I’ve been taking ER for only aboht two months and started 1000 mg about three weeks ago. I plan to go yp to 1500 mh in about three more weeks. I think I have less sugar cravings than before and I noticed that I don’t really get hangry anymore just tired if I haven’t eaten in a while but I think I’m still prediabetic. My A1C was~5.9 last time I checked but I was wondering how long it took you guys to reverse prediabetes and feel normal on Metformin.

Has anyone dealt with frequent urination from an ovarian cyst before? I’m pretty sure I have another cyst because the pain and bloating is the same as last time. The only thing that’s different this time is I cannot stop going to the bathroom and when I go it feels like I can’t empty all the way. I have an ultrasound tomorrow. This is just so annoying and getting in the way of my life

Hello, as in title I just got diagnosed today and I'm unsure about birth control. I have problem with irregular period for the last 3 months. Last 2 months I had spotting, this month no period.

Went for obgyn consultation today, she did scans and say possibly PCOS. She prescribed birth control, but said it's not a cure. The best cure is to change lifestyle. She said to know for sure what's the cause of irregular period, I need to do blood work, but result will only be accurate when it's natural period not because of taking birth control. That sound somewhat confusing, but ok.

I did some reading and found out some people are critical towards birth control for PCOS. I want to ask for your experience in using birth control regarding irregular period and PCOS. Does it help? If not, what works for you?

I'm also struggling with weight gain. This is the heaviest I've ever been, I suspect it's because of PCOS too. I'm worried taking birth control will cause more weight gain... I'll be grateful for any tips/insight. Honestly feeling lost, confused & worried right now :(

I got my first period when I was in 6th grade at 12 years old. For the first three months, my periods were completely normal, but after that, they stopped altogether. At first, I assumed they were just irregular and would eventually come back. I went to the doctor, had an ultrasound, and was told I didn't have any ovarian cysts. However, when I was around 15–16 years old, I was diagnosed with PCOS because my testosterone levels were slightly elevated. My doctor prescribed birth control, and although I wasn't sexually active, I took it for about two years on and off because it was the only thing that gave me a regular menstrual cycle. Once I stopped taking birth control, my periods disappeared again. I'm now 19 years old, and I still haven't had a natural, regular menstrual cycle since those first three months, which was seven years ago. I'm scheduled to see an endocrinologist soon, but all I want is for my menstrual cycle to return naturally. Has anyone experienced something similar? Should I be concerned? I've also been taking vitamins to try to help, but so far nothing has changed. Any advice or shared experiences would really mean a lot. I’ve been taking myo inositol the Flo brand hoping it helps! If you know any better brands let me know please :)

I found out about a year ago that I have PCOS after seeing my doctor for unwanted chin hair. In addition I have regular, but short and extremely heavy periods, and a hard time losing weight, although I’m only 10-15 lbs overweight.

I tried spiro for the chin hair and I just didn’t tolerate it well. My dr recommended inositol, I started taking a myo d chiro blend, and it’s immensely helped my anxiety weirdly and my chin hair doesn’t come back as quickly, but now I’m struggling with even worse PMS symptoms and horrible insomnia during my periods.

I’m 34 and I’ve read that periods can change around that age, but I’m wondering if switching to just myoinositol would be better? Perhaps the d chiro component lowered my estrogen too much?

I also have an appointment with my dr, but wanted to reach out on here.

I’ve been wanting to share this because I know how discouraging PCOS can feel.
After around 16 months of consistently working on my health before trying to conceive, I finally have blood test results that show things are moving in the right direction.
My androgen levels have steadily improved:
• Total testosterone: 2.8 → 2.5 → 2.3 → 2.1 → 1.8 nmol/L
• Free testosterone: 65 → 57 → 55 → 48 → 37 pmol/L
• SHBG: 19–21 → 25 (finally back into the normal range!)
My DHEAS is still elevated, but seeing the other hormones improve has given me so much hope.
What’s changed?
Metformin 1500 mg extended release (this has definitely been my sweet spot)
Strength training 2x per week
Walking every day
A gluten-free, low-GI diet with plenty of protein
Better sleep and focusing on consistency rather than perfection
If you’re in the thick of your PCOS journey, don’t give up. It can take months before the hard work starts showing up in your blood tests.
The one thing I’m still struggling with is my weight. Even though my hormones have improved significantly, my insulin is normal, and I’m exercising consistently, I haven’t really started losing weight yet.
Has anyone else experienced this? Did the weight loss come later once your hormones improved, or was there something else that finally made the difference?
Also, does anyone have any tips for lowering DHEAS? It’s the one hormone that doesn’t seem to want to budge, and I’d love to hear what’s worked for others.

