*****PCOS - Anybody in the same boat?******

[fruitloop79]

I don't know if there are any threads already started but I've just officially found out I've got PCOS this morning - I've always known deep down. Please tell me it's not all bad I'm feeling very sorry for myself.
We've been TTC for 6 months - only 3 cycles. I supposedly ovulated on CD36 (now CD43) this cycle. Gynae reckons not preg cos uterus lining would've thickened. (Had a scan this morning)

Any hints/tips on treatment/TTC?
How to deal with symptoms?

How did Posh spice and Jools Oliver manage to fall preg?

---------------------

Hi - this thread is a little out of date. We've got some more information on PCOS here. MNHQ

Hi guys can I join your thread? I was diagnosed with PCOS in 2003 because my periods stopped. I didn't want babies then so wasn't bothered too much. I have always struggled with my weight, hirituism and mood swings. When my DH and I started TTC in 2005, I had put on weight since our wedding and weighed 12 stone. My periods were irregular but to our shock concieved first cycle! Now have DS aged 2. We are trying to concieve #2 now. I weigh 12 stones 8 pounds. I am really struggling to get it down. I exercise hard twice a week (used to be a competitive runner, so do have muscle!) and don't feel I eat a lot. I would at least like to get back to pre pregnancy weight but it just won't budge.

Hi ladies

How is everyone?

Moonlit
Was thinking...maybe in the US they don;t make such a big deal about weight and fertility treatment? Might be worth checking it out. Also, once you have your medical insurance up an running, I hear they have a wonderful medical system and you may get on better getting help there! Just a thought!

I do undersstand the stress of weight....my weight loss has slowed a little, but I am trying to keep my momentum up and continue with my routine. It is so much hard work.

welcome roseability
I think it is great that you want to try to get your weight down, but like you said it is hard. I have figured out that even though I am consuming no more than 1300 calories a day, my weight is dropping EXTREMELY slowly, only when I drop my intake to about 1000 calories a day does my weight really shift. The joys!!! I am sure you can manage 8 pounds! You could join me if you want....we can motivate each other! I have so far lost close to 2 stone....another 2 kilos - about 5 pounds to go! My ultimate goal is 3 stone! I also need to get my bmi under 35 before NHS will prescribe Clomid. However, it shouldn't be a problem for you if you are only about 12 stone plus.

Atilla
Great info!

Hi dungun

I'm trying to shift a stone at the moment and I have no will power at all so "trying" is probably the wrong word I feel gross, every step I take I can feel my tummy and thighs wobble. I'm usually a very disaplined dieter but for some reason cannot get into the swing of it. Going for it today though . I might even try one of those quick fix diets for a week to get things moving.

I cancelled my GP appointment for this morning. I just thought the GP would probably tell me to arrange my blood tests through the hospital now I'm in their care. So I'll call the fertility clinic to sort it out. I want to get weekly bloods done to see if I'm ovulating - quite surprised they haven't suggested this already

Hi Fruity

I know what you mean...in a weird twist of fate..this whole PCoS thing and the bmi rule has been the trigger that I needed all this time to do something about my weight.

I managed to get the first stone off quite quickly, but the rest is taking its time! However I weighed this morning and am glad that I have lost another 2 pounds/half kilo this week...so slowly slowly .

So another 2 kilos/5 pounds and I'll have hit a total of 2 stone...but it feels like it is miles away!

Join me Fruity! Lets keep each other going! I could do with some motivation ..

how are you losing weight? Low Gi? I feel fantastic when I'm on GI but it does get quite tedious after a few weeks and I start to 'cheat' then its just a downwards spiral of chocolate and haribo . Also I dont care what the GI experts say, I get very hungry on GI (or any diet for that matter) and start to pick on the children's (i'm a Childminder) leftovers. One thing I've found which can make it easier is drinking skinny latte's. Seems to fill the hole till the next meal. Also drinking LOADS of sugar free squash (cant stand plain water) can fool my belly for about half an hour, trouble is you spend your life on the loo!

is fab for a weight loss boost

sorry, would've helped if I actually added the link! www.dietingdiets.co.uk/3-day-diet.htm

In British measurents:

To lose 10lb in 3 days, follow this diet strictly (and it honestly, truthfully works).

You must drink 5 x 8oz glasses of water per day, and no other drink.

