Post-pill irregular cycles support thread!!

[Trishg21]

I am so pissed off.

14 dpo, boobs big and achey, been feeling sick in the mornings for the last couple of days, and keep getting lightheaded and woozey.

BFN.

I'm sick of it, I really am. Just so bloody fed up.

Aw hun, I am so sorry. You never know though...you aren't out yet! My SIL didn't get a BFP till she was 6 weeks along!

 

[poetinmyheart]

I stopped using my birth control in June. I finished that pack and should have had a period at the end of that month. But I took an extra pill cause we were on vacation and then that was it.

I didn't have another period until August 25th and not again until October 30th. They've been pretty painful also, and heavy.

I don't think I'll ever go back on the pill again. I really don't like what it has done to my body. I think DH and I will just use something non-hormonal until we have our 2 and then get tubes tied or something :\

 

[pinkypaws]

Hi all,

I wrote here couple of weeks ago as I haven't had a period for 4.5 months, since stopping the pill in Jan 2011.

I had my blood test results today. The GP I saw said the results were all normal, but I have to say he isn't someone I have that much confidence in.. I have done a bit of googling and understood that one of the results is potentially indicative of PCOS. I have a scan in two weeks to investigate this further.

My LH level was 14.5 and FSH 5.7. Is it true that higher than 1:1 LH:FSH ratio could indicate PCOS?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Trishg21]

I stopped using my birth control in June. I finished that pack and should have had a period at the end of that month. But I took an extra pill cause we were on vacation and then that was it.

I didn't have another period until August 25th and not again until October 30th. They've been pretty painful also, and heavy.

I don't think I'll ever go back on the pill again. I really don't like what it has done to my body. I think DH and I will just use something non-hormonal until we have our 2 and then get tubes tied or something :\

Have you spoken to a doctor about it? Long irregular cycles, especially if they are heavy and painful, could be either endometriosis or PCOS. Good luck hopefully they regulate on their own!

Hi all,

I wrote here couple of weeks ago as I haven't had a period for 4.5 months, since stopping the pill in Jan 2011.

I had my blood test results today. The GP I saw said the results were all normal, but I have to say he isn't someone I have that much confidence in.. I have done a bit of googling and understood that one of the results is potentially indicative of PCOS. I have a scan in two weeks to investigate this further.

My LH level was 14.5 and FSH 5.7. Is it true that higher than 1:1 LH:FSH ratio could indicate PCOS?

Thanks in advance.

I wish I could remember what my levels were, but I am drawing a blank. Although I do know that my FSH level is perfect. I am not sure about my LH level though. The scan will be very helpful, because it is usually pretty clear whether or not you have polycystic ovaries.

Let us know how it turns out!

 

[Amelia09]

Hi all looking forward to getting blood results back tomorrow, hopefully they'll help me understand why I've not had an af since August, 100 days!!

 

[dodgercpkl]

I stopped using my birth control in June. I finished that pack and should have had a period at the end of that month. But I took an extra pill cause we were on vacation and then that was it.

I didn't have another period until August 25th and not again until October 30th. They've been pretty painful also, and heavy.

I don't think I'll ever go back on the pill again. I really don't like what it has done to my body. I think DH and I will just use something non-hormonal until we have our 2 and then get tubes tied or something :\

Oh I am so with you there! I truly feel that bc was the straw that broke the camal's back wide open on my pcos. Granted looking back and knowing what I now know, I am pretty sure that I've had pcos all my life, just at a lesser obvious extent before. If I could go back and change one thing though, I would never have gone on bc.

I'm with Trish. I'd talk to a doctor about your irregular and painful cycles. It could easily be pcos or endometriosis and if it is, then it's good to know so you can start working on correcting it. If you mention this to your OB and he/she doesn't mention the possibility of pcos, *ASK* them about it. I didn't really push it with my first OB and she never brought it up. When I changed OB's that was the *first* thing my new OB asked me about.

Hi all,

I wrote here couple of weeks ago as I haven't had a period for 4.5 months, since stopping the pill in Jan 2011.

I had my blood test results today. The GP I saw said the results were all normal, but I have to say he isn't someone I have that much confidence in.. I have done a bit of googling and understood that one of the results is potentially indicative of PCOS. I have a scan in two weeks to investigate this further.

My LH level was 14.5 and FSH 5.7. Is it true that higher than 1:1 LH:FSH ratio could indicate PCOS?

Thanks in advance.

I just grabbed out my tests that my endo used to determine that I had pcos and those didn't seem to be ones that really factored in - or at least they weren't the major factors that my endo pointed out. My FSH level on that blood work was 4.19 and she wrote a note next to it of "not menopausal", but nothing about pcos or insulin resistance. My LH level was 5.77 and the only note she made on that page was "not ovulated".

