Question?

I just did a quick research of this disorder. I'm pretty sure that I meet he criteria for a diagnosis. Here are some treatment recommendations if you have been diagnosed.

I have PCOS. What can I do to prevent complications?

If you have PCOS, get your symptoms under control at an earlier age to help reduce your chances of having complications like diabetes and heart disease. Talk to your doctor about treating all your symptoms, rather than focusing on just one aspect of your PCOS, such as problems getting pregnant. Also, talk to your doctor about getting tested for diabetes regularly. Other steps you can take to lower your chances of health problems include:

* Eating right
* Exercising
* Not smoking

The information above is taken from the following website: http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/polycystic-ovary-syndrome.cfm#a

Hi, I have PCOS, and yes it is really difficult to lose weight, I was diagnosed quite late at age 42, just after I had managed to lose 15 stone in weight, unfortunately the weight crept back on, not because I am greedy and eat far too much, but just because I didn't stick to the strict regimen that I must follow. I have 5 stone to lose but each pound is a triumph and I am determined to follow the PCOS rules for a healthy life now and stick to them once I manage to shed the weight again. There are many other symptoms of the condition, including thinning hair, and hair growing where it shouldn't, acne, scant or non existent periods, infertility, and in my case (although a rarer side effect) is a horrible deept throbbing pelvic pain.

I have poly cystic ovaries syndrom (PCOS). I was initially tested for it when I was 16 as my periods had not started. They were unable to get a firm diagnosis until earlier this year. It is one of those syndromes that you either fight for a diagnosis or that your doctor will jump upon because they don't know what else it could be and there are a wide range of symptoms that could also be the symptom of something else.

Because it has been suspected for the past 7 years that I have it, I've done a lot of research and had many discussions with my doctor, these are the facts:

1) There is no cure for PCOS. However the symptoms can be managed
2) There is a link between PCOS and weight - the heavier you are, the worse your symptoms will get
3) One of the most common symptoms of PCOS is an irregular period, or in some cases, no period at all.
4) Other common symptoms include excess body hair and skin sebum creating acne
5) Tests to diagnose will include blood tests for hormones and ultra sound to look for cysts on the ovaries

The thing about it making people fat and difficult to loose weight is that there seems to be some sort of link between PCOS and Insulin resistance which causes weight gain. Also, those who have PCOS tend to have the "apple" body shape otherwise known as a male pattern of fat layout in the body, which is dangerous and is linked with an increased risk of stroke, heart attack and diabetes. Diabetes risk is also heightened through the Insulin resistence that seems to come hand in hand with the PCOS.

You can manage the syndrome in (so far as I can tell) 3 ways:

1) Healthy diet and exercise to reduce weight, which is shown to alleviate all symptoms. Many people with PCOS say they find it difficult to do this but from personal experience I have not...well, once I put my mind to it anyway this may be because I have so much to loose anyway (I hear lighter people have a harder time shifting excess pounds at any rate). This works because fat cells release extra hormones into the blood stream, so without all that excess fat your body is better able to regulate hormone levels. This also improves insulin resistence which in turn makes weight loss easier in and of itself.

2) For menstrual issues, acne and excess body hair, there are two forms of the contraceptive pill on the market (in the UK; Dianette and Yasmin) which are commonly and effectively prescribed. These work by artificially inducing your period (as most pills do) and by blocking androgens (male hormones such as testosterone) which are frequently shown to be in higher than usual levels in the PCOS sufferes body. It is these hormones thought to be responsible for body hair and acne. I was prescribed Dianette when I was 16 to treat what was then suspected PCOS. I had to eventually come off it as my weight blossomed and I was diagnosed with focal migraines which both increase risk of blood clots (these two pills do put you at higher risk of blood clots as they contain oestrogen) but while I was on it, it worked a treat! These days I have to make do with a good skin care regime, lots of water, and a good quality razor to keep the old beard at bay Im afraid ^_^;; to put PCOS into perspective, it's not just about weight - I have to shave my face at least twice a week, sometimes more.

3) Metformin (once again, not sure what the name for this is in the USA) a drug used in people with type 2 diabetes can be prescribed to help with insulin resistence. I have never been prescribed this as I have never been shown to be actually insulin resistant at all (despite diabetes running in the family, so I'm lucky there!) and I have a diabetes test about once a year so I'm ok. However, my cousin, who also has PCOS (it has been shown to be somewhat genetic) was given Metformin and not only did she loose a lot of weight (which was not really her primary goal to be honest) but she began ovulating again and quickly fell pregnant. She is now the happy mother of a beautifl baby girl, so Metformin, when used in the correct instances, can have wonderful effects on those suffering from PCOS, but it is not a wonder drug, she still dieted and exercised etc, this just gave her the helping hand she needed to kick her body into gear and start accepting insulin again

I really started my diet here in order to loose weight for the sake of managing my PCOS...I've been married a year and 8 months now and we really want to start a family, but I haven't had a period since I came off Dianette about 4/5 years ago and I never started in the first place.

