Anyone else TTC with PCOS in 2021?

[Patienceisnotmyvirtue]

Hey everyone! I’m new to the forums but I’ve been feeling a bit out here on my own recently so thought I’d see if anyone here might be in the same boat.
I’m 36 and TTC #1. Came off the pill in March to get my body back to normal and was really pleased that my cycles were regular, a bit long at 30 - 31 days but I was fine with that.
Along comes September when we’re really thinking of starting TTC and... suddenly my cycle is 42 days. The next one is 60! I went for a scan at a private clinic as I was really worried, and they found lots of little follicles on my ovaries, so I’ve been diagnosed with PCOS.
I found an amazing GP who has referred me quickly but with covid I have no idea how long it’ll take to get seen by a specialist.
I’m taking Inositol which I think has reduced the length of this cycle (AF due Wednesday which would make it back to 44 days, better than 60 but not great). Hopefully with continued use it will continue to go down as this is the first full cycle I’ve used it.
Currently 11 DPO and really trying not to test until AF is late!
It’s just so hard having fewer chances but I know I’m at least ovulating so that’s something.
It’d be amazing to hear from anyone else going through something similar, not necessarily just PCOS. All my friends seem to be conceiving fine, which is great but makes me feel a bit alone.

Hello! No PCOS here but was just going to recommend tracking your cycle with BBT. I'm only saying that as with irregular cycles and PCOS, LH peaks can be unreliable and it can get quite tricky pinpointing ovulation. Not to mention that perhaps the cycles could be anovulatory without you realising? It could help you determine whether you'd need to take clomid to help TTC along.

Thank you for your reply Juno! Really nice to hear from you and thanks for the your advice.

Yes, I’ve been tracking solidly since March so luckily I do know I’m ovulating. It was also confirmed on the scan I had where they saw all the little follicles, one had become dominant and was about to pop. Ovulated a few days later. So at least there’s that.

This month I tested my LH almost every day and did get a peak on day 29, ovulated on 31 according to my chart. So I’m currently in 2ww hell, but who knows when I’ll next ovulate if it’s a BFN

Anyway, guess I’ll feeling a bit sorry forgot myself. I need to be positive that I’m at least ovulating. It’s frustrating though as a lot of treatment for pcos is diet and weight loss, but I’m 8 stone so not a lot I could really lose!

Hey! I’m 24 and have a soon to be 6yr old already. I conceived naturally and fast first time round. Last year in may I came off the pill and started having really long cycles. Decided to give it 3 months for my body to adjust. Then I went to GP who had bloods taken and said it would be PCOS. Told me to go away, lose some weight and come back in a year. I decided to go private through work and saw a gynaecologist, who had ultra sound done to confirm PCOS. I was put on metformin to see if that helps, to then go onto have DS sperm tested and clomid could be given. This month have been charting BBT aswell, not religiously though. I noted a spike in temp a week ago and could see I possibly ovulated this month. The spike in temp has been consistent. Me being impatient I did 2 tests and got BFN. I’m going to wait a week to see if AF arrives or if it could have been late ovulation. Also this cycle is longer than usual- it’s usually 50-54 days, currently on day 65😩

I have PCOS, and am also a healthy weight. This is a major issue for a lot of PCOS sufferers, so hopefully you won't have too much trouble conceiving.

BBT tracking is great. I found out a lot of useful things about my cycle by tracking. I know that although my cycle length varies by about 7 days, I always ovulate. I also know that on months when I don't drink more than a glass of wine a day (three glasses a week total) that my BBT curve is much smoother and 'healthier' - less random spikes and a greater difference in the luteal phase. I don't just mean a spike the day after drinking, I mean spikes up and down the whole time. On the months I drank less, I conceived. Twice now. So I think BBT has been really helpful, and I know what to do if I want to conceive again in future! I since found out that alcohol increases oestrogen, and with PCOS that can throw all your reproductive hormones out of whack.

I have been taking inositol for years and it did sort out my cycles really well. It does often take around three months to work properly though, so give it time :)

Hi @Patienceisnotmyvirtue how are you getting on? I had similar long cycles as you and my fertility Doctor put me on Letrozole which has shortened my cycles. Still no pregnancy yet, but at least we know I'm now ovulating within a healthier timescale. x

Hi @Anonn44, thanks for asking! I changed my username, not sure why really.

The Myo-Inositol I started taking really sorted my cycles out, though it took a couple of months to work. The last two I ovulated on day 16 which was a vast improvement.

I actually got some amazing news this weekend with a BFP! It was really unexpected as we also have a male factor issue but one of those little blighters obviously made it. I honestly can't believe it's happened. Now I'm anxious about it sticking around so the merry go round of worry continues, but it is fantastic news anyway.

That's great news Floryella congratulations!! Fingers crossed for a sticky bean.
I wonder if it was the inositol that helped, but I guess you'll never know!

My Doctor hasn't mentioned Myo-Inositol, only the Letrozole which I have to take at the start of each period. Aaaaw, that's great news - congrats. x

@FeistySheep

That's great news Floryella congratulations!! Fingers crossed for a sticky bean. I wonder if it was the inositol that helped, but I guess you'll never know!

Well I'm pretty certain it was the Inositol that reduced my cycle length as I wasn't taking anything else that could have, so it just gave me more chances I suppose!

@Anonn44

My Doctor hasn't mentioned Myo-Inositol, only the Letrozole which I have to take at the start of each period. Aaaaw, that's great news - congrats. x

Thanks so much!

Hi @Patienceisnotmyvirtue and everyone :)

Not sure if this thread is still going but I’m also in the same boat- same age as you and TTC no 1. I came off the pill 2 years ago and had no periods at first, then very light and irregular ones. I was told for a long time by docs this was “normal after stopping the pill” (and some tests I did have were normal) until I was only recently diagnosed with PCOS. I’m currently awaiting a referral appointment with a specialist.
I have started taking inositol this cycle but I’m a bit concerned because I’m on day 15 and I have always had ewcm and other changes by now (even if I don’t seem to ovulate that cycle looking at my bbts) but this month absolutely nothing. Just hope it hasn’t done more harm than good!
It would be great to hear how you are all getting on.

Hey @8LouiseCambs8

Totally up to you, but personally I would stick with the myo-inositol. It takes around 2 - 3 months to really have an effect so I doubt it would be doing much after two weeks. It made such a huge difference to me, of course everyone will react differently but you'll never know if you don't keep going. Good luck!

Thank you @Floryella! That is really reassuring to hear. I was planning to stick with it, as like you say, was hoping it was just my body doing something weird rather than the inositol as it’s only been a short time!

Congrats on your BFP, I hope all is well with you.

My Doctor has managed to get me operating at a very "normal" 28-29 day cycle each month now, which I'm sure your doc will manage too. Mine is using Letrozole, but probably the same idea. You'll be amazed at the regulating effect the drugs can have on your cycle! Exactly why I'm still not getting pregnant is a mystery, but the drugs have definitely managed to make me ovulate regularly, and the same will happen with you too 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

That is great @Anonn44! I’m really pleased for you and it’s really inspiring to hear. Fingers crossed 🤞

My heart goes out to the women so abruptly affected by this decision: medium.com/@sarathomp/fertility-treatment-for-unvaccinated-women-in-scotland-ends-with-immediate-effect-the-aftermath-d633ceadf8a9