PCOS! Im not alone! ^_^

Wow, Im so glad I stumbled upon this board. My main reason I want to go through with my WLS is so that I can get my period back and have a healthy body for my child. My gynecologist believes that I have PCOS. Her words were "its most likely PCOS" and her instructions were to lose some weight. Is that all there is to it? Ive done a little research on PCOS, but its mainly the symptoms side. I have the facial hair, I have the missed period, (for almost 2 years before I saw a doctor) and I have the obvious weight gain. Ive always been a bit left in the dark about this subject. And Im really banking on the WLS to be the factor that helps me. Is this a safe bet? Any info, advice you can give me will be greatly appreciated. Thank you all for any contributions! ^_^ *Amy*

What exactly do you want to know? I'm also surprised that your gyno did not do an ultrasound to confirm your problem to be PCOS, however your symptoms do hit directly on target. Later, tea

Im mainly wanting to know if weight loss is a solid way to become fertile again. I mean Ive heard that it is, just really wanted to hear some real results. I believe my gyno wanted to do a bunch of tests but when I told her that I was having WLS she seemed pretty certain that it would help me. Not sure why she wouldnt follow through with the tests though. Im going to go back in and see her. I need to get on birth control and Id really like a confirmation that PCOS is my problem. Her logic was... I cant think of anything else that it would be. Ive had paps and exams but thats about it. Thank you so much for the reply! ^_^

I "HAD" PCOS....I DID get pregnant but it felt like it took for ever to get pregnant.  With my oldest son, it took exactly two years of trying...With my second son, 18 long months of trying.  Then I had the DS (Duodenal Switch).  My period after not having more than 4 in 4 years came two days AFTER surgery.  For 10 months, my period was on time, like clockwork.  So, I was 2-weeks late and took a pg test...POSITIVE after not even trying!!!  I was 10 months post op and had an AWESOME pregnancy and a super healthy little boy, yes...My THIRD son!  LOL!  We weren't trying for a baby...But, God had different plans and blessed us greatly and unexpectedly. Good luck!  Losing weight WILL help you a lot.  Just be SUPER careful post-op -  You REALLY DO become more fertile.  Plus, the RNY is a different surgery than what I had, so we absorb, malabsorb things differently.  DO wait the recommended time before you get pregnant to ensure a healthy baby. It will happen for you, too... Hugs, Darcy (No more PCOS for me!  YAY!!!  Thank you God, the DS, and Dr. Marchesini!)

weight loss is the only way your likely to become fertile without extensive assistance but its not a guarantee, if youve missed your period 2 years you need proverin or a DNC before it gets any uglier in there cause that stuff builds up untill it fills your womb with "material" and it starts to go bad if you get me.  there are many websites for pco just do a search on it and read up on it.  if you dont do somethign (proverin or dnc) soon youll likely do like me and bleed for 18 months at the time or lik the 2nd time i started to hemmorage to death and they had to go in and burn my uterus lining out so my potential fertility now is basically zero.  If your gyno is so clueless you might consider another one, one that can help you get treatment etc.  There is also metaforin (spellin?) it will potentially help you loose some weight but i weighed 435 the metabolism doctor said it might help me loose 40 pounds that wouldnt do much for me or help me so i went with the bypass, not for fertility but so i can loose enough weight they can do a hysterectomy on me before it turns cancerous (which is what happens when you dont have your period for long periods it increases your chance of uterine cancer by some high percentage) Now all this may sound a bit scary , it is, sorry but if someones not telling you the facts you better find someone that can before it gets any later savy?

