Denied Clomid because PCT say I am overweight

[heartmoonshadow]

I am really upset my GP thinks Clomid is the answer to my infertility. Shesent me to an infertility clinic who took one look at me and said go away and lose 4 stone come back in 6 months. I had a bit of an arguement with the doctor asking him about equal opportunity laws - he said it is PCT decision. Which reading between the lines means it is a way of saving money. Anyone know a PCT who will allow Clomid to overweight women. If so I will ask doc to refer me to them.

thanks

You do have symptoms of PCOS - you're overweight and, possibly from your posts, a bit depressed. Those are symptoms. What does your GP want to see, a full-flowing beard??? S/he is clearly not well informed about PCOS, considering the lack of advice you've had on diet as well.

You need to take charge of caring for your PCOS and your fertility yourself - doctors aren't always the answer, as I've discovered to my cost over the years. You have far more power to improve your fertility yourself than any doctor has. I'm not saying 'don't get Clomid' of course. Just don't trust the doctors to sort this situation out for you. No matter how much/little funding there is, there's only so much they can do.

hi bran
io have been on metformin was put on them as soon as my gp saw i had pcos on my ultra sound itwas only on my right ovary then 6 months later after being on metformin i had another ultrasound to see if it helped but they found i had it on both ovaries now my gp told me to carry on taking it and upped my dosage i lost 2 stone with the metformin i stopped taking them 1 year ago under instructions from my consultant who believes they are not very good for fertility

hms

i cant believe they wont even give you metformin i have only 3 syptoms of pcos overwieght , cysts and body hair why dont you change your gp ?

hannaflowerisnaha

how do you no so much about clomid ?

I note they checked cholesterol levels but it looks like they did not do any checks on insulin. Some PCOSers are insulin resistant; this can be a factor in not losing weight easily.

I know you would like clomid but would not focus entirely on this. Btw I have PCOS too and was not considered suitable to take this drug treatment even though it is usually offered initially.

Clomid is not always ideal for women with PCOS as some of them can become clomid resistant. It encourages the production of LH - as many women with PCOS have an excess of this hormone to start with clomid is often the last thing they need. It is quite a powerful drug treatment and women with PCOS should be monitored whilst on it with ideally blood tests and ultrasounds.

Verity is a good website:-

www.verity-pcos.org.uk. This has a lot of information on it.

WW and such like are not really helpful; following a low GI/GL eating plan may well help.

I am sorry that you are in this situation. But - it is dangerous to be pregnant and overweight - for you and the baby. If you lost weight your fertility problems might be reduced. I really hope you can get the support and help you need to lose weight.

I hate to say this, but imagine the scenario if the doctor prescribed clomid, you conceived, and then something happened to you or the baby because of the increased risks accosiated with obesity. Everyone would be up in arms complaining that the doctor had been irresponsible and put you at risk.

associated.

Heartmoonshadow don't let insensitive comments stop you believing in your right to be a mother. Does having an ideal BMI make you a great mother? Will it stop you loving your baby, doing the best for them, being there for them and enjoying motherhood? You have a right to fertility treatment and to have a baby, whatever your size.

Can you get a second opinion elsewhere?

I am really not trying to be insensitive - it is part of my job to research the causes of serious complications in pregnancy. It is important that women have the right information to safeguard their own health and that of their children, and to understand why sometimes the risks of certain treatments outweigh the benefits.

hms, clomid is just the first step of many fertility treatments. if clomid doesnt work then you move onto the next procedure then the one after. at each stage you will be assessed, its best to lose it now rather than 3 to 5 years down the line if you are waiting for ivf. you weight will always be an issue, deal with it now.

no-one has been insensitive. no-one has said heartmoonshadow should not be a mother

why are people so quick to dismiss all this good, sound, intelligent advice as insensitive , for stating the obvious:

weight does affect fertility

being overweight can complicate conception, pregnancy and birth

losing weight could negate the need for fertility treatment or make the treatment more effective

no-one has said she should not be a mother anywhere on this thread

a shame that pointing out that weight loss might actually help TTC has people branded as insensitive

blimey - thought I was being helpful

good luck

tata

I have read this thread and find it interesting that someone can be refused clomid until they have lost weight - reasons presumably being that losing weight could resolve the fertility issue or make the treatment more likely to work.

I knew someone who had fertility treatment and was prescribed clomid despite continuing to smoke. I asked at the time hadn't her GP/consultant required her to give up smoking before she got this treatment but she was adamant that they didn't mention it and both knew?! At the time I found it pretty crazy that as a first step a woman with fertility preblems was not advised to give up smoking which I'm sure can reduce your fertility by 25%? And was given fertility drugs whilst continuing to smoke?

As a matter of fact the clomid didn't work for her but happily she went on to give up smoking (as did her partner) and they conceived naturally straight away.

Heartmoonshadow - you say you eat a fairly healthy diet but to be 4 stone over weight, even with PCOS, you must be eating many more calories than you are burning off.

Excercise whould, as yousay, be an excelent place to start. Would your OH join you in regular (maybe 3 times a week) excercising?

Hi Heartmoonshadow
I'm sorry to hear about this, but losing weight is really something you can take control of. So don't be too disheartened! I lost two stone using the GI diet about three years ago - I lost the weight over a period of about 3 months - and have kept it off. I'm not an advocate of faddy diets but this one is really practical and easy to live with - as it's all about your blood sugar it means you can snack away on healthy snacks all day long - I loved it as felt like I was eating plenty . Keeping a diary is a great first step. It's good to hear that your ratio is good and that your tests are good, but you'll feel so much better about your self when you lose this weight!

