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.

Can I please ask how much weight you loose a month if really trying. Last month i lost 2lb i was really trying and eatting under 1500 cals a day. Ive now started the 5:2 diet in addition and lost 0 last week. Feeling v frustrated.

Im not sure, I think that HyCoSy is now offered before lap & dye as less invasive, but think some NHS do clomid first and some do HyCoSy first. That'll need to be a question for your appointment. Same with AMH Im afraid.

Metformin regulates insulin. (my attempt at putting this in a nutshell - here goes) You need to think of your hormones as being on levels of a pyramid - the 'reproductive' level contains FSH, LH, Prog and Estr. This level is governed by the hormone insulin - which sits at the next level up. If you have insulin resistance it takes more insulin to regulate blood sugar so there is less leftover to help control the lower level hormones. Metformin increases your insulin sensitivity - i.e. you need less insulin to control your sugars so more is leftover to be used to govern your lower level hormones. This is why a low sugar diet can be helpful, because you are effectively saving your insulin tokens for helping your other hormones out!
There is another level above insulin which is your prolactin etc which has an effect on insulin, which is why you also have a test to make sure your prolactin is working ok as if this isnt right it will have a knock on effect to all levels beneath it i.e. both insulin and all the other hormones.

Does that make sense?

I should have said that obviously if your reproductive hormones are working ok they will go up and down when they should and therefore make ovulation more likely to occur. This is the end goal of metformin :)

Thanks summer all makes sense. I guess if you don't have insulin resistance then Metformin wouldn't make any difference? I would love to know whether I am insulin resistant. I tried cutting out sugar and failed big time. Not long to wait until my consultant appointment now anyway - the same day as your follicle scan actually. I've made a note of some questions as I want to make the most of my appointment as I'm paying for this one!! Let us know how you get on with clomid. Really excited for you

Hi ladies can I join? I have my first appointment tomorrow I have been referred by my gp after being diagnosed with pcos in December me and my partner have been ttc for over 3 years so really needing some help now. I don't really know what to expect from my appointment. I am a little bit over weight can they refuse to give you chlomid or something to make me ovulate until you lose weight is that a possibility?

Ahh, well I'll report back on what it's like! I'm not sure why they wanted to do it before putting me (back!) on metformin, because it seems that when you get further along the line in terms of fertility treatment they like to use it anyway. All my hormones were normal when they did my bloods.

I'm told the test it's not great because its 2.5hrs in the day hospital and I expect it to be more like 5hrs given what they've been like in the past with DP's monthly visit there.

Welcome holzy.

If you're going to the fertility clinic they're likely to offer clomid and maybe metformin. If you're bmi is under 30 they will ask you to try and get it down but I don't they'll refuse you treatment.

Don't think*

If this cycle works... I'll be due 22nd December... 😂🙈

Those of you that didn't ovulate on clomid for one or two cycles, when did you get a bleed/period?

Boggle I would be due on 8 December if I fell pregnant this cycle. Although I hear your first is more likely to be overdue, so it would likely be a Christmas baby.

Barsons, I was always told that if I get to CD35 with a period, then I should take Provera to induce my next bleed. At that point, you are unlikely to have ovulated.

Hi Barsons, I was told yesterday that clomid will ensure that you have a regular cycle if it is successful, so if you have an extra long cycle it is confirmation that the clomid has not caused ovulation. She didnt actually tell me when to look at inducing a bleed, but said to keep them informed for the first cycle of when bleeding occurs and I presume after a certain point if I havent contacted them they will suggest provera.

I would happily avoid Christmas if I could but knowing my luck, that won't happen!
If clomid didn't work, I was told to test on cd35 and then take provera to induce a bleed to start clomid again.

I'll take any sort of baby at this point. A Christmas baby sounds nice and snuggly, plus DH would have all that extra time off to snuggle with us. Trying not to get carried away with that fantasy though ...

Oh yeah, either way I want this baby but if it comes late or early, that's ok with me! Christmas is my favourite time of year and my Niece is already born on 24th Dec so would rather be away from those dates.

I agree, ideally I would like to avoid Christmas but right now a Christmas baby would be a wonderful thing in itself!

I got a really good feeling about this cycle.

I'm feeling pretty low about my chances today. I feel a bit crampy and weepy. As an introvert, I am also emotionally exhausted from all the things I have organised to distract myself, but I don't dare stop, as that would give me too much time to think. 3 more days to go ...

Lets hope so Boggle - you are certainly due your BFP mate :)

Can I ask, do you have natural bleeds at all now? Albeit clomid induced ones but do they come on their own? And did they before clomid? I seem to have my periods back just on metformin but not sure if they might stop again whilst on clomid, or if clomid means you're more likely to have regular ones?

Night 1 went fine by the way - no big sweats. I do feel hot at work today though - I cant tell if its just me or if its the clomid!

Crap, sorry Satsooma our posts crossed. Are you alright?

What round of clomid is this for you?

You're not our yet satsooma, are you testing Friday?

Thanks Summer and Boggle. This is my 5th round of Clomid. I'll test Friday night, or Saturday morning. I guess I am OK. I will be OK if I get a positive, and if I don't, I will be heartbroken, but I'll keep on going. This relentless cycle is just so exhausting.

It is such hard work. I don't really know where to go from here if it's not successful. It means taking a massive leap and feeling like a total failure.
Easter is so far away too ☹️

boggle & satsooma this will be our turn. There'll be the three of us announcing BFP's in the next coming weeks. All due around Christmas, satsooma on the 8th, boggle on the 22nd and me on the 26th.

Like you boggle it'd just be my luck for a BFP for a December baby. Christmas is enjoyable for me, but I work all over Christmas and new year in my job, so time off in the future would be difficult. Plus, its my niece's birthday is on the 23rd.

However, saying that It'd also be so wonderful at the same time.

Personally, if conception wasn't an issue, I would have preferred to skip this cycle to miss out on a December baby, but in our world beggars can't be choosers!!

Couldn't have put it better myself Amy.