The C in pcos
 

I have been exploring whether I have pcos, I don't have fertility issues but I am one hairy girl. My testerone levels always check out normal. I have slight bleeding when I start to ovulate, they did an ultrasound and I have cysts on my ovaries but the dr said this is normal it is where the eggs were. So my dr is testing my insulin levels. Do ovarian cysts = cystic?

I went back to the dr with this question. He said yes the cysts are one symptom of PCOS but that it is when the cysts start making too much male hormone that you have developed the disorder. Since my testoterone levels are normal I don't have PCOS.

have him check your free testosterone...being hairy(face, chin, sideburns, chest and other 'male' associated places)is a sign of hormonal issues....high androgens

Thanks deb, I didn't realize there was a free testosterone test. I just have this intuition, and the hairy part that makes me think I may have pcos.

nawchem, go with your intuition. I diagnosed myself when i was 16 by reading a Goodhouskeeping article and matching my symptoms. Then i insisted my doctor do all kinds of blood tests and voila! i really did have PCOS.

Women do not grow hair in abnormal patterns unless something abnormal is happening with their hormones....

http://www.soulcysters.com/

Nawchem please refer to this great site for PCOs'ers....it's truly the most helpful and informative site i;ve come across since i was diagnosed 18 years ago...

best wishes

Thanks for link deb! Its funny because my dr told me pcos would have hair in particular places and I have it in all of those places. I'm getting my insulin measured so that will be another piece of the puzzle. Maybe electrolysis, I get permanent little red spots from all the places I pluck.

it's a struggle isn't it nawchem? i feel for you since i'm in your shoes as well...that's why the support at soulcysters is so great..it really helps just to vent sometimes and everyone there is geat to talk to.

Not everyone with PCOS has high testosterone. PCOS is a variable syndrome when it comes to hormone levels. For example, my glucose tolerance test is normal, but I am clearly glucose intolerant. But the cysts on the ovary are a classic sign of PCOS and, if I remember correctly, present in ALL cases of the syndrome. I would question any doctor who would dismiss cysts as unimportant.

My suggestion would be to find an endocrinologist who is familiar with PCOS (call the office and ask).

F

Ovarian cysts are quite common, they come and go, and most of them resolve themselves in a month or two, not neccessarily indication of PCOS.
My testosteron (total and free ) is border line low and I have ocational cysts on my ovaries: either left or right. I am not hairy at all and never was.

then you probably don't have PCOS....the cysts with PCOS are chronic and never develop fully and never really come and go as you say....anyone who has multiple symptoms of PCOS and not just occasional ovarian cysts is more likely to be eventually diagnosed with the syndrome...it's a syndrome rather than a full blown disease because there are so many variables and each woman reacts to the hormonal upheaval differently and will exhibit different symptoms...

I don't know what type of cysts I have, the dr told me they are eggs that didn't come out when I ovulate??? Now I found I have uterine hyperplasia, that its more common in women with pcos.

you're sooo lucky your not hairy dina, from puberty until I started shaving and plucking kids would call me the gorilla. Really makes a teenage girl feel good.

My heart goes out to all of you with 'too much hair.' I grew up with dark hair (it's now dyed red brown!) and fair skin. I didn't have too much, but what I did have was more than I wanted! Except on the top of my head, of course, that was ok. The hair on my arms, for instance, just stood out more because of my fair skin. It doesn't seem fair to have 'too much,' especially when you have other issues.

I have been told my several doctors, one or two real experts, that I have PCOS. The same is true for those who told me I did NOT have pcos. I finally got what I thought was a good answer from a doc on the internet, who is an expert. PCOS is very complex (my words) and you can have this or that, but not all the things that define it for others. I have had lots of songrams, and not all cysts are what they're looking for re: PCOS. I get mature follicles, I think many people with PCOS have immature, but that is not a requirement to be considered to have it. I get functional cysts, which actually just means you're ovulating. I think what they look for is a cluster of cysts around the ovaries.

I have had high testosterone, but not with the excess hirsutism. I have low progesterone, and take natural bio-identical compounded progesterone, and that seems to help with many issues, incl migraines. I now have 'normal' testosterone. For now!

I have syndrome x, but my blood sugar is not totally out of control. I think the progesterone helps with that. I have read on soulcysters.com that getting your blood sugar under control, your weight under control, can help your hormones balance themselves. This includes your testosterone. I don't have that dark ring they talk about, but I do have a lot of skin tags, another 'sign.' I get terrible cramps every month, and that has contribued to weight gain. it's not easy to lose the weight, and problems can make you crave 'emotional food.'

I was also told my one doctor that not a lot of people from southern european ancestry get PCOS, but I think our 'American diet' contributes to this. I was just told to eat a gluten-free diet, and am working on this.

I actually did go very low carb 6 years ago, and got down to a pretty good weight. BUT, months later, under stress, I went back to carbs and gained the weight back, got very tired, and added a few more pounds because of less exercise. I have not been able to lose that weight because of different health issues - two surgeries in the last 3 years (one major, the other, day surgery) etc. I now need to work on somehow combining the lower carb, with the gluten-free (which often has very high carb products!)

I have never read anywhere that this particular aspect or that is required for a diagnosis of PCOS, but rather, it's usually several that make up a picture.

Oh! one more thing - is uterine hyperplasia the same as a thickened endometrium? I had that problem for many months, it showed up on the sonograms. My doc was worried, she did a D & C. She really thought that she would find pre-cancerous cells. She did not, and she said that was because of the progesterone I take. I asked her what the treatment for precancerous cells are, and she said progesterone! The last sonogram I had was the first time I've had a 'normal' endometrial 'size' for the lining.

NoMoreSug
 

I'm the opposite of you. I have tan skin and sparkly blonde hair, then there's the strange black hairs right where you don't want them. I remember my dr saying immature but I thought he said eggs not follicles. Or is that the same thing? I also tested as normal insulin so maybe not pcos after all.

You know who does gluten free lowcarb NancyLC. She is really nice and cooks up a storm and is knowledgeable about the gluten stuff.

I wish you good luck on getting your health back, that may have to come first before the weightloss will happen.

My dr is doing another ultrasound, dreading that but he said he wanted to look closer at my issues.

http://images.google.com/images?sou...ies&sa=N&tab=wi

if anyone ever wants to see what polycystic ovaries look like....view at your own risk...i never said it was pretty... :bhug: