Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

[Cathy V]

I have been reading about Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and not through google i might add, and the list of symptoms look suspiciously familiar. There are 13 symptoms that I saw listed, 10 of which I suffer with, so im now wondering.....

I have a docs appointment on wednesday morning and wll ask him what he thinks about the possibility of refering me to a gynaecologist to maybe have an ultrasound scan, to at least eliminate this if nothing else.

I had one of these scans about 6 years ago for problem periods at the time (im now through the menopause so dont have this problem these days) and was surprised when they said they could see a cyst on one of my ovaries. They didnt seem too concerned as they said it wasn't a big cyst. Im wondering if it has grown or if there is now more than one.

Anyway, here is the list of symptoms I found connected to these cysts:


Increased hair growth on the face, chest, stomach, back, thumbs or toes
Acne, oily skin, or dandruff
Weight gain usually around the waist
Insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes
High cholesterol
High Blood pressure
Male pattern baldness or thinning hair
Patches of thickened and maybe dark brown skin on neck, arms, breasts or thighs
Skin tags, or tiny excess flaps of skin in the armpits or neck area, also sometimes under the breasts
Pelvic pain
Anxiety or depression about appearence and/or infertility
Sleep apnea or excessive snoring

And apparently it can mess with your periods, but again after the menopause I don't have this problem now, although my periods were always really iffy.

Anyone else know anything about this condition? I'd be grateful for more information. Don't really want google to tell me my nipples are gonna drop off or something!

Thanks
Cathy xxx :)

[honeybee3939]

Gosh Cathy

I have 8 of those symptoms too !

Im waiting for a ultra sound scan i didnt realise a cyst could cause such problems:ohmy: .The snoring as got worse latley too my husband says he cant sleep for me, its only over the last year i have started snoring.

I think it would be wise to ask for a scan, at least it would put your mind at ease then hun.

Love
:hugs:
Andrea
xxxxx

[Cathy V]

Well I must admit, I was surprised to be able to tick off 10 of these symptoms, including high bp and cholesterol, both unexplained, and apparently i snore too now which i never did before. The hair thinnig is another as are the skin tags and ive even developed hair on my big toes...whats that about :ohmy: !!!

I know that alot of these symptoms can be connected to other things, but its worth getting it investigated to rule it out if nothing else :shrug:

[Smiley?]

It's definitely worth getting checked - as you say to rule it out if nothing else. You could ask for a blood test to check hormone levels and def another scan.

I had this investigated a few years ago. I too had very irregular periods and because i wanted it anyway asked for the Pill, knowing this would help. But my gp at the time insisted on investigating PCOS first. I had a blood test which did show slightly derranged hormone levels, and I had some of the symptoms. I had a scan, but because i had no cysts the doctor dismissed the blood results and symptoms and prescribed the Pill anyway!

I naturally questioned my gp when she just gave me the Pill anyway, even after all the delay. She did say I might have the Syndrome without the cysts, but i needn't worry because I wasn't trying for a family. Basically I might still run into problems with fertility later on!!

Definitely get checked Cathy, if it's playing on your mind. And badger the doctor for answers if your not happy! I wish I had.

[Kermitfrog]

Cathy V,
It's worth getting it checked out! many of your symptoms can be due to PCOS.
I'm 28 & was diagnosed with PCOS about 12 years ago and have many of your symptoms. It's not something I really worry about as docs can do so much nowadays. It does cause fertility probs - so I'm well aware that my hubby & I will face probs in the future. PCOS can cause some really inwanted symptoms and side effects though - many of them you have.
I've always had additional weird feelings tho that I've always put down to the hormone imbalance (insomnia, palpitations, acne etc) but my gynae dismisses this. Basically it seems that I have develped anxiety over the past 12 months & am now on Citalopram - I've always blamed PCOS for how I feel but I really do believe the 2 are related - I've just never knwn anyone who has the 2 together! Anyone else got PCOS and anxiety?
Good luck with your tests - don't worry too much xxx

[Natural Mystic]

I have been reading about Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and not through google i might add, and the list of symptoms look suspiciously familiar. There are 13 symptoms that I saw listed, 10 of which I suffer with, so im now wondering.....

