Hello! I'm not necessarily newly diagnosed with PCOS but have been struggling with my options for treatment. I am 22 years old and my husband is 24.. We have tried to concieve since we got married...after many failed attempts we finally consulted with an obgyn and was diagnosed with pcos. I NEVER have a period unless I am on medication of some sort. My obgyn put me on clomid 50mg for a month, didn't work. I was devestated and didn't see a doc again until I was in extreme pain due to cysts on my ovaries. Ever since I have been on about 4 rounds of clomid about 2 of those resulted in OV but not pregnancy. I got frustrated again and quit. I will be going back to the doc again on Nov 10th. I want to discuss other options. I really am trying to avoid IVF. Anyone in the same situation or that can help me?
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PCOS
- By Waitingformyturn
- Posted October 24, 2009 at 10:07 pm · 19 replies
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19 replies
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- By Harmonywithreiki
- Posted October 25, 2009 at 12:39 am
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Hello!~*~*~MAY BE TMI~*~*~*~
I am and was in the same boat........I am 32yrs old. My dh and I have been ttc for 4+yrs. I am dx with PCOS. I also have to take meds to start my menses or I will only have 1-2 a year. My OB Dr placed me on Clomid for about 4 or 5 cycles......with no monitoring. I think it would be good for you to see a RE as they can do ultrasounds to verify what the clomid is doing......instead of "blindly" rx and not knowing really what it is doing to your body. Clomid is also know to dry up cervical mucus......not everyone knows that. And if you are taking it and only doing bd then it may do more harm than good. .....for the purpose of taking it:)
I just had my first IUI done. BFN. We are doing another one this cycle. My insurance doesn't cover IF so it is all out of pocket. I would do ivf in a heatbeat if I had the $. I am a nurse and cut back to working 1hr a day so when my time comes I can stay at home.
I would ask for OB to refer you to an RE......to discuss other options with closer monitoring.
- By Waitingformyturn
- Posted October 25, 2009 at 12:35 pm
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Ok thanks! Like I said I'm new to most of this stuff a college prof. recomended this site for support. I know this might sound silly but what exactly is an RE? I'm trying to learn as much as I can about my condition. My aunt had the same problems when she was ttc and her doc put her on metformin(glucophage). She now has 3 children with the combo of the glucophage/clomid. I was told by one doc that my family hist. of diabetes is probably why I have pcos and the the glucophage might be a good option, but he never rx it for me. I'm about at wits end just because I have no idea what is going on with my body.
- By Harmonywithreiki
- Posted October 25, 2009 at 12:50 pm
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Hello!
The site has a section where there is a list of abbreviations....it helped me a lot a few weeks ago and I am a nurse:) RE is reproductive endocrinologist.
Years ago when I was 125lbs I had a doctor that was so focused on me losing wt......she was on the South Beach diet herself and it worked for her so it seemed as though she was pushing it........I by any means did not need to loose wt so when she recommended Metformin for me I thought she was nuts! I said no.....but years later being dx w/PCOS I decided to give it a chance as DM runs in my family. I was started at 500mg a day the new doctor wanted me to go to 1,500mg each day. I felt terrible on it! I only lasted a week......I constantly felt dizzy and like I was going to pass out. It works for a lot of people.....just not me. An unlabeled use for it is also wt loss.
Best wishes to you!
Years later I did do the SBD and lost 14lbs in 7 days.....fast and can be dangerous to lose too much wt at once.......stayed off for awhile:)
- By als2415
- Posted October 25, 2009 at 1:25 pm
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Im sorry you'r going thru this, I am too. Im 23, have PCOS and we've been TTC for a year now. I rly hope you get pregnant soon. I have a question for you and also one suggestion... are you taking the HCG trigger shot along with the clomid? and if I were you I would go to an RE they are specialist and can go indept with you about you fam history and you body and run test on you that your OB might not think of. But what ever you do dont stop trying, even when it gets rough. Your baby will come soon. (((HUGS))
- By Waitingformyturn
- Posted October 25, 2009 at 7:04 pm
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als2415...no i have not taken any shots, just clomid 100 mg. I found an RE in my area, I think I'll go to my obgyn on Nov 10th, then see about the RE or should I just cancel the appt with my OBGYN and go straight to the RE would it be better for me to do that. If the RE can help me more it may be a better use of my time. I'm a teacher and it is hard for me to make appointments due to my work schedule. We just bought a house with 3 bedrooms, it seems soo empty and has a great room for a baby, it makes me want to fill that empty space soo bad! But for now we are just going to get a new puppy to fill the void. We've had a long road so far and with another "baby" around it wont feel so lonely if it takes us that much longer. Please give any advice you may have for me!
- By Harmonywithreiki
- Posted October 25, 2009 at 9:10 pm
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Hello!
