Wwyd?

[penguintattoo]

Sorry this is kind of long. I am new here, and just had a couple questions. I was diagnosed with PCOS 3 years ago, always had really sporadic periods unless I was on birth control. My doctor at the time told me that when I decided to TTC he would prescribe clomid and see how that worked and we would go from there. He has left the area since then, and I got a new doctor. She told me I would have to be off of BCP for a year before she would start treating me. That seems a bit crazy to me, I dont ovulate why would I start? We decided to start TTC a few months ago and I went of BCP in the beginning of August, and have not had AF since then. I scheduled an appt with a new doctor for Monday. If he tells me the same thing should I just go with it? Fight it? Find a new doctor? I really do not want to waste a year just waiting to get treated.

[lifeguard]

Have you been doing anything else to improve your pcos symptoms? Has there been any discussion about possible other treatments before going to clomid?

If he's not willing to discuss doing anything for a full year - find another doctor. But if he has other ideas he would like to try before going to clomid it might be worth following along.

For example - for many women with pcos losing weight can make a dramatic difference (I am not making assumption about your weight). As well, one of the first things many women do with pcos when ttc is to start on metformin, which can take several months to work but can help bring your cycles back &/or regulate them.

For myself I had to wait so long to get into a fertility specialist that it was almost a year before I could get the script for clomid, which fortunately worked the first cycle. But I strongly believe the reason it was so successful was because during that wait period I did everything I could to get myself healthier & to try to conceive on our own.

But I definitely would not sit back doing nothing for a full year, especially if you're not getting a cycle at all.

[penguintattoo]

Thanks for your response. I am not overweight but could stand to loose a few pounds, unfourtunatly even when I was in peak physical condition my periods still were all wacky.(One a year if I was lucky) I am 5'7 and weigh about 155, so not great but not super heavy. I am willing to wait some time if he puts me on metformin or at least makes an effort. My current doctor told me she would refer me to an endo after a year and she could give me met if I really wanted it.

[leerypolyp]

Wow, a year is a long time to wait if you have a diagnosis already. If you can, I would find a different doctor who can get you to an RE right away, or who is more knowledgeable about treating PCOS.

That said, I would start with met before I messed with Clomid. 155 at 5'7" is a BMI of 24.3, which is considered "normal." But you can be at a normal weight and still have issues with insulin.

Have you been to soulcysters.com? Lots of good info there.

I do think expecting someone with no periods and a diagnosis of PCOS to wait a year before starting treatment is uninformed at best, and cruel at worst. A year can make a huge difference in your fertility when you have PCOS, and you need someone knowledgeable who can help you develop a plan.

[crystal-mommy]

Your old dr is pretty clueless about PCOS. Doesnt matter how many months you TTC if you aren't ovulating... you WILL NOT get preg. If the new dr has a similar response as your old dr, I would ask for lab work @ the very least. With pcos your lh/fsh, testosterone, and progesterone levels will not be normal. All or even one of those labs being abnormal gives justification for dr's to treat infertility before the "one yr of unprotected sex" rule.


good luck!!

[penguintattoo]

Thanks ladies. I am on soulcysters but I like it here better, I usually just lurk. My old doctor is extremely clueless, google is more helpful. If this doctor gives me the wait one year thing, I think I will ask my primary care physician for a referrel to the RE. I will update tomorrow after I see the new guy.

[songbird45]

1) The first thing to do is try a low carb diet. It didn't work for me, but it has worked to start cycles for many women with PCOS. You can also try starting cycles with metformin. If this is going to work, it will work soon - like within 6 weeks. A friend of mine took a few months to get her cycle under control, and then she got pregnant the first cycle she tried.

2) In the meantime, you can get a referral to a RE. They will go the medical route (Clomid or Femara), which is useful if you can't get your symptoms under control on your own. I went the medical route and I don't regret it for an instant. But I did try the natural route first, and I'm glad I did. I needed to prove to myself that it's out of my control.

My two cents. Good luck!

