My bmi is somewhere between normal / slightly over weight. I am not obese but more on the overweight side, so my question is would losing weight help me get a regular cycle? Has anyone in a similar situation found weightloss helpful? :)

I’m currently seeing an RE, but I’m kind of doubting their diagnosis process for PCOS. My RE told me that based of the bloodwork that she got from my OBGYN back in January, that nothing is sticking out to her and they only ways to tell for sure if i even have PCOS is if we test AMH and do an ultrasound.
This is not what I’ve heard and thought that info was outdated. I was under the impression you had to have 2/3:
1. Irregular or missing periods
2. Symptoms of high testosterone
3. Polycystic ovaries

I have irregular periods, had awful acne as a teen (needed to be treated with Accutane), and have male pattern hair thinning. Based on those symptoms alone, I feel like I should qualify, right?? The only bloodwork that came back abnormal was low DHEA-Sulfate and high fasting insulin. I’m still waiting on my ultrasound, but according to her diagnosis process so far, I don’t have PCOS now.

How did you get diagnosed? Is this normal??

First of all, I don't know if I have PCOS. My doctor said it seemed like it could be but didn't want to diagnose me as I'm not an adult yet. Visited her for my irregular periods and blood results showing high testosterone, and really all she said was "maybe" and prescribed me birth control (aurovela fe). Now I'm conflicted on whether I should take it because of all the horror stories here and bad experiences of other people on this subreddit. What should I do??

Hi friends! I’m going to the doctor today and last visit she said how she wants me to think about GLP-1. I think I’ve decided to do it but those who have been on it did y’all do the shot or pill? Also how was your experience?

I just took my first metformin and now I’m sitting on the toilet with explosive shit. Am I doomed guys. Will I shit myself. Am I safe for an hour drive in the morning And am I safe to go to uni tomorrow for 8 hours. And based on your guys experience what is most likely to happen. And what are some tips and tricks to keep it at bay. Thankyou guys ❤️❤️❤️

26 year old, Testosterone js 4.5 nmol/L and I have a

free androgen index of 26.5 and my SHBG is 17 nmol/L.

I'm really concerned about those levels because just from googling, that's not normal, right?

How urgently should I get back to endocrinology about these results?

I'm also a Type 2 diabetic (pcos/pmos induced)

I am 19F and as long as I hit puberty I have been so hairy, and everyone says it’s just because I’m middle eastern. All my sisters have been diagnosed with pcos and been given treatments and pills to thin out their body hair, but when I went to get treated I did not get the same help. To be honest, my sisters are not very healthy, they’re overweight by a lot, and have had major fertility issues(they’re all 10 years older than me). I do not blame them for this obviously, but I am a different story, I go to the gym everyday and I stay pretty in shape, though it’s very hard to maintain, one week of slip up can set me back months. When I went to my clinic to get help, they did a scan of my uterus and confirmed cysts and that my hormones are imbalanced, but they basically refused to give me any help. My sisters have seen major results from the pills prescribed, my sister has no more facial hair at all. I have major facial hair, and the most insecure thing I deal with is my leg hair. But the doctors had told me I don’t deal with major issues, like weight or fertility issues so I do not medically need the pills. I can’t even go back to get retested or whatever they need to revalue their claim because my insurance has been cut off. It’s just really hard dealing with this, I’ve always felt like less of a woman because of my body hair and I worked so hard to lose weight and control my life and now it seems like I’m being punished for it. I’m not even sure if that’s right for a clinic to do but I’m just at a loss, I need help because my confidence is so low having to shave all the time. Does anyone know any remedies? I’ve tried peppermint tea and supplements but I’ve seen no help. I even did laser but still nothing.

