Been told I have PCOS... what happens next?

[florenceswashingmachine]

I've always had issues - very heavy irregular periods, severe period pain with D&V, random blood tests showing blood glucose was wonky (hypoglycaemic attacks), excess hair growth around back, toes, bottom, neck, face, etc.. excess weight (20 stone at largest), and persistent acne on my cleavage and back...

Had tests done at 20, 24 and again last month (now 27) . This lot have come back abnormal indicating PCOS.

Gynaecologist said she wants me to continue to be reviewed monthly-8 weekly for a while and also need tested again for T2 diabetes, cholestorel etc. Also said I am at elevated risk of uterine cancer (but they can prevent it somehow?) ... I have suspected endometriosis anyway and was offered an ablation before when I was 22 or so. Starting to think that might not be the worst option.

She said Iikely if I try to have a baby I will need help of some sort (e.g IVF) . That's the part upsetting me as I always I wanted to be a mum and now realising it isn't necessarily something that is in my reach.

I've been told GP will see me in ten days to review and organise first bloods for diabetes etc but I'm a bit gutted. I've been waiting such a long time to hear this but it still hurts.

Such a lot happening at home anyway so this feels like one other upset but I suppose at least I know..? I'm gutted though .

It's relatively common. You can do various things to keep some of the symptoms under control: keep at a healthy weight (mid normal BMI), exercise, good diet (lots of veg, wholemeal bread etc, good fats), spearmint tea might help. As for having a baby - I have pcos and I am pregnant with my second. It may happen naturally, you may need Clomid or you may need IVF. Depends if you are ovulating at all (some people with pcos ovulate irregularly).

What is your weight now?

I can advise on the mindfulness of being pre-diabetic which I am and thus has now controlled the way I eat. But wrt PCOS if you want babies and this will present problems then it might be an idea to think about getting cracking sooner rather than later - you're 27 which is still young but PCOS doesn't really know or care about that.

By the way, when I say 'mindfulness of being pre-diabetic' I don't mean I know about healing crystals and dancing around campfires praying to an unknown god. Just that it does mean that you need to be 'aware' of your diet from here on in.

I was able to have a child without help so it's not impossible.
Re the everything else, I find that diet and weight are (irritatingly!) absolutely key to managing my symptoms. I don't eat any sugar at all and really need to limit carbs. I have struggled with my weight for years despite this and am permanently restricted in what I can have as I find id rather manage my diet than Face the full force of my hairiness (my most depressing symptom).
It's irritating but not the worst thing ever, don't panic

I was diagnosed with pcos when I was TTC my dd2, although I'd had symptoms since I was 14 (my main symptom was irregular periods, like maybe one every 6 months). My GP said I'd need help to get pg but in my area she wasn't allowed to even refer me to the fertility clinic until I was a healthy bmi, and then the waiting list would be 2 years.

So I started taking care of myself more than I had done previously. I joined SW and lost 2 stone (I am pretty certain it was eating a healthier diet rather than specifically SW that was important), I took a decent multivitamin every day, and magnesium and vit b12 as well. I took up more exercise, I chose to swim about 3 times a week for an hour but any regular exercise would have been better than what I'd been doing previously. I also had a couple of sessions of reflexology, which I'm quite sceptical about but it wasn't particularly expensive and was nice and relaxing anyway. For me it only took 3 months before my periods started, I had 2 exactly a month apart (unheard of for me!!) Then I fell pg straight away (so about 6 months after diagnosis), but that's not necessarily normal, a lot of people with pcos still do need help with their fertility. They tested me for diabetes a couple of times but while I have "diabetic tendencies" it hasn't developed into full blown diabetes yet, and I'm 10 years down the line now.

So my advice is to start looking at your diet and exercise straight away, in as much as you can with whatever else is going on with your life. I thoroughly recommend taking good quality vitamins if you can, particularly the b12 as a deficiency in that can cause all sorts of other problems that often have similar symptoms as pcos. I had a book called "power over pcos" which gave a lot of information about various things, some of which were nice and easy to fit into my lifestyle, others were harder but I would have tried them if my symptoms hadn't started getting better, and some were complete bollocks very new age and alternative (I think she recommended healing crystals and reiki, which were rather a step too far for me).

I have pcos and one ovary had a big cyst on and severe endo which has to be cauterised. Also quite overweight and other symptoms like you too. Absolutely no problems getting pregnant. 2 children conceived in first month of trying and 3rd child conceived whilst using hormonal contraception!
There are online support groups with loads of info. It's something that you can live with quite easily so please try not to get too worried!

I'm somewhere around 20 stone just now. Lowest I've been is 12 stone, when I was 16.. now 27. Been overweight since I was a child though. Bad habits and dyspraxia put me off exercise and now as an adult agoraphobia...

I suppose PCOS isn't the entire cause there so to speak.

The trouble is I'm gay as well, and have already been told I will likely need a C section to give birth (previous surgery down below as a teenager) so sometimes think actually, I'd be better off just giving up on the idea of ever being a mummy to a wee baby. As much as that is heartbreaking. My gran told me as a teen if I ever gave birth I'd ruin the child's life and back of my mind keeps thinking she was right and this is nature's way of telling me ? As stupid as that probably sounds.

As far as I know I do ovulate but not regularly or with a good pattern - have been on various pills, coils and implant and prostap shots but periods have never been like clockwork at all, and have always made me ill to say the least (at worst in hospital on IV fluids , anti sickness and morphine).

Friend emailed last night (she's a GP) and said I will probably find they will suggest trial of metformin and low carb/low GI for starters. Said it is potentially manageable with proper help but the difficulty is one makes the other worse? Also said to ask for vaniqa as better than shaving perhaps.

I wish I'd been diagnosed years ago, I've seen gynae at least twice a year since I was 15 or 16 years old and had so many scans etc. I kept saying I was shaving my face daily, covered in spots on my back and chest...

Have a huge family history of B12 anaemia (mother, grandmother, two great grandmothers afaik) so will ask for that to be checked. Also have same with thyroid - father, two grandmothers. Whole family on both sides are stocky build...