Help ... just diagnosed with PCOS

[Danilou22]

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.

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Hi - this thread is a little out of date.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

Hi Danilou - Metformin is prescribed to women with PCOS to get them ovulating regularly again if they have long cycles / absent periods, as well as helping with other PCOS symptoms. It has some pretty nasty side effects as well though... can really upset your stomach.

more info here

I started taking it yesterday and felt sick after a coffee, but have pretty much ate a vegan diet for the last two days and am introducing things gradually to see what I can and can't have... fingers crossed I won't suffer too badly!

Thanks for that. Do you know how long they leave it before it is prescribed? and if you have to have lost weight before they will?

I don't have any other PCOS symptoms other than the irregular periods after stopping the pill and blood test results.

Good luck to you, i hope you don't have too many side effects

8RC....may I ask which type of metformin you are on.

When I started on it, I was ridiculously sick and it didn't improve after about 5 months.

My doc changed me on to metformin SR which is slow releasing. I still occasionally get an upset tum but nothing like I used too.

Might be worth mentioning to your doc.

Danilou22 It seems to really depend on your doc as to when it is prescribed. There is no harm in asking for it.

In my experience, the docs I have seen are not as clued into PCOS as they should be. I was diagnosed nearly 12 years ago now and did a lot of research myself online (mostly US sites) and suggested things that I would like to try. My doc then went and researched them for himself!!! Totally arse about face way of doing things but worked out well for me.

Tinypawz- I'm on just the normal Metformin, not slow release, but am on a very low dosage (500mg) this week, then upping it next week. I'll ask for the slow-release if I get any side effects but seem to have escaped them so far...

I know what you mean about knowing more about PCOS than your GP! I think it's quite common when there is so much info available on the internet nowadays. I have changed GPs since I was diagnosed, and I just went to my doctor, said "I've got PCOS and want another baby, so can I have some Metformin please because I've heard it's jolly good for this sort of thing?" and he gave it to me! I could see him sneakily looking it up on the internet whilst chatting about my PCOS.

I'm booking back in to see a GP who he told me specialises in fertility issues (he does not) as I would like to have my medication managed by someone who knows more about it than I do.

Danilou - I don't think you have to lose weight before it can be prescribed to you. It helps with weight loss for a start with a lot of women, and my BMI is around 31. My GP has suggested I lose weight as part of generally ttc, especially if the Metformin doesn't work on it's own and I want to try Clomid as well.

I absolutely hate dieting and am feeling pretty miserable at the moment, but really hoping the Metofrmin and a low GI diet will work for me!!

Give it a go and ask your GP about it, or ask to be referred to a consultant if he/she says No. It was the first thing I was offered by the consultants at the local hospital when I was diagnosed, but I turned it down as I was not ttc, and wanted to try and manage the symptoms naturally.

I do need to go back to the doctors I think so i will ask about it then.

I was diagnosed just from a blood test, and told to lose weight and go back if I wanted to talk about it. Should I have been referred to hosp for more tests?

It is so hard to get my head around as I don't have any other symptoms of PCOS!

Thank your lucky stars you have no other symptoms!

You might need to push your doc to do further tests/refer you to hospital. Some docs aren't totally aware on the ins and outs of the illness and how much it effects women.

Thanks for your reply tinypawz.

This might sound like a silly question but should I have been tested at a certain time in my cycle? I had not had a period after stopping the pill for 5 months. I had blood taken on the tuesday and then got my period on the friday. Would being so close to my period have effected the results?

I am very releived I have not had to wait another 5 months for a period! not quite 28 days but only 39 that is not too horrendous is it?

It might have had some impact BUT no period for 5 months is a very big indicator.

I pressume that you were on "the pill" before, this basically masks your bodys natural rythmn. Your "period" when on the pill is a man-made bleed.

Ideally your hormones should be measured just before or just after ovulation. This is near impossible to find this piont with PCOS.

My blood test was not taken at any particular time, my doctor just called me and said PCOS was a possibility from the results and that I should go and have an ultrasound of my ovaries to confirm (to see if there were cysts and how badly my ovaries were affected).

I definitely think you should ask to see a specialist if you don't feel you're getting the information and support you want or know that other people are getting.

I hope things go well at the docotr's Danilou. I've jusy started reading PCOS and your fertility I'd highly recommend it...

Hi Danilou,

A friend of mine was diagnosed with PCOS when we were sixteen. She's 28 now. She came off the pill last year and after three months wasn't pregnant, so went to the doctors and was told she could have medication that would treat it, only to relax and get pregnant naturally a couple of weeks later. She miscarried that baby but she's now 24 weeks pregnant. I don't know if she went on medication in the end or not, but this is definitely not the end of your chances of conceiving a baby at all.

Takethatlady, unfortunatley PCOS is a stupidly inconsistant illness. Not all women need medication to conceive but it has helped quite a few.

As it was, I too, was diagnosed very young (17/18) and after years trying insuccessfully to get pregnant naturally and even with the help of some meds did not conceive.

I finally fell pregnant with a mixture of 2 meds which had not too pleasent side effects. But my dd has made all those years of worry and sickness worth it.

Congratulations to your friend.

Congratulations to you too TinyPawz. I just wanted to add another story of the possibility of a positive outcome from this, and I'm really glad you had one too, despite the side effects. Glad to hear motherhood was worth the ride!

I really do appreciate all your comments and positive stories ladies.

Thank you

Hello ladies,

Have not posted on this thread for a while so thought I would update you all!

I seem to be having regular periods albeit they are long (between 37-39 days) I have been putting off going to the doctors since the initial diagnosis but went back today and saw a different doctor who said he doesn't think I have PCOS at all!!!! I am very sceptical though as he also had not heard of an anovulatory cycle and thought if you get your period you must have ovulated! But the good thing is I am going for a scan which means i will be able to find out once and for all!!

Hope you are all doing ok xx

Do you know that early next year THE GOVERNMENT IS PLANNING TO BAN ALL HERBAL MEDICINE without a prescription?

Know this is a really old post but I have suffered from PCOS for years so decided to do something about it and create my own supplement called MyOva! It's helped lots of women, in particular get their cycles back on track and we've had lots of really postivie reviews on the website which is so great to know it's helped lots of women. Anyway I don't want people to have to suffer with PCOS because there are natural ways you can manage it.