I’ve always struggled with acne, even before my PCOS diagnosis. My breakouts are always under the skin and hard and my pores are very visible all over my face. There’s always some texture on my cheeks and I’m starting to get small breakouts down my neck. What are some ways to lower androgen levels that have worked for others?

Does anyone else has bipolar disorder, or any mood disorder really? I feel like I’m going crazy and no gyn is able to listen to ALL the aspects of my body… I take Lamictal (lamotrigine) to deal with bipolar and now I have to take the pill bc my facial hair is growing too fast and too thick and I barely have my period. But BC weakens the effects of Lamictal so I don’t even know what to do now… chose my poison? 😭 Anyone else in a similar case?

I'm stuck and really not sure what to do or what is wrong with my body. I have lean PCOS and take all of the supplements that you're meant to for a year. I have slightly raised testosterone, but my cortisol is normal as confirmed by blood and 24 hour urine. I have been doing keto to prevent any insulin issues, just in case I had insulin resistance. And I still haven't my period after 3 months. Please can someone suggest anything. I love in the UK and the GP Just said "that's normal for PCOS". I know it is but I want to fix it. Should I fork out £400 on an endocrinologist? Maybe get an inflammation test?

So I need the good,the bad, and the suggestions for metformin. I just started today. I weigh 174 pounds and as of now do not have consistent periods even with the help of Yaz (Birth Control). I officially have insulin resistance and I am going for a half marathon and marathon next year as I have done quite a few 5ks and 10ks this year. Are there anyone in here who actively exercises and is using metformin? I didn’t get on the medication for the purpose of weight loss more to regulate my periods/cysts and help with insulin resistance. I just want to make sure that my running won’t cause any issues.

I do. Normally I'm not depressed or anxious. It's like I have two different settings: default mode and pms mode. I feel like a totally different person when my hormones are acting up. I can almost always tell that I'm pms-ing even though my cycle is very unpredictable. I feel this deep deep sadness on those days and I have such a short fuse. Everything feels so much more dramatic. Sometimes I don't even know which one is me. Sometimes buried issues come up during these times and I can't decide if this heightened sensitivity is helping me pay attention to something important or if I'm just a hormonal mess and I shouldn't think too much about it. A fight with my boyfriend is almost guaranteed during this time. And when my period decides to come too frequently, it's like the entire month becomes an emotional roller coaster. Thankfully that doesn't happen too often. Do you guys relate? Anything that helps?

I am 27f, 5.3ft and 63kgs, PCOS and prediabetic. I have irregular periods since puberty. Earlier it would be every 2 months once and now it has become 3-4 months once. I am a light eater or no eater in my teenage but become a junk eater after say 21 years. I was overweight about 68kgs earlier but always maintained below 65kgs. So BMI is typically below 25.
I don't ovulate regularly hence have rare periods. Doctor diagnosed me I have PCOS. I am not sure why I got in my teenage as I only had home cooked foods during that time. I haven't specifically tried any healthy lifestyle yet. But avoided junk, took supplements and moved more in past 6 months. I don't see much improvements(maybe bloodwork would show but no improvement in my cycle). Is PCOS for me is genetic one?

Edited: My mother doesn't have any issue or difficulty in getting pregnant. but my grandmother and her sister had some delays.(I dont think there were proper awareness on pcos. so not sure if its because of pcos.)

I did 3 rounds of iui timed 7 years ago at 27 for pcos infertility. Successful. Tried again this year at 34. Doctor said let’s skip a round ur not ready this month. Apparently I ovulated a week later. I’m at 8 weeks now. No letrizole no clomid no iui no tummy shot. Yes Provera didn’t know I was knocked up yet. no no nothing. However. My entire vitamin routine and diet was different this time. I wonder if age too. Anyway I know it’s a miracle. I am also experiencing the WORST vomiting nausea combo I wouldn’t wish on an enemy. The only relief is marijuana. Trying to cut down to minimal pulls three times an away to stave it off. If not I’m couch bound and useless. Also ginger teas help. I hope this passes soon I’m so happy but physically so f’ed up. Also I teach special ed. I’ve had to call out 5 times in the last two weeks. That level of nausea vomiting. Grateful blessed sick!

