PCOS

missmelo

Hi all, i was at my doc today and was diagnosed with pcos she said she will refer me to the coombe to start on clomid and scans, im just wondering is this covered on medical card, i forgot to ask her today as i was trying to absorb what she was saying, obviously i dont mind paying but like to know beforehand, ill prob be waiting a while anyway for appointment, and am praying i wont need the appointment at all.

Thank you xx

Baby74

I am also attending the Coombe and have PCOS. am ttc for nearly 2 years (im 36)... the treatment I got in the coombe has been brilliant and have had scans which i wasnt charged for. you wont be charged for visits or scans. The only thing i was charged for was on day stay in hospital after I had a lap&dye done.

Im back with Doc in a few weeks to be started on Clomid

Good Luck and you will be well looked after in the Coombe:)

missmelo

Thank you baby74 for your reply its very helpful, I hope you will be successful very soon xx

LegacyUser

hello ladies

i am very early twenties and after 2 years attending hospitals and doctors i finally got diagnosed with pcos on tuesday ...... i have being put on dianette ( the pill) to help with hair growth and symptoms etc... to be honest on tuesday i got so worked the doctors mouth was moving but it was too much to take in.... they dont know where my high levels of testostrone is coming from so they have to do a glucose intolerence test GTT and insulin tests......im so worried. im overweight and need to lose weight but im so down and out about this that i feel "well i have it now whats the point" i need motivation and support. im so scared to be honest and to make it worse i have no1 to talk to. hope all of y'all could share your situations....would love to hear from some1 else

sarahbro

I was told last year i have PCOS and that it would be highly unlikely i would conceive naturally. All they did was put me on the pill though. They didn't give me any advice etc on ttc cos i'm only young i was told.
We're not ttc as such but not not trying if that makes sense?
I came off the pill 4 months ago. only change I've noticed is my weight and hair coming back

missmelo

To earlytwenties and sarahbro, i know its hard hearing you have pcos, and its a total pain, but now at least you know what it is and its time to be pro active, the pill only masks the problem its not a cure, do some research and get some books on pcos, i am still researching it myself at the moment but there is loads of information on it, and what seems to be the biggest issue is our diet, i noticed a few months ago my belly getting bigger outta nowhere i couldnt believe it(i have always been slim) , but once i was diagnosed and looked into it, i realised this is why, so when i changed my diet to low gi the weight started falling off again woo hoo. So please dont get stressed about it its something you can start to manage.

bernyh

Hi.

I was diagnosed with pcos when I was 21, I'm 34 now and have one lovely dd aged 6. (so it is possible to conceive)

I had hoped for a baby from 21 to 24 with my ex partner, but I was quite overweight. I had very irregular periods,to the extent of having about 2 per year, we never tried any treatment but weren't trying to avoid conceiving. We split when I was 25, I as many women do went on a diet and lost a ton of weight, I went from a size 26 to a size 14 in about a year.

When I lost the weight my periods were like clockwork, only stopped on 2 months when I was stressed about family business.... I met my now husband when I was almost 26 and we had our daughter when I was 28..

I was slim until my wedding then I decided to "eat what I wanted!" and that was ok for a year or so, but now I'm 34 and have irregular periods again, I would LOVE another child but I am fully sure I need to lose weight again to achieve this... I am also being treated for high blood pressure which is an effect of pcos, but unfortunately for me my doctor wont even consider the idea of me having another child until I can get my bp under control...... the blood pressure meds say stop taking if trying to concieve but my doctor won't change them....

