PCOS support thread

[satsoooma]

Welcome to our fourth PCOS support thread. We are a welcoming bunch, all trying to conceive with PCOS, or suspected PCOS.

Here are the links to our old threads:
When To Expect Period - Provera
PCOS, Periods (or lack of!) and a lovely bunch of ladies
PCOS, Periods, Provera, Pals. Plus All The Bits In Between.

I completely agree, I work in a more or less solely female environment 4 of the women I have spoken to since my current diagnosis, I didn't listen at 16 as it meant nothing at the time, have had 2 children each with no problems at all. I really think wait until you feel ready Hoops.
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Slady* I completely agree with all the other advice I really feel so many people only post about the negatives. You will always regret not doing something rather than just doing it!

Good luck for all the scans, must be so exciting xxx

Almost the same as me elly I was 16/17 when I found out and 29 now :)
Not yet! I've been having cramps all day...it might be wishful thinking but I might see if it continues tomorrow. Give AF one last chance. Glad to hear your symptoms have subsided today. I didn't buy any opks, I know I'd get obsessed and start stressing and I won't be able to change anything, I'm just going to DTD every other day and hope for the best!

sunny that is actually always my motto in life about regrets, it's so true.

@amy @Sunny1984 I've been going for acupuncture for 5 sessions now (once a week) have not noticed any major changes yet (they say it can take 2-3 months going once a week to get "results" - I would say big results for me or PCOS). I am trying to get my period back and help regulate my hormones. Been without a period it since coming off BC in August. My lining is very thin so trying to build it up. I would say that it has definitely helped with depression for me 100%, my digestion is great right now and started having a bit of CM. only time will tell if it's really working for me and I'll need another ultrasound to see how things are building etc. When going for IVF I hear that people say it 100% is recommended.

Been lurking still in the background. I feel like I can't really contribute or help much to the thread yet as I am still behind everyone else. I finally have my first private consult on Thursday afternoon. Fingers crossed I am given some medication that day.

Nice to hear from you Elizabeth. You don't have to have experience or knowledge to be on here, it's about supporting each other and we are here for you as much as anything. One day you will have the experience to share with others-we were all there once.

Best of luck for your consult. Hopefully you'll get some answers

Thank you Elizabeth, where are you based? How did you find the accupuncturist? (Not sure thats actually a word!!)

I think I'm going to have a couple of months of trying it and try and take some of the pressure and stress I've put on myself before taking the next lot of Clomid!
So I'll be reading and lurking too! Xx

@SummerHopin that's so sweet of you aww  very true. All here to help each other and soon enough I'll know a bit more! X

@Sunny1984 I am based in West London, I just did a bunch of research from google to find a clinic that deals with more fertility acupuncture. Yes they are called an acupuncturist ;) I only started going because my gynaecologist told me to go to one. I will continue for up to 3 months I think. If I don't get more results then at the 3 month mark I might stop because it can get expensive! I pay £50 a session and I won't be able to afford that and private appointments on top. If you do get a period they say you can go 2 times a month so at certain parts in your cycle when it's most beneficial. But I don't have a period so if I get it I'll probably cut back to 2 a month when I do! X

Thanks again, I've been googling and found someone so will see what they suggest and charge!!

Feeling like utter shite today, I've been knocked sideways by a baby bomb that I never expected. Another friend has just come to join me away and announced she is pregnant having just stopped the pill to see what happened! I had to walk away crying, I feel so guilty for getting upset but it's so hard not to be irrational right now!!

Sorry for the pity party, how's everyone else doing?

Nice to hear from you Elizabeth
Sunny dont apologise. Baby bombs are the absolute worst! I live in fear of them every day. Everytime I get a photo from a friend out the blue on WhatsApp I'm like what is it!! 👀 it feels so unfair that some people get pregnant without even thinking about it and some people need to fight everything for it to happen! It's not irrational. Sending hugs

Thank you SLady I just end up feeling worse as I feel like I can't be happy for them like I normally would be!! She is literally the urban myth of come of The pill don't have a period for a while do a test to find out you are like 9 weeks pregnant!!!

Did AF come or did you start the meds?

sunny could you please dm me your acupuncturist?
Thanks !

I know it's not nice but try not to beat yourself up about it. My friend was exactly the same!

I've worked myself up into a worried overthinking frenzy about it. As I'm having AF signs I'm giving myself till the weekend then I will take the norethistrone. I know it's unfounded and crap but I've got it into my head Clomid is going to work better on a natural cycle and the less hormones I have before the better it will be. Please someone tell me I'm being silly! I work myself up so much and make these little rules up in my head! I need to start chilling out. Ever since I've got the Clomid my irrational worried overthinking mind has come out in full force again!!

