I tried searching for old threads but they’re all a few years old and was hoping to get more recent experiences.
I haven’t had a period since March, so I went to my obgyn and not all surprisingly to me the ultrasound showed I may have PCOS. She also took a blood test but I am still waiting for those results before I’m officially diagnosed. Based on the US’s criteria I’d already be diagnosed but… Japan
I was wondering what treatment is like here? Will birth control pills/IUD be covered by health insurance since it’s treating this condition (not for contraception)? Are you on metformin? Do you see an endocrinologist and a dietitian??
I’m really nervous because of how hard I had to fight to be treated for anemia.. Im in Kanagawa but willing to travel to Tokyo if you have any good clinic recs.
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Hormonal medicines are available for cheaper under a medical diagnosis. Unsure about implants.
If it’s to treat a health condition, birth control and IUD will be partially covered by insurance.
Hope someone else can chime in for info on PCOS treatment specifically!
They don’t follow Rotterdam so they won’t diagnose you on two clinical features alone but they can still treat you without an official diagnosis. You can get Yaz and metformin with insurance. Mirena can be received with insurance for heavy menstruation. Otherwise you can pay around ¥30,000 to have one fitted. They don’t do Spironolactone or any androgen blockers here. If you eventually need help getting pregnant, they will cover clomiphene treatment. I didn’t need anything more than that so I am not sure what is covered beyond that in terms of fertility treatment. Best of luck.
Being in Kanagawa will give you much better options for this sort of thing! I’m in rural Shizuoka so my treatment is limited, but the doctors are trying to work with me even though I’m an “unusual case”.
I can’t take birth control pills due to getting a blood clot from them years ago, so I can’t speak on that front. But the hospital here prescribes me spironolactone, which I took in America for 10+ years. It’s been a struggle trying to get them to give me 100 mg because it’s not a common medication here, so I’m only on 50 right now and fighting it as hard as I can. Thankfully, it’s covered by health insurance! If you can’t get birth control pills, I’d look into it as a possible option.
If you do wind up being given metformin, be sure to explain why you’re taking it to EVERY other doctor you see. I was on metformin when I first got here, and other doctors freaked out and thought I had diabetes no matter how much I explained to them that I was taking it for PCOS. The average person won’t know what PCOS is, but if you have a good obgyn, they’ll have your back. Good luck!
I wasn’t diagnosed in Japan but I was on BC for over 10 years and took metformin as well. Side effects are aweful! Was so dependent on them but decided to stop them all and change to healthier lifestyle. So far, my cycle is 40-45 days from not having period in 6 months to a year ever since my period started.
Damn this sub gets specifically personal sometimes
I was just diagnosed here 5 months ago through a hormone blood panel and showed my testosterone was pretty elevated. I went to a gyno in Omiya for it and they put me on Cerazette (mini pill), but no other medication. They don’t check insulin, so I went to another place and had my HBA1c checked and it was only 4.9, so not diabetic or anything. I have clear signs of insulin resistance, but the doctor just told be to eat better. From what I can tell PCOS here is still quite misunderstood and I’m still trying to find a specialist on it. Not sure if this helps, but good luck too!
I was diagnosed with it but didn’t get much further. My only symptoms are irregular periods and being overweight, so I’ve just been trying to adjust my diet. The doctor I talked to before moving house just offered the pill (which doesn’t really work as I’m trying for a family at the moment), but I’m going to try and find a women’s clinic closer to my new house to see if they have other options.
I’m currently being treated for both PCOS and endometriosis. Birth control is covered by insurance if it’s being used to treat a condition like PCOS.
I was taking a pill with estrogen, but I ended up getting a bad blood clot a few years ago and had to switch to progesterone only pills.
My conditions are well controlled by the bc, so I haven’t had to make changes to my diet or anything like that
Not officially diagnosed because y’know Japan but I’ve just been given the pill to deal with it along with my endo symptoms and it does seem to be working. Costs around ¥1500 a month, get regular blood tests every 3 months and ultrasounds up there, price doesn’t change.
Not on metformin or anything else as somehow I’m not really overweight.
I get my birth control from my OBGYN and spiro from my regular GP here!