Day 1:

BREAKFAST:
Black tea/ coffee
1/2 grapefruit
1 slice toast
2 tspn peanut butter

LUNCH:
Black tea/ coffee
4oz tuna
1 slice toast

DINNER:
2 slices any cold meat
1 - cup string beans
4oz beetroot
1 small apple
4oz vanilla ice - cream

Day 2:

BREAKFAST:
Black tea/ coffee
1 egg
1 slice toast
1/2 banana

LUNCH:
4oz cottage cheese
5 slatine crackers

DINNER:
2 hot dog sausages
3oz broccoli
2oz carrots
1/2 banana
4oz vanilla ice - crea,

Day 3:

BREAKFAST:
Black tea/ coffee
5 saltine crackers
1 slice cheddar cheese
1 small apple

LUNCH:
1 hard - boiled egg
1 slice toast

DINNER:

4oz tuna
4oz beetroot
4oz cauliflower
1/2 melon
4oz vanilla ice - cream

Hi Fruity

Yeah I am following a low Gi diet and also going to the gym for a hour 3 times a week.

I also try to cycle at the weekends ( with a 3 year old strapped on my bike! )

That is it really!

I went on the slim fast diet for a month before my consultant appointment as I needed to get rid of 3 kilos minimum!!!

But I am finding that just by maintaining a low GI diet and keeping up the exercise I am tending to lose about 2 pounds a week.

It is hard work...I get to sit at work and watch my work mates ( all slim) scoff crisps and chocolate everyday so I keep my trusty bag of cashew nuts in my draw!

Oh forgot to say...

The other thing is that I am trying to see the way I am eating now as a new way of eating ( for good ) rather than a diet.

This has helped me keep on the straight and narrow....i keep telling myself that this is how I need to eat from now on so best get used to it!

I am now so used to brown rice that I felt physically ill after I ate some white rice one evening!

Hi DungunGirl - Yes you are right, there are not so fussy in the US with weight etc. But they don't include fertility treatment as part of your medical insurance. My lovely, sweet adorable Hubby already checked it out. He has been great soooooo great recently, I feel we are on our honeymoon again (helps with the BD). Anyway, I am getting a personal trainer for three months whilst we are there, to help shift my weight.

I have gained 5lbs in the last week. But the roast lamb and home made meringue pie were worth it. Yum Yum Yum!!! .

bump

Morning everyone

I've started my 3 day diet today. So far so good A couple of girls from Emmsy's room have joined me on the quest to lose weight! So, three days of torture then a healthy low GI diet until next weds. I might give myself a 'cheat' day. Perhaps Sunday . Otherwise I might go stir crazy!
I'm lovin this glorious weather I cant wait to get out in the sun, I wonder how long it'll last

Moonlit oooohhh, meringue pie, aaaahhhhhhhhhh
I'm so pleased your DH is being so supportive. I cant believe fertility treatment isnt included! Surely if you have a problem, it needs fixing! It's not your fault you have PCOS
DGG I agree that in order to keep the weight off you need to change your eating habits for good. I'm just using this 3 day diet as a bit of a kick start. I'm gonna try it 3 days a week for three weeks then eat a healthy low GI diet for the rest of the week and allow myself one cheat day per week so I dont deprive myself

Hi Ladies

Fruity - I know tell me about it.

Ok so today I went to see my GP which took a lot of courage.

Anyway she said I can't have Clomid until I have had a blood test to see if I am ovulating. But luckily, I had to only wait ten minutes and she booked me into have my progesterone checked straight away. I won't get the results until next week.

If I am ovulating - Then no Clomid from GP, but I will be referred to a gynecologist, who might just prescribe the Clomid anyway apparently.

If I am not ovulating then she will give me Clomid, but after my poor hubby gives a sample in at the hospital lab.

God this so long winded. I am getting sick of the bloody NHS.

Right I am off to eat chocolate cake

Really moonlit? your GP will prescribe it? My GP wouldnt touch my with a barge pole referred me straight to sub-fertility unit at hosp. I'm still waiting to get my follow up appointment in Aug and even then I dont know if I'm going to actually see the gynae or another one of her nurses I'll probably be told to come back again after even more tests NHS IS crap

Hi Fruity, yes my GP will prescribe it, she is very clued up on PCOS and fertility treatment. She has always said she would IF I wasn't ovulating. This is the first time ever, I am hoping I am not ovulating. It's not long before leave, so I want some help before we go.

I am considering Slimfast to, after telling DungunGirl not to, I feel like a hypocrite. But I don't have time to make Low GI food as well as everything else.

I can't believe you have to wait until August. A referel here is usually a month or two. Lazy buggers!!!

Hi Moonlit,

Well done you for seeing your GP!.

A caveat re clomid. If your GP does give you clomid I would ensure that she monitors you properly whilst on it. Ask about monitoring. The problem you may encounter is that she will not have time to monitor you properly. That is not ideal.