I know its possible to conceive with pcos.... but would love help because my dd is in desperate want of a brother or sister...xxx

LegacyUser

I’m just new here so forgive me if someone has already asked this
But as we all have the same problem I was hoping someone might be able to answer some of my questions in plain English

I was diagnosed with pcos about 4 years ago I did not handle this information very well
And spent about 2 years dwelling on this and done a lot of crying did not ask the doctor as many questions as perhaps I should have
The main reason for this was my doctor did not seem very positive with any chance of pregnancy for me
The internet can be a wonderful thing but also give very mixed advice

when I spoke to her about this she told me I would not conceive naturally and would need to take medication and this still did not guarantee anything but I hear of so many people having children with this condition so my first question is

Are there different levels of pcos

My second question is how I go about finding out for sure if I can convince
I have met a wonderful man and we are not ready to start trying yet
But I feel he has a right to know before we go any further if there is a chance I will never give him children
I would be grateful of any information or advice anyone would have

sorry for long post

missmelo

Hi advice needed, firstly its not so much different levels of pcos, because it has so many symtoms one could be worse than the other e.g one person could have weight gain and no acne or facial hair when another could have the opposite.

Secondly you need to speak to your doctor and get your bloods done to check hormone levels, and its no harm speaking to your other half about how you feel and possibilities
And read the post above yours thats a success story, and there is plenty of them.
Also look into a low gi diet and exercise the early you change that the better.
I hope this is helpful to you, good luck xx

Digs

Hi Advice needed

I am so sorry you are feeling this way. I was diagnosed 8 years ago and while yes initially mainly through fear and the horror stories I was devastated, now after much research I completely accept it is just something that's part of me.

One major piece of advice I would give you is ask your GP for a referral to an endocrinologist. Mine is a god send and the nicest man, very understanding and is brilliant at explaining everything to me. As a result of this I know how to manage my weight correctly and am able to keep it at a stable healthy weight which I never could before. As missmelo pointed out above diet is absolutely crucial for us ladies with PCOS, I can second the low GI diet and also Patrick Holfords GL diet. For me the absolutely devil is sugar and yeast but people differ..

Also I have to say I have been to one or two different doctors and consultants with this condition and not one has ever said to me I will not conceive naturally or at all.....I think I would have ran for the door if I heard that. My consultant simply said I have as good a shot as anybody else he just advised if I have been trying for 6months with no success as opposed to 12 for everyone else we might look into getting some help! Which I only see as a good thing as we don't have to wait 12months Myself and my husband have been ttc since Sept so we will see how we go...

I was competely open about it with my husband in the beginning and he was totally accepting. I know exactly how you feel but try not to worry so much, so much is known about PCOS nowadays, you wouldnt think to look at Jools Oliver, Victoria Beckham or Natalie Cassidy that they also suffered with it too, just look at all their children I hope everything works out for you

charlie2505

Hi girls-just want to say that I do think there are different levels of pcos. I have heard so many sucess stories from girls with pcos who had no trouble having their babies, to some who had to take some meds and then did conceive to me where ended up having IVF-but found out I had alot more wrong that just pcos so was a complicated story. We had our DD after 3rd IVF attempt in 2010 and was the happiest day of my life-trying for almost 6 years by then!
Along the way I did alot of internet crawling for info and found out lots and lots. Some worked some didnt and was different for other girls-which is why I do think there are different levels of pcos. Mine was fairly aggressive-cysts, excess hair, gaining weight every month though not eating that badly, craving chocolate and sweet things when I'd always had previously preferred crisps/savoury stuff, irregular periods, bad bad spots and generally not feeling great.
I was put on clomid but this wasnt sucessful (but most likely that is because my tubes were blocked due to endometreosis and even when on unblocked it still didnt work)for me. I found out about metformin around about the same time as starting the clomid. EVerything I read suggested it was the best drug to try, even if just for helping with weight gain/acne/hair growth. My consultant would not prescribe it. Took part in a pcos study in Tallaght hospital and found I was insulin resistant and it was very bad-which explained the sugar cravings, feeling dizzy when I hadn't eat and the weight gain etc. Still my consultant wouldnt prescribe it. I was then referred to the Sims clinic and by then IVF was deemed necessary due to all the different problmes I had not just the pcos. I was then put on metformin while also put on the pill (yes the pill!! this was to regulate my cycle so that they could know when to start the IVF) And when on the metformin I lost half a stone in about 2 months and felt alot better. Anyways, had to have 3 IVF's before my daughter was born and was on met the few years this was going on-but never TTC with it as IVF was the route we were on. I went back on metformin after I finished breastfeeding my DD and to my absolute shock and surprise found out I was pregnant again quite soon after that! So had the most planned pregnancy you could ever imagine after years of trying and then had a shock unplanned pregnancy!! There is 16 months between my girl and boy and I couldnt be happier So I am fully convinced it was the metformin that did it for me-wasnt trying to conceive-as honestly thought that without IVF it wouldnt happen again-so the only thing I was taking was metformin-no clomid or scans or anything like that.
Now my GP is scared to give it to me again and we have had to start using "contraception" :eek: Never thought we'd ever need that again!! So just wanted to share my story and do look into the metformin girls-I wanted to take it again only to help maintain my weight and help with the spots and excess hair a little-and couldnt tell you how pleased I was with the results from it and knowing I can continue taking it makes me feel so happy as I wont be able to take the pill for too much longer-in my 30's now so dianette isnt a cure for life I'm afraid. xx

