OB/GYN Not Treating my PCOS

[BabeAwait]

Hello all.

So it has been a month and a half since my last appointment with my obgyn. And the more time that has passed the more I've felt bothered by the fact she did nothing to help me with my PCOS.

So for some background:
I am turning 23 in a week. My cycles have been between 37-60 days since stopping the bcp. I have ovulated anywhere between cd 24-44 the past four cycles. I was diagnosed with PCOS at age 11 and put on the bcp. I had started my first period at 10 and since my mom has PCOS she recognized the warning signs. I was diagnosed through blood work and an ultrasound.
Unfortunately I do experience the excess hair growth and acne. My weight has been manageable when on the pill. Since coming off the pill I gained 20lbs in three months despite calorie counting and exercising. Both of which I know how to do well, I'm a fitness nut and have lost 35lbs on my own before, which is a lot when you're only 5'1".
I noticed I had a very short luteal phase (6 days) when I first started tracking. My second cycle was the first cycle we ttc and surprisingly I got pregnant. Unfortunately four days after we found out I miscarried. I was concerned due to the mc and my short luteal phases that I might have low progesterone. So at this point I no longer wanted to continue to try to tough it out and conceive without assistance, I just wanted a healthy baby and mommy at the end of the day.

My appointment:
I first had an appointment with my gp. He told me the obgyn would probably put me on metformin and possibly clomid. If they weren't able to test my progesterone because my lp was so short I'd have an endometrial biopsy.
Fast forward to my obgyn appointment... She was a young dr only practicing on her own a couple years now. I told her all my history and everything I was experiencing. She seemed very eager to know the exact process of my diagnosis of PCOS. When I expressed my concern over the sudden weight gain and told her about my calorie counting and exercise, she just expressed I needed to burn more than I consume. Obviously something she would realize I knew if she really listened. Also the majority of my immediate family on both sides has diabetes, she didn't express any concerns about that when mentioning it. Also the same about my mother's thyroid issue.
At the end of the appointment after expressing many of my valid concerns all that was done for me was a progesterone script. And I basically flat out asked her for that due to my extreme fear of having another mc. She said she would like for us to continue trying for another year and if it doesn't happen by then she will referr a specialist. I did get my progesterone tested while taking the suppositories at 7dpo and it was 13.7 which the nurse said was satisfactory for the dr.



Since my appointment has passed. I've slowly become more bothered that she didn't do much to help me. In the beginning I was so relieved to have the progesterone that I didn't think about the rest of the appointment. I had no tests other than the progesterone. She expressed no concern about my PCOS, sudden weight gain, or family history whatsoever. And she made it sound as if she wanted me to wait the year and come back just so she could referr me to be someone else's problem.

Should I be bothered by this? I thought at the least she would give me metformin or have blood work done. Do any of you have advice for me? I'm not sure what my next step should be. Do I try setting up another appointment? I'm not sure what to do...

Sorry this is such a long post. Thank you to anyone that can help me

 

[k4th]

When I was diagnosed with pcos I had a similar appointment to you.

My angle at the appointment was that I wanted to be healthy, have normal cycles & be ready to ttc. I was told to go away for 6 months & if I was ready to "properly" ttc then, I would be given clomid & if not, the only effective treatment for pcos was the pill

I left feeling quite disappointed. I used several natural methods to try & manage my pcos myself - I think chromium supplements worked similarly to metformin. It did work to some extent. In hindsight, after the appointment, I wished I'd gone in all barrels about ttc. In your shoes, I wouldn't want to wait a year, I'd go back & try a different approach. Or even see someone else if you can? Ask specific questions about clomid & metformin if that's what you're interested in.

I was one of the lucky ones - 10 months after going down a natural & supplements route I fell pregnant with my daughter - so it is possible. It took 2 years to conceive #2 and six rounds of clomid. I totally went down the medical route the second time. Both worked, the first took up a lot more time & focus, the second wasn't easy, but I felt like I had people on my side which did help a lot.

Good luck hun - hope you have a pcos success story to tell very soon

 

[Smille24]

A great dr can make a huge difference. You should definitely find another dr. If you were diagnosed with pcos then you obviously need meds to help you conceive. Also a 6 day LP is not good at all. If she didn't seem to care now, she probably won't care in the future.

 

[MiraclesHappn]

If you want to try and regulate your cycles naturally while you either get help from your doctor or find a new one, whatever you decide, you should look into Vitex for PCOS! My mom had PCOS and I've had some warning signs as well, therefore when I wanted to fall pregnant with my first my cycles were pretty irregular and long so I started taking it and within a month they were shortened and back to normal! I got pregnant in less than a year. I also suggested it to my SIL, who had some warning signs of PCOS as well. She started it while also going to the doctor for blood work and such. Her doctor ended up prescribing her Clomid to start when her next period did, she ended up being kind of late (normal for her before Vitex) and tested just to be safe the day she was going to start the Clomid, !! Pregnant without the use of fertility meds! She swears by it as well and has already said the second they decide they want another baby she is going on it again! Just an idea! Good luck!