I have a docs appointment on wednesday morning and wll ask him what he thinks about the possibility of refering me to a gynaecologist to maybe have an ultrasound scan, to at least eliminate this if nothing else.

I had one of these scans about 6 years ago for problem periods at the time (im now through the menopause so dont have this problem these days) and was surprised when they said they could see a cyst on one of my ovaries. They didnt seem too concerned as they said it wasn't a big cyst. Im wondering if it has grown or if there is now more than one.

Anyway, here is the list of symptoms I found connected to these cysts:


Increased hair growth on the face, chest, stomach, back, thumbs or toes
Acne, oily skin, or dandruff
Weight gain usually around the waist
Insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes
High cholesterol
High Blood pressure
Male pattern baldness or thinning hair
Patches of thickened and maybe dark brown skin on neck, arms, breasts or thighs
Skin tags, or tiny excess flaps of skin in the armpits or neck area, also sometimes under the breasts
Pelvic pain
Anxiety or depression about appearence and/or infertility
Sleep apnea or excessive snoring

And apparently it can mess with your periods, but again after the menopause I don't have this problem now, although my periods were always really iffy.

Anyone else know anything about this condition? I'd be grateful for more information. Don't really want google to tell me my nipples are gonna drop off or something!

Thanks
Cathy xxx :)
I have polycystic ovary syndrome, they found out when I was trying to have a baby for several years. As far as I am aware it isn't a dangerous thing to have and there really is no cure, you cannot just get it, you have it.

The main concerns with this is that if it is severe it messes with your cycle and ability to ovulate, hence the problems many have getting pregnant.

I did eventually have a baby though so anyone with this shouldn't lose hope.

Don't be afraid to google this syndrome, it won't hurt you and it isn't life threatening.

[Natural Mystic]

Gosh Cathy

I have 8 of those symptoms too !

Im waiting for a ultra sound scan i didnt realise a cyst could cause such problems:ohmy: .The snoring as got worse latley too my husband says he cant sleep for me, its only over the last year i have started snoring.

I think it would be wise to ask for a scan, at least it would put your mind at ease then hun.

Love
:hugs:
Andrea
xxxxx
polycystic ovaries are not the same as cysts, these aren't removeable or as big.

[Natural Mystic]

Cathy V,
It's worth getting it checked out! many of your symptoms can be due to PCOS.
I'm 28 & was diagnosed with PCOS about 12 years ago and have many of your symptoms. It's not something I really worry about as docs can do so much nowadays. It does cause fertility probs - so I'm well aware that my hubby & I will face probs in the future. PCOS can cause some really inwanted symptoms and side effects though - many of them you have.
I've always had additional weird feelings tho that I've always put down to the hormone imbalance (insomnia, palpitations, acne etc) but my gynae dismisses this. Basically it seems that I have develped anxiety over the past 12 months & am now on Citalopram - I've always blamed PCOS for how I feel but I really do believe the 2 are related - I've just never knwn anyone who has the 2 together! Anyone else got PCOS and anxiety?
Good luck with your tests - don't worry too much xxx
I don't really match mine together, only really suffered anxiety since JAnuary of this year.

IF you have PCOS then I would urge you to seek help with regards to fertility sooner rather than later. xxx

[Cathy V]

Thanks mystic for the information. Im a bit confused now though because on the list of symptoms that I read for pcos, it said one of the symptoms was ovarian cysts, is this not the same thing? But even though I have alot of the symptoms, a common one seems to be trouble with fertility which i never had. So maybe its not pcos with me, but i will ask the doc what he thinks tomorrow morning. Let you know how i get on.

Thanks for your replies guys.
Cathy xxx :)

[Natural Mystic]

cysts and the types of cysts of pcos are completely different Kathy. You can and should remove cysts but pcos "cysts" are not removed. They are tiny

[Natural Mystic]

I'm willing to be corrected but it's what I leant about the syndrome whilst suffering with fertility problems.

[Cathy V]

Yes I understand what you mean with the difference. That would make sense since it also said that pcos isnt curable, only contollable...:huh:

[Natural Mystic]

exactly Kathy. I assure you, though, that it won't harm you.