HMS, don't know if you are still there but I don't think anyone has been ranting, they are trying to help.

I also have PCOS and was declined NHS assistance from GP, he wouldn't even do tests to identify PCOS, just refused as had "only" been trying for a year. You can't wait for some GP to decide he feels inclined to help you. You need to get proactive.

I went private. Husband had full sperm count/motility tests, I had tests for hostile mucus (sorry TMI alert) and blood tests which identified PCOS. DH also had low sperm count. We both cut out alcohol and I was prescribed metformin - which made me lose 2 stone in a month. Three months later I was pregnant.

Total cost of all this private treatment? Less than £500.

And sorry, but if you are four stone overweight you really need to lose weight before getting pregnant - you will be more susceptible to gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia otherwise.

If you have PCOS, then a low carb diet can be very, very helpful.

see this site

There are a number of members on this forum who suffer from PCOS as well.

And 6 months is not a short time. Even if you only lost a pound a week that's a stone and a half.

Okay maybe I jumped the gun a little but I just hate that fertility treatment has become so political. Where do you stop? Refuse treatment to smokers or people who drink alcohol etc. I know these are valid points about weight and fertility/pregnancy but where do you draw the line? A lot of overweight/obese people conceive naturally so why should an overweight person who can't conceive naturally, possibly be denied the chance to be a mother?

No offence to anyone, I always get my knickers in a twist about such matters. According to those BMI charts I am obese. I am 5 ft 4 inches and weigh 12 stones and 9 pounds. BUT I have a lot of muscle as I used to be a serious runner and I still exercise. I had a perfectly healthy pregnancy with my DS whom I conceived naturally. So would I be denied treatment?

Sorry, but at that height and weight you must be overweight, even if a lot of it is muscle.

No idea if you'd be refused treatment though.

at that height/weight I think you would be refused IVF in some places, but I don't know about other fertility treatments.

hello ladies,
would just like to say that i am on clomid at the moment. My fertilty nurse keeps saying that i need to lose weight. I can't really tell you how much i weigh because i don't know. she gave me metformin and i have lost weight. It keeps failing my clothes feel different. I don't believe in dieting as i cut down on certain foods and sweets as i have a sweet tooth.
I am not sure what to say, so women who are size 20-24 get pregnant i don't know how but they do.
sometimes dr's get it wrong!!!!

heartmoonshadow

I feel like I am looking in a mirror!

I have gone through the EXACT same issues as you are.

I was diagnosed with PCOS in December last year...After 12 months TTC with no luck.

I was referred to the fertility unit at the hospital. I waited almost 2 months for the appointment. I was devastated. The fertility nurse told me that I had to get my BMI under 35 before they would even consider helping me.

So, I killed myself to lose weight before my first appointment with the consultant.

I lost 1.5 stone in just under 4 months by doing the low Gi diet, cutting out sugar and doing exercise.

When I saw her I hoped she would help as my BMi was 35 on the dot! The most amazing thing as well was that after 14 months of TTC I had managed to fall pregnant all by myself even with PCOS! Unfortunately I lost the baby at 7 weeks.

I went back for my next appointment 2 months later and my weight was down even more. I had lost just over 2 stone. My bmi was 33! So I was way clear of 35.

Again, they refused to give me clomid /metformin....anything! In fact I was discharged from the fertility unit and told to go away and GET SLIM. I was also told to refer back to them if not pregnant by September.

I have been screaming for help but nobosy wants to help and they just keep telling me how well I am doing losing weight and to keep going rather than take drugs.

The NHS are all about budgets and quotas....weight is an easy way for them to avoid treating tax paying citizens.

It makes me sick.

And there is a lot of truth about pregnancy when very obese, but saying that I had my son when I was the weight I am now - so bmi 33, about 14 stone 5 oz. I had a problem free pregnancy and problem free birth, So it is a load of bollocks that it automatically causes all these problems. I was the biggest of my friends and I was the ONLY one that had a complete problem free pregnancy and birth. The rest of them were slim and 3 out of 4 of them had hard pregnancies and had to have emergency C-sections at birth.

Becauseimworthit and captainkarvol it is ridiculous that I would be refused treatment and your comments ARE hurtful. I don't smoke or drink much alcohol. I eat a healthy diet (all organic home cooked foods) and I exercise. I am running a half marathon in september. I am a size 14 clothes. I have one DS with whom I had a healthy pregnancy and birth. I adore him and he is a healthy and content little boy. You cannot rely on figures alone. Yes according to those charts I am obese but you only have to look at me to see at worst I am slightly overweight, so they can be misleading. I will not be posting on this thread anymore, it is ridiculous. I know you will be thinking I am just being defensive but I have admitted I am overweight, just not obese as the charts say (yes there is a difference) and I am a lot fitter and healthier than someone who is thin but smokes never exercises and eats crap for example. yet they would probably get treatment before me. I am running a half marathon for god sake!

Forgot to add that I have PCOS

oh for goodness sake roseability - it's not a personal attack, it's a fact. Your weight / height makes your BMI above the limit for IVF in some places.

Blimey roseability - I was trying to be helpful. You really are prickly and defensive.

Shan't bother any more. Sort yourself out.