PCOS Message Board - View Single Post - PCOS Friendly Drs/Alternative Remedies Drs (UK)

Maria77 · 10-08-2009, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sanielle

Hi guys have any of you on the NHS been refused treatment for being overweight? I have been wanting to try clomid for a year and a half but been refused until my BMI is in the normal range.

Hi Sanielle, I am overweight too (BMI > 40!) and been ttc for 22 months now, and probably not ovulating, and very low progesterone levels.

I was registered at a practice in Oldham where I tried most of the doctors for different issues and then started seeing doctor x for ttc last year. He was sort of ok and did not mention my weight, but I would see him 2-3 mins and already be kicked out as he had too many appointments. I was referred for an ultrasound that confirmed my polycystic ovaries, but the hospital I went to treated me really badly (in Rochdale) and then when he saw the results he hardly explained to me anything or wanted to give me copies of my blood results.

So I had enough and went on the NHS website and looked at all the other GP practices around where I live and analysed all the doctors they have, and looked at their specialisations (and also looked at the patient feedback stats). So in the end changed practice and moved to one in Royton (still Oldham) were they have two female GPs with obgyn specialties.

I am fairly happy now. I went and made it clear from the start I had PCOS, and that I knew I was overweight and had been struggling trying to loose weight all my life (I also already have a gastric band which has made things much worse for me). I brought all evidence of my PCOS and insulin resistance to the appointment and got Metformin finally prescribed. She mentioned my weight and said it could be a bit of a problem but that as I had been trying for over a year and am over 30, that I have a right to see a "consultant" at the hospital (not sure if he is a RE or OBGYN). Anyway, I saw him last week (Royal Oldham Hospital) and got Provera for now (though not needed luckily this month) and end of January I am seeing him again and I will get Clomid and hopefully Prometrium.

He said I could only have 3 months of Clomid because of my weight, and then maybe 3 months of injectables.

I am happy with that for now, hoping it will be enough, and was quite happy with my appointment. In the meantime I am doing my upmost to loose more weight with the help of Metformin. I think my consultant seemed to be the kind of person that if I manage to loose weight, he might give me some more months on the Clomid. I hope so anyway.

Sorry for long reply... so although it might depend from where you are in the UK, I think that so far they are not allowed to not help you try to conceive because you are overweight. I think I read somewhere though that you cannot get IVF being overweight, but I hope I won't need it.

Good luck to everyone