@mrsc630: So, I just want to be sure that I am understanding everything. You think that you have PCOS because of your irregular cycles, and the cramping, or just the irregular cycles? Do you have any of the other symptoms? It is entirely a possibility...But I think that you are just regulating off of getting off the pill....since you are having shorter cycles in there too, not just irregular, long cycles.
I definitely think that you should pick up a copy of Taking Charge Of Your Fertility... Charting gives you a great picture of what your cycle is doing. For example, I knew that due to my temperature drop, my period was going to start. Sure enough, it did!!
Since you've already had your glucose tested, and they didn't say that it was elevated, your doctors will probably not put you on Metformin (which is a drug used to treat glucose resistance in PCOS patients, which in turn enhances fertility), so I'm not sure what else a doctor could tell you...you know? I think that if you were to begin charting, you would have a much better idea of your cycle.
For me, my periods went like...27, 29, 31, 39, 26, etc days after coming off hormones. So it definitely could be that your body is just regulating!
Oh and as far as the cramps go... I'm not sure... Personally, I think that once you are TTC, every symptom you have is amplified by like 5 million. You could have had cramps for several days before your period started all along but now that you are TTC you are noticing it. Also, I have cramps in the second part of my cycle (the luteal phase) often. Here is the link to my charts. If you look at the bottom of each chart, the colors have a legend showing which color is "cramps" and you can see I have them quite a bit. http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/totesmahgoats
Some women report it as a pregnancy symptom, others have it as a PMS symptom, so it could go either way! And it's not exactly a common PCOS sign...so I don't think you have to worry about it in that way!
Well, no dr has ever mentioned PCOS to me-
BUT- I've never TTC before, and my doctor has never really discussed anything with me... which is why I switched. I wanted to discuss with him just what I needed to do prepare to TTC at my annual exam- and he basically ordered all the tests and ran out the door. So then I waited to the u/s and DH would be there too to discuss... Turns out when he's arm deep inside me-- I couldn't seem to bring it up (not to mention he was too busy having a side conversation with the u/s tech about adding windows and such)-- and he literally ran out of the door before the tech was out of me.
SO- I'm left to kind of wonder.... and my imagination/curiosity/internet addiction kind of leads the way. This drives my DH nuts- he works in the healthcare field and he hates people like me that don't go to dr's often and then try to figure things out via the internet. Like you said- symptoms are so vague... and can mean ANYTHING
I did get on Fertility Friend.com last night and watched the videos about charting... and I've started that. If nothing else- that will be good data to take to the dr in January if I'm still super irregular.
I guess my body has been on "the pill" for over 10 years... I should expect it to need some time to adjust.
PCOS is determined by meeting 2 of the following criteria.
1) oligo- or anovulation
2) clinical and/or biochemical signs of hyperandrogenism (acne, male pattern baldness, facial hair)
3) polycystic ovaries
Cramping and irregular periods are NOT diagnositc of PCOS.
@cstarkwe: I've seen those symptoms. I even took an "online test" that I had to click on some indicators (high blood sugar (mine was high/average)), being over 20 lbs overweight, etc...
I don't know about the ovulating- I've not allowed my body to naturally ovulate for over 10 years.... and now that I'm 'off' the pill- maybe I won't... which may be causing the irregular periods. I was ahving irregular periods ON the pill also. For a while- I was only having one every other month. At that time- my dr said that was normal (a yr or 2 ago)... When I told him that this year- all the tests started... thus freaking me out.
I've always had the dark hair/olive skin girl problem-- and had a bit of dark hair above my upper lip/ peach fuzz (blonde) on the sides of my face- Really dark hair on my arms. I remove it all now- and it never looks like "5 o'clock shadow"/masculine or stubbly. But, makes me wonder if maybe I've always had this underlying issue?
The tech couldn't find my ovaries.... which worries me. I literally couldn't take it any longer... so she had to stop.
@mrsc630: I think that is great that you joined FF. I learned all I know about charting from FF... I think it will help you to get a good idea of what is going on with your body. I will say, however, the first 1-3 charts are not very helpful because you are still getting the technique down. People often get scared about LPD's and anovulation, then their charts become more clear with time. Also, some doctors don't believe in charting, so don't let that discourage you. I was lucky, I found a doctor that was all for it and could read them.
Here are some threads about what people have been told at the conception counselling appointments:
http://boards.weddingbee.com/topic/can-you-go-too-early-for-a-pre-conception-appointment
http://boards.weddingbee.com/topic/did-you-make-a-preconception-appointment
I would try not to worry about PCOS too much unless you have things that @cstarkwe said, that you aren't ovulating (which you may or may not see right away even if you are ovulating in your charts), acne, are overweight, etc.
@mrsc630: I can't believe your doctor ordered you an HSG when you are just starting TTC. My doctor mentioned to me that it was a possibility for me to get one if it took us longer than about 6 months to conceive and even then only if we suspected something was wrong. Those can be extremely painful (as you unfortunately found out) and aren't something that is usually done for really no reason from my understanding. I just want to say I'm so sorry you had to go through that and I'm glad you switched doctors!
