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Original poster

Help ... just diagnosed with PCOS

66 replies

Danilou22 · 24/03/2010 21:29

Hi ladies,

I am looking for any positive stories regarding PCOS.

I came off of the pill in October and didn't get my period. After 5 months I went to the docs and was sent for blood tests. I had the tests and then 3 days later hooray I got my period. It was all normal and I hoped that would mean all was well. However i was called back to the doctors and he said that the hormone levels show that I have polycystic overies. I was quite sure I didn't as I have no other symptoms at all.

I am so worried I am not going to be able to concieve. Can anyone offer any advice. I am going to start the GI diet and get as fit as possible to try and help but any other advice or support/positive stories would be greatfully recieved.

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

Hi - this thread is a little out of date.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

OP posts:
Nancy10 · 24/03/2010 22:04

I hope this helps. I have PCOS, my periods are very irregular and I'm slightly over weight. We began trying for a baby at the end of August 2009 and had sex regularly (every other night) up until xmas. I got bored of trying as I'm extremely impatient and hardly tried at all in Jan/Feb. Did a pregnancy test this week and it's positive! My main advice to you would be to record when you have your periods. I did all last year and despite having an irregular cycle, I did notice a slight pattern emerging. My cycles could be anything between 50-70 days long.
I have also lost a bit of weight with weight watchers and have been going for long walks. Good luck!

Original poster
Danilou22 · 24/03/2010 22:11

Thank you, that does make me feel better. and great big congratulations to you!

One question ... the doctor said he knows because of my LH levels were high. I have been doing OPK tests which I know detect an LH surge should that not mean they should be positive with me due to the hight levels?

Just incase you know the answer

Thanks and congratulations again xxxx

OP posts:
Nettiespagetti · 24/03/2010 22:18

Hi danilou I have pcos found long b4 ttc. Def doing right thing gi and getting fit as can!

I logged all cycle lengths anything from 33 days to 5 months, saw consultant tried clomid and metformin for 6 months not successful ( sil took clomid twice and fell pg twice with it's help)

we had ivf and were successful first time with ds 3.5 and then had naturally concieved dd1.5.

Wish you bfp soon and would (unhelpfully maybe) tell you to try not to worry and have lotsa how's ur father!!!

Nancy10 · 24/03/2010 22:19

I have never had a positive on OPK and I think at one point I was relying on them a bit too much. I think they can add to your anxiety. Have you thought about taking your temperature. This may sound slightly crazy but I have really good skin, every now and again I'll have a little outbreak of spots and I went by this because it's such a good sign that your period is either due or your possibly ovulating. Sorry can't exactly give you an answer.

Original poster
Danilou22 · 24/03/2010 22:28

Thanks nettie. I am determined to get as fit as I possibly can ... not easy to find time to exercise when you are a primary school teacher rushed off of your feet but I am going to try!

Nancy, I will use the last of my OPK's and then I don't think I will bother for a while. I have really good skin too and no extra hair! If anything my hair seems to be falling out which the doctor says is not connected but I am not so sure.

I will just have to be patient and wait and see. I am not the most patient person in the world unfortunatly!

OP posts:
CrystalQueen · 24/03/2010 22:32

Can't he refer you to a gynaecologist? I was diagnosed with PCOS (the only symptom I have is the lack of periods) and when I eventually got an appointment with a gynaecologist I was prescribed metformin, which increased my periods from every 6 months to every 6 weeks. Four months later I was pregnant. Good luck!

Original poster
Danilou22 · 24/03/2010 22:35

I will give it a couple of months to see how regular my periods become (I am still hoping that now I have had a period it may have sorted things out a bit, I had regular periods before I started the pill)and then I will go back and ask. Has anyone tried Agnus Castus? Does that help with PCOS?

