PCOS venting session

azeria
azeria Posts: 527 Member
edited September 23 in Introduce Yourself
What do you hate the most about having Polycystic Ovarian Syndrom?

Other then the fact that I've gained weight and can't have children, I really hate my menstrual cycle. I can go months without it (but I've been told recently to take provera every month to induce my period). For the last 2 weeks my period has been so heavy! It really drains me!. I have to wake up in the middle of the night to change my pad and it usually has already gone through. Right now, that is what I hate the most.

Replies

  • Frappuzzino
    Frappuzzino Posts: 342 Member
    i've gone an entire year without a period, and some girls go longer than that. What I hate the most is that I've gained weight. Everything else I don't really mind.
  • WIChelle
    WIChelle Posts: 471 Member
    What do I hate the most about pcos. Well besides gaining weight at an amazing speed I hate shedding hair like a dog. Ugh!
  • caseyclementson
    caseyclementson Posts: 9 Member
    I have PCOS too. (My vent: the abnormal periods and the extra hair!) I have never gone on Metformin and I am currently not trying to get pregnant... However, I have found for me that lots of regular exercise and watching what I eat have been extremely helpful. I feel my best when I'm doing the gluten-free thing, avoiding dairy, mushrooms, wheat, etc. I started running marathons 3 years ago and, you know how they say some women athletes lose their period from training so much? Well, I actually started getting mine! I'm not completely regular, but i'm so much better than waiting 3 -6 months for each period. Also, when i was first diagnosed with PCOS, I started going to acupuncture. That seemed to help too.

    Hang in there. Eat well. Move. It will happen.
  • Lithuria
    Lithuria Posts: 132
    Aside from the infertility, which really gets me down, it's the hair. Hair everywhere. I have to shave my face twice a week at least, or else it begins to look like five o clock stubble. My mum always says I shouldn't have started in the first place and I wouldn't have the problems I do, but I didn't really have much of a choice, even before shaving it was coarse and dark and horribly embarrasing!

    It got an awful lot better when I was on Dianette, but then it came up that there's a history of blood clots in my family and also that I have focal migraines, both of which already raise my risk of having a stroke and when I changed doctors (after having moved to a new city) my new doctor was horrified that my old doctor had allowed me to continue and refused to sign off my prescription, and then proceeded to tell me that thanks to my weight, he should never have put me on it in the first place, yet alone continue when these conditions came to light!

    Oh yes, PCOS and the treatment thereof is a veritable minefield. I don't even bother taking meds for it at all now. I just get on with it. I'm sure that when I loose my weight things will become better, as it does seem to be one of those kinds of conditions :)
  • cataplexyfever
    cataplexyfever Posts: 49
    What I hate the most are the ignorant doctors. They think putting women with PCOS on birth control helps the condition when, in reality, it does the total opposite. Not only does it exacerbate your insulin resistance but it fuels the problem of estrogen dominance. But you're getting your period every month while on it so that means you're healed, right? Wrong. I never got any of my symptoms under control until I started seeing a naturopathic physician who worked to correct the underlying problems.
  • Lithuria
    Lithuria Posts: 132
    Oh, though I have to admit I quite enjoy not having to deal with periods...I never started menstruation until said silly doctor put me on the pill, and stopped when I came off of it!
  • RaeannePemberton
    RaeannePemberton Posts: 382 Member
    hang in there everyone! my weight loss has pretty much minimized all symptoms.... keep it up!
  • cataplexyfever
    cataplexyfever Posts: 49
    I have PCOS too. (My vent: the abnormal periods and the extra hair!) I have never gone on Metformin and I am currently not trying to get pregnant... However, I have found for me that lots of regular exercise and watching what I eat have been extremely helpful. I feel my best when I'm doing the gluten-free thing, avoiding dairy, mushrooms, wheat, etc. I started running marathons 3 years ago and, you know how they say some women athletes lose their period from training so much? Well, I actually started getting mine! I'm not completely regular, but i'm so much better than waiting 3 -6 months for each period. Also, when i was first diagnosed with PCOS, I started going to acupuncture. That seemed to help too.

    Hang in there. Eat well. Move. It will happen.

