PCOS?

Question

I've had irregular periods my entire life. I won't have it for months then I'll get a normal one, then usually skip another few months. This being normal for me, I've never questioned it too much. I went for an ultrasound years ago to see if I have PCOS. They didn't see anything on my ovaries so they assumed I'm fine. I heard recently that that's a common misconception about this disease. How can I not have it when actual cysts are the only symptom I'm missing? I've battled weight issues my entire life, excess hair (which is awful and embarassing) since puberty, insulin resistance, and depression for years also. I haven't been to a doctor recently to run any tests or ask. Maybe it's something I should consider doing? I was once offered a prescription for metformin to "help me lose weight" but I did not accept. I've heard that it's hard on the body and I didn't want to start something I have to rely on for life. I'm starting to think it may be in my favor if I were to do so, though.

Does anyone have any advice or personal stories that could help me?

Answer

My RE said he wants to see three major symptoms: androgen characteristics (excess hair is one), out of line hormone panel, and excess follicles on your ovaries ("cysts")

I've read that other doctors don't always loon for all of it. There seem to be a couple schools of thought.

I would ask for your testosterone levels and other related hormones to be checked.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you may be able to use a lower dose of Metformin and may not have to be on it forever. It isn't a life sentence unless you have diabetes.

Answer

Thank you all for the stories and advice, I'm gonna look into finding a new doctor and get those tests done. If only I can just get over my ridiculous fear of the doctors office!!

Answer

If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck... Yadda yadda. I was diagnosed with PCOS without an ultrasound because of my symptoms and boarderline abnormal hormone panel. I would recommend you get some bloodwork done and see what it tells you and your doc. If you're not ovulating, the hormones should be able to tell you why, and I guarantee it's because of PCOS.

As for the weight loss, my understanding is that losing weight is the only way to "cure" PCOS so if your doc is giving you a way to jump start that change, maybe you should try. Get down to a healthy weight, control your symptoms, and then get off the medicine and live a healthy lifestyle. It's really really hard for people with PCOS to lose weight because of the hormonal imbalance. Once you correct that problem, it should be much easier to manage your weight without medication.

Answer

I agree with what everyone else has said, go in for testing. I was diagnosed based off my ultrasound but the bloodwork really showed the extent of it all. The metformin is definitely not a forever thing. It is just a tool to help you get your hormones and weight under control. It can become a forever thing if you develop diabetes, which women with pcos are susceptible to, thanks to our insulin resistance problems. But if you get those under control, you can come off the meds. You'll probably be put back on it when pregnant though, to avoid gestational diabetes, which women with pcos are also prone to getting.

I had gone in for testing after I was a month late for my period and had gotten 5 negative pregnancy tests. I had always been regular before so this was very strange for me. I had also been steadily gaining weight for about 2-3 months and then my weight shot up like 15 pounds in just under a month, despite the fact that I had cut out fast food, soda, and most junk food and had been sticking to my workouts.  I am personally taking 500 MG metformin twice daily (for now), vitamin B6, vitamin D3, and prenatals. So far this seems to be working for me, I have managed to finally start losing weight and my levels seem to be regulating. I have changed a couple more things with my diet, which is also helping. If you do have pcos, I recommend the site pcosdietsupport.com, that gave me a lot of helpful info regarding necessary diet changes I needed to make thanks to my pcos.

I feel that it is important to state that, as of now, there is no cure for pcos. Weight loss can significantly improve your condition but, even if you get control of your symptoms and they go away, the pcos will still be there. It is manageable, with time and effort, and you can go on to have a normal healthy life if you take that time and effort. But the first step is for sure to get more testing and find out what is really going on. Best of luck to you!

Answer

I was diagnosed with PCOS a couple of years ago, but the only symptoms I had was a little bit of acne and a lot of pain during my period. But I was always regular and have never had weight problems.

I was put on birth control pills and my skin cleared and I no longer have such intense pain during my period. However; I tried a couple of pills before finding the one that worked best for me, so always ask your doctor.

If doctors determined you don't have PCOS, maybe you should run other tests, hormonal ones, to rule out a thyroid problem, since the symptoms are very similar to the ones from PCOS.

PCOS?

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