what if? i'm scared?

Question

what if you have pcos how do you know its gone? will you have like symptoms? can you get rid of it? is it permanent? i'm worried cause I really want to have kids?

Answer 1

If you have PCOS, there is no way to get rid of it. However, there are ways to treat it. Women with PCOS can have children, as long as they are treating the PCOS the correct way. There are symptoms. The most common ones are: irregular periods, not ovulating, excess facial/body hair, thinning hair, acne, skin tags, depression, and brown patchy skin around the ankles and neck. Although..there are TONS of other symptoms. To get a diagnosis, they can run some tests and do an ultrasound too, but it can be diagnosed just on symptoms. Keep in mind that many women with PCOS do not actually have polycystic ovaries, and they may "pass" all blood tests too. Here's some basic PCOS info and links.


I recommend seeing a reproductive endocrinologist. They are generally more knowledgeable about PCOS and the correct treatment. Unfortunately, many doctors are not aware of the proper treatment.

The underlying cause of PCOS is insulin resistance (IR). The best treatment for PCOS is going on an insulin sensitizing drug such as metformin (1500-2550mg per day) combined with a low carb diet and exercise. There are a few important things to know:

1. Many women "pass" the test for IR, but still respond positively from the metformin. No one knows exactlly why..my thought is that the test is not a sure fire way of detecting the IR.

2. You must be on a high enough dose of metformin. I've heard women complain that their bodies dont start working even though they've been on metformin for awhile. Some doctors are hesitant to up the dose past 1500mg...but for some of us it takes more. I don't respond until my dose is around 2000mg a day.

3. It can take a few months on the correct dose, before your body is regulated.

4. It is important to treat your PCOS even if you are not trying to get pregnant. There are higher risks for many things (high blood pressure, blood clots, diabetes, and many other things) when you have PCOS, but if it is treated properly, then those risks are lowered.


When the PCOS is treated properly, all of your symptoms may not disappear, but they should improve some. It will also be a lot easier to lose weight (and keep it off). Our bodies work against us when we try to lose weight on our own, making it nearly impossible to lose weight.

There are TONS of books about PCOS and dieting. There are two that I recommend. Here's the links at amazon for those:
http://www.amazon.com/o/asin/0809224275/...
http://www.amazon.com/o/asin/0007131844/...

I also recommend a couple web sites:
http://pcos.itgo.com/
http://www.inciid.org/faq.php?cat=infert...

http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-bhp... This one is a great message board where you can ask all your PCOS questions or just chat with the women who are also dealing with PCOS. Good luck.

Answer 2

Polycyctic ovaries syndrome right?

If it is, you should be aware that a relatively a lot of Asian and Afro-caribbean women have it and that you are not alone. As far as I am aware, pcos doesn't really go away once you have been diagnosed with it. There are certain symptoms associated with pcos, you may get some of them or none of them:

cysts on the ovaries (you will have this)
hirsutism (excessive facial or body hair)
ease in building fat, difficulty in losing it
irregular mentrual cycle

There are others, but there is no point in listing them all. In some cases it does cause problems in fertility, but remember that this is relatively few people. At the moment you should not worry about having children in the future, chances are that you will not have any problems. In the unlikely event that you should have problems, there are ways that a Doctor can help you, and the probability is that you will be able to have children.

The most important thing is not to be scared and to see a Doctor and ask all the questions that are bothering you, without being ashamed. The outlook is not as bleak as people may make out. A very close friend of mine for example has pcos and is living a completely normal life. She was worried worried about having children a couple of years ago and recently had a baby with no need for help from her Doctor.

Answer 3

PCOS can be managed with medication and diet. There is a strong link between PCOS and insulin resistance. This means when you eat, your pancreas continues to dump excessive levels of insulin into your system as there seems to be no recognition within your body that you ate. The increase of insulin makes you eat more whcih causes more insulin to be released, etc. By eating foods to stabilize your blood sugar you can take the first steps to protecting your fertility. In addition, you need to see an endocrinologist who may prescribe Glucophage or Metformin to help sensitize your pancreas. PCOS requires lifestyle changes but you can have children. You may need to seek the help of a reproductive endocrinologist who is a Dr that specializes in infertility or subfertility and most likely will be familiar with PCOS as it is the leading cause of infertility among women. It may take a little longer but if you take steps now to correct the imbalances, you may conceive even more easily. I know when I was first diagnosed with PCOS, I was really scared of being infertile along with the threat of diabetes but with the steps I just mentioned, my levels are all normal, I menstruate regularly, and was able to conceive and give birth to a gorgeous baby boy. You can read PCOS: A Hidden Epidemic by Dr. Samuel Thatcher, Living with PCOS by Dr. Legro (a leading expert on PCOS), and check out laughingsagewellness.com The director of this agency cured herself of PCOS through diet and lifestyle changes. Also, PCOS has a strong link to stress as the adrenal glands release cortisol also thought to increase insulin levels and insulin resistance. Make sure you take time for yourself and reduce stress as much as possible. Good luck.

Answer 4

I found this on PCOS:

►Does PCOS cause long-term problems?

If you have PCOS, you are more likely to get high blood pressure or diabetes. This means you have a greater risk for strokes and heart attacks.

Because of irregular menstrual periods, women with PCOS are more likely to be infertile (unable to get pregnant). They may also have a higher risk for cancer of the uterus or breast.