Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome

[mamawannabe]

Since I was a teen, I had very irregular menstruastion. Sometimes my period can drag for a month without stopping. Anyway, this went on for a while. Everytime I went to see a doctor, she would give me hormone tablets (actually oral contraceptives) to take to stop the menstruation.

Anyway when I was in my early 20s, I went to a specialist to have a proper check-up. Blood test and ultra-scan was done. It showed that I had hormonal imbalance and Poly Cystic Ovary. I was on Diane 35 for a year. I since stopped cos I find it no point to rely on those tablets to keep my menstruation in check. My menses has since come every mmonth, lasting about 5-7 days. But the start date of my menses is not always on the same day.

Does anyone know people like me will be able to conceive? I am 29 this year.

[WAHM]

Hi there. Unfortunately polycystic ovary syndrome is associated with infertility, in fact it often goes undiagnosed until a woman presents with fertility issues. PCOS is a cause of irregular periods, but it often comes alongside other symptoms which would indicate a hormonal imbalance, such as obesity, and sometimes hursuitism (excessive hairiness e.g on the arms or upper lip).  Women with PCOS are often anovulatory i.e they may have periods but they are not ovulating. The good news is that women with PCOS stand a very good chance of conceiving if they get proper treatment - the drug Clomid is often used to regulate the cycle and induce ovulation, and there are other treatments. Your best bet is to see a sympathetic ob gyn with experience of fertility issues so he/she can confirm this diagnosis and come up with a range of options for you; this topic has come up on this board lots of times. Good luck.

[This message has been edited by BoardManager (edited 18-08-2003).]