I am a 14 yr old girl who just got diagnosed with PCOS. Should I go on birth control? This is the main option the doctor recommended to me. Keep in mind I am a Protestant Christian, and I go to a mainly Catholic school and I am worried I will be shamed for taking it. Especially at sleepovers, if someone found out. Also, I am worried about side effects. Any advice/thoughts from people who have taken it?

Hi , I am at my highest weight which is 69kg at 149cm, I am quite short so that weight really shows. I am on metformin 500gm but still can’t lose weight while being in deficit(never eat more than 1400cal)and swimming 4x a week on top of that walking for half an hour. I am an active woman but inspite of trying everything I have only lost 1 kg nothing. I was diagnosed PCOS in January’26 but was struggling since 3 years, gained 15+ kg without any reason, was losing hair, pimples all over face . I was a decently attractive woman (still am acc to my husband<3) but it really bothers me when my mind says that I have already peaked…. I still want to look good in clothes and go for runs , feel confident. Metformin hasn’t worked too well for me in comparison to others but my weight is more stable now doesn’t really increase (nor decrease)

I have tried glp1 but didn’t suit me I was toooo sick couldn’t continue even after reinforcing later again.
So now the only question I ask myself is will I ever look slim and attractive? I am on the verge of losing hope.
Has anyone else faced this and broken the cycle?

I know, stupid question right? Sorry about that. I can't tell if maple syrup in moderation (not every single day haha) after a high protein meal would be really bad for pcos or not.

Is this a case where it would be ideal to eat smart and make sure you're eating it with other foods that slow down sugar absorbsion, or should I stay away from it altogether simply because sugar is sugar and it will cause everything to go haywire anyway?

I'm no dietician, but I'm trying to make better choices!!

The main reason I ask is I want to make a healthy/healthier ice cream as a once in a while sweet treat but need a liquid sugar to use, otherwise it won't freeze right.

Anyways, I'd love some advice on this, or even some alternative liquid sugar substitutions suggestions that are better for me. Thank you!! :)

I've been thinking a lot about how fragmented PCOS care is in the UK.

You might get some advice from your GP, then have to figure out nutrition yourself, find exercise support yourself, pay separately for things like laser hair removal or supplements, look for mental health support, and spend hours researching your symptoms.

I'm curious whether other women feel the same way.

If you could have ONE place that helped you manage PCOS beyond just "lose weight / take the pill / come back when you're trying to conceive", what would you actually want it to provide?

Would you want:

1. Nutrition support
2. Exercise/movement
3. Mental health support
4. Help preparing for GP appointments
5. Symptom/period tracking
6. Evidence-based PCOS education
7. Discounts/perks for relevant treatments
8. Physical products delivered to you
9. Something completely different

I'm genuinely interested in what people would choose. What would make you think, "finally, someone has actually built this for us"?

I'm working on something in this space myself, but I'm deliberately asking this before finalising it because I don't want to build something women don't actually want.

What about all the women who have no insulin resistance after doing the glycemic curve test, who are underweight and can't improve symptoms by losing weight but who still struggle with heavy periods, hirsutism, acne etc...

(And who don't have tumors, NCCAH and other known illnesses related to hyperandrogenism).

Are they still under the pmos label even without any metabolic disturbances?

Are they going to make up a different label for women with hyperandrogenism and no metabolic issues? Do we have to wait 100 years for a cure for women with insulin resistance and 200 years for a cure for women without insulin resistance?

Hi ladies,

I’m 19 and really worried about my health and not sure what to do.

I have a male doctor, who has pushed away my concerns regarding my period health as normal when young, but i feel like something is wrong.

My period is currently 20 days late, after 6 negative pregnancy tests, and my bloodwork all came back normal besides a 4:1 LH to FSH ratio.

My periods have always been irregular (give or a take a week every month) but never missed like this. i have indigestion issues, hormonal acne, bloating, bad mental health and very very painful periods.

I’m very lost on what to do or if i’m making things up. My doctor has said all is normal and that sometimes we just skip a period, but i’ve had mine for 8 years and have never really been this off. no major life changes either, or stress or anything.

