Doctor told me NOT to try to get pregnant!

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Had an ultrasound today and she seen a few cysts. Nothing major. My pap was fine and the only levels that were elevated was my testosterone which is expected. I was confused why she is telling me to not try to get pregnant. Isn't that the goal? She even suggested using condoms. I was irritated especially after trying for 3 years and even using clomid before. I guess I don't understand her reasoning. She said there is a risk of miscarriage or birth defects but isn't that always a risk? Sorry to vent but it's upsetting. Any advice or similar situations are appreciated!
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  • KBig14
    KBig14 Posts: 10 Member
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    Oh that's horrible, why would she say that? I had my scan today too and I'm in exactly the same situation, looked like your basic polycystic ovaries and my bloods show elevated testosterone. My doctor in response to this has referred me and my husband to the fertility clinic so that we can have some support in TTC. Unfortunately there is an increased risk with PCOS and I would think the risk would decrease slightly with lower weight, so whilst I would love to find out I'm pregnant now...in an ideal world I'd like to be a lot lighter first! But there is a certain amount of risk for anyone, I can't believe that you would be told to stop trying! I think with things like this, it is important to be able to trust and confide in your doctor. Mine is fantastic and I feel a lot better about the PCOS because she has been so reassuring and supportive. Maybe you need a second opinion? :)
  • VaxSA
    VaxSA Posts: 90 Member
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    I would go back and see her and ask for clarification or I would immediately seek a second opinion from either her superior, a fertility doctor, or any other doctor you trust that has experience in dealing with problematic female reproductive systems.

    Dont trust that advice on its own, imo.
  • iloveowls216
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    Talking to my husband we decided not to try but not prevent either. I'll do the 3 months of having a period and if after that she doesn't help wIth the fertility factor then I'll find someone new. I'll keep this updated as things happen. Keep your fingers crossed that I end up pregnant anyway!
  • miranda_mom
    miranda_mom Posts: 873 Member
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    There IS an increased chance of miscarriage (about 40%) but I never had a doctor tell me to not try because of it. I took metformin during the first trimester and I never had a problem. As for birth defects, I've never heard of that.
  • truddy6647
    truddy6647 Posts: 519 Member
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    personally i would go see an re with lots of back ground in pcos patients.....i had a lot of drs tell me to get below 200 before doing any art......until talking with an re that specializes with pcos right now me and my husband r waiting to save money for treatment in the mean time going to try to lose some more weight
  • iloveowls216
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    I figured out why she said not to try but it's crazy that I had to research on my own to figure it out. I'm on Spironolactone which can cause birth defects. I told her I was TTC and she never made this connection or said this was why she didn't want me to TTC. She wants me to have 3 months of periods. I still am debating on whether or not to take the spironolactone. It's something I have been struggling with since the appointment. If it works to lower my testosterone levels that's great but I don't want to wait to TTC. I told my husband that I would take pregnancy tests regularly to make sure that if I do become pregnant I know to stop the pills. Then I heard from someone on another message board that it can give you a false negative on a pregnancy test. It's crazy to me! Any advice is appreciated!!!!!
  • fayelobeck89
    fayelobeck89 Posts: 105 Member
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    It's a tough one isn't it, the idea of treating your pcos is so your chances of conceiving are higher
    I'm not entirely sure about the mess you have, I've never heard of them,
    Maybe it would be worth talking to your doc again just to see if there is a
    Safer option you could take?
    I personally have been ttc for just under a year and when I went to the doctor
    After 6 months because i hadn't had a period at all, she told me to take the contraceptive pill!
    I was like what? I'm trying to concieve and youre telling me to take that just to make me have a period?
    The problem will still be there when I finish taking them!
    Anyway, I would personally ring them and tell them your concerns, they may be able to offer a different kind of treatment.

    Have you done any research for natural ways to lower testosterone? Maybe there's food that help, or herbal teas etc, etc?

    Sorry I couldn't be anymore helpful!

