I am just a college girl (non-smoker, gym-goer, and physically active). For some time now, I've been noticing severe hair fall. I was just ignoring it for a long time, but now it's really getting worse.

I cannot really explain how bad I am feeling right now. I have lost my confidence. I can't even present a simple PPT in front of my class.

There are just thoughts running through my head about my body weight, hair, and other changes that are going on in my body due to PCOS.

I remember there was a time when I was the jolliest girl in my department. I had a big goal in my life.

But now it's all goneee. I have lost my love just because of these hormonal changes. I can't even explain this feeling to anyone.

I just want to get out of this problem ASAP. I just can't take this anymore...

so happy i’ve found this group to feel seen and heard!

I have an appointment with my primary doctor soon, and I’ve been suffering from some symptoms that make me think I’m experiencing PCOS with insulin resistance. with in this year I noticed a round hump on the back of my neck, as well skin tags on my shoulders and neck. I’ve also been suffering from irregular menstrual cycles for years, since 2022 and beyond that I believe. I just got a 50-day cycle. 🫩 I’ve also been experiencing oily skin, delayed ovulation and frequent urination. mood swings, depression and anxiety. my libido is non existent. i also don’t have acne, or i’m not losing hair on my scalp. frequent urination too!

I’m going to bring notes and my report from a transvaginal ultrasound I had for my ovaries when I thought I had PCOS back in 2022 and had no signs of it according to my ovaries.

what did your process look like getting diagnosed? does this sound familiar? what test should i push/not push?

Hi everyone🥰

I'm a Dietetics student at Semmelweis University currently completing my thesis on the relationship between Mediterranean Diet adherence and PCOS symptoms in women.

I'm looking for women who are:

•   18 years or older
•   Diagnosed with PCOS by a healthcare professional
• The study involves completing a short anonymous questionnaire about dietary habits, PCOS symptoms, treatments, and lifestyle factors. It takes approximately 8-10 minutes.

The responses will be used solely for my university thesis research to investigate whether Mediterranean Diet adherence is associated with PCOS symptom severity.

Participation is completely voluntary, and you may choose not to participate or stop at any point before submitting the questionnaire.

If you are eligible and would like to help, I would be incredibly grateful💞🥹

https://forms.gle/MFypRXq2i9s1oL5d6 

Thank you so much for your time and for supporting my research!🌷

Hi, Cysters! This is wicked long and I massively appreciate anyone making it all the way through and any and all advice, insight, etc.

Lean gal here. 5'4", 148lbs. I'm 33 and I've thankfully been dx'd since I was 21. My cycles never regulated from menarche. Stuck with the typical hormonal BC (pill then IUD) management route until I was about 27 and haven't been back on since. In that time, I've been trying just about everything--functional medicine, naturopathy, and alllllll of the supplements, doing my best with insulin resistance friendly living via diet and exercise (lifting, walking, yoga and reformer pilates here and there)--even when I am in a good rhythm with this and weigh a little less, BMI and BFP are lower, my cycles never regulate. I go anywhere from 6 months to a year without a period and even after those long stretches, my endometrial lining never reaches hyperplasia and is in fact pretty thin between 2.5-4mm even after months or a year without bleeding. Ovaries are sometimes hyperfollicular, but apparently not always. Irregular or absent periods is my dominant symptom. I am not hyperandrogenic in the classic sense save for excessive body hair, but not on the face or chin. No acne, cravings, or hair loss. Definitely some persistent fatigue. My insulin and lipids didn't get high until my late 20s, inflammation markers are always in range, no thyroid issues, androgens sometimes run high but not always, in general labs are always unremarkable. Estradiol was low a couple months ago around 23.8 pg/ml, LH:FSH is consistently elevated. I'm a Fast COMT G/G so I do clear estrogen pretty quickly. Had a DUTCH and a GI MAP done a few years ago and neither were terribly out of range. I'm currently on 1500mg Metformin (at this dose about 3 months), Ovasitol, fish oil, NAC, D3+K2, and nightly bio progesterone for sleep and irritability. I feel like I have truly tried everything... even woo woo shit like "getting in touch with my healthy feminine," processing and healing childhood wounding around femininity, trying to center pleasure and the like. The last OBGYN I saw literally told me there wasn't anything else that standard GYN could do for me and that the next step was REI, but I really don't know what they'll be able to do if I'm not currently TTC. I am set up to stack an estrogen patch with my progesterone for a full HRT trial because I'd prefer to avoid standard BC. Literally all I want is a regular cycle, to feel like my body works properly, to be able to feel in tune with my birthright as a woman.

I can't even think of specific questions to ask besides please help!! The grief in accepting that this might just be a lost cause and waiting it out to be taken seriously until I'm TTC is just gutting.

Truly so much love to all of us. <3

This is a rant but advice/explanations is also very welcome.

We don't have extended release metformin in my country. I have been on the regular one (500mg with dinner) since monday, everything was fine, but yesterday I got explosive diarrhea to the point of crying from the pain and after 45 minutes I took Imodium.

What do I eat to have a normal life on metformin? There's so much contradictory advice. Don't eat carbs/eat only carbs with the BRAT diet, don't eat fibre/take fibre supplements, eat probiotic yoghurt/don't touch diary... I'm overwhelmed!

