PCOS - Confusion

C

Chicago Girl 28

New member
I've been diagnosed with PCOS over two years ago, but wasn't trying for a baby then, so paid no attention to the lack of periods over the years, but now that we are trying, it's becoming a problem. My last period that I got was in May.

I went to Dr. Grace Cheung who basically told me to lose weight and then call her. I thought this was strange because I'm not extremely overweight, but I listened to the advice, am now down 7 kilos and still no period. :mad:

My question is should I continue trying without any help from meds? Do I need to switch doctors? Has anyone been told this before?

Any advice is would be helpful.
 
See a fertility expert, I think they are better at handling people with PCOS and more proactive. You can search this website for comments but to name a few, (not in any particular order) , Dr Christine Choy, Dr Derek Lo, Dr Alex Doo, Dr Milton Leung, Dr Philip Ho etc.
 
Hey CG! Welcome back! You've lost 7kg, that's amazing! I'm with sky on this. Best to get a 2nd opinion.
 
Hi Chicago Girl,

I also have PCOs which I have known abojut for a long time, and only really realised it was a problem when i started TTC last year. I'm seeing Dr Christine Choy, who I wasn't sure about at first, but now am very happy with. She is very matter-of-fact and abrupt, but the more I have seen her the more involved she has become, and she seems very determined to do all it takes to get me pregnant! I think you definitely need more than just to lose some weight (DR Choy also recommended that I do the same - and I have always been slim - before my PCOS diagnosis in the UK, my Dr thought I may have been missing periods because I was underweight!!)- normally for PCOS a doctor will start you on Clomid, and if that doesn't work try injectibles. I did 2 rounds of Clomid with Dr Choy and have just done the first injectibles cycle. Dr Choy also immediately put me on Metformin, but you will need to have blood tests to see if you need this. I think PCOS varies greatly from case to case, so you would be better off with a fertility specialist who can make a proper diagnosis and give you the meication you need.

Best of luck!
 
I would think if you've lost 7 kilos, then that's a good first step.
PCOS is affected by certain kinds of excess weight, and a lot of it has to do with insulin resistance - which is why PCOS is often a precursor of diabetes.
Lucy Lord is fabulous with PCOS - myself and other firneds have seen her regasrding this.
I also had servely interrupted cycles, and her advice got me back on track.
As a PP said, each case is different.
But just telling you to lose weight is not enough! You should be given an explanation as to why it's important and how it affects your body.
 
I was diagnosed with PCOS 9 years ago and have since had two kids (one conceived on clomid). I was also told to lose weight first - which I did. Am trying for number 3 and started with Lucy Lord, whom I liked, but there was no proactive testing etc. Had to have an appointment with Grace Cheung as Lucy was only seeing pregnant patients for a while and she has instigated a raft of tests to track what is happening and whether clomid is right for me this time. I like both doctors but have to say I will be staying with Grace. Since you have lost some weight, go see a doctor, and they will possibly put you on clomid straight away. They will probably also do blood tests at different points in your cycle to test your hormone levels. Best of luck!
 
Hi Chicago Girl & UKlady,

I was seeing another doctor about my fertility problem (had been TTC for over 18 months), and the only thing the first doctor told me is to lose weight, which I managed to shred 10kg off but still doesn't make my period regular. Then after coming to this forum and reading comments, I decided to see Dr. Christine Choy for 2nd opinion. I must agree with UKlady that Dr. Choy is very matter-of-fact, and she immediately put me on metformin and clomid. I've just finished my 2nd cycle of Clomid and waiting. I feel more confident with Dr. Choy than my first doctor (his name is also mentioned quite frequently in this forum too, but I feel he is taking my case not seriously enough as he didn't even tell me I have PCOs but only told me to lose weight....).

Anyway, good luck and do get a 2nd opinion!
 
christine choy

Just a word of warning on Christine Choy as although she has had good reviews here I had some problems with her.
Firstly, her fees are very high (for her tests) and she doesn't warn you of the cost before performing the tests. This is made worse by the fact she does some unnecessary tests (doubled up on some I had had already) and gives unnecessary drugs so the costs really mount up. (eg you can get folic acid in any pharmacy but she charges a lot for it)
I was diagnosed by her as having PCOS but she didn't explain any of the tests she was giving me, didn't listen first to my problem and then pushed her agenda (getting pregnant) which I had not gone in there for. She didn't listen when I kept telling her I wasn't trying for a baby yet. It's fine if you have medical insurance I guess (does it cover fertility treatment?) but worth knowing that she won't always warn you as the costs mount up. As I couldn't pay it all immediately (I hadn't expected it to be so much after a 15 min consultation) I paid a quarter and when I came back for my follow-up appoitment, she hadn't submitted any of the tests as I hadn't paid it all. I wasn't warned about this so came for a wasted consultation (which again I had to pay for).
Plus her manner is very brusque (finding out you've got PCOS isn't nice if you're not expecting it!) and I was left waiting both times.
I won't be returning to her.
 
I was also diagnosed with PCOS and have been seeing Dr Derek Lo (fantastic doctor) since August. Have been told to lose weight (i used to be 138lbs and am now down to 130lbs. I stand 5"5) and have been given the medicine Metformin to take every night. Have also been asked to not take any carbs.

My period has been very regular since.
 
