Advice Please About PCOS

[packer12freeserve]

Hello Ladies,
Sorry to trouble you but was just wondering if there is anyone out there who might be able to answer a couple of questions for me please.
1)Has anyone got PCOS but still have regular periods ?
2)Is it easy for doctors to tell if you have PCOS ?
3)Is it possible to get pregnant naturally with PCOS or do you always need IVF ?
I would really appreciate any advice.
Thank you very much,
Nicky
I really would appreciate any advice anyone can give

[nes]

Hi there... I just saw your post, and thought I'd reply... don't know if I'd be any help though!...

I was diagnosed with PCOS a while back... can't remember when exactly, and a friend of mine was diagnosed as well.... and in response to your questions...

1) I still have what you could call regular periods, but my cycle length varies from month to month, and sometimes I don't come on at all... My friend does have regular periods, but she is on the pill, which obviously regulates your cycle... I am allergic to both the pill and mini pill, so I just have to grin and bare it!

2) Since I started my periods, they have either been irregular to a degree, or so painful that I would sometimes pass out... pain killers didn't seem to work very well either... I have a few 'symptoms' of PCOS, if that is what you can call them - including the fact that no matter what attempt at dieting I try, I always seem to be the only person I know who has to try harder than everyone else, because the extra pounds just don't seem to want to shift!!! Not that I am over weight.... it would just be nice to tone up with the minimum amount of effort instead of maximum!

3) I think it would depend on the severity of your PCOS, and also any other under-lying points. I got pregnant a few years ago, but I miscarried quite early, however a friend of mine was pregnant, and her daughter is now nearly 5, so I think that it is possible, but just depends on each individual and the seriousness of your condition.

Hope that helped?

[danica]

hello! u've come to the rite place to get info, so dont think you're trouble to anyone!!
i too have PCOS so i'll try to answer your questions as well:
1) my periods are sooo regular - 28 day cycle
2) a blood test that showed an increase in progesterone together with an internal scan which showed many cysts (poly=many) in my ovaries so yep, easier than something like endometriosis (requires surgery) to diagnose plus i had put on about 15kilograms in under a year but hadnt changed my eating habits and i also broke out in pimples which is another indication of pcos - extrememly depressing
3) i also have severe endo and dh has an increased deformity in his sperm than the average man so we're hit with a triple whammy and thats y we're trying ivf but im sure there are women out there with PCOS who have gotten preg naturally!
hope i helped and all the best!!
d

[Barny]

Hi Nicky,

I've got PCOS (described by my clinic as "moderate" PCOS).

1. During my teenage years my periods were quite irregular but they have been regular-ish (28-35 days) in the last few years, without any treatment.
2. For me personally, it did take a while to diagnose, but I think that's just because of doctors incompetence more than anything else. When I first suggested to my GP that I thought I might have PCOS he dismissed the idea as nonsense. My only real physical symptom is that I'm a bit on the hairy side. Unless I had the whole list of symptoms he wouldn't even consider it as a possible problem. He more or less said, you're not 30 stone, covered in acne, with a beard down to your belly button so don't waste my time.
He didn't seem to grasp the fact that people with PCOS present with different symptoms, some with none at all.
After a couple of years of trying to conceive, I was eventually referred for investigations. I had all the usual blood tests and an ultrasound, on the NHS, which were all normal. Often with PCOS, testosterone levels are raised, but for me all my hormone levels were within the normal ranges.

Anyway, after various mess ups by the NHS, we decided to have private treatment. I was diagnosed with PCOS on my first private consultation based on how my ovaries looked on an internal ultrasound. This was confirmed by the laparoscopy I later had.

So in short, I think a good ultrasonographer should be able to detect it but a laparoscopy will be able to tell you for sure. Your physical symptoms and blood tests results might help, but shouldn't be relied on in isolation.

3. Whether it is possible to get pregnant without IVF I guess depends on how severe it is and how you respond to treatment. A lot of women with PCOS are prescribed the drug Clomid and this works for them. Clomid alone didn't work for me but we have a sperm problem as well. I am currently pregnant as a result of IUI treatment, which involved me taking Clomid, Metformin and having FSH injections.

Hope this helps. Can I ask, have you been diagnosed with PCOS?

Barny

[packer12freeserve]

Thank you very much for all your replies.From what i have read about PCOS it seems to be getting more common but the doctors don't seem to be doing very much about it but i suppose that it is the same with anything to do with infertility.We are currently on our 4th try at IVF and we have also had 3 frozen attempts but sadly no good news yet.I did have a blocked tube that i only had removed in October but have been told that there is no reason why i haven't been able to get pregnant.I have also been under 3 different Consultants and at different hospitals and have had 4 operations to see if there is any other problems.We even decided to have genetic screening this time too as this was the last thing left that the problem could be as we always produce lots of embryos that all go to blastocyst stage .So our problem is the embryo implanting as the genetic screening came back fine no problems.Sometimes i think that it would be better if you were told that there was a problem and that it would never work than to keep trying.Anyway sorry i know i am waffling on now but we had a different doctor for the embryo transfer i haven't seen her before but she mentioned about PCOS but i though that it would of been picked up by now with all the operations and scans etc i have had but i am left wondering you know what it is like and am not sure what to do next.I am currently on the horrible 2 week wait but wanted to try and find out about PCOS so that when i next go to the hospital i can ask them and not get fobbed off.I'm sorry for going on and on and thank you very much for answering and i wish you all lots and lots of luck in your treatments.
Love,
Nicky

[Barny]

Hi Nicky,

We were initially told that we had unexplained infertility. I think this is sometimes worse than knowing what the problem is. When I was eventually diagnosed with PCOS, I wasn't upset. I was just relieved that at last we knew what the problem was. At least if you know what the problem is you know how to treat it.

If you've got PCOS, I would have thought that it would have been picked up by now but I guess it doesn't hurt to check.

I wish you the best of luck for your 2 week wait and hope it ends in a positive.

Barny