Hi! I was told an endocrinologist four days ago that I most likely have pcos, I am waiting on test results to confirm but I think I already know it’s going to say that I have it. I’ve described the same symptoms to so many doctors since the age of 14 when i had a heavy period for 6 months and was just put on birth control. My current period has lasted for three fucking months and I want it to stop. while i ovulated there was no bleeding, but lo and behold i’ve started to bleed again. i had like 6 days of peace. i know there are answers to come but i just feel so mad that this has taken so long to be recognized. i am mad that the only medicine that can help me long term and prevent diabetes is over 1,000 dollars a month if it isn’t covered by my insurance. im mad that the first time ive felt seen by a medical professional was four days ago. why wasn’t i told this was a possibility? i just feel conned of a better life experience by not having this information sooner. maybe it’s my hormones making me feel awful and depressed but ether way i feel like my concerns are valid. sorry if this is a blurb of nonsense, im tired and i have work in the morning and i woke up covered in blood and im just done. thank you for listening, if you have any tips i’d appreciate it.

Just a bit of a rant, I’m just feeling so freaking exhausted.

It took me almost a year to get Wegovy covered through insurance. I had do find a lifestyle and diet program that I wanted to do, do 6 months of it, then schedule an appointment with my endo. I had to jump through a bunch of different testing as well since I have some thyroid and adrenal issues as well

I finally check the boxes for insurance and then try to get an appointment with her. She says she that she had sent in the prior authorization and I should be approved

I wait WEEKS. I hear nothing and typically prior authorizations take 1-2 days - my denial the first time took less than 24 hours. Contacted her via email two times and heard nothing and finally called my insurance to see what happened. She never submitted any PA.

I call the office back since she isn’t responding to my emails and they have to mark it priority to get a response. She sends in the PA and that’s that. Doesn’t mention a follow up, doesn’t tell me how to inject the medication, nothing.

I’m coming up to my four week mark where I should be upping the dose (I have no side effects). I ask her about getting the Rx refilled and she takes a week to respond (even though it’s supposed to be a 1-2 turnaround) telling me she wants a follow up appointment before I up my dose - I cannot get one for another month and a half.

I know that this is a long haul and slow process, but I have made so many lifestyle and diet changes and have done so many dumb things to get this medication approved and it’s just so frustrating.

It’s also still an expensive drug with insurance and I don’t want to be paying for something when I can be tolerating a higher dose and/or figuring out if this is even the right fit for me. Medication adjustments are brutal and I’ve tried so many different medications for different things this year, I’m really not trying to postpone figuring out if this works or not.

I’m so exhausted. Managing all these chronic conditions is literally a job. I feel like I spend so much time at the gym or in Pilates or trying to meal prep or walking on my walking pad or throwing money at my skin so I don’t have cysts - I’m just tired AF.

I don’t want to have to chase down my doctors to get what I need. Thankfully, my PCP is incredible and I’ve been getting good OBGYN care through Allara.

I know I need to find a new endo, I’ve been unhappy with her for awhile (took over a year to get a PCOS diagnosis, even though I came to her presenting symptoms and asking for help cause I felt something wrong with my body - she told me my bloodwork was fine. Thirty pounds later here we are.)

If you read all this, thank you. Just needed somewhere to put all this lol

I started birth control on November 1st and have continually bled since then with cramps and discomfort. I heard this was normal, but on the 27th, my doctor said this was not normal. He recommend I double up on my birth control as I am leaving on a trip (a week long) and didn’t want to bleed during this time and when I return an SIS will be performed to test for polyps.

When I doubled up on the birth control, I stopped bleeding for three days. Unfortunately I started bleeding again with cramps. It’s crazy that it’s happening immediately, the body can’t react so fast can it?

I know I have a fibroid that developed this year and pcos, but has anyone else dealt with a similar situation.

I (24f) suspect I have PCOS (or endo, not sure obviously). It’s been many years of speculation and uncertainty of why I am always in pain. For me, my problems come in waves - I survive one wave (chronic migraines and an eating disorder) and now PCOS symptoms come to the forefront. With PCOS symptoms becoming more apparent, I am also getting more boils/cysts from Hidrandenitus Supparativa (diagnosed by dermatologist). I think it also has to due with weight gain from my eating disorder recovery. It’s all very confusing and no doctor has fully explained anything to me ever about having comorbid disorders.

In the USA, they’re very medication centered and while that has been helpful for some things. I often feel like nothing else is ever done to address it outside of meds.

I am feeling okay and ready to find a solution that could help me manage all my symptoms. Is there anything I should know or ask for? Are there any tips you would’ve liked to know before seeking medical treatment/support?

