Any advice anyone? i'm getting desperate!

shao · 10-15-2005, 08:07 AM

Firstly hello, what a great website this is , i thought i was going crazy until i found it! I was wondering idf anyone else has these issues and could advise. 4 year ago i suffered repeated pain in my lower right side and very heavy peroids twice a month, also my husband and i were trying to get pregnant and it just wasnt happening. I was referred to a gyno who took all my symptoms ( facial and body hair, acne, thinning hair on my head and infertilty) into consideration and said he definately thought it was pcos and he would help me get pregnant. I had u/s which shown polycystic ovaries and my husband had sperm sample which came back with bad results. I was then told our only option was IVF which we cannot afford, subsequently i was discharged. i went to my GP to see if i could get help for my symptoms as i was now getting fed up of being hairy, spotty and really tired to be told my bloods were fine!! so therefore i didnt have pcos. Reading through the forums i see there are lots of people who had trouble being diagnosed and was wondering if it is worth pestering my dr so i can get some help or do i just give up. I'm getting too tired to fight it any longer and feel really let down by medical proffession. Any advise please anyone i feel so desperate. Thanks.

*Shellie_Star* · 10-15-2005, 10:25 AM

Welcome to Soul Cysters. Where abouts in England are you? It seems harder to get recognised over here by doctors than in the US where most the Cysters here are from but there alot of us from the UK here so hopefully we can all try to help you together

I had to pester various doctors for years with no help, basically in my 20's I was told I 'would grow into a regular cycle and not to worry'.

I made sure I did some research so I knew what to ask/question, that way I felt the doctors couldn't 'fobb me off' as much as they had done previously. You know yourself when something is wrong esp when it's been happening for years and getting worse, it's very frusrating and upsetting when 'professionals' dismiss it as not a problem

I eventually found a female doctor who was very understanding and sent me for various tests, specialists etc., it still frustrates me SO much though, I can't describe in words how much!!!

So it may be worth shopping around for another doctor. Maybe look into some natural alternative help so they can see your trying your hardest to sort it out too.

When speaking to your doctor, were you asking specifically about the infertility or did you ask for something to help your spots and other symptoms too? I was prescribed antibiotics by my regular doctor to help with the acne whilst the specialists helped control the causes/complicated stuff! It at least made me feel slightly better in myself and was one less thing to make me paranoid about. Although I've just come off them to pursue an alternative natural route but all those option are worth researching and hitting your doctor with. x

shao · 10-15-2005, 11:10 AM

Hi Shellie and thank u so much for taking the time to reply. It really helps to know i am not alone. In answer to your questions i am from blackpool and yes i have asked dr for specific help with my facial hair and spots. I am disappointed that he isnt more sympathetic. I am back to see him on thursday and i am at a loss as to what to ask for now as all blood results come back normal although it is obvious there is something wrong! Any further advice.........i am seriously considering a private consultation as soon as i can fund it.

CathyWood · 10-15-2005, 09:31 PM

Hi Welcome to SC. Glad you are here. Contact me if you wish.

Pamela · 10-16-2005, 12:52 AM

Welcome to SC. I agree that you need to find a doc that will work with you and help you.
You've come to the right place here to learn about PCOS!! Spme cysters do use alternative remedies and it works for them.
I hope you find a doc that will help you!!

CaraMia886 · 10-16-2005, 02:30 PM

Welcome. Have you seen an endocrinologist? They're the best specialists to diagnose you. To be truthful it took me 4 years to get diagnosed, even with off blood-test results and all of the symptoms..so I wish you a lot of luck.. Contact me if you have any questions or need anything

shao · 10-17-2005, 05:36 AM

Thank you all for that show of support , it meant more to me than you realise. hugs. I feel a little more human today, i have bad days. I am considering putting another post up on ' are your bloods normal but you have pcos' hopefully getting some replies and taking a print off to show my dr so he knows i'm not alone and going crazy ( as i am sure he is one step off offering me depressants) Once again ladies thanks and what do you think to my idea???

choirmissy · 10-17-2005, 02:50 PM

I don't know how possible it is, but I would print off that information & some of the information under the just diagnosed section. If your doctor isn't ready to work with you on it, would he/she be willing to refer you on to someone who would? IVF might not be your only option. I know that for me Metformin has regulated my cycles. DH has no sperm, but we plan to do IUI with a sperm donor. It's not cheap, but it's much less expensive than IVF.

KristineK · 10-18-2005, 09:29 PM

Don't give up. I know first hand how exhausting it all is. And frustrating. But keep pushing your doc until you can get referred to a specialist.

I am under the care of an endocrinologist and she's wonderful. It wasn't an easy journey, but getting her was worth it.

Sister66 · 10-20-2005, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shao

Thank you all for that show of support , it meant more to me than you realise. hugs. I feel a little more human today, i have bad days. I am considering putting another post up on ' are your bloods normal but you have pcos' hopefully getting some replies and taking a print off to show my dr so he knows i'm not alone and going crazy ( as i am sure he is one step off offering me depressants) Once again ladies thanks and what do you think to my idea???

I think it's a great idea! All of my labs came back normal (except high insulin) and more than one doc tried to tell me my dx of PCOS was wrong. I finally have a great RE who works with me and doesn't tell me that all I need to do is lose weight.

Mustard Seed · 10-20-2005, 12:53 PM

I also think finding a new dr might be a good idea. You said it was your GP that told you that you didn't have pcos though, right? Is he your ob/gyn also? Maybe another ob/gyn or an RE might be more of a help. I don't know much about sperm problems, but I do know that it frustrates me to no end to hear of ladies on this board who were told "you can't" by a doctor before anything was ever tried. If you are still wanting to ttc, I would look into finding a dr who can work with you because there might be a lot of less expensive things to try before IVF. I'm hoping the best for you! And welcome to SC!

taraash · 10-20-2005, 01:09 PM

Hi, May be u could print out some info on PCOS on this site and accordingly consulty ur Ob/Gyn. If he/she isin't interested it will be helpful if u find another dr.My blood work was normal including the LH:FSH ratio, but my prolactin was high. But medication worsened my symptoms.

Good luck to u.

shao · 10-20-2005, 07:24 PM

FINALLY my gp is listening, phew! He has started me on metformin and is referring me to different gyno. I feel relief i am finally being listened to and would like to thank all that took the time to answer my posts. I'm sure this wont be my last post as this will be just the start i imagine. Thanks ladies. x

canadiangirl75 · 10-20-2005, 07:45 PM

hi shao, good for you sticking to your guns. i think we need to be a little more pushy when it comes to dr's