I did a bit of research and found this on wikipedia:

Standard diagnostic assessments
History-taking, specifically for menstrual pattern, obesity, hirsutism, and the absence of breast development. A clinical prediction rule found that these four questions can diagnose PCOS with a sensitivity of 77.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] 62.7%–88.0%) and a specificity of 93.8% (95% CI 82.8%–98.7%).[16]
Gynecologic ultrasonography, specifically looking for small ovarian follicles. These are believed to be the result of disturbed ovarian function with failed ovulation, reflected by the infrequent or absent menstruation that is typical of the condition. In a normal menstrual cycle, one egg is released from a dominant follicle - essentially a cyst that bursts to release the egg. After ovulation the follicle remnant is transformed into a progesterone-producing corpus luteum, which shrinks and disappears after approximately 12–14 days. In PCOS, there is a so called "follicular arrest", i.e., several follicles develop to a size of 5–7 mm, but not further. No single follicle reaches the preovulatory size (16 mm or more). According to the Rotterdam criteria, 12 or more small follicles should be seen in an ovary on ultrasound examination. The follicles may be oriented in the periphery, giving the appearance of a 'string of pearls'. The numerous follicles contribute to the increased size of the ovaries, that is, 1.5 to 3 times larger than normal.[citation needed]
Laparoscopic examination may reveal a thickened, smooth, pearl-white outer surface of the ovary. (This would usually be an incidental finding if laparoscopy were performed for some other reason, as it would not be routine to examine the ovaries in this way to confirm a diagnosis of PCOS).[citation needed]
Serum (blood) levels of androgens (male hormones), including androstenedione and testosterone may be elevated.[7] Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels above 700mcg/dL are highly suggestive of adrenal dysfunction because DHEA-S is made exclusively by the adrenal glands. [17] The free testosterone level is thought to be the best measure,[18] with ~60% of PCOS patients demonstrating supranormal levels.[14] The Free androgen index of the ratio of testosterone to sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) is high[7] and is meant to be a predictor of free testosterone, but is a poor parameter for this and is no better than testosterone alone as a marker for PCOS,[19] possibly because FAI is correlated with the degree of obesity.[20]
Some other blood tests are suggestive but not diagnostic. The ratio of LH (Luteinizing hormone) to FSH (Follicle stimulating hormone) is greater than 1:1, as tested on Day 3 of the menstrual cycle. The pattern is not very specific and was present in less than 50% in one study.[21] There are often low levels of sex hormone binding globulin, particularly among obese or overweight women.[citation needed]

Or you can look at this link for the full thing about pcos: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_Ovary_Syndrome

So far as I can tell you would have to have the blood work done on a specific day (i.e. cd3) and that it's not a conclusive thing. I think the scan is a great idea tho. Do you have any of the other potential symptoms? Hair growth on face/chest? Irregular cycles? Painful cycles?

 

[struth]

Hi all,

I wrote here couple of weeks ago as I haven't had a period for 4.5 months, since stopping the pill in Jan 2011.

I had my blood test results today. The GP I saw said the results were all normal, but I have to say he isn't someone I have that much confidence in.. I have done a bit of googling and understood that one of the results is potentially indicative of PCOS. I have a scan in two weeks to investigate this further.

My LH level was 14.5 and FSH 5.7. Is it true that higher than 1:1 LH:FSH ratio could indicate PCOS?

Thanks in advance.

Hi pinkypaws - well mine were similar to yours. I can't remember the exact numbers but my LH was nearly 4 times my FSH. An FSH under 9 is good so you don't have to worry about that. The issue is the difference between the FSH and the LH values. I was told that they should be about the same value. If you have raised LH then it can be indicative of PCOS. However, I don't necessarily think it is diagnostic - I had a scan and there was no obvious sign of PCOS (although it was inconclusive and I then got pregnant before I could be referred for the full results! I had a mc but have still not had the specialist appointment so am still in limbo).

The good thing is that despite saying that the results were normal, your dr has booked you in for a scan. They will be able to see how many cysts are on your ovaries and will be able to tell a lot more from that.

I hope that all comes back fine for you - keep us posted on your scan results.

 

[Amelia09]

Got bloods back today, doctor said that there is a high possibility that I've PCOS. I need a scan to confirm so put on waiting list and god only knows when I'll be called. I kinda knew it was coming and cried the whole way home. I still feel like shit. Hubby has to go to get spermie analaysed also but it prob my fault as to why I've no af in 101 days and counting!!

In the meantime I have to wait the doc said she would give me a pill to start ov but wanted to get scan done first but that could take months!!! So distressed and disheartened. I feel like giving up!