missmelo

Wow charlie2505 that is some story, thank you for sharing it, it gives me and im sure others hope to im just past the 2 year mark and starting to get sad from it, my first proper hospital appointment will be in march, slow i know but my doctor kept saying she wasnt worried about me, until the nurse suggested doing my bloods only for that i still wouldn know about pcos, thank god for nurses!!
Congrats on your babies you really deserve the happiness x

niamh.taaffe

Just had my first consultation today after being diagnosed pcos. Have been prescribed clomid. Am really nervous but excited. Fingers crossed

ziggy23

Hi guys
Another PCOS victim here! My periods have always been irregular was just put on the pill when I was younger. As I got into my 20s I started lashing on the weight, getting acne, hairs on face etc. I got pregnant accidentally wasnt trying ttc but wasnt being too careful cos I thought there was no way I'd ever get pregnant:eek: Had my beautiful boy 2 years ago. About 2 months later I developed horrendous acne on my face had to go on Roaccutane for months to get rid of that. Went to see a new Endo a few months ago who was very blunt and said ''You must lose weight''. It's so hard though isnt it? I suffer from depression too so it's a vicious circle. She put me on Glucophage which made me feel quite nauseus. Is it the same as Metformin? I stopped taking them for the time being as I've been quite sick lately and I've just discovered I've some form of cyst growing on my ovary so waiting to hear back on what exactly it is..

Digs

Hi Ziggy

I love hearing stories of women with PCOS having babies, gives so much hope to people

Can completely empathise with your weight/depression. It is such a vicious circle isn't it. When one goes up the other follows!! Have to say personally I am always on an even keel when I am on the glucophage (same as metformin). It helps me control my weight, I still have to work at my diet and exercise but without glucophage it's just impossible. It is so harsh on your tum initially but for me it takes about 3 weeks before it settles into your system. I have been so sick with it, I'm sure my colleagues thought I was pregnant as I was running for the bathroom every morning!! Taking it with food definitely helps though.

Exercise wise I got into running and found the C2 5K running plan a real help, it eases you into walking/jogging and slowly builds you up to 5K....just a suggestion I also followed Patrick Holfords low GL diet, I can now deviate from the plan a little bit but pretty much stick to his basics.

I was at a gynae recently, my endo referred me as I was having alot of mid cycle cramping and a bit of spotting. My ultrasound had no evidence of cysts and my bloods confirmed I was ovulating. My hormone levels were also normal except for my testosterone which was a bit elevated (I have that to thank for my facial hair :rolleyes:). The doctor highlighted the connection between this shift and my weight loss (I went from 90KG down to 73KG) so being at a healthy weight seems to be pretty important with PCOS I am delighted though as my pcos seems to be "dormant" at the moment and am feeling very positive about hopefully conceiving soon.

I hope you get the to the bottom of your cyst soon ziggy and start feeling a bit better soon......it can be so difficult but we are all here for each other, any questions just shout

ziggy23

Hi Digs
Thanks so much for your reply:) And well done you on your amazing weightloss:D It's so hard to lose weight when you've pcos even my Endo told me I'll prob be always overweight...nice thanks Endo:eek::o
Yea I know even a 10% weightloss is meant to help kickstart periods. Just can't wait for this cyst to be removed I think its a cause of my stomach problems. And god don't talk to be about hair. I never used to have to shave my legs but recently I'm getting so hairy:eek::( Have a few on my chin and on close inspection I have a bit of a ronnie!!! Time to start waxing I think!

