RE: PCOS (Full Version)

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SweetLittleErin -> RE: PCOS (4/11/2008 11:58:50 AM)

It was actually 5 cycles of Metformin before we conceived, I did start ovulating after about two.

She may not talk about it much because it may be upsetting to her to think about the difficulty she might have. I know it would have been to me. We didnt find out about PCOS until we started TTC. So she actually has an advantage...she knows NOW so she can prepare and know what she faces. She may be able to get pregnant right away she is going into this already aware. I'm assuming she has a decent dr since she has been diagnosed already, I exhibited symptoms before (I think BCP masked them mostly) and was just told by my dr. I was "trying to get attention" and several other things. I think having a good dr from earlier on would have made a world of difference. Once I got a good dr things got better.



Mrs.Wifey -> RE: PCOS (4/11/2008 12:36:56 PM)

I thought you started the Met in October and got pregnant in January? Wouldn't that be 3 cycles then you got pregnant?



SweetLittleErin -> RE: PCOS (4/11/2008 1:48:05 PM)

I cant remember the month, but I took 4 rounds of Clomid(50mg, 100mg, 150mgx2), I had Metformin for 3 of those. Then had one round of just Metformin when we had the HSG done, thats the cycle I got pregnant. So I was off a little, it was 4, rather than 5, it was 5 cycles after the doctor visit. I think I started the Met in Sept...



clag4christ -> RE: PCOS (4/11/2008 3:48:57 PM)

I ovulated straightaway on the Metformin and the Lord still kept my womb closed for 18 months until we conceived Hannah Grace. [:)]



sunshinesoprano -> RE: PCOS (4/17/2008 7:11:11 AM)

I don't mean to change the subject, but I have a question. I was dx'd with PCOS a couple of years ago. I stopped taking Metformin per the advisement of my second OB/GYN who advised since I was not diabetic, I shouldn't take it, especially since it was making me sick...sort of like having a chronic case of morning sickness.

However, over the past few months, I've started regaining the negative effects of the syndrome. I

've not lost any additional weight, despite my exercise and lower food intake.

I have some serious abdomen yuckiness that feels like swelling right at my ribs, and then my stomach has this very hard touch to it and is pooched out, not flappy and floppy like fat.

My cycles that were once corrected by the BCc are now getting worse and the mood swings are horrible.

The pain in my lower right abdomen is pretty persistent, sometimes very profound.

Do you think I should start taking the Metformin again or is this just a worsening of the condition?



agapetos -> RE: PCOS (4/17/2008 10:09:49 AM)

Solo, given your other health issues, you should really speak with the doctor about whether you should go back on metformin. You may also, if you haven't, get her to check out your abdo pain ~ I've known a couple of folk who've had pain in the lower right abdo and it's been a grumbling appendix (one lady had it worst around the time of her period).

Your stomach issues could be caused by something you're eating. I know that if I eat certain foods (or sometimes just too much of certain foods) my stomach bloats and becomes very hard.



sunshinesoprano -> RE: PCOS (4/17/2008 10:28:40 AM)

Agape-I'm not solo soprano, but that's OK.

The nausea was only happening when I was on metformin before and it almost completely disabled me. It was like by blood sugar was dropping too low...and it was, based on my doc, because I don't have sugar problems.

My stomach is like this ALL the time, regardless of what I eat...at least now.



SweetLittleErin -> RE: PCOS (4/17/2008 10:29:36 AM)

How long did you take Metformin to start with? The reason I asked was because most of my icky sympotms went away after a few weeks (I know thats not the case with everyone). After the first few weeks I didnt even know I was taking it, symptom wise.



agapetos -> RE: PCOS (4/17/2008 10:41:14 AM)

quote:

Agape-I'm not solo soprano, but that's OK.
Sorry! I always goof at least once when I'm not wearing my glasses at the 'puter ~ one day I will learn[&:][:D]

Re your stomach ~ it may be worth you seeing your doctor to have a check on things ~ and it could be helpful to the doc if you were to have a food diary to take with you (not saying that it is still a food issue, but your doc may identify a problem with what you're eating that you don't see ~ or will rule out that it's a food issue).

And you should still have the abdo pain checked out (I think you're dealing with that still)...

