Around the age of 16 i started to lose my periods for about 4 months then I would get my period for maybe a day or even less then a day but i would get period pains.
But since then I have gotten older and they have been more spaced out drastically since I was 16, my mum and I didn’t think anything of until we went to the hospital to get an ultrasound it came back clear and nothing seemed to be a problem according to the hospital i didn’t meet the “criteria “ to be diagnosed with PCOS.
We went back to the doctors a few weeks ago and my doctor told me i have cysts on my ovaries with also i have all the symptoms that are linking up to getting properly diagnosed with PCOS within my body has changed drastically.
As My mum and I were thinking i put on loads of weight and started to get hair on my neck and other symptoms within it but we don’t think anything of that it could be to do with my weight but no it isn’t.
What do you think i should do? I have already started a diet and exercise.
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sunsetslover
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Have a period then nothing for 6 months. Then a period which would last 4 months then nothing again. I still get really bad cramps.
Started at 14. I got diagnosed at 30 with PCOS after a long battle. Apparently it can now be diagnosed with a range of blood tests according to my GP.
My GP had said With PCOS comes difficulties losing weight for some people. I’ve been trying and still struggling. Nurses/doctors might have a not ideas.
Do you have access to a well women’s clinic through your GP? Best thing to do is discuss with your GP and what are your next steps.
No. You are most definitely not alone. It is a much more common experience than people might imagine. In the Uk; somewhere between 1 in 8 or 1 in 10 women live their lives managing their PCOS. It does not always impact each woman in exactly the same way - but there will likely be points of commonality of "Yep, me too, pretty similar to your situation".
NHS Scotland's NHS Inform included a really great animated YouTube video (suitable for a wide age range) which is a sensible viewing and may help family members be supportive too (What Is PCOS? Alice Haskell Art):
Weight management and nutrition guidance may need to be tailored to the individual person's body
It can be helpful to understand that PCOS women's bodies may have a tendency to be more efficient (due to their particular hormones and insulin management system operational style).
This can mean that once we have put energy into our body we don't necessarily burn it up the same way as non-PCOS women might expect to experience - we can be prone to storing it instead - as though our body tends to get stuck on "famine mode".
This is the clue to our potentially stubborn weight gain - however, it doesn't mean we cannot try different approaches to fine-tuning what works for us with the support of our Doctor / NHS / reputable support charities.
You might find that you receive dietary advice from your Doctor / the NHS which sounds more applicable to other patient groups (e.g. heart healthy, diabetes healthy, insulin resistance healthy, liver healthy). Please don't be put off by the logo on a brochure or PDF - instead, share in their patient healthy knowledge base (British Heart Foundation / Diabetes UK / The British Liver Trust etc.) - each of those routes will likely have common threads of healthy dietary and lifestyle tips which may also happen to be of benefit to PCOS women too.
It is not about faddy / extreme / crash diet plans or health supplements etc. More important is to take approved healthy eating guidance (which supports your organs - even if they are prone to operating within a slightly more demanding hormone environment due to PCOS).
It can be annoying when yet another Clinician talks about weight loss / management. It can be more helpful to frame it in your own mind as an ongoing project, as a series of adaptions, finding those changes to diet and lifestyle to best suit how your particular body responds to PCOS across different age groups.
Sometimes I think it might be more helpful towards younger PCOS women if Clinicians were to shape the conversation more around ways to help you (early) adopt those habits to optimally support your body - which as a society we might more readily associate with middle aged or older people - e.g. blood sugar, cholesterol and lipids, blood pressure and liver health.
What I am trying to explain, from my lived experience; encouraged focus on the weight scales and waist tape measure or unhealthy calorie counting are less likely to yield results than:
- learning about (and living daily) good nutrition,
- building in those hacks to make part of your daily life's routine those movement activities you like to do
- looking after your stress, wellbeing and mental health,
- find time to enjoy something outdoors (our bodies were built for that ...and not for the sedentary indoors - your PCOS can come in useful when going for a walk etc. as you may be able to build up your stamina in a way that a non-PCOS woman might find she would have to work longer / harder)
- putting effort into making and maintaining connections with friends, colleagues and family members.
I hope at least something of my chatter proves useful. You definitely are not alone. Albeit, any woman's personal PCOS experience may require some tailoring / fine-tuning in support of celebrating "unique you".
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Urgent advice needed please about the pill and Mirena coil
No periods...
Second time around and no further ....
PCOS trying to conceive/ advice please. :)