Digs

ziggy23 wrote: »

Hi Digs
Thanks so much for your reply:) And well done you on your amazing weightloss:D It's so hard to lose weight when you've pcos even my Endo told me I'll prob be always overweight...nice thanks Endo:eek::o
Yea I know even a 10% weightloss is meant to help kickstart periods. Just can't wait for this cyst to be removed I think its a cause of my stomach problems. And god don't talk to be about hair. I never used to have to shave my legs but recently I'm getting so hairy:eek::( Have a few on my chin and on close inspection I have a bit of a ronnie!!! Time to start waxing I think!

I find with the weight loss maintaining it is doable enough (with the glucophage) it's the losing it that can drive you demented :P but thanks am pretty chuffed with myself. Before we started trying I kind of wanted to get myself in good shape so that anything I was doing myself wouldn't affect our fertility ya know plus I got married in July so the white dress was an incentive!!

I have had a ronnie since I was 18 lol waxing is my best friend a few starting to sprout on my chin too although it's in my genes I think haha

Hopefully once your cyst is removed you'll be able to start fresh and things will fall into place. Let us know how you get on

Orla09

Hi there,

My doctor advised me that Xenical is no longer licensed to women with PCOS. I am curious if this is true as she had previously told me it was off the market but when I queried that she said it was no longer licensed to women with PCOS.

I am just curious if anyone knows? I have really bad back problems so I really struggle to lose weight.

Thanks

ziggy23

Orla09 wrote: »

Hi there,

My doctor advised me that Xenical is no longer licensed to women with PCOS. I am curious if this is true as she had previously told me it was off the market but when I queried that she said it was no longer licensed to women with PCOS.

I am just curious if anyone knows? I have really bad back problems so I really struggle to lose weight.

Thanks

Tried Xenical last year and lasted a week:o It is truly horrific I'm sure you've heard of the side affects:eek:
That is just my experience though I'm sure it has worked for others.

Orla09

Thanks Ziggy : )

I tried it before and yes there are side effects but if you watch what you eat and when you do go out for a nice night out just dont take it. It certainly works. I am just surprised to hear it's off this market for PCOS. I cannot find anything on the net to confirm this and well I have questions around my doctor so curious if anyone can yay or nah this.

ziggy23

Orla09 wrote: »

Thanks Ziggy : )

I tried it before and yes there are side effects but if you watch what you eat and when you do go out for a nice night out just dont take it. It certainly works. I am just surprised to hear it's off this market for PCOS. I cannot find anything on the net to confirm this and well I have questions around my doctor so curious if anyone can yay or nah this.

I've never heard that either. Wonder why they'd do that

fend

Hi all!

Just diagnosed with PCOS less than a month ago and my gyno put me on insulin receptors and cyclogist to bring on a period.

In terms of TTC she wouldnt give me any advice as I am not married. I have been with my partner for a long number of years and we have no intention of getting married but however would like to start a family (Personal choice was looked down upon by my gyno)

I am awaiting an appointment with a second gyno for a seocnd opinion but in the mean time am continuing the meds prescribed by the first gyno.

Just wondering if it is possible to concieve on cyclogest or am I wasting my time and getting my hopes up? Just so lost for answers and scared desperately that my second gyno will say the same thing in terms of TTC out of wedlock.

Thanks in advance!

Digs

fend wrote: »

Hi all!

Just diagnosed with PCOS less than a month ago and my gyno put me on insulin receptors and cyclogist to bring on a period.

In terms of TTC she wouldnt give me any advice as I am not married. I have been with my partner for a long number of years and we have no intention of getting married but however would like to start a family (Personal choice was looked down upon by my gyno)

I am awaiting an appointment with a second gyno for a seocnd opinion but in the mean time am continuing the meds prescribed by the first gyno.