I’ve been on a long journey with my health so far, but I am really trying to live a better life for myself. I want to eat better. I want to move more. I want to feel more relaxed. And truly, I want to live with less pain. I appreciate any and all help. Thank you. ❤️

I(26F) have PCOS and have since I was 20 years old. I'm 7 months pp with baby #2. I got my period back at 14 weeks and it's been fairly irregular - at first, it was every 5 weeks, then 4 weeks, then a 4+1 cycle? ... And now I'm late again but wow this one is different! Ive been feeling SO rough. Nauseated, migraines so bad I've almost ended up in the ER, weight loss (I'm below pre baby weight at 110lbs from 116lbs), raging mood (not just grumpy -I feel RAGE), and most of all BLOATED. My stomach is like a BALLOON. I look 5 months pregnant. But I'm now 5 days late for a normal 28 day cycle, and every pregnancy test has come back negative. Im thinking is PCOS coming back with a vengeance? Thoughts? I have an appointment on the 12th with my OB, I was just wondering if anyone else experienced anything like this. TIA!

I went to a new OB, hoping to find a better approach. After my appointment I just felt discouraged. I was thinking maybe I just didnt get the advise I wanted to hear or was I too emotional?

As much as possible I no longer want to go through birth control. I know it works wonders for others but not for me. I developed lumps in my breast (which is now being monitored biannually) and I have also been feeling sharp pains in my chest. Dont even mention the post acne and weight gain. Which is why I went to a new OBgyn specializing hormonal imbalance with excellent reviews. This time I was thinking maybe they can understand me compared to the other OBgyns I had in the past.

The first time I sat, I was already roasted for my acne. Which is now healed and few faded scars. Followed by my weight, which I know is normal. I'm 172cm and 65kg.

And everytime I plan to speak she cuts me off and had start writing down prescriptions and tests already. So I tried my very best to speak and inform that I prefer not going through birth control because of the side effects. She then goes 'all women have lumps its that not serious, what is your category?' 'so its not cancer' 'do you have cancer?' 'then no, you are ok'. At that time I was thinking maybe she is tired from the repeated stories and complaints of pcos patients she had in the past and just wanted to reassure me I'm fine but I think there's a better way to say it.

She gave me a moment to speak and I told her the reason I went is to seek for her advise in dealing with pcos the natural or holistic way. Or if she wants me to go on hormonal therapy (if that's what she thinks I need now) I would be okay but just not birth control. Then she just goes 'there's no way for you to ovulate a 'natural way', there's no such thing, pcos women dont ovulate' then I asked 'what about those women who found a healthy and active lifestyle and managed their pcos and now getting their period and even getting pregnant' she then said 'well that wouldnt last and they're still a candidate for cancer in the future especially hyperplasia' so then I asked 'so are we just meant to be on birth control for the rest of our lives? doesnt it have a risk and side effect? what about the supplements? I mentioned myoinositol, folic acid, b12, coq10, berberine, and so on. She just said 'ah those are not proven, youre just wasting your money on that, stop taking that'. I even shared my friends and encounters with pcos and who are even in the heavier side and got pregnant naturally. Then she just said 'well that's good for them but when they are in their 40s they will most probably have cancer'

After that I just felt discouraged. Knowing I got the advise of a hormonal imbalance expert, I never hated a day in my life of having pcos. It just feels like a curse. Is this really our reality? I was sad about her opinion the supplements. I thought they work.. :( Any similar stories? Or if someone can share their positive stories so I can feel less shitty 💔

I have PCOS and I have been having lower stomach pain for the past week. It started during ovulation and it's hurts below my belly button. It literally feels like I did an ab workout or it's like extremely sore from working out and I haven't went worked out. It's been on and off. I thought maybe I was constipated but I used the restroom and still hurts. Has anyone experienced this? I get cyst often... Could a cyst be causing this pain? I wanna go to the ER but last time I was having similar pain, they just said it was due to my ovulation 😭😭😭 I'm convinced I have colon cancer or ovary cancer.

Hello everyone!

I have been reading through these reddit posts about PCOS for the past month or so and started realizing a lot of the uncommon symptoms resonated with me. I am going to see a new PCP on Monday and trying to prepare for how to advocate as I previously asked my former PCP if I might have PCOS and she basically brushed over the idea and moved on.

I worry that my symptoms might be too vague to diagnose or get more testing. These are my symptoms: low sex drive, small asymmetrical breasts as if they didn't fully develop hormonally, hirsutism, very dry skin (including rosacea and eczema occasionally), eyelash and eyebrows loss (not sure if this related), fatigue, anxiety, cold hands and feet. I feel that I am sensitive to sugar and might have insulin resistance, but I'm also underweight which doesn't seem to fit insulin resistance. Weak bladder with some light incontinence since I was 12. I do have regular periods and average cramping.

All of this to say, I am not entirely sure how to advocate for myself and also what to ask for. Does anyone have suggestions of how they advocated for themselves, or does anyone have suggestions of specific specialists/treatments/vitamins to ask for to help with the above symptoms?

