PCOS - Curious about your first few weeks

[kkat55]

Good morning!

Well, since I was diagnosed with PCOS the dr gave me 10 Provera pills to start my TOM. Once that happened, it was on to Yasmin BC pills. I got my TOM on the 11th day and now have had my TOM for two weeks. I was thinking of calling the dr to see if this was normal and thought I'd stop in here to ask first.

Anyone else experience this?

Just curious...

P.S. Does anyone else think that it might be better to move this PCOS forum to the "women's only" area?

[2big4mysize]

Re: PCOS - Curious about your first few weeks

if we move it to the womens only forum then folk googling for PCOS and low carb will not be able to see any of the posts and several of our PCOS folk have said they found us in a search for low carb and PCOS. if you want to discuss somethingon the Women's board you can post it there and link it from here to there but only folk who have joined the women's only forum will be able to follow your link.

[kkat55]

Re: PCOS - Curious about your first few weeks

if we move it to the womens only forum then folk googling for PCOS and low carb will not be able to see any of the posts and several of our PCOS folk have said they found us in a search for low carb and PCOS. if you want to discuss somethingon the Women's board you can post it there and link it from here to there but only folk who have joined the women's only forum will be able to follow your link.

Thanks for responding -- makes sense.

[maribelle]

Re: PCOS - Curious about your first few weeks

Hi...here you are! About the menstrual thing, have you had this problem again? I've had all sorts of menstraul differances since I started this diet, but now its just getting more regular. Not every month yet, but definitely better than before. The longest I ever had a period for was 6 months of moderate spotting, before Atkins. Finally the doc prescribed provera for me, which brought on a normal period, and then it stopped. WILL NEVER USE THAT STUFF AGAIN! The side effects were HORRIBLE! Hopefully I'll never have to.

[kkat55]

Re: PCOS - Curious about your first few weeks

Hi...here you are! About the menstrual thing, have you had this problem again? I've had all sorts of menstraul differances since I started this diet, but now its just getting more regular. Not every month yet, but definitely better than before. The longest I ever had a period for was 6 months of moderate spotting, before Atkins. Finally the doc prescribed provera for me, which brought on a normal period, and then it stopped. WILL NEVER USE THAT STUFF AGAIN! The side effects were HORRIBLE! Hopefully I'll never have to.

Thinking back I had one (TOM) for a solid month. I did call the dr's office and they said that it was normal the first month, possibly the second and third. But, it only happened that one time.

He told me if I took glucophage (spelling?) that I'd probably get pregnant. Wasn't sure if we were open to that option yet. But, I asked him which one would give me more energy and he suggested the Yasmin BC pills. I had pains in my legs off and on the three months I took them (we have a history of blood clots in my family, but he never questioned me on it and that is a side effect) and wondered what he was doing about me not ovulating, hormone imbalance, etc. and since I wasn't allowed to ask him questions, I finally just stopped the pills and started using progesterone cream (from various reseach I had done). Once we get insurance I am going to find a dr who works with PCOS, preferably a female dr who will understand, and get everything straightened out. For now I'm eating lower carb, exercising and using the progesterone cream.

Are you doing/taking anything now (besides Atkins)?

~meow

[lowcarbing4ever]

Re: PCOS - Curious about your first few weeks

I am joining this a bit late but, yes, this is common (on the bleedng thing) I bled the first two months for 21 to 24 days straight. I HATED IT! Not to mention, I was moody, irritable and depressed all the time. I spent more time yelling at everybody and being mad than I ever have in my life. I finally said look, I can't do this! So he stopped me off them. He started me taking a low dose BCP and that helped but my goal was to get pregnant, not take BCP's. He then told me he was unwilling to help me do that til I lost X number of lbs. He is now history.

In case your doc hasn't told you, the BCP's help regulate your hormones and it shrinks the cycts on your ovaries because the estrogen is not "feeding" them, so to speak, into growing. But once you stop taking them, things go back to the status quo, i.e, irregularity, cycts, etc.