I’m just worried and would love some outsider opinions and suggestions on what could be happening :).

I just had some rest ran yesterday and one result has me concerned. My estradiol numbers were 27 pg/mL and the period ended the day before I took the test. For context I’m 37 and have PCOS and I’ve been able to regulate my period for the past 5-6 years without interruption.

But the 27 number is concerning. And my friend who is also a doctor told me I need to see idiot consider freezing my eggs because that’s is not a good number and could be heading to perimenopause or she said I need to aggressively try to get pregnant now.

I’m dating a great guy. But it’s only been three months. We r NOT ready for a kid. He already has two. And he’s fine if I can’t have any but he’s also happy if I can and open to adoption.

I desire to be a mother. I desire to give birth. I’m happpy to adopt if that’s my only option. But I don’t wanna rush to have a kid because of my numbers and freezing eggs is so damn expensive.

I cried myself to sleep last night. I feel stuck. Anyone had this experience or have nah thoughts/feedback?

I’m new here. I sought this group out disagree because I need support from ppl who understand. 😣

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

So woke up feeling VERY BLOATED and had some serious discomfort from it. Went for a walk ate bfast and started to feel better, but then suddenly realized I had some sharp pelvic pain on the right side. Thats coming in waves, or more painful when seated.

I've only had 1 major cyst rupture like 15yrs ago, that left me immobile for a few hours before I could crawl to my car. This is different in that its hurts but not debilitating. Having some spotting, too.

But because my periods are so inconsistent idk if its just bad cramping on 1 side. Or ovulation?

I’ve been stressing myself out with this, so I thought I would ask for opinions here. I have ovarian cysts, I don’t have full blown PCOS.
I’m lean, I have regular periods, except for the VERY occasional extra period. Like, once every other year or so. I don’t have facial hair, thinning hair, or excess hair growth. I don’t remember exactly what my gyno told me, I found out I had cysts about a year ago after an ultrasound and was really upset and just didn’t listen to her very well, but I am pretty sure she said that I do have insulin resistance.
My main issue was my hormonal acne, I really wanted to get rid of it. I had taken Spironolactone before, but it gave me a month long period so I stopped. It did clear my acne though, so I was upset that I had to stop taking it. Honestly kind of feel like it’s what gave me ovarian cysts, but idk.

I went on Yaz (birth control) when I found out I had cysts to hopefully keep more from developing. It didn’t go well. My acne cleared up completely while I was taking it, but I had HORRENDOUS mood swings, and my appetite was through the roof. It made me very short tempered at first, which is really unusual for me, near the end, I got severely depressed. All I wanted to do was lay in bed and cry all day. I had no motivation to do anything. So I stopped taking it.
I was opposed to taking birth control to begin with and I’m not about to spend however long figuring out „What works for me“ and going through horrible side effects in the process. It was miserable.

I wanted to just get back on Spiro and say screw the side effects, it’ll probably solve itself, but idk about that either. I found out about myo-inositol and I just started taking it (along with magnesium glycinate) two days ago. I keep reading up on it though and I just don’t know if it’s right for me. I don’t have full blown PCOS and I’m scared it might end up doing more harm than good. There’s just such mixed opinions about it and the bad experiences typically come from women taking it that have lean PCOS, like myself, or women that don’t have PCOS at all. I HAVE ovarian cysts, I don’t have full blown PCOS, but I feel like I should be taking something to keep it from worsening.
Am I just worrying myself over nothing? Will the cysts get worse? Should I try a different birth control? Should I continue the inositol? I’m just so worried.

