Yasmin

[Em_in_FL]

He said that irregular cycles indicate a hormonal imbalance and irregular ovulation and that cycles longer than 35 days are usually the result of insulin resistance.

My only symptoms are irregular periods and acne(although the accutane got rid of it).

He thought my insulin resistance was related to PCOS, but he didn’t think I have full blown PCOS because I’m not overweight or have any other symptoms.

So I’m confused… have you been TESTED for insulin resistance? Or is the doctor speculating that irregular cycles COULD be a result of insulin resistance? Have you been TESTED for PCOS?

Just FYI… many women have “irregular” cycles ranging from 30-40 days (ME INCLUDED!), and I’ve never had any signs of insulin resistance or PCOS…

 

[ArdenB]

So I’m confused… have you been TESTED for insulin resistance? Or is the doctor speculating that irregular cycles COULD be a result of insulin resistance? Have you been TESTED for PCOS?

Just FYI… many women have “irregular” cycles ranging from 30-40 days (ME INCLUDED!), and I’ve never had any signs of insulin resistance or PCOS…

I haven’t been tested for anything. My doc said that PCOS and insulin resistance often go hand in hand. He said there are blood tests for PCOS, but they aren’t very helpful, so he usually goes by symptoms and ruling out other explanations.

 

[Em_in_FL]

I haven’t been tested for anything. My doc said that PCOS and insulin resistance often go hand in hand. He said there are blood tests for PCOS, but they aren’t very helpful, so he usually goes by symptoms and ruling out other explanations.

I’d get a second opinion… and do some research on your own (it’s YOUR health, you have the obligation to be sure you agree with what your doctor is telling you). General practitioner doctors are not experts in every area of health… they have a general knowledge of medical science and for more specific issues should refer you to a specialist.
People choose to get “second opinions” for a very good reason… doctors don’t know EVERYTHING.

In my opinion (again)… an irregular cycle (as your ONLY “symptom”) is not a medical problem without blood tests that prove otherwise.

Why fix something that “ain’t broke”?

 

[agapewolf]

The blood tests for insulin resistence are the actual proof that one has it (blood sugar issues). I’ve never heard of PCOS blood tests.

My NFP-doc suspected I had PCOS, so I took the blood tests and started charting Creighton. After the blood tests confirmed, I had an ultrasound done, which confirmed. I went on metformin and everything is fixed.

The charting also showed I had a cervical aversion, which then the doc fixed. (most docs will think its an infection…which is completely wrong).

Recently, I have had depression, anxiety, etc. instead of going on an anti-depressant, my doc watched my charts and I got a blood test for low progesterone. So instead of taking fake hormones in the BCP, I take a very small natural hormone to make my body do what its supposed to do normally.

Please go to www.omsoul.com and find a better doctor.

 

[ArdenB]

Has anyone been to a reproductive endocrinologist? I’m thinking that my doctor might not have enough experience and training in this now. After hearing all your experiences I think this could be too complex for him. Maybe I should see a specialist.

 

[Em_in_FL]

Has anyone been to a reproductive endocrinologist? I’m thinking that my doctor might not have enough experience and training in this now. After hearing all your experiences I think this could be too complex for him. Maybe I should see a specialist.

I’ve never been to an RE, but they are *definitely *the right specialist to see for hormonal/fertility issues…

Be sure to seek answers to the fundamental problems, rather than settling for something like The Pill that may just cover up the symptoms.

Good luck and God bless!

 

[puzzleannie]

. He said I should take the pill until I want to get pregnant and then go on Clomid or Avandia.

check the prescription again, avandia is a diabetes drug, which may shortly be taken off the market due to heart problems among users, is it prescribed for you on an off-label use? like the pill and the patch, sounds like using an Uzi to kill a mouse.

 

[Linda_Marie]

He basically told me it would preserve my fertility. He said I should take the pill until I want to get pregnant and then go on Clomid or Avandia.