As Erin said, many meds (not just metformin) have [:'(] side effects. They can be horrible to deal with but they do often go after a few weeks, a month. Sometimes starting off on a really low dose can help reduce side effects to more manageable levels ~ I'm sorry, I don't know how metformin is prescribed.



clag4christ -> RE: PCOS (4/18/2008 3:51:33 PM)

sunshine,

You shoudl have another chat with your doctor about your symptoms like agapetos suggested. That being said however, are you seeing a reporductive endocrinologist or just a regular ob/gyn? Just because you're not technically diabetic does not mean that metformin will not work for you. I'm not diabetic, but I do have the insulin resistant type of PCOS that is managed very effectively with Met. I take 1500 mg a day of the extended release version. My tummy always gets a bit upset after I start back on the meds. but adjusts fairly quickly.

Do you know what type of PCOS you've got? My insulin resistant type makes it very hard for me to lose weight through just exercising. Any type of carbohydrate that I eat (when not on the Met.) gets turned straight to fat and gunks up my ovaries and gives me horribly long annovulatory cycles.



SweetLittleErin -> RE: PCOS (4/19/2008 9:51:20 AM)

Other than your doctor telling you, how do you know what kind of PCOS you have? My doctor didnt say, just said they were going to treat me for PCOS and gave me Metformin and Clomid (though looking back I think Clomid was unnecessary). I do know for me after stopping BCP I gained alot of weight, though I was eating fairly well (not Low Carbing) and exercising somewhat. Even when I was spending an hour at the gym everyday I didnt lose ANY weight. Look back i can see PCOS throughout my life, we just never realized it until I tried to get pregnant. I didnt keep up with my cycles before marriage at all because I wasnt sexually active so I didnt see a point.



daughter_of_faith -> RE: PCOS (4/19/2008 2:53:26 PM)

Erin, Kim, Donna (?), others...(I know I'm forgetting some)...

I believe I'll go back to the doctor this week for my follow up check after my surgery. What types of questions should I be prepared to ask him? I know the cysts were removed successfully, but with other symptoms I have (facial hair, excess body weight to name a couple)....it would seem likely that I do have PCOS. My stepmom has it as well (didn't know that until I talked to her yesterday after my surgery). She said her doc just put her on birth control pills for awhile & told her to try conceiving right after that. It worked with the step bro that's my age. With her other son....she didn't do anything special.

I guess my question is: BCP? or Metformin?

I think I've asked this before....so forgive me. It's just kind of an uncertain time. DH will be gone for 4 weeks in May, so we won't TTC until he gets back anyways. I'm just praying for some sense of normalcy with my cycles first & then conception.

And like Erin said...how does one know what type of PCOS they have? From the discussion here & what I've read online...each woman is a little different. (No surprise there...God made us all unique individuals). I'm sure the treatment will depend upon what type of PCOS, yes?



Mrs.Wifey -> RE: PCOS (4/19/2008 5:51:40 PM)

I would do Metformin and a lower carb diet, but I wouldn't want to waste the time on bcp[;)]

There is an article a couple pages back that tells what the different types of PCOS are how to determine which you are...



daughter_of_faith -> RE: PCOS (4/20/2008 4:15:19 PM)

I found the article (I think you posted it, Ryanne?). Maybe I wasn't looking at the right one. It wasn't quite what I thought it would be.

I'll ask my doctor what he thinks. I just know that neither one of us wants to be waiting too long to conceive. I mean, we're already VERY close to the one year mark. With my son, I was nearly 8 mos. pg with him at our one year anniversary.



Mrs.Wifey -> RE: PCOS (4/20/2008 5:51:52 PM)

Here are the definitions of which type is which-

quote:

1. traditional PCOS -- anovulatory, increased androgens, no insulin resistance
2. endocrine syndrome X -- anovulatory, increased androgens, insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes
3. non-traditional PCOS --anovulatory, normal androgens, obese, insulin resistant or type 2 diabetes
4. non-traditional PCOS -- ovulatory, increased androgens, mild insulin resistance
5. idiopathic hirsutism -- ovulatory, increased androgens, no insulin resistance


What exactly are you trying to determine?

Metformin will most likely help you get pregnant even if you are not IR... I am the closest to type 4.



daughter_of_faith -> RE: PCOS (4/20/2008 8:53:05 PM)

How is insulin resistance determined? When pregnant with my son, I did not have gestational diabetes. I have been screened for diabetes using a glucose test strip and that was negative.

I'm pretty sure I'm ovulating (there is usually pain on one side accompanied by increased CF). Menses usually begins about 2 weeks afterwards.

So....I guess that would make me type 5 most likely....or possibly type 4. Any thoughts, Ryanne?

