PCOS!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! OMG

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CountryGirl8542
CountryGirl8542 Posts: 449 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
You know... I did not know what PCOS was until about 5 mins ago? I have the following symptoms:

Skin tags
Acne (sometimes good sometimes really bad depending on the day)
Depression
Obese (40% body fat, hips 53" waist 40" height 5'2")
Course chin hairs & lip hairs (all beside the corners of my mouth (no more than 4 dark course hairs the rest are fine but very blonde and noticeable)
Irregular periods (sometimes 60 days before my next period sometimes more sometimes less)

Girls with PCOS!?!?!?!?!?!? Do you have any of those symptoms?
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Replies

  • Madame_Goldbricker
    Madame_Goldbricker Posts: 1,625 Member
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    60 or 6 days?
  • Carnivor0us
    Carnivor0us Posts: 1,752 Member
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    Yup, I've got all those symptoms and then some. Reducing the amount of insulin in my body through diet is what's helping me the best, and it might help you.
  • ajlandon
    ajlandon Posts: 115 Member
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    Yes. Have you brought it up with your doctor? There are some blood tests tbey can run, and an ultrasound, to figure out if you have it, and you can proceed from there with dietary changes and, if necessary, meds to help you cope.

    I was diagnosed in 1996 :)
  • CountryGirl8542
    CountryGirl8542 Posts: 449 Member
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    60... My last period was 2 weeks ago and time time before that was two months.
  • CountryGirl8542
    CountryGirl8542 Posts: 449 Member
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    That happens often but sometimes I get it once a month sometimes it takes 3 months.
  • Carnivor0us
    Carnivor0us Posts: 1,752 Member
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    That happens often but sometimes I get it once a month sometimes it takes 3 months.

    Yeah, that happened to me too for a while right before I didn't have a cycle for a whole year.
  • CountryGirl8542
    CountryGirl8542 Posts: 449 Member
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    Holy cow ! I am calling for an appointment tomorrow. This is nuts! Can someone tell me more about it... And what do I do... I don't know how to feel or what to think. Can I still get pregnant?
  • CountryGirl8542
    CountryGirl8542 Posts: 449 Member
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    That happens often but sometimes I get it once a month sometimes it takes 3 months.

    Yeah, that happened to me too for a while right before I didn't have a cycle for a whole year.

    Any late period starters? I didn't get mine until I was almost 17
  • Samuraiko
    Samuraiko Posts: 180 Member
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    Yep, chalk up another one with PCOS. Diagnosed with it at 20. Now 39.

    First off, don't panic.

    Second, it can be brought under control with the proper medication and diet. And good for you that you're making a doctor's appointment - get the medical opinion you need.

    Third, yes you can. It's a bit trickier because of the hormonal imbalances and whatnot, but yes you can. :)
  • mmipanda
    mmipanda Posts: 351 Member
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    go to a doctor to get tests done instead of diagnosing yourself! You haven't mentioned anything about painful periods, which I believe is one of the main symptoms?

    And 4 coarse hairs is not very many, if the rest are fine and blonde still. I don't know if that would even count as a sypmtom.
  • kmr72
    kmr72 Posts: 24 Member
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    Yup, diagnosed last wk. That and hypo. I have lost a total of 5 lbs (five) in 3 YRS. Thats with cutting carbs and exercising like crazy. Go to your dr. please. This is horrible.
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
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    Yep, but I'm just barely/not overweight (with BMI) and don't actually miss periods. I got diagnosed by ultrasound ages ago when they were trying to find out why my periods hurt so much.

    I've had it for decades and just now got high triglycerides and rising blood sugar. I've had reactive hypoglycemia for at least 20 years, though. Definitely watch what you eat (sugars, bad fats) and exercise! I did and still have to do better, darnit.

    To be fair, I only took Metformin for it for like 3 months, lol. So I'm practically unmedicated all this time, too. Metformin has excellent study results on all the hormonal stuff involved. For fertility, folks may still need more progesterone, but that's usually about it.
  • PunkyRachel
    PunkyRachel Posts: 1,959 Member
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    yep, sounds about right. The doctor that diagnosed me, 8 years ago, was a *****. Straight up told me to drop 50 lbs if I ever wanted to have children, but not how to go about it. I was stupid then and I didn't listen. So now I have to drop 100 lbs, I only 40 to go!