    How do you go about your ttc?
    If you don't mind me asking?
    Are you doing basal body temp? Cervical checks? Taking folic acid? Hubby taking zinc? Etc xxxx
  • iloveowls216
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    I told her that I was TTC and she didn't seem to think it mattered. I think she doubts that I will even be able to get pregnant at this point. I think next time I have an appointment I'm taking someone with me to see if it's just me thinking she's not listening to me or not.

    Last year, when I had a different doctor, I did 3 rounds of clomid. I also was charting my temps but they were so out of whack it wasn't very helpful. They first had me take 3 months of BC because I hadn't had a period in 10years so I understand the reasoning for that.

    I currently take prenatal vitamins, Metformin, Vit D, Cinnamon, B12, Vitex, and Spironolactone. Hopefully losing weight will help too, though when I had in the past it still didn't give me a period. I only get one with Provera or BC.
  • fayelobeck89
    fayelobeck89 Posts: 105 Member
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    I've been trying to reply in this thread for days and my phone keeps kicking me off it and loosing very thing I type!

    I feel your pain. Doctor also wanted me to use bc but I refused point blank. Now waiting to hear off ultrasound and gynaecologist for appointments!

    I've been trying to tell you about an app I use, it's called ovia by ovuline and it's awesome, everything imaginable to do with defoliate and ttc. Check it out if you haven't already :)
  • fayelobeck89
    fayelobeck89 Posts: 105 Member
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    FERTILITY not defoliate.... Fu*<>!g phone!
  • Miss_1999
    Miss_1999 Posts: 747 Member
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    I told her that I was TTC and she didn't seem to think it mattered. I think she doubts that I will even be able to get pregnant at this point. I think next time I have an appointment I'm taking someone with me to see if it's just me thinking she's not listening to me or not.

    Last year, when I had a different doctor, I did 3 rounds of clomid. I also was charting my temps but they were so out of whack it wasn't very helpful. They first had me take 3 months of BC because I hadn't had a period in 10years so I understand the reasoning for that.

    I currently take prenatal vitamins, Metformin, Vit D, Cinnamon, B12, Vitex, and Spironolactone. Hopefully losing weight will help too, though when I had in the past it still didn't give me a period. I only get one with Provera or BC.

    Ok, this is good! This is what i was reading through here to find out. I would absolutely NEVER, EVER tell a cyster NOT to try to TTC, BUT, at the same time, I would highly encourage each cyster to evaluate where they are *as far as their PCOS being under control* before they get heavily into the TTC cycle.

    The reason I say this, is NOT to sound like some uppity know it all cyster who's "been there, done that', or crush anyone's dreams- BUT, to help you achieve your dreams. There's nothing more heartbreaking than to pee on a stick month after month to only see one single line, or to see a cyster finally get her BFP, only for it to come crashing down a few weeks/months later in a miscarriage. It's devastating.

    You've got a good treatment plan going on! BUT, you've still got a few whammies going for you. You've got some hormonal imbalances that could very well be a hinderance with pregnancy. Your doctor wasn't telling you that you most likely couldn't get pregnant to be cruel, although, she REALLY should've used more tact, AND sat down and explained things properly. When cysters like us have hormonal imbalances, it makes pregnancy VERY difficult, and when pregnancy IS achieved with these imbalances, they often end quickly with miscarriages. This is why I've stressed so often to cysters to know your numbers- Estrogen, Testosterone, and Insulin. These are crucial. When you're producing too much, or not enough, it affects SO much more than just fertility. It nearly killed me. From the time I was diagnosed until the time I got pregnant it was 6 years.

    When I first had a diagnosis of PCOS, EVERYTHING was out of whack. I had too much testosterone, not enough estrogen, and my insulin levels were just ungodly. It took several years to get things straightened out. I *finally* got a treatment that worked for me. Once my hormone levels started to level out- estrogen, testosterone, and insulin- things began to fall into place. My hair grew back. I began to have periods again. I'd lost over 100lbs. I didn't get any new skin tags and my dark patches of skin went away.

