PCOS Club!

[demre810]

To be honest, I don't know! I've been reading a lot of other posts and sites - a lot of people seemed to think that met increases the chances of success on clomid.

What tests need to be performed to find out if I am insulin resistant? Are there specific PCOS symptoms associated with it?

 

[Chiles]

To be honest, I don't know! I've been reading a lot of other posts and sites - a lot of people seemed to think that met increases the chances of success on clomid.

What tests need to be performed to find out if I am insulin resistant? Are there specific PCOS symptoms associated with it?

Usually weight gain, and the doctor can draw blood and will be able to tell you from there. Hope that helps

 

[dodgercpkl]

I took a glucose tolerance test which very thoroughly determined my insulin resistance. The latest blood tests have just been regular blood tests and they also still show whether my insulin resistance is going down or up since the last test.

 

[wantanerd]

Metformin does increase success rate in drugs such as clomid and femara but I was put on it way before I even considered TTC. It definitely helps with the insulin resistance.

I was diagnosed back in 2002 because I was trying to lose weight and after six months, nothing. My periods were also irregular. My doctor did a blood test and determined I had PCOS and because of the inability to lose weight, I was insulin resistant.

 

[gemmybean]

Hi i'm new to this section. So i've currently gone 117 days without af. I went to the dr who told me she thought is was post pill amenhorea, and recommended i wait it out. She sent me for blood tests, which came back ok.
Forward a month, and still no change, so i went back to the drs and this time she told me that she thougt i might have pcos. So shes referring me to the hospital for a scan, and also shes asked that i do four lots of 21 day tests so she can check my progesterone levels.
How long does it usually take to be referred????

 

[MariaF]

Hiya,

the longest I went on without af was about 110 days. I then had to take pill to start an artificial "bleed".

I think it depends on where you live how soon they will scan you. For me almost 2 years ago it was a few weeks before they would scan me.


Also, Im not sure how your GP intends to do 4 lots of Day 21 bloods when you don't have periods If each cycle lasts 6 months it will take you 2 years to just get the Day 21 bloods done!

GPs don't really understand much about PCOS/fertility so the sooner you see a specialist the better.

Do you have any other symptoms, like acne, greasy skin/hair, excessive hair growth, weight gain (especially around your waist)?

 

[pdmcd17]

hello ladies can i join also. I read almost the first 100 pages then skipped through every 20 or so- i found this group supportive and seeing all the bfp was nice.

I was finally diagnosed with pcos in dec /11 We have been ttc for 1 yr now. My dr said i didnt have pcos even though i have the wieight gain hair etc and the irregular periods.

i went to see a fs and i have a 4 cm cyst follicular on my one ovary plus multiple cyst in the other. he started me on metformin to see if it will go away. If it shrinks i can start clomid in march.

i was on bnb till sept and after my bday i had a meltdown i couldnt track anything anymore and needed a break - we kept ntnp until i had no period for 3 months and then decided to be more proactive again.

we both joined weight watchers in dec and went back to the gym - i have managed to loose 12lb and feel better then i have in a while im hoping it will help with my symp toms and the ttc journey

 

[gemmybean]

Hiya,

the longest I went on without af was about 110 days. I then had to take pill to start an artificial "bleed".

I think it depends on where you live how soon they will scan you. For me almost 2 years ago it was a few weeks before they would scan me.


Also, Im not sure how your GP intends to do 4 lots of Day 21 bloods when you don't have periods If each cycle lasts 6 months it will take you 2 years to just get the Day 21 bloods done!

GPs don't really understand much about PCOS/fertility so the sooner you see a specialist the better.

Do you have any other symptoms, like acne, greasy skin/hair, excessive hair growth, weight gain (especially around your waist)?

oooh sorry the doctor said that she was going to do 21 day bloods, but because they don't know whats happening with my cycle they are just gonna do them randomly over a month period. Thats what i meant, though i'm notentirely sure as to what it means.
I can't help but feel that this means that we wont have our own children. Loads of people have told me that it doesn't mean infertility, but i just can't seem to get it out of my head.

