Possible to have regular periods and pcos? - Page 2

Jenneral · 09-11-2009, 10:49 AM

My Dr. based it upon the fact that I have cysts all over both of my ovaries through ultra sound and that my periods had begun to be irregular. I used to be 28 days like clockwork then it would come every 3 weeks, then 40 days, then only last 3 days, etc, over the past 6 months. After 2 cycles on 500mg of Met I have had a 27 and 28 day cycle.
She said that the bloodwork can be normal one month, then abnormal the next. I have to go back to do follow up work as well. She thinks that my egg quality in just not good as I haven't been able to conceive after trying for over a year using OVP kits and BBT.
After the Met I have also noticed that intercourse is less painful, I don't know if anyone else experiences that or not but I wasn't able to have intercourse for long as the pain was too intense.
I'm guessing it must be starting to help the cysts but this last month i've had horrible pain and cramping and AF isn't due until the 23rd.

runner22 · 09-12-2009, 01:32 PM

DLChic428--how did your labs go??

runner22 · 09-12-2009, 01:38 PM

Jenneral--that sounds encouraging, especially on just 500mg! It sounds like your cycles are more regulated anyway. Does your doctor have any plans to move up your dosage? Are you still getting blood tests while on the metformin? My doctor has decided not to get more blood tests once I've started met--just wondering if that's normal? Hope that cramping goes away!

Jenneral · 09-14-2009, 01:00 PM

Yes I got a 90 day supply to try then have to go back to see how it's going and to check bloodwork again and increase the dosage if necessary. It's such a long process but hopefully it will pay off!
I'm still getting pains but not a constant as before.
Getting pregnant is one of my main concerns but most importantly is managing the pain. My husband and I aren't able to have intercourse sometimes because it becomes too painful. That actually started to get better too after the first month which is so relieving.

Pink Nails · 09-17-2009, 02:30 PM

[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']CandyJimmyMilly-[/font]
[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif'] [/font]
[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']You sound similar to me. When you say "since starting treatment" what do you mean by treatment? I was on BCP which helped tremendously but now I am ttc#1 (just went off pill last month) so I don't take anything except B vitamin and try to eat less sugar and carbs and keep active. Do you know if you ovulate? [/font]
[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif'] [/font]
[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']I also have PMS so bad. I hate it I am so moody even though I am a glass half full type person. My DH said he never fully understood the meaning or the word irritability until he lived with me. : ([/font]

Happy Wife · 09-17-2009, 08:28 PM

The answer to this question is a big fat YES. I have had regular cycles (28-30 days) since I was 13. I am now 35 and have had no change. The only way I found out there was something wrong was blood tests done by my obgyn after ttc for 18 months with no luck. Hubby was a trooper and got tested at the same time I started my blood work. Even my obgyn did not think I had pcos until the second half of my third round of tests came back. second round-Low progesterone (possibly no ovulation) second round-High insulin, fourth round-low progesterone confirming no ovulation. I had a lot of the classic symptoms too, acne, hair growth, weight gain, difficulty loosing, etc. I have noticed improvement in a lot of my symptoms in just 3 weeks on metformin.

greyt00 · 09-17-2009, 11:22 PM

Hi everyone, first post. I'm not sure if I have PCOS or not. I'm 5'8", 125 pounds. My sister was diagnosed with it a few years ago after having 2 early term miscarriages. She had weight gain, acne, and hair loss. My "symptoms" are acne, facial hair (very, very light colored, fortunately!) and hair loss. I've used ovulation test kits successfully a few times, but I don't know if I really ovulate or not. I've been off the BC pill since September 2008 and my periods re-regulated quickly at around 26 days. I've only been TTC for 7 months, but since my sister has PCOS and I have the skin/hair problems, I got tested. They found 1 cyst on each ovary but they were gone on re-check a few weeks later. My bloodwork was all normal except my fasting glucose was at the high end of normal. We were doing a couple things wrong when TTC (using lots of lube for one) so I don't know if anything is really wrong with me or not. Hubby is OK. Doc told me to reduce my sugar intake and take Cinnamed. I’ve been doing this for a few weeks but I am a carb addict, so it’s hard. One one hand I was glad he didn’t definitively say I have PCOS, but on the other I really want a solution to my skin and hair. My skin had always been pretty good until Sept. 2006 when I had a super horrifying breakout all over my face. I never got back to normal after that. I have lots of pimples and my skin tone is blotchy now. It's depressing. My last experience with a dermatologist did not go well. Anyway, next step is to call my regular ob-gyn and see if they can monitor me for ovulation (closer to home). I’m in a hurry now to get pregnant because we waited 7 years before trying and now I am worried I never will!

Happy Wife · 09-18-2009, 12:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greyt00

Hi everyone, first post. I'm not sure if I have PCOS or not. I'm 5'8", 125 pounds. My sister was diagnosed with it a few years ago after having 2 early term miscarriages. She had weight gain, acne, and hair loss. My "symptoms" are acne, facial hair (very, very light colored, fortunately!) and hair loss. I've used ovulation test kits successfully a few times, but I don't know if I really ovulate or not. I've been off the BC pill since September 2008 and my periods re-regulated quickly at around 26 days. I've only been TTC for 7 months, but since my sister has PCOS and I have the skin/hair problems, I got tested. They found 1 cyst on each ovary but they were gone on re-check a few weeks later. My bloodwork was all normal except my fasting glucose was at the high end of normal. We were doing a couple things wrong when TTC (using lots of lube for one) so I don't know if anything is really wrong with me or not. Hubby is OK. Doc told me to reduce my sugar intake and take Cinnamed. I’ve been doing this for a few weeks but I am a carb addict, so it’s hard. One one hand I was glad he didn’t definitively say I have PCOS, but on the other I really want a solution to my skin and hair. My skin had always been pretty good until Sept. 2006 when I had a super horrifying breakout all over my face. I never got back to normal after that. I have lots of pimples and my skin tone is blotchy now. It's depressing. My last experience with a dermatologist did not go well. Anyway, next step is to call my regular ob-gyn and see if they can monitor me for ovulation (closer to home). I’m in a hurry now to get pregnant because we waited 7 years before trying and now I am worried I never will!