On the article I read, it referenced Clomid as the first drug of choice (to help with ovulation). But if I'm ovulating...wouldn't that be more of a hormonal thing? Met would help with that? Or would pregestins be better?

This page also says that laparoscopy is an unnecessary course of treatment?!?! Um....that's the surgery I just had. Does that mean I shouldn't have had surgery?



Mrs.Wifey -> RE: PCOS (4/20/2008 11:06:56 PM)

Insulin resistance is determined by a fasting glucose/insulin blood test.

You do sound like you are ovulating, so I don't think that Clomid would necessarily help although my SIL's RE(not the brightest, IMO) gave it to her anyway. There is another article, right before the "5 types" about the pregnancy rates resulting from Metformin and/or Clomid that might also be helpful.

As for laproscopy, I think it really determines on your specific case and even if you didn't need it for your cysts or PCOS at least you know your tubes are clear and you won;t have to have an HSG[:)]



sunshinesoprano -> RE: PCOS (4/21/2008 8:27:39 AM)

They never really told me what kind I had, though my first Ob/GYN seemed rather irritated that she was wrong that my blood sugar was actually LOWER than she'd expected. Because I'm a larger woman she was certain I was diabetic. I wasn't even close.

My 2nd one said I had no reason to be on the Metformin and advised me to stop taking it since it was giving me the equivalent to chronic morning sickness.

All I know is that I've got the lump around the middle, a pain in my right lower side, and that I've totally plateaued with the weight-loss.



agapetos -> RE: PCOS (4/21/2008 1:02:22 PM)

Then go back to the doctor and be assessed again from scratch (sounds as though you'd be better off with a new doctor). Make sure there are no other underlying health issues that may affect your weight loss. It may be worth you taking in a food and exercise/activities diary for at least a week so they can see what your diet and exercise/activity routine is like.



daughter_of_faith -> RE: PCOS (4/21/2008 1:06:30 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: sunshinesoprano

All I know is that I've totally plateaued with the weight-loss.


That sounds familiar, sunshinesoprano. I had lost 50 pounds & was doing well. Then I stopped losing weight & now it's been yo-yoing.....but I'm up 20 from all of the weight loss [&:]

I made an appt. with my doc for tomorrow. No one could read the doctor's handwriting as to when to schedule the follow up....so...I called & we set it up for tomorrow.



agapetos -> RE: PCOS (4/21/2008 1:10:57 PM)

quote:

I had lost 50 pounds & was doing well. Then I stopped losing weight & now it's been yo-yoing.....but I'm up 20 from all of the weight loss
Yes, but that happens to me when my thyroid meds needs adjusting ~ weight plateau/gain is one of the first signs I have my thyroid function needs retesting ~ which is why I suggested ruling out any other medical conditions.



daughter_of_faith -> RE: PCOS (4/21/2008 1:12:43 PM)

I'm not taking any medication for a thyroid condition....never have. The doc did order bloodwork to be done on that prior to my surgery though.



sunshinesoprano -> RE: PCOS (4/21/2008 2:46:34 PM)

I have an appointement scheduled in June, followed 2 days later by an appt with my PCP. My grandmother had hypothyroidsm, so it's quite possible I do, too. My insurance won't pay for an appt before then.



daughter_of_faith -> RE: PCOS (4/22/2008 11:54:25 PM)

Well, doc used the words again today....PCOS. We talked more about a few things. He seems to think that I'll be fine now that the cysts are gone. Doc also advised waiting 2 cycles before TTC again. Good news is that DH will be gone for 4 weeks (not that it's good news...but it will make waiting easier!).

Doc does not feel I need medication. I've been asking, etc. No go it seems....so maybe it's not needed in my case? I'll be moving this summer (end of July)....so I'll be switching doctors then. Just afraid of damage that could be done before then (3 or 4 cycles....which is potentially 3 or 4 more cysts if my body does what it has been doing, right?)



clag4christ -> RE: PCOS (4/25/2008 11:16:05 AM)

quote:

He seems to think that I'll be fine now that the cysts are gone.


Did he say why he thought this was? Just because your cysts have been removed does not mean that they won't come back...in fact it's likely that they will if your PCOS isn't being treated properly.

quote:

Doc also advised waiting 2 cycles before TTC again.


May I ask why this is?

quote:

Doc does not feel I need medication.


What are his reasons for this? Metformin isn't only a diabetes drug, imo. That is it's primary purpose, of course, but it can be very successful for women with PCOS...especially the insulin resistant type, like I have.



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