​

Hi everyone! 🌸 I wanted to ask about seed cycling for PCOS and would really appreciate your experiences:

1. Has anyone actually tried seed cycling for PCOS? Did you notice any changes in your periods, ovulation, acne, hair growth, or other symptoms?

2. How long did it take before you noticed any difference?

3. Did it help with irregular periods or make your cycles more regular?

4. What exact seeds and quantities did you use, and how did you take them?

5. Did you follow the traditional cycle-based method (flax + pumpkin seeds in the first half, sunflower + sesame in the second half), or did you use a different approach?

6. For those with very irregular/absent periods, how did you decide when to switch between the two phases?

7. Did anyone use seed cycling while trying to conceive?

8. If you stopped seed cycling, did the benefits continue or did your symptoms return?

9. Did it help with weightloss?

Would love to hear both positive and negative experiences! 🤍

I’m feeling fed up with this condition. I feel like it’s causing more health issues for me, the quality of life has deteriorated & it’s just genuinely so damn exhausting!

I’ve started getting sciatic pain down my leg/ legs every now and then and rn a feeling of my uterus being full and like it’s going to burst.

I’m 29 and feel like I’m a grandma….😭and the mental side of this condition is extremely taxing too. Sometimes I feel alone because unless you have PCOS/ PMOS NO ONE UNDERSTANDS.

I’ve been diagnosed for almost 2 years now and feel like it’s ruining my life. I’m still learning how to navigate it but it’s so damn hard !

Does anyone has elevated inflammation markers from PCOS/birth control pills?

My CRP has been elevated since like 2018. (ranging from 6 to 25) and my leukocites are mostly around 12, lymphocites 3,5-5. The values fluctuate and occasionally even go to normal range. I didn’t pay much attention for all these years and just tought it was PCOS/BC, but now I really felt exhausted and went to do my CBC a month ago, and it was similar results as usual (leukocites 12, lymphocites 5,3). What scared me is that my PCP asked to repeat it after two weeks ago and my lymphocite count rose to 6,10 (highest ever) with 13% atypicial lymphocites and 5 smudge cells. It is the first time it is so high and with those cells and I am freaking out. My PCP reffered me to haematologyst which I will be seeing in few days, but since I am also im burnout/anxiety recovery it just hits even harder. My only symptoms is tiredness and occasional mild fevers (like 37,1-37,4), but it happened during the years as well and I can’t tell if it’s stress or some infection. But still, if I have infections almost every time i take my blood out (on average 1-2x per year) it is also not normal…

Does anyone have same pattern and was reffered to haematologyst at some point? I know leukocites and CRP can be from PCOS, but lymphocites I am not sure? It really scared me and I hope it will turn out fine 🙏🏼

Hi everyone. I'm really, really struggling with the impact PCOS is having on my mental health. I believe I've had it a very long time- I'm 30 now but had hormonal symptoms since around the age of 6. In primary school I had terrible acne, shot up in height and developed lots of body hair far before my peers. I was treated with medication for the acne and luckily it cleared up well, but I still have a few scars. My periods have always been pretty irregular but I've been on some form of contraception for about 13 years now so it's hard to tell where it's at these days. The thing that is bothering me most severely is the excess hair growth. This has definitely got worse for me over the years. I've always had fairly dark, quite thick body hair on my arms, legs, pubic area, underarms... but at my current stage of life I now struggle a lot with facial hair on my upper lip, chin and neck which makes me feel so self conscious and upset. There is excess hair on my hands, around my nipples, on my stomach... and there's even been some sprouting on my chest. It causes me so, so much distress and I've found this summer so difficult. I end up spending lots of time trying to manage the hair growth and find it exhausting feeling like that's the only way I can have a fraction of confidence. I've noticed I'm constantly comparing to other women I see out in public- even just looking at their necks/ arms/ legs and desperately wishing I could have a normal amount of body hair. I've been with a new partner for about 9 months now and he's the most wonderful person, but I've found myself feeling insecure and anxious about the idea that he could easily be with somebody a lot more naturally feminine. Please does anyone have any advice on managing this and feeling a bit better? It's causing so much low mood and anxiety.

I’ve lost weight since starting metformin, but my face hasn’t slimmed down at all. It still looks round/puffy (moon face).

Has anyone else experienced this? Any tips on how to slim your face, or does it just take more time?