[HeatherMc]

This thread is awesome,

I have been suffering from bad anxiety and depression from Feb this year, however I have noticed a pattern around my periods it gets worse and guess what I have all them symptoms except for the skin tags, I am currently waiting to see a gynaecologist with heavy periods have had the hormone tests for the menopause but that has come back normal. I know something is going on and it is somehow connected with what goes on down there!

Thanks for the post Cathy it has sort of given me a light bulb moment.

Cheers

Heather

[mabel]

I have PCOS and also have anxiety and depression. I've always had probs with my periods, but during a nasty bout of depression about 5 years ago. I came off the pill and they just stopped.
I had blood tests and they came back with a high testosterone level. (not sure I've spelt that right!) I then had to have a scan and was told I had PCOS. I was perscribed metformin, but I had really bad stomach upsets with it so stopped taking them.

I have found taking a vit/min supplement for women (can't remember the name, has evening primrose etc in it). Taking these I now have periods every 2 months.

I know PCOS can be linked to depression and anxiety, but you can't really prove it. I'd probably have it anyway!

Mabel x

[its all good]

Hi kathy, i was diagnosed with pcos when i was 17 and am now 23. I have suffered with various symptoms over the past 6 years, my worst 1 bein the irregular periods. Polycystic ovary syndrome to my knowledge is a lot of little cysts on ur ovarys. I remember my gynae drawing me a pic lol. I was quite shocked when i was diagnosed with this and i went a bit research mad when i found out. Mine wasnt actually detected on an ultrasound scan because nuthin showed up, they had to do an internal scan to get a better pic of my ovarys. The symptoms do take a diff form in every woman though. Like victoria beckham has it and shes got kids and hasnt got an excess lb on her! She suffers with acne a lot. My pcos caused me lots of probs with my weight and i hardly eva get spots. There r a few websites dedicated to pcos sufferers that u cud luk at but unfortunatley its been a couple of years since i researched it so cant remem them, i found em through a search engine though. Dont worry untill u get the scan done and if worst case scenario is pcos then i know that sum of the symptoms u can suffer r not nice but they r manageble and u learn to live with it.:bighug1: for ur app and let me know how u get on, luv kayliegh xxx

[lilly-lou]

My 16yr old daughter is undergoing tests now to see if she is suffering from PCOS, she also has a lot of symptoms of it poor kid and one of the things the gynae team told her to watch is her weight as keeping your weight down can help to prevent some of the other health problems associatde with having it. He also went on to explain the problem with concieving and the fact that when she is older and wants to start family that she will be helped straight away instead of having to wait for ages to see if things happen naturally, its a lot for her to take in being though she has only just celebrated her 16th birthday but at least if she knows then she can do things to keep herself healthy. She was offered the pill so she doesn't feel so left out not having periods but at the moment she is happy only getting one a year.

We go back in January to get the results of all her bloods and scan but I am pretty convinced that she is suffering from it.

[ElizabethJane]

Hi I have PCOS. I used to have terrible long cycles and heavy bleeding. I could go twelve weeks without a period then I would have a really bad one with uncontrollable pain. I went through almost every painkiller so much so that I am now allergic to them all apart from paracetamol. My husband and I were unable to concieve. We spent thousands of pounds on infertility treatment. I eventually had my son through IVF after nearly nine years of trying. My body reverted back to its old habits after my son was born. I had two coils fitted. I was onto my third and was back to extreme pain and this time no effective pain killer. If I came off the coil I faced horrendous periods. I opted to have hysterectomy in 2007 and haven't looked back. The 'cysts' are infact tiny folicles that could contain an egg. In order for an egg to ovulate it has to mature ie be of a sufficient size for a sperm to penetrate it. If it isn't big enough it wont ovulate and if the lining of the womb isn't thick enough then the fertilised egg wont implant. Women with PCOS dont ovulate every month and it isn't an exact sicence taking fertility drugs as many of the follicles could potentially stimulate as they are extremely sensitive. I suffered from hyperstimulation a life threatening condition. Hence many women are forced into IVF which is expensive and unreliable although success rates are going up. Unregulated fertility treatment can cause multiple births. Kathy if your cysts are painful and growing you should get them investigated. They are not the same as the follicles identified in someone who has PCOS.