Thank you!!

Was curious if anyone else was advised to seek medical attention if they noticed their cycles getting longer and longer? I am hoping to start TTC in the beginning of 2025 and i want to make sure this isn’t going to impact us other than less chances to try through the year…

For context I have been diagnosed with PCOS and have been off any form birth control since October 2023. I take metformin daily (1000mg).

I was going to upload a photo but cannot so here is the data that is raising flags for me:

June 10 - July 13 (34 Days)

July 14 - August 13 (31 Days)

August 14 - September 17 (35 Days)

September 18 - October 26 (39 Days)

I was told if I go 3 months without a period to reach out to my provider but I’m not sure if this also could be concerning?

Can Metformin interact with 25mg Diphenhydramine(the allergy meds)?? I took Metformin in the morning around 11am. So I don't think it should've done anything to effect it. Google said it was safe to take allergy pills with the Metformin?

Now I feel like im super drowsy, but I'm not actually drowsy?? I started laughing to tears just 5 minutes ago and couldn't stop myself. I took many different allergy pills before and none of them had effects this Strong??

However I never took this kind of allergy pills until today because my allergies were acting up again. I don't think Metformin would've done anything.

I feel drunk? I only drank once in my entire life and never again but im experiencing simular feeling? I feel lightweight and just slightly buzzed??

I dunno what's going?? Should I be concerned??

i have no idea what vitamins / supplements to take for pcos & how many to take. i currently take:

1000mg vitamin d 500mg inositol 500mg magnesium

i just got some berberine tablets & have no idea when to take those too. hoping for some help / advice

I am a 25 F. I had used birth control (the pill) for almost a year. Even before the pill I had some irregular periods. The pill I was taking didn’t not help me at all when I was supposed to have my period. When I started the pill I was at 225 lbs. Now, I’m at 240 lbs. I got off the pill in March of this year. My periods were not as irregular but some months it would come 4 to 7 days later than usual. I have taken pregnancy tests and they said I wasn’t pregnant. I’ve also had acne but not as often as I did when I was younger her but I still have them. Let alone I have tons of chin hair and some hair on my neck. When it does pop up, it makes me feel very insecure and makes me feel like I’m ugly when it does grow in. No I haven’t had a diagnosis of PCOS. I have an appointment coming up in a couple of weeks with my OBGYN. I’m very nervous. Can you guys give me some advice? Do you think I could possibly have PCOS?

So I was recently diagnosed with PCOS. Like most of the anger-inducing rants here, I was also continuously disregarded despite difficulty losing weight, and excessive fatigue since the time I started puberty (love being a woman!!) Until missing my periods I was not taken seriously. Now I’ve been diagnosed at 21, and my symptoms have become significantly burdensome to the point where I can barely function. I feel like a fat hairy grease ball. I’ve been prescribed Nikki (generic form of Yaz) but I’m really scared to worsen my mental clarity and experience even more weight gain. I’ve been overweight my entire life. I’ve managed to keep a consistent gym routine for nearly 2 years and eat a moderately health diet and setting myself back even further would be devastating. Has anyone had experience with Nikki or any other birth control they would recommend??? Thanks in advance.

Hi 🙂I started my pcos journey this year with acupuncture, inositol, weights and new diets. So far my period came back almost 9/12 months but right now my hair is loosing really heavy and I’m very worried because I thought I was getting better. Any recommendations?

I (28F) have been concerned on whether or not I have PCOS. I haven’t been formally diagnosed but I’ve talked to several doctors and they always brush it off. Who do I see or what tips do you guys have cause my weight gain and hormones are out of control?

I’m so tired of trying to be ok, I’m struggling so much and it feels like I’ll never be normal. I started taking metformin cause my GP said it will help with my insulin resistance and help with fertility and get my period back but I’ve gained weight (I was 60kg got a like 3 years before the diagnosis now I’m 66kg) I always feel hungry and sick if I eat. My period came in once for 4 days and now it’s gone again and I’m not pregnant which is making me feel worse. I feel extremely exhausted all the time, I sleep so much and do basically nothing cause of how tired I am, I try to eat healthy but turns out some fruits are bad (grapes have high sugar) so now I’m rethinking everything I eat. I just want my period, I want to ovulate, I want my old body weight and I want to eat fruits that I like without being scared if it’ll ruin me. I just keep crying because I can’t deal with this, I hate PCOS

I’m not skinny yet 😫

No but seriously. I’ve been diagnosed with PCOS since november and i started the Metformin at the beginning of november. I’ve been taking 2 pills in the evening every day. I haven’t noticed any difference. Here’s things that’s been happening:

• Had some wild cramps around a week after the meds. Haven’t had a period in almost 2 years now thanks to my nexplanon and haven’t had cramps like that since starting BC. Very confused
• My skin is very dry. Like it’s itchy dry- i had ashy elbows which i didn’t think could happen to someone with my complexion.
• Got hives on saturday and monday. Saturday they were on my shoulders and back, then i gained more on my forehead and wrist during the day. They went away and then monday i woke with hives on my back and itchy all over.

