What should I have asked? What should I know now?

[Mrsbiscuitmonster]

Good morning

This is my first post and I'm not too sure where to start to be honest.

My GP diagnosed me with PCOS yesterday after the results of initial blood tests. I have now been sent for another blood test to test for preostrogen (I believe) and face a four month wait for an ultrasound.

It hit me like such a tonne of bricks that I think I was a bit blasé about it at the surgery. My husband and I are relatively young and just assumed that having children would come naturally.

I've come away from the GP and I'm feeling overwhelmed. What should I know? What should I be doing? Where do I begin to find resources? I'm so scared that our journey to become a family is over before its even began.

Thank you

Hello!

Don't panic too much just yet. Things always feel most overwhelming right at the start.

How long have you been trying? Are your periods regular? Do you have other symptoms of pcos (acne / weight gain)? What were the blood tests your gp did? It seems odd that s/he can diagnose without an ultrasound.

If what you've been told is true, then there are ways to control pcos - the first of which is weight loss (assuming this is one of your symptoms). You can also be given metformin to get insulin levels under control. A high protein , low carb diet is also meant to be helpful in levelling out blood sugar.
And you can be prescribed clomid to help you ovulate every month.

Hello! Thank you for your reply,

I came off loestrin in August and have had one period since then in September. My periods have never been regular unless I've been on the contraceptive pill.

I do have other symptoms, since coming off the pill my weight has gone up by just over two stone with no changes to my diet or exercise which is quite frustrating! I've had oily teenage skin, and downy hair on my face and stomach which I believe are also symptoms.

I'm not sure about the exact details about the blood tests I'm afraid other than that my testosterone levels were high as were my estrogen levels.

I feel so stupid for not probing her more for information, and completely out of my depth!

I would suggest you start reading about PCOS because knowledge is power!.

www.verity-pcos.org.uk/home is a good place to start; Verity is a UK charity dedicated to helping women with PCOS.

What blood tests were done and on what cycle days?. It looks like your GP was observant and took your other symptoms into account too. Your man should also now be tested; ideally such tests should be done in tandem.

You should in any case now be referred to a gynae at a subfertility treatment; PCOS if it is there is well outside a GPs general remit. I would be requesting a referral.

Many PCOSers find following a low GI/GL eating plan more helpful in the long run because it is more sustainable. Maintaining the correct weight for your height is important as excess pounds can exacerbate symptoms.

It is a very individualistic disorder so it does affect all women with this very differently. What may be a problem for one therefore may not be an issue for another.

Not all PCOS patients are insulin resistant so Metformin may not be given to you. Clomid is often the first line of treatment given but it can affect hormone levels markedly. It therefore should always be given with monitoring to make sure that it is doing its job properly (clomid's main job is to make the ovaries work harder). If clomid was ultimately unsuccessful other treatments can be tried.

Thank you both so much for your replies! I've spent the afternoon trying to take in as much information as I can and am going to try low GI eating immediately. Determined to not let PCOS rule my life and hopefully it won't stop us having our family