I have a 7yr old Chow, 5yr old Pixie-Bob, 20mo old Jack Russell, and a 19mo old Savannah........have had all since weeks old. I love that they are all home with me and sure do keep me busy! I do not recommend a Jack Russell if you are teaching during the day. My Jack requires attention 24/7! The other 3 would be fine by themselves......I take that back our Savannah turns on faucets and chews cords to the blinds......My profile picture is of her in our baby tub. I cleaned it out.....and she decided she LOVES to sleep in it! She also like to sleep in the baby swings in the already made nursery!
If it were me I would call the RE office to verify they don't need a referral (wouldn't think so but never know....if your insurance covers you may need a referral) but then also call your OB office and ask to speak to the nurse. Explain your situation .....that you are a teacher and very difficult to get time off from work and this is the avenue you want to go.......you would prefer to see an RE at this point. The nurse will pass it on to the doctor.
Good luck with your decision.......just know that nobody will be as good as an advocate for you as you will!
Congrats on the house! When we purchased our house the previous owners had a baby.....their baby room will be ours:) We remodeled and changed colors though:)
- By Waitingformyturn
- Posted October 25, 2009 at 9:20 pm
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Thanks for the advice Ill try to call the RE tomorrow to see if I need a referral.
We have a 9 month old Welsh Corgi, and we love her very much, we will get a new welsh corgi next week this time a boy!
Thanks for all the advice, sounds like the RE may be my best option at this point, but we'll see.
- By tysonvr
- Posted October 25, 2009 at 11:23 pm
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My wife is in a similar situation to yours. She has PCOS with insulin resistance (IR). Basically, her body makes too much insulin, which was interfering with her hormones. She takes the metformin for the IR and has also had to cut ALL sugar out of her diet! Was hard at first, but she's used to it now and says she feels much better than before and has lost over 40 lbs in a little over a year. Be patient with the clomid. It took a few months for our doc to dial in the right dosage with my wife. If you start and stop, it will be hard for your doc to figure out what to do. Also, when our doc changed my wife to Femara, he used the clomid dosage as a basis to figure out the Femara dosage. The biggest thing we learned is to have good communication with your doc or it can cause major delays and even more frustration!
And like many of those posting here, we also can't get along without our beloved dogs! We have an 8-yr-old male Siberian Husky. Sadly, our 9-yr-old female Border Collie passed away from cancer last April and the Husky was as distraught as we were. But we recently adopted a 1-yr-old German Shepherd/Lab mix who has become a great playmate for the Husky and a wonderful addition to the family!
- By als2415
- Posted October 26, 2009 at 2:08 am
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Hello again, Im glad some one already answered most of your questions. this is the info i have for you... PCOS means we dont make enough of what ever it is we need to acually ovulate. thats why we have "cysts" in our ovaries. we start the process but cant finish it. so my nurse said that the HCG trigger shot is to make sure i release the eggs the clomid helpd me make... thus full ovulation! and a great chance to make a baby. ;-) she said that with higher doses of clomid the ovaries can enlarge and if i dont release those eggs it can be painfull. You will learn about this and much more if the RE you go see is good. OH! make a list of questions, if you dont know what to ask ur RE ask us for suggestions and we will be happy to help you iron them out.
i dont think you should go see the OB anymore for now. she might be a great OB, as she should be, but she's not an RE. and an RE is what you need now, you will see the diff right away. i hope they test you for everything they tested me. it's tough but needed in our case....
get this, we just got a hse too and the prev. owner had kids, one room is light blue the other is light purple! and i have a great dog too named Jada. so i kinda have a child already cuz she sure thinks im her mom. lol.
take care and keep hoping
- By Waitingformyturn
- Posted October 26, 2009 at 9:31 am
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Well guys just got some interesting news this morning! The RE in my area happens to have a son that goes to my school! I'm deffinately giving her a call today!
- By azciv
- Posted October 26, 2009 at 1:22 pm
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Hello!
I also have PCOS too. I am curious why no one has prescribed Metformin for you yet. It is so cheap, is relatively low-impact (Clomid has a cancer risk) and insurance copay is usually a few dollars or nothing. It seems odd to not at least try it...
BUT, I also echo the u/s recommendation. You'll see for sure what is going on. Have you had bloodwork yet? It will help determine your hormone peaks or fluctuations with the meds.
Also, checking with an RE will improve your chances of a better-educated opinion...
I likened it to going to the dentist once a year, but having to go to a periodontist for the diagnosis and treatment for jaw bone loss issues. The dentist knows a little about it, but the specialist knows it backwards and forwards.
Or at least that is how I described it to my DH. :)
- By Harmonywithreiki
- Posted October 26, 2009 at 3:03 pm
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.....hi azciv....thought I would just say to your post re: your doctor not rx Metformin for you.......its labeled use is for dm not all doctors think out side of the box.......rx it for PCOS or wt loss but a lot do. I know this as I am a nurse.
