TTC with PCOS

[Ainat266]

Are there any other ladies out there trying to conceive with PCOS? Or any success stories of conceiving with PCOS?

We've been ttc and off of bc since August. Since then I've been diagnosed with PCOS and put on Metformin. I am overweight, especially for my height as I'm only short - but am trying to lose the weight. I'm almost at a 10% weight loss since getting the PCOS diagnosis in November 14. I haven't had any periods since coming off of bc in August 14, apart from what I'm guessing was a withdrawal bleed (that happened pretty much straight away - end of August) and a couple of very light bleeds that lasted no longer than a day.

I'm just feeling all a bit fed up now and think I need to hear from others that are either in a similar boat or have been able to have healthy normal pregnancies despite the PCOS.

Hi everyone, hope you don't mind me joining!

I came off the pill 6 months ago and have no period at all, I had a scan today which showed cysts on my ovaries. I had blood tests aswel but they came back normal. I'm so so upset feel completely devestated, I was just told by the sonographer so just feelings shocked at the moment, I don't know if that means I have pcos or just cysts? Is that the same thing I have no idea. I'm so confuesed.

My dr appointment is for next week, so I have time to think about questions I want to ask. Can anybody talk me through what happens next? Surely they have to give me something to bring my periods back.

Thanks in advance!

Welcome ginfizz. Did your Dr explain anything? From what I understand cysts are normal for part of your cycle but one egg should become dominant and then ovulation occurs but in pcos women this doesn't always happen. So whether you have pcos May depend on where you are in your cycle but it's hard to.know when you have had no periods. Don't worry. There is lots that can be done. There is a very effective drug called clomid that can bring your periods back or they might try metformin (a diabetes drug) first to see if that resonances things. A low gi diet and exercise can also help. Lots and lots of women have pcos and never know. I didn't until after I had had my dd and was ttc dc2.

I have been diagnosed with PCOS too, I used to to go months without periods, I was told losing weight would help so I lost 6 stone in a year then asked to be put on metformin, it made me feel really ill but I fell pregnant 1 month after starting on metformin! DS is now 7 and a half months. Felt like it was never gonna happen but it did so don't give up I'm trying to conceive again already, trying naturally as you're meant to be more fertile after giving birth but if it hasn't happened in a year i'm gonna go back on to metformin, they really helped. Good luck xx

No I haven't had any explanation as yet, it was the sonographer that showed me the cyst on the screen. She said my ovaries looked "bulky" and had cysts on both of them. She said the results would get sent to my dr. That's all I know at this stage.

I came off the pill 6 months ago and haven't had a period which is why I was sent for the scan, I had a blood test which supposedly came back normal.

I have booked a Dr appointment but isn't until the 9th April. I feel so worried now because I've been told this without any reasoning behind it.

Do you think the Dr will give me something to make me bleed and then do further tests? My periods were normal before I went on the pill (8 years ago) and my BMI is normal.

Welcome ginfizz! I think it sounds very encouraging that your doctor is being thorough and starting the testing process now. Hopefully they'll get to the bottom of the problem soon and you'll get your BFP.

I had my scan today. One ovary has a 15mm follicle so she said that one isn't classed as polycystic, but the other didn't have anything above 9mm. She has given me some progesterone to take to induce a period then I can see if the agnus castus and inositol have any effect on my cycle after that.

She doesn't want to prescribe clomid yet because I'm a type 1 diabetic and my hba1c (long term blood glucose) is 7.3. She wants it to be 6.4 or below, which is quite a challenge But I've never been one to shy away from a challenge. Lots of low GI foods, blood tests and bonking I think!

Thanks for the supportive welcome. Abfab- sounds very similar situation to me. I'm hoping my GP will prescribe me something to induce a bleed. Will they be doing more tests ones your period has arrived? Xxx

She hasn't mentioned anything yet, but they've done bloods for thyroid function, day 28 levels and various other things (not entirely sure what, but they took 5 vials of blood I think). She sounds like she'd be happy to prescribe clomid but I need to get my long range blood glucose down. So that's my mission at the moment. I've decided I'm doing hourly blood tests and recording absolutely everything. Im determined to get it down to 6.4! Seeing my endocrinologist on Sunday (weeks are different here!) so hopefully he'll be able to make some recommendations too.

Hey guys, thought I'd drop in for a quickie, as it were.
We managed to dtd on Saturday morning but nothing since - injured my knee Sunday morning so had to go to A&E. Makes things a bit awkward!
Hoping to dtd tonight. Going by what I think is ewcm, the last few days have been best days. I'm a little worried we've missed the boat

I should add - missed the boat 'this month'.

hello all,
I got diagnosed 4 years ago.
Just got a new GP and when I asked for new tests to check hormones levels and ovaries she said " you've been diagnosed, why would you need more tests?"
Currently waiting on a blood test for HCG to come back as HPt come back negative and I have all the symptoms. Even then I couldnt get any hormonal testing done to check if there was something wrong with ovaries.

Sometime I'm really fed up with NHS :(

Just heard from my doc, I have pcos. Not in my blood or something but lack of periods and cysts on ovaries confirms it.

