Sleepless nights

[Pops0208]

I’ve always had suspicions that I may have had PCOS, due to having very irregular periods and it also running in my family.

In feb this year I was diagnosed with PCOS.

I remember that day so well, I remember leaving the doctors and just sitting in my car crying.

I felt like a failure of a woman. May sound stupid but that’s how I felt.

My GP just made me feel so rubbish about myself.

Being over weight, not being able to have children, having male testosterone etc etc.

Ive been to scared to go back to the doctors since. I hated the way I felt for weeks after the last time I went. I’ve always been quite a confident girl, but this made me not want to even leave the house.

I lay there at night googling and over thinking every little situation that involves PCOS.

The main factor for me is not having a period for over a year now, the struggle to loose weight and maybe not being able to have children. I want children more than anything and so does my partner. We’re not in the position to have children yet but I don’t want to leave it to long as I have a lot of friends that are in the late 30’s/40s and they all said to me they wish they started different treatments/tests at my age (mid 20s).

Reading through some of the comments on the page has made me feel so much more positive.

[Hols969]

You must have 4 periods a year to keep your uterus health, that is crucial so go back to your GP and ask for provera to force a bleed. Make sure your smear tests are up to date too.

PCOS egg quality remains better for longer so you can conceive much later in life so ignore that clock.

'The answer to pcos' is the diet I went on about 8 years ago and have managed to pretty much maintain my weight loss since then. Two ladies at the time lost 7 stone each and both conceived naturally, their have been 1500 babies conceived by ladies following Norah's diet so would recommend having a look at her website. Obviously not every diet suits everyone but I found it really easy to follow and still follow the principles of it.

Taking the combined contraceptive pill can help as well, I find it a little easier to lose weight and endocrinologists which are pcos experts recommend it as it masks all the symptoms and when you do want to TTC your body will be less pcos so will increase your chances of conceiving quicker.

As you have a known fertility issue then you would be referred after 6 months to fertility anyway, and it is extremely rare not to conceive just due to pcos (1/3 of fertility issues are now men so your partner needs to be in tip top condition too), there is so much help to conceive that honestly dont worry too much (I was 36 when I conceived Noah who is now 12)

[Abbycole]

Feel downhearted

[Elle6978]

Hi. Can I ask how they diagnosed this? I’ve had scans etc and they can’t seem to tell me what it is so I’m having to hAve a camera through my belly which is quite a nasty op! I don’t really want it but it’s lookinf like I have no choice my periods have stopped now for over a year and I’m in constant agony. They gyne appointment was not much help at all! And I’m still looking for answers

[Poppy895 in reply to Elle6978]

Blood test to check hormones levels and ovarian scan to check follicles on your ovaries. I went to a private clinic that specialises in women as I felt GPs we’re just clueless. It’s expensive and I’m grateful for being able to do it (just about!) but they took less than 24h to diagnose and start prescription. If you can’t afford private, just keep pushing your GP

[Elle6978 in reply to Poppy895]

I've had 2 scans one Nhs and 1 private all they could tell me was one ovary was slightly closer to my uterus! and that was all, i'm going to have blood tests tomorrow to see if these find anything. but still have to wait for this operation! i think it maybe endometriosis rather that PCOS as i've got so many different symptoms.