I don't know much about this except for the fact that I apparently have it. I haven't got my period since mid-Nov 07 and was getting worried I was pregnant even though home tests were neg. Finally got family doc where I now live and did blood tests. She told me yesterday that the chemistry shows theres no way I'm pregnany and no way I can get pregnant right now because I have PCOS.

I'm 23, I just started a relationship a few months back with a guy I've known for almost 12 years, and I'm not quite ready to have kids. Doc said I should seriously think about starting to have kids before I'm 25, and have them by the time I'm 30 if possible. I think that's not a bad plan if things work with my BF, but it's also fairly soon in the relationship to be talkin bout that. We're not even ready to move in together yet.

My issue is she wants me to get treated for this, and then go back on hormonal BCP, and then treat it again when I'm ready for kids and in the meantime use condoms til it's fixed and I get normal period and then BCPs til ready for kids. I was on Ortho Tricyclen Lo for a year and stopped cuz of moodiness and other factors. My BF has issues with condoms, it desensitizes him a a fair bit. I don't particularly want to go back on hormonal stuff but don't see another choice. I've read about Centchroman but doc says not best thing since my cycle already not in-sync.

I know it's probably not a good thing to do, and doc doesnt suggest it, but I'm almost tempted to leave it for a few years til I want kids and deal with the PCOS then. Problem is I know the longer it's left the worse it is for me, and I think I've had this issue since probably jr/sr high since once I missed period for like 9 months or something. Wasn't sexually active at the time so didn't care. I've had irregular periods cept for the year I was on BCPs.

Does anyone have useful information on this, or suggestions on how to deal with it? I have an ultra sound apppointment today, doc says probably be normal and she's gonna refer me to a gyn.

I too have PCOS I am 21 ( will be 22) I have been trying for a baby for almost 2 years now with no luck, even with help of reproductive doctors. Some people have easier cases to treat then others not all PCOS are the same. Sometimes meds like metformin can get someone ovulating and having normal cycles again but sometimes it is not enough. I wish you alot of luck, the decision is yours to make if your not ready for kids there is no sense in rushing because of PCOS, do what is right for you. I read alot about women over the age of 30 with PCOS getting Preg. but again not all PCOS are the same. GL with your appt. and I hope things go well! There are some other really knowledgable PCOS Girls on here D4A and I have chat quite a bit and she is super smart on the subject. GL!

Yes, yes, I'm hoping D4A will see this and chime in! She also "treated" her PCOS before ttc using cinnamon and... oh, phooey, I can't remember what the other herb is. Anyway, if she doesn't reply in the near future (she is busy being pregnant after all!), send her a PM (A "link" to her is listed under the list of Moderators for the Contraception forum!). She is the resident expert on PCOS!

Saw Palmetto!... I remembered! Can't use that while TTC, but you can use it before to help stabalize the insulin resistance issues. You don't really "fix" PCOS from what I understand... you "manage it"... and all the HBP will do is mask the symptoms to be dealt with at a later time.

Hello Nafi!

Your best bet Nafi is to go on Metformin, it is an insulin sensitiser which will balance your hormones and treat the root cause of PCOS.

You will regain your regular periods.

If you dont like the sound of metformin (has many side effects) you can effectively treat your condition with herbs, which have no/fewer side effects.

The main ones to try are

Cinnamon 3000mg

Hyponidd

or

If you are very overweight and/ or your PCOS is out of control, Hyponidd + cinnamon (I did this as mine was pretty bad, even though I had lost weight, I had to take more than one herb)

Saw palmetto will reduce acne and facial hair.

The main thing that will help you is diet and exercise. Keep on a low GI diet as this is very important for PCOS and will drive the excess male hormones down in addition to the abnormal blood sugar response to food.

Without diet and exercise, and also weight loss if you need it, PCOS cant really adequately controlled.

Its hard to lose weight without the insulin sensitisers such as metformin or the herbs as your body is not utilising carbohydrates for energy properly. You may find you can not lose weight or gain weight too easily. Once the herbs get into your system (3-6 months) you should regain a lot of normality to your body.

As for birth control, if you like the pill, you can be on the pill in addition to taking the herbs/metformin.

If you dont like pills you can look up centchroman, lady comp (I used it successfully for around a year before trying for a baby) and copper IUD.

Good luck!

Thanks for the responses
I will look into the herbs and see what that does for me. My doctor said Centchroman might not be a good idea with the PCOS already messing up my cycles. I don't know much about lady comp but will look it up in the forums. I wasn't a big fan of Ortho Tricyclen Lo, but doc suggested lower hormone pill like alesse. I think that'd what a friend of mine uses and she likes it, she's had major issues with other HBP. Anyways, thanks for all the help I'll keep you informed of what happens!

Thanks for your input HarleyQuinn. I will look into that Atkins diet that you're talking about. I am not really overweight, have gained in the past year or two, I'm about 145lbs at 5'2, so be nice to lose about 20-30 lbs or so. Had to reschedule ultra sound appt so see what happens with that, then gotta go see a GYN and go from there.

Akins is one of the only diets that work for me....unfortunately. Women with PCOS have very sensitive insulin output and not enough up take, so the cycle is that carbohydrates are not utilised properly and are stored as fat, where as with normal people, it be used as energy.