I agree with PP that maybe you shouldn't worry too much about PCOS just yet. Hopefully your cycles are just trying to get regulated after birth control and it can take a few cycles before you start ovulating again. I agree that charting is great and will be really helpful for you to see what your body is doing. Good luck to you!
I will give you my 2 cents. I'm not a physcian, but I will be working as a midlevel provider real soon.
Women (and patients in general) get all internet crazy and try to figure out whats wrong with them. There is a reason why the doctor is a doctor. He/she went to med school and has lots of experience in his/her field. If your tests came back normal, they probably were normal. I find it hard to believe a practioner would lie to a patient straight up.
Secondly, you JUST GOT OFF birth control. You've been on it for 10 years. Give your body some time to adjust. It's quite normal for it to take a good 6 months before your periods start to become regular again. I wouldn't get all crazed just because its been 35 days.
I think its great that you are trying to take control of your health, but as a future health care provider it urks me when patients self diagnose themselves. A little bit of upper lip hair is not hirsutism, a prolong period... might just be a fluke... and if the US tech couldn't see your ovaries... not a big deal. Ovaries are can be hard to see for many reasons, gas, obesity, naturally larger uterus. In fact, usually when you can't see them... its a good thing. No large masses or CYSTs!
Take a break from internet searching and relax. Being stressed out... can prolong your cycle too. I'm not trying to be mean or rude, but give you a persceptive from someone working in healthcare.
I don't think she had a HSG... pretty sure it was a sonohysterography. But I agree with you.. kind of weird they ordered right away.
@cstarkwe: Oh I see, I was thinking I had read that an HSG could be done with the dye or just a saline solution so that's why it popped into my head. Maybe I got the two confused lol. But yeah, very weird to have ordered that right off the bat.
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Hi Bees!
Have a question for all... Hubby and I are kind of TTC. Basically, no more pill and no prevention. If it happens it happens... and having fun with that in the process.
I posted a few months ago- I went in for my annual exam/pap... I was extremely fatigued and had somewhat irregular periods. I attributed it to stress leading up to the wedding, work, life, etc.- dr checked my thyroid, glucose and did a saline ultrasound (might not be the "official name"). I thought that he would just say- sorry you're stressed and pat my head and I'd go on my way... so I was FREAKED when he ordered all of those tests- not to mention he didn't explain them at all and I was trying to figure out if there really was something wrong with me... So I stumbled on PCOS.
After the ultrasound, which was Extremely painful for me (apparently for some people they're no big deal at all- and some people they're awful-- I was on the awful end of that spectrum)-- I had to ask the dr if there was anything wrong with me.. he said everything was "A-Ok" and it all looked normal- all the tests came back in "normal" ranges the dr ran out the door. The ultrasound tech couldn't find my ovaries- and as I was in tears I told her she had to stop after about 30 minutes. .. and that was the end of my appointment.
My husband was in the room with me- and had a hard time seeing me in pain like that- and was extremely upset with the dr's behavior. I've been a patient in that practice since I was 17- and I was very upset with the whole situation also. I had no idea what the procedure was going to be- I was just told it was "a little different from what pregnant women get-- and I might want to take a tylenol beforehand"... No idea it was an internal ultrasound, saline being shot up inside of me and definitely didn't understand that it was going to possibly be painful. The dr didn't even tell me what it was called-- My trust with that doctor was ruined that day. DH was pretty adament that I no longer to go a dr that didn't have time to explain this stuff to me.
Since that in August- DH and I decided to go off of my bc pill and let nature take over. I had 2 periods in September- and another one quickly after in October... and nothing since then. My last period was 10/20-- and I've had a lot of cramping the last 2 weeks- but no sign of Aunt Flo at all. I've taken 2 pregnancy tests this weekend (the dirt cheap ones at walmart, nothing special) both were negative. Not surprised. I've just started looking into temping, charting, and all the signs of ovulation- I'm not using the ovulation prediction kit thingys yet- but I will at some point. I don't KNOW that I ovulated this month... so I'm kind of in the dark.
So now, I'm looking back at those PCOS signs.... I'm now CD35... and cramping quite a bit... and no period.... maybe I'm Not going to ovulate? On BC I typically had 35 days between periods, so- that's not completely crazy- but still my mind keeps wondering.
When I went off of my BC in Sept, I definitely remember having that (sorry, TMI) cervical mucus that was indicative of ovulation-- and lately it has been "creamy" (sorry..) and now- there's not really anything... SO, I'm wondering if it's just not going to happen anymore.
So now, I'm not sure what to do... I have questions... but...do I go to the dr? I have made an appointment with a new OB/GYN in January for "Conception Councelling" (soonest possible) - but since I had my annual visit in July- I really don't have a reason to go other than that.
Bees, are these PCOS symptoms, coming off the BC and my body finding "its rhythm"... all of the above or something else....