This may be a horrible, insensitive, newbie question...

[saara24]

..but I don't know if I belong in this forum or not...

I was told at 17 that I have PCOS (I'm now 25)

I had a coil (the old fashioned metal/plastic affair with no hormones - I don't deal well with hormonal contraceptives) fitted when I was about 19, not long after I met my hubby-to-be - I was on the pill when I met him, to regulate my periods on account of the PCOS, and hated it - after giving up on the pill I tried the injection for 6 months and couldn't cope with that either - anything hormonal just seems to send me loopy. The doctor suggested the coil (not mirena coil, as I said above, just the old-fashioned one) and we jumped at the chance, although he proved to be a bit too squeamish for even that for the first few weeks lol (I had it fitted a week before we went on holiday and he couldn't bring himself to be anywhere near me all week lol even though I kept trying to reassure him that it's not going to feel any different for him!)

Anyhows. He got used to it, not that he had any choice, lol, and we toddled along happily enough for the next few years, til I started getting strange dreams and stuff.

I announced about a year ago (early October 2008) that I was fed up having a coil in, I thought that we would probably have problems conceiving because of the whole PCOS thing and we should probably get started on trying because it might take a while. So I had my coil removed mid-October 2008. Promptly started taking preggie-multivitamins and folic acid etc, and felt all hopeful... after all, my mum had had no problems falling pregnant with me at 25 or my bro at 28. Even spoke to my dad about it (although he didn't seem to take it all that seriously either which maybe explains why I find it hard to take it seriously)

So.. a year later. I'm fed up taking vitamins and putting my life on hold (you know what I mean - I'd happily do so for a bean, but if I'm god-damn infertile than I've got better things I could be doing with my time, like going to Marilyn Manson concerts!!!! I don't want to sell my £55 tickets ....)

and I have no idea what's going on with my cycles. I haven't had a period since February. It's the longest I've ever gone without a cycle, with or without medical intervention, and it makes me feel uneasy. Last year, when we weren't trying and I had the coil, my cycles weren't particularly regular but at least I was having them - now, it just seems as if as soon as I had the coil out my periods have disappeared and so has any help that I might have had for them.

 

[bek74]

Hun, I am sorry for what your going through but what exactly is your question?
All I could suggest is getting further testing done to make sure your DH's sperm count is ok, your tubes are all good etc.
I don't know anything about the coil so I can't help you any there.
Even with PCOS you do have the option of IVF. I think maybe you should speak with a FS.

Good luck

 

[rachelle1975]

Hey Saara,

Sorry that you are going through all this.

I echo what Bek said - get a referral from your GP asap. There are lots of tests they can do and other options available. Our fertility issues aren't female so i can't really offer a huge amount advice on that front but if you both get tested then you will at least know how to move forwarded.

There are drugs that they will put you on before considering slightly more invasive methods such as IUI and IVF - get the ball rolling.... tests etc seem to take ages - our first batch was 15 months ago... so you sure as hell don't need to sell your manson tickets!

 

[Millnsy]

Hi Saara

Sorry to hear you are having a hard time. I can't give any advice about PCOS or the coil but I can help with the whole putting your life on hold feeling!

It took us 2 and a half years to conceive. We got a referral after about a year of trying and did initial blood tests to see if I was ovulating and sperm tests for DH. Although they came back normal I think the bloods were taken on a rare cycle when I did ovulate because when the fertility clinic started looking in to it, it was clear I wasn't ovulating. If you aren't having periods this could be the case for you (although I'm no doctor!) I agree with the other ladies, got to the doctor and start getting some help. Bot DON'T PUT YOUR LIFE ON HOLD! It will make you start to resent the whole process and make it harder for you. Its easy for me to say as I am finally pregnant but you have loads of time so enjoy the life you have as well as looking towards your new life with a family.

Hope that helps...

Millnsy x

 

[Mrs R]

Hi Sarra,

I also have PCOS and crazy cycles and go for months without a period. Get yourself to your G.P and do not leave until they refer you on to a Fertility Specialist! I've wasted almost 2 and a half years farting about waiting on G.P's and F.S's to help me but to no avail.

