Thin cysters who ovulate regularly?

runner22 · 10-07-2009, 12:07 AM

Hi, girls! I wanted to start a thread for us as we are such a specific population. I know it will help me to find people in this group. Maybe we can share things that have/have not worked? I am pretty early in this journey. We have been TTC just 4 months (going on 5 technically, I guess). My cycles are 35 days long. My first cycle on met was cut down to 32 days (not sure if that was really due to met or not though) which is very unusual. We are going on the 2nd cycle of 1000mg extended release. Soooo lucky that I have had no side effects whatsoever.

My main symptoms are annoying chin hairs and acne. I've had some abnormal bloodwork with mildly high testosterone and a very wacked LH:FSH ratio. I don't know if I am insulin resistant as my doctor doesn't believe that it really matters! (I would have to agree, after all that I have read.) But I actually think I am. I used to work at a camp for kids with diabetes, so I would check my blood sugar a lot, and it was usually a little higher than the norm.

So...I'd love to hear other ladies' stories who are in this category! Especially if you are TTC...maybe we can take this journey together! Thank you!!!

sassygirl09 · 10-07-2009, 02:39 PM

I think I ovulate regularly but this is only the second time I have taken a test kit.

Pink Nails · 10-08-2009, 02:54 PM

I think this is me too. I was on yasmin BCP for 7 years and now am on my 2nd cycle off bcp ttc#1.

I just started all this tracking with OPK, basal thermometer and also mucus and already there are promising signs that my body is having a normal cycles. Before BCP I always had a regular period, actually a heavy period. So I hope I ovulate all the signs are there - except I am not pregnant yet, but it is only month two of trying.

Now that I am ttc I am obsessed with trying to figure out what might be wrong so I don't have problems with pregnancy. I know I have high DHEA which is an adrenal source of excess androgen. I did not test as insulin resistant though I avoid sugar and carbs anyway because I feel crappy calories adds extra stress to my body it doesn't need.

I try to tell myself that the cause of my problems are just because I stress too much and am wreaking havoc on my hormones rather than an enzyme deficiency(which I cannot control).

So far in 2 months I have noticed:
An LH surge that seems like it might be continuous. I think it is not a reliable test for me since the LH is probably out of wack to begin with. Maybe that is what negativly affects pregnancy outcome?
Mucus seems to change during a period of ovulation matching the LH surge 12 days after my period but it is not super stringy, just a little bit. (Sorry tmi but it is pertinent and seems like the easiest thing to test)
My temp is very low (maybe a sign of hypoglycemia) and last month it rose after supposed ovulation but stayed high for only a few days which is a short leutal phase then I got my period. I think that is a lack of progestorone which keep the temp high to sustain a pregnancy. So now this worrys me.

I am trying to stay hopeful but there are a lot of things that can go wrong.

runner22 · 10-10-2009, 01:55 PM

Hi, Pink Nails! So, are you seeing a doctor at this point for the PCOS? What was it that lead to your original diagnosis? How long do you think your luteal phase was, and how long have your cycles off bcp been? My doctor gave me progesterone suppositories the last cycle to boost my progesterone. I did already have an adequate luteal phase length, but my p-levels were a little low. Doc said it should help make the following cycle stronger as well. I think the root cause of the low progesterone though is that the follicle that was produced in the follicular phase was weak, and thus turned into a weak corpus luteum. And that's why I'm taking metformin!
Yeah, I haven't tried OPK's yet because "they" say that LH is almost always high in PCOS and can give false positives. Is that what you've been experiencing? I've been thinking about trying them this cycle just to see what happens, but I can't decide if it's worth spending the money! I've only been ttc for 4 cycles. It sounds like a short amount of time, but it feels sooo long, especially since I expected to be pregnant by now

Where are you in your current cycle. I'm on CD 6, and I expect to ovulate around the CD 14-17 (hopefully closer to 14 because I'm away for work on CD 17!!).

Sassygirl09--Hey! How long have you been TTC? And how long are your cycles usually? What kinds of signs/symptoms do you have?

Thanks for your replies, guys!

Pink Nails · 10-12-2009, 12:55 PM

Hi Runner22.
I haven't had good luck with Doctors. They all say I look good and becuase I get my period I shouldn't worry about it. No metformin for me because I am thin. My dheas is high so they figure my excess androgen is coming from the adrenal glands so typical pcos treatment doesn't do anything for that. But of course I was on BCP, which did wonders for every symptom in my case, when they made that assessment. What they don't see is that I feel like the rollar coaster ride you get on in puberty I have not been able to get off of... I am 32 and exhausted from having my hormones out of wack.

