Looking for OB/GYN in DC or MoCo - experience with PCOS.

[Anonymous]

I'm planning on TTC in a year or two. I've had Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome for over 10 years and it's fairly well controlled. I'd just like to get my body as ready as possible for when DH and I start trying. Any recommendations?

[Anonymous]

Bradford Kleinman from OBGYN Associates in Silver Spring is an excellent OBGYN and one of his specialties is infertility conditions (of which PCOS is). He may be a good doctor to have. If your PCOS proves to be a major problem in TTC he will likely refer you to an RE. I know he works closely with some of the physicians at Shady Grove.

He's also incredibly kind, has a great bedside manner, and looks like Tom Seleck!


Once you get pregnant it's a great practice too. YOu can do all your labwork and ultrasounds there. The office is in the physicians building at Holy Cross so it's incredibly convenient.

[Anonymous]

I have been seeing Kim Severn with Capitol Women's Care. She's actually a midwife and nurse practitioner. She didn't hesitate to get me started on clomid even though we hadn't been trying a full year yet. She diagnosed me with PCOS and said that I'd still have PCOS in the future so why waste time trying when it wasn't going to do any good. It can take a while to get through on the phone to make an appointment, but I can usually get one within 2 weeks. I haven't spent a lot of time with her yet. I'm having a follow up appointment since clomid didn't work. I'm interested to see what next steps are. I'll post a follow up to let you know if it was good or bad.

I'm thinking about going to see a reproductive endocrinologist, which you might not be ready for yet since you aren't TTC now. If I go, I'm definitely going here http://www.columbiafertilityassociates.com/abbasi.html I've heard a lot of great things about her.

[Anonymous]

I have PCOS and after two frustrating unmonitored clomid cycles with my ob-gyn (who came highly recommended), I dumped him for Shady Grove Fertility.
They had me pregnant within 3 months (IUI plus clomid plus trigger shot) and I am due in August ........can't say enough good things about them!

[Anonymous]

If you are serious - go directly to a fertility clinic. I have PCOS as well and go to Shady Grove Fertility - am on baby #2 right now (both IVF).

[Anonymous]

I have PCOS too. If you are on the pill and it is giving you regular cycles, you may be able to get pregnant without assistance in the month or two after you go off the pill. The main problem (but not only, I acknowledge!) is that one doesn't ovulate or ovulates very irregularly. The regulation of the pill seems to have some carry over effect for a month or two, so that you ovulate on schedule. I know - not the advice you sought. I love my OB - Dr. Sanders in DC. She diagnosed my PCOS and did some early treatment, but I ended up with an RE to get pregnant. (I didn't know about the first couple of cycles though and was using birth control for those...) Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I'm also a patient of Dr. Sanders and have found her to be wonderful. My RE is Dr. Rifka at Columbia Fertility- I've found him to be great with my PCOS. I tend to respond too strongly to injectibles, but Clomid does not work for me. He has been extremely careful with me during all of my cycles and I've always felt like I'm in good hands.

[Anonymous]

I have PCOS which was diagnosed by my endocrinologist, who I saw for thyroid issues. She put me on Metformin (aka Glucophage). After a year of TTC with no success I got pregnant my first cycle on Metformin. 2.5 years later, same thing, minus the year of TTC. It may be that your PCOS will require a different treatment, but I found that my OB wanted to go straight to Clomid, which did not address the underlying health problem of PCOS, and it was the endo who wanted to get that under control, which fixed the problems related to TTC (shortened luteal phase, etc).

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

For the PPs who went to an OB/GYN for Clomid? How closely were you monitored? I ask because I was under the impression that not being closely followed while on Clomid is one of the ways you end up with higher order multiples. My GYN (I am not in the DC area now, but used to be) has written me a Clomid script, but has not offered additional monitoring.

[Anonymous]

clomid is dangerous if not monitored, can result in high order multiples or ovarian cysts, I got the latter and ended up in the hospital.