My ob/gyn thinks I may have PCOS due to elevated LH levels. He wants to start me on clomid to get me ovulating so I can get KU. However, my friends that PCOS said that I should have an ultrasound done to confirm PCOS & make sure my tubes aren't blocked as well. Did anyone else start clomid w/o confirming PCOS w/ an ultrasound?
Re: should I get an ultrasound before starting clomid
We aren't doctors. I think it is perfectly alright to ask your doctor about an ultrasound, but only your doctor can decide if you need one or not.
Deep breaths, shhh, calm down....
it's called a kilt, he's scottish
Yes, you should have PCOS confirmed, especially if your only symptom is being anovulatory. You can be anovulatory and "pcos-like" without having PCOS.
Does your Dr. regularly work with PCOS?
Good I'm glad you have a positive outlook!
it's called a kilt, he's scottish
I've read that PCOS can be as common as 1/10 women. Nothing to be devastated over.
Good point; I will get some answers when the nurse calls me back. I wonder what else could cause my LH levels to be elevated like this.
This.
Also, I think before you take any medication for a condition you should be SURE you have it. Trust me, I was in almost your exact same position. My first Dr was a Clomid pusher. Most Drs who want to push it also don't want to monitor you. If he didn't even do an ultra sound to look at your ovaries (one of the easiest ways to confirm that your ovaries are infact polycystic) makes me want to tell you to RUN to an new Dr.
I told me doctor this, and she said that it isn't true. She said that the reason that doctors stop at 6 cycles of clomid is because if it doesn't work for you after 6 tries, then it won't work for you.
My plan she set up for me for the future is three rounds of clomid, then HSG, then RE.
My gyno that I had been going to for years dx'd me PCOS by bloodwork alone about 6 years ago. I wasn't TTC at the time, so she just wanted me to stay on BCP's.
Do I have PCOS? Helll no.
Fast forward a few years and I got a new gyno who is also a RE and he redid my bloodwork, did an ultrasound and confirmed that I have elevated estrogen levels and cysts, but I am not PCOS.
Either way, why bother putting your body through that only to find there's a problem later??
I have PCOS, which my doctor diagnosed because of an ultrasound and elevated testosterone levels. I would definitely want an ultrasound to confirm a PCOS diagnosis and an HSG before starting on any kind of fertility medication.
Also, my doctor said that in order to be diagnosed with PCOS, you have to have at least 2 of 3 factors: annovulatory cycles, polycystic ovaries or elevated male hormones. It doesn't sound to me like you've hit 2 out of 3 yet.
My RE told me that a lot of gynos are still behind the times on PCOS diagnosis. It used to be that you just needed one symptom to be labeled PCOS and sent on your way with clomid in-hand. However, it's more complicated than that and blanketing everyone PCOS is not the answer.
PCOS becomes even more complicated if you're insulin resistant as well, which can be common.
It's good that they're going to monitor your cycle with ultrasounds if you're going to go the medically-assisted route.
Everything I've read on this board agrees with you. I was really confused when my doctor (actually two) told me that clomid doesn't thin up your lining and only a small percentage of people actually have the extreme side effects that come with it. Do you have any reliable links or research that could help me figure this out? tia!
Then why is an initial u/s something they did not do? it just seems really odd to me, they have no baseline to go on here.
nail meets head. The only reason I am harping on this is because I was in your shoes in November. Please please take the time to educate yourself on this, you will save yourself a lot of confusion and heartache.
This website suggests that prolonged use of Clomid may increase risk of ovarian cancer. ?It also says that women with PCOS are more likely to get OHSS.
https://www.drugs.com/pro/clomid.html?
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Since my appt is to discuss the meds at this point, he may set more testing up for me then. I will definitely ask him why wouldn't I have them done to make sure. Even if the clomid lets me get pg, I still want to know if I have PCOS or not.