Hi Sunny, we've all been there with the baby bombs - it's odd how some hurt more than others I find. One of my friends took over a year with her first, and started trying for her second 6 months ago. I (foolishly) thought she might be a bit of a TTC buddy but first month bam! Then I feel horrible for not just being 100% delighted for her and thinking these thoughts.
Slady, it honestly won't make any difference. I have had three rounds of Clomid now. The one after a natural period didn't work, and this (higher dose) after an induced bleed worked perfectly. If your natural period starts and you've only had a couple of days on the pills you can just stop - that's what happened to me one time after a Clomid round and my natural period continued no problem.
6DPO for me and no other symptoms other than very sore nipples

Oh really, thanks changing that's made me feel alot better! I know I'm being ridiculous. Giving AF until the end of the week and then I'm starting them!! :)
I feel like ive got bad pmt anyway this week God help my DH when I start these pills. Haha

Also sore nipples sounds like a good sign changing I've got my fingers crossed for you!

Hi Ladies,

I've just popped on for a catch up. I have no valuable input as I'm just handing around waiting for my counselling appointment on 17th and follow up from my tracked cycle on 22nd, oh and to try and establish what's going on with my missing ovary!!! Just trying not to think about it too much as it's causing me too many emotional breakdowns that I just don't have the energy for at the moment.

It seems the hot topic has been Clomid since I've been away from the thread for a few days and again I have nothing to add as they want to skip that part and go straight to IVF due to low sperm motility as well as pcos and hypothyroidism. Will know more after 22nd.

I noticed a few comments on weight and can honestly say it was the beat thing I did to help my PCOS. I lost 56lbs, got my BMI down to 24 and my periods went from +365 days to an average of 31 days. Most of the associated symptoms improved too, most notable was my mood improvement. Unfortunately it is hard for us to lose weight, I did it via low carb and it's a hard diet to follow as a busy person as preparation is key. Also I got very bored of meat and eggs and it is expensive. However I liked myself for the first time in over 10 years (I have attached my progress picture). I have regained almost 2 stone since Christmas after maintaining for 4 years as I found my sugar addiction again and finding it difficult to quit, but I also hate my body, my hair growth and acne is terrible at the moment and my moods are horrible.

Hoops I agree with the others, make sure you are ready as it could just happen for you, however don't leave it too late as I am now 34 1/2 (yes the half hears matter when you are desperate and the body clock is ticking) and I decided I was ready at 26, an ex husband and a new husband later and I am more desperate than ever! What I would recommend though is to use the time before you are ready to work on yourself, make sure you adopt a healthy lifestyle, good diet, exercise, de-stress as much as possible and be in the best possible place you can be as adopting a new lifestyle gets harder and harder the longer you have bad habits for. I find Yoga is a great form of exercise for body and mind and when we have dry and mild or warm days I like to go for a walk during my lunch break, again great for body and mind.

How are people finding treatment and work? I am.having to use so much annual leave for appointments as work are really not accommodating me. I don't know what I will do when. I start IVF as I believe its demanding on time and the body. I may have to get my consultant to write me a sick note. I don't want to have the embryo transfer and then work stress, I think I will want time to relax and rest to give us the best chance of success.

Anyway, I'm of to bed now. Night ladies xx

Wow infertility, that's some impressive weight loss and definitely an inspiration.
I defo need to loose a lot, on holiday at the moment but going to start when I get back. Sadly I don't think it will have a huge effect on my cycles as I was three 1/2 stone lighter last time I came off the pill but still nothing.
7dpo here and a really bad cramp in the night which woke me up... no idea what that's all about!

*lose!

@Infertility123 amazing progress. You look great!

infertility well done - you've done really well!!

I have taken my last notheristerone today - next step is waiting for af then the dreaded clomid :/

How is everyone else doing today? X

Hi can anyone help me, bit of background have pcos I am on my first round of clomid 50mg - I have never had a positive opk ever not even the tiniest line so last week I was testing getting faint lines never got darker so presumed I was not going to ovulate yesterday evening I was getting pains in my side so googled it (I know!) And it said ovulation pain ..... so done a Opk and it was a most as dark as the control line, done one this morning and it's a little fainter than last night's could my surge of been during the night?

I have posted picture top opk was around 8pm last night, bottom one was 10.30am this morning

Hi Holzy, neither of those are positive opks. The test line needs to be as darker or darker than the control line.

What cd are you? Are you unmonitored? I would suggest just DTD every other day for the next 10 days to cover yourself, good luck

Just had my first consult privately! My FSH and LH are low.. which is unusual for people with PCOS because these hormones are usually high. Basically my biological clock to tell my ovaries to produce follicles etc is out of wack. A combination of being too thin/not enough body fat and over exercising are a big contribution to this. Even though now I have a healthy BMI of 20.7 (I was slightly underweight last year due to over exercise and also had a bit of an eating disorder at some points) I've been told that an extra 2-3kg will do me good and been told to take it easier in the gym and hopefully one day these hormones will level out again. My lesson is to anyone else who has this problem or if this is a factor for you I want to make people aware. It's no wonder athletes have unusual periods or not at all. We are working our systems into overdrive and are constantly stimulated in "flight or fright" mode if you get what I'm saying. Just want to warn others if you experience this I am here to help. Now just waiting to start treatment of injections every day to try and get these hormones kick started and then clomid will come after

Hi Elizabeth,
Great to hear that you have got some answers and can start moving forward now! Is anyone else in their 2WW at the moment? I'm desperately trying not to symptom spot!