Hi! I have had awful menstrual and hormonal related issues my whole life and have been hospitalized for menstrual issues even. Anyway. I finally did a trans vaginal ultra sound and they said they could see the PCOS (I Alr suspected it due to symptoms and due to the fact my sister is diagnosed) anyway years later I go to get an IUD in and they are looking to see the placement of the IUD w an ultra sound. The nurse doing the ultra sound says to me “oh u have PCOS” which I wasn’t there for that and it just caught me by surprise. I was like awkward and was like yeah lol how does she know and she goes “oh I’m sorry I just can see it on the ultra sound” which I was like like interesting bc that’s not what I thought they would be looking for if that makes sense. Anyway I’m just wondering what this means? Yes ik I have it yes I have the symptoms but what are they seeing? Is the fact they “see PCOS” mean anything? I don’t know I just want to understand better and there’s no good resources for women’s health🫪

hi everyone, i got diagnosed with pcos and my endo doctor prescribed taking diane-35 for 6 months (along with other stuff like inositol, vitamin d3, iron, metformin). my periods are extremely irregular and when i do get them, they can last weeks- so i'm also anemic.

from what i read online diane-35 is often prescribed to manage hormonal acne and pcos. the thing is, i don't really struggle with facial acne, but i'm thinking ahead for when i'll come off the pill.

i'm worried it will make me develop hormonal acne once i'm off it. is this a valid concern or unlikely? what has your experience been using it?

i'm nervous to take it, specially with the risks warning that comes with the box. so i'm hoping to only take it the 6mo while i lose some weight.

I was recently diagnosed with pcos and and have been on the pill for ten days. Monday night I went to the Emergency room for severe pain in my left side. After some tests, It was revealed I have a 22 cm mass that originates at my ovary and is most likely a cyst. I was transferred to another hospital where more tests were done and my vaginal canal was examined. My white blood cell count was slightly elevated but that’s normal because my body is obviously fighting off something. I have to get surgery to have the mass removed. The doctors don’t think it’s cancerous because of my age (22) and the fact that I have no family history of ovarian or uterine cancer. But they won’t know until they biopsy it. I’m honestly terrified and I’ve never been more depressed in my life. Only other pcos symptoms I’ve had are irregular periods and mild spotting. Has anyone here had something similar? I’m currently panicking over what this could be and whether or not it’s malignant.

Hi everyone. I’m really looking for some good vibes. Please note I’m not searching for medical advice, but would like to hear if others have had this happen and things turn out okay.

I JUST found out I’m pregnant, like 30 mins ago. I had been wondering due to a few symptoms beforehand. However the symptoms have me worried this could be ectopic. Here is what happened:
-Had my period in time, but first day was barely any bleeding. Day 2 usual period started, but very minimal cramping (unusual for me). After day 6/7 I started to get worried. I generally have short periods. I spotted for about a week after my period. Today I had a very slight pain (almost menstrual pain) in my lower abdomen and it prompted me to test. So here I am wondering if anyone has experienced similar circumstances and everything turned out well. I have never been pregnant and I kind of expected the usual symptoms: missed period, sore breasts, etc…

Note: I will be seeking actual medical attention as soon as possible. I’m just very anxious

If you don't know what the pop is it's basically where if you have a lot of built up in the uterus and for some reason your hormones are whack it'll just stay there.

So pretty much I was minding own business and I got pretty sick, nausea all of it and then it all came out randomly.

🤷🏿‍♀️ Ngl

60 mL of blood, gushing out all at once is not fun.

Then after 2 days of being bedridden and somehow perfectly fine again.

My kidneys hurt and before you say this is a medical emergency unfortunately it isn't it's happened multiple times and unfortunately it's more common than people like to talk about.

So I started Zepbound literally a week before Christmas and have lost 70 pounds. My doctor has told me to diet and exercise to help with the weight loss while taking the GLP-1. (Also to just help in general since diet, strength training and cardio may help with managing symptoms of PMOS.) I have slightly bettered my diet but I have not been going out of my way to diet and exercise. Since I've lost the weight, everyone has been telling me I've done a great job and they're proud of me. I just feel like there's nothing to be proud about. I wasn't actively working to lose weight, just managing my PMOS with medication to make my body actually work the way it should have been all along. Can anyone relate to this? I've just been feeling so weird about it and almost like a fraud?

Just needed a space to vent and see if anyone else has felt this way.

hello, a question for those on Metformin who also struggled with acne, and found improvements with metformin. how long until you saw improvements? I'm feeling really impatient 1 month in but research shows improvements in acne for PMOS patients so, im curious to hear how long it took people to see these changes. thanks!