    Going gluten free was *HUGE* for me. My periods have been completely regular ever since, without any medication whatsoever. At first, my naturopathic physician had me on bioidentical HRT to help my body reset itself but I don't even need that anymore. I do take a variety of supplements though which also help keep things in balance.
  • Imczechinuout8
    Imczechinuout8 Posts: 3
    When I first had my period I was 15 and never had it again, then i went to the Doctor two years later and they just gave me some crap about how lucky I should be to not get a period... Finally at twenty they decide that maybe it is weird that Ive only had my period once in my life and tell me I have PCOS.... They put me on Yaz and the first month of taking it I bled for 6 weeks,I wanted to kill everyone I made eye contact with, and cried my eyes out over nothing... The next month was still heavy but it only lasted 7 days... So I'd have to say, I hate the bleeding, I hate the not bleeding, I hate the hormonal inbalances and feeling like I cant leave the house without having to put a tampon in and triple pad myself.. :D
  • luv2ash
    luv2ash Posts: 1,903 Member
    My weight loss has minimized my symptoms as well.

    If you are getting a period once a year or less, you really need to talk to doc about that as they should give you something to induce a period. It is dangerious for the lining of the uterus to not shed frequently. Unless, of course you are on the pill. In other words, there are pills out there that you can take for several months without a period and that is fine, because the hormones in the pills keep the lining thing, but without the pill and without a period, the lining is building up and too much of that over years can lead to problems. So even though you hate having it, it really needs to happen.
  • cataplexyfever
    cataplexyfever Posts: 49
    When I first had my period I was 15 and never had it again, then i went to the Doctor two years later and they just gave me some crap about how lucky I should be to not get a period... Finally at twenty they decide that maybe it is weird that Ive only had my period once in my life and tell me I have PCOS.... They put me on Yaz and the first month of taking it I bled for 6 weeks,I wanted to kill everyone I made eye contact with, and cried my eyes out over nothing... The next month was still heavy but it only lasted 7 days... So I'd have to say, I hate the bleeding, I hate the not bleeding, I hate the hormonal inbalances and feeling like I cant leave the house without having to put a tampon in and triple pad myself.. :D

    Oh man I HATED Yaz. I felt terrible on it too.
  • countrygirl413
    countrygirl413 Posts: 6 Member
    I recently just found out that I have PCOS. My endo put me on Metformin and I've been on it for 1 month this week... still no period. ( Not since Sept 2010) Besides weight loss, anything else help? I'm so light headed that I have been taking Vitamin B Complex, but I'm not sure that is even helping... GRRRRR!!!! :)
  • azeria
    azeria Posts: 527 Member
    I want to thank you all for your posts. Sometimes just knowing that I'm not alone dealing with this helps. I'm working on the losing weight. I am doing the exercise. So, hopefully all that will help me become a normal person. I'm willing to try the gluten free diet. Any more info on this? What is Yaz?
  • Frappuzzino
    Frappuzzino Posts: 342 Member
    I recently just found out that I have PCOS. My endo put me on Metformin and I've been on it for 1 month this week... still no period. ( Not since Sept 2010) Besides weight loss, anything else help? I'm so light headed that I have been taking Vitamin B Complex, but I'm not sure that is even helping... GRRRRR!!!! :)

    You're probably light headed because your blood sugar is up and down due to Metformin. I never took Met or BC, as my doc told me I didn't have to take them if I didn't want to. Instead I'm taking 1000mg of Cinnamon a day for blood sugar and Vitex to regulate my hormones. Both have worked well for me and there are no side effects!
  • azeria
    azeria Posts: 527 Member
    Do you mean the spice Cinnamon? Vitex must be a prescription drug.
  • countrygirl413
    countrygirl413 Posts: 6 Member
    Quote:

    You're probably light headed because your blood sugar is up and down due to Metformin. I never took Met or BC, as my doc told me I didn't have to take them if I didn't want to. Instead I'm taking 1000mg of Cinnamon a day for blood sugar and Vitex to regulate my hormones. Both have worked well for me and there are no side effects!
    [/quote]


    Thank you!! I am def going to ask about this. I've never heard of Vitex, but I def need all the help I can get with my mood swings!
  • LaDiablesse
    LaDiablesse Posts: 862 Member
    My biggest gripe about the symptoms of PCOS is losing my hair where it's supposed to be and growing hair where it's not supposed to be. I do use vaniqua, but it only helps slow the process down & it's SO expensive. I was on the progesterone cycle of treatment when I got pregnant with my oldest son. After having him I was pretty regular, and that's when I got pregnant with my younger son. I was pretty regular after having him as well, but gradually it went longer & longer between periods. Again I went to the doctor for the problem and was first put on the Met., but it didn't do anything. So I was put on the progesterone again to bring on my period (Which was HORRIBLE) and was on that cycle when I got pregnant with my daughter. Since having her my cycles have gradually gotten longer & longer in between, and all of the other symptoms of the PCOS have increased. If I pluck the unwanted hairs too often, my face is all irritated. I get ingrown hairs which are horrible, and my hair is all over the place.