-Speaking of itchy OH MY GOD IM SO ITCHY. it’s awful. It comes and goes but it’s not great -I can’t eat all day. I didn’t eat until 6pm today when i was so hungry it hurt. And even then i had NO appetite for anything. I luckily had a salad and small dinner but got very full after 4 small fish fillets and 2 cups of peas.

Thats basically it right now. No weight loss, still got acne, and i have no idea what to do. Is this normal? I’m also on Adderall, Sprinolactone, Minocycline, and Levothryoxine. If that helps

I'm not sure if it's common for people with hypothyroidism and PCOS to continue to have cholesterol despite getting it under control and despite being at a healthy weight now. My mom's side of the family and especially my mom has struggled with high cholesterol. I started struggling with high cholesterol on and off since I was a preteen. I really don't want to be on cholesterol meds so if there's any thing I can take naturally and as well as redirecting my diet then that would do wonders. I started by almost eliminating Dairy because I can't tolerate it anymore due to my stomach starting to burn and feeling extremely tired and sluggish when I consume a lot. Even despite taking two tabs of Lactaid I would get really bad stomach problems and even tired and body aches when I have it. It's a shame because I used to be able to handle it so well but now I can no longer handle it. I can handle butter but if I have too much of it that's when it starts giving me IBS symptoms as well. I am due for another blood test in 3 months. 😳

Hi! I’m 33F and have always had regular periods, but heavy and painful. I’ve also been quite hirsute and had facial, chest and belly hair. I am a healthy weight and eat well.

I didn’t menstruate for about a year due to anorexia, and soon after my period restarted my PMS and period cramps worsened as did my facial hair and my bleeding (like my period is mostly large clots). My period is still regular (32-38 day cycles).

My husband (35M) and I want to try for a baby. Last cycle I bled on and off for two weeks in the middle, with period-like flow around my predicted ovulation day. I had a blood test and my doctor said my hormones were unbalanced and looking like PCOS, but she said I couldn’t be diagnosed from just one test. She didn’t really say any more about it.

This cycle I had bleeding again (just a couple of days, but light period-like flow). I went back to my doctor and she’s asked me to have a pelvic exam.

Say it does show an abnormality along the lines of PCOS, what should I be requesting or advocating for? And if it’s normal or not PCOS, what should I do next?

Thank you for reading and for your help 🙏

I’ve had the most wacked out periods for the last 6 months. I bleed for a full 30-33 days & have maybe 3 weeks off. I’ve been baffled but I finally had this realization that it could be my amount of stress that my body is under. Has anyone ever had long periods due to stress? I know it’s more common to have delayed or shorter periods but I’m trying to find my people lol. (I’ve looked into other things and talked with my OB. So please don’t suggest other things :))

For those whose PCOS symptoms improvement after starting Tirzepatide, what dose did you start feeling an improvement?

I am on 10 mg and still haven't seen much improvement.

I have been drinking 2 cups of spearmint tea every night for about two weeks now and officially got my period. I’ve had periods but they were extremely light (could only tell by wiping) and this time for the first time in years, it is an actual full blown period!

My question is….am I supposed to keep drinking the spearmint tea while on my period?

I’m 29 years old, I was diagnosed with PCOS 5-6 years ago. I always thought I was going to have trouble conceiving, I mean that’s what the doctors told me at first. Hearing them say that as a young girl was disheartening, but I knew western medicine was made to keep you as a customer long term. I knew the holistic way was the approach I wanted to go. I started minimizing gluten/dairy and I lost about 10lbs from 137-127lbs, started walking more, spearmint pills, and I swear by it, the secret trick to conceiving was OVASITOL powder! My best friend started taking it a month before and she also got pregnant right away.

Also, remember to lower your cortisol naturally. Breath-work exercises , gratitude, meditation, journaling, grounding, and spending time in nature. Your body should feel like a safe place to house your baby, not in this state of fight or flight survival mode, even if you’re not trying to conceive right now (I wasn’t trying) you deserve to feel peace in your body.

I never allowed the PCOS label to dictate my life, you have so so much power in your thoughts and words, please be kind to yourself and have faith that God/Universe/Source wants the best for you.. please believe that. ❤️🥰