[ItIsEasyBeingGreen]

I have an appointment today with my nurse-midwife.

I need suggestions for figuring out what's going on.

Let's brief you here:

On Cycle Day 3, I went to a Lab and got alot of blood drawn to check various hormone levels.

On Cycle Day 12, I had my fingers in my vagina as I was searching for cervical mucus trying to determine if it changed from creamy to wet.

I noticed something that seemed very strange to me.
I do beileve it was my cervix at a really really low point in my vagina.

As I was suppose to be approaching ovulaton, *cervix is high near ovulation*
I figured that something wasn't right.

I came to the forum and I started a thread asking about it.
Someone suggested to me that I take a pregnancy test.

So I took one and it was a positive.
I was so excited, really really excited, thinking I was about 6 weeks pregnant.

On Cycle Day 14, I went to get my blood drawn again, to check my thyroid levels and to get a blood test for pregnancy.

That same, day I got the results of the pregnancy test, and it was negative.
I was extremely upset.

That same day I noticed a temperature rise on my chart, so I started assuming I ovulated. It's now been 4 days DPO and ovulation is thus confirmed.

On Cycle Day 14, I got the test results back from the first set of Labs I had done on Cycle Day 3, and found out that my Testostrone level is really high and my DHEA level is sky high.

So now my nurse-midwife wants me to get my blood drawn a third time to check my Cortisol and my Progesterone levels.

My question here is what else should I ask her to check/do in order to figure out what exactly is going on?

In my past, Dr.'s have thought I could have PCOS, due to physical symptoms I have, (acne, hair growth) and add my high Testostrone levels and high DHEA, it could still be possible.

Depending apon my Cortisol levels, it might rule it out that I could instead have something going on with my Adrenal glands.

Meanwhile, I do infact have Thyroid Nodules and could also possibly have something going on with my Thyroid gland.

On Thursday I have an appointment with an Endocrinologist for my Thyroid Nodules but he could possibly check for other things.

It's a work in progress.

 

[ann_of_loxley]

Well I was going to suggest PCOS - have they ever actually done a scan for that?

You got a positive pregnancy test but the blood test wasnt? Is it possible that the blood test was taken too soon to determine a pregnancy? If you took another test now - what is it?

 

[ItIsEasyBeingGreen]

Well what type of scan are we talking about?

I have been told that inorder to diagnose PCOS I would need a pelvic ultrasound.

Although i'm not so sure this is correct because you can not have cysts on your ovaries and still have PCOS.

I also know that it is possible to have PCOS and still ovulate. Not all PCOS paitients are anovulatory.

I am ovulating, and I have never had a pelvic ultrasound done.

But I did have a really great Dr. once who suspected I had something going on with my Thyroid and then later on I had a cat-scan done and it caught nodules on my Thyroid.

This same Dr. also speculated I could have PCOS.

At this point, all I know for sure is that my Testostrone levels are really high also my free Testostrone is as well and that my DHEA is sky high.

So what can I suggest my nurse-midwife and/or my endocrinologist to determine/rule-out/diagnose PCOS?

 

[ann_of_loxley]

I have no idea hun. Hopefully more people will reply here. I only replied because my Dr thinks I have PCOS - but I have no idea where he gets this idea from. I have regular cycle and I ovulate and my body hair is like...not there at all lol... (and all those other signs - I dont have them)...in fact, he said my testosterone levels were LOWER than average!...so eh? So I have pcos with none of the signs symptoms? lol...It sounds too bloody a vague thing for me.
I would deff get the scans though - just to check. I mean, it sure sounds like PCOS to me. I dont know how to diagnose that - as you can see, its a pretty vague sounding thing. However, I have been told there are different types - though clarified: different levels of PCOS.
I have a friend with classic PCOS and I asked her (since my Dr mentioned it) what they did about it to help her concieve (she has two wonderful children) and she said all they could do about it was give her clomid to cause her to ovulate - So what can they do about if if you DO already ovulate?...who knows! lol
I dont know what my problem is - I dont think its PCOS.

Have you taken another pregncancy test? It seems odd youwould get a positive. Theres no such thing as false positives hun.

 

[ItIsEasyBeingGreen]

Yeah well here's my theory: Scince I am already ovulating, ( well one confirmed thus far ) why in the heck would I want to go on any drugs that could mess up my hormones and ovulation pattern and make it even more difficult for me to concieve? This is a valid question. PCOS or not.

