PCOS & TTC/Post Pill PCOS

[hamustro]

I came off the pill in July and still haven't had a period except a withdrawal bleed. Since finishing the pill, I've also had very oily skin and hair, acne, and excess hair growth on my chin. FWIW, I'm 30 and started the pill at around 23. Before going on the pill, my periods were regular and I dealt with teenage acne but nothing really unusual.

I'm thinking PCOS but scared to go to my GP in case I get some bad news. I'm also overweight by about 3 stone so think I should probably shift some weight before seeing my GP as I imagine they'd recommend that anyway. I was about 3 stone lighter before starting the pill.

I'm not really sure what I'm expecting of this thread other than to maybe get some positive stories or to help soothe my worries about this. Will losing weight make much difference? If I do get a PCOS diagnosis, what help is available with TTC? I'm a worrier at the best of times and can't stop stressing about this.

Hey, I was diagnosed with PCOS at around 20 ( now 27 ) as my periods were very erratic and painful. I had an ultrasound scan which confirmed. Have never been overweight so wouldn’t say I looked like a PCOS sufferer as weight gain can be such a massive issue, but had basically all other symptoms !.

I started TTC 3 years ago and had 4 miscarriages and was really struggling, I did MILLIONS of research. I went to my GP to ask for metformin, which is used to treat people with diabetes. This can be used as an off the label drug to help balance out hormones and help with ovulation. The doctor at first was a bit reluctant due to me being an underweight as it can also help you loose weight, but my weight was monitored and had 2 monthly review. It definitely helped me ovulate every month and my hormone balance. I eventually fell pregnant and had to fight for progesterone to sustain my pregnancy ( due in 2 weeks time ! )

I would definitely advise go and see your GP and get the tests, you would rather know so you know what dilations and help is available to you !. If you are overweight it would be helpful to try and reduce that when TTC because that can actually help, but metformin also seems like it could be beneficial to you, ir you struggle to loose weight ( again a very typical sign in women with PCOS ) but honestly do your research and tell them what you think would help/looking for. Such a long emotional journey. Hopefully you get your answers and good luck on your journey ❤️

Thank you! Was the diagnosis process just go to see GP > go to get ultrasound > confirmed PCOS, or were there more steps to it?

I'm a bit worried about what to expect and I think if I knew how the GP appointment would go and what the next steps would be I would feel a bit better about booking an appointment.

Lovely to hear that you're now pregnant - I hope you're having a straightforward pregnancy and best wishes for when you give birth 💕

I always suspected I had PCOS but the diagnosis was confirmed after I went to gp after failure to conceive for a year and they referred me for fertility investigations (there was quite a long waiting list for this so my advice get help sooner rather than later). Did an ultrasound scan and it was confirmed. They referred us straight for IVF as there was a degree of male factor issue too so they said no point trying to improve the PCOS if the male factor may still make achieving pregnancy hard. So went straight to IVF and very happy to say it worked first time (child now age 5).

I recommend strength training and building some muscle to improve your symptoms / insulin resistance. Lower carb intake and look into supplements e.g Inositol. Prioritise early nights and good sleep. I know that my body doesn’t handle sugar / refined carbs or alcohol well. I eat a reasonably high fat / high protein diet with plenty of veg and some fruit. Maintaining a healthy weight has been key to managing symptoms for me and it will be a lifelong project.

Thanks for your response. Was it just a scan to confirm the PCOS?

I'm glad to hear IVF worked for you. I've signed up to the gym and have started going (maybe not as often as I should!), and will also start walking a bit more. Food is a hard one for me as I'm an emotional eater and I'm such a carb person - I'd rather have some toast than a steak! Intermittent fasting has worked for me in the past and I find is an easy habit to get into, so I will try to get back on the wagon and see if I can lose a few stone.

@hamustro
I think the scan was part of a test where they put dye in my Fallopian tubes to check there were no blockages, and they told me there and then that I had PCOS.

Walking is great - about a year after I had my daughter I started walking most evenings after dinner and lost about 20lbs without really making any other changes. Find a good podcast to listen to while you walk - makes the time fly by.

There's a really good book by an NHS doctor about diet / blood sugar / fasting etc. Its been very helpful to me:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Full-Diet-Dr-Saira-Hameed/dp/0241552451/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2UIJ8XA2NI99B&keywords=the+full+diet+saira+hameed&qid=1681214543&sprefix=the+full+diet%2Caps%2C135&sr=8-1

That was me OP. Had regular periods, though long cycles through my teens. Went on the pill for 9 years. Periods didn't come back at all when I came off it to TTC age 28 & BMI about 26 (was at least 10kg lighter when I started the pill).
Saw my GP at 6 months, I think they did a standard blood test to look at my hormones. Told to go away and wait until 1 year of 'trying' before referral to fertility clinic. Still no period at 1 year off the pill. Had ultrasound which confirmed PCOS and GP referred us to fertility clinic. Fertility clinic did day 3 & 21 bloods (on day 367 of my cycle), sperms test for DH then straight onto clomid to make me ovulate which worked on the lowest dose. Finally fell pregnant on cycle 9 of clomid, the cycle after I'd had my tubes dyed/flushed and xrayed (to look for blockages as a work up to IVF I was told).
As a glimmer of hope, fell pregnant with DC#2 on the first cycle off the pill. We weren't trying, just thinking about it and bingo!

It doesn't do any harm to start thinking about your diet, exercise and weight. It'll show your GP that you're serious about improving your health.