HELP! Yasmin BCP for treatment of PCOS ???

[Crunchyandsweet]

I know BCPs arent exactly an "infertility" matter, but you ladies have such great input and my goal is TTC so here it goes...

ok, here is the saga I just saw a OB/ GYN who specializes in Infertility and is an RE, and she wants me to try Yasmin ( birth control pill) to see if that turns around my hormone levels and my PCOS. 8 years ago I conceived my daughter just of BCP and not even trying, so she seems to think the same might happen. I did not like this lady at all she was RUDE AND INSULTING but am trying to give this a fair shake if it might work....

Opinions?

thoughts?

[bobandjess99]

In general, I'm noit a fan of using artificial hormones to "treat" PCOS.

I believe strongly in using metformin and a low-carb diet (or just a stricty low-carb diet if you really want to avoid meds) and possibly clomid on top of that. I also urge women to make sure their thyroid is not just "normal", but OPTIMAL, since some women can not concieve no matter what on the high end of "normal".

The only legitimate usage of BCP for "treatment" of infertility is ovulation-suppression, IMO. (if not familiar with this, it means you Take them for 2-3 months, which prevents you from ovulating, and then stop, and in some women, this causes you to suddenly ovulate and be able to conceive. It's pretty much a either it works or deosn't type situation)

Personally, I find that the best treatment for PCOS, (and this is a conglomeration of many, many years on fertiltiy boards, soulcysters, etc) is to get the met, give it 2 months to work, add in the clomid. During this time, improve nutrition and exercise. If you are an overweight PCOS'er, lose weight...seriously. Studies have shown even a VERY LITTLE weight loss can be the key. (As little as 10 pounds, really!!) Also take a GOOD health food type vitamin..NOT a generic "prenatal" multi, which is worse than worthless, along with dha (fish oil preferably, flax for vegs) and any other supplements you personally feel you need in your particular situation. A "green" supplement, either in the form of COPIOUS amounts of green leafy vegetables daily, juicing, or green powder mixes or pills, should also be used.
After 2-3 rounds on clomid+met+ daily exercise+a weight loss of at least 10 pounds+ the nutritional supplements, if you are not ovulating, something more is wrong and more drastic measures need to be considered. If you are ovulating, give it a good 6 months to conceive.
Of course, be sure dh/whoever has a sperm analysis done. This is NOT OPTIONAL. I am serious. I don't care how young/fit/healthy/fertile in the past he is/has been, get him tested. Wasting time/money/medication to find out he has an issue is so not worth it. Get the fricken test. (I'm a little strong on this because we wasted God knows how long, after my PCOS and other issues were fixed, to find out literally YEARS later that dh had a serious but easily fixable issue. And he already had FIVE kids. Problems can develop suddenly and without symptoms.)

[kristenok18]

I totally agree with bobandjess99! That's what we're doing.

[skillet04]

I know I started ortho-tri-cyclen Feb of 2000...stopped late-sept 2000 (?) and 65 days later ovulated and conceived DS who is now 5.
So in 2005 a gyno let me have a script for yasmin to try for 3-4 months and see if I could spontaneously ovulate again.
I did not.

You can supress ovulation just with the use of natural progesterone cream also...or it is called a complete reproductive shutdown. more about that can be found by doing a search for progesterone and shutdown.

hth,

[leerypolyp]

'Nother high-five for bobandjess99. I can't tell you how many times I heard from health care providers (who were totally ignorant about PCOS) that "the Pill will jump-start your cycles." When I think back over all the years I wasted, and all the crappy fake hormones I dumped into my body in the hopes that it would "jump-start" my cycles...yeesh.

There's zero scientific basis for it. Anecdotally I have never seen it be effective on entrenched PCOS.

Best case scenario, BCPs for PCOS are a Band-Aid -- a temporary fix that masks the underlying problem. Worst case, it sends your body spiraling even further out of control. Like bobandjess99 said, the only legit use for BCPs in a woman with PCOS is suppression (like, before a cycle of injectables), as far as I'm concerned.

[Crunchyandsweet]

ok thanks for the input ..I really needed them: I am seriously shell shocked by this OB today and dont even begin to know where to vent about her total lack of bedside manor and TOTALLY RUDE COMMENTS, so I will just try to put them aside... I have never been a fan of any type of birth control that is put in my body in any way, and I dont currently ovulate AT ALL even now, even on 200 mg a day of CLomid, so suppressing ovulation is a moot point, b/c what is she going to suppress?????

