PCOS? Can anyone help, getting nowhere!

[Marley&Me]

Hi everyone,
I am new here. I think i have pcos but no-one will diagnose me. I have to wait until september to see a gyno, in the mean time i'm going crazy.
I have always had irregular periods. Since coming off BC last year i have had 4 cycles, each about 80-95 days long and i took an OPK a few weeks ago and for seven days it was a strong positive, and i'm not PG, but i dont have any other symptoms.
My DH and I have been ttc for 12 months now. I have had BT and my GP said they were all ok. I had an ultrasound and the lady said i have 16 follicles on one ovary and i think about 18 on the other. I am still waiting to see my GP again to discuss results.
All i seem to be doing is waiting, waiting, waiting. so i have a few questions:

Since i already had BT and ultrasounds done, when i see the gyno will they just start me on clomid? Do they make you wait for a natural period to start the clomid? How successful is it? Sorry for all the questions, I just need someone who understands. Everyone is having babies except me and i feel so down all the time.

[Mummato2]

Hi Tasha,

Welcome to BB firstly, I'm sorry such a frustrating situation has gotten you here, but you are amongst a group of gorgeous members that are keen to help.

To let you know, I am not a medical professional but I do have PCOS.

Some of the things that jump out to me in your post is the OPK's staying strongly positive over the course of a week - this is a very big PCOS thing. OPK's are useless for us because we have more of the LH hormone - which is what sparks a positive OPK - so you can't rely on this if you are PCOS positive

The cycle lengths suggest PCOS as well as the "follies" on both ovaries.....

Clomid - it's highly likely Metformin will be the first course of action depending on whether you are insulin resistant or not. This will assist the hormonal issues and for a lot of PCOS women, this is enough to begin ovulating and getting pregnant.

Hang out until your Sept appt and see what your gyno says......which state are you in? If it's PCOS you'll need an Endocrinologist who will help with managing it. If you're in Sydney I'd highly recommend Dr Warren Kidson.

Keep your chin up, PCOS is not a sentence of infertility. With the right support and treatment you will be able to get pregnant and maintain a healthy pregnancy - in the meantime you need to work through the motions of getting the right diagnosis and treatment.

I had 2 babies on Metformin and now working to get my PCOS under control.

Good luck!

[*LittleMissSummer*]

Hi there.

Welcome to BB!

I was diagnosed with pcos last June. That was after 4 years of problems. I showed most of the symptoms but no doctor diagnosed me until i went to my GP one day complaining of really bad pains in my stomach, he did a blood test and was confirmed i have it and it was confirmed again by ultrasound. I found out i also had an insulin resistance which explained my sudden weight gain and why i couldnt lose any weight. I was put on metformin for that, but its also used to help women fall pregnant as it makes women very fertile. I was told that having pcos would mean falling pregnant may be very hard. So i got very depressed and i too felt like everybody around me was having babies. Then in october me and my partner had an accident and i fell pregnant. Which was a shear miracle as i only had one period didnt even think i could ovulate with only having one. So don't lose hope

I'm not sure what the process of clomid is. Hopefully another lovely lady can help you with that.

[~BecD~]

HI Tasha. Some of the signs of PCOS are a large number of antral follicles on your ovaries (which it sounds like it has according to your ultrasound), as well as irregular cycles. A lot of the time women dont get diagnosed with PCOS until they are off the pill and trying to conceive.

Both metformin (a drug which helps address insulin resistance) and clomid (which regulates ovulation) can be prescribed. In addition to that, research shows that a weight loss of 3-5% of body weight can help regulate ovulation, even in a normal BMI range.

I was dx with PCOS when we started TTC, many of my friends have fallen pregnant with PCOS so please dont lose hope. It is worth checking out POSAA (Polycstic Ovarian Syndrom Association of Australia) website - they are full of good information, and are running workshops around Australia which talk about diagnoses and treatment (I just attended one in Perth and it was full of good information)

[Marley&Me]

Hi Ladies,

Thankyou all for the info, it's so nice to hear from people who know how you feel. It helps when you hear good stories to give you hope!

I'm not sure about the insulin resistance. I wouldn't say i am overweight (though i do tend to carry a little extra weight in my mid section) I am 165cm and 63kg. Do you have to be overweight to be insulin resistant?
I am in Melbourne South east so i am booked in to see Dr Jaques Lam. Can an OBS/GYNO prescribe Metformin and Clomid? or do i have to see an Endocrinologist? I don't want to waste any more time as i am 28 and my hubby is 35.

[Mummato2]

You don't have to be overweight to be insulin resistant - it's a myth that only big people get PCOS - weight is just one of those side effects from it.

