*****PCOS - Anybody in the same boat?******

Hi
Just as I got an appointment to see the endo again we have decided to hang on and not TTC yet!

In last two weeks we have had to get a new mortgage deal which is an increased payment of £40 a month and a £500 fee to organise and our buildings and contents insurance has doubled this year as we were flooded last year. I am working more hours from Sept as DS starts school so we thought we would hang on and try next year as we could do with the extra money for a while from Sept.

But, I saw my GP about 3 weeks ago and she was really helpful and said she would refer me and as I work at the hospital they have squeezed me in.

Now I don't know whether to go to the appt (its not a fertility appt, just endo) and explain that the situation has changed but get some advice about having Metformin next year or shall I just cancel it and ask to be referred again next year?

Or shall I get Metformin now and not TTC so that by next year I am settled on it - it took a year to work last time.

I am so confused now, we were decided that we would try for a baby but if by some miracle I got pg quickly we'd be in a mess financially.

I am not happy with being off the pill but not on Met as my skin is getting bad again - I don't mind bad skin if I am TTC but don't want it if I am not!

What would you do?
Thanks X

Hi Sars87 - Thank you!

Yes you are totally right. It amazes me how GP's are able to differ in their treatment for PCOS sufferers. Some hand out Clomid without tracking and some make us jump through fire lit hoops to get even the basic check ups. This proves my point, GP's are puppets and the PCT's are the string pullers. I wish their was group out there that could help us get the treatment, when we need it. Also, GP's have not been educated on PCOS, so they don't realise we need a little extra help in the conception department. Bloody plonkers!

Well at the end of the day we want children, so we will do anything . All legal of course.

Dungungirl - I read on another post you are being advised to take clomid that another mumsnetter had sent you. Listen sweetie, I know you are exhausted by your unfair treatment, but please, please, please do not take unprescribed drugs. The risk is not worth it. What if you damaged your body and could never have children again! I know you will get pregnant. You have worked so hard! Don't let all that hard work go to waste.

Ok ladies I am not suffering from PMS today, I thought I would just clarify that .

get a referral = get a re-referral

I have result 10lbs = I have lost 10lbs

Moonlit, I am glad your weight loss is going well. I really hope your get pregnant naturally.

there are many people out there with PCOS that are the "normal" weight. that aren't receiving the help as well.

Hi Attila,

I don't see the point in speaking to the Primary Care Trust, they are bloody useless! They are the ones that set the 'quotas' for treatment. It's not always the GP's fault.

When I had to cancel my first appointment with the gynecologist last month, I was told they have to meet 'quotas' and that I would have to get a refferal. I was trully pissed off!!!!!! I asked a relative who works in the PCT and she said this was quite normal, again because they have to meet their 'bloody quotas'.

DungunGirl - I think your treatment has been completely unfair. You need to change your GP practice ASAP. There are always several within your catchment area. Your GP practice appears to have a underlying problem, perhaps they have received a smack on the hand from your PCT, so they aren't as quick to hand out treatment or referrals. This is what my research has concluded. Good luck sweetie, I am appalled at your treatment......as you can tell from my outburst .

Anyway, Atilla, I have taken your advice and have not taken a private treatment whilst i am here in the US. Instead I have been exercising and eating a low carb diet. As a result I have result 10lbs. And hopefully by the time I get back, I will have lost enough weight that I will get pregnant naturally!!!! Well I can hope can't I, it worked the last time I followed this regimen with my daughter .

Ok must go, time to take care of lots of children.

Moonlit xx

Dungan

What you've been told is completely unhelpful at best not just to say unacceptable.

I would seek a second opinion along with speaking to your Primary Care Trust. Why will the GP not refer you to the PCOS clinic?. On what grounds is this request denied?.

Dungun, I would be going for a second opinion. My GP just handed me my clomid, which I was shocked at but i was pleased. Can you change GP practice?? Different GP surgeries operate differently.

Attila, I think you're right. The doctor I saw this morning said they were a waste of money. I've upped my metformin dose to 1000mg too.

Oh well there's always next month! And if it was a chemical pregnancy at least i managed to get pregnant, albeit briefly.

I'm still not 100% convinced that's what it was but thanks for the response.

Actually the doc joked it was a miracle anyone managed to get pregnant as there are so many hurdles to get over. She's not far wrong!

Dungun I'm shocked at the (crap) care you've been receiving I thought I had it bad with my hospital. Have you considered getting a 2nd opinion?
Cupcake welcome to our very helpful thread We've recently had 2 positive pregnancy tests on the same day! So a possible very lucky thread Also, I completely 2nd what Attila says.

Hi cupcake,

I am very sorry to read about what has happened to you. You may well have had an early miscarriage as these people have suggested.

It's actually not of any benefit to use fertility monitors when PCOS is a diagnosis. What happens is that these kits measure the levels of LH. Many women with PCOS have an excess of this hormone with the result that the kit reads that excess and therefore gives a false reading.

LH levels can rise and fall throughout the month; another problem that these kits have is that they assume only one rise in LH every month.

If you are not already under the care of a gynae at a subfertility unit you should be. PCOS is a condition that can require both careful and expert management with regards to conceiving.

Attila x

Hi

I hope you don?t mind me joining in. I did start a thread on this subject but as I suffer from PCOS I thought one of you ladies might be able to shed some light on what?s going on!

