PCOS and heavy bleeding wont stop!!

[amymccarty]

I have PCOS and I can not seem to get the bleeding under control... I have been bleeding for 6 months and ended up in the hospital with a blood transfusion and put on birth control. I stopped taking them as I researched it can make PCOD worse not to mention Im trying to get pregnant. :S I have been spotting while on the pill and recently stopped taking it and the bleeding it getting heavy again with huge clots. :S I plan to stay off the pill. I am also taking metformin. Just started it. I hear this helps. I plan to exersise and lose some weight as well. In the mean time... Should I request a D and C? Im really not sure what else... I dont want to end up back in the hospital again.. :S Please help! any advise??

[Leersia]

I'm surprised that they didn't give you a D and C when you were admitted for a blood transfusion (I have been there too, right down to the transfusion, so I understand!) - yes, that is probably what you need to get the bleeding under control  Do you have a good OBGYN?

[amymccarty]

My OBGYN is horrible. Its very sad because  have no options! I have to wait to see a better doctor till March OR I can see him.. but hes away for a  month.. :*( I have started bleeding again but have started taking metformin recently and hope that it works... It just takes time but tats hard as I feel I don't have it.. I stopped taking birth control as all the info I found explained that it can only make things worse. Its helpful to know others have went through it so I can get some advise. What worked for you?

[Leersia]

Amy,

My bout of dyfunctional uterine bleeding happened  when I was doing a summer abroad in England - I must have been only 18.  Prior to that, my periods were always irregular and when I was in England, I ran out of the BCPs that I was using to control it and then bled so much that I needed a 6-pint transfusion and a D and C. What a frickin' nightmare! So I can definitely relate!  I wasn't diagnosed with PCOS until I was well into my 20s, probably because I have the "lean variant".  That was a very long time ago though, I'm 45 now.  I had twins when I was 36 and nursed them, and since then my periods have really stabilized to the point where I believe I am ovulating regularly.   As I've grown older I've started taking way better care of my body (diet and exercise) and also my hormone levels may be changing due to my age (although a very late menopause runs in the family).  Although my cycles are pretty regular now, my ovaries still have the classic polycystic appearance on ultrasound, so it is not as though I am "cured". 

Sorry to say that I can't tell you what worked for me, exactly, in controlling the DUB.  I think in some ways I just grew out of it and my hormones shifted in some other funky PCOS direction.  I am now under the care of an endocrinologist, and my lab work indicates no insulin resistance, not even close in the numbers, so no one is suggesting that I take Met.  Although I've heard that all PCOS cases involve IR to some degree that may be subclinical.

I really think you need a D and C though!  A really thick endometrial lining not only causes DUB, but it can also be a risk factor for endometrial cancer.  For you, with PCOS, you need to be under the care of a good endocrinologist or OBGYN or, if you're trying to conceive, a reproductive endocrinologist. 

Sorry for the novel - good luck to you!  Don't despair, but see if you can get a better doc who can help you. I hope you can . .

[amymccarty]

Thank you kindly for the story. I find it VERY helpful! I really need to get a good doctor as I HATE the one I am seeing. He is horrible! I will be seeing a new doctor in March. Hope I can make it till then ok. I have started to exersize and eat really good so I hope that really helps. I have also taken some time off work to try and get myself better. I really hope I get better soon. Im going to just have to keep trying till I find what works best for me. I wont be takign the pill as I hear it makes everything SO much worse :S