How many girls on Y!A have PCOS?

I've had PCOS for years. I'm 24 now, and 6 months preggo! The only thing I was on when I got pregnant was Metformin. The side effects of PCOS do suck...but it's just something we gotta live with. But yep, I've got it.

I do, according to ultrasounds and the fact that I am having trouble conceiving. My only physical symptoms are bad skin and "some" facial hair, not a 5 o clock shadow or anything. I'm 29 and I began to suspect PCOS about 2 years ago but was not formally told anything by a doctor until 3 months ago. I have regular periods and ovulate every month, I am not overweight and, as far as I know, do not have insulin resistance, so I have no idea WHY I have this condition.

Birth control worked wonders for me when I was on it, my skin cleared right up and I no longer had such heavy periods and bad cramps. Hopefully, it will work for you. Many women with PCOS who are overweight manage to lose a lot of weight by using metformin, a diabetic drug, which may also help alleviate the symptoms of PCOS.

Good luck! It's good that you caught it early- it will save you a lot of misery in the long run.

I have PCOS. I am 31. The doctors told me they suspected I had it at 17, but I went on Birth Control Pills to control my periods, etc. I get really bad acne, I don't ovulate and my periods are very irregular. However, when I was 26 and wanted to get pregnant, I went off the BC and it took me about a year and a half to get pregnant. They confirmed my PCOS with a Laproscopy. After I had my son, I had to go back on BC to help control the acne and periods. However, I did start gaining weight, very fast. I was always very skinny. I stay on Weight Watchers to manage it, which works. I lost 30 pounds on it. I noticed this time around, at age 31, when I went off BC again to try to get pregnant again, the PCOS has seem to have gotten much worse then when I was 26. Really, really bad acne, worse then when I was a teenager and really messed up periods. Other then that, at your age, the best thing is stay on BC until your ready to have children. Also, be sure to eat right and stay active. As for the thinning hair, I never had that problem, but there are many things for that, so speak to your doctor.

I hear you, it's very hard to find people that have this condition.You should go to a book store and look for some books on PCOS. There are a lot. If you learn more about the condition, the easier it will be for you to control it and understand it. Good luck to you!

Hi! I'm 29 and I have PCOS.... I was diagnose when I was 19 to early 20's (don't remember). I was a loooooooong time in birth control but stopped them when I got married 2 years ago and that's when I gained weight (not that much... like 10 pounds). I mean don't get me wrong the Dr. says that is not that much compare to others but for me is a lot. I was 120 pounds and now 127!! (I'm on a diet!!!! and lost some!! yeiii!!!!... but it was HARD!!!! ) I'm taking GLUMETZA which is a pill for diabetics but for a reason that I don't know help PCOS because stabilize the hormones. The doctor told me I'm one of the lucky ones because I never gain that much weight and don't have the other symptoms like facial hair or thyroid .. etc. I do have hypoglycemia... BC will help you but you are not treating it. My advice is to go to an endocrinologist that specialize in PCOS because the OBGYN is not going to go deeper and probably will not treat you...Most of them give you BC to stabilized and that's it. I have a very good one in south FL (I don't know where you are but ask your OBGYN or go online) MAYO Clinic is good even if you are far you can ask for a referral. Write me if you have any questions. GOOD LUCK!!

Hey hun! I too have PCOS (diagnosed at 24y/o). I didn't know I had it until I quit bc pills to ttc with my hubby. I found that I was breaking out and had oily skin a lot, and my periods became really irregular. Also, when I quit bc pills I gained 12 lbs in a month and a half! ugh!!! Finally about 8 months into ttc, I just KNEW that something had to be wrong and went to a Reproductive Endocrinologist. I was diagnosed with PCOS. Turns out when I went on bc pills at 19 years old (by choice, and I was 24 when I stopped them) I had unknowingly saved myself from my PCOS getting worse. I had to take meds to induce my periods and meds to make me ovulate so I could get pregnant. After about 5 months of trial and error with meds with my dr. we found the right combo for me and I became pregnant :) PCOS effects roughly 1 out of 10 women of all races and ethnicities. It's very common, but medical advances keep getting better and the more is known about PCOS the better. Best wishes hun!! PCOS is no fun, but it can be overcome to do the things you want to do :)

Edit. Thank you for the congrats VCW! I hope you get your BFP very soon!!! :)

i have polycystic ovary disease, i was diagnosed at 17. id previously had pid, reason still unknown, i went on to have pcos which i suspected from excessive hair, spots, irregular periods. i was lucky enough to not have the full symptoms, but id always been suspicious anyway. it was really hard, at the same time i was told i had a bicornuate uterus and i was told id probably never have kids. it was heartbreaking. i was never put on meds but i was suggested to go on the pill to regulate my periods, i didnt though because i just saw it as covering up the problem rather than solving it. a couple of years later i settled down in a good relationship. by surprise my periods regulated and i fell pregnant when we began trying for a baby straight away. i was very lucky and im still very greatful for my beautiful daughter. im 20 now. it is a hard thing to go through especially when you dont have anyone to talk to, i was all alone and i couldnt tell my family. i put a lot of the symptoms i had due to stress, as the hormones are effected by pcos and adding stress doesnt help. as soon as i settled down and i was happy again, i basically went back to 'normal'. if you need to chat then you can message me at any time, my story proves you can get happiness and that you can succesfully have kids without meds.

I was diagnosed in 2008 when I was 20 years old shortly after I had a missed miscarriage. My symptoms were missed periods after gaining some weight. My ultrasound revealed that I didn't have any cysts though. I was put on BC pills and Metformin to regulate my cycles. I stopped the BC b/c it made me spot too much! Six months after stopping BC and continuing Metformin only I became pregnant! Don't let it get you down, I didn't think I could get pregnant and now I am pregnant with my first and due any day now!!!

i'm 24 and was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 18 after years of problems. Was never overweight, no excess hair etc so it was over looked and it wasn't until I was taken to hospital with severe abdominal pain that it was picked up. Funny thing is that once I knew about it I started with all the symptoms! I stayed away from medication until a few months ago when my Doctor put me on clomid as we are trying for a baby and have tried un sucessfully for over a year.

The best advice I can give you is exercise, try be healthy. Also I switched to a low GI diet because I was told by my GP that the underlying cause is insulin resistance so I try follow a diabetic diet.

They say fertility is affected for the majority of sufferers and that is the case for me as I have not had a period for months so they had to induce it with provera pills before starting clomid. If you have problems with excess hair, see your GP as they can provide medication for this and also for acne. Hope this helps.

I'm 15 and was diagnosed with PCOS a few months ago and my doctor put me on Provera every 6 weeks to regualte my period. She says in a year or 2 she'll put me on birth control

I think i have PCOS, my periods are completely irregualar, I'm 17 and I've had it since i was 13 so i've passed the 'wait 3 years after your period' Im so hairy and i get so depressed about it, i have horrible acne, luckily not on my face but back and used to be on chest, not anymore. but I just need help, should i just go get my hormones checked? maybe i have to much testertorone or do you think i have PCOS?