Just wondering if it is possible to concieve on cyclogest or am I wasting my time and getting my hopes up? Just so lost for answers and scared desperately that my second gyno will say the same thing in terms of TTC out of wedlock.

Thanks in advance!

Hey fend!

That is crazy, you would think in 2012 doctors would have moved on from these backwards ideals, I have no idea how a piece of paper makes you anymore entitled or able to bring a child into this world!! Before I got married any consultant/GP I saw re pcos was completely open to discussing ttc with me, although we chose to wait until we were married ttc was always a worry for me since being diagnosed a few years ago and my doctor was always open to questions and gave advice, marriage was never an issue!

With regards the meds I am sorry i can't advise as I have no experience with them but hopefully if they bring on a period this would be a good start.....have you any idea how long you'll be waiting to see the second doc?

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience but I am sure this doctor is in the minority, the next one you deal with will hopefully be a bit more with the times! Best of luck

pwurple

I had a fantastic GP (sadly retired now) who put got my cycles back on track from PCOS as a last ditch chance before starting ICSI treatment. I wasn't overweight but had the hair growth and irregular cycles. I had the scan and saw the chain of cysts... My hubbie had very poor morphology and motility.

The GP advised me to set an alarm everyday and take the microlite pill every day at the exact same time for 3 cycles. The alarm was vital to keep the hormone levels even. He also told us to give up drink for that time (both of us) and put the hubbie on a multivitamin with zinc. We stuck to this rigidly and when that finished I had two perfectly normal cycles (for the first time in my life), and we conceived on the second one.

Yay! Miracle baby appeared, and no ICSI needed.

Fend, change gyno or go to your GP instead.

Blingy

Quick question. My doctor casually said in conversation that I could have pcos. Now I was at the time getting bloods taken for underactive thyroid which I have had for 6 years now and is kinda under control. 
Anyway I had asked him to do a fsh test and he couldnt as I was still on the pill. We have decided its time for me to come off the pill as we will hopefully be ttc in the next 6months or so. So I have had the withdrawal bleed and no doubt will be waiting ages for AF. Before going on the pill about 13 yrs ago I didn't have a regular cycle and had horrendous acne so this is why the doc mentioned pcos.

So I am wondering when can I be tested for pcos? Will I have to wait for a few cycles to let my hormones settle down?
Also I have read about the pelvic ultrasound. It doesnt sound very pleasant. Is that necessary? Thank you. 

LegacyUser

Hi, I was diagnosed with PCOS over year ago. I am about 15kg overweight, but I have great skin and no acne at all. Also no extra hair and my periods are too often and too heavy.
I am feeling depressed because doctors I've seen did not help me at all. I've visited 3 GP's and 2 gynaecologist - one prescribed me glucophage and I was feeling horrible after it another one, did the scan and told me to loose weight (I've lost 5 kg so far).
I am waiting for appointment with consultant over 6 months now and I doubt he will help me anyway.
Does any of you girls have heavy irregular periods? I am 32 and I would love to have baby now, but I am too scared to try as am affraid of miscarriage.. and just feeling so down about it all.

missmelo

Dear sad, congrats on losing weight, it can be a very hard thing to do when you have pcos, im sorry you dont feel the doctors are helping, unfortunately i had the same experiences and it seems its because they are too stressed with so many patients to see.
The best thing to do while waiting on your next appointment, is keep going the way you have (taking it into your own hands) by losing your weight, watching what you eat makes a big difference, i noticed the other day easons had a range of books for pcos and they were on sale, so do some study on it, the more informed you are the better.
Best of luck

Gossipgirl24

Hi Ladies,

Im 24 i have pcos . I didnt have periods for years now i get them every few months.

Im on my second month of Provera and Clomid. Im going public in the hospital
what would be the next stage if this dosent work? Can you get that trigger shot if going public?

How long do yous wait before taking provera again.

i was told to take clomid from day 2-6. I was told to go get bloodtest on day 21 of my cycle it falls on a sunday so im not sure how that will work

Would love all advice and help as possible.

Baby Dust :):)