This is confusing. My friends and family who used the pill and then went off it when they wanted to get pregnant experienced all kinds of difficulties getting pregnant. Your body has to get used to producing its own hormones and re-regulating its own cycles again after artificially controlling them. If it never settled into a regular cycle beforehand, it is even more difficult. My sister-in-law took 6 years after coming off the pill to fall pregnant. It totally messed up her fertility. This is admittedly in the extreme range, but many women do experience lengthy delays. I took 7 months after stopping to fall pregnant.

Again, irregular periods are not an illness. It’s just annoying that you never know when to expect it. Your body could just be taking its time settling into its cycles. Why take a drug for something that isn’t an illness, especially one with such wide-ranging and dangerous side effects?

Have you been tested for low thyroid? This can also be a cause of irregular periods, bad cramps and heavy bleeding.

I always had irregular periods, 4 to 6 weeks apart until I went on the pill (before becoming Catholic). It totally masked my underlying problem, which was low thyroid and finally caused such intense pain in my breasts and ovaries that I had to go off them. As a result of taking the pill, my low thyroid wasn’t picked up until after I had my first baby.

There is nothing that could induce me to take the pill ever again for any reason whatsoever.

 

[turtle18]

It’s a “miracle” to get rid of cramps & acne? Do you know the side effects of birth control pills? They increase your risk for blood clots & strokes–those are pretty horrific illnesses–a true “miracle” would be a pill to prevent blood clots & strokes.

 

[Teakafrog]

Has anyone been to a reproductive endocrinologist? I’m thinking that my doctor might not have enough experience and training in this now. After hearing all your experiences I think this could be too complex for him. Maybe I should see a specialist.

Yes, it was a RE who finally, after at least 3 OBs and 2 family docs who missed it, diagnosed my PCOS. The final diagnosis was made with an ovarian ultrasound to see the cysts, but I had almost all the textbook symptoms! A slightly irregular cycle (and 30-some days really ISN"T ‘irregular’ anyway) is not any indication of the syndrome by itself. In fact, I don’t why the doctor wants to ‘treat’ this at all! Nothing is wrong! Not every woman in the world has a textbook 28 day cycle, and that’s OK–it is NORMAL! Each woman is different. We’re not all the same height or weight or hair or eye or skin color either! Should we take a pill for that too?

It’s a “miracle” to get rid of cramps & acne? Do you know the side effects of birth control pills? They increase your risk for blood clots & strokes–those are pretty horrific illnesses–a true “miracle” would be a pill to prevent blood clots & strokes.

Yep–I had a major blood clot in my leg while I was on BCP. Could have killed me if it wasn’t caught soon enough. That, on top of all the other side effects I got from them–I’ll never take them again for any reason. They don’t ‘fix’ anything for anyone. The only use BCP have is to take something that already works fine–a woman’s reproductive system–and make it NOT work. WHY would anyone purposely do that to themselves? Would we take a pill to make our circulatory or digestive systems NOT work anymore? Then why do so many people purposely destroy a perfectly functioning reproductive system?

 

[Chovy]

Pre-BCP, my cycles were 28-60 days apart, I had acne before my period, and I had cramps, bloating and the other issues associated with PMS.

I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 18, mostly based on these irregular cycles but also because I have 2 older sisters with it. The doctor prescribed BCP and I followed his instructions. Like you, I had no moral reason not to take this medication that was supposed to be helpful. While taking BCP, I still had acne (this was before Yasmin so I can’t speak to that) my cycles were still irregular (usually bleeding twice a month despite taking many variations of the pill) and the PMS symptoms remained.

After BCP, my cycles were 5 to 180 days apart. They occasionally lasted for a month, or two, or three, or four. I finally sought help from the Pope Paul VI institute, where they actually try to treat the medical condition causing the symptoms rather than just trying to alleviate the symptoms. I charted my cycles, the doctor reviewed them, and medically intervened. I now have 28-30 day cycles (with no BCP) and the other symptoms are better too. Their treatments are all in line with Catholic doctrine and they have trained doctors all over the U.S. so you can probably find help in your area.