Anyway here is what happened with my cyles off BCP:

#1 cycle was extended, including the last pill period it took 25 days to get ovulation signs. The I had the mucus change and LH surge and temp hike all how it is suppsed to work. The temp stayed high only for about 4 days then started to drop a little then down farther then I got my period (a weird clotty one with brown blood - usually I bleed more normal) in about 6 days I think. So I guess that was a 34 day cycle. I attribute that long first half of the cycle to the adjustment of getting off BCP. I am just glad I got a period that quick at least, some of the PCOS ladies wait months to get a period.

#2 cycle mucus changes started at day 10 so the first phase is more normal. LH stayed high. I detect a surge every day I test from day 10 on. I am currently on day 15 I think and my temp has risen from 97 to 98 over the course of a few days - but I Think it is supposed to sharply rise. I don't feel like I ovulated but now the waiting starts - no glasses of wine until I get my period. So I am only on my second cycle, half way through.

It is hard to figure out, it is also hard to be consistant and test everything everyday. Don't buy the LH test, for me it is a waste and a dissapointment to see it not working and basically telling me my body's hormones are elevated day - I already know that they are messed up I don't need the extra daily reminder.

I understand how 4 months seems long. Before this I felt like I was always getting my period and it interfered with my sex life. Now each day seems so long waiting for signs and the menstration is a breater period! It sounds like you are way ahead of me with progesterone and met. Keep in touch, you are doing all the right things and know what is going on, so I think it will work out for you pretty soon.

LivebyGrace · 10-12-2009, 06:51 PM

Hey ladies, I think I might fit in here too. I'm not exactly thin. I'm almost average. I gained 10 pounds after going of BCPs which made me slightly overweight. I'm just about down to my former average weight. I found out about my PCOS in May of this year. It took six months of exhaustion, 60+ day cycles, almost constant nausea, and headaches for me to go see my family practice doc. He immediately tested me for tons of things and recognized my PCOS on the first shot. I was truly blessed in that regard. My bloodwork showed that all my hormone levels were normal except for LH/FSH ratio in which my LH was too high. Over the first two months after being diagnosed I worked my way up to 1700mg of metformin and it has done wonders for me. I have much less of an appetite, I've dropped the nearly 10 pounds I gained in the 6 months after BCPs, my acne cleared up, my cycle shortened by about 3 weeks, my nausea and headaches left, my energy came back. I haven't felt this good in a long time - I really think I am insulin resistant, even though I've never taken a glucose tolerance test to confirm. I take my bbt every morning and have noticed a clear temperature shift every full cycle since starting metformin. Not to mention the clear change in how I feel around ovulation and the ovualtion pain. My DH and I have been TTC #1 for a year now, but I know I didn't start ovulating until 4 months ago. So technically this my 4th it-can-actually-happen-(I hope) cycle.

I'm CD 20 and ovulation is due anytime in the next week.

mlynn · 10-13-2009, 07:35 PM

Thought this thread was interesting...

I did not always ovulate regularly...actually never...until I started metformin 2000mg a day and avandia 4 mg and cinnamon 2000 a day. (check out the new study) This is my third cycle off of BCP since my 2nd child was born, and I have had 33 day cycles. This last cycle I caught my LH surge with an OPK, but it was a BFN at the end of the cycle. I was just so happy to see AF arrive on Sunday...I didn't even care I was not pregnant. I also am doing low carb, low sugar diet and exercise. This combination seems to work great for me. I feel GREAT-a lot more energy, I sleep WAY better too. I also notice that I am not hungry shortly after I eat like i used to be.

My first child was conceived 1st cycle off of BCP. (still amazed by that one) 2nd was WAY more difficult. We finally found the RX mix that worked for me-avandia and metformin and got pregnant the third cycle after I FINALLY started ovulating. I am SO HOPEFUL that our 3rd child will be conceived easily. Time will tell, but I am VERY happy with my cycles so far! We are lucky....we are getting cycles and think we are ovulating....I know how it feels on the other end to have my body doing NOTHING.
Keep up the positive thoughts!

Pink Nails · 10-19-2009, 04:11 PM

I assume I ovulate. I have a biphasic basal body temp chart in the two months off BCP. Always had a regular period before. Is it possible to have a biphasic temp change with no ovulation?