Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

I go tomorrow for my exam to see about possibility of PCOS. I ended up getting my period last Sunday and it lasted and entire week! Rare for me! And though it ended 4 days I am having cramps.

She wasn't very nice. I had a list I took of the things that go on with me and she never looked at it once they put it with me chart. She lectured me about being fat. Ok.....I already know I am fat and ugly. I don't need to be told. Also, she told me that PCOS and any symptoms I have of it don't matter unless I am trying to get pregnant. Huh?? So she prescribed birth control to help regulate...and that was it. No physical exam other than the nurse taking my blood pressure.

My friends who have PCOS and know all that's going on with me have suggested I go to a different Dr. for a second opinion. I did it. I made an appointment with a Dr. in a completely different group. I didn't get to choose and it happens that it is a male Dr. A new experience for me!

This is all highly frustrating.

I had this happen to me early on, a doctor telling me that nothing is done unless I'm trying to get pregnant!!!! That's crazy, because the symptoms can be painful and highly inconvenient (I bled like a wounded animal). Not only that, but PCOS has links to other potential health problems.

I had PCOS long before I became overweight and diabetic….the latter is a diagnosis that is less than 6 yrs old. PCOS can wreak havoc on your body.

I really hate it when doctors only take it seriously for the purposes of being a baby machine. I hope you can see another doctor!! Maybe an endocrinologist.

I got an apt with a Dr at a different practice. First time I will be seeing a male dr!

That makes me angry when doctors don't take PCOS seriously. I was diagnosed when I was 16, if I had not started on the pill when I did I would have had almost 30 years of agony - let them feel the pain of a cyst rupturing!!!

Good luck with the second opinion, and I have to say I prefer a male GYN, I find them more gentle then the women I have seen.

I'm sorry you had that experience. I have PCOS and have done a lot of reading on the matter -- it is serious, even if you aren't trying to get pregnant. Research shows that untreated PCOS can predispose you to all kinds of health problems, including diabetes, obesity, hirsutism, acne, and cancers (ovarian, breast, endometrial, etc). Some research suggests a correlation between PCOS and bipolar disorder.

Here's what works for me:

• Oral contraceptive pills: this regulates my menstrual cycle, and has helped my skin so much. I used to get a lot of acne, but now I have near-perfect skin.
• Diet: I've cut down on processed foods, pure sugars, white bread, etc. I still eat a bit of everything, but I eat more greens and less greasy/fried foods.
• Exercise: This isn't fun, but I try to incorporate a bit into my lifestyle: e.g. 15-30 minutes a day, 3-5 days a week. Walking, swimming, jogging, the gym - whatever works for you.
• Knowledge: There are a lot of good books out there. Find what works for you. If you're averse to using a lot of hormonal pills to regulate your PCOS, try this book by Alisa Vitti, a Johns Hopkins graduate who has dealt with PCOS herself (WomanCode: Perfect Your Cycle, Amplify Your Fertility, Supercharge Your Sex Drive, and Become a Power Source: Alisa Vitti: 9780062130778: Amazon.com: Books). I read this book too, and liked it: http://www.amazon.com/Patients-Guide...&keywords=PCOS

Let me know if you have questions, and good luck!

Thanks for your reply. I've taken the bc pills the last two days because...well, why not? since I finally have had a period its the perfect time to start them.

My friend said I should just take them and go ahead and see the other Dr too and make sure all is well.

I will say it upset she said dismissed everything without even listening to ANY of the symptoms or anything with just "It doesn't matter unless youre trying to get pregnant!"

Did doctor #2 say this also????

I seen him in 3 weeks

Good luck with your visit with the next doc!

I was diagnosed yesterday with PCOS by my new gyno. I had had an internal ultrasound done and it showed many cyts on both my ovaries. He said the only thing that he can really do it put me on birth control to regulate my cycles. He said there is nothing that can be done to get rid of the excess facial hair, basically by going on the pill it will help prevent more from coming in. He said if I really wanted to get rid of it that I would have to get like laser hair removal or something. For now I think I am just going to stick to the pill.

Glad they are treating you Jazz. It makes me wonder if its wrong I went ahead and started the birth control because seriously I don't know whats gonna happen and I had literally just had a period after 3 months absent so it was the time to start.

Saw Dr today. OMG was he SO cute...lol!!