You have to be very clear on what you want, so get researching and play everything up (cry at the doctor!) -it's the only way anyone will listen.

Best wishes and feel free to ask anything x

 

[Blue12]

I have pcos as well, but am lucky that my cycles are regular. That said I know many people who had pcos with irregular cycles and all they did was take metformin and clomid to help them ovulate and be regular and boom they were pregnant. I agree with the ladies here - get a referral and get the process started it is a long slow process of tests and trials - and it could have a simple fix. Fxd for you!

 

[saara24]

Sorry if I wasn't clear in my initial post - I'm not sleeping well at the moment (just another one of the whole host of health problems I have lol - which after some research I now find to be possibly linked to the PCOS - at 17 they just told me to go on the pill to regulate periods and come back if I was trying for a baby - no mention of any other stuff like depression or insomnia)

Yes. So. My point was - I don't know if at just over a year, we're considered to be long-term TTC - we've done nothing towards trying to find out if I ovulate or anything like that, taking temps or whatever - I had ovulation predictor sticks but I got bored after about a week of not seeing any changes and stopped using them, leaving everything up to mother nature basically.

Until a couple of days ago, I wasn't all that fussed about when we get preggers - I had resigned myself to the fact that it'll probably take a while, and my own doctor and a GP friend of ours have all said that it might not happen without medical intervention. We'd agreed a tentative time-line of about five years from beginning TTC before we start doing anything serious about it, as we have a growing business to run and all the signs basically say right now might not be a good time to bring a baby into the world lol.

And then, last week, I started feeling sick, my stomach got bloated, all my piercings suddenly started playing up for no reason (two rejected, which has NEVER happened), if I was hungry, I felt sick, if I ate, I felt sick, I got heartburn all the time (another thing I never get, usually), I couldn't sleep, and started waking up ridiculously early, I had all the symptoms of a period coming on but no period (I usually get approx 30 minutes warning to buy pads and get myself to a toilet asap before the flood-gates open), and basically just couldn't shake the feeling that I might be pregnant, despite all the evidence to suggest that it's highly unlikely - a test yesterday showed up negative but I'm still struggling to try and get rid of the idea and will be doing another test in a couple of days, just in case. The girls at the shop got very excited at the idea and insisted I do a test on the spot - I didn't want to do one because one part of me always knew that it would be negative (the same part that thinks that I'll never have children and can't get pregnant - I've always felt that even before the PCOS diagnosis, for no reason whatsoever) but some other part had built up hopes and while I didn't have a test-stick to prove one way or another, there was always hope, even though I'm still not actually 100% sure whether I want this or not... stupid, I know.

I spoke to DH earlier yesterday about it (out of the blue lol - I probably should try and keep him more in the loop about all this but he works so hard so I try just to keep the house tidy and get dinner on the table, or at least a take-away man knocking at the door, without bothering him about anything else) and he didn't seem to take it seriously to start with but when I brought it up again later on he did agree it might be a good idea if I go and see a doctor.

The reason I came on this forum is because I posted before, in the 'waiting to TTC' section, and I don't have anywhere else to talk about all this stuff - DH only seems to have a limited amount of head-space reserved for dealing with this kind of thing, and all my single friends are busy going out and having new boyfriends and all that - one had a 'pregnancy scare' the other week and was in a complete panic about it - and all the girls I know who already have kids are busy with their families. Anyone I've talked to about anything like this before just trotted out the age old 'just relax and it'll happen when you least expect it' line - mostly DH's sisters who had absolutely no problems getting preggers at all.

So, like I said before, I'm sorry if I'm in the wrong place - I know there's a huge number of people here who have already gone to much greater lengths than I have to try to have a baby. I just sort of needed to vent a little bit somewhere, I guess. I'm going to book an appointment to see my doctor tomorrow - we've got private health insurance but we're still within the two year probation period so I don't know if anything will be covered yet, and I don't want to wreck the no-claims discount just yet anyway if I can get things started with my normal doctor for now..

