Thal minor with PCOS ? Sisters please help!

Hi there,
I am carrying thalasemia trait from my mother’s side. I always had longer and painful period through out my life. My cycle was 5/6 weeks instead o 4 weeks but it was regular. I took birth control pill only for few months long time ago to control my pain. Which worked but I did not want to continue pill because artificial hormone can cause problem later in life.
My period became irregular in last few years. Sometimes it takes as long as 8 weeks to get my period. Some times I get period within 4 weeks.

We are planning to have a baby and it’s very important for me to have my cycle in control. I have mild acne and mild hair loss. Recently I started to gain weight. So I start watching my diet as well. Thease are all sign of PCOS.

My question is is it normal for thal minor or is it PCOS?
My gynecologist never said anything about PCOS. Is there is any connection between these two or I am developing PCOS?
If anyone has any knowledge please help.

Thanks.

Dear April,

I am a thal minor, also from my mothers side.  My mother and I haven't encountered this problem personally but at least one other female member, who is thal minor has encountered this problem.  I don't know if it is related to thal as the female members in my family haven't encountered it.  It is possible that it is a coincidence to have both??  I wonder if there is an increased risk possibly in the thal population. 

Hopefully members having this issue can provide you with more information.  I do know that the ladies I have known to have this condition were able to successfully achieve pregnancy 

I don't have Thal (my daughter does), but I do have PCOS.  PCOS does have weight gain issues as a symptom.  It also includes mild acne, hair loss, hair growth where you DON'T want it, unpredictable periods, and more fun items (NOT!).  I think it's reasonable to assume you can have both Thal and PCOS.  I didn't find out that I have PCOS until I was pregnant with my son.  The doctors were amazed that I got pregnant at all without medical help.  And yes, you may have a chance at getting pregnant with some help.  We chose to adopt for our second child, but that was what we were planning to do anyway.

Sam
Mom to Cullen (14.5, homgrown) & Kieren (6, adopted 12/11/05 Guangdong Province, China)

Thanks for sharing your knowledge Sharmin.

Hi Sam,
I do not know if I have PCOS or not but I have all syndromes for PCOS.  Does PCOS get worse gradually? My gynecologist never says anything about PCOS. I found out back in 2009 that I am a thal carrier and now I am very worried about PCOS. I guess I need to make an appointment with my gyn.

Thanks for sharing your story Sam

Hi,

I am a Thal minor with PCOS. I found both the things long back before getting pregnant with my only girl child. I do have all the symptoms as you mentioned except acne. I took treatment for getting pregnant. Though it happened with induction only, but i had to change multiple doctors before all this happened. I feel i was lucky to get in touch with the right doctor at last.
But, yes, most of the times, PCOS does cause issues to cause pregnancy. Regarding thal minor, i just knew that my hb levels remain low (around 10-11) and this is because of thal minor. But, frankly speaking i didn't have much knowledge on the subject niether my doctors seem to be worried.

once pregnant, my pregnancy was almost smooth. But, after this, i never concieved again. My periods are irregular and i take birth control pils to keep my cycles regular....

Hope this was helpful
thanks
Kiya

Thanks for sharing your personal experience and knowledge Kiya.
I always thought my irregular period has something to with my thal minor trait. I thought because of anemia my body does not want to lose any more blood. That’s why I am having late period.
My HB is around 11.3 which is not that low. But my feritin level is only 21 which is very low. I think because of low feritin level I have such a low energy and that's causing my hormonal imbalance.

Did you take any other medication other than birth control for PCOS? I do not want to take birth control pill because it might suppress my natural hormone which may cause problem later. Does PCOS get worse as you age? Sorry If I am asking too many questions. We just start planning to have a baby and I am kind of worried about it.

Thanks
April

Hi April,
I am Thal Minor and I too had or still have (don't know) PCOS. I have been pregnant 4 times and have had no problems.
Anyways, so lets go step by step-

1) My periods were very irregular and I believe it was because of PCOS. I too am slightly (raised to the power of two) over weight and have had some issues with facial hair.  I did consult two doctors back in India (I am now in US) and got two different perspectives. One stressed me a lot as it indicated that I may never get pregnant and also may end up with cervical cancer etc etc. I thought this was an extreme, besides, the doctor also suggested I be quite about the whole thing because of the taboo associated with infertility.
Anyways so the other more practical advise came from a family doctor, who definitely explained the relationship between lack of ovulation and PCOS. But at the same time, she asked me not to worry and just keep a check on my weight. So on a daily basis, I had to take care of my weight issues, and then when I wanted to get pregnant, I had to go for hormonal treatment. So when the time came, I took the pill called YASMIN.
 
Please remember exercise, diet and happy state of mind are key in the whole process, so DO NOT STRESS YOURSELF.
 
2)A lot of women have PCOS. It is very normal. As per some statistics that I read, almost 40%of women in their reproductive age in India have PCOS and this number has been on the rise. So again, do not take it lightly, but also do not get stressed. Just be disciplined with the mantra of proper nutrition,and exercise. It helps a LOT!!!
 
3)  So coming back to hormonal pills. Since, my doctor sensed my apprehension with taking hormonal pills, so she suggested I take them for three months (instead of straight 6 months) and then get an ultra sound done. If the Ultrasound shows that the cysts have subsided, then I can stop the pills and start trying to get pregnant. It normally takes one month for the birth control pill to loose its effect in the body. We stopped the pill in October after a clear ultrasound and by December end I was pregnant.
 
4) I do know of 2-3 more women with PCOS and they all have babies today.
Some went for the birth control pill option, which subsides the cysts, while others went for pills that work on increasing ovulation. You can choose whichever path is recommended by your doctor. It has worked for me and the people I know.
 
AGAIN-
Please remember exercise, diet and happy state of mind are key in the whole process, so DO NOT STRESS YOURSELF.

Hope this helps.
 

Additionally,
I was told that an average person can  take upto 6 months or more to get pregnant, so it is just a matter of time when it happens for you. Just make sure that ovulation is happening.
-SK

Hi Supergirl.
Thank you so much for your informative post. It was really comforting.
1.   My period was not that irregular beginning of this year. It just became irregular recently. My cycle was little long (around 5 weeks between periods) but that was usual for me. Now it’s taking almost 8 weeks for me to get my next period. I even thought I am pregnant when I missed my period last month.
2.   I am seriously watching my diet and exercising regularly. Thanks for your advice though. I am 5 2’’ and 120 lbs and trying to lose around 10 pounds. I believe I am little overweight.
3.   I like the option of getting on pills for few months which may subsidies my symptoms.

I will try not to stress myself on this.Thanks again!

Well, the doc told me that a BMI below 25 is good and will facilitate in getting pregnant.  I did not calculate yours but ithink you should be fine on that. I am 4 feet 10 inches and my weight was around 135 at the time...I was way off the 25 mark and had to work real hard

All the best...it will work out.
Hugs

Thanks again dear. I will keep posted if there is any good news.