Just been diagnosed with PCOS......

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Sfter a long time of having periods every 3 to 4 months I had a scan today which confirmed I have PCOS. She also said I have very large ovaries, not sure hwat that means?

I am now ondering what to do about it. I will have a follow up appointment with a gynae, we have said we are trying for no 3 (I have already had 2 but not sure if this has got worse since DD2).

I want to have treatment to make my periods normal again and then go from there.

Does or has anyne taken tablets to make their periods regular?

My periods went haywire and I was diagnosed with polycystic ovaries but my periods actually went back to back to normal after my 1st birth - I had to take clomid to conceive my first dc.
Been fine since but still have polycystic ovaries on scans.
It is worth getting this book and joining Verity for more information.

Hi
Sorry to hear of your diagnosis. Check out Verity as suggested- its a great organisation.

There isnt a treatment that miraculously gives you regular periods unfortunately.

Some women who are NOT TTC are given the pill to give them fake regular periods, but this is false IMO, as it masks the symptoms can also make it even harder to get any real cycles back when you stop taking it. But it can be good if not trying for kids as you can get pills that have additional ingredients to help syptoms such as acne.

The best treatment for PCOS is diet and lifestyle management. Take as a complete life style change, following a low fat, low GI diet, lots of regular cardio exercise. PCOS is often associated with insulin resistance (similar to type 2 diabetes). Good diet and exercise can help this. Try and lose weight via this route if can as it make huge difference to insulin resistance whcih exacerbates PCOS.

The drug Metformin is sometimes used for PCOS and it helps with the insulin resistance but its not prescribed by all doctors and it can have nasty side effects (nausea, stomach aches etc).

Sorry for long post but have some experience of this. Was diagnosed at 20 with PCOS, told having kids would be impossible. Spent 10 odd years changing my lifestyle etc and ensuring that when i was ready to TTC my body would stand the best possible chance. I went from no periods after coming off the pill aged 23/24 to regular periods eventually (through carefully managed diet exercise and metformin) at age 30 or so. Got pregnany first time as I was super in tune with my body by then. DD is now 11wks

Not to say you need 7 years to get in shape but its possible to get pregnant without drugs to make you ovulate artifially like clomid.

Read some books on this, look up verity and be prepared to make some diet/ life changes. Its definately not impossible.

Good luck!

There are loads of people on MN with PCOS, including me. I was diagnosed last year. I don't have any children yet. DP and I haven't long started TTC.

This time next year you'll be an expert on PCOS. Thankfully, these days, there is a wealth of information out there.

It didn't work for me, but acupuncture may be something you could consider, rather than tablets. It has worked for many PCOS sufferers to regulate periods. The main thing though is controlling your diet, as GYo said.

Your ovaries may be large because of the number of 'cysts' (follicles) within them. Poly = many. There will be a number of follicles in your ovaries all trying to reach maturity at the same time, making it difficult for one single egg to be released.

Clomid (Clomifene Citrate) usually will kick the follicles up the backside (not the scientific way to describe it) and cause ovulation to occur. It is a miracle drug for some, but doesn't always work. Here is a current thread for ladies TTC with Clomid. It may give you an informed view before you discuss your next move with your consultant.

Best of luck with it all And, remember, you are most definitely not alone.

You've had some good advice here OP - I'd also really recommend the Verity boards for info and a wealth of widsom from lots of women with PCOS. I found it an invaluable support when I was TTC.
GYo your post was great and your thoughts on low GI, lifestyle changes are useful, sounds like you did really well after a bleak diagnosis. IMO though it's a wee bit strong to say that "it's possible get pregnant without drugs to make you ovulate artifially like clomid". Yes, possible, but not for all of us. Many women with PCOS can make all the lifestyle changes we like, and be super-"in tune with our bodies" , but still need clomid/gonadotrophin injections/ovarian drilling/IVF in the end to conceive - and that's okay too. (Hmm, could I be a bit touchy on this point do you think? )
OP the other bit of advice I'd offer you is that many GPs know almost nothing about PCOS, especially if yours is atypical (mine is - I don't have weight, hair or skin issues and have been told more than once by GPs that I don't 'look like I have PCOS' so I must be fine despite having no periods and ovaries that look like bubblewrap when scanned. Until you're TTC they often will just tell you to live with it / go on the Pill, but if you push for a referral to an endocrinologist you would get better advice.

Thanks everyone for being so helpful.

I dont really want to go on the pill as it will only mask the symptoms for a few years until I come off it. I think we would like DC no 3 at some point but I want my periods regular first.

The thing is though I have a fairly healthy lifestyle, eat healthy most of the time and run 3 times a week and horse ride. I am 5ft 2 and weigh 9st, I am trying to loose a few pounds but dont really think I need to loose weight becasue im overweight?!

Puddock, yes i know doc will just tell me to go on the pill if I say im not TTC which is why I am thinking i should say yes TTC so that I can make my periods more regular and then go on the pill at a later date, but im still undecided about DDC3 but then he might put me on clomid and I fall preg straight away!