pcos/ovulation

Hi all - I'm new to this site, but unfortunately not new to some of the issues we all have in common. My question for you all is why am I deemed to not be ovulating when I have all symptoms of ovulation? My endocronologist says my progesterone is not high enough to show ovulation, but my cm and temp and cycle is all consistent with "normal".. I was told I haven't been ovulating for a long time with the same symptoms, but actually managed to fall pregnant in June 04 and only found out I was pregnant when I was told I had miscarried. Does anyone else have misgivings about the info they get from their practitioners? I am also hoping to find out if anyone has had the lapbanding operation who is polycystic and if that has improved their fertility at all? Or even better, lead to successful pregnancy. ](*,)
Thanks in anticipation!

Hi Lawless, welcome to BB. Whilst I have not had lapbanding done, I can sympathise with your confusion about your diagnosis and being told you don't ovulate. I have irregular cycles (26-45 days) but they do seem to be mainly 31-34 days apart. I too have the EWCM that I assumed heralded ovulation. So I couldn't understand why I was always told I didn't ovulate.

It is only my last RE that has shed light on what may be going on with me. He said that while I may ovulate each cycle, my hormones are throwing things out of whack and that I don't produce the 'world's best egg', hence no pg for me as yet.

Perhaps your bloodtests have been taken prior to your ovulating and hence show low progesterone levels?

The longer I've had PCOS the more confused I become about it: do I have insulin-resistance, can I really not fall pg naturally etc.

The only advice I can offer is to find a RE that you trust (I'm on my third).

Hi Lawless

I to hace PCOS and had been trying to get pregnant for 8 months.I was diagnosed after only 3 months of TTC as my sister had the same symptoms as me and went to see her doc after TTC for 18 months and they found she also had PCOS so thats why I went to the doc(and I'm really glad now that I did!).I don't ovulate at all as my progesterone levels were only at 4 as at day 21 of my cycle!!!!!!!when they should be at about 20 to atleast ovulate.My sister's was at 17 which meant she nearly got there but her hormone levels just weren't enough, shes 8 months pregnant now and I'm 4 weeks pregnant after we were both put on clomid 50mg which helps your body along to Ovulate.My sister has a very mild case of PCOS as her symptoms were alot like you've described her body was giving all the positive signs of O'ing, she had regular cycles, but her hormone levels let her down.As for me my cycles were all over the place, my hormones were soooooooooo low they were pratically not there!!!But theres still hope as clomid got me pregnant on the second cycle of 50 mg.

Good luck in your TTC journey.........
Sending you lots of :bdust: :pdust:

Take care

Lawless

I had similar confusing reports from my specialist. Apparently although I had regular 28 day cycles, normal CM, etc my progesterone levels were low (only just though; about 18-19). So he claimed I wasn't ovulating - even though I had fallen pg 3 times before??? So I went on Clomid for 12 months and was apparently ovulating - but did not fall pg in that time. Then just as we thought things were as confusing as they could be they finally (at my persistance) did another sperm test on DH and found, "oh we didnt notice before that the volume is low". Since then they have decided that my body isnt increasing its progesterone levels once it falls pg therefore not being able to sustain a pg.

SO, nothing is much clearer for me and I dont know what to believe, quite simply! Sorry I cant shed more light on your situation.


Keen

Hello and welcome to Belly Belly. I havent had the banding done so i cant help you there but I have a beautiful four month old son and I have been diagnosed with pcos for almost ten years i think. I would sometimes only have three periods a year so I was sure i was not ovulating. I went to see my doc and he prescribed me metformin and I started having regular cycles (only two) before I fell pregnant.
Has your doc prescribed metformin? PCOS can be such a confusing thing. Even after all this time I am still not totally understanding. Let me just say- dont believe anyone when they tell you you cant have children- I am living proof you can!!
Good Luck with everything :-)

Thanks to everyone for their comments. I don't even understand the diagnosis at this stage - I read a lot - and I don't have any symptoms of PCOS - ie regular cycles, no excess hair/pimples.. Ultrasounds on two occasions have found "no evidence of pcos", on day 21 my progesterone was 6 the month I fell pregnant. I went on clomid late 2003 for 4 cycles and have been on metformin for about 8 months. I had just started the metformin when I fell pregnant, but nothing since. My specialist has decided I don't ovulate and I haven't been given a progesterone test since September 03 so I guess they are predicting no changes, but nothing physical for me to see it's this way. I get frustrated because I keep being told to come back in a couple of months and nothing else happens. I've lost some weight and continuing to lose more but still nothing.... I've also heard that long term use of clomid is harmful? Is this true? I'd like to give it another try. Hubby's sperm is fine so it's all just me - and that's so hard to know it's all because of me. I know the progesterone is supposed to keep climbing after ovulation, so is this why I miscarried? because it didn't sustain the levels it was supposed to? Ahhh normal human beings in ordinary lives are telling me more than the docs!! #-o PS What is RE?

RE stands for Reproductive Endocrinologist. I learned the hard way that any OB/GYN can make a diagnosis and prescribe clomid, but only a few of them have the experience to deal with real fertility issues. RE's are qualified OB/GYNs but usually focus on fertility problems. I got my first PCOS diagnosis from an OB/GYN based on a single bloodtest (no u/s) and thrown onto clomid with no monitoring. I now realise that he didn't have a real clue about infertility and any doc can prescribe clomid without doing necessary investigations into the true cause of a woman's infertility.

Long-term usage of clomid seems to increase the chance of cancer in women, but this is real long-term usage (well over 12 months) that doesn't result in a pg. Usually a doc will prescribe it for four months only, as most women who will fall pg with clomid will do so within this time. However, clomid is not a miracle. It kick-starts a sluggish ovary (and can help with PCOS) but won't work for every woman plus as it is an anti-oestrogen, it can interfere with womb lining and CM and hinder a pg.

Hope this helps.

Wow I didnt know any of that Sleebly. I was so lucky to never have to go onto those types of medications. it is amazing what we as women will do.
Thanks for that info