On Thurs night, I got a very, very faint line on First Response that disappeared and the same happened on Fri night. Thought it might possibly be a sign of pregnancy but wasn?t convinced. On Sun started spotting and now it?s a bit heavier. Doctor at my local women?s clinic thinks I may have had a very early miscarriage as I am now bleeding in the middle of my cycle and all tests are now negative although to be honest the ones I did last week were hardly conclusive.

The weird thing is that my CB fert monitor had been showing low readings for ages and then in the past few days it?s been high so presumed the bleeding was postovulatory.

Now, I?ve got no idea what?s going on. I?ve never bled mid cycle.

Hello everyone!

Well...the saga continues for me....

Now have been TTC for 20 months! Had one miscarriage after TTC for 14 months....and I am still in limbo.

My fertility unit discharged me... and my GP's all REFUSE to refer to the PCOS clinic at the hospital.

I have not been given ANY help - no appointment with dietician, no metformin, no clomid , no nothing.

Just been told to go away and lose weight!

worrybum
I have regular periods too !!! EVERY month so I don;t buy the theory that just because you have a period means you ovulate! Both my ovaries are half covered in cycsts.

I am overweight and have a few of the minor symptoms of PCOS.

they were both terrible, hope this one (if i get pregnany) is easier. i lost loads of weight after this one but can never seem to loose my belly.

I am really worried of having another miscarriage, if i do then i'll give up trying, they get harder every time. x

yours not your's

well I've been wired to the moon since I found out last Friday
My last pregnancy went really really well. I'm hoping this one is just as good
Sorry to hear your's weren't much fun

you will be so happy then?? hope the pregnancy goes well. Mine were both really difficult had a lot of pain.

Hey Sars I'm actually pregnant now but thank you for your reassurance . It took me 11 months but worth all the agony, luckily I didnt need to have Clomid, was due to see the consultant in August.

fruitloop79 - was was told at 17 i had PCOS and wouldn't conceive on my own. I was on the pill and condoms and got pregnant. Things took 13 months for the next one but both well. My GP has just gave me clomid to help thing this time. I could have cried so much when i heard i had it. My scan i had done after my youngest showed one Overie wasn't as bad as it was before pregnancy.

Good luck, but am sure all will be fine. x

Hi worrybum,

There is also evidence to suggest that raised LH levels which is commonly seen in PCOS can be a factor in miscarriage. I was told by my cons that I was twice as likely to miscarry due to PCOS. I had an ovarian diathermy operation and went on to conceive following that op.

Collette Harris has written some good publications on PCOS and her books are widely available. You may also want to look at Verity's website which is www.verity-pcos.org.uk.

Thanks for the warm welcomes CCAT and ML. I've joined weightwatchers and shifted 17lbs bringing my weight down to 12 st 10lb. I'm 5ft 9in so I'm hoping that if I lose another couple of stone that might help improve things a lot.

The thing is I feel really confused because I have never had a problem conceiving and know that I ovulate monthly I guess that my problem is that I don't have properly matured eggs.

I think I need to research the condition over the coming weeks. I go on holiday next week for three weeks and then I've got an appointment booked for accupuncture. I'll try anything. Can anyone recommend a good book or two on pcos for my travels?

Hi Worrybum,

Welcome to the PCOS thread! I take Metformin, I constantly have diarrhea (one of the side effects). But I am not complaining since the weight is just dropping off. But I have combined them with exercise and a low carb diet. Metformin alone can work for some, but to give yourself a head start you really must do more than just take the tablets.

x

Hi Worrybum

I was told by a PCOS specialist that women with PCOS have a much higher risk of miscarriage and that I should take Met for at least 12 weeks when if I manage to conceive. However, my GP told me to come off it straight away so there's alot of misinformation about it out there.

I've been taking Met for over a year now and my periods have regulated. I've only been TTC for the last month and in June I didn't ovulate for some reason.

I'm no expert but if you're on Metformin it might help and I'd definitely ask your gynae about staying on it when pregnant.

hi ladies can I join please? Have 9yo dd but since then have had four successive miscarriages. Went to recurrent miscarriage clinic on Monday and was told that I have PCOS and will be prescribed metformin. Don't quite know what to expect. Also have elevated levels of homocysteine and have to take higher dose of folic acid if I can a PFP. We have decided to wait 3 months before TTC to get a good folic acid intake. I'm quite angry with the gynaecologist that I saw after my 3rd miscarriage because I asked if PCOS could be a contributing factor (I have many classic symptoms -hair on face ,breasts and abdomen, skin tags, overweight with most of my weight being around my waist plus my dad was bald before the age of 30) but she ruled it out, I think because I have regular periods and therefore ovulate properly but surely this can happen with some women with PCOS. My understanding is that the eggs are likely to be of poor quality if you ovulate without medical assistance.

Hi DungunGirl,

I know which dress you mean. Good choice!

I bought two dresses, one from the heritage range the other a yellow and white one (plus a few other things don't tell my hubby).

Moonlit x

GYO

Fingers crossed for you that all will go well. I guess you have to think positive but at the same time just be prepared.

I didn't want to even consider MC's until it happened to me....

Just take care of yourself, eat well, don;t strain yourself and keep cool !!!!