PoLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME!!!!!!!!?

Question

i am really starting to get pi ss ed off now - my periods have not come round for a whole year, and i am scared that i may develop cancer from having PCOS - can this happen, i am also starting to get a lot of facial hair, and looks like a beard now -and i get picked on, and im scared of shaving it off, cos there might be a stubble, and might look like a man - at the moment the hair is really fine - is there any cure? i know you can go in for an operation - but how, can someone answer that as well thats if you know how

honestly ull really be helping
theres times where i feel that thats it, im gonna do sommat, i get so stressed about my period not coming, i feel like im stuck, and theres times i think im pregnant - even though i know that i am still a virgin, but still have tried out threee pregnancie tests, jus to make sure - im gettin so stressed bout it all, ive been to see my doc and asked for medicine and she turned round and told me that when my periods decide to some they wil

Answer 1

You need to see another doctor, preferably a gynaecologist with some experience in this area. You are definitely at a higher risk of developing cancer later in life if you don't get some of this sorted out.
You are not getting periods because your body is not producing progesterone. The oestrogen is working fine, and the eggs are being produced, but they do not develop due to the lack of progesterone, and hence form the cysts on your ovaries. Endometrial, ovarian and uterine cancers are a higher risk if your progesterone levels are not regulated. This is simple though. The contraceptive pill will do the job.
Metformin is another drug very useful in the treatment of PCOS. As you are at a high risk (if not already) of hyperinsulinemia, which is excessive production of insulin, which leads to type two diabetes.
Hair hair hair! It is a curse. Shaving is hopeless as a few hours later you have a horrible layer of stubble all over your chin. Eeew I know this for a fact! At the moment I painstakingly pluck daily but am on the lookout for a more long term solution.
Depilatory creams were as useful as shaving - it only knocks them out from the surface, so again stubble within a few hours. Especially at the supersonic rates of growth.
So, please, get a referral to a gynaecologist or see someone who knows about PCOS..there are a lot of uneducated doctors out there, and you need one who is up to date in this area and willing to look to the unconventional treatments at times.
Good luck, and I will be watching for hints on the hair.

Answer 2

My heart breaks for you, I have had PCOS now for 21 years and in truth I could not stand it any more so I got to the stage where I would shave every day, now I have to shave twice a day so no one will notice, it's not easy.
No one knows the exact cause of PCOS. Women with PCOS frequently have a mother or sister with PCOS. But there is not yet enough evidence to say there is a genetic link to this disorder. Many women with PCOS have a weight problem. So researchers are looking at the relationship between PCOS and the body’s ability to make insulin. Insulin is a hormone that regulates the change of sugar, starches, and other food into energy for the body’s use or for storage. Since some women with PCOS make too much insulin, it’s possible that the ovaries react by making too many male hormones, called androgens. This can lead to acne, excessive hair growth, weight gain, and ovulation problems
Medicine for increased hair growth or extra male hormones. If a woman is not trying to get pregnant there are some other medicines that may reduce hair growth. Spironolactone is a blood pressure medicine that has been shown to decrease the male hormone’s effect on hair. Propecia, a medicine taken by men for hair loss, is another medication that blocks this effect. Both of these medicines can affect the development of a male fetus and should not be taken if pregnancy is possible. Other non-medical treatments such as electrolysis or laser hair removal are effective at getting rid of hair. A woman with PCOS can also take hormonal treatment to keep new hair from growing

The ovaries are two small organs, one on each side of a woman's uterus. A woman's ovaries have follicles, which are tiny sacs filled with liquid that hold the eggs. These sacs are also called cysts. Each month about 20 eggs start to mature, but usually only one becomes dominant. As the one egg grows, the follicle accumulates fluid in it. When that egg matures, the follicle breaks open to release the egg so it can travel through the fallopian tube for fertilization. When the single egg leaves the follicle, ovulation takes place.

In women with PCOS, the ovary doesn't make all of the hormones it needs for any of the eggs to fully mature. They may start to grow and accumulate fluid. But no one egg becomes large enough. Instead, some may remain as cysts. Since no egg matures or is released, ovulation does not occur and the hormone progesterone is not made. Without progesterone, a woman’s menstrual cycle is irregular or absent. Also, the cysts produce male hormones, which continue to prevent ovulation.

These are some of the symptoms of PCOS:

* infrequent menstrual periods, no menstrual periods, and/or irregular bleeding
* infertility or inability to get pregnant because of not ovulating
* increased growth of hair on the face, chest, stomach, back, thumbs, or toes
* acne, oily skin, or dandruff
* pelvic pain
* weight gain or obesity, usually carrying extra weight around the waist
* type 2 diabetes
* high cholesterol
* high blood pressure
* male-pattern baldness or thinning hair
* patches of thickened and dark brown or black skin on the neck, arms, breasts, or thighs
* skin tags, or tiny excess flaps of skin in the armpits or neck area
* sleep apnea―excessive snoring and breathing stops at times while asleep

surgery called ovarian drilling is available to induce ovulation. The doctor makes a very small incision above or below the navel, and inserts a small instrument that acts like a telescope into the abdomen. This is called laparoscopy. The doctor then punctures the ovary with a small needle carrying an electric current to destroy a small portion of the ovary. This procedure carries a risk of developing scar tissue on the ovary. This surgery can lower male hormone levels and help with ovulation. But these effects may only last a few months. This treatment doesn't help with increased hair growth and loss of scalp hair.

so in short it pretty much sucks, but on the brighter side you do learn to live with it and pick up little bleaching hair tips as you go along, I am in a happy healthy relationship and it has not stoped me living my life the way I wont to, keep reading about it, understtand it, accepot it as part of your life and master it, you can do it I promise you, be strong * hugs*

Answer 3

If you have been diagnosed with PCOS, then your doc shouldnt be telling you this. I have it also and have been on a medication called metformin, or glucophage. It helps regulate your insulin use. I would say to change doctors. Dont worry about being pregnant, that only happened to the virgin mary. Try tweezing the facial hair instead of shaving. You should never shave your face.

Answer 4

If you aren't seeing a GYN or endo you really should start seeing one. Most with PCOS go on a medication called Metformin ER to help with the symptoms. If you aren't on this med, you really should look into it.

Also, over the counter USP grade progesterone cream can help. I have a friend who was missing her periods for months at a time. Since using the cream she is now having regular periods.

I have put some links below for you to read up on.

Answer 5

I am sorry you are experiencing so much trouble, better read some of these websites they do give out a lot of info that might make your life a bit easier.

For instance facial hair is due to excess in male hormones.
http://www.4woman.gov/faq/pcos.htm
http://www.kidshealth.org/teen/sexual_health/girls/pcos.html
http://familydoctor.org/620.xml
http://www.uchospitals.edu/specialties/pcos/

There is a support group and I strongly recommend you try contacting them it will make you feel better, sharing your concerns and listening to others:
http://www.pcosupport.org/