He did an exam, ordered labs and I am getting an ultrasound in 3 weeks. Then he will discuss all the results. He said my right ovary and uterus feel normal but he couldn't really feel the left ovary. He thinks maybe Im not ovulating and said PCOS is likely but we need to "investigate" some more. He said we will figure out treatment when we find out results.

Great that he is investigating the cause of your issues. Good luck!

Thanks! Im not sure what type of ultrasound it will be. He wants to see ovaries and such and to see how thick uterine lining is. What do you think?

I've got PCOS as well. For years. For about a year I was on birth-controll pill to help for PCOS but that made the mood swings worse. Now I quitted that and I'm scared to go to gyn, I don't want to tell her I quit the pill, I don't want to tell I've been diagnosed bipolar. My last period was more than 60 days ago so I guess I should visit doc to check out how things are going.

Yes...take care of yourself! I got blood results through email of their patient portal today but have no clue what they mean! The numbers on left are normal levels and the ones after this / mean my level. Some are high.

WBC 4.5 - 11.0 10*3/uL 9.54
RBC 4.0 - 5.2 10*6/uL 4.72
HGB 12.0 - 16.0 g/dL 13.8
HCT 36.0 - 46.0 % 43.7
MCV 80.0 - 100.0 fL 92.6
MCH 26.0 - 34.0 pg 29.2
MCHC 31.0 - 37.0 g/dL 31.6
RDW 12.0 - 16.8 % 13.7
PLT 140 - 440 10*3/uL 320
MPV 6.7 - 10.8 fL 11.0
NEUT% 45 - 80 % 71
Lymph% 15 - 50 % 19
Mono% 0 - 15 % 8
EOS% 0 - 7 % 2
BASO% 0 - 2 % 0
NEUT# 2.0 - 8.8 6.76
Lymph# 0.7 - 5.5 1.78
Mono# 0.0 - 1.7 0.77
EOS# 0.0 - 0.8 0.17
Baso# 0.0 - 0.2

I'm so glad to hear that things are getting looked into finally! And woot woot for the added bonus of him being cute lol. As far as the uterine lining; it will likely be a transvaginal ultrasound. It's a similar set up to a pap smear, but the tool they use is much smaller and you can actually see what they are looking for on a screen. They just take the tool (like a wand) and basically roll it around each ovarie, snap photos and it prints out like an ultrasound. Good luck!

I was diagnosed when I was 18 and told I would be on the pill for the rest of my life. The gyni did not explain anything about it to me. When I turned 21 I stopped drinking the pill and all the symptoms returned. I went to a different gyni and he screamed at me for stopping the pill. He also told me I won't be able to fall pregnant unless I have aggressive fertility treatment and has to be done before I turned 25. When I was 23 I was diagnosed as pre diabetic and told the two go together. This year I had a major depressive episode and it is only then I found how they all interact. I am so angry with the doctors. I feel they should have given all the facts when I was first diagnosed.

I do have a question though. If my depression is a result of the PCOS, will it get better, or will I have to be on anti depressants for the rest of my life? Or is it a case of wait and see?

VMblue, sorry to hear about your struggles. Depression can be caused by antidepressants as well. PCOS don't necessarily mean that you will have to undergo aggressive fertility treatment though it might be likely. My dr told I would never have children because of my pcps, it just caused depression in me. Now I have two without any treatment.

He never said anything about me and kids but then again..I haven't had all the tests yet. I hope if you choose ot have children you will not have to do treatments. He did ask me my fertility plans...

Did they not recommend Vaniqua or is that now OTC? It works very well after waxing and or plucking. Not good for getting rid of hair, but superb in keeping it from coming back

Dr office called...labs came back normal.

Don't stress about getting pregnant before 25. I was 35 when I got pregnant with my son and the only medication I was on was metformin for the pre-diabetes. That being said, the healthier you are before pregnancy the better for both you and baby.

Any type of hormonal condition can aggravate depression. I am not sure if PCOS is the cause of depression or they just happen together. I do know a lot of women with PCOS and they also all have mental health issues. For me, the birth control pill I am on helps with the depression -- when I don't take it I notice a downward slide. I am on an "older" BCP called Demulen 30 if that helps at all.

I was diagnosed at 16 and am now 45 so if you have questions I will try to answer them.