Seeking Information on Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Dera A.,
My name is K.. I am 27 and have pcos. I was on bc pills for about 4yrs. My husband and I decided to have a baby. I got off the pill and went 3 mos w/o a period. I got concerned and went to md. They ran tons of tests and I got diagnosed with pcos. Some of the symptoms include excessive weight gain, hair growth on face etc, diabetes if not controlled and of course infertility due to no ovulation. My biggest problem is the weight gain and no period/ovulation. I used to be a lovely 6/8 now 14. I started to have the weight gain my last year of college and i went 6 mos w/o period and the MD said it was due to stress and excessive testosterone. I wish at that time they would have done more on me. WEll anyways back to my story we tried to get pregnant for about a year. I did glucophage, and clomid to help get a period. Test every month . I became a lab rat. Nothing worked. So I decided that if we were not going to be able to have children at least I would try to feel as good as I could so I begin a strict exercise program. With Pcos your body does not regulate sugar in your body so you just end up storing it in pockets of fat I have always been active I am a physical therapy assistant and somewhat obsessive about weight so it was hard to realize that I had to work harder than the average person to shed the weight. So one day at a bookstore I came across this book THE NEW GLUCOSE REVOLUTION GUIDE TO LIVING WELL WITH PCOS... by Jennie Brand-Miller, Nadir Farid and Kate Marsh. It opened up my eyes and I thought that I would try it. By following the diet and exercising, within 3 mos we got pregnant. I now have a beautiful 8 1/2 mos old baby girl. I have had 3 periods since she was born, but I have not been following the book guidlines or exercising like I should. I want more children and I would be lying if I didnt say that I am always thinking and worrying that this disorder could prevent that. The cards that we are dealt are not always fair. I think that God gives us challanges that he knows we can handle that will make us stronger because others would just fall to pieces. So just try the book and whatever the MD says and have faith. I also have a friend who has pcos and she is due with her first in 2 wks.
K.

2 moms found this helpful

The National Institute of Health has good information on this condition.

http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/Polycystic_Ovary_S...

1 mom found this helpful

I am currently being tested for PCOS also! My doctor ran blood work and a few other tests on me but came up with no answers so I was refered out to see an endocrinologist.

I went there and spoke with the specialist and he did say tha tit was most likely pcos, and ran a whole bunch of tests on me. I go back in 2 weeks to get the results and hopefully find out what has been wrong with me for the past year!

My symptoms are different than yours though. My period started going out of whack last October by coming 5 days late. Over the past year I went from a 31 day cylce to a 45 day cycle. My period ccan last 3 days one month than 7 the next. I was loosing hair lke crazy (it has since slowed a lot but is still falling out a little more than normal) I gained a lot of weight, but once I started to diet I started losing weight very rapidly (30 pounds since A.!). I am very tired all the time also.

Anyhow, this is a great board for PCOS- there are a ton of ladies there who are in various stages of being diagnosed and treated. Hope it helps!

http://boards.babycenter.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?webtag=bcus...

1 mom found this helpful

Hi A.. I am 32 years old and was diagnosed with PCOS in my early 20's. I was told that as I got older it would be more and more difficult to conceive. I went through several years of fertility treatments, endocrinologist appointments, monthly ultrasounds, etc., all to no avail-I never even ovulated on the medicine. However, I changed doctors and found one that is very familiar with PCOS. He actually performed an out patient surgery on me( after another year of no luck with fertility meds) that is called ovarian drilling (sounds horrible, but not too bad). Anyway, he coded it so that insurance covered it and what he did was actually drilled some holes in my ovaries which released some of the cysts. 7 months later, I was pregnant and now have a beautiful 9 month old baby girl (and a regular period).

There is a ton of information out there on the internet and there is a website that I cannot remember exactly right now, but it is something like "cysters" that is a great support. I UNDERSTAND what you are going through and you can feel free to email me directly at ____@____.com if you would like to talk some more. Hang in there and take care.

K. Woodall, Macon, Ga.

1 mom found this helpful

Hi A.,

I was just recently diagnosed with PCOS. I am 45, but I am almost certain that I have had this problem for years. I had trouble getting pregnant, but I now have a 9 year old daughter. The main thing is to get the tests done. There are several things that can be done to "normalize" things which may kick-start ovulation.

Here are a couple of web sites that I have found that have useful information:

http://www.pcosupport.org

and

http://www.soulcysters.com/

There are a lot of other sites out there, a lot of which try to sell you some remedy. Definitely get the results of your blood tests first, and take everything with a grain of salt.

I don't believe in "magic bullets", but the lifestyle of the average American is vastly different that what it was 200 years ago. I am not surprised that our bodies can't cope with high-fat, high-sugar, low activity without something going wrong (or in the case of PCOS, many things going wrong). I think that we need to get to a healthier lifestyle and that it will help get our bodies back on track. Having said that, I also believe that scientists and doctors know more now that ever before and can really help. They just don't know everything.

Try to stay positive. I think that alone will help.

Best of luck - you are not alone!

If it does turn out that you have PCOS there is hope of having another baby. I have and have a daughter that is 18mos. I took a medivcine called metformin and it made me have a regular period and i was able to concieve

A.

I have two friends that are in late 30's that both had PCOS - one had only 5% chance to have a baby due to only one ovary. She had a baby in July. They did start medication and went to a specialist in Atlanta. They also suggested the south beach diet due to helping with blood sugar levels.

