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Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

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Original poster

F*ing doctor!!

14 replies

ChateauMargot · 02/02/2011 18:35

Had an appointment with a new doc today, to discuss results of blood tests and ultrasound (suspected PCOS - my old doctor left the surgery last month, hence the switch).

New doc (older woman with a tendency to talk over me/cut me off mid-sentence - read: extremely irritating) was completely dismissive from the off: as soon as I mentioned my concerns about PCOS, she responded with "You do know that plenty of women with PCOS conceive perfectly naturally, don't you?" and then went on to ask how long we'd been trying. I admitted only a few months, which seemed to confirm it for her: "Well, that's not very long, you know - we tend to tell people not to start to worry for at least a year."

At which point I pointed out the fact that the sonographer had found cysts and only one (undersized) follicle at the scan, and that there was apparently a strong suggestion that I wasn't ovulating. Doc's response: "All that the scan shows is that you might not have ovulated in that cycle - that's perfectly normal, you know."

Well, what about the blood results? Here's the kicker: it turned out that no results came back for my hormone levels, and I'm now probably going to have to go back to the feckin' Royal Free to have them done again.

Doc then tells me that even if I do have PCOS, there's not much they can do to medicate. I mention Clomid, and she admits that that's an option, but no one will want to put me on it until we've been trying for a year.

Fck fck f*ck!

Is it just me, or is it time to find another doctor??

(and breathe...)

OP posts:

Northernlurker · 02/02/2011 18:40

I can see it's disappointing but the big question is how old are you?
If you're under 35 then waiting to see what happens in a year is reasonable imo. I know it's really hard when you want a baby but your doctor was right to sy that lots of women with PCOS do conceive in due course.
It isn't her fault the bloods weren't done and it isn't her fault that Clomid won't be prescribed for a year. Clomid is a great drug but it's also pretty powerful. You really don't want it until you're sure it's needed.
Sorry for your disappointment. We all want answers don't we - x is the problem and y is the cure and here is y right now. But sometimes life isn't like that and nobody is at fault here.

Good luck ttc - hopefully you'll never need to see her again because you're up the duff!

Original poster

ChateauMargot · 02/02/2011 18:44

Thanks, Nl.

I'm 28 (I know, I know) but have extremely irregular cycles, bad acne and ultrasound scans that show cysts and crap follicle growth. I will be extremely surprised if the hormone results are normal. Given the evidence, it seemed like an extraordinary waste of time to just 'keep trying' for a year, when there's a bloody good chance that I'm not even ovulating.

OP posts:

Northernlurker · 02/02/2011 18:55

You only need to ovulate once to get pg though. I think at your age you do have the year to give it and basically you are going to have to do that. A pregnancy acheived without medical intervention is definately the best outcome and it may well be possible. So you've already tried for what 4 or 5 months? There isn't much left of a year really. How often are you having sex? With the cycle thing I think I would be going for at least 3 times a week. That should cover all eventualities.

Northernlurker · 02/02/2011 18:56

Oh and what's your weight like? Personally I didn't find weight impacted on my fertility but it is a factor for some people and if you can lose a bit (if you are overweight) then it may tip the scales in your favour (no pun intended)

Original poster

ChateauMargot · 02/02/2011 19:00

With 50-day cycles, though, there's a good chance that more than a few will be anovulatory. We've been trying for 5 months. Sex 2 or 3 times a week.

My frustration is with the fact that I'm 99% certain something's not right, and my last doc was completely on board - her words were, "If the tests suggest PCOS, we won't mess around and I'll refer you straight to a fertility specialist." To go from that to this uber-skeptical, snarling bint who made it pretty clear that she considered me a paranoid time-waster was a bit of a shock...

OP posts:

Original poster

ChateauMargot · 02/02/2011 19:04

I'm a healthy weight - about 115 pounds, 5'5".

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helenlouisey · 02/02/2011 19:08

Hi ChateauMargot

I completely sympathise with your frustration, i went to see my dr after trying for 6 months and was told to come back 6 months later once we'd been trying for a year, I was convinced there was a problem, and it turned out there was! However my husbands dr was much more sympathetic, and sent him for a sperm analysis, I then went back to my dr and explained the test my husband was having and said there was a possibility of a problem with my hubby and asked for basic bloods to be done, which she arranged. Once we had out results back we then asked for a private referral, as all the tests had come back fine, and my dr wouldn't refer us till we'd been trying a year.