    I'm hoping with changing the way I eat, exercising & losing the weight my symptoms will improve.
  • cataplexyfever
    cataplexyfever Posts: 49
    This is a really outstanding link for everyone to check out. It contains a lot of information on PCOS you'll have trouble finding anywhere else:

    http://m.blogtalkradio.com/show.aspx?userurl=undergroundwellness&year=2010&month=10&day=14&url=polycistic-ovarian-syndrome-underdiagnosed-and-ove
  • countrygirl413
    countrygirl413 Posts: 6 Member
    This is a really outstanding link for everyone to check out. It contains a lot of information on PCOS you'll have trouble finding anywhere else:

    http://m.blogtalkradio.com/show.aspx?userurl=undergroundwellness&year=2010&month=10&day=14&url=polycistic-ovarian-syndrome-underdiagnosed-and-ove

    I checked out the link you posted- it took me awhile to find the radio broadcast, but it was very informative. I have so many questions for my endo now!! Its definitely helped me find the right questions to ask. THANK YOU!!
  • Cytherea
    Cytherea Posts: 515 Member
    I'm the opposite of you guys- before I went on the pill, I was getting my period every 2 weeks, and it would last for almost a full week and be extremely heavy and painful (really bad cramps). I went on the pill and obviously all of that stopped, which was a huge relief. That was always the worst part for me, but since I haven't had to deal with that in years now, I can't complain too much, lol. Though I did just go off the pill recently and so we shall see what happens. So far so good! I'm hoping that my weight loss will have helped a bit, but I weighed this much in high school and still had those problems, so I'm not expecting too much of a difference.
  • cataplexyfever
    cataplexyfever Posts: 49
    This is a really outstanding link for everyone to check out. It contains a lot of information on PCOS you'll have trouble finding anywhere else:

    http://m.blogtalkradio.com/show.aspx?userurl=undergroundwellness&year=2010&month=10&day=14&url=polycistic-ovarian-syndrome-underdiagnosed-and-ove

    I checked out the link you posted- it took me awhile to find the radio broadcast, but it was very informative. I have so many questions for my endo now!! Its definitely helped me find the right questions to ask. THANK YOU!!

    Glad I could help. I hope you find the answers you're looking for. :)
  • Frappuzzino
    Frappuzzino Posts: 342 Member
    Do you mean the spice Cinnamon? Vitex must be a prescription drug.

    Vitex is not a prescription. ;) Many companies cell Cinnamon and Chormium capsules, or you can always add Cinnamon to your cereal or oatmeal in the morning too.

    Vitex agnus-castus is an herb that has been used for centuries primarily for female reproductive systems. In layman's terms, taking the correct amount will result in lower prolactin levels, which influences Follicle-stimulating hormones and estrogen in women.
  • MidniteDayDream
    MidniteDayDream Posts: 142 Member
    I'm in the process of being tested for PCOS. My husband and I are trying to start a family and I've had 2 miscarriages and have gone 3 years without getting preggo again. My cycles are anywhere from 35-75 days long. I just finished all of the blood tests and will find out the answers on the 28th when I go to my doctor. She never bothered to explain what PCOS was to me, I had to look it up myself. I"m still unsure about it other than I apparently have ovarian cysts and might not be able to have children. On top of that she's worried that I might be borderline diabetic. All she really told me was that I needed to lose weight, and a lot of it, and that she wanted to start me on Clomid.
  • cowsstealmythong
    cowsstealmythong Posts: 173 Member
    My doctor told me when I was 18 (6 years ago) that I had PCOS and wouldn't be able to have kids.
    Long story short, I got very depressed, lost 50 lbs, and now I have a gorgeous daughter. (However, I've gained back 70.)
    Keep your head up. Simply losing weight helps with this condition. <3
  • gailygail99
    gailygail99 Posts: 582 Member
    i have always thought that i had PCOS too but never mentioned it to anyone. :embarassed: i have had or have all of the symptoms that you all mention so i know that i am not alone. I am hoping that losing weight will make the symptoms lessen and if not, i think that it might be time i see an endo. i am afraid that meds like Metformin or birth control will make things worse for me though. we will see, thanks for all the info in this post!
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