sujatha
From: Cyrilla (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Tue, 12 Dec 2000 12:42:34 -0800
Sujatha, I
I think that is a big part of what this group is about, helping to encourage
eachother.
I am afraid I am one of the lucky ones, when it comes to conceiving. I had
an excellent obgyn who was the most attentive doctor I've ever had. At the
time I wanted to get pregnant the first time, I still was pretty much in the
dark about PCO, other than being aware that it had something to do with too
much male hormones and irregular periods. I got a book on fertility (I
think it was called "The couple's guide to infertility"), and surmised that
as I wasn't having periods regularily I must not be ovulating regularily
(brilliant, aren't I!!!). So I went to the doctor and discussed getting
drugs to induce ovulation. To my suprise and delight, he sat there
listening attentively and agreed that what I said made sense. He said he
only wanted to do one thing first, to determine whether or not my tubes were
blocked he gave me a hysto-salpenagram (probly spelled horribly!). It was
kind of cool. They shot dye into me while doing, I guess an ultrasound. On
the screen I was able to watch and see I had all those parts I'd seen
pictures of in those grade school movies that explain menstration. After
that, he gave me provera to start a period and then clomid (can't remember
the dose or the number of days). I said I was lucky because I conceived the
first month I tried, and two years later, I again conceived the first month
I tried. My doctor called me a "Poster Girl for Clomid". My third baby was
conceived at "au-natural" in a bed and breakfast by the ocean in Santa
Barbara (what can I say!!), which came as a huge suprise.
I am aware that many other gals are not so lucky. I understand that since
the root of our problem seems to be the insulin resistance, getting that in
order first can only help. We don't ovulate because we have too much
insulin running around our blood streams which causes our ovaries to produce
extra testosterone, which suppresses ovulation. Insulin sensitizing drugs
like met and avandia and actos enable our bodies to recognize and use our
insulin, which in turn allows the pancreas to calm down and stop shoveling
more into our blood stream, which in tutn allows our ovaries to calm down
and start functioning properly.
I have had a good response to met myself. My periods are about 40 to 50
days apart (instead of 8 or 9 months!!), my hair regrowth has slowed, and I
feel pretty good. I have maintained a 35-40 pound weight loss for almost a
year after low-carbing on the Suzanne Sommers diet. I feel that the met has
really helped me maintain that weight loss, because I'm going through some
emotional things right now and I'm eating really poorly (read: everything in
sight). I lost the weight without the met, and I am anxious to see how the
met might enhance my dieting efforts, if I could just get my act together.
>From what I've read, the extra weight so many of us carry (I still have at
least 60 pounds to lose), has sort of a chicken and egg effect on us. The
weight really makes our problems worse, because overweight can in and of
itself cause insulin resistance, but the insulin resistance can make you
pre-disposed to weight gain and give you a difficult time getting rid of it.
Exercise is another thing that is supposed t be really good for our
condition (but don't ask me, I don't have any personal experience with it
lately!!!).
Hope this helps. The info above is very paraphrased and laymen's terms,
etc., so make sure you do your own research. Besides, I am the world's
worst speller of medical terms!!!
Good luck, Cyrilla
> Hi Cyrilla,
> Your mail is boosting our spirit. I started metformin recently i.e. 1
> week back. what drug you are using for treatment. Did you conceive as you
> wanted by using drugs for pcos like metformin. How long we have to use to
> get it treatment. Is there a permanant solutiion, so many questions I am
> questions.. sorry..it seems you are familiar with this case much, so
please
> help.
> thanks,
> sujatha.
>
> >Dear Mary,
> >I can't help you about finding a Doctor in the twin cities area, as I
live
> >in Southern California, but I can tell you I've been there as far as
being
> >scared to go to the Doctor for the first time.
> >I, like many other gals on this list, have had my share of bad
experiences
> >with Doctors. I was diagnosed with PCO when I was about 19. I was
normal
> >weight at the time (5'4" 130-135), but had the irregular periods and
> >facial
> >and body hair. At the time my doctor prescribed birth control pills or
> >provera to promote my period, and told me not to worry about it, although
I
> >might have trouble conceiving in the future. Years later (and quite a
few
> >more pounds) when I saw another obgyn about infertility, the other doctor
> >said "Oh yeah, polycystic ovarian, they tell that to all the fat women.
Go
> >home and lose some weight, you'll get pregnant".
> >
> >Eventually (with a different doctor, needless to say), I was able to
> >conceive twice using clomid and once as a suprise on my own. About nine
> >months ago when I read a magazine article and discovered that there were
a
> >lot of serious complications with PCO (heart disease, high bad
cholesteral,
> >increased chance of diabetes, certain types of cancer and overweight),
and
> >I
> >recognized that some of the problems I had might be related to the PCO.
I
> >was so excited to find out that there was treatment available for the
> >underlying insulin resistance problem (which, of course, I had only just
> >learned about). I called the offices of the endo's in my area, and none
of
> >them seemed to have a clue what I was talking about. I then contacted
> >UCLA,
> >which is about 45 minutes from here and immediately was referred to a
> >doctor
> >who treats many PCO patients and was very familiar with the condition and
> >its treatments.
> >
> >I wrote all this to let you know that you are not alone. Become an
expert
> >on PCO, whether you think you Doctor will like it or not. It is your
body.
> >I also suggest that if there is a major medical university in you area,
> >that
> >you might try to find a reproductive endo in the women's health area.
> >
> >Good luck and let us know how you do.
> >
> >Cyrilla
> >
>> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: <none@all.org>
> >To: Multiple recipients of list PCOS-MEDICATION
> ><pcos-medication@mail.medispecialty.com>
> >Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2000 8:30 PM
> >Subject: Minnesota
> >
> > > I need some PCOS friendly drs in the twin cites. I have not been
> > > diagnosed (yet) but have the classic syptoms and would like to be
> > > tested.
> > >
> > > Can anyone advise me on what to expect? I plan on going in to the
office
> > > and saying something like "these are my symptoms, and I think I have
> > > this."
> > > I know full well that doctors HATE paitents who do that, but I dont
want
> > > to waste my time or money on someone who only wishes to treat my
> > > symptoms.
> > >
> > > Thanks.
> > >
> > > Im scared.
> > >
> > > -Mary
> > >
> >
>
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