Pcos, periods (or lack of!) and a lovely bunch of ladies

[YouBoggleMyMind]

Right here's our new thread ladies:

Ella, moomin, Amy, robber, danika, trying, Eskimo and anyone I have missed or is lurking.

Sorry you've had a horrible experience summer, your scan nurse sounds like a knob with terrible bedside manner. Hugs.

31 is not too late and you will get there. Get on to your GP, get an appointment and get a referral so you can go full swing in the new year. Good luck xxx

Oh Summer - that sounds awful. That scan nurse sounds like a right horrid person. It's not too late - there are always options. Boggle is right, make an appointment with your GP and it will all be ready for a fresh start in the new year. I have my first appointment with the gyno specialist tomorrow so the referral has actually come through quite quickly x

I actually spoke to my doctor yesterday as she is putting me on a short burst of progesterone to induce a bleed so I can have more bloods done.

She said on the phone that if today was positive for PCO then she would organise to get me on Metformin. Is that the standard first step of medication?

Feeling a bit better now. Just a bit of a shock thats all, and scary too xx

Sorry you had such a bad experience Summer.

I think quite a few of us have been on metformin in this thread. My GP put me on it right after I was diagnosed. It is basically a diabetes drug. It made violently sick and didn't help with my cycles/ovulation. Once I got to the fertility clinic, the consultant seemed kind of horrified that I had been put on it at all. He said there is very little evidence that it helps for PCOS. The exception is for people with a high BMI, because this can lead to insulin resistance, which can cause polycystic ovaries. I think you said that your BMI was normal though?

Thank you Satsooma, thats interesting. Yes my BMI is about 25 so might be on the heavy side of normal, but I'm only a size 12.

That sounds awful for you. How long were you on it for - did you give up in the end then? Dont like the idea of putting something in my body that might have such an effect :( x

Hi Summer my BMI is 25 too. My last post was maybe a bit negative, maybe others can chome in with more positive experiences. I took it for 10 weeks. Felt sick every day and had terrible diarrhoea and vomiting maybe once a week. I only stopped when I finally got to my fertility clinic appointment and was told it wasn't very useful in my case. I wish I hadn't taken it for so long. I think I sort of thought that by suffering through I would earn enough karma to get pregnant , or some such nonesense ...

Ah yes, I know what you mean about the whole karma and earning it craziness. If I'm left alone for too long with my thoughts I even start to think about all the bad things I've done in my life that have led to me having this issue......sounds so stupid when you say it out loud but I have definitely struggled with the fact that everyone around me seems to sneeze and get pregnant whereas for me its one hit after another.

Ok, so perhaps I need to just be wary of the side effects and speak up if it doesnt sit well with my system.

What have they got you on now then? Clomid? xx

Maybe ask GP if they are sure it is appropriate for people with a healthy BMI. In my experience GPs are often ignorant of some of the small print on the drugs they prescribe. Which isn't to criticize, it is easy to be an expert in the one medicine you take, but not in every drug out there.

Yeah I am on Clomid. It sort of worked first time, in that I did get pregnant, but it didn't stick. Gonna start round 2 any day now.

Sorry to hear about your awful scan experience summer xx hopefully all your answers will be answered when you go back to your Doctor. Btw, 31 isn't too late, I'm 30 xx

Ladies, we'll have to think about another thread soon!! 4 pages to go!!

Summer I am 31 and got my ultrasound to diagnose PCOS earlier this year. It took 7 weeks from GP referral to fertility clinic appointment. I was taking Clomid 1 week later and got that short lived BFP 4 weeks after that. So it is definitely not too late for you

Thanks ladies, I really appreciate your support and hearing your own stories.

Have managed to survive the afternoon at work with a brave face on, but now I'm going to get home, sit with DH and talk about where we go from here. Its been a really rough time (basically 2016 can just f*ck off!) but I suppose at least now we know where we are.

Tomorrow is a new day I guess x

Positive metformin story! I have been taking it since February and it made clomid work. My bmi is 25. There are different kinds of pcos and it isn't always to do with weight. I'm quite clearly insulin resistant and it made a huge difference for me. It gave me the runs a couple of times but so long as I take it with food in my stomach, I'm fine. However, the side effects vary from person to person and sickness and the runs is very common.

