Anyone who ovulates very infrequently?

[likessleep]

I am posting up on behalf of my sister. She came off the pill about 8 months ago (her periods were few and far between before she went on the pill).

She has only had one period since, about 2 months ago. She has been using the ovulation kits in the last two months, but says she hasn't ovulated.

She is obviously concerned and has seen the doctor, who has run all of the hormone tests, which came back normal. The doctor said to try for 6 months and then go back.

Thing is, if she isn't ovulating (or only once in 8 months), is there any point trying?

Not sure what I can do to help really, but I wondered if anyone else has had similar experiences and what course you took. My feeling is that it may be helpful now to investigate why she doesn't appear to be ovulating? Would appreciate any thoughts/experiences. There seems very little online for those who don't appear to be ovulating.

Thanks.

I have had very irregular cycles, often only ovulating every 6 months. I tried acupuncture and it was very successful, gradually my cycle became more regular and I conceived the 1st month of trying. Just try and find an experienced practitioner if you are going to give it a go. Good luck.

Thanks Greenbeanie, that is very reassuring to hear. I will suggest accupuncture to my sister.

Can I ask, how many sessions did it take before your cycle became more regular and over how long?

Thanks again for responding.

Hi Likessleep,
You're a good sister!
I came off the pill 18 months ago and haven't had a period since. I had tests done and have low FSH and LH. I did try acupuncture for about 4 months, once a week, but it didn't help and got pretty expensive so had to stop. But a friend of mine tried acupuncture and she had a similarly positive experience to greenbeanie.
The consultant told me its down to diet and stress so am working on these things. I've also been told that I'll probably need clomid to start ovulating.
However, my mum had the same thing - i.e. very infrequent periods - and although she needed clomid to get pregnant with my two older sisters, with me she conceived naturally - she hadn't had a period for about a year so was pretty good timing i.e. she must have ovulated for the first time in ages when she had sex! She conceived my younger brother naturally too and after that her periods 'kick started' and she was regular ever after.
I would get all the tests done - serial scan, ultrasound etc, as well as keeping trying. If your sister is not ovulating regularly, it's not impossible to get pregnant, as my consultant always says, but you could be waiting a long time.
Hope that helps

Hi Rozebud,

Thanks for responding and for the info. I just feel for her so much, she has 9 nieces/nephews and is even nicknamed 'nanny' as she is so maternal (even wants (!) to change nappies!), so I just hope so much that she won't have problems.
I don't know exactly what tests she had, I think one was thyroid and they were all from blood tests. I will ask her whether she had FSH and LH.
I agree that diet and stress is hugely influential. She is veggie (and being a veggie myself I am not slating it), but I think she is trying to eat more of a variety now (I am sure sales of quorn would slump if she ever started eating meat!), but she is trying to get more veg/iron etc in her diet.

What type of consultant did you see? I am trying to encourage her to go privately, cos the little I do know, is that these things take a long time. How did you got about getting the different tests? Were you referred? What course would you recommend my sister took now?

Sorry for long post, but it is all new to me!
Thanks

I have endometriosis and am an erractic ovulator, so some months i ovulate and some i dont-or so i was told by the doc.
We wanted to try for dc#2 but assumed it would take a while like it did with dc#1.
But, this time i bought some cheap ovulation sticks from ebay and did them throughout the month-from the day my period stopped till the next time it started and i was really shocked to find out i don't ovulate mid cycle like most people do but very close to when my period was about to start.I checked this for 3 months and it was the same every month.
I fell pg on the 4th month and am now 17 weeks pg.
Maybe this would be the case for your sister.

Hi Nobodysfool, that is brilliant news for you, am really glad you worked out what was happening and what a fab outcome! I hope your pregnancy going well (hopefully over the sickly phase by now, if you were?)
I will also mention this to my sister. She is using the ovulation kits, but none are detecting the hormone (sorry can't remember which one) so far.
It has been so useful to find out from others experiences, thank you.

It is worth trying. I ovulate infrequently (have about 3/4 periods a year), so slightly more than your sister, but I still managed to get pregnant first 'month' trying (both times). I have low progesterone, which is why I don't have many periods - but it didn't affect my fertility at all. However, we were advised to avoid the whole window thing, because if you have infrequent periods, you never know when that is going to be. Instead we were told to dtd every three days regardless and up it to every two days if we thought the time might be near. It worked for us. Dh was most disappointed

Likessleep, I had acupuncture over a period of months on a weekly basis, although within 4 days of my 1st treatment I had ovulated!! It took longer for my periods to get into a reasonably regular cycle, gradually the spacing between periods got closer and closer. Hope this helps

Hi Likessleep,

I had blood tests for progesterone, FH, LSH, thyroid, a pelvic scan, and the diagnosis was that with low FH and LSH my hormone assays are consistent with a "hyperthalamic and possibly weight-related problem".

Apparently hyperthalamic problems are stress and diet related. I have put on a stone and a half in the last year though but still no period.

I had the tests done on the NHS and could have seen an NHS consultant but chose to see a private gynaecologist because I'd seen him about a separate issue previously. I don't believe there's a difference in treatment - sometimes waiting times can be shorter though.

I hope that helps and hope it goes well for your sister.

HI Likessleep - i forgot, i was also tested for prolactin. Think that covers it though...

liketosleep

I think your sister needs to see a different GP as she has been poorly served by the previous doc. To be told to come back in six months time is particularly bad on the part of the doc.

I think also your sister needs to have a rerun of those blood tests as something has likely been missed. Not all GPs know about PCOS for instance. If the doc did not compare the level of LH against that of FSH also then the test is meaningless. These levels can appear okay if looked at separately; this is why they need to be compared.

Common causes of such problems include thyroid imbalance and a condition called polycystic ovaries (I also note her periods have always been irregular). Your sister needs to be properly evaluated for both of these and referred to a gynae as a matter of course. She needs a diagnosis first and foremost; both these conditions should not be messed around with by GPs.

I would return to the GP now and insist on a referral to a gynae. She cannot afford to be messed around.

OPK's are particularly of not much benefit in such circumstances.

Thank you so much for all of your information. It is really helpful. I am going to print this all off and give it to her.
Thanks so much.