Today my husband and I bit the bullet and went for a private consultation with a fertility doctor. We brought with us our previous tests (blood tests day 2 and 21, ultrasound and semen analysis). We both got a quite a reality check from the doctor regarding lifestyle and healthy living.
The doctor said my FSH and LH levels are the wrong ratio and she thinks it's likely I have PCOS, it came as such a blow as three general doctors have all said the results were good. I guess they are not specialists but I feel frustrated that I could have been told this 3 months ago. She has prescribed me glucophage and told me to lose weight. Feel so down about it, any experience on managing PCOS much appreciated. Hopefully we still have a shot at having a baby. Thank you everyone. Hope you're all having a good day XXXX
Written by
Macavela
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Hi Hun I've never had pcos but know people who have. My suggestion would be do your own research on diet/ excercise etc and find a plan that really works and helps your body. There is a PT in Essex who has it and she's amazing (I think she's ( @pocketrocketpt) or something like that on Instagram. You may need IVF to help you but getting your body in a good place is necessary for us all on this conception journey. Don't lose hope you can still have babies x
No problem I don't know if she has a blog but I know she wrote for many weeks about the effects of pcos on her body. She does online plans and support so she is definately worth a look as she knows first hand the effects on your body x
Don't be disheartened as PCOS is very common and many women with it manage their goal of having a baby, it often just means it's harder to do. Losing weight with healthy eating and exercise is one of the most effective ways of getting your endocrine system functioning properly, which then ensures the ratio of hormones are optimum for ovulation.
PCOS women create too much insulin. Too much Insulin creates an excess of testosterone which leads to weight gain which leads to even more insulin being produced, it then turns into a bit of a vicious circle. Metformin helps to mop up the excess insulin that the body produces due to the condition. The supplements Inositol and DChiro Inositol do the same thing, our daughter takes 4g of Inositol and 400mg of DChiro every day and it's really helping, you don't get the side effects that you sometimes get with Metformin. There have been some very good clinical studies proving that they work as well as Metformin and in some cases better. I can post the references to these if you'd like them.
Our youngest daughter has PCOS and she's on a low carb diet and doing really well on it. Carbs convert to sugar which raises the insulin produced. She eats a lot of meat (especially chicken), eggs, organic dairy, oily fish, above ground veg and salads. She sticks to just two small slices of multi grain bread a day and rarely eats potatoes and other root veg.
If you have irregular cycles then it's important to take your basal body temperature every morning on waking before you get out of bed. This can then be plotted on a graph or on one of the excellent free apps so you can get an idea whether you're ovulating and if so when. Often PCOS women do ovulate but not regularly, this in itself makes ttc difficult and very long winded. Knowing where you are in your cycle really does help.
There are lots of women on here with PCOS and I'm sure you'll get loads of support! I think there's a group specifically for it on health unlocked but Ive no idea how busy it is.
Oh and if you haven't had thyroid, iron, ferritin and vitamin D blood tests then get them done, thyroid TSH level should be under 2 according to the NICE guidelines for ttc and low levels of minerals can also make it much more difficult to conceive xx
Wow Sunonarainyday! Thanks so much for taking the time to share all the useful and positive information with me💖
I bought the home ovulation kits from Amazon and have used them for 4 months now and I appear consistently to ovulate every 13 days and my cycle is always every 26 days. Im hoping these are good signs?
I am back to the doctor for a 're take of my day 2 blood test and will inquire about the blood tests you mentioned.
I'm supposed to be starting the glucophage today, my friend also takes it and says it makes her feel sick. I will look into those alternatives, thank you!! Your daughter sounds like she's licking PCOS ass! She's lucky to have such a well informed and supportive mum😚
That's really encouraging, did you tell the consultant about the regular ovulation? Irregular ovulation or no ovulation is one of the main symptoms of PCOS:
I had an ultrasound scan done by a technician and the write up was good (hoping that's still good as nothing was glaringly obvious), that was with our 'NHS' equivalent. The private fertility doctor we went to wants to do her own scan for herself. My cynical side is a bit thatthe private doctor may just be making more money from us😔. She suspects PCOS because of the LH levels being double the FSH levels on my day 21 blood test. Also because of my weight and I mentioned I have brown murky looking very faint spotting for two days before my period gets going, she said that was a sign too for PCOS.
It's difficult isn't it and I'm no expert but if the scan didn't find anything amiss then I'd be wary tbh. Lots of heavy women have babies easily, I'm one myself and had 4 the last of which was at aged 37 and a complete surprise. The trouble is with the funding of NHS fertility treatment they use the BMI issue, amongst many other things, to weed people out.
Imo PCSO is the new buzzword for lots of different hormonal imbalances, our eldest daughter has brown spotting for a week before every single period, she's undergoing IVF ATM, that's really why I'm on here, but it's down to her hubby's infertility as his tubes are malformed.
How long have you been ttc? Has your hubby been checked too? Good luck with the bloods xx
Thank you so much Sunonarainyday for your kind words and interests☺
I came off the pill in November 2015, and we've gone from passively trying/hoping it would just happen to full on baby making craziness for the last 8 months. When I got weighed I was 75 kilos, making me a BMI of 32 (I'm really short!😄) so powering on with healthy eating and upping my exercise.
In March when we started our initial tests into why we weren't getting pregnant, my husband's semen sample came back with low mobility so we both accepted that as the reason and didn't question my 'satisfactory/normal' results. So now it's like there's another obstacle to overcome with my possible PCOS. My husband did a 2nd semen analysis after 3 months of supplements and the mobility is way better now🤗
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Help with colleague
PCOS help
First consultation at fertility clinic
Initial consultation with IVF Wales
PCOS success stories and what to expect at the fertility clinic