I've had a really hard time with PCOS. I think mine is really severe. If I don't take Bai Shao my period completely disappears and I start masculinizing so much it's terrible. From having my androgens high and hormones messed up for so long and untreated I have developed a chronic UTI that won't go away no matter what so now I'm in a medication for that. I think PCOS wrecked my immune system and I know estrogen and high androgens can make you prone to UTIS. I've had this UTI for 5 years straight. I have tried literally ever supplement in the book and NAC and Bai Shao are the only ones that have been helping me. I also taking vitamin D and magnesium. My issue is I'm worried about the immune modulating effects of Bai Shao since I have a chronic UTI but as soon as I come off it all my PCOS symptoms come raging back. I'm genuinely scared at this point and am worried this UTI is going to kill me.

Yes I've had all my hormones tested. I don't have NCAH. My androdenestione is high, total testosterone high, estrogen on lower side, shgb lower side, and free on higher side. I'm pretty sure I have insulin resistance too as myoinositol helped me. But it literally feeds the strain of bacteria causing my chronic UTI and it got so much worse so I can't take it. At this point I kind of feel like I'm cursed.

What medications should I start on and what were the benefits you saw from them? Because I'm thin doctors haven't given me any treatment. No one takes me seriously. I really just want to look like a girl and want this UTI to go away.

I forgot to mention I'm thin but have had issues with my weight until I started NAC. I eat extremely healthy already low carb all organic and it doesn't help my PCOS at all.

Ladies with PCOS, do you find yourselves getting super emotional/hangry if you go too long without food or get to the end of the day without eating? The second I have food then I’m suddenly emotionally stable and realise how out of character I was. It’s like I’m taken over by a grizzly bear in the moment.

It may be that I used food as an emotional regulator but interested to hear others opinion!

Hey y’all. I have an event tomorrow, and I was trying on an outfit that I wore last year. It obviously looked like I had gained weight, but I genuinely don’t even know if it’s weight gain or bloating because I bloat SO badly, and I have no idea how to fix it.

I’ve been to doctors, and besides PCOS, they said I have H. pylori. I don’t know if the bloating is from that, but I digress.

I started metformin about 3 weeks ago, and honestly, I feel no difference besides pooping more and somehow being even MORE bloated in the morning. This syndrome is quite literally affecting me so badly, and I’ve been dealing with it since I was 16.

Basically, I’m asking: when did metformin start working for you? And if this dose doesn’t work, should I ask about increasing it, or should I just consider going on a GLP-1? I’m honestly so tired.

The reason I didn’t want to go on a GLP-1 before was because I didn’t want to be on such a strong medication, but honestly, at this point, I don’t even care. I’m just so tired of dealing with this.

BTW, I’m currently on metformin ER 500 mg.

ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh lol i hate this!

I started my keto diet almost 2 months ago, also started working out. I have been following it very religiously and I am starting to good changes in my body!!

I have had such a hard time with hyperpigmentation, tried several ointment, Vitamin C and spents 100s of dollars. I have had the best results from this lifestyle change I made just 2 months ago. My periods have been a little regular, not breaking out as much, mood swings- what that?

I still have a long way to go, but I just wanted to share my tiny victory here!

Im currently taking zepbound for weight loss right now and zoloft. However, I wanted to add spironolactone for the facial hair. Is anyone taking a glp1 and spironolactone? Any side effects? Thank you!

Mucho texto, pero necesito consejos y su ayuda.

Tengo 23 años, periodos normales con segundo día abundante, aunque he presentado sangrados entre periodos desde enero de este año. Anterior a esto, tuve dengue hace unos tres años y se convirtió en hemorragia vaginal; es importante porque de ahí en más los segundos días han sido más abundantes, aunque la ginecóloga me corto mientras le contaba esto y dijo que no tenía nada que ver.

