So Confused about PCOS - HELP!

kpdpt · 08-24-2008, 05:46 PM

Hi I need help!

I am new to all this.
I am so confused about this stuff!
Here is my story:

I am thin, no acne, no facial hair, nothing like that.....
irregular periods growing up - was told that it was because i am an athlete
went on BC so I wouldn't have a teenage pregnancy
Had a skintag removed from my vaginal canal - was told it was part of my hymen?
went off of BC when I broke up with my long time boyfriend and didn't want to pay for it since I wasn't sexually active
did not have a period for 4 months - thought i was pregnant - took like 10 tests, all were negative
when to the gyno - he gave me a pill to make me start my period - said it was my body's response to not being on birth control anymore and i had to get back to my normal cycle
got a new boyfriend, went back on BC
went to gyno for regular check up, she asked if i had any pain with intercourse, i told her sometimes and that i get pain when i sneeze in the ovary area.
she did an ultrasound - said that i have tiny cysts on my ovaries and had something "much like PCOS" - she left this on my answering machine and said we could discuss it further at my next annual check up
i call for an appointment to discuss it further and she told me not to worry until i want to conceive and to stay on BC until I want to get pregnant
i am married and that scared me, so I did not stay on BC because i thought that i have limited chances of getting pregnant - although i don't really want one now... i'd rather have one now than not at all
its been 1 year and 4 months since i went off BC - no pregnancy
i had periods in: july, sept, jan, march, july
i get sharp pains in my ovaries mid month and have more discharge that usual - my sister told me that means i am ovulating (she has PCOS as well, but she has all the symptoms - i don't have any symptoms except for the cysts and irregular periods)
I took an ovulation tests - it came out positive
We had sex
That was yesterday
today i joined soulcysters
i read that elevated LH is a symptom.......

My questions:

is that skintag significant at all?
was my ovulation tests wrong - do i just have elevated LH??
i don't have any symptoms at all - i am thin, no acne, no facial hair, nothing - just the cysts....
why didn't my NP tell me more about this? she acted like it was no big deal, and never confirmed that i do have PCOS, she said "much like"... what does that even mean?
if i do ovulate... that means i can get pregnant on my own with medication, right?
if i can't.... about how long to most women with PCOS (with cases similar to mine) take medication or get treatment before it works and they actually get pregnant??? i just want to know when to start the meds if i have to?
I have never had blood work or anything done.... should i get blood work done? should i have another ultrasound to see if the cysts are still there, or worse, or better???
should i go to an endocrinologist instead of gyno since its an endocrine disorder?

Tummy · 08-24-2008, 07:14 PM

1. Not likely.
2. Some cysters always get positive ovulation predictors b/c of high LH. Some of us have random LH surges without ovulation (me), so sometimes have + and sometimes have - OPKs. Some ovulate normally and thus the OPKs are correctly +.
3. Me too. Nothing except wacky ovaries -- cysts and no ovulation.
4. I would see a doc who is familiar with PCOS in thin women -- we're different. And there are blood tests that can support a diagnosis of PCOS (i.e. elevated LH:FSH ratio). Realistically, though, there's nothing much you can do until you're trying to get pregnant.
5. If you do ovulate, you could certainly get pg on your own, unless you have other factors (i.e. male factor, abnormal tubes, etc -- unrelated to PCOS).
6. It totally depends how aggressive you are. I knew before I was ready to TTC that I had PCOS, so from when I went off the pill to when I got pregnant was about 13 months, and that was doing everything aggressively -- ending with IVF. I was in a hurry. Some women get pg on their first round of meds, some take years. No real way to predict. My suggestion, though, is that you don't TTC until you are ready to be pregnant, just in case it happens quickly for you!
7. I do think you should have blood work (see number 4), also to see if you are insulin resistant (though the tests are somewhat unreliable, if you test positive you'll know for sure you are).
8. It depends -- my gyno was very knowlegable about PCOS and I felt comfortable with her dealing with it, and she was very thorough. A lot of gynos aren't though. And some endos are bad, too. Try to look at the threads on finding a good doc and see if anyone has posted suggestions in your area.

Good luck, and welcome to SC!

relka · 08-24-2008, 10:15 PM

1. women with pcos do get skin tags, but i don't believe they occur on the vagina.
2. cysters have LH surges without O'ing. that is part of the problem with PCOS.
3. i was on bcp for so many years and it wasn't until i went off them that i had visible symptoms like excess hair. otherwise my only symptoms were polycystic ovaries and irregular periods.
4. most docs don't really treat pcos. it is so poorly understood and most will just put you on BCP's.
5. i do O on my own. my periods are every 5-8 weeks. so if you O it is possible to get preggo on your own. if you want to see if you are O'ing maybe try charting your BBT. if that is too much for you to do at this point just keep track of your cycle, note if you have pms symptoms and if you notice any egg whitey cervical mucus. if you have your period about 2 weeks after having those types of symptoms then you are probably O'ing.
6. it is hard to say how long it will take to get preggo. provided that O'ing is your only issue and your respond well to meds you could get pregnant very quickly. i've been TTc for over 2 years, but only 8 months with treatment including metformin. but i also have male factors so that could be the delay in conception. i certainly don't think you should try until you are actually ready to have a baby, but once you are ready i would then suggest not delaying. you are ahead of the game since you already know you have pcos.
7. b/w would be a good idea. if you are not TTC then maybe find an endocrinologist or gyno with expertise in pcos. when you are TTC see a reproductive endocrinologist.
8. i think finding a doctor that knows pcos is most important. i have had more luck with endos. i'm seeing an RE now who is treating my infertility not my pcos which is fine b/c my goal is to get preggo, but i will probably find a good gyn or endo when i am done with TTC.

best of luck! i know this is overwhelming but it is manageable. with pcos you really have to be active in your care b/c docs tend to do so little.