Losing my mind - Period every 2 weeks?

Headmeister · 12-07-2005, 01:53 AM

Hello all... I sure hope you can help me with some advice and encouragement...

Went to GYN for routine exam. He was a new Dr (also a fertility specialist) so after some complaints about how I feel he sent me for bloodwork. The results were inconclusive, only showed that my androgens were elevated and my estrogen was low. Because I wasn't TTC at the time, I was put back on BCP's and sent on my way. With some of my own research into my hormonal imbalance, I decided that I had an insulin resistance problem and an androgen issue. Decided to take myself off BCP's in July '05. Went back to GYN in Sept of this year to discuss TTC. Did some bloodwork and turns out I have PCOS. It wasn't detected before because the BCP's were clouding the results. My Dr. put me on Glucophage and Aldactone and told me to try to lose some weight, scheduled me for more bloodwork in a month to check my results.

Went back a month later (11/21/05) and not only had I not lost weight, but my fasting insulin and hormone leverls were all the same. Also, I got my period 19 days after the last time I'd had it. He gave me the weightloss speech again, and upped my Glucophage. Told me to have bloodwork done in 3 months and he would check my weight and BP again and see if this helped. Told me not to TTC at all until after he saw me in March '06. Told me that he wasn't too concerned about my period, said that the BCP's were most likely masking the irregular menstrual cycles, and said it will even itself out over time while I got better... and sent me on my way.

Well, I just got my period again, now 16 days apart. I am distraught about this. He said it might get worse before it gets better, but this is really depressing. I've been able to lose 13 lbs since he put me on the meds in the end of Oct, I'm eating pretty low GI foods and I'm exercising 3-4x/wk. But I'm soooo distracted by my frequent TOM that it's making me think that no matter what efforts I'm making now, I'll never e able to sustain a pregnancy.

Do any of you wise women out there have similar experiences, or have any encouraging words for me? I've lived my entire life not thinking I would ever want children, and now that my DH and I have decided and got excited about the prospect, it seems like it will never happen (I am also 34 years old...)

If you're still reading, thanks for your time...

Be well,
Heather

OrangeDaisy · 12-07-2005, 05:20 AM

It's the aldactone. I had a light period every two weeks while taking it. Talk to your doctor about cutting back on the dosage or stopping it. I had to go off of it because it sent my BP sky high. I am the only person that I've ever heard of that happening too since aldactone is a diuretic and was once used to lower BP. I didn't mind the frequent periods because I had no cramps while on aldactone. Without aldactone I have horrible cramps!

ABumpyGal · 12-07-2005, 09:11 AM

Nice to meet you Heather

Sorry to hear about all your problems. I can sure relate though! When I was younger I just wouldn't get AFs, often for a year or more, but as I got older I would cycle like you are now. My most common cycle is one week off, three on. Life gets pretty unbearable after a few months of that!

I'm not sure I like your doctor's attitude about all this, to be honest. As OrangeDaisy said, you could be having a med reaction. The meds he has selected just might not be the ones for you. Has he at least checked you for anemia? Anemia is a definite possibility with all the bleeding you are having and my doctor told me it can paradoxically cause even more bleeding, setting up a dangerous vicous cycle. Sure things will probably get better as you lose weight, but I don't really like how he doesn't seem to be giving you much advice in that direction (has he offered to set you up with a nutritionist, for example?),tweeking with your meds to be helping you out to that end, and hinging any improvements on said weightloss. I can almost feel the blame from here!

I get the feeling that he thinks it's somehow your fault that you aren't quickly losing weight or getting better.

Thirteen pounds in about a month is great IMHO! Heck, that's at the top end of the healthy amount of weight to lose in that time frame. Losing weight too quickly isn't always healthy either. Depending on how much you have to lose, that should be enough of a loss to start seeing a difference in your symptoms, too. Research (that you can read on this very site) has shown that as little as a 8-10% bodyweight reduction can really improve IR/PCOS symptoms. Exercise improves things greatly, too. Taken together, even if you have a large amount to lose, thirteen pounds down and exercise should be showing some improvement in things for you. This makes me worry a bit for the lack of your progress on that front, to be honest.

