PCOS~~INFO. WEBSITE~~~~

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
PCOS~~INFO. WEBSITE~~~~
3
Wed, 08-20-2003 - 5:22pm
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOS is more common than a lot of people think. Some of you may not even know what it is. I am here to inform you on symptoms, info and a very helpful website. You may have seen in article recently in Redbook about it and it was also in Family Circle.

Here are the symptoms:

1.Amenorrhea (absense of menstrual period, irregular periods, infrequent periods (periods shorter than 26 days apart or greater than 35 days apart)

2. Anovulation (no ovulation) or infrequent ovulation

3. Hyperandrogenism- increased levels of male hormones

4. Infertility

5. Cystic Ovaries- "string of pearl" like cysts on the ovaries

6. Enlarged Ovaries

7. Chronic Pelvic Pain

8. Obesity or weight gain

9. Insulin Resistance-high insulin levels but gluclose is normal

10. Lipid abnormalities

11. High blood pressure

12. Hirsutism (excess hair)

13. Alopecia (male pattern balding) or thinning hair

14. Acne or oily skin

15. Dark patches of skin

16. Skin tags

Now you do not have to have all these symptoms to have PCOS. You may have only a couple. To diagnose PCOS the dr. normally an Endocrinologist or Reproductive Endocrinologist (RE) and sometimes an Ob/Gyn will perform an U/S and see if you have polycystic ovaries or enlarged ovaries. They will want a list of symptoms. Numerous blood tests will be run. They will draw all the blood at once and check several different levels of different things. They will test these levels:

Fasting comprehensive biochemical and lipid panel;

2-hour GTT with insulin levels (also called IGTT);

LH:FSH ratio;

Total testosterone;

DHEAS;

SHBG;

Androstenedione;

Prolactin and

TSH

Some of these tests are run to rule out other issues. For example TSH is to test the thyroid.

If you think you have PCOS and suffer from some of these symptoms please contact your doctor. IF they do not know about PCOS then see and RE or Endocrinologist. With PCOS most women are overweight but you don't have to be. There are quite a few women that are thin and have it too. You can get pregnant if you have PCOS. It may take longer than most but it can happen. PCOS is not curable but it is treatable. If it is left untreated it can cause heart disease and many other more serious issues. Some Ob's will try to treat it with BCP's and that is not the answer. BCP will give you regular periods but it will not treat PCOS. Once you go off the pills you will be irregular once again. The most common drug used to treat is Glucophage or Metformin (Met.) and it will help to regulate cycles, can cause weight loss and help to ovulate. It will also reduce the chance of miscarriage. WHen you have PCOS our chances to miscarry are 35-50% higher than those w/o it. Two other meds. used are Actos and Avandia. All 3 are diabetic medicines. Some dr. will keep a pregnant woman on Met. for the 1st trimester.

http://www.inciid.org/faq/pcos.html My information provided is from this site or what I have learned with my own RE. She does not recommend any forms of herbs to help with PCOS and regulating your body. I have heard quite a bit about Vitex and how it made the women more irregular than before. If you do wish to go on herbs please consult your dr. first.

If you have any questions you can email me or join me at the PCOS in Pursuit of Fertility board where I am the CL. Thanks for reading all this information. Here is a quiz on PCOS http://www.pcosupport.org/support/quiz.php

Shan and lil peanut

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-11-2003
Wed, 08-20-2003 - 10:57pm
Just bumping this up for tomorrow readers. Thanks =)

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-02-2003
Thu, 08-21-2003 - 8:58am
Thank-you, Shan! Bumping this up again so more can see it!
 

 Tara~ co-cl of Pregnant after TTC

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Thu, 08-21-2003 - 3:27pm
Thanks Tara, and you are very welcome.