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  #1   ^
Old Mon, Feb-25-08, 14:17
Malishka31 Malishka31 is offline
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Posts: 722
 
Plan: General LC
Stats: 318/213.2/185 Female 5ft 6.5
BF:
Progress: 79%
Location: New York
Default can you have pcos on one ovary?

So i just requested my medical records because i moved a while ago and wanted to have some on hand.

Going through them i noticed that my left ovary is covered in cysts and is 2 times the size of my right ovary. right ovary has follicles and left ovary has many cysts one that is HUGE.

Anyways, i am preggers now, and b4 hand they always wanted to diagnose me with PCOS but b/c i get my period its not really PCOS.

So, can i possibly have only 1 working ovary? i mean i know that happens, but can you just have one working ovary and one ovary with PCOS????

I would follow up but this a different doctor and my concerns are more about pregnancy right now. I can no do MRIs or anything else unless totally necessary and this could wait in my book b/c well, i am alreayd pregnant.
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  #2   ^
Old Sun, Apr-06-08, 07:32
mstares mstares is offline
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Plan: atkins
Stats: 196/196/140 Female 5' 4"
BF:Let's not go there
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Location: Newfoundland
Default

I know this thread is fairly old but thought I'd reply anyway.
Firstly, congrats on your pregnancy, hope all is going well.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is kind of a misleading name for this condition. Stein-Leventhal syndrome is probably a better name. Not all women have cysts, some of them have cysts sometimes but not all the time, you can have them on one ovary or both at the same time. You CAN have periods and have PCOS. It's just that MOST women don't have regular ones or any periods at all. MOST women are infertile, but some don't have serious issues with that. Some women have periods of fertility and periods of infertility. Both of my sisters as well as I have PCOS. My sisters had periods that were regular enough to be considered normal. One never could get preg, one had two kids but it took a long time to conceive the second one. I've had 3 kids. I normally had 2- 3 extremely light periods a year at best and often went a year with no period at all, but had no big fertility prob. You can have a period without ovulation and I suspect that was the way it was with my sisters. I must have ovulated a couple of times a year I guess. This waxing and waning of symptoms, plus there is a very long list of possible symptoms which some women might only have one or two and some might have nearly all of them at any given time. Symptoms can increase and decrease in severity or even disappear completely or never show up. LOL...Welcome to the merry-go-round that is PCOS. I've often noticed that my symptoms seem to have some sort of confusing cycle to them. But really I've not been able to find any rhyme or reason to it.

Good luck to you!

Margaret
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  #3   ^
Old Tue, Apr-08-08, 04:53
MamaMarie's Avatar
MamaMarie MamaMarie is offline
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Posts: 42
 
Plan: Cave Woman
Stats: 181.6/177.8/145 Female 63 inches
BF:37%/37%/20%
Progress: 10%
Location: Texas
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Malishka31
So i just requested my medical records because i moved a while ago and wanted to have some on hand.

Going through them i noticed that my left ovary is covered in cysts and is 2 times the size of my right ovary. right ovary has follicles and left ovary has many cysts one that is HUGE.

Anyways, i am preggers now, and b4 hand they always wanted to diagnose me with PCOS but b/c i get my period its not really PCOS.

So, can i possibly have only 1 working ovary? i mean i know that happens, but can you just have one working ovary and one ovary with PCOS????


Who the heck told you that you can't have PCOS if you're having periods?? They found that I had ovarian cysts at 19 and my periods didn't stop completely until I was 28.

And yes, I only had cysts on one ovary. I can't explain this scientifically, but that's the way it happened.

After having my kids, the cysts went away for a little while, then returned. I think pregnancy bought me some time.
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  #4   ^
Old Tue, Apr-08-08, 10:54
Malishka31 Malishka31 is offline
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Posts: 722
 
Plan: General LC
Stats: 318/213.2/185 Female 5ft 6.5
BF:
Progress: 79%
Location: New York
Default

Ok i saw a gyno who speacilized in infertility and is pretty well known in the field at UCLA medical center- he said very bluntly that if a woman has regular periods- she does not have PCOS. I saw this guy b/c i also have a septate uterus.

I guess maybe the stress word would be regular periods? My periods were 32 days for over a 1 so he said it is not PCOS. And my hormone levels are normal .

I think maybe i just have a retarted ovary?

MamaMarie- did you actually have regular periods- or just some periods throughout the year.

Also- I used those ovulation test strips- and i did ovulate with every period-or with every period i checked ovulation for. I guess with the ovulation + normal hormones the doc felt that it is not PCOS. Every other doctor but him wanted to say PCOS

But can you have a bunch of cysts just to have them?