 

[dodgercpkl]

Got bloods back today, doctor said that there is a high possibility that I've PCOS. I need a scan to confirm so put on waiting list and god only knows when I'll be called. I kinda knew it was coming and cried the whole way home. I still feel like shit. Hubby has to go to get spermie analaysed also but it prob my fault as to why I've no af in 101 days and counting!!

In the meantime I have to wait the doc said she would give me a pill to start ov but wanted to get scan done first but that could take months!!! So distressed and disheartened. I feel like giving up!

Awww! Don't cry honey! I was feeling a bit the same as you when I found out, but then I started really thinking about it, and now I'm seeing it as a huge silver lining. Here's why:

1. You know that something is wrong and it's not unexplained
2. You have something you can actually do something about! Maybe it's just losing weight, maybe it's taking metformin and/or clomid, but there are things you can DO that can actively help your fertility ya know?
3. You now have information about yourself that will allow you to prevent worse things from coming later in life (i.e. insulin resistance being fixed rather then becoming diabetic)

I have a friend at work that's been trying for about the same amount of time as I have. I feel for her, because while things haven't been easy for me, I know that there is an issue and that it's fixable. I have goals that I can work towards to actually help fix my insulin resistance, bring back my cycles, and because of all of this, I know that I need to keep up this change as a true life style change. I know that I'm going to be a healthier happier me for longer in life and that will make me a better mom one of these days. My friend? She has no idea what's wrong. There are no indications of any issues with her or her hubby - just a period that comes every month without fail. For her it's unexplained.

So take heart. It's not the happiest of news to have, but in the long run it's news that's much better to work through now, then find out later with something much worse, iykwim.

 

[struth]

Got bloods back today, doctor said that there is a high possibility that I've PCOS. I need a scan to confirm so put on waiting list and god only knows when I'll be called. I kinda knew it was coming and cried the whole way home. I still feel like shit. Hubby has to go to get spermie analaysed also but it prob my fault as to why I've no af in 101 days and counting!!

In the meantime I have to wait the doc said she would give me a pill to start ov but wanted to get scan done first but that could take months!!! So distressed and disheartened. I feel like giving up!

I know how you are feeling - I was devastated when my bloods came back dodgy but.... your bloods cannot diagnose it on their own. You need the scan to be sure. I had a scan after dodgy bloods (LH:FSH ratio of 4:1) and they still aren't sure whether I have PCOS or not.

Why is your scan going to take so long? Have they said it will take months? Mine was only a couple of weeks after my GP referred me. I hope that your appointment is sooner than you think. And if you do have PCOS - like the previous person has said, there is plenty that can be done to make your likelihood of TTC higher

 

[Amelia09]

Got bloods back today, doctor said that there is a high possibility that I've PCOS. I need a scan to confirm so put on waiting list and god only knows when I'll be called. I kinda knew it was coming and cried the whole way home. I still feel like shit. Hubby has to go to get spermie analaysed also but it prob my fault as to why I've no af in 101 days and counting!!

In the meantime I have to wait the doc said she would give me a pill to start ov but wanted to get scan done first but that could take months!!! So distressed and disheartened. I feel like giving up!

Awww! Don't cry honey! I was feeling a bit the same as you when I found out, but then I started really thinking about it, and now I'm seeing it as a huge silver lining. Here's why:

1. You know that something is wrong and it's not unexplained
2. You have something you can actually do something about! Maybe it's just losing weight, maybe it's taking metformin and/or clomid, but there are things you can DO that can actively help your fertility ya know?
3. You now have information about yourself that will allow you to prevent worse things from coming later in life (i.e. insulin resistance being fixed rather then becoming diabetic)

I have a friend at work that's been trying for about the same amount of time as I have. I feel for her, because while things haven't been easy for me, I know that there is an issue and that it's fixable. I have goals that I can work towards to actually help fix my insulin resistance, bring back my cycles, and because of all of this, I know that I need to keep up this change as a true life style change. I know that I'm going to be a healthier happier me for longer in life and that will make me a better mom one of these days. My friend? She has no idea what's wrong. There are no indications of any issues with her or her hubby - just a period that comes every month without fail. For her it's unexplained.

So take heart. It's not the happiest of news to have, but in the long run it's news that's much better to work through now, then find out later with something much worse, iykwim.

Hi dodgercpkl, thanks so much for replying. Your right with what you said it just a bit of a shock to get my head round. At least I know what it is and can work to getting it better.

 

[Amelia09]

Got bloods back today, doctor said that there is a high possibility that I've PCOS. I need a scan to confirm so put on waiting list and god only knows when I'll be called. I kinda knew it was coming and cried the whole way home. I still feel like shit. Hubby has to go to get spermie analaysed also but it prob my fault as to why I've no af in 101 days and counting!!