Of course the first thing she wanted me to do was DUMP THE DCI and any other supplement ( other than the prenantals)...which I really am hopeful of and dont want to. She also requested for me to drop atleast 45 lbs ( to be under 200 lbs) because " any ob would shoot her for getting me pregnant while over weight: ) UM..lets try losing 10 lbs first and maybe dealing w/ my extreme EXHAUSTION ( WHich according to her is not from either my PCOS or thyroid, b/c I have " Always had PCOS and MY thyroid" so it wouldnt explain the exhaustion over the past few years" Apparently she is trying to chalk my exhaustion up to "must be....depression"?? what?????? Even though I have no psychiatric problems ( of course after today I think she gave me a few

[Crunchyandsweet]

bobandjess , thanks for all your help and insight. I know I need to really give a fair shot to MET ER and I will. Tell me a bit more about a good "green" supplement" also in another reply you mentioned taking all the MET at night. She has me on 2000mg ( spaced over 2x a day) would you take that much all at night? thanks!

[SusannahM]

Originally Posted by Crunchyandsweet

bobandjess , thanks for all your help and insight. I know I need to really give a fair shot to MET ER and I will. Tell me a bit more about a good "green" supplement" also in another reply you mentioned taking all the MET at night. She has me on 2000mg ( spaced over 2x a day) would you take that much all at night? thanks!

I don't know. I'm not for giving any medicine that made me sicker than a dog a fair shot. I just did a good diet for PCOS (so basically NO refined carbs whatsoever), got a little more exercise (walked during lunch each day), and took care of my mineral imbalances (I really think this was a BIG part of the problem, since my main mineral imbalance was high copper, which can increase testosterone, and is linked to the birth control pill, which I think is what pushed me over the edge to having PCOS in the first place, plus the high copper levels were definitely causing other problems). That fixed it for me without having to do Metformin. I think one of the keys is a little bit of patience. The changes I made got me having regular periods in 3 months, but I didn't get pregnant until 6 months after the changes. It's hard to have patience, I know, but I really think if you do, you can beat this without any drugs whatsoever, and I think that's the best way to go.

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by Crunchyandsweet

She also requested for me to drop atleast 45 lbs ( to be under 200 lbs) because " any ob would shoot her for getting me pregnant while over weight: )

Yeah... :

Cause dropping 45 pounds when dealing with PCOS is just so easy, ya know. :

I started seeing my RE at about 255, and she never said a single word about my weight aside from "maybe you'll lose some on the Met" (I actually gained on Met).

And if you're not ovulating at 200mg of Clomid, what on earth are BCPs going to accomplish? (Are you not ovulating, or are you not getting follicles?)

The doc who diagnosed me with PCOS about 8 years ago put me on BCPs as an attempt to maintain what fertility I may have... but suppressing ovulation was not the purpose... why suppress what doesn't happen anyway?

I think you may need to find a new doctor who is a little more versed in the treatment and handling of PCOS. And one who isn't a sizeist wouldn't hurt, either. There's no reason you should have to feel insulted when you visit a doctor regardless of what you're visiting for (but especially when TTC).

Best of luck.

ETA - about taking all the Met at night... I started at 1500 spaced 3x/day, and when I asked the RE about the spacing of the Met, she said they like to keep a steady supply of it in your body (which is why they space it), but taking them all at once isn't "bad" (i.e. it won't kill you). So I switched to taking them at night. Which was fine so long as we were still TTC. Once we actually managed it, though, it made the morning sickness unbearable (because of the depressed blood sugars)... I just wish someone had mentioned prior to 12 weeks that the Met was amplifying the m/s unnecessarily. Just something to keep in mind.

[pampered_mom]

Originally Posted by bobandjess99

In general, I'm noit a fan of using artificial hormones to "treat" PCOS.

Just wanted to say : to everything she said!

Originally Posted by Crunchyandsweet

I am seriously shell shocked by this OB today and dont even begin to know where to vent about her total lack of bedside manor and TOTALLY RUDE COMMENTS, so I will just try to put them aside...
:snip:
She also requested for me to drop atleast 45 lbs ( to be under 200 lbs) because " any ob would shoot her for getting me pregnant while over weight: )

Honestly...if you can I'd start looking for another care provider. I think she's made it clear what she thinks and it may not be the healthiest choice you can make by subjecting yourself to any more of her behavior.

Originally Posted by cristeen

Yeah... :

Cause dropping 45 pounds when dealing with PCOS is just so easy, ya know.
:snip:
I think you may need to find a new doctor who is a little more versed in the treatment and handling of PCOS. And one who isn't a sizeist wouldn't hurt, either. There's no reason you should have to feel insulted when you visit a doctor regardless of what you're visiting for (but especially when TTC).

Exactly! On the weight issue...from what I've read 5-10% is a good number to shift to. I don't think that loosing a whole bunch of weight just prior to getting pregnant is necessarily the best idea. When you loose weight like that your body is extra primed to gain even more weight back. BTDT one.