PCOS

[Lizzie Mintdrop]

I'm just feeling a bit emotional, but my bf was with me and he was really supportive. I wear a UK size 8, so to be told I need to lose a few kgs was a bit shocking - although tbh, I do have this belly pouch that just can't seem be shifted! any advice anyone has in terms of anything I would really appreciate. I'm so glad there's a thread about it so I have people I can talk to who'll understand
thanks to those who've replied x

What height are you? I'm not actually expecting you to answer that, your Dr has possibly been inappropriate with this advice but my niece is 5ft and wears a size 8 and she is a touch overweight, she hasn't been told to lose any weight by her GP though.

You have said you have a bit of a belly, which is a result of PCOS, I have it myself and it is difficult to get rid of it, I've tried for years. The best thing is to try and reduce your carbs, I've been using berberine for a few months and that has helped a little.

 

[Looboo]

I have an appointment with the doctor tomorrow, I’m pretty convinced I have pcos I have all the symptoms and I think it might be quite obvious, was just wondering what the doctor does is there any tests/blood work? I’m rather nervous so just wondering if anyone had a rough idea of what to expect?

Blood tests and a scan for me too. If you have symptoms and your blood test shows you have it too then you might not need the scans (I think).

 

[blossombloss]

Is sleep something to do with PCOS? I always need a good night sleep or I really struggle but didn't realise they were related.

I found out as I had 4 months without a period which is unusual for me. I was actually kind of relieved to find out, obviously I would rather not have it but it explained my acne which I have always struggled with and also I've had really low libido so was good to have an explanation so that I can try and work on improving symptoms.

I have a lot to learn really about how to adjust my lifestyle and what PCOS can cause.



I didn't know I had to get bloods done every year either my doctor didn't say. He just said when I get pregnant I need to tell the nurse and be tested for pregnancy diabetes and if I don't get my periods back he can give me medicine for that. I don't want kids anyway so wasn't relevant for me but that's all he seemed interested in really - how it would affect fertility. Obviously I know that's important but he didn't seem interested in discussing any other issues.

yeah PCOS does affect sleep, it makes you fatigued but then also unable to get a good nights sleep.
some people also have sleep apnoea, which is also common with pcos. Never ending I tell you....

But yeah some doctors only see it as a fertility thing which is so bad because it affects so many other things!

 

[Newbie mcnewface]

Hey guys! I’ve recently just been for an ultrasound as I haven’t had a period since June 2022. The sonogram lady suspects I have pcos but needs to send the scans to my doctor for confirmation. I have been off contraception since January 2022 and we’d really like to start our own family. I’m just wondering if anyone has any positive pregnancy stories with having pcos? Just trying to find a glimmer of hope as it feels so gloomy at the moment

I have pcos and fell pregnant naturally twice …I had a fantastic gp at the time after a horrible experience with a consultant at the hospital. I upped my excercise and watched my diet generally just took a bit more care of myself but the best word of advice I got from my gp and I believe it helped was to put getting pregnant to the back ok my mind ..go and have fun and relax and two months later I was pregnant.

Just to add that gp now retired was like a social prescriber he was always telling me to go and have fun , drink the wine and not dwell on sad times !

 

[Elsie1988]

I follow a gluten and dairy free diet and it’s really helped with my PCOS symptoms

 

[bbbbbbb123]

I think I might have PCOS but no idea where to start really. I've always suspected that i've had it but never dealt with it. Is it easier to go through your doctor or does anyone recommend going straight to a gynae specialist?

I went through my GP and had no issues at all, they did blood tests and referred me for a scan, it was all quite quick! But I know other people aren’t as lucky with their doctors!

 

[Blond3g1rl]

Oh I’ve never heard the time thing! That’s interesting and I’ll be taking that on board for my workouts going forward
---

It’s not something the doctors seem to say. Everyone bangs on about food and losing weight but nothing about the best ways to do it

GPs know very little about PCOS

 

[Blond3g1rl]

Sorry to hear of your diagnosis. It’s nice to be ‘labelled’ but it does make things much easier to understand. What pill have you been put on?

 

[soymilk]

Does anyone know if there’s a thread on here for other gynaecological issues? Or maybe someone here can help? As I’ve said on this thread before I always thought I had PCOS but looks like I don’t (I have symptoms but my bloods are fine and I don’t have multiple ovarian cysts). It’s looking like I might have endometriosis though, and I’ve been referred to the hospital.

Just wondered if anyone knows what I can expect when I get my appointment? I know that a laparoscopy is likely but just anxious about what else might be on the cards or what will happen when I first go x

there's an endometriosis thread on here, I'm on it too and lots of us talk about our experiences on there - you might find it helpful

 

[boomska]

I'm off to get a ultra sound done tomorrow at the lcoal hospital to see if I've got PCOS!! I'm soooo nervous because I know looking at my ovaries doesn't dertmine PCOS, but I do worry that they'll be look nah you're overweight, cause you eat! and you're just hairy hahaha

 

[Thank(space)you]

I've just been diagnosed with PCOS which was a shock as I was convinced I was going through early menopause

 

[LittleRoots]

Does anyone have any advice for the embarrassing hair growth? It’s ruining my confidence and I can’t seem to win I wax and get sensitive skin, tweezing and ingrown hairs and spots, shaving and not as close as I’d like. Someone please tell me what on earth you do!

