PCOS Mums - please talk to me about your experiences of ttc on the NHS?

[Maghribia]

I'm interested in hearing some success stories from mums who have PCOS who have been treated on the NHS. I have been trying for yonks and my period problems are showing no signs of getting better, I did not have a lot of luck with my former GP but the new practice I joined today seems a lot more sympathetic. I am meant to be going along Friday morning.

I am really hoping to get the treatment via the NHS as it is so mega expensive privately and apparently exactly the same thing. From what I understand it seems to involve being given a false period with progesterone and then a cycle of clomid, but this can only be done a finite number of times? I'm wondering what the time lag is between being referred to the specialist and starting the clomid. What criteria do you have to meet to be eligible for clomid anyway? I am dying to start this asap so hope it's not a long waiting game. I've already had ultrasounds and bloods taken before but I guess they'll want to do that again.

I'd love to know how many of you in the same situation as I am in now have gone on to have lovely healthy dcs, could really do with some positive vibes and as always valuable MN support!

Mine is not really a success story.......yet, but I was referred to a gynea consultant after initial bloods. I had that appointment in January and had more bloods/swabs taken, was asked for my DH to submit an SA and was told I would need to have a HSG done before going on Clomid.

It's now March and I am still waiting for my HSG appointment and am getting completely fed up.

I hope that you get a smoother journey to the Clomid. My understanding is that a HSG needs to be done before Clomid is prescribed because if the tubes are blocked then taking Clomid is pointless as sperm and egg won't meet.

Hi Mag,
Mines a good story - so far. I hardly had any periods for years. I wasnt trying to conceive, but wasnt taking any contractption.. My gynae recommended hysteroscopy so he could have a good sort out and look whats there. Despite him telling me aftrewards that I was likely to have problems when I wanted to get pregnant. Was pregnant 6 weeks later. Have gorgeous DD aged 3!

TTC #2 - irregular periods again. Went for gynae appt to get clomid BFP on same day. Unfortunately MMC at 8 weeks. Got re-referred to gynae - on 1st session of clomid at mo within 2 months of MMC.

As far as im aware, you only have to be TTC 12 months or 6m if over 35 before being referred for it. I basically just said, I need to be ovulating, can I have clomid. They have me something or other first to have a false period (cant remember what it was called) then start on clomid. Im on day 11, so fingers crossed.

I can see that they'd have to give you a scan to check that there were no other obvious probs or blockages - but I cant see that it would take long to sort. I would harrass the gynaecologists secretary to rush it thru.

Good luck! XX

Mine isn't success story yet either. Basically wat mooley said but I started a year ago, it's taken a year and a half from my first appointment with GP to my clomid prescription. Best of luck

I have a couple of friends that used Reflexology, and it brought there periods back. If you dont know a local Reflexologist you can search for a local one through the Association of Reflexologists www.aor.org.uk - you know they are properly trained!!

Good luck

The problem is that the NHS is slow. Clomid itself is not expensive - I think I paid £5 for two months worth. But the tests etc have to be done before they give it to you as there's no point in giving you Clomid if that isn't really the problem. I had the testing done privately but I am lucky in that I have health insurance so it was paid for and all I had to pay for were the drugs themselves. Got pregnant on second month of Clomid. DS is 9 months now!

I also had my first NHS appointment at the point at which I must have conceived about 3 days before. Which might explain why I cried the whole way home from that appointment because I found it so upsetting.

i was prescribed clomid at the first appointment.. and told to wait until all my blood results had come back..then they would call me and i caould start the provera then clomid....
clomid didnt do the trick for me ..now on letrozole..so fingert crossed for that!!

Thank you so much, I will update you all tomorrow!

Right, I'm back :)

Had a pretty good experience this morning I must say. New GP was very kind and patient with me babbling on about all the different permutations of my menstrual cycle etc. She's ordered another ultrasound scan (at St. Mary's in Paddington, anyone been here? might start a new thread for that one) and some bloods. I got the bloods taken today as the phlebotomist was on site! They measure hormones, thyroid, glucose etc. Pretty sure I've had them done before but as with the scan it's good to see where we're at now. I've got another one that's meant to be on day 21 from my last period to test for progesterone but as I don't know when my period is that will be a bit tricky, anyway I'm hanging on to that form for now. She also gave me a prescription for folic acid, six months supply!

She also mentioned the HSG (sounds really ouchy) and SA. It'll take persuading getting DP to do one, I'm pretty sure it's not him as he is already a dad :) Wrt clomid, we're going to look at the tests first and then she says I'll probably be able to give it a go. She did say that the risk of multiples is higher and that can be dangerous however.

I'm a bit worried about the time lag as some of you mentioned up the thread that it's been a really long wait. I will update. Having said that, I think that the main problem with the NHS is that it is not consistently good all over the country - some places it is excellent, others very poor. The standard of this surgery is 10000 x better than the last one I attended. So at least that's a positive thing that's happened recently :)

If private was a lot quicker, I would do it, but it would completely drain our savings. I could do it in Morocco, in fact private medicine there is very good although probably just as pricey - someone told me about 50,000 dirhams (rough calculation and I'm terrible at maths - just over 3,500 quid) just for the first go. Then again I'm spending money like water anyway these just to ease the misery

At least I'm losing a bit of weight on my diet of worry!