Morning Boggle, thanks for your positive story :)

I keep trying to read up about PCOS and I am learning now that there definitely is a spectrum of cases - and as yet I dont know where I am on it. Am I right in thinking that you can have polycystic ovaries but differing levels of the hormone imbalances?

I'm picking up my progesterone today which will hopefully get my next AF going (no idea how long that will take though) and then there'll be more bloods once AF is here which will lead to my metformin starting.

I have no idea about my insulin levels, although I wouldnt be surprise if I did have a bit of an issue there as I've been told before that I have big blood sugar variances.

Wow just come out of my gyno appointment - the doctor basically said he thinks I will need help to have a child so is referring me to another fertility clinic to see my consultant! I don't actually understand what the appointment today that I've waited 6 weeks was for...! Apart from wasting everyone's time! x

Oh Elly sorry to hear that. Did he say what has led him to thinking that? Just to give you a bit more than a sweeping statement?

Such a shame, its horrid when you have waited so long.

Sorry if you've already listed but what is your situation? Are you currently taking meds or are you waiting to be given any? x

I think that we should all take a leaf out of dani's book and try supplements. Although, they must have cost a small fortune which is what's putting me off xx

Just because I haven't had a period since coming off the pill (or ever had a natural period) although he did say my hormones were fine from the blood test so they want to now test if I am ovulating by inducing a bleed- I'm not on any meds yet so will wait to see what my consultant says now - and I guess starting an AF and then blood tests will be the next step. I have an ultrasound on the 28th. He never mentioned PCOS but the lack of AF, horrendous cystic acne and unwanted hair growth makes me think that's what they will tell me so at least I'm prepared. To be honest ladies this thread has been invaluable because he didn't explain my situation very well but because of you all and your stories I was kind of able to work out what the next steps might be so thank you for that :) x

Also yeah I'm so tempted Amy to copy Dani's supplements diet but in two minds - 1) what worked for one might not work for another, 2) it sounds expensive 3)not sure whether to wait for my appointment with consultant before taking anything... what are you going to do? x

Yes, elly i totally agree with your points.

I do take some of the supplementsymptoms dani suggests but not all of them. I have been thinking about adding evening primrose. I'll wait and see what my scan says 2moro!!

Its funny, I am the same re. wouldnt be anywhere without having read this thread and got half way there myself......no one really seemed bothered about my lack of period but surely theres only so much time they can give the "coming off the pill" excuse?? It makes me angry to think that I could have gone much longer if I hadnt pushed for more tests myself.

Elly I'm kind of same as you (apart from i've already had my scan) as I'm picking up my progesterone tonight which is supposed to induce a bleed. Lets hope your scan is conclusive because (as heart breaking as my diagnosis was) at least its an answer.

I know that its a good thing that I now know where I stand, and I am starting on the road of seeing what works, but I keep getting really panicky that once you add up the "3 weeks here" "2 months there" etc this really is going to take forever. If there was a way to fast track (even if that meant private) at the moment I'm thinking it would be worth the cost just to get in front of someone that would give you more than 5 minutes time every few weeks!

Its the most frustrating and heart wrenching thing I've ever been through and I honestly dont know if I'm strong enough to keep getting these set backs :( Has anyone else had these sorts of wobbles? You ladies all seem so relaxed and coping with dealing with this and I just feel like I'm drowning!

summer, you're not alone in your wobbles. I have full on meltdowns on this and the previous thread, let alone off MN. I have previous MH issues so I do find it particularly hard. I'm always about if you need to vent, just say the word. Xxx

Summer, I have days where I feel 'why is this so difficult for me' but im really trying to stay positive. There's been so many advances in medicine now that there are so many options to help us all get that BFP. My husband and I have already spoke about adoption and have decided that if no method works for us then we will go travelling and then adopt a little boy or girl who needs a loving family. I think the most important thing is to not put pressure on ourselves as that's the worst possible thing (as easy as that is to say) and to try and go with the flow as much as possible. Amy let us know how you get on tomorrow with your scan! X

Let us know how your scan goes amy?? Xxx

Hope your follicles are doing well Amy. How was the scan?

AF arrived with a vengence on Tuesday. So I just started round 2 of clomid last night. Last time I woke up absolutely dripping with sweat. No side effects at all this time. Hope it is still working