Hey all! I’m genuinely confused about what’s going on currently. I am diagnosed PMOS/PCOS but something weird has been happening lately. My periods would be irregular but they would still show up and I would feel a gradual hormonal shift. I’m about to turn 37 soon and I feel like nothing is going on inside. I also feel this weird low and cognitive confusion. When I get close to what seems like “ I’m getting my period” I get kramps that feel like a period and then nothing. Im also putting on weird weight in places that I didn’t before. I am slightly overweight and my doctor did suggest going on a glp1. I’ve also lost a lot of confidence since last year. I just feel lifeless is the best way to describe it. Any advice for this particular age would be helpful. TIA !

I just got off the phone with my OBGYN and I do not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of PCOS. My ultrasound came back normal and all my bloodwork was normal too. But I know my symptoms really align with those who have PCOS so I feel very defeated, lost and confused. I really thought I had PCOS, and after waiting and doing all the tests that took me almost a year to do I still don't qualify and I'm just quite sad about it.

My symptoms are as follows: I have thinning hair, particularly at the front of my scalp. I have facial hair, especially around my chin that I pluck at least once a week. I am always fatigued and loosing weight for me has always been near impossible. My periods show up regularly but a very heavy flow and I have pain and cramps that run down my legs. I will try to see if I have Insulin resistance as that may be another possible reason for my symptoms but I just don't know anymore.

I cant take BC because I know it exasperates my PMDD symptoms and my mental health declines so severely that I have SI so that's not an option for me any longer.

This is mostly a vent of my frustrations but I welcome advice or just some kind words <3

Hi ladies. Have been on so many birth controls last 18 years for acme control as manufacturers stop producing them and today I need your help...

I was on vestura and now I have to switch to something else...

Pharmacy is suggesting Nikki but I'm also hearing how India manufactured medications have way more quality issues than others.

What are you guys on for acne control nowadays??

My choices are:

Lo zumadimin

Yaz

Nikki

Loryna

Jasmiel

Thanks for any suggestion!

hi all! so im trying to decide if i want to go on birth control to help manage my pcos symptoms. the main one being amenorrhea. i tried taking medroxyprogesterone to trigger my periods every couple of months but that just did not make me feel good and i bled so intensely.

my gyno recommended taking slynd. she said it would kill two birds with one stone. first, it would help make my periods regular and also help treat the side effects caused by the high testosterone levels from pcos. also ik sexually active with my boyfriend so thats a bonus lol.

im really undecided because birth control can really mess you up so im trying to gather as much info as possible to help me decide.

what is your experience with birth control for managing pcos?

I was diagnose with PCOS in summer 2020. I went on saxenda (form of GPL-1 for those who don’t know the name) at the same time has a radical diet, which made me loose 50 pounds in 6 months, but turn to have a bad relationship with food. My endo also told me to get an IUD, which I did. I gained all the weight back the following 6 months, tried nutritionist, i would be fine for 6 months than no more energy, bad habits came back, tried making exercise fun, nothing sticks, gym trainer, etc. Massive swing in mood, energy and personality numing feeling. I had also recurring migraines. I decided after 5 years to remove my IUD because I felt it killed my energy, sex drive and source of my migraine. That was last year. In between, when to do see a doctor for hand eczema I have, diagnose me with psoriasis because of my scalp, check for arthritis because of body pain. Went to go see an other doctor who told me my tiredness was depression, gave me prozac than told me to go see a therapist. Therapist asked if I ever had been diagnose with adhd, went to go see a neuropsychologist, told me I had dyslexia and exhaustion inatentive traits. Went back to the doctor which got me tested with sleep apnea which was confirmed and got my machine.

Also, 3 cycles ago, my period starting being really painful, like missing work, naproxen and tylenol not being enough. Went to go see a doctor, which told me IUD again possible, ultrasound and blood test hormonal, gyno reference. Blood test was normal, ultrasound I have a hemorragic cyst of 3cm and gyno said IUD because its the only way to ‘protect’ my uterus health. I told him I did not want anything extra in my body and said you are marking factors close to diabetes, you should loose weight, you should think about mounjaro.