What other syndromes reasons are there for ovarian cysts?
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  #5   ^
Old Sat, Apr-12-08, 23:20
MamaMarie's Avatar
MamaMarie MamaMarie is offline
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Posts: 42
 
Plan: Cave Woman
Stats: 181.6/177.8/145 Female 63 inches
BF:37%/37%/20%
Progress: 10%
Location: Texas
Default

I don't know what to tell you. I was a clock for years. From what I understood, I was ovulating part of the time, part of the time making cysts. The regularity of my cycles didn't break down for a very long time. It was shortly after my periods started getting really screwy that the rest of my body crapped out and PCOS became obvious.

What got me the surgery when I was 19 which uncovered the ovarian cysts was abdominal pain. Nothing else was wrong. They didn't do anything with the cysts, just sewed me back up and left it all alone. I got pregnant right after that because we were concerned about fertility issues. (If, as your doctor says, PCOS = 0 fertility then why is it not impossible for women with PCOS to get pregnent? Some are infertile, but not everyone.)

I didn't find out until years later (after my periods stopped completely, the hair started to grow, acne, weight gain, etc) what PCOS was. I know that sometime after the PCOS diagnosis in my late 20's I had an ultrasound which *still* only showed cysts on the right ovary.

There is one possibility: What if we only have one working ovary in the first place? What if the non-cystic ovary has no cysts because it never attempts to pop out an egg in the first place? I could be wrong. It's just a thought.

As far as the hormonal levels being normal - well, I have something to say on that subject as well.

For over 30 years my aunt had symptoms of hypothyroidism. Her symptoms were so obvious that her doc ended up testing her every 6 months for years.

Finally, she tested low thyroid.

I think that her thyroid was crapping out slowly. It would work normally most of the time and struggle here and there. It was enough to make her feel bad, but not enough to throw the tests off.

With some research, we've found that there are many who have symptoms of hypothyroidism with normal tests and they do benefit from thyroid supplement. Some researchers suspect that these folks will go one to eventually test low thyroid if left alone.

I think this applies to other hormones as well. You may be having the first signs, but you're not low enough to test "hot". Make sense?

And FINALLY... are you sure your doctor is reading the tests right? At diagnosis, all my hormonal levels fell in the normal range. The doc knew it was PCOS because of the FSH and LH. One was supposed to be higher than the other and mine were flipped. (I don't remember which was supposed to be higher.)

Again, I'm not a doctor and there could be something else wrong, something that looks a lot like PCOS. But if you eliminate everything else and low carb helps you, you can relax and be fairly sure you've got the problem under control.
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  #6   ^
Old Sat, Apr-12-08, 23:28
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MamaMarie MamaMarie is offline
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Plan: Cave Woman
Stats: 181.6/177.8/145 Female 63 inches
BF:37%/37%/20%
Progress: 10%
Location: Texas
Default

You asked what else could cause ovarian cysts and so you sent me on a Google search.

I found this: http://www.emedicine.com/EMERG/topic352.htm

I think it's interesting that they listed thyroid as a cause. hmmm.

That stupid gland screws up more women...

Do *you* think you have PCOS? Do you have the symptoms? Have you had your thyroid and adrenals tested to rule them out as potential issues?

If it turns out that you DON'T have PCOS, would a trial of low carb eating hurt you while you're looking for answers? (Nope! )

Seriously: Good luck. I understand your frustration.
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  #7   ^
Old Sun, Apr-13-08, 09:35
Malishka31 Malishka31 is offline
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Posts: 722
 
Plan: General LC
Stats: 318/213.2/185 Female 5ft 6.5
BF:
Progress: 79%
Location: New York
Default

I have symptoms- well i mean right now i am pregnant so things like being hairy are out of whack anyways. I have hiritsiums and virilization - BUT- the hairy thing i could in theory ride of due to my ethnicity anyways even though no one in my family is that hairy.

I did have an adrenal tumor but it went away- i would be more prone to thinking that my symptoms are due to adrenals, or like you suggested one defective ovary that produces symptoms and one normal ovary that balances it out maybe?

My cousin has PCOS - well she had pcos b4 she controlled it with losing weight- but- she also had periods very rarely and her weight gain was different from mine. I was always fat- where as she gained weight actually in a span of a year or two in her early twenties.

As far as I know pcos is a differential diagnosis, when nothing else fits they suggest PCOS. I really have not traveled the PCOS route for a while already- this was a long time ago, i just discovered the messed up ovary thing by reading my charts recently. I did lose weight and i had normal periods and then I got pregnant so just being hairy and some other things are not bothering me enough right now to look into it, but it would be hard to diagnose anything while being pregnant.

I was never diagnosed fully with PCOS and when i got the adrenal tumor i thought it was the main reason for all my problems but during the next MRI scan it vanished so who knows. I think i just confused myself even more.


http://www.cfp.ca/cgi/content/full/53/6/1041/T50531041

i just found this PCOS diagnosing question thing. I never knew that women were to have breast discharge not during pregnancy- is that even true?