wow! Thank you so much for your reply. I have had provera. The first time they put me on it (10 mg for 10 days) it didnt work. This was back in I think September, 2007. The second time was November and around day 7 it started working. Most painful period ever. But Im a poor judge on menstrual pains because Ive always been lucky to have little or none prior to this. After this I went back in to see my gyno and she told me to not take it anymore and see if it occurs on its own in November. It didnt. I went back the following month and also told her that I was going through WLS and she didnt feel the need to give me a refill. So in 3 years Ive had my period twice. Once with Provera and once on family vacation in Oct 2006. This all is very scary, and Im sorry for all you had to go through. As I stand right now I have to make an appointment with her for birth control during my WLS, just to be safe. And when Im in there I will confront her (of course in my happy cheery way ^_^). I really need her to be more aggressive with this because that can be the difference between me having children and not.

well realistically you need to have 4 periods a year minimum according to my gyno yes one of the top 10 in houston and yea i pay big time to see him, anything less is detrimental to your health not to mention your fertility.  I hate, hate hate (i cant say hate enough here) taking the proverin stuff, its not only the most painful periods ive ever had its just as bad the 10 days im taking the pills, and once it starts its like niagra falls my bathroom looks like a horror movie every time i go in there (yea ive had lots of problems trying to work while coping with this, its gotten me in trouble and my supervisors dont find girl problems an acceptable excuse) my problems arent to bad anymore now that ive had my rny they are getting better daily... anything that don't kill you makes you stronger.  Be firm but strong with your doc and if they dont have the education and info you need suggest she either get it or find youself a new doc...seriously. there is no need to be "well you probably have pco" there are definitive hormone tests that can verify it even without an ultrasound on your ovaries (which has never found any cysts only some fluid where some ruptured the 2 times i took one) Good luck!

Yep...sounds like PCOS to me too.  Like you I never cycled before I had WLS.  I went without a period for 3 years before starting on Provera.  Unfortunately for me provera had little effect on me and I would be lucky if I would spot for an hour.  I had also gone through 8 years of various failed fertility treatments before having WLS.  I found that at 1 year post op RNY I had regular 36 day cycles and I was ovulating on my own (after failing at both Clomid & injectable Repronex pre WLS) and our first month not using protection I got pregnant.  I had a healthy pregnancy & baby who is now 18 months old.  I just had my Mirena IUD removed last month to gear up for ttc #2.  For me my PCOS brought along with it insulin resistance (IR) that later turned to diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea (due to the weight), acanthosis nigricans (AN)(...which are darkened areas of skin typically on the elbows, neck, underarms, groin, 'braline', 'pantline', knees, ankles and sometimes knuckles...this is due to an insulin imbalance), acne, facial hair growth, skin tags...you name it...I had it.  Now luckily all I have left is the hypertension (STRONG family history of it) & hair growth on my chin.  Unfortunately that will never go away without laser hair removal. Many women with IR & PCOS do well with some small amount of weight loss while taking Metformin which is a diabetic drug to make your body more sensitive to the insulin you are producing.  But it doesn't work for everyone.  Me being one of them.  I was on it for 4 years before I became diabetic.  I've not taken a single pill of it since the day before surgery and no longer need it. A fabulous PCOS informational website that has forums covering all areas of PCOS from research articles, diabetes, depression, acne, diet/exercise, fertility, fun stuff....is www.soulcysters.net .  Check it out...it's free to join and has a TON of information on there.  Good luck! Kristy

Thank you so much for your reply! I havent looked in to other fertility options yet. After I told my gyno about my WLS she started listing a bunch of different things I could try if the surgery doesnt get my period back to normal. I definitely plan to go down that road if need be, but first Im hoping on this. Everyone Ive talked to seems fairly certain WLS will work. But well before then Im going to visit my gyno again. Making an appt today and hope to get some birth control as well as ask her many questions about PCOS. Thank you so much for that website! I'll be checking it out probably tomorrow. As for now Im off to more appts! Im meeting with my surgeon today.

If you're having RNY be careful with which birth control option you use.  Pills don't work the best after surgery due to the malabsorption.  You will absorb some of it but maybe not enough for it to be as effective as it needs to be.  Maybe look into the NuvaRing...good luck!