PCOS - when is it usually discovered?

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would it be discovered during pregnancy or when. i never even knew about this until the other day!

I think the most common time used to be if/when women were having trouble conceiving (not all women with PCOS do have trouble though). For me it was when I skipped 4 periods in a row!! not something you can ignore. Have you just been diagnosed?

no but i'm wondering if i might have it. i often skip 3 periods and then come on. then when i do it is usually extremely light or extremely heavy but doesn't last long. but i've already had a baby so thought if i had it they might have picked up on it when i was pregnant?

Hi
I found out I had it after skipping 2 periods and going for a scan.

I had already had a baby.

On normal abdominal scan they weren't sure but on transvaginal scan you could literally see loads of tiny cysts. I think it's classed as PCOS if there are more than 10 over a certain size area.

I have since had another baby and now have more symptoms of PCOS like more hairiness, weight gain around tummy, irregular, light periods.

Have just started on Metformin for it.

had you had it a long time but didn't know or can it start later on?i wasn't sure if its something you always have.

it's not something you always have as part of it is a hormonal imbalance, although it's hard to say whether the hormones going out of whack cause the symptoms, or whether something else causes the hormones to go out of whack.

It's quite a specific procedure to diagnose, so they're unlikely to pick it up unless you or they are specifically looking for it. The two tests I had, which I understand are standard, are a blood test for hormone levels (in particular, too much testosterone) and an ultrasound scan of the ovaries, where they look for additional cysts.

Skipping 3 periods is definitely not normal IMO and worth getting checked out. Doesn't mean you have PCOS but it should be one of the things your GP and you consider.

Once you have it, there is no official 'cure' and most of the treatments involve managing the symptoms that bother you, which vary with each woman.

If you do turn out to have it, I'd recommend books by Colette Harris, but I really wouldn't read them until and unless you know you have it, you have symptoms that bother you and you want to do something about them - they contain a LOT of information and there's no point trying to absorb it all if in fact you have something else.

Very best wishes - it's far from the worst thing you can have, but it can take some getting used to if that's what it is.

oh right i see, so the cysts come and go? so one month you might have them and the next you might not? argh i hate going to the doctors. say it was pcos what's the worst that could happen if left untreated?

ok i just spoke to my friend who has it and she said it would have been picked up in pregnancy scans and that it's there from when you start your periods so now i'm confused!!

I was told that they only treat PCOS if the symptoms are terrible or if you want to conceive.
Mine was discovered as I had been ttc. Had blood tests to check for ovulation then had a scan which confirmed it.

It took me 3mths of clomid to conceive no1 and I fell pregnant without treatment with no2 3 yrs later.

Was also told that weight loss can help.

mine weren't picked up in pregnancy scans.......

Mine wasn't picked up when I was pg but when I started ttc again.
It's certainly worth speaking to your gp about - if just for peace of mind.

you're very unlikely to have cysts when you're pregnant (they're not actually cysts, just not properly developed follicles from the ovulation stage) as the pregnancy hormones will have overcome the PCOS hormone imbalance. Generally women are disgnosed when having difficulties ttc (if you're not having periods/ovulating), or if a particularly enlightened GP suggests it as a possibility with acne/excess hair/impossible to shift excess weight.
It's somethign you always have, but you can prevent the symptoms getting worse (sensible diet, moderate exercise).

Is it just irregular periods that you have? Mine are very irregular, can often go 6 months without one, and have always been like that except when I was on the pill. Had no trouble conceiving though and no other symptoms of PCOS. I mentioned it to the doctor and she said irregular periods can be completely normal, not to worry especially as I conceived easily.

sorry for cyst/follicle confusion.

If you do have PCOS there are some increased risks of serious diseases but these I believe are pretty easy to manage with some basic treatment (I'm not a doctor though). If one of your symptoms is being overweight, losing weight is the best way to reduce the risks and usually the symptoms as well. I was in a talk once by a specialist gynaecologist and she said something along the lines of 'women with PCOS have to eat 25% less than other women, to remain at the same weight'. So losing weight is hard for women with PCOS but it CAN be done. one helpful thing is that if you have excess testosterone, you tend to develop muscle more quickly if you exercise, and muscle burns calories fastest. So it's a virtuous circle.

It is common for doctors to recommend that women with PCOS go on the Pill, especially Dianette. This is partly because one of the risks of serious disease is sorted out if you are having regular bleeds, so it's a good idea if you are missing periods. However, many women would feel that the Pill doesn't help them lose weight, and only masks symptoms without sorting any causes out. There's also the issue of depression - I don't know what the evidence is on any link between the pill and depression. Colette Harris's books are very good on other ideas for dealing with PCOS.

I really, really recommend that you see the doctor - a diagnosis is useful, whether it's PCOS or something else.

i am on the pill (cerazette) but still having irregular bleeds.

My suspected PCOS was picked up on an ultrasound scan through the infertility clinic. But I haven't any of the other symptoms other than finding it hard to conceive (not any more though - 16 month old DS) so I'm not sure if the diagnosis was correct or not.

if they saw enlarged follicles on your ovaries during a scan then i'd say the pcos diagnosis probably was correct.