I hope this helps a little. I know they both took some meds for a little while and it took about 5 months to get pregnant.

good luck-

A. ....I had 3 sons,and I too wanted to have another baby for many,many years...I used no protection againt pregnancy for 14 years..my sons were 22,17, and 15 when we learned we were pregnant (surprised) with a baby girl...
Now I will back up...18 months prior to getting pregnant,I had Gastric Bypass and lost 130 lbs. I too had suffered PCOS for many years,but when I lost the weight my hormones got back to normal as did my periods..I should have thought that I could get pregnant,but it never really entered my mind....I am extremely thankful it did'nt,because had it I would have used protection and I would not have had my precious daughter who is now 3 1/2...shes everything I ever dreamed. Now if you don't have extra weight to lose,I would definitely go thru the test,but never give up...I was told by my ob-gyn that I would never conceive without medical intervention.....He is not God. My daughters name is Grace,for as soon as we knew it was a girl we knew we had been Graced by God...Think positive,and positive things come to you...have a great day...G.

I don't have any idea about the PCOS. but I can tell you this much... I have the best little 4 y/o guy in the whole world and my husband and I were ready to start trying again this past August and I went for my yearly exam.... Let me back up... Seven years ago before my husband and I were married, I had to have my ENTIRE colon removed due to Ulcerative Colitis. which is ulcers in your colon.... We did ask my my OB and my surgeron before getting pregnant if it was safe for me and we were told I would be high risk, but we could... So we did and he is the most amazing thing I've ever seen in this world, now back to August..... I was asking my OB if we could have another one and he told me that I would be putting my life at risk if I did. I was devistated, but I don't by any means want to leave my son without his mommy. This was a realy blow to us and I'm still not over it and it still bothers me and I still cry about it all the time. If you have 3 fabulous girls, Count your blessings and be so thankful that you have 3 instead of none. God has blessed you way more than many others. So if you should not be able to have another baby, don't be to depressed. Thank God for what you already have. I've already learned they grow up too fast so enjoy then for every second they are little! Take care of your self and best wishes with your health!!

C.

I have PCOS, and just had my first child 4 months ago! Ask to be referred to a doctor specializing in infertility & PCOS. After over a year of fertility drugs, I went to the specialist, got put on a low carb diet and an insulin regulation medicine (Metformin) and got pregnant in 3.5 months! Check out this webpage - http://www.ivf.com/

Hi A.,
I have PCOS as well. I was diagnosed 5 or so years ago after trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant. I went on the Metformin and took Prometrium every month to encourage a menstral flow. It took two years but I now have a beautiful little girl who will be 3 in January. Recently all the symtoms have returned (weight gain, no period, high tryglicerides, etc) and I've had to go back on the Metformin & Prometrium, I'm also on medication for Tryglicerides. We are trying to have another child as well. I also started drinking Red Clover Tea. It is a natural blood cleansing tea and it helped the last time I was on the treatment, I lost weight with it to, you just have to stop drinking it when you become pregnant. I wish you well and advise that you go on the treatment plan they provide. I tried the Clomid as well before I was diagnosed and it was unsuccessful, as soon as my body was ready with the other treatment I was able to get pregnant. Good luck to you and don't stress out about it, it will only take longer to get to where you need to be.

Hi A.
I was diagnosed with PCOS about 9 years ago. I rarely had a cycle and the Dr prescribed Metformin to regulate my periods. I had great results. It was easy to tolerate and I didn't notice any negative side effects. Several years later after I got married and my husband and I decided to try and conceive it only took about 5 months to become pregnant. But we were both already prepared emotionally for the possibility that we might never conceive, because that was a very real possibility. Now we have a healthy, happy 4 year old son.

The interesting thing is that my periods have stayed regular after my pregnancy and I am not on metformin or BC pills. The websites mentioned earlier are a wealth of information and finding a OB/GYN who has experience with the syndrome is key. Be encouraged that there is still hope, but it is also wise to be prepared for the possibility that you might not conceive. Prepare yourself to be thankful and satisfied with your three beautiful daughters as I am sure you already are.

Hello
Cheer up. You have now met someone that has PCOS. and i have a 3 month old. I had the same problems no period. I started out with yes the temperture tracking. after a month they will be able to tell if you are ovulating. That is the most important thing afterall when your trying to get preggo. Then take that to your OB. When i did they told me because of the PCOS i was not ovulating so they gave me Clomid. I only had to take one round of it though. Anyway, there is hope for you to have more kids. Dont be depressed just make sure everything checks out with the ultrasound but in the mean time start that temp check every morning with a basal therm. and chart it on a chart. That way when you get the ok you will already have that much started. Good luck......

A.,

Don't worry!!! I was clasified as having PCOS before I got pregnant with my first child. The solution is very easy. They will prescribe a medicine called Glucophage. It helps with the insulin resistance. Once you take it for about 3 months, you should have no problem getting pregnant as long as you take it as prescribed. Good luck and let me know how things go!! (P.S. I'm still taking Glucophage!!)

I was recently diagnosed with PCOS. I have a 15 month old who was conceived through the use of Clomid (I didn't know about the PCOS then, just that I didn't ovulate). I am told there is about an 8% risk of multiples. I recently found a OBGYN with a good amount of knowledge in this area. She informed me that there are a few options in "fertility", some that don't have any risks. You definately need to find out if you even have PCOS. I went 2 months w/o a period and wasn't pregnant, I had the internal US and through that they found multiple cycts. The good news is that normal they are non cancerous. Good luck and take care.