Any Dr can prescribe Metformin/Clomid it doesn't have to be an Endo. A OB/GYN is a good start, but if your hormones are part of the issue, then I think you might also want an endocrinologist in your team. Start with your OB, he can prescribe the drugs and let you know if you need anyone else involved.

Keep us posted hun with any questions you have xxx

[Marley&Me]

Thank you so much, i may know some more Thursday after i see my GP. Actually i have one more question. What blood tests will i need before i go to the OB? My GP has done some, but i feel she didn't test for much. If i have everything organised before i go see the OB maybe there won't be so much stuffing around.

[Rowellen]

I also have PCOS. As the others have said, you don't have to be overweight. I'm not. You're symptoms sound very similar to mine. My cycles were a similar length. My OB/GYN prescribed Metformin. That reduced my cycle to around 33 -45 days. So still irregular but much more manageable. The last two cycles were 35 days. I have just conceived my second on Metformin. My GP prescribed it this time. It sounds like the tests you have had done will probably be enough. If you need anything else, your OB can order it for you. If you are worried about insulin resistence, you could ask your GP for that test. Be warned though it takes about 2 hours so take a book or something. PCOS doesn't necessarily mean you are insulin resistant though. I'm not. When we were TTC DS, my OB said if Metformin didn't work, clomid would have been my next step. My dr also recommended the low-GI diet as this helps to regulate insulin.

HTH & good luck with your appointment in Sept.

[Marley&Me]

That makes me feel soooo much better! How long did it take to conceive after you were prescribed the metformin? Did your cycles regulate quickly? I'd like to be PG before the year is up, don't want to get my hopes up though.

[Rowellen]

It took 9 months for DS, & 7 months for this pg. My cycles shortened quickly from 90+ days to about 45 days within one cycle. After that it usually gradually reduced by 1 to 3 days each cycle. I found I had clear O signs on Metformin that I never had before.

I believe clomid works slightly differently in that it makes you ovulate after taking it. From reading other people's stories, it seems sometimes doctors go straight to that. That was to be my next step. I'm sure your doctor will work out what's best for you.

Good luck. There's always a chance you'll get your wish.

[Rowellen]

Just thought I'd add, even though it took 9 & 7 months for both pg's, it was on the 6th cycle & 5th cycle I conceived.

Here are my cycles

For DS - Cycle 1 & 2 - didn't track length approximately 45 - 50 days.
Cycle 3: 44 days
Cycle 4: 47 days
Cycle 5: 40 days
Cycle 6: Conceived DS, estimate 39 days.

For current pg:
Cycle 1: 76 days (straight off pill)
Cycle 2: 37 days
Cycle 3: 33 Days
Cycle 4: 35 Days
Cycle 5: Conceived, estimate 35 days.

HTH

[Marley&Me]

Thanks, now i have a better idea of what to expect.
A friend told me that you always O around 14 days before you bleed, regardless of your cycle length, is this true? I have missed my chance this quarter! Think i may have O'd 2 weeks before this AF, but unfortunately we gave up that week, and i didn't piece it together that i O'd untill now

I am so grateful for all the info and support, helps me get through the days

[Rowellen]

It can vary but 14 days is the standard. This part of the cycle is called the luteal phase (LP). Some people have a problem with this phase being too short meaning AF arrives before any potential baby has a chance of implanting, but usually it's around 11-15 days which is long enough. If you can pinpoint your O date with OPKs or temps, you should be able to work out how long your's is. I don't know if they can be longer, I've never heard of that happening. Most my knowledge comes from chatting with other ladies in here or my own experience so I could be wrong of course. Maybe write a list of things to ask your doctor so you can be sure.

[Marley&Me]

OPK's can't really help me as i always come up as positive. Thats how i initially realised that something was wrong. However, i noticed that out of the 7 days i tested the last 2 days were a REALLY strong positive, and when i counted back they were the days that i should have been O'ing. My GP said that the BBT was a waste of time as many different things can change your temp and they weren't reliable.

Thanks, I will make a list for my GP and see what she says. And good luck with your PG, hope all goes well

[Rowellen]

My GP said that the BBT was a waste of time as many different things can change your temp and they weren't reliable.

I think a lot of women in here would disagree with your GP. I only did it one cycle and many temps were unreliable due to DS waking me at random times but I was still able to see a trend and confirm my O date. I would have missed it altogether if I just went by EWCM as by the time I did O, we were both tired & completely over it but knew we had to keep going. It can't hurt if you want to try IMO. If you don't want to temp though, that's fine too.
Good luck. Let us know what your FS says when you see him. & thanks