PCOS, Periods, Provera & Pals. Plus All The Bits In between.

[AmyC86]

Welcome to our third thread on PCOS. What we don't know isn't really worth knowing. We're a friendly bunch of women who have a few things in common. We all have either PCOS or unexplained infertility and we're all on a mission for a BFP!!!!

For new members, and old alike here are the links to our 1st and 2nd threads:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/2481523-when-to-expect-period-provera

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/2685865-pcos-periods-or-lack-of-and-a-lovely-bunch-of-ladies?pg=1&order=

Now without further ado, let's continue on our journey.......

My nhs said that they wouldn't refer me to the local women's hospital for further investigations/ treatment becuase my BMI is over 30.

I've tried loosing weight but it's so difficult with pcos.

This is why I think that it might be a private job following from the next round of clomid. Hopefully this round will be 'the one'.

It's strange though, because I got my positive OPK on the Tuesday 7th March and my period started exactly 14 days from that positive OPK.

My understanding is that once you have a positive, ovulation is within 12-36 hours. Unless I'd had a positive from earlier on in that day (tested at lunch) we only DTD in the evening - could I have been too late?!?!

Sorry to hear that AF got you Amy. I think that with OPKs ovulation can happen any time from 12 hours before the peak to 36 hours after. And of course you can probably add another 12 hours on either side, just in case you missed the exact peak time.

The other thing to note is that it can take the sperm 12-24 hours to get where they need to be. You want them to be already waiting in your fallopian tubes when the egg is released.

So really you want to DTD before, during and after the positive OPK, just to cover all your bases. That is why the recommendation is to go for every other day throughout your cycle (although I usually ease off a few days after a positive OPK).

Sorry to hear that Amy. I too have had a slightly OPK worry as DH has had to work late most of this week and then been tired so we've only DTD a couple of times. Its classic isnt it that we have been at it for ages trying to cover our bases, then when I get a hint of a positive OPK i.e. something might have happened - we do it less than normal!

Fluffy thanks for that. Sorry to hear your tube flush was painful too - I had one and it didnt hurt at all apart from being very odd sensation wise. Was yours a lap & dye?

See, this is what frustrates me. All clomid patients should have proper monitoring! A scan! You'd then know where you were in your cycle and not guessing with opks that sometimes are unclear! I almost didn't get one for this last cycle as my blood test showed an ovulatory level but as it's my last go and I'd had a break, they were happy to scan me.

Yeah, I'm pretty annoyed that I only got scanned on my first cycle. Haven't had a single scan or test since. Hoping to get some useful info from my consultant this afternoon though. I've got my list of questions to hand!

I get one scan per round of clomid. When I was scanned last time I had a 20mm folicale and a 14mm folicale. That was on the Thursday, I got my positive OPK on the Tuesday, but I'm thinking that I probably ovulated on the Sunday night through to Monday.

I'm going to be more on the ball this cycle & start regularly DTD from earlier on!

Ive never had one scan on clomid! Just bloods then when i was ovulating i didnt even get bloods! Summer i had a blocked right tube due to mucus that they cleared that bloody hurt

Wow Fluffy, that seems really dangerous! How could they know you didn't over-react to the clomid dose you got. You could have ended up with OHSS, or quintuplets, or something! It is crazy what a lottery this whole thing is.

I know my progesterone was 100 one month Dr said ive probably released 2 eggs he wasnt arsed

Think juicy thoughts for me tomorrow ladies. Scan is at 10:30.

Just had my gyn consultant appointment. She took a blood test to confirm my hormone levels so will get results next week for that. She said there is nothing further she can do for me and will be sending my results to my doctor who will then have to refer me on to a fertility clinic who will he be ones to prescribe me fertility medication and monitor me. What a complete circle I feel like I'm doing with my doctor. Why didn't I just get referred to a fertility clinic in the first place! So frustrating. Back on the waiting lists I go.

Gosh how annoying Elizabeth why didn't the doctor refer you to a fertility clinic in the first place! At least you didn't end up paying for that appointment which would have been even worse! Did she at least manage to answer some of your questions?

Good luck with your appt this afternoon satsooma and sending juicy vibes for tomorrow boggle. It's all go this week isn't it!

Sounds super annoying Elizabeth. I would push your GP to get that referral put through.

Ok, so the results of my appointment today are:

1. I'm going to book a HyCoSy.
2. If my tubes are not blocked, or if they can be unblocked via surgery, then I will keep taking clomid for another 6 months, until we become eligible for IVF.
3. If my tubes are blocked, we'll move straight to IVF.
4. After one round of IVF we would officially be out of NHS options. We could pay for more IVF privately, but there are no other treatment options they would recommend for us.

So I think it is good news, just as long as the HyCoSy goes well.

Sounds like you have a very clear plan of action going forward satsooma good news. May I ask a couple of questions? How comes they have said you can have 6 more months on Clomid? I thought 6 months was the max. Also, are there no other options before IVF. I was always under the impression there were a couple of other options they could try before then, injectables or Letrozole?

Good plan of action satsooma. I'm on round 10 of clomid so I don't think the whole 6 month thing matters so much. Guess it also depends on how you react to it? I had no response for 4 out of 10 rounds.
I will be asking about others options if we have to go back to the fertility clinic to talk next steps.

I thought that too SLady.

Basically, clomid is working for me, and the other non-IVF treatments are just different ways of achieving the same thing (ovulation), so I might as well just continue with clomid. If clomid didn't work for me, then those other treatments might be worth trying.

There are two reasons not to take clomid for more than 6 months.

1. It can thin the lining of your uterus, making it harder to conceive. They will check my lining during the HyCoSy, but as we are not eligible to start IVF for another 6 months, I might as well continue to take clomid while we wait.
2. Some old studies in mice have indicated that there is a slightly increased risk of ovarian cancer after 6 months of clomid. However, my doctor said that there was no evidence of this in humans, and that he thought it was a very small risk.

Got my fingers crossed for your follicles Boggle

@SLady her thoughts on ovarian drilling were a no no. She said maybe consider that as a last result if clomid doesn't work (but the fertility clinic will determine which route I will go considering all my blood tests, etc for medication etc) but she doesn't recommend it either. BMI is 19.5 so she said I should try to gain a bit more body fat and lay off the gym that's one way to naturally try and get my period and hormones to cooperate. I've always been very active so in this case it's not working in my favour. I don't know about you ladies but because of pcos and our hormones being off it also makes it a bit dry and painful during sex sometimes. I asked her for a safe natural lube recommendation so for anyone interested it's called YES she said you can only get it online

Also she recommended to me that I go for acupuncture. Has anyone else ever done this?

Elizabeth i used pre-seed thats apparently the best lube.
Ive had accupuncture too for around a year £35 per session. Last one was just before ovulation this round x

We are about to run out of room. Time for a new thread:

PCOS support thread

See

you

there!