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.

Thanks for you input ladies! Makes me feel more relaxed about it already

Congratulations Changing! What lovely news :)

Holly, how are you feeling? My DH took vitamins after our fc appointment (we were advised to take proxeed but we felt it was a bit expensive at the time). However his count went from 5million to 63million- it might be the vitamins or just a random coincidence...!

Thanks for your support ladies yesterday. I decided not to complain about that nurse being so rude as I'd rather just forget about it. The scan was pointless - they just said 'yes we can see your ovaries, and keep taking clomid, comeback on Tuesday for another scan. Waste of 4 hours and an afternoon off work :/ oh well!

Also hasn't anyone else had trouble posting the last 24 hours?? I kept typing and clicking post and it wouldn't actually post ...! Strange

I couldn't post last night either! Glad all is ok to carry on taking clomid elly. I'll be a week behind you.

So today is my last day taking norethisterone. Woop! I just wanted to put my experience out there for any lurkers or anyone who comes across the thread as there are alot of negative ones. I haven't had any mood swings or pmt whatsoever, no cramping. I felt sick days 1-3 and found out the hard way taking them on an empty stomach was not good for me and I had a few really rough hours. Since then I've taken with a full big meal and it's been fine. I'd definitely have no worries about taking them again. Fingers crossed for a "normal" period soon!

I was wondering if I could also have some help please ladies I have a few Qs;

1. What days do/did you make sure were definitely covered by DTD. I'm unmonitored. My Dr said 9-15 But seems too short if I ovulate late which I think happened to summer ?
2. What day do you usually test - day 28? Day 30?
3. What day do you know you're definitely out? (Assuming AF doesn't arrive) I assume not everyone ovulates day 14 and so some cycles might be a little longer?

Thanking you :)

Hi Slady,
I was monitored but also did opks. At my scan I was told I would ovulate on CD 14 which was confirmed by a positive opk on CD14. Zero ewcm at all! We DTD on CD 12,13,14 and 15. Think it half killed my DH as we haven't had sex since 😂 I had a bfn on 8DPO and 10dpo then got my positive on 14dpo.
HTH!

SLady, it's a shame you're unmonitored so really, opks are your best bet. For me, even though I was monitored, We dtd from cd10 to cd20, every other day. I ovulated on cd17/18 so it's always worth going a few days beyond to cover yourself. If you can pin point when you've ovulated then I'd test 14 days after that if you want to know straight away but I didn't test until cd35 (5 weeks) so I didn't risk an early miscarriage again like last year. Ultimately it's about keeping your nerve! I am glad I was busy on the lead to test day as it was Easter which made it a bit easier. Good luck and fingers crossed!

Hi Slady - I ovulated on day 20-21 so it can be early or late! We were told that if clomid works then your cycle shouldnt be more than 36 days long, if it goes longer then the likelyhood is clomid hasnt worked. I'm sure there are cases to contradict this too though so really you're looking at just EOD - for the best part of 3 weeks!

Because I had my progesterone test which showed I had ovulated and I was able to pretty much pin point that it was 20-21 I knew that 14 days after that would be 34-35. I tested on cd34 and got my BFP then. I was very concious that I didnt want to test earlier because I hate the torture of getting an early BFN and then not knowing if it was just early, or a no. Thankfully I didnt get any BFNs though.

Personally (and this is just me) I would take the OPKs with a pinch of salt. If they give an almost positive you may think you have ovulated when you havent, and you may stop DTD too soon! My DH and I agreed we were just going to go for a bit of panic shagging towards the end and just kept going! Thank god we did because we'd have missed it completely if we'd done the 9-15 theory xx

Thanks all! Really helpful. I have never used opks before but I think I might this cycle. So you do one once a day around ovulation time and look to see when your line is darkest. Does that signal ovulation has happened, is happening or will happen soon? Do you need to do an opk first thing in the morning? Sorry for all the Q's. I'm going to get some cheapy ones today

Yes that's true summer part of me thinks I can't make myself ovulate or change anything so just relax and DTD every other day from CD9 onwards! I guess maybe it'd be nice to know if the clomid worked but then I guess I will know if AF comes when expected. If it doesn't then it's either a BFP or I didn't ovulate

They can be quite confusing slady! I tried to hold my wee from about 2.30 and would POAS when I got home from work today. I found the easiest way was to track progression as mine never got the super dark positive that some people do. So I started on CD 10 when it was super faint, the picture attached (top one) was the darkest I got on CD 14 and after that it started to go lighter before vanishing around CD20. Not sure if that's how you're supposed to use them but it's what I found easiest!

