If you have PCOS can you tell me about it?

[MrsJonesAndMe]

Please...

I'm off for some blood tests as soon as I can get it booked and a scan - waiting on a letter.

Don't think I do have it, but something the GP wants to rule out.

So, thought it would be useful to ask here about symptoms, diagnosis and treatment or anything else useful

Thanks!

Hopeful bump for the evening crowd!

Diagnosis for me was blood tests and a scan. There’s no treatment as such. Lots of lifestyle changes you can make though, gluten and dairy free helps as does low carb. Symptoms vary from person to person I think. I hate having it, it’s awful

Mine has been sporadic periods, maybe 2 per year for the last 20 years. Excess hair, not too frightful just a few chin hairs, upper lip and plenty around the nipples and lower abdomen. Cystic acne around the chin which started at age 30. Managed to conceive only twice in 16 years sexually active and have two unplanned but healthy children but never used contraception. Its a hellish condition to have with the pain and hormonal chaos but I have never been treated for mine. I'm sure with treatment many have can manage the symptoms more than I have.

I got diagnosed when having trouble TTC with blood tests and a scan. I usually have really heavy and painful periods usually every other month. I also have endometriosis so this probably also contributes to this. I have taken the pill which helped massively with my periods and now have a coil which has stopped them.

Otherwise the only other issue I have had is TTC. I had my ovaries drilled to try and get them working properly but that didn't work so I ended up having IVF. There are some medications you can take to stimulate ovulation but these weren't suitable for me due to other problems hence going straight to IVF. So if you want children with pcos there are plenty of options if it doesn't happen naturally.

I'm also a bit hairy and am definitely weight sensitive when it comes to carbs!

Thanks for the input.

I'm on the other side of having children which were conceived quickly....and I have very short cycles which seems like the opposite of everything I've heard about PCOS

I'm not pleased to hear about cutting carbs - it suits my body well to not avoid them (specifically gluten), but not me, my lifestyle or my thyroid exhaustion haze

Diagnosed in my 20s by accident. It's had zero impact on my life. I guess I'm lucky reading this thread.

Okay well:

I can conceive easily

I'm 8 stone but this is a constant battle of very few carbs and strict monitoring - my body wants to be 11 stone

The biggest thing for me is the hair. I shave my face twice daily and Lumea it constantly

It has ruined my life

For me lots of hair, chin, under nose, I shave at least once a day, also on boobs, stomach, lower back.
Hold all my weight in my stomach area.
Bad skin
Very very very irregular periods, sometimes years without.

Not so bad here, though will be TTC shortly so I will find out the real impact then.

Cystic acne throughout my life and painful periods (every second one) but Dianette birth control for the PCOS largely sorted both. Off it this month and a bit nervous about what will happen next.

Low GI and more exercise were suggested by GP, noting that I'll be more prone to diabetes and sensitive to carbs and sugar. I don't do it religiously, but go for whole wheat and try to watch weight now.

Overall, it was great to have a diagnosis (confirmed by internal ultrasound and blood tests) because it allows me to make informed health decisions. I know it's different for everyone, but it has been manageable for me.

for those suffering badly!

I'm 25 and have sporadic periods, I put weight on so easily (metformin is awful, makes me feel sick, gives me the shits and makes me gassy).

I have awful acne, even after rounds of Roaccutane.

I get the worst sugar cravings, if I give in to the cravings it then spikes my insulin which is bad for my ovaries.

I'm struggling to conceive.

I was diagnosed after blood tests, scans on my ovaries and a symptom check with a consultant.

Oh and I get thick coarse hair on my chin and toes

I hate it.

I had a small number of sporadic periods each year until I started on the pill. Then I came off the pill and tried for a baby, and was diagnosed with PCOS at a hospital appointment to investigate why I was not pregnant after trying for a couple of years. Strangely, after having DC my periods became regular, then I went back on the pill and got pregnant on the first cycle of trying for DC2. I am not overweight, eat carbs all the time, am not sure whether I am hairier than average or not, it's not something I have ever discussed with anyone.

I was diagnosed at 19 after going to the GP about excess body hair. No bloods that i can remember, but definitely an internal ultrasound.

I've been very lucky that it hasn't affected my fertility and my periods are regular as clockwork. Hormonal contraception was hell. I do have lots of hair (chest, back, toes and chin) and don't tolerate gluten well. I don't lose weight at all really, no matter what I try.

I see lots of people with PCOS successfully losing weight with intermittent fasting (16:8) on my FB groups. Because it lowers insulin levels.

I was diagnosed when I had difficulty conceiving. Was given clomid and that worked, had 2 children. Always had irregular periods, improved as I got older, (early fifties now) veered between short cycles and long cycles. Never had weight, skin or hair problems. Have suffered from tiredness over the years and sure that’s been hormonal.

It's a wide spectrum condition. It never affected me until I started TTC. I'm not spotty or hairy, and I'd been on hormonal contraception for over 10 years so never noticed the irregular cycles till I stopped it. I am overweight but that's got multiple causes and I'm now 3 stone lighter than my (pre-kids) heaviest.

