PCOS - some unexplainable symptoms

Hi everyone,

When the doc did my ultrsound (2 times, two different docs), he confirmed that I have PCOS because of the lining of cysts in my ovaries (at the time, it seemed like there were more than 10 cysts in each ovary). My Insulin level is 22 (whats the normal level?), but here's the big one: I GET MY PERIOD LIKE CLOCKWORK!!! Every month, roughly between 3-4 weeks cycle! But the duration of each period or blood flow isnt regular. Isnt irregular or no period the first and foremost symptom for PCOS? Which then should mean that I dont have PCOS!! (??)

But I have all other symptoms: acne, hair loss, extra facial hair, concentrated weight on my tummy - the list goes on.
I am getting conflicting opinions from doctors and have to pay a gigantic sum each time I see a new one.

I am 1.62 metres (5'4'') and weight 70 kilos (154 lbs) and know I am overweight by a good 7-8 kilos.

HELP! Do I or do I not have PCOS ? ? And what other indicators (medical preferably) can help me ascertain that? I have the report of my blood work, so should have all info. at hand.

THANKS IN ADVANCE!

My understanding of PCOS is there is no definitive answer to your question.  It is diagnosed by ruling out other problems that cause similar symptoms.  Have you checked out sites about PCOS?  Here is one of many...  SoulCysters.com: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) Treatment & Resources  They should be able to help you more than this site.  I too have PCOS, so they say ;) 

did your doctor do blood work on you? check your hormones? LAst time my doc checked to see if i had an adrenal problem he said there was something that mimics pcos. Come to find out I have pcos,like i dont get my period @ all if im not on anything.

You sound exactly like me.  I have PCOS but always had very regular periods. 

My diagnosis was based mostly on 1) cysts on ovaries 2) raised male hormone levels.  The irregular or no periods is the 3rd common symptom, but usually if you have 2/3 its considered a fairly safe bet you have PCOS. 

If you are concerned about the excess hair (which i know i was) see if your doc can get you onto spironolactone.  It's done wonders for me. :)

(PS - a lot of the other 'minor' symptoms are a result of the excess male hormones eg the acne, hair, oily skin etc -- if you get rid of the male hormones they go away too!)

I just got diagnosed with PCOS as well, and in fact had 2 ultrasounds done!  The first revealed only two cysts and so my doc ruled them out as normal.  The pain continued with my next cycle, so she did another ultrasound revealing 6 cycsts on the left and 9 on the right!

I think sometimes, it depends on who your ultrasound tech is and how proficient they are in what they do.  Bloodwork can also be deceiving depending on when they draw it and if you have fasted prior to the test.  Keep in mind that not everyone has every single symptom of PCOS which makes it even harder to diagnose.

Do some research on your own on some of the websites listed and my suggestion would be to follow a low GI eating plan for a couple of weeks and see if helps with your symptoms.

Good luck!

I also have PCOS. My recommendation is that you fore go all "regular" doctors and seek the opinion of an endocrinologist. They can more exactly diagnose such a condition.

As a regular rule of thumb, I have regular periods as well. They've become irregular from time to time after such things as child birth, on/off new birth control pills, serious illness...etc. But for the most part looking back over my "adult" life thus far, they've overall been regular. My first indication something was not right, was that I experienced SEVERE pain during ovulation. That's been a steadfast. It wasn't until after the birth of my second child that I was diagnosed however. These other problems can and usually do accompany PCOS ... sugar/insulin problems (such as hyper or hypo glycemia), high cholesterol, high triglycerides, facial and/or unusual body hair growth, hair loss, high testosterone levels, low estrogen levels, extreme pain during ovulation, extremely painful menstrual cramping, extra belly weight gain, and several other factors. You don't have to have all of these to have PCOS. But I would expect more than half to three quarters of these symptoms to be present.

The endocrinologist insisted that I loose weight first and foremost (which I know is harder to do with PCOS) the best way for me was to go on a reduced carb ... NO SUGAR, diet. Leaving red meats alone and focusing on fish, chicken, and green veggies. It's a HARD diet to do. And quite frankly not one I could stick with. The next recommedation was to go on and stay on birth control, not to prevent pregnancy but to regulate my hormone levels.

The main problem is that PCOS causes problems that in turn feed the PCOS ... therefore it becomes a big circle that we must fight daily to control.

Good luck and God Bless you in first obtaining a definitive diagnosis of your symptoms! And know that you are not alone!

PCOS is a syndrome, that means it is a collection of symptoms, any of which you may or may not have. Diagnosis is based on the number of symptoms you have, not which ones.

I am lucky to not have some of the more troublesome symptoms like elevated blood sugar levels and hirutosis (sp?), however I DO have the irregular periods and reversed hormone levels. Because irregualr periods can be explained by being overweight, I questioned the diagnosis and my doctor retested me for everything. She still feels I have enough of the markers for PCOS....just a milder case (I guess some people can have less/milder symptoms).

The good news is, it becomes less and less problematic as you lose weight. For me, it's not so much of an issue...I likely can't have kids without medical intervention, but I don't really want any, and the irregualr periods are controlled through BCPs, so I am laughin.

It's a relief to know there are good reasons for physical problems...but I do NOT use it as an excuse (I have seen people write "My PCOS caused me to regain my weight"). Maybe some people will blast me for saying so, but we are all in control of our own behaviors....PCOS may make it harder to resist those yummy carbs or whatever, but that just means it's harder to lose weight - not impossible and certainly weight gain is not a direct cause of having PCOS. Plenty of non-overweight women have it too. So even though the diagnosis put me through a range of emotions (first relief, then hopelessness) in the end I realized it does not control me. I control it. For some, that means medical intervention, and for some that means having to try extra hard in our weight loss journeys. We can do it together!

You can still have a period and have PCOS... you don't have to have every single one of the possible symptoms to have the condition.