New here...just diagnosed with PCOS

pineygirl

I suspected I had PCOS about 7 years ago. I always had long cycles, but they were still somewhat regular. My periods were always very heavy, long and painful. I started developing acne in my late teens, but nothing some OTC stuff couldn't tackle.

I got sick of my irregular cycles and painful long periods so I went on the pill, which also was supposed to help my acne too.
I stayed on it for about 5 years, but then started having bad breakthrough bleeding so I came off it.

I thought my periods would return after a couple months....well they didn't. It took 8 months to get a period then about 4 more months to get another one. During that year my moderate acne became cystic and severe. I ended up seeing a dermatologist and after trying some Rx stuff for a few months I went on Accutane. I didn't respond to it the way most people do. My skin did clear after a few months but my excessive sebum production didn't stop. I ended up taking more than twice the recommended dose before my oil production subsided...my derm didn't want to have me finish the course and still have oily skin, because the acne would be more likely to return.

I asked my obgyn to test me for PCOS about 7 years ago, because of my severe acne and irregular cycles. He said I couldn't have it because I was thin. Because of the Accutane I was back on the pill and stayed on it another 4 years. I came off it for about a year and my cycles did return, and I was back to my 35-50 days cycles with long heavy periods. I didn't want to risk pregnancy so I went back on it.

Right before my wedding I came off it again, and my periods did return after about 8 weeks. I had shorter and more regular cycles than I ever remember having. I conceived after not trying and not preventing for only 2 cycles.

I lost that one at 11 weeks and lost my next one at just under 7 weeks. I saw an RE who diagnosed me with PCOS after seeing my enlarged cyst filled ovaries on an ultrasound. She said with my history of irregular cycles, severe acne and polycystic ovaries that I met the diagnostic criteria.

I also have hypothyroidism, which was discovered during my first pregnancy. Having both of these conditions brings my miscarriage risk to over 50%.

Ironically enough I'm not overweight at 5'0 and 115lbs, although I would like to lose 5-10lbs. What I would really like more than that though is to be able to carry a baby to term. My problem isn't that I don't ovulate...I actually do (or have been)....it's just that I can't seem to keep them.

CharRicho

I'm very sorry about your losses

Has your doctor talked about progesterone at all? Progesterone is required in the first part of pregnancy to maintain the pregnancy (otherwise your body thinks it isn't pregnant and sheds the uterine lining as it would for a period, and causes miscarriage), and many/most women with PCOS have low progesterone. If you do have low progesterone, it's possible that progesterone cream could be very helpful in assisting you with keeping the pregnancy.

I'm currently using progesterone cream, supposed to be taken from after ovulation (not before since it will prevent ovulation) until my period, but my doctor says that if I do get pregnant one of these months, I need to continue to use the cream otherwise I would likely miscarry.

Welcome to the group, and good luck!

pineygirl

One of the ob/gyn's at the practice I go to did check my progesterone with my first pregnancy and it was on the low side, but not terrible...I think it was 16 at around 6-7 weeks.

When I got pregnant the second time I asked another doctor at the same practice to have it checked because I was bleeding and he said "it was controversial" and that "low progesterone means the pregnancy isn't healthy to begin with." My ob/gyn is aware that I have polycystic ovaries, but said I didn't need to be concerned about it because I don't seem to have trouble ovulating.

I know the ob/gyn's at the practice I go to won't prescribe progesterone to prevent miscarriage...it's just not their school of thought. My RE might though, although there was no mention of a 7dpo progesterone test in my the insane amount blood work I'm having done.