I have heard so many horror stories about women who went on ovulation inducing drugs like clomid or metformin or what have you to get them to ovulate that ended up scewing up the hormone balance, and thus making conception that much more difficult.

Why would anyone want to make it more difficult then what it already is?

If my cycles are perfectly normal and I am infact ovulating, then why mess up a good thing?

That's the problem with my country. America is so over medicated it is disgusting. They will hand you a drug for just about anything. Look at how many people get mis-diagnosed, just to get handed drugs. Well, because afterall it gives the medical staff a paycheck and at the same time it puts lots and lots of $$$ into the accounts of drug companies.

 

[ann_of_loxley]

Well exactly. If you are already ovulating I dont think they can give you anything PCOS or not. They might suggest it (being America) - but I really don't think it would help.
What about a natural remedy? So even if you do indeed have PCOS - I have no idea what they can 'do' about it. (which is what I was left thinking when my Dr said he thinks it is PCOS!) I have heard that Vitex is great for those with PCOS.

 

[feyfollow]

I want to tell you about my PCOS, and maybe a little info. I have had this a VERY long time, signs since puberty, and a dx since 1998. I hate every day that I have to deal with it. It's frustrating and unfair, but there are so many ways to deal with it . I really just want to eat a bowl of spaghetti ever once in a while.

I have perfect cycles, I even get positive OPKs, but I NEVER actually ovulate. I did 6 mos worth of charting, and would know which day I should have ovulated d/t temps, CM, cerv. position, and I would always fern on my saliva test. I'd poas when I was supposed to for surges, and still come up with positive. I only used BCPs for the first 3 mos of the 12 years DH and I have been together, and we just recently had to do a round of IUI/meds. However, some women do ovulate, but with your testosterone being so high, it really does make me wonder.

I have 15 nodules in the L lobe of my thyroid, and 7 in my R lobe. Miraculously, my thyroid is in perfect working condition. In women with PCOS, it is usually due to elevated insulin levels, or insulin resistance.

However, my insulin was so out of control that is caused my testosterone to be out of control. My adrenal hormones are sluggish, but working. I have improved them just by destressing a little. You absolutely have to make sure your testosterone is under control, or you will will most likely have a bunch of cysts on your ovaries/enlarged ovaries/just never really ovulate. On a pelvic U/S(yes, this is what you will have) It looks like something called a string of pearls around your ovaries if it is like mine, or may just have enlarged ovaries. Seriously, when I was younger, in my 20's, I never had the numerous amounts of cysts. As I got older, and my testosterone was still out of control, they came, and never left. What mostly happens is your body produces a ton of little follicles when you when you are supposed to be ovulating, but none ever comes to fruition, as they are many, and very small (less than 10mm). So, your eggs never leave your ovaries.

As for the meds, Clomid did not work for me, but Femara did. It was amazing seeing a follicle that was so big for the first time. I have been waiting for a decade to see one. Yup, I still had plenty of little follies with them, 25 others total to be exact, but it did help. You really need to have your 3 hour insulin/glucose checked if you have not already, plus a SHBG, if they have not done this either. My glucose was always normal in the beginning until someone had the idea of testing my insulin. My insulin was 12x the norm. The metformin/dietary change really did help. It helped me loose weight, cleared up the acne, get my insulin under control, but for me, I needed other meds to help me get a good follie. I have lost almost 100# and try to stick to a paleo diet, and yet I still needed a little push. Meds may not be an option for you, but I was out of ideas on how to get there naturally. I took 6 mos off between the Clomid and the Femara, due to my son's special needs. My cycles were never screwed up. My doctor was understanding, and never forced meds on me, he told me to ask him if I was ever ready.

I am not saying that you should do any of these things, I just wanted to share my story with you. Oh and maybe google soulcysters. It's a bunch of us PCOS women who help each other. There are woman that are constantly trying different methods of natural fertility treatments, and they may be able to help you with any questions about tests. Oh, BTW you should have an U/S just to see what your ovaries are doing, but it is not a end all diagnostic. My ob/gyn was able to dx me by just looking at me, as he had recently gone to a conference on this "newer" diagnosed cause of infertility. The textbook clinical diagnostics came 2 mos later.

Good luck, and please let us know how it goes!

**I forgot, while I was taking metformin, I took vitex/natural progesterone cream for 3 months. It helped with my hormones, and evening them out, but I never ovulated with it either.