polycystic ovaries

[sam82]

i have just had a scan and they say my womb is thicker than normal, also i have a "string of pearls" around my ovaries, they also took bloods to check my hormones and i go back in 5 weeks for results, they keep mentioning PCOS to me.

The reason for going to hospital is because i dont get a period, up until 2 years ago very slim size 6/8 no chest, now i have a large chest and about size 10/12. recently i have found i get horrible spots around my neck (sometimes) and i am also very weepy quite depressive/ anxious... could these be symptoms. any help would grateful

[Englishbird]

hi sam82 look at this link

http://www.rsiinfertility.com/Procedures/PCOSsymptoms.html

PCOS is a lot more common than people think (victoria beckam had it, don't you know) It is very treatable, so it's good if they've picked up on it. I believe it can re-occur, but I may be wrong on that. It certainly sounds like you have a hormone imbalance, so hopefully they'll get you all sorted out and you'll feel a lot better. good luck x

[gessoo]

Polycystic ovaries can certainly cause weight gain and acne. They can also cause excess body and facial hair.

The BUPA fact sheet gives loads of information.

http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/PCOS.html

Best wishes to you. I hope all goes well.

[sam82]

Hi there, thanks for your answers both websites where very helpful, gave me more of an idea of what it is!

just have to wait and see what the doctor says next. its more how do they treat now, i have never really thought that there was anything wrong with me, apart from the above which i thought was normal.

[janela]

If you do have PCOS you may be told that you will be infertile due to this and will 'need help' getting pregnant.
This is NOT necessarily the case so don't be tempted to use it as a method of contraception. I come across women daily who are pregnant, got pregnant accidentally or deliberately, without 'help' who have PCOS and who had been told various things like it will be difficult to get pregnant, through to it will be impossible to get pregnant.

The symptoms you describe sound typical of PCOS, there is treatment and diet is supposed to be very helpful. It is thought that this is caused by Insulin Resistance, and may cause the person who has it to be at increased risk of diabetes. Eating a healthy diet, low fat, high fibre with minimal sweets, cakes etc. and lots of fruit and vegetables will improve your chances of not becoming diabetic and may help your symptoms.

Having said that, it is a very bizarre condition, sometimes having a baby and breastfeeding for several months can kick your homones back into normal, at least for a time if not completely.

I believe there is a self help on-line group for women with this condition which a member of my family found useful.

[Goodsoulette]

I have pcos and have had 2 healthy children. The GI diet is the most suitable and lots of excercise to keep weight in check.

[whiskeysheri]

Just as Englishbird said, PCOS is quite common. Kym Marsh, Jules Oliver, Emma Thompson and Victoria Beckham are all sufferers and have all gone on to have kids.

Hope everything turns out okay. Best wishes

[sam82]

Janela thanks very much, that was very useful and alot easier for me to understand! they did mention giving me a drug to stimulate my ovaries when i wolud like to have children, not really worried about that, at this point.

its more the medical issues, my mum had a heart attack at 35 and suffers from angina, and has had blood clots, i have always tried to keep myself healthy to avoid these things happening to me

it has been all a bit much too take in, but the doctors i have seen are all very helpful.

[sam82]

godsoulette could you give me more infor on the GI diet

never heard of it!

thanks

[gill3891]

Hi there,

Just read your post and thought I would give some personal advice. I was diagnosed with PCOS about 4 years ago and it sounds much worse than it is! It is completely controllable and as for being 'infertile', it's not true. I have read up on it and my mum took me to many doctors sessions where they basically explained to me that in order to conceive, I will need help, but it is by far possible!

My symptoms seem to be very similar to yours as I didn't have a period for a while, thought I was pregnant and panicked, but I have that under control. I would seriously suggest that you take the pill in order to get your periods back, otherwise the levels of hormones in your body will flucuate and could be bad for you. I don't mean it will kill you or anything, I just mean that it will mean that you may put weight on, grow facial hair or other manly attributes may occur.

Basically my advice to you is this, wait to hear what the Dr says, then read up on it and see as many different people as you can about it. The more info you have, the easier your mind will be! It's not the worst thing you can have, so try not to worry and always remember that there are numerous people that you can talk to about it! We're always here!

Hope this helps Gillian3891

[sam82]

Gill3891 i have been really struggling to find a symptom and the ones above are the only things/ changes i could think of.

i used to be on the combined pill and was very slim but then 2 years ago they changed me to the mini pill because of there was risk of heart disease and blood clots in my family, thats when i started putting weight on!

and becuase there is no break in the mini pill i have had no period!

its starting to click in now, the fertility thing doesnt really concern me, i have had some real positive feedback that having a child would not be a major issue in the future!

thank you very much for your advice, i will wait and see that the doctors say, i had a man consultant and it was all text book with him and its not like he has ever had a period himself!! lol

[Goodsoulette]

Hi Sam I went to the doctors after putting on weight and he referred me to the dietician and she suggested it. It is the sort of diet that a diabetic would follow. For some reason women with pcos become insulin resistant so there body just keeps on prodicing sugar as the insulin recepters havent recognised that you have sugar in your blood. You need to eat foods low in sugar and complex carbohydrates that release energy slowly.

If you need anymore help I would be glad to offer it as I know exactly what you are going through.

[gill3891]

Men doctors generally don't have a clue. The first person I went to was male and he just thought that I was stressed, thats y i didn't get periods. To conquer this, I would suggest requesting a female doctor who has any history in women's health!

About the symptoms, at first the only symptom that I had was no periods, but that has developed into having to watch my weight too. It's not that difficult, and I still treat myself, but you should eat healthy and exercise as much as poss. It seems like Goodsoulette knows what she's talking about, so maybe she can advise better about this stuff but basically, just keep seeing the doctor until you get a response. You can go for an internal scan (not very pleasant, but not too bad) that can determine if you have PCOS, not sure if you have already had this but you should be able to get a definite answer from them, one way or another.

The putting on weight was the biggest thing for me, was a size 10, but now am more like a size 14. The only way to handle it is the same way everyone else who loves their food does....exercise and watch what they eat. You know we are all here for more advice, would like to know what the Doctors come up with in the end. Gill3891

[joko]

check out the pcos support group verity

[sam82]

Hi gill had the internal scan, was better than a smear test...lol, just waiting on my blood results now.

i have a "string of pearls" around my ovaries. which suggests PCOS.

funny thing is i didnt put weight on until they took me off the combined pill and put me on the mini pill...

it all seems alot more clearer now, and less scarey.

thanks for all your help xx

[helliebobs]

Just to add to whiskeysheri's post, two other famous people who have suffered from PCOS and gone on to have kids are Anna Friel and Jane Danson who plays Leanne in Corrie - she is pregnant at the moment. So there is hope!

Good look with your results!