In my case, the same problems that were causing the symptoms made it virtually impossible for me to get pregnant and even more difficult for me to carry a child. BCP did nothing to help me and only masked the actual underlying problem. I still haven’t had a child and honestly I think that if I had seen PPVI sooner I would have had a better shot at being a mommy by now.

 

[ArdenB]

My thyroid function has been tested, and it’s normal. A lot of the stories here have really put me off from taking the pill. I’m pretty sure I can get a referal to see a RE at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. Hopefully he’ll be able to find out what is wrong.

 

[SEE]

NOOOOO! Don’t do it. The overwhelming majority of women have irregular periods. Mine have ranged from 28 to 37 days. How long do you plan on being on BC? A few months? A few years? Think about it…you are causing your body to think that it’s pregnant…for YEARS! How can that possibly be better than irregular periods.

Your doctor is trying to help you with your concerns, but please understand that the medical profession is not an exact science. I know because I was born with several medical problems that have confused many doctors. (In fact, one doctor told my mom that I would be a vegetable for the rest of my life!) The point I’m making is don’t believe everything your doctor tells you. Do your own research. According to the warnings the pill manufacturers put on box themselves, the pill may cause strokes, heart attacks, depression, nausea, weight gain…do you really want to take medication that may cause this if you don’t absolutely have to?

I have been doing the Creighton Model of NFP for a few years now. While my periods are highly irregular according to the calendar, I have discovered that they are, in fact, perfectly regular. I always show fertile mucus for 9 days. I then have 13 dry days before my period starts. My period usually last 7 to 8 days. The only thing that varies is how many dry days I have before my fertile mucus shows up again. That’s what makes my cycles vary.

Try NFP. It’s wonderful. You will begin to understand your body and how it works. Work with your body, not against it.

 

[Em_in_FL]

My thyroid function has been tested, and it’s normal. A lot of the stories here have really put me off from taking the pill. I’m pretty sure I can get a referal to see a RE at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. Hopefully he’ll be able to find out what is wrong.

I guess I truly don’t understand WHY you’re in need to go see a doctor?
You keep saying all these tests are NORMAL… and you keep reading posts here that say periods ranging from 30-40 days is NORMAL…
What do you expect to learn from and RE?

Actually, the endocrine system (which reproductive endocrinologist would know best) deals a lot with your THYROID…
So… if that’s NORMAL…
I guess I just don’t understand what’s WRONG?


I’m editing to add some articles I found online… about how “normal” menstrual cycles can vary… (so you don’t just have to take our “opinions” on this subject).

Hope this helps!
women.webmd.com/tc/normal-menstrual-cycle-topic-overview
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menstrual_cycle
qualityhealth.com/psp/hwContent.jspa?hwid=tn9930
health.yahoo.com/women-gyn/normal-menstrual-cycle/healthwise–tn9930.html

 

[ArdenB]

I guess I truly don’t understand WHY you’re in need to go see a doctor?
You keep saying all these tests are NORMAL… and you keep reading posts here that say periods ranging from 30-40 days is NORMAL…

Because most doctors say that periods longer than 35 days and more irregular than a few days are not normal.

 

[Maritsa]

Because most doctors say that periods longer than 35 days and more irregular than a few days are not normal.

Is it negatively affecting your life? Or is it just the worry that it isn’t normal?

If you do all the tests and it all comes out normal, and if it isn’t hurting you, then there isn’t anything more for a doctor to do. They can save your life or make you feel better. If there’s nothing physically wrong and it isn’t negatively affecting your life, the way they are going to make you feel better is by throwing medicines at it so you’ll emotionally feel better about it.

I’d pursue tests to see if there is something wrong. You don’t know if there is yet. If it isn’t keeping you from enjoying life, and if the tests show nothing, I would assume that you aren’t the perfect example of average and are perfectly fine and be happy that it was checked out. The alternative is medicines which will do nothing but expose you to risks for your peace of mind. Your cycle is not a problem. It can be an indication of problems, so it is wise that you are checking it out.