 

[BabeAwait]

Thank you ladies for your advice. I really do appreciate it

K4th You're right. I do at times have trouble with being a push over. If this cycle doesn't end in a bfp I plan on calling or making an appointment. I need to outright ask for the metformin. I'm not sure if I feel ready to ask for clomid yet but if it gets to that point I will also outright ask for it. I think I would feel a lot better having atleast some of the drs support.

Smile24 Thanks for your honesty. I think I will gove her one more shot. It was my first time meeting her and I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. But if she doesn't listen to me this time she won't get a third chance.

MiraclesHappn Thanks for your testimony about Vitex. I actually did take Vitex my first cycle after my mc. My gp asked me to stop taking it when I saw him. I know one user on BnB in particular who has had AMAZING results from it. Her cycles went from 70+ days to an almost typical cycle. The short time I was on it the only change I noticed was my cystic acne got horrendous on my chin and mouth. I'm talking about dime sized cysts. Of course I know it can take several months for it to work, and I would deal with worse acne if it helped me have a baby. But since my gp asked me to stop taking it it's not really something I want to start back up again. But thank you for the advice I know it is a miracle herb for some women.


Do you think I would get better results outright asking for metformin or some form of treatment by calling my obgyn or making an appointment? My husband usually comes with me to my appointments to be my backbone lol. I'm not sure why I have such a hard time being assertive with drs, maybe I've just had too many bad outcomes in the past.

 

[k4th]

Since that first appointment with a Gynae I have (unfortunately) met a lot of drs after being diagnosed with a long term condition in 2012. It has had the silver lining of making me much more assertive with them! Bottom line is that some are good and some are crap. Some are only good at certain specialisms & focus their interest around that and don't always do a great job with everyone else. You need to find what works for you - I need a dr that listens properly - so I went out & found one.

I see you are in the US so I assume you're paying to see the dr? In my mind, that makes you a customer with every right to choose a different one if you're unhappy with the first. Not sure how it all works though tbh

My approach is to do some research about the drug I want to talk about & take it along with me. I would ask directly "what do you think of metformin in pcos treatment?" And if the answer is different from your research, then pull it out of your bag. A good dr will listen to you & if you have something to back up your point, many drs will act on it. And take your hubby if you think you will need the support.

Good luck - I hope you get a bfp this cycle & don't need to worry about any if this

 

[Steffilyn]

I also have PCOS and endometriosis. I have been ttc for 6 years now. My sister told me about a doctor that but her on Metformin, Actos, and Vytosa. I went in to see him and was prescribed the same medications to regulate my cycle. I was only on this combination for two months when I got the news last week that I'm pregnant!! If I knew this was all it took I would of done this 6 years ago. Try looking in to a new doctor and good luck to you!

 

[BabeAwait]

Steffilyn What are the actos and vytosa? I've never heard of them before. The more knowledge the better

K4th I like the idea of bringing research!

 

[robinsonmom]

Vitex worked for me. Took a while but excellent results.

 

[Steffilyn]

PCOS causes your body to not allow glucose in to be used for energy, so your body stores it as fat. This is the reason we struggle to get the weight off and keep it off. The vytosa causes your body to stop blocking the receptors for glucose and has you use it. The Actos targets insulin resistance which can cause progesterone to be low. All three together regulated my cycle and worked for me.

 

[BabeAwait]

Wow those sound like great meds steffilyn. I will have to do some research on them. Are they okay to take during ttc and pregnancy?

 

[brokenoven]

Can you see a reproductive immunologist? No matter now smart or caring an Obgyn is, they are just not qualified to deal with fertility issues. I wasted probably no longer than 6 months with an Obgyn because I had women on online forums point me in a different direction. They are good for som diagnostic help, but if you really want help an RE is best.

With that being said pcos is manageable. Lots of pcos women have great luck with clomid and timed sex as well as clomid and iui. I think you will be ok in the long run.

 

[BabeAwait]

Thanks brokenoven. Will they see you before the year mark? The only reservation I have is that I once already was able to get pregnant on my own so I feel like I'm willing to try a few more months before going 'all in'. Also I'm afraid a RE isn't going to be covered by my insurance therefore incredibly expensive. Of course if that's what it takes I'll jump right on it! I just have a little voice in my head saying to give it one or two more cycles.

Congratulations on your pregnancy! I especially love seeing pregnancy tickers from mother's who have struggled with things such as pcos.

 

[BabeAwait]

UPDATE
While waiting on my new insurance card to schedule an appointment in June or July, I found out I was pregnant! I'm due in March 2016.

 

[k4th]

UPDATE
While waiting on my new insurance card to schedule an appointment in June or July, I found out I was pregnant! I'm due in March 2016.

Congratulations