OP posts:
matumble · 24/03/2010 22:38

Hi i was diagnosed with PCOS 6 years ago and that combined with a fertility issue in dh as well we were told to go away and save for ivf. i now have 3 daughters none of which needed ivf. the only 'treatment' i had was using an aromatherapy blend meant to kick start my periods, when i didnt get any i stopped using it and a few months later found out i was 25 weeks pregnant with dd1! used it again with dd2 .
good luck

Original poster
Danilou22 · 24/03/2010 22:42

Ooooh, thank you all so so so so much this is all making me feel much better

OP posts:
AttilaTheMeerkat · 25/03/2010 08:00

danilou

I have PCOS and am a parent following treatment at a subfertility unit. You should be referred to a gynae for further evaluation; PCO is not a condition that should be messed around with by GPs. They do not have either the time or knowledge to deal with such issues.

Am going to give you a list of "DON'TS".

Don't give it a couple of months and I'd be now asking for a referral to a gynae. It is also quite possible to have periods without ovulating. This may have happened with your good self.

OPK's are truly not worth using at all if PCO is an issue. These kits measure LH: a women with PCO/S can have a higher level of LH to start with and the kit ends up reading that. Please DO NOT USE OPK'S - they are a waste of time and your hard earnt cash in this situation. Taking your temp with PCO is also a non starter as you could end up with a chart which is difficult, if nigh on impossible, to interpret with any degree of accuracy. You would be far better off having blood tests and internal ultrasound scans done. These would give a far more accurate picture.

Do not self medicate with Agnus castus particularly by buying it from a health food shop; it can make the underlying hormonal problem worse. If you really want to use AC (and I would advise due caution here before using as natural does not always equal safe) seek out the advice of a qualified medical herbalist instead.

DO read Verity's website www.verity-pcos.org.uk as that could be helpful to you.

Also try and follow a low GI/GL (glycaemic load) eating plan. Maintaining the correct weight for your height is important as PCO can react badly to extra pounds and these can be very difficult to shift.

Any other questions just ask.

taytotayto · 25/03/2010 19:22

matumble can you tell me what aromatherapy blend you used,i totally believe in things like that. willing to try anything.

Original poster
Danilou22 · 25/03/2010 20:09

I would be interested in the aromatherapy too.

Thanks Atilla, I have already started the GI plan and am going to go back to the docs over Easter to see if they will send me for further tests.

OP posts:
DungunGirl · 29/03/2010 08:50

Just wanted to add my 10 pence worth.

There used to be a thread for PCOS women TTC and all I can say is that either by a combo of low GI diet, exercise or some got metformin/clomid most of us fell pregnant within the year.

I personally did the low Gi diet and totally went exercise mad in order to lose as much weight as possible - as I am about 2 stone overweight. Was about 4 stone overweight then!

Lost a load of weight and then BINGO feel pregnant! Unfortunately I miscarried at 7 weeks but I then feel pregnant again within 2 months.

So if you are at all overweight, even just some weight loss can regulate periods and kick start more regular ovulation!

Good Luck!

DungunGirl · 29/03/2010 08:51

Forgot to say...baby is now 11 months old!

It will happen!

CAS3 · 29/03/2010 16:01

Hi
I was diagnosed with PCOS in my early 20s due to my annoyance at absent periods and much pestering of my GP. So I was aware I may have trouble TTC and was able to plan and so we began earlier than we would have otherwise done.
I came off the pill at the end of june 07, and we weren't actively TTC, just didn't use contraception, as weren't expecting anything to happen. I actually had a period and the cycle after that fell pregnant with twins, and miscarried at 12 weeks in the oct of 07. I did take Agnas Castus with that pregnancy and don't know if that contributed to the m/c or it was a poor quality egg. We stopped using contraception again in the Feb and I fell pregnant again in the March of 08 and now have a 15mth old DD!
I'm not expecting next time to be as straight forward though.

Good Luck and Enjoy!

Original poster
Danilou22 · 29/03/2010 20:32

Thank you so much for your comments and stories. They are making me feel better.

