Hi A.,
Wow, this thread came at a most welcomed time, as I have just found out I have PCOS at the age of 40. I thought I was going through perimenopause, only to find out I have this insidious hormonal imbalance--the worse one a woman can have, given all the different facets of the body that are affected by it.
I suffered terrible, terrible periods in my teenage years, as well as acne, including cystic acne, which stopped for a while in college, then started again once I graduated. No one, I mean no one--family doctors, OB/GYNs, Dermatologists--could tell me why I was so sick with my periods, or why I got such severe acne. I have always gotten sinus colds easily as well (some immune system suppression, I think, goes along with PCOS), and my periods were always irregular. I was on and off The Pill, as I had problems trying to find one that worked for me.
When I was 29, I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and put on meds. I was taken off The Pill, which I'd just started about 6 months before, because the estrogen was affecting my HBP. Because of my blood pressure (and, at that time, my HBP was the only reason), my OB urged my husband and me to have our children as soon as possible. I married at 30, and a year later we decided if we were going to have a family, now was the time. After only 2 months of trying(!), I was pregnant and had my daughter when I was 32. I never had problems with infertility--which is probably why my PCOS diagnosis went undetected as long as it did. (We stopped after only one child; my health couldn't take another one.)
Pregnancy was uneventful, I was bedridden for two weeks, induced, and my daughter came three weeks early. I did suffer mild pre-eclampsia (I saw my OB at least once a week, and I had more pee tests for ketones than I ever want to have again!), and postpartum blues. I wanted to breastfeed, but was unable to produce milk (I find out now that that is one sign of PCOS, problems with prolactin).
In the years since my daughter's birth, I have also suffered from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), allergies, asthma, atopic dermatitis (acne, skin problems), skin tags, excessive hair growth. I am one of those people who is thin, and have always been thin (other than the slight mommy tummy I currently have). My SAD makes my cravings for carbohydrates and sweets very hard to control; PCOS/insulin resistance doesn't help!
At the beginning of this year, I became quite ill. After numerous tests, it became apparent that my Internist and OB/GYN could not find out what was wrong and subsequently, I left and found a new clinic, new Internist, and new GYN. Upon my very first visit with the new GYN, she said she hesitated to say I had Polycy..., but...the ultrasound she did clearly showed the small cysts, as well as endometrial hyperplasia, which is what happens when a woman has irregular cycles her entire life; it predisposes a woman to the possibility of endometrial/uterine cancer.
When I met with my new Internist, she hesitated to say I might have PCOS because I was thin (you can be thin and still be insulin resistant and have PCOS). But then I told her about my daughter, who's struggling with abdominal weight and already has hyperglycemia, and she took another look at my file and the meds I currently take (egads, the meds!) and said that I'm already being treated for all of the symptoms of PCOS.
She ran a ton of hormonal blood tests/12-hr fasting; I've just received the results. Presently, my glucose level is 100 (impaired fasting glucose; pre-Diabetes); my total cholesterol is 212 (borderline-high risk), with HDL of 49 (women range 50-60), LDL of 128 (in between near optimal/above optimal and borderline high), and trigs are 177 (borderline-high); my thyroid Free Thyroxine T4 is 0.9 (normal is 0.7-1.9) and TSH level is 1.20 (normal is 0.5-6)--putting me close to Hypothyroid); and the CA-125 test was 22.8 (normal 1-35; this test checks for ovarian cancer, but isn't 100% conclusive. It worries me that I'm so close to the high end of "normal"). It's possible I might also have adenomyosis, and maybe even endometriosis (both my mom and sister have the latter).
My glucose and cholesterol put me as insulin resistant. Thryoid probably warrants more testing to determine if it's actually thyroid or pituitary. Also, thryoid problems can affect menstruation. CA-125 will be further checked when I go in for exploratory sono* next week of my uterus and other female organs.
Those of you who found out/have known about your PCOS for a while, you are lucky because you know what it is that you have, and you're able to do something to help combat/keep the symptoms under control. I kept asking my old Internist what could possibly be making me sick all the time (it seemed like I came down with a new ailment every winter), and he didn't know. My new Internist says that would be a typical response from an older doctor (he's near retirement), as PCOS is a newer syndrome and has only been really diagnosed within the last 10 years. Also, my old doctor was treating my high blood pressure and wasn't necessarily looking for or thinking about an overarcing "syndrome."
I have started some natural herb/supplements on my own, such as Ginger root (good for digestion and an anti-inflammatory--many with PCOS have a lot of aches and pains, and this is something that can be taken that's natural, vs lots of Ibuprofen or aspirin); Metamucil (for regularity); Fish Oil Omega-3 (this one is essential for controlling blood lipids); Cinnamon 2000 + Chromium (to regulate sugar and fat metabolism); acidouphilus (helps combat yeast infections from all of the prescription medications I take); a multivitamen; vitC (this is a good one for the immune system); an over-the-counter med for allergy, and Viactiv 500+Vit D&K (to help combat osteoporosis, which is a big problem with HBP and PCOS).
I take 2 prescription oral meds for atophic dermatitis, along with using 2 topical meds daily and 2 topical meds that are used only when I have a break out; 2 meds for SAD; 3 meds for high blood pressure; and 1 med for asthma.
Since PCOS is new to me, I'd love to find a PCOS buddy with whom I could form a support system. If anyone's interested, please contact me at ###-###-#### or ____@____.com.
I wish everyone well on your journey to wellness.
A. C.
ADDITION:
I've noticed many people stating that, once they are successful at having children, they are "cured" of PCOS.
PCOS is a hormonal imbalance. Once you have it, you never get rid of it. You can control it and the symptoms, but you'll always have to be vigilant against high blood pressure, glucose/cholesterol/diabetes, heart disease/stroke, and the myriad of other small problems that come with PCOS, like atopic dermatitis (acne, skin problems, skin tags), huirtism, obestity, hormonal imbalances (testosterone, estrogen/progesterone, thyroid), and cancers.
I have had a child, and I am sicker now from PCOS than I was before I got pregnant with her, and I take care of myself even better now.
It would be wonderful if pregnancy "cured" me of PCOS, and I would love God if that would come true, but that's not going to happen. Once you have PCOS, you have it for life. How bad you get the symptoms depends on your eating and exercise habits, how well you control your weight, and even hereditary.
Sorry to burst anyone's bubble, but if you actually do know how to cure PCOS, let me know, because I'd like it to be gone as well!