She wouldn't give me any medication for it. I have to live with it apparently, she said there is a drug called metformin but it's not proven to work and I'm not over weight so technically can't have it anyway. I can't be referred until we have been trying for a year. ( with no periods) bloody pointless!!! What do I do next ?

I have PCOS and endometriosis. I conceived DS1 on climbed on the NHS and am currently 38 weeks with DC2 after private IVF. There are many options out there, persevere and never stop asking questions and push to find the right treatment for you.

doh - clomid, not 'climbed' - wtf!

ginfizz that is crap. I agree to question and push. My friend conceived first cycle after taking metformin and she is underweight if anything. And what about clomid for your periods? Pcos doesn't always need treatment but without periods you aren't going to conceive. You could try agnus castus but I don't know if it will bring periods back. It can settle an irregular cycle though.

drew that is rubbish too. Pcos is just one label and symptoms can vary hugely. You need to know your hormone levels and insulin resistance to have an idea of how it might affect your ttc efforts. Can you see another gp?

Ps metformin is a diabetes drug that helps with insulin. Although insulin resistance is correlated to a certain extent with weight you can be diabetic without being overweight and vice versa so what bollocks tgat you can't have it. You need a gtt or other glucose blood test to see if it would be beneficial but know some gps will prescribe it on a just in case basis. Cross for you both!

Hi Ginfizz, I think you should push to be referred, you have been diagnosed with PCOS and are not having periods so most likely not ovulating and need help. Can you see a different GP at the practice?

I don't know if it will help anyone but I had irregular periods, typically every 3 or 4 months. I went on the pill for a few years and have had regular periods since being off it a year and a half.

Hi everyone thanks for your advice, I am taking OH with me to next appointment as he will make sure I get my points across properly.

I have just started Angus castus, can't hurt can it? Also just ordered some inositol. Has anybody tried it yet??

I have had irregular cycles on and off my whole life. They became irregular again in the past six months so I took soy isoflavones this cycle from CD1-5 to help bring ovulation forward. Now I am on CD 21 today and still no ovulation yet so it hasnt worked for me! I am constantly looking for ways to regulate my cycle!

I thought I should put this across:
I was put on Yasmin for a while, took it for about 6 months and since I stopped I went from very few periods a year to nearly regular ( about 10 a year) and reduction in other symptoms as well, hence why trying to conceive now as I'm not sure that will be a permanent fix.

Still waiting on HCG bloodtest results. I'm really worried that if it's not a bump it's going to be something bad with ovaries/ pituitary system, but then as it's the first month we try TTC I'm liking the chances of it being a pregnancy that's not registering on HPT.

Wow how have I only just found this thread!

Thought I'd share my journey with you.

I have pcos and was diagnosed at 17, now close to 30. I have one DC who was a massive surprise. She wasn't planned and was a natural conception.

We're are now trying for number 2. In all fairness we've only been ttc for a short time, since October but because I knew about the pcos, and I was also aware that over the last two years it had worsened (I have copies of all scan reports so I could see the number of cysts and the same was increasing) I pushed to be referred to the fertility team and saw the consultant in December. From October to December I took metformin but really struggled with the side effects.

Since then I've had one failed cycle of clomid (didn't ovulate and had a strange bleed after taking it) I'm now waiting for an AF and of it doesn't arrive by the 5th of April I'm to begin another course of Provera to induce and bleed and on to round 2 of clomid on a higher dose.

One thing I've defiantly learnt is if you want something push for it. My GP didn't want to refer me so early on but I knew I'd get stuck on a waiting list. I then spoke to the gynae lead at the surgery who said as I have pcos she would happily refer me so a second opinion is always worth it.

Best of luck everyone

Thats very interesting drew.

I was on the combined pill originally and had no complaints, I started getting headaches so they put me on the mini pill (you don't get any periods) and since I've come off I have had one at all. I wonder if I ask to go back onto the combined pill for a few months they will let me? TBH I think the headaches were more stress related anyway as I still get them now & then.

Good luck drew. Do you know when you ovulated? Hpts don't work till about 12dpo.

Welcome and good luck mistletoe. I have a dd too who was conceived without too much difficulty (3 long cycles) and it was ttc dc2 that was troublesome. Interesting about pcos getting worse. That might account for it.

Does anybody know how to go about referrals?

My gp was most unhelpful and wasnt prepared to give me anything to bring on a period or to do any further testing. (Newly diagnosed) I have another appointment booked for two weeks time. Do I just say I want to see somebody that specialises in pcos and fertility? Will I have a fight on my hands for this?
I mean how can I try for baby without periods!!
As soon as I am referred I can go though my private medical care.

long I've been lucky enough to be scanned annually, usually at my insistence.

gin I think it depends on your pct guidelines about how quick you can be referred. If your told no go back and see someone else. You have the right to request a referral whenever your ready because of the pcos. The NICE guidelines do say that if you have diagnosed fertility issues you don't have to wait to be referred. I pushed because there was an 8 month waiting time and I didn't want to wait to be referred then have to wait another 8 months! I got lucky and got a cancellation though and was seen within 6 weeks.