Hello all,
I was wondering what everyone's experience was like when going to the gp/nhs for treatment when over weight?
I am 29 now and I was diagnosed at 15 haven't had a "natural" period since I was 13 or maybe 14. I am overweight now and have been for the past few years but when my periods stopped I was within the normal weight range. I feel that evert time I make an appointment with the gp to discuss my reproductive health they concentrate on the fact that I'm over weight without listening to anything else I have to say. So far everything I know and understand about pcos is mainly based off of my own research (this may be due to me being diagnosed such a long time ago).
I eat healthy, try to exercise as much as I can but my weight is not shifting and the drs don't seem to understand or support me with this.
The last time i visited the gp around a year ago about my concerns with fertility they advised me to loose weight and then go back. Recently me and hubby have really been thinking about having a baby, and we have agreed to make a joint appointment with the gp but my fear is that once again they will advise that I need to loose weight and keep trying.
Gp seems to think that loosing weight will mean that I have natural periods again, my argument is that when they stopped I was a normal weight and was a normal weight uptill maybe 5years ago?
I'm currently on metforming and folic acid
Any feedback or input about your experience and maybe how to kick start our journey to having a baby will be appreciated
Thank you for reading my post and stay strong everyone!
Hi bbymz,
I’ve always struggled with my weight too. Nothing I do seems to shift it. My GP has suggested losing weight on many occasions but she still did all the right tests and referrals for me. Like you, I’ve had hardly any advice since my diagnosis, and a lot of what you find on the internet is just people trying to make money out of it - I don’t think there are any magic secrets to dieting with PCOS, just less food and more exercise. Working from home at the moment isn’t really helping me with that, not that it was much better before the pandemic...
Check the guidelines where you live because each area has their own rules. For me, we had to have been trying for a year before the GP would run blood tests etc (6 months after 35, and I was on the cusp so it was maybe 10 months). The tests were more of a formality as I’d known for years I had PCOS. At 35, I was too old to qualify for IVF on the NHS, but that depends on where you live. My BMI was too high as well (over 30). However, I did get access to several months of Clomid on the NHS. We were also lucky enough to be able to afford to try IVF privately.
The one thing I will say though, is the chances of success with IVF do depend on age and weight, so while I don’t like the NHS restrictions, I do understand that they need to focus their funds on treatments that are most likely to be successful. But having spoken to a consultant, I’ve been reassured that while BMI may be a part of it, the age of the mum makes far more difference to the quality of the embryos and that puts you in a far stronger position than I ever was. Wishing you lots of luck and strength for your journey ahead.
Hey FairPenelope,
Thank you for your response, how did you find being on clomid and did a specialist put you on it after a referral or was it your gp? I wish you luck with the IVF and hope you have some good news soon!
I have tried to get a referral towards the end of 2018 and although they verified my diagnosis (which I found pointless because I had already been diagnosed) they never made it past the "you need to loose weight before coming to us" stage and I kind of gave up because it kept frustrating me to constantly be making an effort to loose weight, not loose any, and for them to dismiss me as being lazy when I was doing all the right things. It made me feel like I wasn't doing enough to the point I was only drinking water and avoiding food for days!
Me and hubby are going to give the gp one more go and see if they finally give me a referral but like I said my weight is my biggest concern right now.
It’s so frustrating, isn’t it! I sometimes manage to shift a couple of kilograms but it all goes straight back on again. But if your GP can’t get past your weight then you need a new GP. Any health concern you have could be written off as weight related and, while losing weight certainly helps a lot of things (if only it were that easy!), there’s a lot that could be missed by focusing just on weight. But I wonder if they will do more now that you’re actively trying. I was told to come back after a year of being unsuccessful and they were never really interested until then.
After my diagnosis was confirmed again, the GP referred me to a clinic at the local hospital and it was them who gave me Clomid. I used provera to induce a bleed, then took Clomid on days 2-5 (I think). They wanted me in for a scan around day 10/11 of the first cycle to see if I was likely to ovulate, then I needed a blood test at the GP later in the month to check I had ovulated. I needed to up my dose after that and needed another scan and blood test but then I just kept going without supervision until I ran out of pills. I haven’t had too many side effects from either Clomid or IVF, but the hormones from IVF make me very emotional. Add the stress of a global pandemic and working in a school with lots of potentially infectious teenagers... well, I haven’t always been very relaxed about everything! 😂
One thing I do know though, is that we are trying everything we can, but sometimes it’s all down to luck. Most people get a chance to try every month. My mum is as regular as clockwork but it still took 8 months for my brother to be conceived. When it was my turn, they were lucky first time. If we’re not successful, I’ll never know if it’s bad luck, weight, age, or something else altogether. All we can do is try our best, and you are definitely doing that.
Sounds like you are now on the right tracks and I really do hope that the ivf works out for you. I understand that with the lockdown everyone is borderline depressed I can only imagine how you feel with all the hormones plus school kids!
I think for me lockdown has been a major motivator to try and have our own 1) everyone seems to be having a baby and 2) i haven't been able to keep my mind as occupied like pre covid so all those feelings and thoughts of having my own family have been coming to the forefront of my mind.
The thought of seeing a gp again has made me feel insecure and I guess guilty & ashamed ? Is it so wrong for a larger lady with fertility issues to want to have her own family? I would just like to be seen as a normal patient and not just as someone who is fat... what's frustrating is that I know ladies who are much larger than me who don't have any issues and manage to get pregnant naturally. No one says to them they need to loose weight first then have a baby so why do they say it to us pcos ladies?
Sorry I had a rant there 😅 but honestly I wish you the very best and hope you are successful! Keep us updated about your journey and informed of all the ups and downs. ❤️