My periods were completely erratic once I stopped contraception to TTC DC1. Never very heavy or painful though. Anything from 26 to 106 days! That's when I saw the GP and got diagnosed. Used Clomid to get pregnant first time, but DS2 was conceived spontaneously - somewhat unexpected as my cycles were still very irregular, but clearly an egg popped out at some point! Since he was born I've actually had more regular periods.

Some women with PCOS struggle with breastfeeding but I feed both mine for over a year. I only discovered this could be a problem much later.

There's a lifetime increased risk of diabetes, so I'm still trying to reduce my weight using intermittent fasting, but other than that it doesn't affect me now.

Thanks for all the input.

I did lose weight with 16:8 last year to get to a healthy BMI and mostly kept it off.

I was only diagnosed 2/3 months ago as we have been failing to conceive. With a private fertility clinic now. It was diagnosed with bloods and a (very painful) transvaginal scan (HyCoSy). I'm now on metformin. I'm almost 33. My periods are regular, the last year or so they are 33 days instead of 28 so not technically irregular. They aren't overly heavy or painful either.
I was on the pill on and off since 17. Last summer, I was 6 months off it and ttc that entire time when I noticed facial and chest acne which I never ever dealt with not even as a teen!! I also gained 2&a half stone in the year!! I've only 1 stone this year. I have Chin hairs, can notice hair follicles on boobs lately too, acne still present, nothing and I mean nothing has got rid of it, depression, fatigue, still haven't conceived. It's been nearly two years ttc. I believe I haven't been ovulating this entire time at all and docs have told me this too as there are so many cysts. I've been off the pill 2 years in December, started metformin end of August, last month and last week I had extricating pain (left ovary last month, right ovary this month-last week) I couldn't move with it, around the time I would be due to ovulate. I never had this befor, ever. My mother mentioned the same
Pain when she was found to have cysts after her third pregnancy, still went on to have three further pregnancies. I need to lose more weight, 4-5 stone based on my tiny height. I find the low carb hard, I've done it before and lost but pile it back on. I thought metformin might help a bit more with weigh less tbh. I guess next step for me will be clomid. Speaking to consultant in 2 weeks.

Good luck @Catlady31 - that sounds horrible

Really interesting reading this thread as I had a blood test recently and my dr said I had a high level of LH which could indicate PCOS. I’ve always had regular and normal periods and have no excess body hair. I’m overweight (but that’s because I eat too much haha) and I occasionally get hormonal bouts of mild acne. It’s been useful reading everyone’s experiences as I’ve been worrying a lot about it.

I have PCOS, diagnosed in my 20s as have excess body hair but not horrendous as some women experience - around nipples, in between boobs (although this is much better than when I was younger), a bikini line that goes half way down my legs and onto my bum which is just uncalled for imo.

Was always thin though until I developed thyroid disease a few years ago. Now I am overweight, thankfully no worsening of PCOS symptoms to date.

Had acne and spots into 20s, poss early 30s, but I get the odd spot or two mainly on body rather than face, but nothing too bad, acne was v bad in teen years.

I have always had monthly periods but no regular cycle in that I could "come on" any time between about 22 days and 36 days but interestingly my cycle has shortened and is more regular in recent months (am in peri) and has been between 25 and 28 days all year. My periods used to be very light up until giving birth after which they got a bit heavier.

I was diagnosed by blood test and ultrasound.

Are they investigating further @CharityRoyall? I had bloods taken but still waiting on scan date.

Thanks for sharing @MiniMum97 I have thyroid issues too

TTC for 5 months and referred for cancer tests due to mid-cycle bleeds, lower pain and abdominal pain, cycles getting longer and longer (last was 44 days). Chased results for 7 weeks and today was told over the phone I have pcos. Really horrendous ace the last few months so did suspect it might be pcos. No excess hair for me, but cycles have gone from 28 days up to 44 now, they get longer each cycle. Not painful, heavy or long periods (last one started on my wedding day and I didn't even notice!!).

I have PCOS. It was diagnosed when I was TTC dd2. I'd never had regular periods, maybe one or two a year, right from the start (the number of times my mum bluntly asked if I was pregnant as a teenager was insulting!!) I fell pg completely accidentally with dd1, having just had a period so not expecting another one for months and I didn't notice I was pg until 16 weeks, when the bump started showing!

My main symptoms were the lack of periods, sugar cravings, slightly more hair than normal on belly (but surprisingly unhairy on arms and legs). The biggest impact on my life has been the insulin resistance, which has now developed into full on diabetes (T2, being "managed" with diet and Metformin at the minute).

A low carb diet and losing weight helped 11 years ago when I finally managed to conceive dd1. I lost about 2 stone and was eating incredibly healthily, plus taking vitamins, magnesium was an important vitamin I remember. After dd2 my periods became regular as clockwork, which was a shock to the system having never experienced that before in my life!

Diagnosed by blood even though my scan was clear. Super irregular periods and bad facial hair