Thank you everyone for posting. I'm just scared and a little bit lost with all this - I always knew I'd probably have problems conceiving but it never really felt very real til now, even after we technically started trying over a year ago...

 

[MillieMoo]

Hi Saara, I have PCOS but was only diagnosed with it in May, before then we were trying to concieve for almost 2 and a half years. I always had longish irregular cycles but just thought that it was my body trying to sort its self out after bing on the birth control pill for so long.

Anyway, now i have been to the FS he has put me on Metformin which helps regulate my hormones and i'm now alos on clomid which helps me ovulate. I have completed 3 cycles of clomid now and we haven't had our BFP yet but my cycles are now 30days and i ovulate around cd17 every month.

I think when you go to see your doctor you definately need to be stubborn about what you want them to do otherwise they could just tell you to go away and try harder as they have a dendancy to do that.
If you have any other questions just pm me.

Good Luck!

 

[daisychane]

Hi Saara,

I can definitely understand a lot of what you're going through.

I had my coil removed March 08 to start TTC and after July 08 haven't a naural af since then. I have several PCOS symtoms but no cysts. I've seen a few F.S's on NHS who have differeing opinions on whether I have it or not

Regardless of what either of them think, the fact remains that I still haven't had .

As your time frame is quite large and before you get too stressed, I would start with your GP. It took 5 months for me to be referred to Gyny who did the intitial consult and then arranged for an ultra sound, Sperm count (motility etc) for DH and a HSG (for me). You probably won't need them as you have already been dianosed with PCOS. I'm currently at a year of testing and appointments etc. I, at least, feel like I'm doing something even if it's going nowhere near fast enough for my liking.

I too am in the position where my friends all have kids and haven't even the slightest idea how awful this is. DH is supportive but talking isn't what men do is it?! I could quite happily hit those 'just relax and it'll happen' people!!

I'm terrible as I question every little niggle, OPK's constantly (I must have used 200 in the last 12 months!) not to ment hpt's (just in case a miracle has occured) I've tried temping but that's just frustrating when you have no cycle at all. CM ...... you name it i've tried it!

Back to hospital in the morning so I'm hoping for progress not more tests!

Feel free to rant all you want lovely, that's what we're here for and at least we understand where you are and how frustrating it is.

 

[bek74]

Awww Saara hun, don't wait 5yrs to act, do it now while your young and have the time.
See your GP, and see what tests he can arrange before going to a FS, thats what I did.
My GP sent me to get a HSG scan (it is a test to see it your tubes are open), he also sent me for bloods to confirm that I was ovulating, had a scan done on my ovaries and he also got hubby's sperm count done.
So when I did have to go to the FS I was armed with all my tests and results. Doing it this way can save you so much time.
Hun feel free to vent here anytime you like, we are always here to listen and help.
All the best

 

[Chris77]

Hi Saara, sorry for what you've been going through. If you've been trying for just over 1 year, that is considered Long Term Trying To Conceive. Also, since you mentioned you hadn't gone to a doctor yet, I would suggest seeing your gyno or other specialist to investigate the causes of why you haven't yet conceived. Good luck!

 

[JASMAK]

I think that if you have been trying to conceive for over a year, your cyles are not regular, and you are having other issues, then I would try to get in and see a fertility specialist. Why wait until you are old like me? Yes, I do agree, get on with your life. That is the hard part...remembering to still have fun and enjoy life. I would continue with your vitamins - the FS will likely say that same thing. If there is even a *chance* you could become pregnant, then it is wise to do so. Good luck to you.

 

[Blue12]

Hun you do belong in this section.

You should see a doctor now.

I ttc for 3 years to find out I had an infection for who knows how long and because I left it so long - well now I am having my tubes removed because they were destroyed by it. It never hurts to investigate - and you are under no pressure to take any steps that you are not comfortable with.

Best wishes and welcome again.