Pulling my hair out.....Doctors seem useless

[katlil]

Just wanting to vent. Ha! I've been battling with my GP since i was 16 (34 now). I was told initially i had endometriosis, then it wasn't it was PCOS, then my tube was wrapped around my ovary. Always been dismissed and told we don't do anything unless your trying for a family. Have lived with constant pain, been a whole year without a period, excess hair and overweight and all i ever get told is to lose weight which i accept i need to do and am trying to eat healthy and been going to the gym. I've just gone back to my GP after having no period for a year and we haven't used contraception for 2.5 years knowing about my problems and haven't conceived and now i want a family. She referred me to Gaeno, put me on Metformin and referred me to a weight management team. I had my appt with Gaeno and they pretty much just said to lose weight that was it. A few days later i got a call from the GP saying to come in and discuss the outcome of my Gaeno appt. I went back to GP and she said Geaeno had requested me to have an internal scan and start Northeristone to induce a period and start Folic Acid (none of which was mentioned in the appt). I had the scan (did show a dominant follicle but was mid way through course of Northeristone) scan also showed cysts on my ovaries and a blockage (fluid) in my left tube (apparently this had shown up on previous scans 6 years ago but no one had told me). GP said there had been no change since my previous scan and showed me the results were it said the blockage wasn't of any significance????????? Sooooo confused by that how can it not be significant? I asked GP about Clomid but she said they don't prescribe it only the Gaeno does which again confused me because i have seen others prescribed it by GP. Just feel so frustrated with it all.

[Hols969]

I was prescribed it by gynae not GP so it does vary between places, I personally don't think a GP should give you clomid as you need monitoring as we can overstimulate because of the pcos which can cause problems.

I also don't think you should have clomid until your tubes have been cleared as well, if you have a blockage, how do they know that this is not making TTC more difficult. You also need your partner tested as well as 1/3 of fertility issues are now men. For treatment on the NHS your BMI needs to be below 30, some say below 25 which is ridiculous but it does vary from place to place.

You also must make sure you have 4 periods a year to keep your uterus healthy, if you are not up to date on your smears then I recommend you request one to make sure all is ok.

I would also look at the fertilityfriends website and start charting your temperature as a period does not mean you are ovulating and you can ovulate without a period so nice and straight forward. Taking your temperature is the only accurate way for pcos ladies to find out if they ovulate. Keep your chart as it will be useful when you go back to the gynae.

Sadly most weight management teams do not know about pcos - I would suggest not having carbs at night as a small step. Also one fact to remembers is that if we ate the RDA we would still gain 2lb a month so over a stone in a year just by eating the RDA so we do need to eat less just to maintain our weight!! For me the biggest issue is motivation because it is so slow it is really difficult to keep the momentum going! Low GI and cut out all white carbs as poss as I think they are the devil when it comes to pcos!

[katlil in reply to Hols969]

See that's the frustrating thing she said my scan in 2011 showed the blocked tube(wasn't told that at the time I'm only learning about the blocked tube now) but it wasn't of any significance and that there had been no change in it since my last scan so she never even mentioned any tests on the tube. I actually said so what's stopping me from getting pregnant then if the tube is of no significance she said the PCOS. But I'm reading about hundreds of ladies that have had the dye test to check the function of the tubes. I mean at the scan they told me it was very difficult to identify the fallopian tubes through an internal scan so how can they possibly judge that it's of no significance. I feel like maybe I should be asking to see a diff GP for a second opinion. I mean also it's noted that the main cause of blocked tubes is an underlying infection yet she has never mentioned checking this out either? And maybe I'm expecting too much but surely it should be determined whether natural pregnancy is even an option? Sorry for the venting and thank u for your reply just find it all frustrating and I don't really feel like I'm getting anywhere with my GP. It seems it's become far to easy to blame everything on being overweight when really there are other underlying issues that aren't being looked into. xx

[Hols969 in reply to katlil]

Did they not suggest unblocking it when they saw it ?? Seems a bit strange, yes we do have another tube but you want all the extra help you can get tbh!!

[katlil]

It's all a long confusing story which I'm sure I'm not alone with but in 2011 I was only told the tube was wrapped around the ovary. It was dismissed at the time GP said they don't do anything unless trying for a family. it's only now that I'm approaching 34 and want to start a family that I've dredged it all up again with the GP. she sent me for a scan again and this time I was told at the more recent scan that it had showed fluid up back in 2011 I was never told about this until now. Now there saying it's still there but hasn't changed since 2011 and apparently it's "not of any significance" so no action plan for it. but I'm a bit confused as to how they can say its not of any significance when they haven't done any investigations into it. this is why I get so frustrated xx

[katlil]

should also add not using protection and haven't for 2.5 years and never fell pregnant also pcos diagnosis but GP seems to blame my infertility on the pcos.