Daughter has PCOS

Worried Dad · 05-28-2009, 02:59 PM

Hi, I’m new to this Forum type of thing, in fact I have never joined anything like this before. Yesterday we found out our 14-year-old daughter is suffering from PCOS, until then I had not even heard of the condition.

My wife, 2 daughters and I are British but have been living in Thailand for 5 years, My initial worry is regarding the medication that the doctors here in Thailand have prescribed for our daughter and would appreciate some advice from the members here. I suppose at times like this we do miss the infrastructure that a country like England would provide in our hour of need.

Our daughter is beautiful, very fit, healthy and normal, not overweight and does not suffer from excess body hair. She has the usual acne / pimples that any 14 year old would get on her face and back so does not fit into the stereotype of a PCOS sufferer.

The doctor has prescribed her to take Provera for 10 days per month, is this the correct first step towards containing the illness? My wife and I have spent the last 24 hrs on the internet to try to establish how to proceed with this but we feel asking fellow sufferers on this forum is the best way forward.

I thank you in advance for your comments and helpful advice on this subject.

Dave.

MDD · 05-28-2009, 03:11 PM

Dave,

I can imagine how worried you are!!! PCOS is a struggle but your daughter does sound like she is on the right track. Tell her to keep exercising and eating right. Did they give her provera because she is not getting a menstrual cycle each month? I know for most of us that is why they give it, it induces a cycle.

Melissa

Worried Dad · 05-28-2009, 03:26 PM

Hi Melissa,

thanks for your swift reply, yes I believe that is exactly the reason why the Provera was advised.

Thanks,

Dave.

MDD · 05-28-2009, 06:03 PM

You are welcome!!! I understand how frustrating it is to find answers. Did the doctors do bloodwork to determine if it is indeed PCOS? If they did not do bloodwork you can ask for what we call day 3 hormone testing. She will have bloodwork done on day 3 of her cycle and it tell the doctors her hormone levels and that will also help them to determine if there are any other issues. If you do't like the idea of provera there is also a drug called Metformin and they use it for ladies who have blood sugar issues and are IR which is insulin resistant. But from what you have said your daughter may not fit into that category. I hope this helps.

Melissa

TheNewMrs. · 05-28-2009, 06:20 PM

Also just a standard birth control pill helps a lot if she's not planning to get pregnant anytime soon. I would personally think that would be the first step. Additionally, since it sounds like she has a more "mild" (if you could say that) for of PCOS, than birth control pills just might do the trick to regulate just fine!

XxPrincess2602xX · 05-28-2009, 06:25 PM

I agree with TheNewMrs. I think birth control pills might be good for her, since as you've said... she really doesn't have too many symptoms of PCOS.

Also remember.. if you or your daughter ever have questions, we're here. This is a great forum with a lot of wonderful women. I hope we helped a little bit.

PBLayzod · 05-28-2009, 06:40 PM

I know the idea of birth control pills must be scary for a dad, but it's probably going to be the easiest fix for irregular periods. It sounds like that's her main symptom right now.

Most women don't get a diagnosis until and unless they are having problems trying to conceive. She may escape with relatively few symptoms, so try not to worry about things that haven't happened yet.

Anonykat · 05-28-2009, 06:42 PM

I'm wondering what everyone else thinks of taking Provera to induce a period every single month? That stuff makes you very tired and sometimes cranky. While of course it's not good to go months and months and months on end with no cycle, I'm wondering about taking it EVERY month, esp. at her age. None of my doctors ever said that was necessary.

PBLayzod · 05-28-2009, 06:45 PM

Yeah, I'd think provera would be more of an every 3 or 6 months thing. Along with inducing a monthly period, bcp might have the added benefit of helping with the acne.

stushy · 05-28-2009, 08:20 PM

I was also 14 when I was diagnosed with PCOS. My doctor placed me on birth control pills and that did the trick until I came off them when I was 27. I too showed no real symptoms, was actually quite thin, normal acne, no extra body hair just missed periods. So That would be a great solution for your little girl. As she gets older she may experience some of the side effects of PCOS a little more as I have but for the most part you would never know I had it. Trying to conceive is a little more difficult but she has a long way to go before she has to worry about that. Try not to worry too much. You have a good support group here.

Athletic Cyster · 05-28-2009, 08:57 PM

Worried Dad, Good for you for being on here and for being so supportive of your daughter. When I was first diagnosed as a teen I was put on the pill which worked fine to regulate everything. Sounds like your daughter is similar to the way I was; athletic, in shape, didn't have many signs, etc. The pill worked great for me and kept everything under control. It's only now that I'm in my late 20's and trying to get pregnant that I've spent the past few years looking into methods of getting my body to ovulate on its own.

I'm not sure about the provera every month. Seems to me that if the issue is that she's not getting her period and the doctor is worried about her not shedding the uterine lining each month the pill would do the same thing. Plus, I feel like they probably have more research on long term effects of birth control then they do long term effects of provera usage. I'm not a doctor though - just my opinion.

Your daughter will be fine. Being diagnosed with PCOS can be scary, especially when you read all of the medical literature on it, but there are tons of us cysters out there living normal, awesome lives. Please use us as a resource.

klmcconne79 · 05-28-2009, 09:11 PM

First off, I would like to commend you for taking such a step to find out about PCOS from the women who suffer from it. I do have several questions...

1 - Did your daughter go thorugh blood testing to determine PCOS or was the diagnosis of PCOS from absent periods? I ask because without the proper blood testing there are several other reasons why she could not be getting her periods besides PCOS.

2 - If she has been blood tested, was it determined that she is insulin resistant? If she is, there is a medicine called metformin (which was mentioned earlier) and this could help bring back her periods without being put on the birth control pill.

As others have stated it is a scary thought to put such a young girl on the pill. But, this will help regulate her cycles without having to take provera on such a consistnet basis. However, prolonged use on the pill for some of us PCOS'ers tends to cause problems down the line when trying to get pregnant. I know that she isn't going down that path just yet, but it is something to keep in mind.

You should give her the information to this site and have her check it out. There is a wealth of information that your family can gain.

All my best.

MommyDreams08 · 05-28-2009, 09:24 PM

If she has been properly tested for pcos and the docs know for sure she has pcos, then I wouldn't have her on provera every month, I would probably get her on birth control, metformin xr, or both.It's definitely more to pcos than provera can solve. Good luck to you all!!

Worried Dad · 05-29-2009, 04:06 AM

Dear All,

Many thanks for all you kind words of support and helpful advice, its really appreciated!

In answer to all your questions the brief story is below. Our daughter has not had any bloods taken yet but her ultra sound scan showed up some Cysts. The Dr (Female) suggested using Provera to basically "kick start" her period this month and then after this we can discuss our options, I think its about 4 - 5 months since her last period (not too sure as its not a discussion Dads usually get involved with!!)

We will push at this time to get blood tests taken and hopefully we will gain more information to share on this forum.

Unfortunately I am working away at the moment and my wife is at home with our 2 daughters, she has asked me to thank you all so much for your kindness and explain she is "not coping with it too well at the moment". She is a strong person and will come through this and probably will, in time share info on here with you all.

Thanks again,
Dave.

TheNewMrs. · 05-29-2009, 08:47 AM

Well, I think finding cysts definitely says PCOS, but blood work is nice too just to see wehre you stand. Hmm...birth control would "kick start" her periods just the same as Provera and it seems a bit "lower key" than Provera, but that's something between you, your daughter, and the doctor.

Glad you're finding our opinions and experiences helpful.