid drinking and eating from plastic containers, and especially avoid reheating food in plastic containers. Doctors have found a link in many relates symptoms with the consumption of materials in plastic containers. Styrofoam mimics estrogen and can interfere with hormone balances, potentially causing thyroid trouble and menstrual irregularities.

I copied this down a while back. I wish I had kept track of the source. I know it was from a website that was talking about a PCOS diet, but I don’t know which one. Sorry. I thought this might help you StayHopeful.

 

[Aein]

krissie, woow i also cant wait for the time, hugs you dear and fx'd for you

baby, dreams are yes cruel sometimes but ut all based on what we think whole day and effects on mind, take it light and be hopeful dear this dream wanna be true very soon, huggies

Stayhopeful, o i see and i think thin lining is side effect of clomid too i read it somewhere
so is it confirmed you are Oing with Met now.. if yes so good luck dear else Dr can start clomid round too just to increase number of follicles else with scan they can observe either follicle growing bigger, trigger or not, this might help with yur case, incase you are in future going fir ivf, may be good luck reached you before

 

[AlyCon]

Got a BFN at the docs today. I just did the urine test because I knew getting a blood test would just get my hopes up even more. I'm not surprised though since my dose of Metformin is still pretty low. But I start taking 1500mg today and will work my way up to 2000mg by the end of this month. I'm also doing the 10 day progesterone to see if I can get a withdrawal bleed. Bad news is DH has three weeks of training next month so I will probably be BFN for march too.

The only positive to this is I will be able to adjust to my higher dose in peace! Lol there's nothing worse than DH wanting to BD and knowing I should BD but my cramps and other side effects are in full effect so I can't!! I feel so bad physically and mentally and then DH will get upset and think I'm not BDing just to spite him but I'm honestly feeling like CRAP!

I'm also going to use those three weeks to work on changing to a healthier diet and starting to exercise. So by the time he gets back I'll be adjusted to the 2000mg Metformin and maybe even be down a few pounds

Staying hopeful for an April BFP!! Baby dust to every one else!!

 

[Aein]

Aly, really looks as you have a great plan and i'm sure its going to be successful, Fx'd for yoy
and hope April month brings lots of happiness for all os us

by da way i'm on Met 1000mg daily, but i really dun think this dose is lower for me
may be if this month i couldnt get a bfp, so would ask my Dr if she wants to increase it or ok

 

[babyjla]

Krissie, fx'd for you! Sooo exciting! Post pics

 

[AlyCon]

Aly, really looks as you have a great plan and i'm sure its going to be successful, Fx'd for yoy
and hope April month brings lots of happiness for all os us

by da way i'm on Met 1000mg daily, but i really dun think this dose is lower for me
may be if this month i couldnt get a bfp, so would ask my Dr if she wants to increase it or ok

From what I've heard from other ladies anywhere between 1500-2000 is the average therapeutic dose but I've seen some ladies go up to 2500 and still BFN and some get BFP on 500 or 1000. Hopefully we're some of the lucky ones!! Baby dust to you darling!!