PCOS and no period - help

[Sanasa]

I’m desperately trying to conceive but I have no periods at all. I was diagnosed with PCOS over ten years ago.
Is there any way to kick start ovulation at all? We have three more months before we can be referred for help.
Thanks 😊

I had no periods for years and now have a large family. For us it was a loooong journey. How overweight are you?

Sorry pressed send too soon. I think the biggest “help” you can do at home is get as fit as you can and keep your bmi low normal.

I need to lose 3 stone to be a healthy bmi. I know I need to lose but I find it so hard to lose anything.

Then THAT’S what you can address. You will struggle to lose it once pregnant or with a small baby and are likely to have a MUCH better pregnancy lighter so start now.

Many people start ovulating more regularly when they start really shedding weight.

Thanks, i really need to commit and try to shift some of this weight. Such an emotional eater!

I don't have PCOS (not to my knowledge anyway) but I used to weigh 22st and got down to 10st.

My periods got super regular when I slimmed down, and although I did always have them, they could be 5/6 days earlier or later than expected, which was a bit annoying.

I'm on the pill now so they're like clockwork, but losing weight helped a lot - in most areas of my life, to be honest!

My daughter has been told she will qualify for assistance should she wish to have a child as she has PCOS. She is on the light side of perfect BMI, about 18.5/19. If you can lose weight I’m sorry to say I think you’ll get better treatment. Can you go on a big push to lose ½ stone in February? Make some long term changes?

@SunshineAngel can I ask how you lost the weight please? I struggle so much to lose. I used to be tiny!

@Sanasa I don’t have any super amazing advice sadly. I was an overeater, an emotional eater, and I was lazy. I stopped eating as much (tracked calories on MyFitnessPal) and did more exercise, and lost the weight over 3 years. There’s no secret sadly, just hard work - and it was definitely hard work! But I’m now 6 years on from when I hit my target weight and I’m so glad I did it.

Pcos sufferers generally do ok with a low gi/ diabetic diet.

Pcos often goes hand in hand with insulin resistance... so that's why these diets tend to help pcos sufferers.

Even when you do qualify for assistance, they may not treat you until you lose weight because fat is a hormone disruptor. It means if you lose some of the weight, you may not need any interventions at all...

Ask your gp for metformin. I have pcos and tried for over 5 years to conceive. Wasn't eligible for fertility treatment as dh had a child. My gp prescribed me metformin and I was pregnant with my 1st within six months. I have completed my family now but still take metformin as it helps me have a regular predictable cycle and reduces or gets rid of my pcos symptoms. Definitely worth a try. It will help you shift weight as well as long as you exercise regularly and eat healthier.

You can take provera which will induce one but it doesn't kick start them to being regular. Metformin may help (as for the slow release version - much kinder on your tummy) but yes, losing weight can and does help. Although for me it didn't actually cause my periods to come back.

Metformin also reduces the chance of miscarriage and makes it easier to lose weight. It is REALLY hard to lose weight if you have PCOS. You will have to be amazingly determined, but it is possible and worth it.

I have to agree with the diet advice! It's really hard - I am slim anyway but changing to low GI carbs / cutting out dairy for a start, has made a massive difference to my symptoms.

If you are overweight then this by itself may be enough to regulate your cycles. However, I understand that PCOS can make the losing weight difficult.

This is why diabetic-type diets work so well. No need for calorie counting either!

Best of luck. It's difficult to make that start, but so worth it. xx

Try a low GI/GL (glycaemic load) eating plan.

Collette Harris (herself a pcos patient) has written some cookbooks with PCOS in mind

I would also look at the PCOS site called verity and educate yourself as much as possible in advance re PCOS, this will help you re treatment decisions