To be a little bit miffed with gp’s response?

[Snowdropfairy85]

After years now of scans and appointments with a gynae about my reproductive health, And general feelings of exhaustion and poor health it has just been determined (pending blood tests for confirmation) that I have PCOS. Just had a phone appointment with GP who said to me that polycystic ovaries “are just one of those things” and I got the impression he was basically content to leave it there. To give some background, I had no problems or symptoms of PCOS until after birth of my second child, during which I had gestation diabetes. Since then I’ve had periods lasting 14 days of bleeding that are anywhere from 36 to 25 days apart, as well as bleeding between periods on occasion. I’ve also got bad acne along my jaw line and gets spots on my chest, excess facial hair, suffer with anxiety and joint pain, get tingling in my limbs. At the moment my feet are so stiff and painful in the morning and after sitting down for short periods it hurts to walk. When I mentioned this to the GP he said he didn’t think that was anything to worry about. In the end I got a bit fed up and said I was hoping to explore Metformin as a treatment for PCOS, to which he said it wouldn’t help my weight, my acne or my excess hair, purely my fertility. Obviously I’m not a medical professional but this isn’t what my research online has said at all about Metformin, it’s a widely used treatment for the symptoms of PCOS and can slow the progression into type 2 diabetes, something I’m concerned about having had gestation diabetes and my own father having type 2 diabetes. Eventually I persisted on the “I’d like some kind of treatment to ease my symptoms and make me feel healthier” he agreed to do blood tests and look talk about trying metformin. Is it unreasonable to feel like it shouldn’t be that hard work to get some help? Maybe I’m being over sensitive I don’t know.

You are definitely not being unreasonable. I think too many doctors can be quite dismissive of things like this as something women just have to put up with. Absolutely push back on getting some treatment. My friend had similar and developed really heavy long painful periods and the doctor basically told her that it was just a part of getting older as a woman (she was mid thirties at the time!). My friend explained that it was really affecting her and causing frequent pain and disruption to her quality of life but was basically told to suck it up and it would sort itself out eventually. It is really unacceptable. My friend found herself a more receptive doctor who said there was no need to put up with this. It would be easy to stereotype and say that older male doctors are dismissive of ‘women’s issues’ but in this case the initial doctor who told her to just put up with it because that’s just the way it is as women get older was a young woman and the second helpful doctor was an older male gp.

Thank you, it just seemed like he didn’t even know that much about PCOS and the fact that it can increase your risk of heart problems, diabetes etc, let alone the fact that I feel sub par all the time right now. I‘m definitely going to ask to see another gp next time. I’m glad your friend found someone willing to help her.

Definitely change your GP !

You are suffering from debilitating symptoms which require treatment !

Very often male GP's (and some female ones too unfortunately ) are content to have a diagnosis and are very unsympathetic. This is often due to a lack of empathy. As long as whatever ails you is not life threatening, then they basically say 'get on with it'

Change your GP to one who is understanding and actively WANTS to help you.

I’m in the same boat; diagnosed at 27 . I was told there’s zero treatment and you just have to live with it . I’ve had a period for the last four weeks, I’m exhausted and sore .

When I asked the surgery if there’s any help I could have nurse actually said, ‘no, you could learn to put up with it though’ .

I have to shave my face and neck daily, or I grow a full beard ...

This is despite friend being a GP and saying if I was her patient she’d have me on meds to help .

YANBU, I hate this attitude that PCOS is just something you have to live with. A low GI diet can be really helpful in managing symptoms.

Google the Cumberlege Report and read about the disgraceful way women were dismissed and disbelieved when they went to their doctors with pain after surgical mesh implants.
Your symptoms sound dreadful and you should definitely change your GP and ask for a gynae referral.

Your GP is a misogynist. Please see if you can find another one.

I have PCOS and have been on Metformin for some time. Yes it helped to regulate my periods, even though we didn't want any more DC, but it also helped with the insulin resistance side of PCOS. To the extent that when I hit the menopause and asked to come off Metformin (as I thought there'd be no further need) my blood sugars went up into the Diabetic range. I went back on metformin, with a higher dose, and my blood sugars returned to a normal level.