[justbananas]

i've had PCOS for 10 years - check out soulcysters.net for great and helpful information

[justbananas]

also really only an endocrinologist doing a complete blood workup and hormone panel can diagnose this. you cannot be diagnosed based on ovarian cysts which occur in many women -with or without PCOS. hormone bloodwork will reveal a diagnosis of PCOS. see an endo!

[scooby28]

I have 6 of the symptoms you described, I have been to the docs today about my problems and pains down below and he's gonna finally refere me to a specialist to see if they can find anything wrond with me like cysts etc.

[gazania]

I have PCOS and was diagnosed about 9 years ago by an endocrinologist. I have 10 of those symptoms on the original post! I also suffer from anxiety but the anxiety came before I was diagnosed with the PCOS although I don't know how long I had had it before I was diagnosed! They could never find my ovaries when I had ultrasounds so never actually saw the cysts, but my diagnosis was based on many blood tests and tests to eliminate other things, like Cushings Syndrome.

[T89]

I think I have pcos because I have most of the symptoms but I've never actually been diagnosed. A few years ago my doctor said I had a hormone imbalance which was causing excess hair growth and then about a year ago I went to see her again as my periods stopped for about 4 months. She told me that because I'm overweight and the blood tests years ago showed an imbalance that it probably was pcos. She suggested to lose some weight and things should get back to normal which they did for two months but since then I've not had a period at all and it's been 8 months (not pregnant either). Does anyone think I should go back to the doctor and ask for a scan and some blood tests to check? I know it can cause periods to just disappear but it has been a very long time and I have lost some weight (the one thing I thank anxiety for :P) and it's not helped at all.

She is a great doctor and has helped me so much now that my anxiety is really bad but in this situation because of my weight I feel a little ignored with no proper tests.

[liastra]

Hey T89, i dont know if you've been to the dr yet but i would definatly recommend getting checked out.

You should have a period every 3 months atleast otherwise it can cause problems. I had irregular periods all through out my teens (like you i often went 8 months or more without). I went to the Dr repeatedly and he told me it was just stress. Well finally, after going over 18 months without a period i switched to a better Dr and was diagnosed with PCOS.

Although loosing weight can really help relieve symptoms of PCOS, it doesn't always make all the symptoms disapear. I've never been overweight and have an average BMI, yet if i'm not on the pill, i dont get my period at all!
So loosing weight isn't the only answer.

There are a range of simple pills a Dr can prescribe to induce your cycle. PCOS is very common. My Dr diagnosed me with a simple bloodtest. No scary scans required, which was a big relief to me :)


FYI there are lots of studys that show that women with PCOS are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression.

[T89]

Thanks very much for your advice :)

I had an appointment with the doctor last week to discuss what she believes to be an eating disorder (it never ends lol) and I was so preoccupied with that I didn't discuss pcos at all.Then about 3 days later I took my period. I was intending to go back at a later date if things hadn't improved but since they have I'll see how things go for now and if I go back to my old ways I'll def go back and moan until I get some tests :shades:

Interesting about the link between it and anxiety/depression.

Thanks again

[kayleigh]

Cathy V,
It's worth getting it checked out! many of your symptoms can be due to PCOS.
I'm 28 & was diagnosed with PCOS about 12 years ago and have many of your symptoms. It's not something I really worry about as docs can do so much nowadays. It does cause fertility probs - so I'm well aware that my hubby & I will face probs in the future. PCOS can cause some really inwanted symptoms and side effects though - many of them you have.
I've always had additional weird feelings tho that I've always put down to the hormone imbalance (insomnia, palpitations, acne etc) but my gynae dismisses this. Basically it seems that I have develped anxiety over the past 12 months & am now on Citalopram - I've always blamed PCOS for how I feel but I really do believe the 2 are related - I've just never knwn anyone who has the 2 together! Anyone else got PCOS and anxiety?
Good luck with your tests - don't worry too much xxx


hi
i didnt suffer with anxiety untill a few months ago when i was diagnosed with PCOS i hate feeling like im going mad all the time or im dying :weep: