Steps to getting medication

[thearwoods]

Ok...I've tried my best to read all of the different topics on this particular part of the forum, and so far I've not seen one like it (might be wrong), but here goes....

I am switching doctors. I had posted about my situation in the fertility section. I'm really trying to figure out how to summarize my question lol. Years ago, my OBGYN told me that he didnt think i was ovulating that when i was married down the road and wanted to have kids, i would probably have to take medication for it to happen, for me not to worry, it could happen. I was in high school at that time so i didnt worry too much about it. The doctor I have been seeing since the first of this year (who i am switching from) replaced my previous doctor. He has promised with each visit that he will give me medications and with each visit, he further makes me wait. To make a long story short, for many many reasons I am switching doctors. I just got off the phone with the receptionist and she said they are having computer trouble, she will call me back in a minute to give me an appt. With my current doctor, I had a transvaginal ultrasound which is where they found that i had several cysts on my left ovary. Ok, so now that I am going to this new doctor, am I going to have to go through all of that again just to get medication? I guess my big question is what steps did the doc make you go through before they gave you medication. I'm hoping this new doctor doesnt make me jump through 3000 hoops just to end up where i am now. Ive had the ultrasound done, i have the cysts, so now i need to move forward. I just hope that its going to take several months before she even prescribes me the first thing. Any help?????

[thearwoods]

correction to that last sentence...i DONT want it to take several months before i get prescribed medicine...ive tried to edit my post, but cant.

[thearwoods]

update...my appt is sept. 26

[aimee]

I am new to the medications. My regular OBGYN had me ttc for one year naturally before she would even refer me to an RE to start meds. We did that over a year with nothing. When I went for my annual the doctor was running late so I saw the NP who asked me if I wanted to try Met. Heck yah! So obviously within that year their views on treating PCOS must have changed. I tried Met but my primary care doctor was very concerned with me taking it. I actually had bad GI side effects to Met as well. So I went to see the RE who did lots of bloodwork, etc. She put me on Clomid for 3 cycles. I didn't ovulate with 50mg. I am trying 100mg now and hoping to O. If clomid doesn't work then she wants to have some tests done to check my ovaries (which is most likley what you have aleady done). She will do max of 6 clomid cycles. I am not sure what the next step will be if clomid doesn't work. Perhaps injectables. Hopefully I won't have to find out!

From reading these boards I see such a variety among doctor beliefs in the treatment of PCOS and ttc. If I had to go back and know what I know today (mostly from these boards) I would have pushed to see an RE sooner. My advice is take as much control as you can with your doctors and explain what you have already done and that you want to move forward and not repeat what you have already done. I know this isn't much info but I hope it helps. Good luck! :D

[Jennater]

What type of doctor are you going to? An Ob/Gyn or an RE? I love my Ob/gyn and she is the one who diagnosed me with PCOS but honestly, she didn't know enough about PCOS. After reading posts here about PCOS and IR, and after trying to lose weight on my own with diet and exercise for 3 years, I finally realized I needed to go to an RE. I originally had an appointment for Sept 12 but they asked if I wanted to be on a cancellation list where they call you if they have a cancellation and I said Yes. So I got to see the RE on 8/20/07.

The RE I saw just talked to me about my symptoms (irregular periods, abnormal facial hair, cannot lose weight) and the fact that my Ob/gyn had diagnosed me and followed up with blood work to check the amount of testorone and an ultrasound (showing those lovely cysts). He said he agreed I had PCOS, ordered some more bloodwork to confirm the IR but wrote me a prescription for Met on the spot. I had the bloodwork on 8/23 and on 8/24 his office called and said to start the Met.

I don't know if it will be the same for you or not but I can certainly attest to it being better with an RE as far as getting the right medicines.

Oh, I should say that I actually met with my Ob/gyn to get RE recommendations. Then I went to each one of their websites. The doctor I ended up going to specifically mentioned PCOS and treatment of it on his website.

Hope some of this helps!

[thearwoods]

it is very helpful. Just to talk with ppl and to see what theyre going through and to hear their stories honestly is a big help. We've been trying for over a year so im really hoping and praying that i can get moving along with this process instead of feeling like im always gonna be in the same position with nothing every happening. Ive heard some wonderful things about the doctor i made the appt with so im truly hoping this is the doctor that will help us.

[thearwoods]

the doc i made an appt with is an obgyn...so i guess sept. 26 we will see where this journey takes me next. ive read some ppls stories and i have the opposite problem of a lot of ppl. some ppl are saying they dont have periods....which dont get me wrong, prolly once every year i go through a spell where i can go 3 months without one....but my normal problem is having a period too much. December of 06 i had a period that lasted for over a month and had to go to the doc to get meds to stop it. Now im having a period every 2 weeks. Its a pain but im hoping through this pain somewhere down the road me and my husband can have a child together.

[Jennater]

I've actually been through both extremes. I went a year and a half when I was 18-19 without having a period. Came back from first year of college and realized I never had one. I went to a doctor then and think now I should have been diagnosed with PCOS right then but they just said to "get on Birth Control and it will jump start your system" which is just a bunch of crap.

I finally got diagnosed when I'd been bleeding almost constantly for 3 months. It took 3 different doctor visits for them to finally diagnose!

I hope this ob/gyn will be helpful for you!

[thearwoods]

yeah, in my earlier years i was always put on birth control pills to "regulate" my periods. Which I do know does help regulate ur periods, that wasnt the problem. It was just that they never fully looked at my symptoms and took them into account. I could walk right into a docs office and theyd automatically throw BC pills at me and send me on my way. It was very frustrating!!!