Also did you know a popular med often used with if tx is femera...labeled use is for breast ca.
Important to do research on what you put in your body so you can make your own decision.
Waitingformyturn good luck with your call:)
- By Waitingformyturn
- Posted October 26, 2009 at 6:56 pm
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azciv, I have thought about metformin, because my aunt had the same issues as me and she concieved using the metformin/clomid combo 3 times. My new OBGYN didn't want to put me on it right away, but I'll be discussing it with him at our next appointment.
Tried to get ahold of the RE today but no reply, I'll try again tomorrow, I could probably run into her when she drops off her son in the morning!
- By 1pair-n-1spare
- Posted October 28, 2009 at 2:31 pm
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Waitingformyturn,
I have PCOS and am on 500 mg of Metformin, 2x's daily. If you have PCOS you should be seeing an endocrynologist (not necessarily a Reproductive Endocrynologist, a.k.a. RE). There are other side effects to PCOS including but not limited to diabetes if not treated properly.
PCOS seems to be treated by OB's as a "can't get pregnant" kind of condition treated only temporarily with Clomid, or other hormone stimulants. BUT, without proper treatment this will cloud quite a bit more of your life in years to come.
I get pregnant by IVF because of other factors not related to my health. But after I was on Metformin, I had the best quality embryos I had ever had in 6 years of IVF.
I hope you get the proper help for your condition and can start building your family sooner rather than later.
Lisa
- By als2415
- Posted October 28, 2009 at 4:05 pm
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Just an FYI...having PCOS doesnt mean you will have diabetes! if the RE is any good, once you are diagnoses with PCOS he or she will test for diabetes along with a slew of other tests. I have PCOS and dont have diabetes. Metformin is just another type of drug they can use in your treatment but its most Rx to women with both PCOS AND diabetes, but it just depends on the particular woman and her treatment. i think an RE is more specifed in the area that we are looking to fix, which is our making a baby issues. they will see your issues from both sides.
- By curlygrl
- Posted October 28, 2009 at 9:29 pm
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Can I suggest changing your question to members only instead of public, and you'll get more replies?
I also have PCOS and take metformin and femara. I used to take clomid, but had terrible side effects. If you're having problems conceiving, has your husband also been tested? My husband and I both have medical issues-he has unobstructive azoospermia (no sperm). It would be terrible to go thru all these hoops to get pregnant, then find out he has issues.
If you have any other questions, feel free to send me a message. Good luck!
- By Waitingformyturn
- Posted October 28, 2009 at 9:56 pm
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Hello Everyone,
In reply to the diabetes issue. I already know about metformin and it's association with being a diabetes medication. I DO have a family history of diabetes and have been tested already. My blood sugar at the time was a little high (i had just ate). But not near enough to be considered for diabetes. I know to watch my sugar intake due to my mom having diabetes.
No, my husband has not been checked out, but like I said I don't ever have a period unless I take medication to start it, as soon as I go off it stops. I've been like this since I was 16 (no periods unless on BC). So, although we know that him having issues is a possibility, we are pretty much basing it on my issues at this point, because it's just not normal anyway.
I just recieved paperwork to fill out for my RE, and our insurance doesn't cover it. I'm a little nervous about the cost considering we just bought our new house. I know it's important to go, just don't really want to see the bill.
Thanks
- By Harmonywithreiki
- Posted October 28, 2009 at 11:04 pm
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Hi!
Just wanted to make a quick note.......I have PCOS and would only have 1-2 af a year if didn't take meds. So we assumed it was ALL my issue. TTC for 4+yrs....now seeing some of my dh's counts recently I wish we would have looked at the whole big picture sooner. ........it is easy to say what if.....what if.......
Even if your insurance doesn't cover IF it may cover some of the office visits/ u/s /blood work....it may depend on how your DR's office "codes" your visit/procedures. I would have some long talks with your insurance and Dr's office billing department. It may not be as bad as you think. My insurance doesn't cover IF but I am noticing this year the u/s and visits are covered.......even the $300. u/s of my bladder during my iui was covered! Just received an explanation of benefits which blew my socks off.....I only owe $141. out of $700. for the iui! Someone is looking out for me:)
I am glad this site is available for support by people who are dealing with the same thing:)
Re:Diabetes/blood test......great test to see what your overall bs have been over the last few months is called a HA1C.
You can't tell from just one test with a glucometer.
Best wishes!
- By armpin
- Posted November 4, 2009 at 9:54 am
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Please do consider getting your husband checked. I, too, have PCOS and was not ovulating regularly so we assumed we were not getting pregnant because of me. I am very happy that my doctor required my husband to get tested and we found out he has low motility. We may have spent a lot of wasted time if we had not known that ahead of time.
Best Wishes
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