In the meantime I have to wait the doc said she would give me a pill to start ov but wanted to get scan done first but that could take months!!! So distressed and disheartened. I feel like giving up!

I know how you are feeling - I was devastated when my bloods came back dodgy but.... your bloods cannot diagnose it on their own. You need the scan to be sure. I had a scan after dodgy bloods (LH:FSH ratio of 4:1) and they still aren't sure whether I have PCOS or not.

Why is your scan going to take so long? Have they said it will take months? Mine was only a couple of weeks after my GP referred me. I hope that your appointment is sooner than you think. And if you do have PCOS - like the previous person has said, there is plenty that can be done to make your likelihood of TTC higher

HI thanks for your reply, the doctor said that the waiting list is very long and where am from that means months probably. I feel bit better today just getting my head around it you know

 

[struth]

Got bloods back today, doctor said that there is a high possibility that I've PCOS. I need a scan to confirm so put on waiting list and god only knows when I'll be called. I kinda knew it was coming and cried the whole way home. I still feel like shit. Hubby has to go to get spermie analaysed also but it prob my fault as to why I've no af in 101 days and counting!!

In the meantime I have to wait the doc said she would give me a pill to start ov but wanted to get scan done first but that could take months!!! So distressed and disheartened. I feel like giving up!

I know how you are feeling - I was devastated when my bloods came back dodgy but.... your bloods cannot diagnose it on their own. You need the scan to be sure. I had a scan after dodgy bloods (LH:FSH ratio of 4:1) and they still aren't sure whether I have PCOS or not.

Why is your scan going to take so long? Have they said it will take months? Mine was only a couple of weeks after my GP referred me. I hope that your appointment is sooner than you think. And if you do have PCOS - like the previous person has said, there is plenty that can be done to make your likelihood of TTC higher

HI thanks for your reply, the doctor said that the waiting list is very long and where am from that means months probably. I feel bit better today just getting my head around it you know

Urghhh - that is crap. I don't understand why there are such differences in different places. I hope that the dr is wrong and that your appointment is sooner than that. What a long time to wait.

 

[dodgercpkl]

Amelia - I hope the scan gets done sooner then expected! *hugs*

 

[MrsReiver]

Hey peeps. I've been a bit silly and have been sitting with my fingers in my ears going "la la la la la nothing's wrong!" and got forced out the door to the doctor by hubby. There are ots of reasons he wanted to go really, I have a history of depression so DH is a bit worried I'm under The Black Cloud cause of the mc and other stresses (DS is getting bullied and the school is less than useless) so he wanted to have a chat with the GP.

So off we went and had a great talk with her, if my periods don't return to normal within next 2 weeks I will get a speedy referral to gynae, so no hanging around like last time and the local psychologists run a stress-coping class which she would like me and DH to attend (DH was actually keen on that which shocked me!)

We headed home feeling really positive about things - apart from the bullying but hubby is going to parents night to discuss it tomorrow - and AF arrived, and what's more it's 5 weeks since the last one which is exactly what my cycle was pre BCP!!!! Never been so happy to see the Red Sea

 

[MrsReiver]

Amelia - I hope the scan gets done sooner then expected! *hugs*

Me too Amelia, the waiting is awful but when you get an appointment you start to feel like things are moving in the right direction. Everything crossed for you here darling xx

 

[dodgercpkl]

Fluffette - I'm so glad your hubby pushed you into seeing your gp today! And YAY for the witch coming when you actually want her to! The stress coping class sounds like a good plan too and I'm so glad that your hubby is into it. I'm rooting for a sticky bean for you!

 

[blondy13]

Hi Ladies!
Sorry it has been so long, I was stressing so much about things I tried to take a break!
BUT...I have good news!
I am on day 2 of Provera to bring on AF followed by which I have 5 x 50mg clomid pills to take! So really excited to actually be in with a shot! On my first cycle I have got to have folicle tracking and cd21 blood tests to see if I ovulate or not, if I do we'll have up to 6 cycles on that dose, and if not I will be increased to 100mg. So lets hope the 50mg does the job!
Been told by the consultant to BD every 2 days from CD 8 - 18 to cover all bases, do you think that sounds ok!
Also have any of you ladies used provera? How long does it take AF to come once you have finished the pills?
Hope you're all doing ok xxxx

 

[dodgercpkl]

It's been since October 2010 since I've had provera, but I think I remember that it took something like a week after finishing the last pill to get my period. I could be wrong about that though... I've gotten pretty used to Prometrium and getting my period the day after my last pill with that.

 

[Amelia09]

Hi thanks so much for replying. The ladies here are so supportive.