The glucophage is good on several points. 1, it helps to lower blood sugar to normal levels, which is a big problem in most PCOS'rs, 2, it seems to help somewhat in regulating ovulation, 3, the best "side effect" is that it can help in losing weight and in some women, large amounts; from 10 to 80 or 100 lbs. (with a change in diet and exercise in conjunction with the meds). 4, they are also finding that with the addition of Clomid, can aid in getting you pregnant (if that is your desire one day). So if you are taking it or have been told you should, if it was me, I would keep taking it. It is more beneficial than it seems. They don't know why but it seems to help most PCOS women control symptoms and keep things on an even keel. One thing you should know about progresterone cream is that over time, it stops working because your body gets used to it and in some women, has actually made Hirutism (sp?) seriously worse. And also because you can't acurately dose it every time, it may cause problems down the road, who knows?

My concern is that he seems to really lack communication with you. Not good. You do need someone who is a good communicator and who also has the gift of listening. You are really gonna struggle with that because so many doctors have cotton in their ears when it comes to women, even in this day and age. They still have the belief that 90% of our problems are in our heads or weight related, especially if they are older male doctors; I steer clear of them if at all possible. I am in the process right now of getting some help for my PCOS and hope to be put on glucophage as soon as I can get them to do it! The next doctor you get, be really agressive. I tell my doctors now from day one, "I have PCOS, I don't need a lecture on my weight or exercise and diet. I am working on that already. What I need from you is help on treating my symptoms and helping me eventually get pregnant. If you can't or are unwilling to do that, we are wasting each others time." I get a few blank looks and some eye blinking but you know what, the B.S. they usually put me thru dies right there and they get serious on giving me answers and help because they know already I will either be difficult or I will complain or walk. We pay them not vise versa and as much as they charge, we need to start demanding more for our money. As women, we always tend to not speak up for ourselves with our own doctors about our health and just accept what they tell us and we need to take control and stop letting them over-step our concerns and questions. Oops! Sorry, I had a soap box moment! LOL!

I have been having irregular periods since i started having periods when I was 16. Then they suddenly went regular when I got married. I got pregnant, miscarried and then the irregularity came back. I started Atkins on a dare 2 yrs ago, and within 3 months of being on and losing 50 lbs, my periods came back and have been regular ever since, thank God. Don't give up, find another doctor, give glucophage a chance and try to cut lose from that progesterone cream, you never know what problems that stuff may cause one day. Good luck and I hope you get your insurance and find treatment.

[kkat55]

Re: PCOS - Curious about your first few weeks

Thank you for that beautiful and informative post!! You've told me more than my doctor ever did!!

Now that you've said that about the BC pills and glucophage, I would be willing to try that again. The only thing I worry about is the blood clots as side effects since that already runs in my family. When I got off the pills, the pains in my legs stopped so I thought maybe it was causing/increasing bloodclots(?).

I have had irregular periods since I started also, but never regulated or got pregnant even though I was married prior to this for a year with no pregnancy and now I've been married almost six years and still the same thing. I wonder what happened when you got married that made you regulate?

Again, thank YOU so much for taking the time to post!! I am more open now to the options you listed than I was before. I really appreciate you sharing this with me!!

[TirtleBaby]

Re: PCOS - Curious about your first few weeks

You know something? Doctors dont tend to know a whole lot when it comes to explaining PCOS! They tell you what it is... but then they dont tell you the answers to the million questions that run through your brain! They have thier methods of treatment and are not open to much else!

I lucked out when I finally found my DR. After many months of being without him.... thats another story! But he knew a few things about PCOS and he also encouraged my research on the subject! I was able to go to him and request that the test be done for the gluc. He asked me how I heard about that, and I said that I had heard it from a friend online! The test was done and I was on Gluc! Now I am starting over! Havent had any lengthy TOM forever and I know I need to get induced! I have insurance now! There is no excuse! I just dont want to have to go through the history again, and the questions... the crap! Ya know what I mean right?

Also I know if I get induced .... I will start my baby dwelling! I think its too soon for that, because I want to lose weight first! But that is where my mind will go!

Post anything you learn along the way!

Oh BTW.... Provera is EVIL! LOL! I bled HARD for an entire month! Medical leave from work kind of hard! Feet up! Throwing things away! Going through one tampon every half hour type crap! Had it for my wedding and my honeymoon....it sucked!!!!! The BC they prescribed did not turn the focet off! It just kept flooding!!!!!

You can always IM me if you ever need to talk! I would love to get to know you better!