To ask about PCOS?

[FrostyChocolateMilkshake]

Google just frightens the living daylights out of me. I don't know anyone in real life who has PCOS. So hopefully IANBU to post here.

I'm worried I have developed PCOS. Hard to lose weight, thinning hair (not from all over but thinner now compared to what it was like in my early twenties, I am 31 now), really really oily skin.

I don't have children but intend to have them at some point in the near future. But now I am convinced this will never happen.

Would anyone be able to share their experiences or symptoms of PCOS? Is it as horrific as Google makes it out to be?

Thanks in advance, should anyone be able to share their experiences.

A close friend has it but still managed to conceive within about 4 months of trying (it took me 6 and I have no known fertility issues!) So it doesn't necessarily mean you won't manage to have kids

@fridgepants thanks for sharing. Did anything trigger off the PCOS? And apologies for the possible insensitive question, but have you had trouble getting pregnant? (If you have started TTC)

@TheGoogleMum that's really positive to hear about your friend. My biggest worry is definitely struggling to conceive. I'm not currently TTC but it is a worry for the future. I thought that if you have got PCOS you are basically infertile or guaranteed to struggle having a baby.

@fridgepants I've heard keto/low carb diet can work wonders for fertility. I'm currently eating a low carb diet (keto is a bit of a struggle as it is very restrictive, in my experience anyway)
Thanks so much for your comments

I have it, and always have i think. Since my periods started anyway. I have classic symptoms - and scans showing lots of cysts. By the way, if you are finding you’re more symptomatic and I’ve gained weight, losing weight might reduce your symptoms, I found that with mine.

I have two children, not conceived without too much stress, though I ovulate less frequently than most people as I have long cycles. I found tracking ovulation really helped. I think it was about 6 weeks to conceive child 1; child 2 about 4 mists after I stopped breastfeeding.

I have PCOS. I’ve had painful irregular periods all my life. I’m very hairy on my face.

I conceived easily (first month both times) at 34 & 39 whilst obese.

I thought that if you have got PCOS you are basically infertile or guaranteed to struggle having a baby.

Definitely not the case.

Main symptoms for me were long, irregular cycles and heavy periods. Also when I lose weight it is very slowly.

TBH my GP and the referrals I had weren’t great and just told me to lose weight when TTC. I did a lot of reading online and so many suppliments/vitamins etc are recommended but myo-inositol worked for me in getting my cycles shorter and regular.

I was also temping which showed me
I don’t ovulate every cycle so was always going to be a struggle. DC1 took 3+ years, DC2 will be here in August when DC1 will only be 15 months!

I have PCOS. There’s lots of information out there about different approaches so it’s helpful to do some reading. Key things I have found help me are:

• Losing some weight, by cutting sugar and reducing carbs, eating loads of protein, healthy fats and veg
• Have a low GI approach to eating as blood sugar spikes lead to more insulin which can lead to more PCOS symptoms/weight gain
• Look after your sleep and stress levels - they can make PCOS worse
• Come off contraception and see what your cycles are doing, contraception does nothing to help PCOS and just hides what’s really going on.
• Exercise, walking is good for pcos, as is resistance training. High impact/mega cardio is less good as it can increase stress levels in the body, which worsen pcos symptoms.
• I take supplements - myo-inositol is backed up by scientific evidence as being very good for women with PCOS. I also take NAC, magnesium and vitamin D.
• Look up how to use BBT to track your cycles. I’ve started doing this and it really helps to see whether you’re ovulating, as that’s a sign of whether the systems are working properly. Even if you’re not TTC, if these systems are broken somewhere, you’ll get more PCOS symptoms.

As a first step, I’d ask for the doctors to take some blood and refer for a scan (this is totally fine and not scary) to see what you’re working with.

@Merryoldgoat

I thought that if you have got PCOS you are basically infertile or guaranteed to struggle having a baby.

Definitely not the case.

Thanks @Merryoldgoat and thanks for sharing your experience with PCOS. I apologise if my comment regarding PCOS and infertility was insensitive - this is just the assumption I have gleamed with looking at Google. It is so much more helpful hearing from people who have it rather than scare-mongering medical articles.

I had PCOS. Going through menopause now. Found out when I’d been trying to conceive and nothing happened, I’d always had irregular periods but no other symptoms. I was put on clomid for a few months but then conceived naturally. I also conceived my second child naturally.

I have had it diagnosed since age 14, now 41 and I am over weight and find it very hard to lose weight. I am prescribed metformin which stops the sugar cravings but I have lost most of my hair at the front of my head and wear a wig full time now. My periods stopped around age 27 and I was prescribed the pill until it gave me a PE. I feel like I am at the worse end of the symptoms where as my sister also has PCOS and suffers with heavy periods and has no hair loss. She also conceived naturally where I didn't.
I wish I had sorted out my diet younger when it was easier to lose weight as I probably wouldn't be as bad now. Low carb diet is the way to go as the weight gain is caused by an insulin resistance normally.