No monitoring whilst on clomid is a no-no; it is not always suitable for all PCOS patients to take as it can cause an exaggerated rise in LH levels. As many PCOSers have an excess of LH to start with clomid is not always ideal.

With regards to semen analysis they often need to be repeated. Would suggest as well that when the result of this test comes through you both attend that particular appointment.

Quite apart from anything else you ought to be seen asap by a specialist anyway as all these tests can be done far more efficiently at hospital. All these test results going back and forth can just delay things. Regardless of how these tests come back I would insist to your GP that you are referred. You will likely end up being referred anyway.

Hope the choccy cake tasted good!

With best wishes

Attila x

Fruity

I was referred as well to the subfertility units - had no tests at all done beforehand.

Would actually ask your GP to refer you to another hospital subfertility unit. It is unfortunately fair to say that some units are far better than others.

Hi guys

Yeah I have the same experience as Fruity and Attila.
GP could prescribe clomid but he wasn't going to as he said that I would need monitoring and the sub-fertility unit at the hospital were fully equipped for this.

Unfortunately though, like Fruity is finding...waiting lists can be long...

Attila - My GP got me to have all my blood work done before going up to the hospital. Maybe I was lucky and he was just on the ball!

Hi Dungangirl

Re your comment:-

"Attila - My GP got me to have all my blood work done before going up to the hospital. Maybe I was lucky and he was just on the ball!"

Think he was trying to speed things up too. Certainly some GPs will do tests, others like mine did not. In my case the GP took one look at me and referred me to the unit after discussion about my both irregular and bloody painful menstrual history.

I now have two diagnoses.

Attila

I find it really irritating and incompetent that the GPs all seem to play to different rules.

On one hand you get GP's happy to perscribe Clomid/Metformin to PCOS ladies who are TTC and on the other end of the spectrum GP's who won't even run the initial tests!!!!

GRRRRRRRRRRR!!! Makes my blood boil.

I must say that after reading that you have really painful periods pains..makes me worry even more about my younger sister....she is 22 and get crippling pain with her periods. She can't walk it is so bad.

With me being diagnosed PCOS...and it running in families...makes me wonder whether she should get checked....

Only thing is..do they ALWAYS do vaginal scans to confirm PCOS? Obviously I know they did with me.

My sister is not sexually active...so all is still preserved down there!

"I must say that after reading that you have really painful periods pains..makes me worry even more about my younger sister....she is 22 and get crippling pain with her periods. She can't walk it is so bad".

Dungangirl

Your sister needs to see a gynaecologist asap. Tell her to be brave and see the GP who will refer her. Your sister needs to be evaluated by a gynae to see if endometriosis is present. This is both common and a common cause of crippling period pains (which I've suffered from since 14. Yes my periods were that bad from the time I began menstruating). I was a classic case and it took me years to get diagnosed. Would not want anyone else to go through the same.

www.endo.org.uk is a good website to look at. I would urge both you and sis to look at this. This has lots of information on it.

Some of my particular symptoms of endo:-
shooting pains down legs (sciatic nerve)
severe pain leading up to and during start of period
mid cycle pain
pelvic pain
sometimes painful bowel movements
loss of stale brown blood
back pain
heavy bleeding
pain that comes on all of a sudden

Blood tests can also be done re PCOS (this is how I was diagnosed) but in your sister's case endo may be the actual cause of her problems. It is also usually only diagnosed through a keyhole surgery op called a laparoscopy. Blood tests and ultrasounds of any sort will not detect endometriosis.

any other questions just ask

Attila x

Hi Attila and DungunGirl

Thank you for all your advice as always. Now the frustrating thing for me is, because we are going to the US, I don't think my appointment is going to come through before we go. Going private will be expensive, because my private medical insurance is not going to cover "fertility treatment". I will have to wait until I come back in September, by which time it will be 2 years TTC number 2.

Also, the other problem is, is it not possible I ovulate sometimes and not on every cycle? If the blood test result comes back saying, yes you are ovulating, that doesn't necessarily mean i am always, right?

I agree, GP's should not be allowed to vary in what they prescribe. It's appalling!!!

Attila - On Monday, I will assist on being referred. Thank you!!!! Your words of wisdom always help.

Hi ladies, well it is very possible I may have ovulated at last. Still not gonna get excited about it in case I haven't but my temps for the last 13 days have been well above my coverline. Especially the last 8 days The only other time this happened was when I had a fever, I feel fine this time. I cant think what else could be causing these higher temps except for ov. If it was PCOS messing me around then surely I would get these high temps all the time? Is anyone else temping? I cant remember.

fruity's chart

fruity

The chart looks promising. It definitely looks like the 'bell curve' that they tell us to look out for!

Keeping my fingers crossed for you!