I Might Have PCOS? Maybe? Advice Would Be Nice. :)

CaladriaNapea

Hello!

I have never posted here before, so hi! I am 25, and after doing some research, it seems like I maybe have some of the symptoms for PCOS, but definitely not all (or even most), and I'm kind of wondering if I am just mentally psyching myself out. I was thinking of bringing it up to my doctor, but I don't want her to think I am crazy, so I was wondering if any of you could tell me if your experiences align with mine. Or maybe they don't, and I need to just stop reading WebMD.

Anyway, as I said, I am 25, and I am having problems with balding (which is kind of embarrassing as a woman . . .). My hair is getting thinner, particularly at my temples (it's pretty bad there); this started really back in high school but has gotten a lot worse since then. I have quite a bit of acne, which I try to keep under control using different products, but it's still constantly present. I also have some light hair growth on my toes, a very light mustache, and some light hair growth on my stomach.

On the other hand, while I have some irregularity with my periods (they tend to fall within about a two week window of possible occurrence, and I typically skip a period once or twice a year), they are not insanely irregular and I don't really have too much cramping or pain. Also, while I have been overweight since puberty, I really haven't had too much difficulty losing 45+ pounds this past year by creating a calorie deficit through portion control and exercise.

All to say: do my symptoms align at all with anyone else's with PCOS? Do you think it's worth bringing up these symptoms to my doctor? Or do I probably just have bad genetics for acne and hair growth (or a lack thereof) without an underlying problem?

Thanks so much for any thoughts you may have.

bellaa_x0

no one here is qualified to tell you whether or not you have PCOS. if you're truly concerned, bring it up to your doctor. your reasons of concern don't scream PCOS to me though at least the way they are written... just my opinion.

Dragonwolf

It does definitely sound like a "kinda sorta maybe?" The hair issues do sound like it's feasible that your testosterone may be off, though it may or may not be PCOS. PCOS is a syndrome, which means it's a constellation if symptoms, which means most individuals don't have them all, though it also means that there are several things that it could be.

I think it's worthwhile to bring your concerns up to your doctor. Something like, "I've noticed these symptoms that suggest my hormones may be off, particularly my testosterone, and my symptoms seem to align with this or this. Can we run some tests to see?"

It never hurts to ask for the tests, especially because there are a number of things that present similarly to PCOS, some of which are arguably worse than PCOS. In your case, I'm not sure it's a case of "worse" so much as "different." Have a look at non-classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia. It sounds scary, but it's a relatively mild condition where the body has a genetic adrenal enzyme deficiency. It presents a lot like PCOS and is often confused as such, with its hallmarks being hirsutism (facial hair growth) and acne, but the cause is slightly different--the adrenals instead of the ovaries. What you've described here sounds like this is also a possibility.

Tl;dr : you should never be afraid to bring concerns up to your doctor. You never know if something is something or nothing unless you talk to and work with your doctor.

MeepleMuppet

^^ ditto. There is nothing crazy about honestly describing symptoms. And if they dismiss you, try another doctor. PS - i had four periods a year in my 20s and they completely stopped by my 30s. Glad you're looking into it now and not waiting.

KnitOrMiss

I would definitely bring the symptoms up. I wouldn't necessarily assign a label to them. I would just tell the doctor something like, "this started out as simply annoying, but I'm having more minor symptoms popping up that all seem to relate back to hormones, and I wanted to give you the whole picture, as what started out as annoying a few years ago is now causing me a great deal of concern." Or something.

Besides, when you go see your doctor again, whether for a regular check up or because you request an appointment, they should always ask, "so what is new with your?" or "what has changed since you were in last?" or something of that nature. And if they don't ask, then you say, "Dr. SO-AND-SO, this has changed since our last discussion, and it's moved from a single annoying symptom to a number of symptoms that are quite concerning to me."

Your doctor should listen to your concerns, and even if they tell you it doesn't seem like anything, you should definitely be able to request testing to rule out any other issues. Weight loss itself can destabilize systems, so if your weight hasn't been steady long, you **might** mention it, but I probably wouldn't, as so many symptoms get overlooked for that.

Sincerely, if your doctor will not listen to your concerns or test to eliminate conditions, you probably need a new doctor.

P.S. I do suggest staying off of WebMD unless you have a healthy level of cynicism or a good reality check in a friend, because it's really easy to go from searching about headaches to becoming convinced that you might have a brain tumor, just from the way symptoms are listed. It does happen to the best of us at times.

P.P.S. If you gut tells you that absolutely something is wrong, even if your web searches don't find it and the first or second round of tests don't find it, keep searching and listening to your body. I never doubt true gut feelings - but it's so hard to know which is true. Basically, if you don't feel like you, pursue every avenue. We're our own best advocates of health.

Dragonwolf

I do suggest staying off of WebMD unless you have a healthy level of cynicism or a good reality check in a friend

I suggest staying off of WebMD, period. It's gone to pot in the past few years. I've found outright false information on it, at which point I've said, "nope, no more." Favor the actual studies and papers from medical archives (NIH, WHO, JAMA, Springer, etc), or summaries with links back to said papers.

CaladriaNapea

Thanks so much for the honest advice and feedback, everyone! I agree about WebMD, by the way . . . I have moreso been checking out the Mayo Clinic as well as PCOS websites. I really honestly don't know if something is wrong or not (I do not have a strong gut feeling about anything . . . more so just questions, I guess). As a result, I am not trying to go in guns-blazing.

I have a pre-scheduled checkup with my doctor next week for completely different reasons--I think I may bring up my symptoms and ask for her thoughts. I do have some issues with this because in the past my doctor has been extremely rushed, harried, and not super willing to listen or try to exhaustively solve issues. Also, my husband is in the military and we live within fifteen minutes of base, so I don't have much choice in who my doctor is. However, I will bring it up and at the very least see what she has to say/if she is willing to run any tests.

Once again, thanks so much!

smanusag

From an ultra-elastic uterus and an overhyped hymen, to the crazy behaviour of hormones while PMSing, the female body is shrouded in mystery.
PCOS isn’t just a matter of hormones going haywire, but also a disruption of overall metabolism as it affects several body systems apart from ovaries. With the wide variations in the way this condition presents itself, there is much debate among medical professionals as to how to define and diagnose it. Here are some theories for its occurrance: http://www.scientificanimations.com/theories-occurrence-pcos/?utm_source=Forum&utm_medium=Link&utm_campaign=website&utm_content=Link

macchiatto

How did your dr appointment go? Did you get any insights?