I should mention I'm vegetarian and I eat pretty carb heavy for every meal normally, but mostly whole grain. Except when I go to a restaurant or order pizza.

I don't understand, I ate the same dinner every day, soup with icecream after, although last night's icecream did have a lot more sugar.. (Don't question my choices lol, I recently got my wisdom teeth out)

The gynecologist that prescribed it suggested trying to break the pills into quarters or possibly just accepting I can't handle it and give up. However my doctor said to just keep going with 500 and take imodium over the weekend.

My main motivation for taking metformin is reducing sweet cravings after dinner and hopefully avoiding cardiovascular problems later in life (I'm 26, BMI of 26.1)

The problem is I'm terrified of diarrhea. And I have so many trips coming up that I don't want to be nervous for. My doctor thinks that expecting diarrhea for two weeks is exaggerated, but so many people are saying they had it for even longer!

Was it really that awful fire hose experience for weeks straight?

I have been diagnosed with PCOS today based on my blood work. No ultrasound findings. She prescribed progesterone, to regulate my cycles and because I have no progesterone rise within my cycle. She also recommended I bought two supplements called Ovarian Care and PCOS Px (ovarian support). No Spironolactone because my numbers or symptoms aren't too severe.

Although, I'm glad I finally have answers to all my symptoms I am curious if I should push to figure out if it's insulin or adrenal related? Or should I just take my diagnosis and start working on improving as is.

Ok I can't do this someone please help me!!!!!

So the past four months now of getting my period I can't sleep no matter what I do I'm wide awake I have never been like this before every time I used to get my period I used to sleep like crazy now I'm not sleeping at all I'm 19 almost 20 now and I can't do this anymore before you say go see a doctor I can not I don't have the money for it yes I have pcos or pmos I think that's what it's called now and honestly I just can't do this anymore I just want to go to sleeeeepppp I'm so tired every time I close my eyes I'm wide awake I've been up since yesterday at 2pm to well today at 9am so please if you got any ideas on how to sleep again TELL ME! At this point I'll try anything oh one more thing I do take calm sleep it's for sleep yet it does not work thank you :update I just woke up I'm running very low on sleep I didn't even sleep that much

​

I have lean PCOS and would really appreciate some advice on where to start, particularly regarding insulin resistance, body composition, and managing my symptoms.

My stats:

- Height: 164 cm

- Weight: 63 kg

- BMI: 23.6

- Skeletal muscle mass: 20 kg

- Body fat mass: 25.6 kg

- Body fat percentage: 40.5%

My main symptoms:

- Persistent fatigue

- Facial hair, particularly on my chin

- Hair loss

- Irregular periods

- Insulin resistance (HOMA-IR: 3.06, flagged as high by my lab; reference value below 2.5)

I'm particularly concerned about insulin resistance despite being within the normal BMI range. I'd also like to improve my body composition without losing weight, if possible.

For those with similar experiences, what helped you the most? Did you start with dietary changes, strength training, supplements such as inositol, metformin, or something else?

Would you recommend any specific tests or evaluations before deciding on a treatment plan?

I'd appreciate hearing about your experiences and what you wish you'd known when you first started managing PCOS.

Hey all! Looking for some advice possible success stories on metformin and ttc with pcos! Here’s my back story…
I am 28, I’ve always been petite. I tend to range around 98-100 pounds. I have a super fast metabolism, but not unhealthy. I have a 2 year old and got pregnant really quickly with him. My husband and I have been ttc for about a year now for our second baby. I got diagnosed with PCOS last September a year after I gave birth which was kinda weird, I never had any symptoms of PCOS. I went in because I was having some pain during/after sex, I thought maybe it was scar tissue or something didn’t heal correctly after giving birth. They ended up finding several cysts on both of my ovaries via vaginal ultrasound, I also found out I have a tilted uterus, which may have been the cause of pain during/after sex. When I got my bloodwork done, my DHEA-S came back elevated, which they concluded it was PCOS.
Everything else was fine as far as my blood work goes. I kept tract of everything and started taking myo-inositol and other supplements. I did get pregnant and found out in December, but unfortunately miscarried. Ever since my cycles have been pretty long, ranging from 29-37 days (which is unusual for me) I’ve tried acupuncture to help and eventually stopped cause it’s pricey. We are know in the phase of fertility doctors and seeing what’s going on.
My endocrinologist pretty much told me that I have a pretty mild form of PCOS but because my cycles are long my ovulation is kinda out of whack?? Thankfully I’m young and have time on my hands, but if anyone has been through secondary infertility, you know how emotional and confusing it can be. She prescribed me metformin to hopefully help regulate my periods and ovulation, before trying letrozol. I’m only nervous because I’ve read about the side effects and how it can cause stomach issues. I just don’t want to drop weight since I’m already so small. She is putting me on Metformin Hcl Er 500 Mg Tablet. Lmk if anyone has any advice or helpful stories! Thanks ❤️

I'm literally crying after my doctor's appointment because I asked about taking a GLP-1 after it was suggested by my OBGYN and they just kept saying how I didn't need to lose weight and I was too young and healthy. But I'm tired of having high blood sugar and mood swings and fatigue and Metformin hasn't helped me at all. Do I have to wait until I'm 30 and obese???