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

Ovarian diathermie is what I had, but I called it ovarian drilling. It is an op, done under a general. I think it stimulates ovulation in 60% of women and it most definitely worked for me!

I don't ovulate every cycle but when I do it corresponds with me following a healthy low GI diet, not being too stressed, that sort of thing. Don't panic, PCOS isn't the end of the world and it can be treated. Try and get yourself some metformin, that really helps as well.

Attila: I can't believe you aren't in the medical field. I am seriously impressed!!! It's great having you on this thread. I hope you can help me to.

Fruitloop: Hun, relax! I think it's you stressing yourself out about herbal meds and your friends around you who are getting pregnant, that is totally stressing you out! At the end of the day, you and I and several other mums with PCOS on this thread have been blessed with at least one child. Their people like my best friend who are without child after trying for 11 years!. We will get pregnant! Only if we stay positive. Lets help each other and we will get there.

Ok lecture over I hope you don't mind. I am not telling you off, I am just trying to shake you a little and make you think about the wonderful things you have in your life .

xxx

hi all!

just thought i'd drop in and tell you about me!

never had a period till i was 23... dr's said not much chance of babies without help! it took a while to get ds1 - 18 months and a miscarriage.... we had to indulge every 2 days of cycles that lasted forever.... ironically though ds2 was conceived the one and only night we forgot the condom!!

i was a healthier weight with ds2 (as in i wasn't underweight... which i previously had been after dieting and losing 6 stone to help... i just went a bit ott!)

so good luck ttc and lose weight!

Hi fruitloop

EPO is fine!.

If you get tired of GI, GL (glycaemic load) may be worth looking into.

Metformin can be helpful as well if there is insulin resistance (some but not all PCOSers are insulin resistant). Have also heard of good things re clomid/metformin combined but have never used either (I was not able to take clomid anyway due to my very high LH levels).

BTW I also became pg post ovarian diathermy. Something else worth considering as an option.

Fruitloop - the CM needs is the v stretchy stuff. As good a sign of ovulation you'll ever get and well worth looking for!

I agree about agnus castus. It did not help me at all and I suspect made things worse.

I was lucky and was being treated by a gynae for my fertility issues and by an endocrinologist for PCOS. The endo I see is very interested in PCOS and the link with diabetes and she runs a specialist clinic for PCOS women.

I was prescribed a mega does of metformin and was told that it is more effective than clomid in women with PCOS. However, at the same time I had something called ovarian drilling, which is exactly what it sounds! This kept me off work for a while due to a post op infection and I maintain it was a combination of the metformin, the drilling and work avoidance that got me pregnant (apart from the obvious!)

What does work, as hard as it is, is losing 10% of your body weight. The most effective way to do this is to take metformin and follow the low GI diet. I continued to take metformin during my pregnancy on the guidance of the endocrinologist, as it helps to reduce the risk of miscarriage and gestational diabetes.

I feel so much better when I take metformin, have a good diet etc. I have more energy, my skin looks better and I actually ovulate. It is true, you can't take your temp really but what you can do is look for cervical mucus. You need to be on the look out for the clear, stretchy egg white looking stuff, then go for it!

It is possible to get pregnant, but aside from the pregnancy issue you do need to get it under control for future health protection. I really am pot calling kettle black here because I haven't taken my metformin for a while (got out of the habit) and my diet is all over the place but I am getting better.

Fruitloop

Please, please (x 1000) do not self medicate with AC particularly if you have PCOS as it can make any underlying hormonal problems worse!!.

If you really want to use herbs you really ought to seek out a properly qualified medical herbalist. Speak to several if needbe. Would have to agree with Moonlit's second paragraph on this subject. There are charlatans/quacks out there and many such people are vulnerable to these people.

You've been busted re the temp charting as well!. If you really want to do this then I would say only do this for one month. If you as I suspect end up with a chart akin to the Rocky Mountains, please stop forthwith.

You are better off seeing the gynae on a regular basis.

No am not in the medical field but have PCOS (and endo) and have come through fertility treatment.

Also there is a group called verity that can tell you all you need to know about pcos see here

Hi ladies - I too have pcos and took nearly 2 years to conceive dd1 - suffering 1 miscarriage in the process. If it is any consolation then once you do have a successful pregnancy the pcos symptoms do get better and i had 2 more successful pregnancies after (3 dcs).

I found that agnus castus helped get my cycles more even - at one stage was having cycles 42 - 49 days long. Also when I lived out in Germany I was actually prescribed this by German GP to help with cysts in breast! So I personally think this is one remedy that can help.

I also found that an Atkins/GI type diet helped - did not do full Atkins but cut back on starchy carbs and bread and ate mostly meat/veg/fruit/cheese/rice.

There is a PCOS diet book see here. But just to warn you it is not so much a diet as an eating plan - explains the biological background that causes PCOS and how foods can affect the hormonal balance.

Hope this helps!

Attila stop Fruitloop!!!!!

Attila are you in the medical field?

Fruity, out of sheer desperation, I tried lots of herbal products on my trips to the US (because they are very cheap there). They don't work. Instead you should save your money for baby clothes . I have also wasted 100 hundreds on visiting herbalists. Speak to your Doctor about options first. If your Doctor can't help, they should refer you to someone who can as suggested by Attila.

x

Attila

No not had a HSG. And yes I believe they were chocolate cysts.

Am seeing him again in March and this will be the first time I've seen him since TTC so I can discusss everything with him then.

Thanks for your help

Eleveld

You've had two ops already but you may need a third at some point in time because of these cysts. Am glad you are being scanned, this needs monitoring. I am glad to read that he has not seen signs of adhesions or damage to the tubes. Has a HSG (tubal x-ray) been done at all?. HSG is a useful test to have as any deformities INSIDE the tube will show up on x-ray and can give info not easily accessed by other methods.

Were you told the nature of these cysts previously, were they termed "chocolate" cysts?. I ask this as "chocolate" cysts are often related to endometriosis, their proper name is endometrioma.

Thanks AttilaTheMeerkat

Was diagnosed with endo about 4 years ago although suspect I had had it quite a while before that.
Had laparoscopy 3 years ago to drain cysts.

Then had to have laparotomy (spelling?) 2 years ago to remove two cysts that were 7 and 8cm.

Had scan in November and there is another cyst on one side that is about 6cm. Consultant not doing anything at the mo but is scanning again in couple of months.

On the plus side, when he did the op two years ago he did say that he didn't see any scar tissue or damage to the tubes, just these cysts. Am hoping that's quite good?

I am only doing it because DP wants to get married before kids and I am desperate for kids hence being on here. He knows we're ttc but he thinks I have a come what may attitude. Ha! As if.