Fasting glucose is usually done as part of a standard physical have they checked any other hormone levels and your insulin level? I was diagnosed after my fourth round of blood tests. If you have not done so you will have to go in on specific days of your cycle to have blood drawn. I have not had and ultra sound done but I do know that at one time I did have a cyst on one of my ovaries. It was spotted during an MRI for my back after a car accident, but I was never told. I did not find out until a few years later when I was reading the full MRI results as I was shreadding them. As for the ovulation test kits I have been doing them for 2 years and getting positives every month but not ovulating. I found out that women with pcos can have elevated LH levels causing positives on the tests. You need to get a full cycle blood work up.

greyt00 · 09-18-2009, 01:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy Wife

Fasting glucose is usually done as part of a standard physical have they checked any other hormone levels and your insulin level? I was diagnosed after my fourth round of blood tests. If you have not done so you will have to go in on specific days of your cycle to have blood drawn. I have not had and ultra sound done but I do know that at one time I did have a cyst on one of my ovaries. It was spotted during an MRI for my back after a car accident, but I was never told. I did not find out until a few years later when I was reading the full MRI results as I was shreadding them. As for the ovulation test kits I have been doing them for 2 years and getting positives every month but not ovulating. I found out that women with pcos can have elevated LH levels causing positives on the tests. You need to get a full cycle blood work up.

Yes, they did a ton of tests on the special day (day 4 for me) and I went back on day 9 for the sonohysterogram. They took so much blood I felt horrible for the rest of the day. They did testosterone and the sex binding globulin and dozens of others, including glucose tolerance. Dr. Allon said the only slightly abnormal thing was the high normal fasting glucose. I am going to ask for a copy of all the results, though. I want to see the androgen/testosterone numbers. I'm sorry that you are not ovulating. I wonder if I am not, too. I don't know why it has to be so hard. I need to call my regular ob-gyn and find out how they verify I'm ovulating. Do they do a vaginal ultrasound every day to look for eggs? I have no clue. The specialist doc is too far for me to drive every day for several days if that's what it takes to see if I'm ovulating.

Happy Wife · 09-18-2009, 02:47 AM

to check ovulation they do a blood test a specific day after expected ovulation to check progesterone levels. If they are too low this will indicate that you did not. I have to have one tomorrow. This will be the third one in three months and the first one since I started metformin and clomid. If they already did all the other tests I don't know why they did not do this one for you yet. This is one of the rest ones they did on me.

Pink Nails · 09-18-2009, 01:43 PM

Fish Oil, 3-4 capsules a day, that was the one the doc said would help with moods.[/quote]

Thanks! I took my first Omega 3 capsule today though recently I have been eating a lot of fresh fish anyway. I am so glad to hear you have three children! I just got off the pill last month and it appeared from the mucus and temp testing I was doing that I ovulated though I didn't see a difference with the over the counter ovulation kits that test LH. Anyway hopefully conceiving won't be a problem, the rest I can battle.

greyt00 · 09-19-2009, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy Wife

to check ovulation they do a blood test a specific day after expected ovulation to check progesterone levels. If they are too low this will indicate that you did not. I have to have one tomorrow. This will be the third one in three months and the first one since I started metformin and clomid. If they already did all the other tests I don't know why they did not do this one for you yet. This is one of the rest ones they did on me.

Thank you for the info. This test is next on the list. I couldn't monitor at the doc last month because I was out of town. I'm glad it's a blood test and not the pee strips. I want to see if my regular ob-gyn will do this for me since he is close to home.

Happy Wife · 09-19-2009, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greyt00

Thank you for the info. This test is next on the list. I couldn't monitor at the doc last month because I was out of town. I'm glad it's a blood test and not the pee strips. I want to see if my regular ob-gyn will do this for me since he is close to home.

I had mine done yesterday now I am just waiting for them to post my results online. I should know something this weekend. If the numbers are good (which I think they will be) I will probably POAS on the 25th.

Jenneral · 10-20-2009, 07:05 PM

Hi everyone
I just wanted to update on this thread as well. I was referred to a fertility clinic. My Dr. bumped me up to 1000mg of Met per day, and so far i've had no change in symptoms from taking it, it's been fine. Had periods now at 27, 26 now 29 days apart! I'm getting a sonohystogram done on the 29th then the one where they take the sample of the endometrial lining on the 10th of Nov. I had a ton of bloodwork done as well. So far the past 2 times the bloodwork has all come back normal. My husband is doing 2 sets of semen analysis as well. I can't wait to go in to discuss the results, i'll keep everyone posted! The Met also seems to be helping the cust pain which is good.

Pink Nails · 10-21-2009, 06:43 PM

Going back to the beginning. When you ladies say "regular periods" how do you know you are ovulating or not? I have been testing temperature and it is biphasal so I am assumming that means I ovulate. However I am not yet preggo either but my husband has sperm too.