Is going private, at least for an initial consultation, a possibility ?

Personally I think that if there is a known fertility problem, or the possibility of a problem such as PCOS, then this whole waiting for a year thing is stupid. Just my opinion though. Wonder whether there is any way of finding out what your local health authorities policy is on circumstances for referrals when PCOS is suspected.

Is there another GP at your practise you could see instead for a second opinion?

Helen x

Original poster

ChateauMargot · 02/02/2011 19:13

"Personally I think that if there is a known fertility problem, or the possibility of a problem such as PCOS, then this whole waiting for a year thing is stupid. Just my opinion though."

Mine, too!

Sigh. Thanks, Helen.

I don't know how much going private would cost. There are other doctors at this surgery, so if push came to shove I think I'd ask to see one of them. But presumably, if we have it in black and white that the ultrasounds suggest PCOS and the bloods suggest PCOS, this doctor can't just refuse to refer me - surely??!

OP posts:

AttilaTheMeerkat · 02/02/2011 19:57

Find another and hopefully more helpful GP to talk to. I had very similar symptoms to yours and was referred to a subfertility unit after 6 months of ttc.

Waiting a year with your symptoms is just time wasting. They should refer you and asap.

Although some women with PCOS can conceive without help, many women with PCOS do require some assistance in order to conceive. It is not a condition either that should be messed around with by GPs. PCOS is an individualistic disorder that affects each woman with it very differently.

Verity's website may be helpful www.verity-pcos.org.uk

You will need to be persistant in order to get answers.

Original poster

ChateauMargot · 03/02/2011 09:14

I'm getting my battle gear together, Attila!

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TinyDiamond · 04/02/2011 12:01

I was diagnosed with both PCOS and endometriosis and have eventually managed to conceive naturally. It is a nightmare waiting for appointments and doctors so I decided to do everything I could myself to maximise my chance whilst we were waiting for referral to come through. Even though I had already been diagnosed my doc still insisted on making us try for 18months before he would even discuss clomid (due to my age-23). I was having a series of bloodtests to check ovulation and pre summer 2010 all had said I hadn't ovulated.
I moved away for the summer due to DP's work and embarked on an intense exercise regime and stuck to a low GI diet too. (this is definitely something you should look into if you suspect pcos).
I actually ended up putting on a little weight as I was pretty slim to begin with, no idea if this was a contributing factor or not but it could be.

In October I started bloodtests again and the first one I had came back anovulatory. Doctor discussed with me about 2 further bloodtests and if no luck then would start clomid in Jan/feb.

Within 3 weeks I'd amazingly fallen pregnant. I was very shocked at Novemeber bloodtest result that it was a positive ovulation and then a week later got a bfp. This could all be coincidence but I think looking aftermyself better must've helped.

The other thing I did was to cut out caffiene, I'd never drank too much anyway so it wasn't too hard. I was still drinking alcohol though.

I can also recommend getting some conceive plus lubricant from boots, the first time we used this was when I conceived so def worth a try!

Sorry for blabbering just wanted to tell you what helped me.

Good Luck!

Original poster

ChateauMargot · 04/02/2011 18:09

Thanks, TD! Not blabbering at all. I shall look into low GI. Fortunately am not a caffeine fiend, so that won't be too great a problem... And exercise too, of course.

It's sounding as if the hospital never tests my hormone levels in the first place, so I have to go back and have them done again. Great! Particularly as I have an unholy dread of needles...

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Original poster

ChateauMargot · 04/02/2011 18:10

should be, 'hospital never TESTED'

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chocciechip · 05/02/2011 12:30

Chateau - you could also try charting your temps if you want to check if you are ovulating. It won't help you pin-point ovulation if your cycles are very irregular, but a temp shift in a cycle should give some indication if you ovulated or not. Also, its useful - if you end up at a fertility clinic - to take the charts with you. I recommend TCOYF and starting a fertilityfriend account if you want to give it a try.

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