Sorry if i'm bringing the mood of the forum down

 

[MariaF]

gemmy - PCOS certainly doesn't mean infertility forever. Yes, most PCOS ladies struggle to fall pregnant naturally but luckily there is quite a bit of support available.
There are pills, injections and surgery that can help with our condition. So the most important thing is to get the right diagnosis and then try to get as much information about PCOS as possible.
I found doctors to be least helpful. I did a lot of internet research and also asking questions on this thread.
You'll find that so many ladies have been through what you are going through so there's always some very helpful advice on here

 

[Soili]

Also, Im not sure how your GP intends to do 4 lots of Day 21 bloods when you don't have periods

Easy. Provera to induce period. CD3 for most of the hormonal tests. CD21 for progesterone. The last one is just formality, but they always do it anyway.

 

[dodgercpkl]

Hi i'm new to this section. So i've currently gone 117 days without af. I went to the dr who told me she thought is was post pill amenhorea, and recommended i wait it out. She sent me for blood tests, which came back ok.
Forward a month, and still no change, so i went back to the drs and this time she told me that she thougt i might have pcos. So shes referring me to the hospital for a scan, and also shes asked that i do four lots of 21 day tests so she can check my progesterone levels.
How long does it usually take to be referred????

Welcome! I know exactly how you feel. When I came off the pill, I didn't have any cycles from June until Oct when we finally induced it with Provera. Then I didn't have any cycles again from Oct to June when my new OB induced it with prometrium and gave me a prescription that would allow me to induce it every 6 weeks as needed if it didn't show up on it's own.

I'm not sure how it works overseas for the referrals, but here in the USA, she was able to give me a referral right away to an endocrinologist that was to help me lose weight safely and study further what was wrong with me. 17 vials of blood later, the endo diagnosed me with pcos and put me on metformin.

Hiya,

the longest I went on without af was about 110 days. I then had to take pill to start an artificial "bleed".

I think it depends on where you live how soon they will scan you. For me almost 2 years ago it was a few weeks before they would scan me.


Also, Im not sure how your GP intends to do 4 lots of Day 21 bloods when you don't have periods If each cycle lasts 6 months it will take you 2 years to just get the Day 21 bloods done!

GPs don't really understand much about PCOS/fertility so the sooner you see a specialist the better.

Do you have any other symptoms, like acne, greasy skin/hair, excessive hair growth, weight gain (especially around your waist)?

Yeah I agree. My first OB seemed completely oblivious to pcos. My 2nd one seems to be familiar with it, so I've been lucky in that. My endo is VERY familiar with it and has helped shed a ton of light for me.

hello ladies can i join also. I read almost the first 100 pages then skipped through every 20 or so- i found this group supportive and seeing all the bfp was nice.

I was finally diagnosed with pcos in dec /11 We have been ttc for 1 yr now. My dr said i didnt have pcos even though i have the wieight gain hair etc and the irregular periods.

i went to see a fs and i have a 4 cm cyst follicular on my one ovary plus multiple cyst in the other. he started me on metformin to see if it will go away. If it shrinks i can start clomid in march.

i was on bnb till sept and after my bday i had a meltdown i couldnt track anything anymore and needed a break - we kept ntnp until i had no period for 3 months and then decided to be more proactive again.

we both joined weight watchers in dec and went back to the gym - i have managed to loose 12lb and feel better then i have in a while im hoping it will help with my symp toms and the ttc journey

Welcome! Congrats on the weight loss! I hope the metformin works in the way that they want it to and that you can start clomid soon!

oooh sorry the doctor said that she was going to do 21 day bloods, but because they don't know whats happening with my cycle they are just gonna do them randomly over a month period. Thats what i meant, though i'm notentirely sure as to what it means.
I can't help but feel that this means that we wont have our own children. Loads of people have told me that it doesn't mean infertility, but i just can't seem to get it out of my head.