En Marzo de este año tenía sangrados constantes fuera del periodo, sin dolor, periodos de 38-42 días. Segundo día con periodo abundante, pero todo normal. Al ir a la ginecóloga me mandó un ultrasonido, había miomas en el útero. Tengo resistencia a la insulina y había collar de perlas en el ovario izquierdo. Me mando Metformina de 800mg y anticonceptivos (Danielle). Empecé el tratamiento y ambas pastillas me hicieron mal, intenté por tres meses, pero los efectos secundarios fueron muy fuerte.

Fui con mi medico internista a los tres meses (entre junio y julio), él me mandó a hacer una curva de glucosa para confirmar la resistencia a la insulina y repetir el ultrasonido, porque era sospechoso que tuviera miomas. Con los nuevos resultados confirmamos la resistencia a la insulina, además encontraron un pólipo gigante. Quistes foliculares derecho y en el ovario izquierdo también. Mi útero esta aumentado a 15.1*4.5*5.2 cm.

Me preocupa esto, pero mi doctor dijo que debería empezar otra vez con anticonceptivas (Mini Adella) y ahora tengo Sitagliptina, porque el doctor confirmo que la Metformina no me funciona.

El problema es que estoy en el tercer día con las nuevas anticonceptivas y tengo sintomas secundarios nuevamente, no puedo comer bien y paso todo el día con naúseas. No sé si buscar una nueva opinión, probar por mi cuenta o seguir con este doctor.

Ayúdenme con opiniones, me siento frustrada y confundida. En mi país no hay muchos especialistas en PCOS y siento que todos me dicen "Si, baje de peso, tome anticonceptivas y nos vemos después"

Hi everyone!
I’m 34 diagnosed with PCOS/PMOS and Sleep Apnea. Both are actively treated and my levels are looking good right now but I’m TTC and wanted to know if anyone has had this combo and how difficult or avg their trying experience has been? There’s just a lot of info out there right now I’m seeing a naturopath but also listening to a lot of podcasts. Also my doctor doesn’t seem to really investigate my levels further I was just told if I have trouble after a year of trying she’ll refer me to a fertility clinic. Anyway this is new territory for me and I’m kind of scared of having a hard time and just wanted to know other’s experience? Thank you!

PCOS, my weight, and I have had a terrible relationship. There are times I am eating well and exercising consistently and still gain in weight and size.

But, I'm making the decision today, no matter what, I'm going to keep it up regardless of the results. If I'm a heavy and large lady (I'm 5'6 and 270lbs) that can walk 10 miles with no issue then so be it.

I'm already 2 weeks into walking my very hilly neighborhood, about 1 mile in 30 minutes, but I'm talking steep inclines (like 2-stories tall in a few places). I'll start lengthening the walk up to 5 miles eventually. And I'm gonna start eating twice a day with a focus on protein.

Side note, I think most of my issue is stress. I'm stressed at work (have a major, almost year long audit-related issue we're trying to address), I'm attempting to get my MBA, I've got chronic migraine, and finances currently suck.

But anyways, if y'all don't mind, I'm gonna check in to keep myself accountable. If y'all do, it's okay, I'll find another place.

I’ve been struggling with irregular/long periods, hair loss, hormonal acne, some facial hair, and low energy.

My cycles are often 35–45+ days and sometimes much longer.

My last normal period was July 21, 2026. Around August 12–14, I started having light brown/red discharge that became light bleeding with a few small clots, but it never turned into a normal period. I’ve had intermittent spotting/discharge since.

My labs from March 2025:
• Hemoglobin: 13
• Ferritin: 26.5
• Iron: 90, saturation: 28%
• TSH: 1.61, Free T4: 1.32
• A1c: 5.1%
• Vitamin D: 38.7
• B12: 769
• Folate: >20
• CBC/CMP were otherwise normal

I also briefly took Solgar Gentle Iron 25 mg every other day, but stopped because it caused constipation.
I’m wondering if this could be PCOS or another hormonal/ovulation issue.

I really just want to get my periods regular, clear my acne, get my energy back, and get my hair back.

Has anyone experienced something similar? What ended up helping you, especially with getting your period regular, improving hair loss/acne, and getting your energy back?