*Women health>>>Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic ovaries syndrome, will I ever be okay?

Conflicted is more like it. I have something called polycystic ovaries syndrome. I was just at the doctor and didn't get the best news. Well, let me start a little further back. About three months ago I went to a new Doctor because my current one, I felt, wasn't aggressive enough. This new Doctor proceeded to tell me how bad PCOS truly is. How it can affect you metabolically and basically said that if I didnt start dropping weight that by the time I'm 35 I will be at great risk for a heart attack or stroke. Now mind you I had never heard any of this from my previous Doctor. So of course I'm freaking out! She told me I need to make a choice. I either want to have a baby now or not. That I couldn't go untreated. So basically my choices were Clomid and Metformin, or birth control. I had previously been on birth control for about 6 months which during that time I about bled to death, or it seemed like I was going to. I had a reaction to several different birth control pills.

Sounds like your doctor is trying to scare you. Did this doctor actually do any testing to back up all her claims? Yes, most women with PCOS are overweight, but losing weight isn't as easy for us as she seems to think it is. Have you been checked for insulin resistance? Insulin resistance, or IR, causes most cases of PCOS. IR is a condition in which the cells don't respond to insulin as efficiently as they should, so the body makes even more insulin to try to keep glucose levels in a normal range. This means that we have excess insulin in our bodies, which is thought to cause the ovaries to produce too many male hormones. IR, together with those hormones, causes the most familiar symptoms of PCOS.

IR can make it very, very hard to lose weight. Low carb diets and regular exercise can help, but medication is sometimes needed as well. Metformin (glucophage) is often used in women with PCOS to treat IR. It can help with weight loss, alleviating symptoms, and even restoring ovulation and menstrual cycles to normal. If you haven't been checked for IR already, you should insist on being tested.

Don't let your doctor tell you that metformin is only for women who want to conceive right now--it isn't. Although it can restore ovulation and you will need reliable contraception if you don't want to get pregnant, it is not a fertility drug. It treats insulin resistance. Insulin resistance can become type 2 diabetes if left untreated, so metformin is very useful for us whether we want to conceive right now or not. There is no reason why she should be bullying you into making that decision. I am not ttc (trying to conceive), but I am IR, so I take both metformin and a birth control pill.

Yes, PCOS can put you at increased risk for heart disease. Being obese does this already, and untreated IR is also linked to increased lipid levels (cholesterol and triglycerides). That doesn't mean there's nothing you can do. Eat a healthy diet (low carb, low saturated fat), have your cholesterol checked regularly, work on losing weight. For me, IR caused my lipids to go way up despite being a vegetarian. I'm hopeful that the metformin will help with that by treating the IR, and I'm also taking Crestor.

Which pills have you tried? Usually it's a trial and error process to find the birth control pill that's best for you, and some women just can't tolerate the pill. If you aren't ttc, you many find that metformin and some reliable form of birth control may work for you. You could also discuss with your doctor the pills that you've tried to find out if they have something in common that's causing your reaction, and that could help you find one that works for you. Many women with PCOS do well on Yasmin, although I take Mircette because I can't tolerate high levels of estrogen.

I think the first thing to do is to calm down and realize that there are things you can do. PCOS can definitely put you at risk for other health problems, but it's also a relatively common problem and there are lots of us who are going through the same thing. Source(s): www.soulcysters.net

I have PCOS

I am so sorry you've had to go through this.

FWIW, having a baby does help. It gives you 9 months of relief from the symptoms. Afterwards, your body is going to quiet down a lot.

Also, it is very true about PCOS and your weight putting you at a much higher risk of heart disease. Controlling your weight with PCOS is a constant battle. But you have to take care of yourself because no one can fix it for you.

There are some dietary things you can do that help control the PCOS a little. See if your doctor will refer you to a good nutritionist, preferably one who works at a hospital or bariatric treatment center. She can help you learn about the different pseudo estrogens and how to stabilize your hormones and your metabolism. If you're in the Chicago area, check out the nutritionist at Illinois Masonic Medical Center. I worked with her for more than a year and had wonderful results.

Birth control pills aren't always the answer. In my own case, my gall bladder hates them. If you can go a different route after everything you've experienced, I'd stand firmly behind you. There's always another way, you just have to keep looking.
I was diagnosed with PCOS in 1998 and didn't have regular periods for several years, even when I was on bc pills. I've managed mine with birth control pills (I tried 4 pills and depo before finding something that works for me) and weight loss. I've lost 65lbs, but after about 40lbs I started to have regular periods again for the first time in years with little or no cramping. I feel as 'normal' as ever!

Read as much as you can about PCOS and then make an appointment to talk to your doctor about your concerns and ask questions. I've found that the most important part of having PCOS is being comfortable talking to your doctor and being informed about what is going on with your body. Research, research, research. Ask questions and express your concerns. I know it seems scary when you don't know why your body is going crazy, but you can manage it.

I've linked some reading below...
http://www.4woman.gov/faq/pcos.htm...
http://www.pcosupport.org/
http://www.soulcysters.com/diagnosed.htm... (For women who were 'just diagnosed.')
I have PCOS and it is very difficult to lose weight with this condition without the use of medication. I personally am on Metformin and have been so for around 18months. The weight has fallen off me! I have lost over 7 stone since starting this medication and I feel so much better.

My doctor did add in a birth control pill at the beginning of the year, but I have never really gotten on well with them and have recently stopped it, which again prompted additional weight loss.

I have been told by several doctors that this condition is treatable and if I can lose sufficient weight and continue eating healthy with the addition of exercise this WILL resolve itself and I WILL be able to come off medication.

PCOS can be a prelude to diabetes and as such it is better to get some control over it asap.

My doctors further told me that it was still possible to conceive and if I should wish to try to have a baby, I was to discuss it with them and I would probably come off Metformin when pregnant.

I think your GP is ill informed and trying to scare you into losing weight. I do think it is important for you to receive treatment though as there is a risk of developing diabetes with PCOS.