Women with PCOS, I want to hear from you!?

Question

I am doing my own research. I have PCOS and I have theories on how many and how severe the symptoms each woman displays can affect her chances to have children naturally and I am also looking at if it runs in families. Tell me your stories. What age you were diagnosed. What symptoms you had/have. How pronounced the symptoms are. If you have weight gain when did it start. Have you always had weight problems. Are you taking meds, which ones, have they helped. Does anyone else in your family have PCOS. Do you have children. Were they concieved naturally. Did you need help with concieving. Any and all input is welcome, but please no negatives or thumbs down. This is a sensitive subject for many women and I don't want them put down. Men, feel free to tell me about spouses and family with this condition. Thank you all.

Answer 1

I have PCOS, and discovered thru much research that mine was caused by a medication I took as a child. I started having problems with acne as a kid but the weight gain didn't occur til my 20s. I also started to deal with stretch marks. PCOS does not run in my family but I've met other women that have had that happen to them. I still have some issues with my weight and I think one of the reasons I do is because I strongly believe I have a thyroid problem.

I have no children but I have friends who have PCOS that had children but both needed help to do it.

I have a link to a site that may be of even more help to you for the info you seek. Please check out: http://www.pcosupport.org

Answer 2

Ok, I have PCOS, I was diagnosed at 14 or 15 (I am now 19). I had cysts all the time, one to the point that it was the size of a grapefruit. I have the other symptoms too of acne (face and back), the 'happy trail', cysts (obviously), and weight issues.

Cysts are bad, and I always have them, even when on the pill to help with the symptoms. Acne, I still have some sometimes, but it is not nearly as bad as it was before I went on the pill. I have a 'happy trail', which I wish I could get rid of, but I do have one,

The weight issue all depends. I was placed on the pill to try to help with the symptoms of PCOS, so while on the pill I lost weight, but when I went off of it I gained 5 lbs. (which didn't hurt being that I lost 10 when I started taking it). I am fairly small, I am not overweight by any means, so I wouldn't say that is a symptom, but I have a hard time maintaining a weight, I always seem to be losing (not sure if that is a symptom or not).

My mother has PCOS as well. She had 3 kids. The first with no fertility drugs, the second with firtility drugs, and the third without.

I have been studying as well about PCOS, so I'm glad to see that others are as well. I hope this helped.

Answer 3

I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 13 using blood tests and ultrasounds. I'm now 16 and I take Yasmin (Pill) and Ralovera (to stop the breakthrough bleeding I get because I skip my periods as they're always painfull and heavy). Last year I had Laproscopic surgery to remove the cysts on my ovaries, which helped with the pain I get for approx 8 months. The symptoms I had/have are irregular & painfull periods, unbalanced hormones, mood swings, a bit of extra facial hair and my weight. I haven't really gained weight with the PCOS but I haven't been able to eaisly loose weight. I haven't found anyone in my family with PCOS but a lot of women on my mums side have had menstrual problems (heavy & painful periods).

Answer 4

i found out i have pcos when i was 20 and i tried for 5 years with my ex to have kids but no luck. i have more hair then i want. also put on the weight and have lot of pain in my abs and mood swings. and alot of the symptoms started when i was about 9 years old but were put down to other things like adhd, im the only one in my family to have it

Answer 5

mine is definitely genetic. my sister had pcos and I suspect that my paternal grandmother had it too, as well as some cousins on my dad's side.

symptoms: irregular periods, hirituism, and both my sister and i are slim.

i'm 33 and am TTC for one year. only on metformin. may be adding clomid. i ovulate about every other month.

i would guess there are 3 causes of pcos:
1) insulin resistance
2) exposure to high levels of testosterone before puberty
3) genetic predisposition to having high testosterone levels

i think the cause can be genetic or environmental. however, all the women i knwo with pcos have other family members with it which makes me lean strongly towards a genetic link.

Answer 6

I have PCOS. I have 2 daughters. I had 8 miscarrages. The only times I got pregnant and stayed that way and gave birth was after I had a DNC. I never waited the 6 weeks like the Dr. told me. They said that this is probably the reason I stayed pregnant.

I was told I had a brain tumor, 2 years after I breast fed my youngest I was still leaking enough milk to feed her. I finally went to a endocrinologist and he said "did you wash your neck" I said " actually I scrubbed it with a scrub pad for dishes" he laughed and said you will never get that black off your neck. Then he said...Let me quess, it's also on your armpits, inner thighs and look at your eyelids. Yes, I look like I always have eyeshadow on. He then told me I had 2 weeks to get everything done as I was going to have a total hysterectomy (ovaries, uterus, tubes and cervix).