Thanks changing super helpful. Your top one still isn't darker than the control line and you got your bfp! So I can see how they'd be confusing/misleading. I'm in two minds, I will see how I feel. I'd rather minimise stress where I can. Hopefully the DH wont mind DTD EOD all month haha. So excited to start Clomid now

It's so bloody confusing. The other thing that I got (completely unexpectedly) was really noticeable cramps the whole day of ovulation. Don't think I have ever ovulated in my life before so I was super excited to be getting OV pains!

I will keep an eye out for those too :)

Glad you didn't have too many bad side effects SLady. Looking forward to my scan on Tuesday to see if the clomid has worked although I'm not hopeful as I genuinely think I've taken it on the wrong CD because my af is so weird at the moment :(

I'm sure it's fine elly especially after your baseline scan seemed ok. Do you think it was the norethisterone that made your AF weird? It's strange as people often say it's very heavy afterwards. Im hoping I have a proper bleed otherwise like you I won't know when to start the clomid for sure. I'm hoping AF shows by Monday. Just taken my last tablets! FX for your scan on Tues

Thanks SLady :) yeah I hope your af isn't as complicated as mine!!! I don't know if it was that that made it weird as I've only ever had an af from being on the pill and that was always like clockwork so it's weird that it's all out of whack now. Hopefully the scan is a positive one on Tuesday but I'm not holding out much hope as I think I've definitely got the wrong cd and not had a proper af. But at least on Tuesday I won't be disappointed with the scan results because I've already got that it's not worked in my head! Feeling remarkably calm about the whole thing!

How is everyone? How're the bumps coming along?

Has anyone lost weight and conceived naturally?

Hi Holly, all good here, 10 weeks tomorrow. Had my first midwife appointment today. Lots to remember but I'm going to call and book my 12 week scan tomorrow. Should be in a couple of weeks time. I'm also going to have a glucose intolerance test at some point (can't remember what week) cos of PCOS. Not sure it's something that is offered to all PCOS ladies on the NHS but my Midwife put it down on my notes.

How are we all doing? Any test days coming up?

Hi holly how are you doing? What's new? I am currently 9dpo, and will probably regret saying this in a weeks time but, I have this strangely reassuring feeling as if this is going to be our month (TTC 11 months/ 9 cycles), but have no symptoms other than exhaustion but that could easily be due to work stress after an awful week!! I have been losing weight since we started TTC and am now 12lb down and into a 'healthy' BMI. Do you take metformin? It has really help me shift those lbs- before I found it impossible to lose weight no matter what I did! X

Also, has anyone else here been told by their GP to request a 'joint referral' as soon as the get a BFP? (Apparently nothing to do with joints haha) just wondering if anyone could shed some light on what this would be for? X

Exciting stuff boggle :)

No im not on anything yet tricky I'm waiting to be referred
I missed my last lot of bloods due to the hacking so have to wait another couple of weeks.
I want to start metformin asap though. I need to lose about 5 stone, but really not feeling it at the moment.
I'm ok just fed up.
I've got a pain in my right boob which I should go to gp about really. It's not been too bad over the last couple of days so maybe just muscular.
OH is away for 8 days but luckily it's my af week so not missing out.
Just want to be pregnant! I'm going to buy another horse, when I bought my first one I fell pregnant lol (second horse doesn't count as I was single lol)
Xx

Hello ladies,

I am a newbie on this thread, I have recently been diagnosed with mild PCOS. I had a MC in Feb this year and only have had one period since. My Dr has said i need to wait for 3 cycles until they will look further into medication (Been 'trying' for 2 years before MC) She mentioned Metformin and Clomid. I am classed as overweight (BMI is 30)
Basically what i need to know is how long does the process take to actually get the prescription from the Drs or is it worth going private?

Hi Amy, welcome. It would have taken me 5 months from first seeing my GP to seeing a consultant and getting clomid. I had one private consultation which meant I sped the process up a little bit. Every area is different re timings but for me, the preliminary tests I needed to have done happened quite quickly via gp and then there was a long wait to see a consultant