Oh, which reminds me...if you have PCOS and are not menstruating at least once every three months, get your doctor to put you on the pill to make you do so, as this can raise your chances of Uterine Cancer, and if you're already having problems with fertility I promise you cancer and the treatment of it will make you sterile! Unfortunately for me because of my focal migraines and a history of blood clots in my mother I can't take it so I just have to live with it, but you don't have to! This is one of the lesser known facts about PCOS so get the word out there!

Anyway, I'm going to see a dietician later this month about the diet I should follow to specifically target my PCOS and improve fertility. Hopefully I'm already making steps towards it but we'll see what they say

I would say this....if you have ANY cause to believe you have PCOS, please, please, PLEASE go and see your doctor about it. I'm being serious. It may seem like just this little old thing that loads of women have, but if you don't manage it correctly it can really screw you up, and as you can see, can even lead to cancer. If there are pills you can take then fantastic, if not, follow all the advice and help you can find regarding managing it through diet and exercise because as my cousin has shown it really can help.

I have known people who say oh I must have PCOS because I'm not loosing weight however....please don't use this as an excuse, it's not just about weight loss, it's not an excuse not to loose weight because "it's just hopeless". Think of all the women who do have it and can't have babies and have to shave their faces twice a week and have to have yearly diabetes check ups because of it.

ALSO...... for anyone who wants to try and regualte a cycle with PCOS and who is TTC (trying to conceive) I would recommend Agnus Castus/ Vitex / Chasteberry or any of the other names for it xxx

If you do not have a natural consistant cycle you can also take provera (or similar) which you take for 5/7 days and then produces an AF.

Heh, cheers for that, I'm seeing my doc on Thursday and might ask about this, see if it's suitable for me!

ALSO...... for anyone who wants to try and regualte a cycle with PCOS and who is TTC (trying to conceive) I would recommend Agnus Castus/ Vitex / Chasteberry or any of the other names for it xxx

Yes, chasteberry trying to concieve ^_____^ lol will have to look into this too

Also, not everyone who has it has problems w/ their insulin. I was on metformin for a while, but since it's not actually proven to work & I wasn't insulin resistant...it didn't work for me - therefore, I stopped. A person doesn't have to be overweight to have it. All of my bloodwork came back normal as well.

I am overweight, but like I said I personally never have the insulin, nor was my bloodwork funky, I just had the crazy body hair, lack of cycle, and cysts on my ovaries. I sometimes feel that women latch on to it when they find out it's linked to weight gain etc as an excuse, like some women latch on to thyroid problems etc which frankly p****s me off because actually it's more than that and it can wreck lives in my opinion. Not that mine is wrecked (yet anyway lol) but I've seen stories of 40+ year old women who never got it properly diagnosed, have never been able to have children, now suffering this that and the other because of it...I just wish people would see more than the weight issues, though it is certainly true that it is linked with weight.

Is it linked with mine? I think so, yes, but I think it is a symptom of my weight, not the cause of, as so far I've really had no problems loosing weight, I've just had to put my mind to it, like anyone else does.

I'm sure the majority people that have pcos, might very well be overweight. But I know that there are quite a few people out there that aren't & still have it. I was on the pill for oh, almost 10 years...went off it trying to conceive & a while later found out I had it (due to my u/s). At that time I was ~128ish lbs. I've gained a little weight in the last 2 years, but mainly due to all the different fertility meds & not being able to exercise as much during the dreaded two week wait (yes, I was paranoid that the baby wouldn't implant if I exercised too much).

Oh, how it would be so much easier to be a man!

Hoperenee - you don't look massively over weight...I mean I can't see much of your picture but you certainly don't look obese ^_^ is it possible, then, that the struggle to shed the pounds is that there isn't that much to shed? Don't get me wrong I'm not saying you shouldn't be trying to loose weight, it's just that from my experience, it is usually heavier people who find it easier to loose pounds than lighter people because the body is pretty willing to let go when there is so much in excess.

Do you work out etc? I don't go to the gym myself...I mean come on I'm over 300 pounds I don't need *kitten* at the gym making comments just now but I do work out to an aerobics dvd at home, just a little bit because I'm not in great shape and I have asthma on top of everything else but I'm working up to doing more, and we were lucky enough to be gifted an exercise bike...I mean this isn't strictly PCOS related but building extra muscle through workout (And cardio will tone you up at least) will speed up your metabolism which should help, whether or not it is your PCOS causing your weight loss grief. If you are working out, then check your inches because you may already be putting muscle down...one inch of muscle weighs the equivalent of 2 inches of fat!

From what I've already been advised (as I said I'll be on my way to the dietician in a couple of weeks time) complex carbs and protein is the way to go with PCOS so that's good but don't be too worried about fruit - at the end of the day yes diabetics need to be careful but you've not said you were diagnosed with that and you are on the metformin...remember that carbohydrates are made of sugar - you don't have complex carbohydrates floating around in your blood stream, your body breaks them down into simple sugars in order to absorb it. It just takes longer than simple sugars from, for example, candy etc. You'd do better to give up candy all together (the refined sugar in candy is a killer) and eat a little bit of fruit, whose simple sugars still need a little bit of work from your gut to absorb, than keep up with the candy only every now and then and fret about an apple. No one ever got fat or contracted diabetes from eating too many apples!