[crazyrunningmama]

Originally Posted by penguintattoo

Thanks ladies. I am on soulcysters but I like it here better, I usually just lurk. My old doctor is extremely clueless, google is more helpful. If this doctor gives me the wait one year thing, I think I will ask my primary care physician for a referrel to the RE. I will update tomorrow after I see the new guy.

Good for you for taking charge of your own care, you really have to. I don't have PCOS, but I have seen lots of good advice on here about healthy changes to diet helping (rather than focussing on the number on the scale).
good luck!

[lifeguard]

I just wanted to say that metformin can take a little longer than 6 weeks to work. Especially if you need to adjust the dose. And it works best of all if supported with lifestyle changes that also encourage better insulin resistance.

[cristeen]

A warning about Metformin. If you're going to take it, it is best to still adjust your diet (which some doctors won't tell you... mine did and I ignored her). Metformin can take 3-6 months to really kick in on your hormones, but it will only take days to kick in on the rest of you. The first time I took it I didn't change my diet. I wasn't eating SAD, but I was still eating higher carb than I should have been. I suffered from severe depression and nausea for months, which cleared up within a day of stopping the Metformin.

The second time I went on Met, I had changed my diet and didn't have those reactions at all. I'm off it again for the time being as we address other issues before going back to TTC.

But I agree with the pp, find another doctor if they want you to TTC a year. Try to get a referral to an RE, and just skip the OB completely. With a PCOS diagnosis, you should be able to. I had to make a lot of phone calls and it took about 6 weeks to get in, but I even got my HMO to approve the RE without the 18 mo TTC period, because I had a diagnosis already.

I do highly recommend a whole foods low-grain to no-grain diet (low carb without the frankenfoods). Even if it doesn't return your cycles to normal (which it does for me), it helps eliminate the insulin problems that go with PCOS. Eliminate the insulin problems and the hormones start working better.

HTH

[leerypolyp]

Originally Posted by cristeen

A warning about Metformin. If you're going to take it, it is best to still adjust your diet (which some doctors won't tell you... mine did and I ignored her). Metformin can take 3-6 months to really kick in on your hormones, but it will only take days to kick in on the rest of you. ...

I do highly recommend a whole foods low-grain to no-grain diet (low carb without the frankenfoods). Even if it doesn't return your cycles to normal (which it does for me), it helps eliminate the insulin problems that go with PCOS. Eliminate the insulin problems and the hormones start working better.

Big yeah to both of those. Give met time to work, 3-6 months, AND make sure you go to a low-carb diet.

[penguintattoo]

I just got back from my appt. and he was shocked at what the other doctor told me. He sent me for bloodwork, I have an ultrasound on Monday, and I go back on Nov. 26 to discuss what we are going to do. He said it all depends on the blood work, most likely he will put me on Met, but we will see. I have heard horror stories about Met and how it makes you really sick, so I am kind of scared but if it will work I will try it!! Thanks everyone for your advice.

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by penguintattoo

I just got back from my appt. and he was shocked at what the other doctor told me. He sent me for bloodwork, I have an ultrasound on Monday, and I go back on Nov. 26 to discuss what we are going to do. He said it all depends on the blood work, most likely he will put me on Met, but we will see. I have heard horror stories about Met and how it makes you really sick, so I am kind of scared but if it will work I will try it!! Thanks everyone for your advice.

It can make you quite sick if you don't follow a proper diet. Avoid anything greasy, especially during the adjustment period (ask me how I know), and stay away from your white foods (wheat, rice, bread, sugar, etc.). That will mitigate most of the reaction to Met. Some people will still have some reaction even while eating properly, in which case make sure to eat more often (some people have to eat *something* every 2-3 hours). TBH, I didn't even notice the depression while I was in it, although I definitely noticed the nausea. But when I stopped taking it, within a day I could see the fog lifting off my brain, and was astounded that I hadn't even noticed. That's why I swore that if I had to take it again, I would definitely be altering my diet first.

But it definitely worked for me the first time. We had tried Clomid and got nowhere, but my first round of Met + Clomid got me pregnant with our son. Unfortunately this time it's not turning out to be so easy and we're advancing onto IUI.

I am very glad that your new doctor seems to have a better handle on the situation!