You definitely need to see another doctor, especially as you have T2 diabetes in your family. In the time I was classed a diabetic (technically I'm classed as diabetic who 'controls' my blood sugar with medication now) I was told that due to the insulin resistance associated with PCOS you are more likely to get diabetes from having PCOS.

Thanks all, there are other gps at the practice who have been a lot more helpful in the past, I said I didn’t mind who I saw this time but after encountering this guy will definitely wait a bit longer for someone else when I go back.

Yes diabetes and increased risk of certain cancers is my main concern, especially as I have had gestational diabetes before.

myfurloughedfriend did you find you lost weight with metformin? I was a healthy BMI pre kids and had no symptoms of PCOS also feel pregnant straight away with both. Since having kids my bmi has crept up to 28 and the symptoms have all started. I need to lose weight but it just won’t come off, and as my energy levels are awful I really struggle to stick to a diet for more than a few months, it’s very disheartening when the weight just doesn’t come off.

Yes, you need to change your GP and ask for an endocrinologist referral.

I was diagnosed with PCOS about 7 years ago now and referred to an endo. They will send you for ultrasounds to see if you have any cysts on your ovaries- I have had both external and internal scans as they usually say they can’t see properly on the external scans. I was then prescribed metformin and vaniqa cream for my face to slow the hair growth (I could grow a full beard if I didn’t shave it everyday). The hardest thing for me to live with is my thinning hair and the acne, they make me feel so unpretty. I am in the same boat as you in respect of my DDad as he I s also diabetic so it’s a real worry re insulin resistance. I’ve lost a good bit of weight recently (although I still have a long way to go) and my periods have finally restarted (I’m literally sat here waiting for a call from my doctor as I’m worried about how heavy my current period is, I’m going through a lot of pads today). It’s an awful thing to have so I hope you get yourself sorted OP.

Thanks igotdemons good to hear that metformin has helped you. The ultrasound I’ve just had showed 12 follicles on each ovary apparently so that puts me in the pcos category. Can I just ask, the referral to the endo- what did they suggest that the gp didn’t? I’m hoping to see the next gp and they’ll prescribe metformin, would you recommend pushing for a referral if the next gp is willing to prescribe? Thanks

Are old are you OP? All the symptoms you describe are what I experienced when I started the perimenopause.

I’ve just turned 35, I had blood tests like FSH etc privately last year as I was concerned it might be early menopause but they were within normal levels, I’m not saying it couldn’t be that, and I know peri menopause can last years, but all my symptoms do fit with pcos.

I’m picking up the blood test form tomorrow, does anyone what tests the gp should request for me- I want to make sure They’re all on the form after today.

Have a read of this, it's very interesting about Metformin and PCOS.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3475283/

Have you asked to see another GP?

Sorry clicked to soon. Look on the surgery website and see which Dr specialises in women’s health

I’m going to get the blood tests done and then will see new gp to discuss results and the way forward.

Ah good tip. Will check out the link too thank you.

My PCOS took ages to diagnose and manage too. GP and gynae are often not the right people to be managing your care. I was lucky and got a referral to endocrinology who told me that actually it is an endocrine disorder not a gynae disorder and they are who people should be referred to for management.

I'd speak to another GP and ask for an endo referral.

Metformin isn't a medication without its own issues and it is mainly used to treat infertility (when it comes to PCOS). The first port of call for any health care professional when it comes to treating PCOS is to recommend weight loss.
Which is a massive pain in the dick for anyone with PCOS.
GPs don't tend to be very forthcoming with information and treatments for this. I would ask to be referred to someone who specialises in PCOS within the gynae department. I automatically had an appointment for this purpose after my confirmed diagnosis.

OP my daughter was finally diagnosed after three years when we paid for a private consultation. She finds GP visits so frustrating because she’s now done a lot of research and often knows more about treatments etc than they seem to. She now has yearly checks at a specialist clinic and is on metformin. Apparently reddit has lots of very useful forums. Be persistent and get referred to an endocrinologist, or if you can afford it pay for a consultation they can then pass on the treatment plan to your GP. You absolutely don’t have to put up with it. My DD stopped dairy and that helped a lot.

I would ask to be referred to a specialist as you are not happy with their care.