I was diagnosed with PCOS at 21. At the time I was told if I waited until I was 30 I probably wouldn't be able to have children. This cast a massive shadow over my relationships in my 20s. At 30 I had a check up I was told that whilst I do have polycystic ovaries, I should remain positive because my cycles were regular. I had my coil out at the end of August thinking we would have a long road ahead and had my BFP at the beginning of November. Difficulty conceiving is a major symptom of PCOS but it doesn't necessarily mean you won't be able to.

I want to acknowledge that I appreciate we are extremely fortunate.

I was diagnosed with PCOS only when they were looking for something else - I have none of the classic symptoms (not overweight, no acne or body hair etc.)

Went to the GP as my periods were getting heavier and incredibly painful. She prescribed some painkillers and I had a series of investigative tests (bloods, ultrasounds, etc.) They noted that my ovaries were polycystic but as I had no troublesome symptoms they decided not to treat unless it became a problem.

Conceived my first month TTC, so definitely not guaranteed infertile! My GP said that if you're having regular periods and ovulating (ovulation sticks should help you to work out if you're ovulating regularly) then it's very unlikely you'll have trouble conceiving.

If you haven't had a diagnosis yet, do go to your GP and see if they can have bloods/ultrasound done to confirm PCOS - Dr Google can only teach you so much and you may not even have it, or there may be another hormonal issue that explains your symptoms that can be treated. All best!

I have PCOS. Only symptom was irregular periods and only found out when TTC.

It took me about 2 years the first time and 1 year the second time to get pregnant. I did see a fertility specialist on NHS but they were reluctant to intervene as I do ovulate....just irregularly. So I had to go down the route of working out when I ovulate which is not much fun but still meant I got pregnant naturally.

If you do want to TTC in the future it’s a good idea to be in the best health you can be as it’s just one less thing to tick off the list. Also, it’s not much fun but if your periods are irregular, using ovulation sticks and monitoring your temperature can help pinpoint when you are fertile (otherwise with irregular periods you are never sure when that is).

I have PCOS and my daughter, mid twenties, has recently been diagnosed.
It's shit. The hairiness is embarrassing but we cope.
As to having babies... I conceived very quickly both times.
I wasn't offered any advice when I was diagnosed but my daughter has.
Reduce dairy and sugar as much as possible and reduce carbs.

I was diagnosed with PCOS 8 years ago after being referred to endocrinology. I had both an ultrasound and internal scan which showed I have cysts on my ovaries.

Symptoms for me were intermittent periods, weight gain, acne, thinning hair and hirsutism. Endocrinologist was very blunt, told me to lose weight and take the highest dose of metformin I could tolerate. Every follow up appointment was just a lecture about my weight, whilst telling me there was “nothing she could do about my thinning hair”. In the end I just asked them to take me off their list, I felt the appointments were becoming counter productive.

Anyway, went away and did my own research and started taking inositol supplements and saw palmetto for the hirsutism. I noticed my facial hair seemed softer and the growth slowed after a few days. Since then I have dropped 5 stone in weight from intermittent fasting and only eating once a day (good for both inflammation and insulin resistance). I can’t say that my symptoms have significantly improved from this weight loss (except my periods have been regular), my acne and hirsutism are certainly still the same unfortunately. I am still taking metformin but I plan to stop once I am at my goal weight and just continue with the supplements.

As for fertility, I haven’t tried to become pregnant nor do I plan to, but my GP has told me many times that PCOS isn’t a barrier to having children these days and I do know lots of women can with help (clomid etc).

Thanks everyone so much for being open with me about your experiences and symptoms/diagnoses.

I'm going to get an appointment booked in and hopefully get some answers.

Also it's so interesting how many of you have suggested low carb diets. It's amazing really what part food can play in this sort of thing.

I’ve had pcos for as long as I’ve had periods. The periods I have are very infrequent and heavy/painful. There’s been lots of great advice above which I’m making notes of as well as mine is still a total pain in the arse to manage.

I felt sure when TTC that it either would not happen or would be a massive struggle. I can’t say it was easy, but somehow after 18 months TTC with not a hint of getting pregnant, somehow it happened (just before we were going to be referred.). Our son was born and then I got pregnant with DD when he was 9 months old and after 1 try-go figure!

Like you though I had googled and scared myself senseless so just to let you know that it’s not always as bad as might be assumed.

I also was diagnosed as part of fertility testing. I had never had normal periods since starting at 10 and am hideously hairy, though I never had acne. My weight has always been a struggle, I too find low carb the best and need to eat very mindfully to maintain a healthy weight - I gain very easily. It took 7 years to conceive, but my then H had issues too, so it wasn't the PCOS alone. Try not to worry, as pps have demonstrated, not everyone had the same issues or difficulties.