On the fertility front, each PCOSer is different of course. This runs in my family and some have had no problem conceiving and bearing children and others cannot even with fertility therapy. My PCOS/IR was never treated beyond BCP and diet and I've managed to conceive at least five times (I'm 32). I was told at 16 that, as a woman who never ovulates, I would never be able to conceive or bear my own children. I've never been able to have children due to an incompetent cervix (which could have easily been treated if it had been diagnosed in time), but we've decided to go child-free or adopt. Just looking around this forum should bring you some hope on that front... many ladies here have managed what doctors have thought "impossible". I know that doesn't take all the worry away, but try not to let that worry get to you too much just yet. You're just starting out in treatment and probably more than a little overwhelmed in general. When you find the right treatments and your body settles down you'll probably feel a lot more hopeful about your chances of bearing a child.

Hope things are looking up for you soon!

nif · 12-09-2005, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Headmeister

Hello all... I sure hope you can help me with some advice and encouragement...

Went to GYN for routine exam. He was a new Dr (also a fertility specialist) so after some complaints about how I feel he sent me for bloodwork. The results were inconclusive, only showed that my androgens were elevated and my estrogen was low. Because I wasn't TTC at the time, I was put back on BCP's and sent on my way. With some of my own research into my hormonal imbalance, I decided that I had an insulin resistance problem and an androgen issue. Decided to take myself off BCP's in July '05. Went back to GYN in Sept of this year to discuss TTC. Did some bloodwork and turns out I have PCOS. It wasn't detected before because the BCP's were clouding the results. My Dr. put me on Glucophage and Aldactone and told me to try to lose some weight, scheduled me for more bloodwork in a month to check my results.

Went back a month later (11/21/05) and not only had I not lost weight, but my fasting insulin and hormone leverls were all the same. Also, I got my period 19 days after the last time I'd had it. He gave me the weightloss speech again, and upped my Glucophage. Told me to have bloodwork done in 3 months and he would check my weight and BP again and see if this helped. Told me not to TTC at all until after he saw me in March '06. Told me that he wasn't too concerned about my period, said that the BCP's were most likely masking the irregular menstrual cycles, and said it will even itself out over time while I got better... and sent me on my way.

Well, I just got my period again, now 16 days apart. I am distraught about this. He said it might get worse before it gets better, but this is really depressing. I've been able to lose 13 lbs since he put me on the meds in the end of Oct, I'm eating pretty low GI foods and I'm exercising 3-4x/wk. But I'm soooo distracted by my frequent TOM that it's making me think that no matter what efforts I'm making now, I'll never e able to sustain a pregnancy.

Do any of you wise women out there have similar experiences, or have any encouraging words for me? I've lived my entire life not thinking I would ever want children, and now that my DH and I have decided and got excited about the prospect, it seems like it will never happen (I am also 34 years old...)

If you're still reading, thanks for your time...

Be well,
Heather

Hey Heather,
I've been looking for other cysters with the double whammy problem! I was diagnosed in 2001....fought the diagnosis and a NP who wanted to put me on Gluc (I know, I know!). Lost 20 lbs in 2 months to prove to her I could loose weight and therefore didn't have PCOS (didn't know about thin cysyers out there). After "allowing" her to put me on BCPs I moved to another state and after 9 months of bleeding twice a month on schedule I finally had enough, went to a new doc and got a scrip for Gluc 1500mg. I continued on the pill and Gluc and in 3 months I had my first normal month. I've been "normal" for almost 3 years when literally (this past Tuesday) the day after talking to my doc about TTC I started spotting, right on day 14 ....just like in the beginning of all this. Don't know what's happening but I'm crushed. Every time I go to the bathroom I feel like a freak! (ok, that sounds weird).

I should be eating better, I should be stressing less but other than that nothing has changed. So now I started taking Gluc XR 2000mg a day instead of the 1500mg....which brings me to my point. 1500mg is considered the lowest effective dosage. Plus, I think everyone here says it has taken some time for their systems to get evened out after starting Gluc. Maybe time and an increase in your Met is all you need?
I'm going to start Vitex this weekend and God willing I'll have things calmed down in the next few months so hubby and I can start doing the baby dance!
Take care,
--nif
PS. We never wanted to have kids either but something changes when you're affraid you can't. I'm 30 and hubby is 35.