I just have to question the weight loss advice, particularly MickeyMom. At 138lbs and 5ftf", you are still well within the healthy weight range. How odd that a dr would tell you to lose weight????
 
i know, sounded very odd to me too. but i guess in asia (im asian btw), weight range is different. anyways, wanted to lose some weight anyway so took this as good advise. I used to be on the 110-120 range before becoming pregnant for the first time.
 
I think that Dr Chrisitne Choy is a good doctor. She is brilliant and sharp. I had 5 consecutive early abortions and the reason was unknown. I consultated many different doctors but still no help on that. I was then recommended to Dr Choy in Dec 2006 and was diagnosed of PCOS on the first appointment, which she proved that by the ultra scan (cysts on my ovaries) and certain blood tests (hormonal level). She then gave me metformin and asked me to lose weight to improve the situation. After 6 months medication, I lost over 25 pounds and ....I get pregnant and now already at 30 weeks of pregnancy. I agreed that the fees that she charged are not low, but reasonable. And the most important she can solve my problem in a very short period. Though she charged the highest amongst all my previous doctors, she could point out my problem and treat that within half a year. I highly recommend Dr Choy.
 
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I've been on metformin and diet (no carbs) , although occasionally I do cheat (like during the holidays) since August. But i don't seem to be losing weight! does that mean my body is not reacting well to metformin? should i ask my doctor about this?

Cynthia- amazing story about losing 25lbs in 6 months and consequently getting pregnant! I really, really wish for that too!
 
It's not really about 'weight' per se, but about how your body deals with suagrs, and how it is trained to store fats.
Restricting carbs re-trains your body in how is performs these fucntion: both of which can have a direct effect on the fertility fo those with PCOS.
Seriously, by a copy of hte SOuth Beach Diet book and read the into. It talks about PCOS and pre-diabetes and ferticilty and carbs (mcuh better than I can!).
It's more about body chemistry: this is the primary concern - weight loss is secondary (but easier to explain - maybe your doctor was just in a rush!)

Good Luck''
 
May I ask, for ladies with PCOS, do you stop taking carbs only or stop sweets in total?

I've reduced my intake of carbs significantly (I love eating rice but already given up...)... and found myself great cravings for sweets - candies/ chocolates, etc... is it normal?

I was 160lb at 168cm, now down to 149lb. please advise.
 
Treating PCOS through diet is not really about weight, but about how your body processes the sugars in food. The weight loss is a secondary, albiet nice side-effect of better health.

'Carbs' includes the sugars fond in processed foods. So, yes - I would also cut out the sweets.

If you're curious for more info - read The South Beach Diet. It's not about PCOS per se, the the info in the first few chapters specifically addresses the causes and effects of PCOS - espeically on fertility.

I've just done 14 days on Phase 1 of the diet, and lost almost 9 pounds. I just had my first sandwich in two weeks (by necessity - nothing else to eat!) and I can tell teh difference in how my body reacts to the bread, having not had any carbs or sweets etc for a fortnight.
 
Hi HappyV,

Thanks for responding to the message. I'll have a read on the South Beach Diet.

Looking back, it's almost a year since I started seeing Dr. Christine Choy. Had 1 miscarriage in January, and feeling quite depressed.

Sometimes feel like to give up as it has been over 2 year since TTC without any success but lots of emotional rollercoasters & bleeding cash...
 
I have to agree with Binky here. I also didn't have a very good experience with Christine Choy. She's not the ideal OBGYN for a first time mother. She treats most things as run-of-a-mill, despite your concerns. She has no interest in your own birth plan, because she believes all women want to avoid pain as much as possible. She did not even bothered to look at my birth plan. Also, she did not consult with us who she had chosen for our pediatrician. Needless to say, the pediatrician behaves in the same way she does. The only decent guy who practiced patient care and bedside manner in my whole birth process was Henry Au (the one who gave me my epidural).

Christine Choy, in my experience, seem like she's an OBGYN for the money. She's rough with examinations.

I'm having my second child and I am looking for a new OBGYN.
 
We all have different experiences and different way to behave with an Obgyn. I have been very happy to meet Dr Choy as a first time mum, as she has been the only one to listen to me and take my problems seriously. Thanks to her I had my first baby, and will definitively go back to her for the second one. This includes the pedetrician she adviced me, who has been caring a lot for my baby at birth and when some problems occured the first months, running from one side to the town to the other for us.
 
Experience with Dr Choy

Hi all, I'm new to this forum. I am also a patient of Dr Choy since Jan this year, just like to share my experience with the rest. Agree with RookieMom that she charges a lot and didn't explain the costs of the treatment to you before it is administered, so you could be slapped with a huge bill after a 5mins consultation. However, I am comfortable with her as she seems to know her stuff. She suspected I had endometriosis thru the 1st ultrasound. Subsequently performed a laparascopy on me in Mar and successfully removed the chocolate cyst that I had. I TTC naturally for 6 mths before visiting her again recently. She seemed to be friendlier now, I wonder if it's because she has less patients due to bad remarks? I had learnt to do my own research and went prepared with a list of questions and she addressed all of them, giving me a sense of comfort that everything is fine with me. Am pretty happy with her now. I'm now on the 2nd month of Clomid and HCG injection, no luck on the 1st attempt last mth tho follicle (20mm) and lining (13mm) were of good size prior to ovulation. Keeping my fingers crossed this month, will update you on my experience with her as I go along.
 
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