Do you think I have PCOS? please help!?!
Question: Do you think I have PCOS? please help!?
She thinks i might have PCOS. *Polycystic Ovary Syndrome* or Chusingson disease? (spelling maybe wrong)
I have had a total of 8 pregnancy all but one ended in miscarriage never had to have a DNC my son is almost 4 years old. Before i got pregnant with my son i lost almost 30 lbs I'm now at my heaviest pushing 350.. And its very hard to lose the wight. I also did not know but found out 5 years ago that I was RH negative.
Here are my symptoms:
Few or no menstrual periods ( *when i was younger Now somewhat regular* )
Heavy, irregular vaginal bleeding. (*during my period not to gross anyone out but its like a massacre in my bathroom 6 to 8 times a day while I'm on my period.*)
Hair loss (* Started when i was around age 20. I have a bald spot on the back of my head and thin hair I use to have such thick hair*)
Acne and oily skin, (*almost all of my adult life*)
Depression or mood swings. (*almost all of my life)
Weight gain or upper body obesity (* soon as i turned 13 I have been battling with weight loss*)
Repeat miscarriages.
Inability to become pregnant (* my husband and I meet in 99 dropped birth control in 2000 married in 2004 and had my son in 2007 *)
insulin resistance, (*I'm not diabetic, but had gestational diabetes. It was controlled threw diet and exercise. My mother is extremely insulin resistance. *)
Male-type hair growth on the face and body (*I thought this was normal at get waxed twice a month*)
Fatigue. (*story of my life*)
Skin tags (* many on my neck under breast and thighs*)
carrying the excess weight around your middle (*tear*)
skin dark or discolored (*on my neck, and thighs*)
Please help me i will be checking on this every five mins. I'm very worried that this is not it and something more. I hope this is not normal for me I hate being like this. I have been worried and losing sleep. Can someone help me?
Answers:
To be diagnosed with PCOS, you need at least 3 from a certain list of symptoms. You have at least 8 classical symptoms:
- weight gain, esp around the tummy
- irregular periods
- fertility issues
- male-pattern hair growth
- male pattern head baldness
- skin tags
- skin darkening
- oily skin and acne
You are showing classical signs of PCOS caused by insulin resistance. Elevated insulin is the route cause of PCOS, as it messes with your ovaries. As follicles do not launch their egg properly (--> anovulation and fertility issues) they do not develop into a corpus luteum (--> low progesterone --> irregular periods and early miscarriages). Your body tries to fix this by increasing luteinising hormone levels (--> elevated LH) but this causes your ovaries to produce too much testosterone (--> oily skin, acne, male pattern hair and male pattern baldness). The excess weight can also cause over-production of estrogen.
The fatigue is most likely due to your glucose levels, the mood swings could be either due to your glucose levels or your out-of-balance hormones.
So then, its pretty clear that you have PCOS. The ultrasound results will make no difference (most women with PCOS do NOT show multiple cysts on ultrasound at any given point in time), your blood work should confirm it (low progesterone, high testosterone, high LH, and maybe high insulin and high estrogen). I don't know what age you are, but you have such classic symptoms this should have been diagnosed much earlier, you have probably had it since teens. It is too easy for doctors just to write it off as being due to your weight, when in fact your weight is due to your insulin resistance and PCOS. But now, it's more important to get you sorted out.
First off, I would put you on metformin. This is a drug that reduces insulin. It can also help you to lose weight quite rapidly. The dose needs to be varied to get it right for you. Once your insulin levels get back to normal, then your ovarian function should return to normal. And testosterone levels should reduce.
If you are trying to conceive, Metformin alone may be enough to facilitate this. But there are some other things that can help ovulation along (clomiphene and FSH). Progesterone supplements can reduce testosterone, and can help maintain the lining of your womb, dosage would depend on whether you are trying to conceive.
There are alternative approaches, including dietary ones (a low glycemic index diet combined with a diet rich in d chiro inositol), but with your weight and your insulin resistance, then I would recommend the metformin route. Metformin does have side effects though.
By the way, do NOT rely on results from fasting insulin or fasting glucose tests, fasting results can be misleading, You should get a glucose tolerance test with insulin levels (IGTT) if your fasting results are normal.
Cushing's disease shares many symptoms with PCOS, but has some others that you don't report. So it is possible, but I think it is much less likely to be that.
Good luck in sorting yourself out :)