Has anyone had similar experience? Does being seen by male gyno destroy the women experience? Am I fighting with people because I think its more than just pcos’ fault I am in pain. Does anyone not take me seriously. Does this gyno even think about checking other things or am I creating other possible senario…

I prefer managing pain and predicting my cycle, seeing if my body is healthy or not than putting an IUD band-aid, not feeling pain, but not knowing anything.

Also little mad my BF’s reaction to the doctor reccomending IUD was sex without a condom again….

My cycles have been resetting with metformin for the past 10 months, and the last 3 cycles have been normal in length. I do ovulate late, around day 22, and had observed signs of rising estrogen (marked rise in cervical mucus, BBT dip, ovary pain, rise in energy, etc.) on day 22. However, my stupid self felt so energetic that I did my first Japanese 3x3 interval walking. I was excited because I had absolutely no trouble completing an entire 30 minute session.

Woke up next day feeling like shit. Fatigue, muscle aches, diarrhea, GI upset, low mood, etc. I assumed I ovulated and that progesterone was doing it's thing. My BBT of 97.0 provided more reason to suspect that.

BBT dropped back to 96.5 range the next day. It took me three days to recover from whatever the hell happened to me, and I dared not to walk those three days.

I suppose the sudden intense exercise derailed my ovulation attempt? Did any of you experience something like this before? Was it cortisol?

My gp diagnosed me a year ago and there are no checks ups or advice to follow. He just told me to check the NHS page for pcos and that's it.

My weight is low and I don't want to take hormonal bc for various reasons. A lot of the advice online is about monitoring risks of diabetes, etc, but I'm not sure how to do that without medical help. However, the gp's attitude seems to be "you're not overweight so there's no need to do anything" 🙄

Should I just monitor things myself? Ie, fatigue after meals, frequent urination, etc for pre-diabetes. What do I need to look out for?

Edit - I'm not implying lean PMOS means I don't have IR. I am saying that because my bmi is low, I cannot get blood tests done to monitor it, or any kind of medical input. I just want to know how to monitor it so I know if it progresses to pré diabetes, for example.

Its sooo hard due to my autism and sensitivity when it comes to food, also the hyperfixation on my comfort foods ( pasta, little spinach crepes, mashed potatoes, couscous)
- edit: thanks for all the answers, motivates me!

Something I think more women with PCOS should be aware of especially those of us struggling with insulin resistance is how often maltodextrin shows up in food and supplements.

For those who don’t know, maltodextrin is a rapidly digested carbohydrate made from starches such as corn, rice or potatoes. What’s interesting is that maltodextrin often has a higher glycemic index than ordinary table sugar sometimes around 85-110 compared to approximately 65 for table sugar. Pure glucose has a GI of 100.

This means maltodextrin can be broken down into glucose very quickly potentially causing a rapid blood sugar spike and a substantial insulin response, especially when consumed in larger quantities.

And yet it’s commonly used as a filler or bulking agent in supplements, including some specifically marketed towards women with PCOS and insulin resistance. I find that pretty ironic considering many of us take these supplements specifically to improve our insulin sensitivity.

But it’s not just supplements!

I have a pretty busy lifestyle, so I sometimes have to rely on premade snacks and convenient foods. I generally try to choose healthier options, especially high protein, high fiber and low sugar products. But I’ve been genuinely surprised by how often I randomly find maltodextrin in the ingredients even in foods marketed as “healthy.”

Another thing worth knowing is that maltodextrin can be present in products labeled “no added sugar”, because it’s classified as a carbohydrate rather than a sugar on nutrition labels. So just checking the sugar content isn’t always enough to understand how a product might affect your blood glucose. I remember my type 1 diabetic grandma used to binge on suger free cookies etc and was always surprised when her blood sugar became super high…. Well turns out is was because maltodextrin.

So for women with PCOS who already struggle with insulin resistance, I think this is worth paying attention to.

Now obviously the amount matters. A supplement containing 0.1 g of maltodextrin is unlikely to have any meaningful effect on blood glucose whereas a drink containing 20 g could cause a significant spike. The overall carbohydrate content, portion size and what you eat alongside it also matter.