DunGungirl, I am very healthy and quite fit but yes a tad over weight so I have started the GI plan and am going to get myself exercising more and get those few extra pounds (who am I kidding .. stone) off!

Should be in the middle of my cycle now so we are trying and have everything crossed (except my legs of course!) Thank you for all the good luck sent xx

OP posts:
matumble · 30/03/2010 19:32

I cant tell you what the blend was im afraid, i went to an aromatherapist who made it for me based on what i was asking and allergies etc. we lived in newcastle upon tyne at the time so if anyone is that way it was a shop called herbal gardens in the eldon garden bit of eldon square, they had a part time ( i think) aromatherapist on the books who was brilliant

kittens · 30/03/2010 19:41

I was diagnosed with PCOS after 4 years of trying to conceive after DD1 was born - I was prescribed Metformin and it help me lose loads of weight, my periods returned and 3 months later I was pregnant with DD2.

See the specialist (it was an endocrinologist) to have proper treatment.

mrsmarzipan · 01/04/2010 17:08

Hi I have PCOS and am the proud mum of 2 now!
I stopped my pill and it took 18 months for me to concieve DD, I was put on Metformin, though was also taking agnus castus, took it for 2 months and then discovered that i was pregnant a couple of days before i was due back at hospital (only did the test on the off chance!)
After having DD my periods returned to normal(every 5 weeks, when ttc i was lucky to get one every 4 months). I fell pregnant with DS the first time we tried when dd was 15months. I did not go back on the pill which makes me wonder if the pill had something to do with it.

Hope this makes you feel a bit more positive that PCOS does not mean that children are impossible. GOOD LUCK!

Original poster
Danilou22 · 01/04/2010 20:22

Thank you

OP posts:
8rubberduckies · 03/04/2010 21:41

A bit late to the thread I know, but I have a positive story for you... I was diagnosed in June 2007 with PCOS - I was 31 and single at the time and was offered Metformin as am overweight, but decided to try and control it naturally. I was really depressed about the diagnosis as I had always wanted a family.

I met a guy in the September and we were not as careful as we should have been because I was convinced I would never conceive without a struggle and... oops... found out I was 8 weeks pregnant December 2007!

I don't think it is that rare though, 2 friends have also got pregnant naturally after PCOS diagnoses.

We're now ttc no2 and sadly it's not as easy this time around (doctors appt next week, going to ask to try out the Metformin / Clomid route), but I just keep the faith!

Original poster
Danilou22 · 03/04/2010 23:48

Good luck. We are just trying for the time being and hoping for the best. My period should arrive next week so I am hoping I either get my period showing that they are going to be regularish or I don't and get a positive. I am not sure I have ovulated yet though so am not holding out much hope. We will just have to see how it goes and if nothing happens I will go back to the docs and ask for help.

Your story is very encouraging though and does give me hope. Good luck with ttc#2

OP posts:
slhilly · 04/04/2010 08:29

It is absolutely possible to have babies and PCOS. Our 2 DCs are proof of that! We tried all sorts of weird and wonderful stuff at the start (eg traditional chinese medicine) but tbh we should have just got on quick and done what we eventually did, which was to see a consultant with relevant expertise. We used an endocrinologist called Dr Gerard Conway and he was fabulous. In our case, metformin and clomid did the trick -- but there was an array of second-line treatments available if that hadn't worked.

taytotayto · 04/04/2010 20:43

matmumble thanks for that xxx

brilaunt · 06/04/2010 11:28

Your discussion has been really helpful ladies, thanks. I have PCOS and have been TTC for 11 months. Was quite overweight, BMI 35, but have decided to get fit and healthy recently and have lost 20 lbs - I'm trying to sort that aspect out before seeking medical intervention. I have also been using OPK - of which have all been negative - an ordeal in itself every month - they have continued to be negative although i have lost some weight! Just wondering if anyone has an anecdotal perspective of successful conception after good weight loss?