To ask about your PCOS experiences?

[myfavouritefudgecake]

I have just been told over the phone that my blood tests show markers for PCOS.

This has been a long battle for me to even get taken seriously after having light periods for months and no other symptoms. I was told that this was nothing to worry about and totally normal but I just knew it wasn't. Anyway, finally convinced GP to refer me for blood test and she rang me to tell me that everything fine but hormone imbalance indicates PCOS. So, I'll get a scan (ultra-sound?) to confirm and go from there. I'm very upset because DH & I are ttc and having no luck (cycle 7). I do ovulation tests every month and get the smiley face, so I do ovulate I think. Now I'm just so upset as I feel like conceiving naturally will be off the table? I'm 30 if that makes a difference.

I wanted to know who else has been through this? Did you conceive and did your symptoms get worse/better? I don't know anyone with it in RL would just like to hear from some women who have experience.

@myfavouritefudgecake I hope you don't mind me jumping on your thread but I just found it on a search for PCOS. My teen DD has just been diagnosed. She's been prescribed Dianette but not thrilled with the idea of taking. She's still growing and has a low end of normal BMI. She has a good balanced diet and recognises that carbs and sugar will not be her friend (was always a major past fiend), prior to Covid-19 she was an active person and hopefully she will return to her activities as time goes on. Currently trying to wrap our heads around setting her up on a heathy path for the future to try and avoid some of the associated conditions which can sit alongside PCOS. If anyone has any pearls of wisdom for someone at the beginning of their journey it would be much appreciated.

@TheTeenageYears Hi! No I don't mind. Sounds like your daughter has a lot going on.

I'm obviously a lot older than your daughter but I'm also in the very early stages of diagnosis. In fact, I'm still waiting for a scan to confirm. I'm wondering if dianette is something that'll be right for me. I have the excessive hair growth on my chin which I'd never thought much of before as I'd put it down to being olive skinned and I'm hoping that something like dianete might help. What is it that's putting your DD off taking it? Side effects?

@TheTeenageYears I have no pearls of wisdom but what I would say is that if I'd have found out about this earlier then I think I would have made different choices throughout my 20s. So despite the fact it's a shitty thing to find out, I'd say I'd rather have known. I probably wouldn't have let my weight fluctuate and been blasé about it, and I would have paid much closer attention to my reproductive health.

My sister has it and conceived naturally at 45. She wasn't trying to - doctors had told her the PCOS and her age would make it very unlikely so she relaxed on birth control then boom.

I had my daughter at 21, was fine until 25 and then was diagnosed with PCOS. Between age 18 - 25 I ate a relatively healthy diet and very low carb unintentionally.

I'm not sure why but when I turned 25 I started eating a lot of junk and carbs and put on a couple of stone, my periods then stopped, I had the most horrendous cystic acne, hairy nipples, hairy arse, just this constant bloat about me.

Stopped eating carbs soon after and periods started back up, acne disappeared, as did excess hair, felt great. Then started eating shite again and am back in the same position as I was at the start 😂 so Monday I start low carb and low calorie eating again. It is IMPOSSIBLE for me to lose weight eating carbs, no matter how many calories I'm in deficit, I will not lose weight eating any sort of carbs.

I think PCOS can be controlled very well through eating a low carb diet so I'd start on that ASAP if you can.

Good luck, it is a pain in the arse to have but totally manageable!

@ihavelostit oh nightmare! Keeping my weight down is a battle but one that I win on the most most. But some days I just crave crave crave carbs. I'm 5'4 and usually 9stone but it's crept up to 10 and that's when I've started seeing the symptoms. So I guess although I'm not exactly obese, weight is potentially a trigger here.

We've taken some time off ttc because it was making me crazy. Some time to get back into the gym and not eat houmous by the bucket.

Inositol is your friend! It helps manage my PCOS symptoms, which are predominantly insulin resistance and acne. I don’t break out at all on inositol, and I no longer get insane sugar cravings all the time.

As for pregnancy, I got pregnant naturally within a month both times. I’m a thin “cyster” so that might have helped. I did have gestational diabetes, though, and also developed Hashimoto’s after my second pregnancy, which is a result of having PCOS.

I was diagnosed with PCOS about 8? Maybe 9 years ago. I havent been successful with TTC since, but have up seriously trying a few years ago because my weight was out of control and I've been told no help until I lose the weight...

What I do want to say is, I did however fall pregnant a few years before and have a lovely healthy baby. In my case, even a stone of weight made a massive difference.

I'm not sure if you've mentioned your weight and whether it's high in other posts but I've just read the first.

Please try not to get down about this, I know plenty of women with PCOS who now have a massive brood of children. Pcos may make it harder but not impossible
Wishing you the best with your journey xx

Thanks @myfavouritefudgecake. Over the last year she's definitely been making better choices about food of her own accord so is very receptive to working out now what is going to be best moving forwards in a kind of prevention rather than cure way.

The Dr mentioned risks of DVT with any pill and she came home and researched Dianette specifically and got freaked out by the possible side effects of that plus acne, depression etc which she already has so struggled to see how taking something which might cause all her current symptoms could possibly help. I stepped back a bit and realised she needed a bit of time to come to terms with the diagnoses and 2 days later she decided that at least for now taking the Dianette was the best solution especially as we have a bit of a time limitation on making sure it agrees with her.

I hope everything sorts itself out for you soon and you can get back to ttc soon.