    I would ask your primary care doctor about it, they will run tons of labs and test. Just to narrow it down, because there is no one test to say yes you have it or no you don't. Best of luck to you, because PCOS is one hell of a b*tch to deal with. I've had to be hospitalized a couple times due to symptoms. It sucks!
  • stephicozar
    stephicozar Posts: 36 Member
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    Don't panic! Go to the doctor, a simple blood test will determine your insulin levels (mine were 55 five years ago, now down to 35 through diet and exercise and trending down). And an ultrasound can be used to determine cysts if any.

    Re getting pregnant, don't worry, it doesn't make you infertile but it does hamper your efforts. And it is reversible through diet, exercise and some medications.

    The doc put me on Metformin but I was allergic to it, so I have to do it the hard way. Low GI, Low Carbs, lots of strength training. Muscle burns insulin, carbs make more insulin. In a very simplified nutshell.

    My periods were are are completely random and very painful. And it also made my Implanon birth control implant ineffective after only a few months, so I'm stuck with them until I can get my weight down and my muscles up.

    Don't freak out, you'll be fine. But definitely check with your doctor and get a blood test.
  • CountryGirl8542
    CountryGirl8542 Posts: 449 Member
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    My periods used to be so painful and crazy heavy... I had to stay home from school. Now they aren't bad at all.. No cramps, heavy but only for a day or two maximum and they only last 5 days (not including the last few days of it going away completely)
  • ajlandon
    ajlandon Posts: 115 Member
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    Holy cow ! I am calling for an appointment tomorrow. This is nuts! Can someone tell me more about it... And what do I do... I don't know how to feel or what to think. Can I still get pregnant?

    First, no need to panic! You've taken the right first step-getting in to your doctor.

    There are hormone treatments if your estrogen is way off that will help you get pregnant and carry the baby to term. If you do have PCOS, it won't be easy, but it is possible.

    This is one of those syndromes that effects people differently. Some things you would expect are cysts on your ovaries (cause pain, among other things), very low estrogen levels, and very high testosterone levels (I have lower than post-menopausal estrogen levels, and my testosterone levels are over 3x what a woman should have). Most of us are to some degree insulin resistant, and some of us get autoimmune and nervous system disorders on top of it. Not everyone, though. Getting the insulin resistance under control really helps with energy and weight issues. Getting the hormones under control helps with fertility.

    Your doctor can tell you more about your specific case once tests are run, if you have it. :)
  • CountryGirl8542
    CountryGirl8542 Posts: 449 Member
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    I should also add I have lost 29 in three months and 1 day... So I am not having problems losing any weight.
  • PunkyRachel
    PunkyRachel Posts: 1,959 Member
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    Holy cow ! I am calling for an appointment tomorrow. This is nuts! Can someone tell me more about it... And what do I do... I don't know how to feel or what to think. Can I still get pregnant?

    yes, you can still get pregnant. I haven't been successful. My cousin who also has PCOS has 3 kids (but also had 9 miscarries + one born with tons of birth defects died at 7 months old) So her surviving 3 are her pride and joy, as they should be. Sorry for the sad story. It is possible, just harder for us ladies with PCOS
  • CountryGirl8542
    CountryGirl8542 Posts: 449 Member
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    I am not going to over think this but I am really curious to know if I have it. I told my boyfriend all the symptoms that people with PCOS have and even he also agrees I have lots of the symptoms and that I need to go get checked.
  • wowgirl30
    wowgirl30 Posts: 40 Member
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    You should definitely see your doctor to see if this is the problem and to rule anything else out. Make sure to get your insulin levels tested too as pcos-ers have a high rate of insulin resistance/type 2 diabetes. If you do have it, depending on the severity of your symptoms and hormone levels, you may be able to control it with diet and exercise alone or have to get additional help balancing your hormones with medications. Doctors have come a long way in their knowledge of pcos and available treatments but some still don't do anything other than throw birth control pills at you and tell you to lose weight. If your pcp can't answer your questions, ask to be referred to an endocrinologist. PCOS can be horrible in many different ways, but it doesn't make your goals (health, weight loss, children, etc) impossible, just possibly harder and slower to reach than someone without it. Managing it is very important though, as PCOS is associated with much greater risk of other health problems like heart disease. I like the website soulcysters and there are some groups here you can join for info and support.

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