PCOS- Just diagnosed

TallyKyle · July 2014

Hi all,

So two days ago, I went to see my OB/GYN because I have not had a regular menstruation in about 9 months. I have gained about 15 pounds, and I have some new acne on my face. The doctor diagnosed me with PCOS. To be perfectly honest, I'm terrified. He prescribed progesterone followed by Clomid (both for short period of time- about a week). I never thought this would be an issue for me. My mother and grandmother both got pregnant very easily. My mom does however have Type II diabetes and sleep apnea- both of which are symptoms for PCOS. I am not aware of the side-effects of either progesterone or Clomid and I am a little scared.

If anyone would like to share stories, advice, or successes please share.

juneroses · July 2014

Hi! Fellow PCOS'er here. I'm sorry you had to get this diagnosis. I would recommend talking to an RE. I had irregular cycles, and my OBGYN recommended Clomid. I was not ready to admit that this wasn't going to happen naturally, so I decided not to do it. When I finally did decide to take action, I went to an RE and at first felt silly for not starting with my OBGYN. my Re told me though that it was good to go to an RE at the beginning, because they look at how your different hormones and systems are working together - not just how to get you ovulating. She spent a lot of time educating me on what insulin resistance was, how it impacted my body and fertility. I was kind of shocked, because hearing about heart disease and diabetes risk was not something I had expected. I told her I had always been healthy, normal fasting glucose, etc. She said that the goal was not just to get me pregnant, but to protect my health 20-30 years from now when my system can't absorb the bullets it does today. She was also able to recommend some diet changes.

masterofallcheese · July 2014

Welcome to the board. I also have PCOS and have needed Provera multiple times to jump start a period. The acne has also been an issue for me, and the pimples take forever to go away! Please listen to @rainbowbridge14‌ and get all the correct tests before proceeding with Clomid. Even if PCOS is the correct diagnosis, you may have tube blockages, make factors or other hormonal issues coming into play. Why put your body through a potentially incorrect or ineffective treatment before getting the whole picture? I wish you luck as you move forward.

BunnyBerry · July 2014

A little good news in your diagnosis...women with PCOS who take oral fertility meds (Clomid or Letrozole/Femara) has about twice the chance of getting pregnant each cycle with IUI and the other women. I second previous posters - Clomid can be dangerous to fertility and health if not carefully monitored through regular ultrasounds and certain points of the cycle, and an RE has the best chance of make the most of each cycle by taking into account every aspect of your individual hormone profile.

A lot of OBGYN's prescribe Clomid as if it's no big deal and a normal first step, but I'd really recommend a full work-up with an RE to make sure that Clomid has a chance of working on its own - there's little reason to take strong drugs with side effects and risks (and a limit of 6 months's use for safety) before making sure there is a chance for sperm to meet egg by getting an HSG to test if tubes are clear and a sperm analysis to make sure YH's swimmers have a reasonable chance through timed intercourse.

LindseyM2012 · July 2014

juneroses said:

Hi! Fellow PCOS'er here. I'm sorry you had to get this diagnosis. I would recommend talking to an RE. I had irregular cycles, and my OBGYN recommended Clomid. I was not ready to admit that this wasn't going to happen naturally, so I decided not to do it. When I finally did decide to take action, I went to an RE and at first felt silly for not starting with my OBGYN. my Re told me though that it was good to go to an RE at the beginning, because they look at how your different hormones and systems are working together - not just how to get you ovulating. She spent a lot of time educating me on what insulin resistance was, how it impacted my body and fertility. I was kind of shocked, because hearing about heart disease and diabetes risk was not something I had expected. I told her I had always been healthy, normal fasting glucose, etc. She said that the goal was not just to get me pregnant, but to protect my health 20-30 years from now when my system can't absorb the bullets it does today. She was also able to recommend some diet changes.

This.

I'm sorry you have to be on this board, but welcome nevertheless. I also have PCOS and it can be overwhelming and isolating, but the ladies here are so knowledgeable and kind. I have been told by both my ob/gyn and RE that PCOS is probably the "best" fertility issue to have. This is because the hormone imbalances are treatable. So there is silver lining. But it is still not an issue anyone would want to have.

I will reiterate what others have said about going to an RE. My ob/gyn was very thorough with her testing (probably more so than many other ob/gyns out there) but still did not want me to start on Clomid without the monitoring that an RE could provide. This was mostly because my AMH level (which indicates your "ovarian reserve" - it is a newer test and not 100% reliable) indicated that I have many, many eggs that are just not maturing and being ovulated. Therefore, being unmonitored is not a good idea in my particular case if I don't want multiples.

Also, there are many things that can contribute to PCOS (testosterone levels, insulin levels, BMI, and some lifestyle factors). I have been told by my ob/gyn & RE that some lifestyle changes (if necessary in your case) can manage the PCOS well. Non-TTC related, (and I don't want to scare you) women with PCOS have a higher chance of developing diabetes and uterine cancer, according to my ob/gyn & RE. Lifestyle and biological interventions can reduce these risks. Therefore, it is important with PCOS to know exactly what is going on with your particular case in order to intervene appropriately. An ob/gyn just can't provide the appropriate monitoring and testing to get an exact picture of your PCOS.

LindseyM2012 · July 2014

@NariaDreaming, exactly. I never knew that until I started going through all of these tests. I'm not sure I'd ever know that unless my ob/gyn told me that I'd need to be on BCP when not TTC. With BCP that only give you a "period" every three months being deemed safe, I never thought it was a big deal if I didn't get my period regularly. It was just good information to have for my outlook on my general health and to know that PCOS is not just about difficulty TTC.

cupcake122 · July 2014

Well good news (I think) --- My RE told me many times that PCOS was one of the most treatable causes of IF. (Idk if it helps to have the best of something bad). He said getting someone's follicles to drop is all about the right drug and timing (like clomid) - if that is in fact all that's wrong in your case. So I will cross my fingers for you that after a nice push from the meds, a nice follicle or two matures and drops and gets ready for some TI!

Unfortunately for me, I have loads of other if issues (not PCOS), but I thought i would pass along the potential good information

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