My point is simply to check the full ingredient lists of both your supplements and your food, rather than relying on marketing claims like “healthy” “low sugar” or “PCOS friendly.”

(dear mods, I hope I've used the right flair)

What do you wish was different about PCOS treatment and care?

Do you feel current treatments actually help (ik mostly it doesn't), or is there something you wish doctors would approach differently?

Maybe it's better medication, fewer side effects, more personalised treatment, a better understanding of the root causes, or something else entirely.

If you could change one thing about how PCOS is managed, what would it be? What do you feel is missing right now?

I have been dealing with dry vagina for a while now along with recurrent infection such as BV and yeast.

Now after multiple doctor's visit, she finally gave me "Conjugated Estrogens 0.625 mg" but I'm kinda scared to use it as it's hormone.

My past experience with birth control pill was horrible, my mood was really bad all the time. Now off the pill for 2 years,and finally losing weight.

Does anyone know if this vaginal cream might affect my mood or cause weight gain?

How was your experience with this?

Yeast infection is mentioned as side-effects, as someone who's prone to yeast infection should I use it?

Does anyone else have such horrible back pain sometimes that it almost feels like your spine hurts? Or is that just my body telling me to go fuck myself idk.

Just wanted to ask…

girls who has PCOS where y all get tested? i have pcos idk my hormone levels but im damn sure i have insuline resistance. my health insurance isn’t gonna cover at all ! im tired of buying supplements every month I’m taking fish oil, magnesium, and barberine rn .

I’m diagnosed PCOS and insulin resistant, pre-diabetic. Ive been hearing a lot about inositol and how much people are singing its praises. My sister, who also has PCOS, talked to her endo about it and she kind of hemmed and hawed, saying it couldn’t hurt to take it, but that more studies needed to be done on its effectiveness. I thought it has been studied quite a bit?? What has everyone else’s experience with it been? I’m also ADHD and impulsive eating is a big issue for me. I want to try all avenues to help my insulin resistance and bring my blood sugar numbers down, but inositol is a new idea for me and I don’t know much about it.

Hello,

I got diagnosed with PCOS in February this year after years of issues with my cycle, but since then I’ve also been diagnosed with Endometriosis (from an endometrioma & endo lesions showing up on my ultrasound) - I am currently waiting for a lap to look into it further.

I just wanted to see if anyone else has the cross over and find it difficult / how you manage it? My PCOS is causing crazy irregular periods (I’m currently on day 120 of my cycle with no sign of it showing up). I’m on metformin but I don’t have insulin resistant PCOS according to my bloods - mainly just hormone imbalance and cysts/follicles and AMH being high. I’m struggling as I feel like i dont know what to do about my non existent cycle but it’s also a blessing right now because my endo gets so bad around a period but I know it’s not good for my body to not have a bleed. I’m 32 also, would love to have children soon but just can’t see any way around it with my cycles and endo this bad.

Hi everyone,

At the Spanish newspaper El Confidencial, we're preparing a feature on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), and we'd love to include testimonials from patients. Participation can be completely anonymous.

We'd like to hear about your experience with this condition: how you were diagnosed, how it has been treated, and so on.

If anyone would like to take part, you can send me a private message through the forum.

Thank you so much!

Hi!! I’m 22 F and been diagnosed with PCOS since 2024 and Pelvic Endometriosis this year. I’ve been on Yasmin for a year. I stopped for a month since I changed doctors and my new Gyne had prescribed me with Yaz and I started my it just today on my first day of period.

Has anyone experienced excruciating dysmenorrhea after stopping birth control? Mine today was CRAZY I could literally compare it to my pain when I had appendicitis, I haven’t had dysmenorrhea this bad since taking birth control. 🙁 I regret coming off of it now bc the effects of getting off of it is worse (migraines, acne, hair etc coming back) than the nausea and mood swings while on it lol