Another newbie, help needed, docs today.

ElleBelle · 11-13-2008, 07:27 AM

Wow just found this site, looks very good.

I have the doctors this afternoon and not sure what Im going to say.

I went about a month ago now with pcos symptoms I have;

Acne(struggled for years Im now 26 and still no better)
Excess Hair
Fatigue
Slightly irregular periods (ranges between 28-49 days)
Some sort of insulin problem, this is becoming a big concern. I have 'shaky' episodes if I go a few hours without food, Ive had this problem since I was a child. I had to have GTT tests in both my pregancies, one I messed up and the other apparently normal.

I spoke to my gp and she listened and sent me for some blood tests, these were:Serum FSH,Serum LH and serum testosterone.

I called up for the results and the receptionist said they were normal, so Im gutted as I was so sure this was the cause of my problems. Ive got a appointment this afternoon to discuss these results, but I dont know what Im going to say if the gp just says they are normal, where do I go from here?

I've been told the receptionist could be wrong as the results may be with the normal range but its the ratio that is looked at and the receptionist may not know that. This gives me a little hope but she did say the doctor says they are normal.

Ive read that people have pcos and there bloods have been normal, and that the ratio of fsh/lh is not used as much now. its just all so confusing.

There is defiantly something wrong,I also had a test to check for hypoglycemia and thyroid before this which were apparently normal but I never went back to the docs to discuss that I just took the receptionists word for it.

I suppose Im just wondering whether to still fight for this, my doctor seems okay but if like alot out there she is not clued up on pcos what can I do? I really want my skin sorted as its destroying my life this is the main reason I want a diagnosis and some sort of medication. Im not overweight and Im not trying for children ( I conceived two with no problems) so does this mean they wont be so inclined to help?

If anybody has some advice I would be grateful.
Hopefully I can get a copy of my results today and get some answers

Sarah Louise · 11-13-2008, 10:49 AM

Hey ElleBelle welcome to SC !!

Are you taking any medication at all ? birth control and such like ??

ElleBelle · 11-13-2008, 11:15 AM

Hi Sarah Louise,

No I dont take any medication at all.
I have taken dianette in the past, long before I thought I had pcos and it did a good job at clearing my skin, but the side effects were quite bad and the doctor won't allow you to be on it to long so it seems pointless to me really.
If the doctor tells me I dont have pcos then going back on dianette might be my only solution for my skin for a few months I guess.

Eva37 · 11-13-2008, 01:35 PM

welcome to sc

my blood tests always come back 'normal' but i am definately a pcos girl. Have you been for your appointment yet?? What id suggest is to write everything down that you want to ask/say to your dr so you dont forget.Thats what i always do.

ElleBelle · 11-13-2008, 02:31 PM

Well Im just back from the doctors.
She said all my results were fine. I did try telling her Im sure I have it.
I said the shaky episodes are getting worse and she asked if I had been following a low gi as discussed in our previous appointment(I brought it up with her after thinking I had hypoglycemia and Id discovered the low gi could help) I told her I have tried but I still eat the odd biscuit and high gi stuff at dinner etc as Im finding it quite hard,specially as I have two kids and a boyfriend to feed and they dont want low gi so it means doing something separate, and thats even if I have any recipes to do!

Anyway she said I might just have a sensitivity to insulin and the only way to sort it was through diet.

As for my skin she said to carry on with the cream she'd given me last time as I havent been using it that long and reasured me she would try and sort it as dermatology is her specialist area.

So Ive been sent away with the pill 'cilest'. Ive just picked it up and its only a 3month supply so I assume I will have to go back and see her for more if its okay. I have never really heard of this pill ive only heard on yasmin and dianette, she said its similar to yasmin.

I asked if pcos was ruled out completely and she said at the moment the results are fine but she wouldnt rule it out completely. She said to go away and try this pill and stick to a healthy diet and lifestyle and if Im still having problems to come back and she may consider having a scan.

So all in all bit of a disapointment, Im not particulary expecting this pill to work any miracles but its worth a try, and still no defiant reason for my symptoms

TakeThisPCOS · 11-14-2008, 01:40 PM

ElleBelle - I think you may want to consider a different doctor. I went undiagnosed and untreated for years because I stayed with my family doctor (a woman) who always said I was "fine". Just because your labs are considered normal doesn't mean you don't have PCOS. You may try a gyn that specializes in it or an endocrinologist. I was diagnosed last year (finally!) by an endocr. and was able to get on the meds I needed to help me.

suzi_anne25 · 11-15-2008, 11:33 AM

Hi.. Are there more cases of women with PCOS having greater instances of Bacterial vaginosis? I feel like I get this ALL the time and dont know how to not make it happen.

ElleBelle · 11-16-2008, 07:12 PM

Hi thanks for your replies.

Unfortunatly there wouldnt be much point in changing my doctor, if I do change I have to go to a gp in my area and the chances are they are all the same. If anything I think I have one of the best as she is very understanding, and seems quite clued up and I realise with normal blood results she doesnt want to do anything more, specially as Im not overweight. As there is no cure for it anyway its just up to me to manage my symptoms myself. She did say if I do have it then its defiantly not a servere case, so she is obviously not to concerned yet. Again it would just be nice to have a certainty of the underlying cause. I am going to continue life on the basis that I have this as all the reading I do makes more and more sense to my life.

I think the only chance I have of getting a scan or further tests is through a specialist, but Im pretty sure I have to have a referral from my gp for this. Unless I go private..which I can't afford.

it is very frustrating that she wont send me for a scan at the moment though,its worrying that I ve now heard that some women have normal bloods but have cysts.

I am going to try out cilest, and if I have too many side effects or just dont get on with it I will certaintly go back and try and push for a scan. From the little info I have found on cilest it defiantly sounds better than dianette, so Im slightly more hopeful