Sorry if i'm bringing the mood of the forum down

It definitely doesn't mean that you can't have kids. I won't repeat my cycle history as I put it up above in this post, but I'd consider myself a success story. My endo and OB both feel that I've 'managed' my pcos and gotten my hormones under control. I'm still working on the insulin resistance part, but that's also heading down. In November, after 17 months of having no ovulation that I knew of, I finally ovulated and got my bfp later that month. Sadly that's ended in a miscarriage, but I'm confident that I can get pregnant again.

Don't look at this as "OMG there's something wrong with me the world is ending" look at this rather as a wake up call. There is something wrong, but it's fixable. AND it's great to find out NOW rather then later in life when you develop diabetes or something right? Now you know about it and can make changes. I found for me, after my initial shock of discovery, that it made me feel more empowered about the whole ttc thing - there was something I could DO finally that would help, something I could control!

 

[gemmybean]

Thanks dodger, sorry for your loss, but I'm glad that you are able to look at it positively. I really wish my Dr had put me on provera to induce af, I just really don't feel very comfortable with not having af for soo long. But she was adamant that she wanted me to have the bloods and ultrasound done first. It's so frustrating.
It's a bit of a worry as if they don't find anything on my ovaries then it's back to square one, with trying to find out what's wrong, but then if its PCOS I've gotta deal with that.
I feel a little bit more positive, but I think that I should maybe stay away from the internet as it's stressing me out.
In regards to opks, should I still doing them?? The only reason why I ask is because I did on tonight, and whilst it's defo not positive, it's getting darker. Though I'm not going to get my hopes up.

 

[dodgercpkl]

In regards to opks, should I still doing them?? The only reason why I ask is because I did on tonight, and whilst it's defo not positive, it's getting darker. Though I'm not going to get my hopes up.

If you have them and can afford to, I don't see why not. If they are getting darker, then there is a chance that ovulation is indeed on it's way! I hope so!

 

[gemmybean]

well they have gone lighter again, so i don't think that there is any risk of my having o any time soon. I have brought some more cheap opks though, so hopefully they will be here soon - i am really going to start having to get more sttict with myself in regards to testing and temping, if i end up going down the assisted conception route they will only ask me to start doing it, at least this way i can get a head start

 

[Jessica.x]

morning ladies,
not been on babyandbump in a while.. we started taking clomid but after tests showed it made no effect i was taken off them and we are back to stage one.
they've said i need to gain weight, but this seems impossible! we have been trying for over 2years now and i have never been so broody as i am now.
waiting to hear back off my doctor about what the next stage is.
i was diagnosed with pcos about 4 years ago.

if anyone is going through the same thing, i'd love to talk to you. no one seems to understand how difficult it is for us..
wishing you all lots of luck and sending you baby dust.

good luck! xxxxxxx

 

[Soili]

they've said i need to gain weight, but this seems impossible!

Whoa, this is the first time I hear someone with PCOS has difficulties gaining weight. What is your BMI? Do you not want to gain weight or no matter what and how much you eat, you physically can't?

 

[Jessica.x]

I just can't physically gain the weight! Im always eating but stay at 7 and half stone! Don't know what else I can do.. I've stopped drinking alcohol, quit smoking, changed my diet to eat healthy and better foods.. I think it may be an excuse their giving me using pcos because I have none of the symptoms!

 

[Soili]

Hmm, so you're underweight, can't gain weight and not ovulating? From the top of my head, it sounds more like thyroid issue than PCOS, to be honest. Which tests have you done so far?

 

[Jessica.x]

to be honest they've not even checked my thyroid. I'm fed up now, they're giving me excuse after excuse. ill get them to test my thyroid, my mam has got under active and takes medication for it. they're doing progesterone and testosterone tests at the minute

 

[Soili]

Get thyroid tested definitely, TSH, T3 and T4. You might wanna get prolactin tested as well. If it's elevated, it might suppress ovulation too. All of those are fasting tests, so make sure to do it in the morning before you eat anything.

Usually they do all of those together with other hormones, because if anything's wrong with those it's likely to be something else but PCOS.