Hi maghribia, happy to c u had a better experience. It does depends on which doctor u get IMO. Wen I asked my GP for metformin as it had worked previously for me he flat out refused and 1.5 yrs later the hospital doc said I should have been on it all along as I have insulin resistance. Arggh.
The HSG is a bit uncomfortable but is over fairly quickly. It's like a smear test.

I have a success story for you. As I knew I had PCOS I visited the GP as soon as we decided it was time to start TTC (although we had been 'hoping for a happy accident' for about 6 months at that point). She immediately referred me to the FC and in the meantime told me to start the folic acid. The FC confirmed my diagnosis of PCOS with ultrasound (plus looked at my blood results on record) then needed me to be tested for chlamydia and checked my rubella immunity, plus my DP needed his SA, before they'd prescribe clomid. I was told I'd get 3 months of clomid, then a HSG if nothing had happened before another 3 months of clomid if that was all clear. I initially saw the GP around October 2009 and started my first round of clomid in June 2010. My FC did scans for the first cycle plus day 21 bloods to check for ovulation, then just the bloods for subsequent cycles. The clomid caused me to ovulate but no BFP. In the meantime, I started acupuncture, taking vitamins D and B6 and agnus castus. After the last round of clomid had failed, I waited 70 days for my period to start so I could schedule my HSG, my period never came but I on CD70 I got my BFP and was 3+4 weeks pregnant. I don't know whether the clomid kickstarted my body or whether the acupucture, herbs and vitamins helped but I do know that despite the fact my consultant told me I didn't ovulate I now have an 8 month old DD :)

Good luck with everything. Glad to hear you're being treated well at your new surgery.

Hi. I have pcos and was put on metformin last October at a dose of 1500mg a day. I needed my BMI down a little in order to start Clomid. The met gave me more normal cycles tho late ovulation and short luteal phase. I had two cycles Like that with a 7 day lp and a 9 day lp. I started Clomid in Feb at 50mg and today got a BFP on first response and a digi today and I'm only 11 dpo

Congratulations izzy that's fantastic

100000 congratulations Izzy! Am so so happy for you. I'm sure you will be a lovely mum!

Is late ovulation something that can be a problem? I'm not too good at biology unfortunately!

Highheelsandequations (fantastic name!) thanks so much for all your info and congrats on your DD! I will have a look for agnus castus. Where did you go for the acupuncture, I did a few sessions at Herbal Inn (as you can see have been desperate) to try to regulate cycles but gave up as it got pricey too quickly with no results.

Thank you. I think the theory is with a late ovulation the egg isn't as great quality however I may be completely wrong!

My trouble was even when I did actually ovulate I had very low progesterone and a short lp. So the Clomid was to boost ovulation, a kind of super ov if you like!

I had day 22 and 29 bloods and prog was 5 and 36 respectively. And in fact midwife when I called up for results said "you should expect your period by the start of next week! Restart Clomid at same dose"

I thought she might have said IF your period comes!

Thanks for the name compliment Maghribia and hope you found the info useful. I ordered the agnus castus from amazon. My acupuncturist is one of the very few in a reasonable distance from me so I didn't have a lot of choice, she does 5 elements acupuncture and I find her sessions really helpful (although you're right, it is pricey). I also found some relaxation techniques very helpful whilst ttc, in particular a zita west relaxation CD and a fertility yoga dvd. To be perfectly honest by the time I got my BFP I had tried/was trying pretty much anything and everything I heard of that might have any chance of helping (essential oils, special honey, grapefruit juice, pineapple juice, no coffee, no caffeine, less intense exercise, ...), but I think the most helpful were the relaxation, acupuncture, herbs and vitamins.

Congrats issy :)

Oops, sorry misspelt izzy

Have you called some private clinics? I had the scans on nhs to diagnose the pcos but then went private to get clomid as the waiting list for a gynae appt on the nhs was so long. I had a hycosy to check my tubes, DH had sperm analysis and then I was prescribed clomid in a matter of weeks, with scans to check when I was ovulating etc. Altogether it was around 600 quid. That was 5 years ago, I got pregnant on the 5th cycle of clomid and now have a 4yo and a nearly 2yo (conceived naturally!)

Oh and btw you can go private and still stay on the nhs waiting list- I had a call to say I was finally at the top of the list for ivf when DD1 was 10 days old!

I'm just thrilled to see that a lot of you in the same position have dcs!! That has really made my day.

Haven't stopped chasing around all day but am now popping to Oxford Street on a hunt for agnus castus and some acupuncture clinics. I've given up caffeine, finding a bit trickier with alcohol (not that I drink a lot, but at least the odd drink twice a week) and probably a lot of passive smoking going on around me with friends/family.

I've spoken to a couple of private clinics, all seem very pricey, if it really does speed everything up I'm happy to pay but if there's not much in it, then it seems a bit pointless. If it is 600 quid then that seems reasonable - would you be able to tell me where you went quickhide? or pm me perhaps. If not no probs. Congrats on ur dcs by the way!