 

[xbxbx]

So I’ve came off my pill - not TTC or anything, just haven’t renewed my prescription. I’m in two minds whether I want to go back on it or not because I’ve been on it for so long but it was mostly to manage my PCOS. Anyway - it’s only been a few days and I am STRUGGLING. I feel like I’ve been hit by a bus. My whole body aches, I’m getting pains under my ribs, up my back, down my legs, my reproductive organs feel like they’re clamped in a vice. I slept for over 12 hours last night and had to force myself out of bed this morning otherwise I would have continued to sleep.

I haven’t had a period since I started on the mini pill around 4/5 years ago but I don’t ever remember feeling like this when I did get periods. I don’t know if this is considered ‘normal’ when coming off the pill or if this is what unmanaged PCOS feels like. I should say that my period hasn’t even started yet so lord help me if/when it does come and the usual cramping etc begins on top of all of this.

Sorry just had to vent somewhere

 

[soymilk]

It's destroyed my confidence in myself

I felt this so much

 

[pecan]

Anyone got any tips coming off and getting them to start again sooner or is it more of a wait and see thing?

Do you mean getting your periods to start again sooner? Sadly it’s not the kind of thing you can ‘force’ to happen. I’ve been on and off the combi pill for the last 18 years so I know it’s frustrating when you want your body to have some kind of it’s own natural rhythm.

In terms of helping your cycle, keep your stress levels low if possible - cortisol will wreak havoc. Nourish yourself with nutritious foods, birth control pills can be quite harsh on the gut and digestive system. Some form of exercise might help too. You might have an active job, or you could try going for walks / runs / whatever. I found that my cycle was at its most consistent when I was exercising frequently, before that it was all over the place. Obviously these things still won’t force your period to come back but it’s about trying to bring your natural hormone levels into some kind of balance - tricky with PCOS of course.

Another thing to note is that even if your period does return, there’s no guarantee you’re actually ovulating. It might just be withdrawal bleeding / anovulatory bleeding - common with PCOS. When I came off the pill I started tracking my basal body temperature straight away. I’m not trying to conceive but I wanted to know if I was ovulating. I learned how to use a ‘Fertility Awareness Method’ to track my cycle using certain biomarkers like basal temperature and cervical mucus quality. I’ve been able to confirm ovulation for the last 5 cycles which feels really good. I log it all in the Read Your Body app along with symptom tracking and whatever else.

 

[CharlieTYBT]

I've been diagnosed with PCOS. I've found my periods are really really light whenever I have them as well as very irregular. I know irregular periods are part of the symptoms but does anyone else get really light periods? Sorry for the TMI but I used to have heavy periods and enough to fill a pad with bright red blood, now the blood is mainly beigy brown and rarely is bright red coloured and the amount of blood would be enough to fill a tena lady. I'm worried as I really want children and if my periods aren't even working properly or how they used to I think it's game over for me being able to have a baby

 

[bbbbbbb123]

coming back to say I also was diagnosed with PCOS this morning - he said my ovaries were full of cysts , he also told me to lose 2 or 3 kg which I know isn't alot but I'm v body conscious and it made me cry. As I'm not ttc he has changed the pill I'm on but warned me that it might be difficult when I do want to start, v emotional morning!

I think being told to lose weight isn’t nice to hear no matter how confident/what size you are so you aren’t definitely not alone, it knocked me quite a bit! Especially when having pcos can make it harder to lose weight x

 

[LongishCat]

I've got the official diagnosis of PCOS today. But my gynaecologist was very sweet and helpful and prescribed pills to get my period/ovulation back. Really happy my GP had the right idea and sent me to a specialist right away.
Feeling hopeful

 

[Codiaeum]

Thinking of getting an IPL machine, my hair growth is so fast and cba shaving anymore.

Has anyone tried it and found it works with PCOS?

I've had a Philips Lumea - it worked a bit on my legs, but not on the areas where I actually wanted it to work, my stomach, bikini area, face, etc. I'm the perfect fit with light skin and dark thick hair. The hair on my legs noticeably reduced after a couple of month and grew slower and a bit thinner. Everything else was unimpressed, regardless of how often I used it.
The device broke after 1.5 years - got a full refund, but not impressed with the life expectancy, tbh, I didn't get a new one.
I've gotten electrolysis on my chin - hurts, but the hair stays away.

 

[Donald23]

Okay, thanks a mill. It's so hard to get answers and very distressing.

I'll go for ultrasound and see what happens

Diagnosis is usually based on three things but you can have Pcos and just be showing 2 - it’s called the Rotterdam criteria. However all other options have to be ruled out as well