    I charted my periods for a year, and did research about the medications I was on- Metformin ER and Byetta. When we began to TTC, I got pregnant the second month we tried. I was terrified of miscarriage, knowing the odds with women with PCOS, but against the odds, I went on to delivery my daughter at 38 1/2.

    Do NOT, NOT try to TTC, BUT, take into account your health. You don't have to be a size two by any means. You just need to be the healthiest YOU with PCOS. That means having your hormone levels as balanced as possible. You're already on the right track, because you know what's wrong on one account- your testosterone is high. You're taking Metformin, and Spironolactone as well as the natural vitamins and supplements. You're on the right track, plus you're down almost 30lbs! Way to go! By NO means, don't take this as I'm saying, don't TTC, or don't TTC ever- that's not at ALL what I'm saying! I'm rooting for you! I want to see you get a BFP! And honestly, I don't think it will take that long, but I know you, and all of our cysters stand the best chances when our health and hormone levels are the best they can be. Best wishes to you!
  • iloveowls216
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    For right now we haven't been trying but not preventing either. Hopefully I can just end up pregnant soon and it stick. I've stopped the spiro for now til I start my period and know for sure I'm not pregnant. I've not felt like myself lately and have been having what seems like possibly pregnancy symptoms but I have had this happen before to the point where I truly thought I was pregnant so I'm not holding my breath. It's nice to hear from others who understand what I'm going through!!!
  • fayelobeck89
    fayelobeck89 Posts: 105 Member
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    For right now we haven't been trying but not preventing either. Hopefully I can just end up pregnant soon and it stick. I've stopped the spiro for now til I start my period and know for sure I'm not pregnant. I've not felt like myself lately and have been having what seems like possibly pregnancy symptoms but I have had this happen before to the point where I truly thought I was pregnant so I'm not holding my breath. It's nice to hear from others who understand what I'm going through!!!

    I have 'pregnancy' symptoms all the time!
    It so easy to think that I'm pregnant when I'm contraception free!
    It's like everyday I will feel something and it will make me hopeful or curious. I've had 2 periods this year, January and then August. I had light spotting in September an thats it! I have literally spent more time this year thinking I'm pregnant that I have anything else!
    So I know where you're coming from when you say you just wish it would happen, you're deffo not alone :)
  • iloveowls216
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    I took a test this morning and I swear I see a line but it's soooooo faint. I'm gonna take another one in the morning. It would be funny if I did end up pregnant since we weren't trying! I've been told by so many that it will happen when you stop trying. :p Keeping my fingers crossed!!!!!!!
  • iloveowls216
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    It was negative....but it's still early.
  • fayelobeck89
    fayelobeck89 Posts: 105 Member
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    It was negative....but it's still early.

    I had a very faint positive on my second pregnancy.
    I ended up miscarrying but i took 8 pregnancy tests over 3 days and each time it got darker.
    Keep me updated :)

    It funny that it happens 'when you're not trying' that's what happened with me on my first and my miscarriage happend when my first was only 3 moths old. Total accident but I obviously caught because my body was in the 'super fertile after pregnancy' stage. Now we've been without contraception for almost a year and 'trying' for about 9 months. Only the last month I have started bbt and cm/cp. nothing's chnagin so I'm assuming I haven't/dont ovulate xx
  • iloveowls216
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    After looking at some of the other tests I took i realize it was an evap line. According to Fertility Friend I'm only 4dpo right now if I truly did ovulate. I'm gonna wait til at least 8dpo to test again.
  • fayelobeck89
    fayelobeck89 Posts: 105 Member
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    Such pain when something like that happens.
    At least you know you're O day and can work with it. I'm still working that out. I dont think it's happend yet and I'm on day 65.

    It's horrible being in limbo isn't it. That waiting is just awful. I really hope you get the bfp you've been waiting for :) x
  • iloveowls216
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    Well my waiting ended. On to the next cycle.
  • fayelobeck89
    fayelobeck89 Posts: 105 Member
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    Aw, chin up :)
    Here if you ever need a chat x