Like many other women with PCOS, diet and weight loss was integral but wasnt enough to regulate my cycles. I needed extra help with herbs and supplements. Its OK though, Im glad I found what suits me and I hope I can help others too.

Good luck all!

Ultra sound went ok. Didn't find anything, which is what my doc predicted. Got appt set with gyn for begin of Sept. I wish they coulda got me in early, but I'm gonna call and see if I can get it moved up, maybe put on a cancelation list or something. Just sucks cuz haven't had period since nov last year, and I know have no benefits til Jan 09 cuz I started new job and don't get them for 6 months

Hoping whatever treatment they get for me isn't overly expensive or that I can make other arrangements to pay it off if possible..we shall see I guess. Get through the appt first and see what they say.

So I'm still new with this whole PCOS thing and I still haven't had my appointment with the GYN. Not til sept. But...I just got my period today...hadn't got it since Nov last year and not quite sure what to make of it..

I`ve never had breakthrough bleeding. It`s really heavy, like way way more then my usual periods were. Which I guess makes sense since I haven`t had one in like 9months or so. Will this make a difference with the appointment I`m supposed to have in sept with a gyn? It's my first appointment like this and i'm not sure what to expect..

Hi to All!!! I have found all the previous messages to be helpful and hopeful. I have been trying so hard to make the best of this PCOS. So far, I managed to go from 195 to 183 by working out 5 days a week for a mo. in half, still no period. My OBGYN put me on Prometrium..And I don't really like how this pill makes me feel. After an hour of taking it I am completly out of it (Sleepy). However, this pill did not aid in ovulation after taking it consecutively for 2 mo. So I went to the health food store and tried Rasberry Leaf Tea, EstroSense, Fresh Parsley and Ginger. None of these gave me real periods. The Period just didn't look like what I used to see. But I have tried something that is so crazy but it gives me a cycle and ovulation. I take 1 Yaz once a month and 4 days later I get a cycle,it that lasts 5 to 6 days, plus the little bit of weight that I have lossed is not coming back. So what is your opinion on that? I told my doctor and he is like still pushing prometrium on me. Is metformin a pill taken daily or just certain days out of the mo.?

I don't know about all the pills and stuff cuz I haven't gone to see my gyn yet. COngrats on the weightloss though, that's great. As for taking the yaz pill once a month, seems to me that's probably not helping your ovulation cycle, it's giving you a forced period which isn't really a period, like those who take bcps regularly get. Personally, I wouldn't do that. If you really don't like the prometrium tell your doctor you want to try something else. If they don't listen, find a new doctor who is wanting to find something they agree with and that you can live with as well.

Thanks for responding. And I am going to try the melformin. thanks again.

Dynasty- Most Gynes will recomend going back on bcp if you are not trying for a baby, but I know even when I will not be trying for a baby I will not go back.

A great diet is the atkins diet or south beach. I was around 180lbs and I ate around 20 carbs a day for the first while and slowly worked my way back up but never went over 45 I got down to 128 lbs in a year.... This did not bring my cycles back but it made me a LOT healthier. I then started metformin and this did not give me any bad s/e as it does for MANY woman. I was on 1500 mg per day and for the first 4 months I was taking prometrium to induce af so it would hopefully trigger my body to do what it should.... well my body did NOT ovulate on it's own so we did one cycle of femara to kick start ovulation and we where going to let it go the next month to see if I would ovulate but I got preg. and I ovulated before even finishing all of my femara ( 5 pills ) because my body was ready to start working. I also had elevated prolactin and I started meds for that as well..

I highly reccomend having thyroid and prolacin checked as well.

GL to you seems like you are doing pretty well so far

Ok so that was like the shortest period I ever remember having. It was really really heavy, like 2-3times what I remember... But it was short. Yesterday there was almost nothing! So that leaves me with like a 3 days period. Is this normal? Crazy long cycles and crazy short periods? Like I said I'm still really new with this whole thing and haven't seen the doctor yet. I don't know how me having had a period now will affect that appointment either.

I did some research on the net.It seems that one of the causes of PCOS and fertility problems can be vitamin D3 deficiency.I started taking it a couple of days ago.I don`t have PCOS but problems with follicle rupture,but I will try anyway.For vitamin D it is good to be exposed to the sun at least 30 min. a day(late afternoon or morning sun is the safest).It seems that spending most of the time indoors has to do sth. with infertility.

I watched Oprah with Dr oz,he talked about this vitamin a lot.

Interesting...I spend some time in the sun, but mostly driving in my car not just like sitting out there. work indoors til 5pm so cant do much during the week before that.

my sister has pcos and she has 5 children the last 2 she got told it was that bad that if she had anymore after the 3rd that she would m/c or have a disabled baby but Dominic is nearly 4 and there is nothing wrong with him and Brooke is nine months and she is advanced for her age and no she did not take any special measures and she has only just turned 30 as well so there is hope for you

sending you lots of baby dust

Did you even READ my post? I'm saying I have PCOS and want to fix it so I can have kids in the FUTURE like years from now. WTF would you send me baby dust???

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Thanks.