I personally believe that my case whatever is wrong is more congenital than anything else- i had tuberous breasts (i had them augmented), i lacked pretty much any breast tissue, and i have a septate uterus- both things are congenital that occur during fetal development- in my opinion they are linked together, but the occurance is less than 4% of female population for any of the uterine anomolies- not including tuberous breasts- i wouldnt be surprised if i ended up with a retarted ovary all at the same time. I guess in my opinion genetics play some underlying role no one is certain of yet.

Last edited by Malishka31 : Sun, Apr-13-08 at 09:41.
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  #8   ^
Old Sun, Apr-13-08, 22:39
MamaMarie's Avatar
MamaMarie MamaMarie is offline
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Posts: 42
 
Plan: Cave Woman
Stats: 181.6/177.8/145 Female 63 inches
BF:37%/37%/20%
Progress: 10%
Location: Texas
Default

First, congrats on the baby!! What a wonderful gift!

Yes, I had (and still have) discharge from my nipples. NO doctor has connected that with the PCOS. (weird) Not everyone with PCOS has that symptom.

As far as I know, PCOS symptoms are fairly standard, but they can be confused with other hormonal issues. There is the FSH/LH test to confirm the diagnosis.

If you did have some early onset PCOS, pregnancy may be just what you need. After I had my kids I was very healthy for a couple of years. I think the break from ovulation helped straighten everything out and bought me some time.
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  #9   ^
Old Sun, Apr-13-08, 22:43
MamaMarie's Avatar
MamaMarie MamaMarie is offline
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Posts: 42
 
Plan: Cave Woman
Stats: 181.6/177.8/145 Female 63 inches
BF:37%/37%/20%
Progress: 10%
Location: Texas
Default

I'm going to do a bit more digging on the subject of galactorrhea. Honestly, I don't know if it *is* related to PCOS. (Learn something new everyday!)
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  #10   ^
Old Sun, Apr-13-08, 22:44
MamaMarie's Avatar
MamaMarie MamaMarie is offline
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Posts: 42
 
Plan: Cave Woman
Stats: 181.6/177.8/145 Female 63 inches
BF:37%/37%/20%
Progress: 10%
Location: Texas
Default

Ask a question and ye shall receive:

http://www.obgyn.net/infertility/in...options_for_you

" There is a subset of women with PCOS who may present with nipple discharge (galactorrhea) usually in association with infrequent menstrual cycles, and hirsutism. This is usually secondary to elevation of circulating prolactin, and the frequency of this subset may range from 7-10% of afflicted women with PCOS. In these instances the pituitary cells that secrete prolactin (lactotropes) are hyperfunctioning and the presence of a small pituitary microadenoma may or may not be found on MRI testing. The indicated treatment is bromocriptine (Parlodel), a dopamine agonist, which reduces serum prolactin and improves menstrual function and also mood disturbances secondary to the hyperprolactinemia. After a 2-3 month course of bromocriptine, the effectiveness of treatment is assessed and if desired pregnancy is not achieved, additional options listed above may be employed in combination with the bromocriptine treatment. Parenthetically, elevated serum prolactin levels may be found on testing without the presence of galactorrhea. It is necessary to exclude medications that are being taken by the patient which may increase prolactin levels (Thorazine, Compazine, and to a lesser extent Prozac, verapamil etc.)."
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  #11   ^
Old Mon, Apr-14-08, 15:35
Malishka31 Malishka31 is offline
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Posts: 722
 
Plan: General LC
Stats: 318/213.2/185 Female 5ft 6.5
BF:
Progress: 79%
Location: New York
Default

wait i am confused- i thought that if you have discharge according to that little test thingy you get a -1, meaning that having galactorrhea was an anti-pcos thing.

Also i read that the FSH/LH test suggestive but not used to diagnose

"Some other blood tests are suggestive but not diagnostic. The ratio of LH (Luteinizing hormone) to FSH (Follicle stimulating hormone) is greater than 1:1, as tested on Day 3 of the menstrual cycle. The pattern is not very specific and was present in less than 50% in one study.[7"

RIght now when i was re reading the PCOS syptoms i dont even know why doctors would suggest that for me considering i only have 1 symptom- hirsutism- and i had irregular periods for only 1-2 years at most, and i was around 17-18. I guess in my opinion one would have to have more symptoms.

I kind of feel it is the go to diagnosis when they dont know the answer, especially considering that you can have it and not even have poly cystic ovaries.

Anyhow i find the milk thing weird .
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  #12   ^
Old Tue, Apr-15-08, 21:36
MamaMarie's Avatar
MamaMarie MamaMarie is offline
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Posts: 42
 
Plan: Cave Woman
Stats: 181.6/177.8/145 Female 63 inches
BF:37%/37%/20%
Progress: 10%
Location: Texas
Default

LMAO!!

Yeah, I've had the "milk thing" for 18 years and I still find it weird!

Wanna know what's really weird? My prolactin levels were normal.

This takes me back to my aunt and her thyroid. Perhaps our bodies are mre sensitive to hormonal levels than the tests.
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