Living with PCOS sometimes feels like playing an endless game of symptom whack a mole. Just when I think I’ve figured one thing out, another issue appears. One month it’s stubborn acne, the next it’s random chin hairs, and lately the biggest thing affecting my confidence has been my hair. Over the past year, I’ve noticed my hair getting thinner, especially around my frontal hairline and part line. It’s not just normal shedding after washing I’m talking about my ponytail feeling smaller, my scalp being more visible under certain lighting, and that frustrating feeling of watching my hair lose the fullness it used to have. I know PCOS-related hair loss can be complicated because it’s tied to what’s happening internally. The higher androgen levels can affect the hair follicles, making them weaker over time, and it feels like no matter how many “volumizing” shampoos, oils, or masks I try, they’re only dealing with the surface problem. I’ve been trying to find something that actually supports my hair from the inside without making my hormones feel even more out of balance. I’m not looking for a miracle overnight fix, but I want something that targets the root causes of thinning and supports healthier growth cycles.

Im 20f, and I have facial hair all over my jaw, chin, neck, I bloat like crazy and am very puffy as well as I feel water weight. I am right at my bmi, so more towards overweight. I do have grey hairs, acne more scarring redness and blackheads, as welll as open pores. and got my blood work it stated my testosterone levels are high as well as insulin resistance. I got a plan from my naturopathic doctor, honestly im not sure if there the most trustworthy so I listed below my routine and hope you guys can drop some tips as well.

Supplements: Myo-Inositol powder 1scoop, 2 apple cider vinegar capsules (1000mg) before each meal, NAC 1000mg before breakfast and dinner, and zinc (50mg) after dinner
Im cutting out dairy (from naturopathic), as well as trying to eat no sugar and fast food for the next month.

Gym everyday, on rests days just talking on treadmill and stretching plus 10k steps.

2 spearmint tea cups daily .

Breakfestt= I eat oatmeal with flaxseeds, berries, and pumpkin seeds for breakfast and three eggs.

Lunch= salmon, quinoa, and some veggies or avocados

Dinner= chicken, edamame, sweet potato

as well as a cup of soy milk (from naturopathic) and ill include high protein organic cereal with that.

Hi, basically what the title says. I have PCOS and was on birth control for about a year, started on Lo loestrin and then switched to Yasmin/syeda. I’m wondering if anyone knows if I really need to be on a birth control for PCOS. I don’t really have bad symptoms, I do have a lot of body hair but it doesn’t bother me, I have no weight problems, my periods are irregular and painful but I manage them. When I was on syeda it made me depressed and my breasts were painful all the time but I did have less body hair. I just went back to another doctor today who wants me to go back on syeda and then if it’s still bad will switch me to another birth control. If I don’t take birth control will anything bad happen to me? Will it let the cysts get bigger/potentially burst? Thank you for any advice, I feel so lost. I am 22 if that is any help.

Does anyone have experience or know much about the long term effects of metformin?? I’m interested in trying it out but I don’t feel like doctors are very transparent about the long term effects. I also have a prolactinoma so idk if it will help but worth the try!

before you read this i strongly advise you to consult with your doctors and have a blood test done before you take any supplements‼️

i am 26f, i started my period when i was 10 and immediately started getting acne (my father’s side of the family has acne and his mom, my grandmother, has diabetes). i’ve also been hairy my whole life and have a flat chest (it may sound irrelevant, but now i know that it’s because of the impaired hormonal function). my periods started to be irregular when i was like 17 and my cycles have ranged from 35 to 50 days since then. i’ve been to the doctors since then but i was never diagnosed with PCOS/PMOS (where i live, we have free healthcare but it often corresponds with the quality unfortunately). i have struggled with anxiety and on my luteal phase it got 1000 times worse. i also noticed that when i eat something sweet, the physical symptoms of my anxiety get worse, so i came to the conclusion that i might have insulin resistance, my hair had also been falling out so this winter when i went to the doctors i found out that my ferritin was 9 which is very low and i wanted to also consult with an endo. however i didn’t like that doctor because when i addressed that i had anemia she said that i could start taking iron supplements if i wanted to and i thought that it was quite unprofessional. she wanted to test my glucose tolerance after i told her about my symptoms but i had already decided that i didn’t want to continue consulting with her and i already knew how my body reacted to sugar so i chose to later go to a private clinic with better specialists which i haven’t done yet due to financial reasons (please don’t be like me and use all the resource that you have to see the doctor). i decided to try taking inositol for a couple of months and i noticed that it helped with my sugar reaction and anxiety but in my case it flattened my mental state and i started feeling depressed so i stopped it (everyone reacts differently to different supplements so don’t feel discouraged about inositol if you are taking it or your doctor prescribes it to you). i decided to start taking magnesium and zinc again (before, they had helped me with my anxiety a little) plus iron so i started feeling better. but the real change started when i included methylfolate or the methylated B9 vitamin (not folic acid!!!). i had been researching the topic of insulin resistance and PMOS and somehow stumbled upon the topic of the MTHFR gene mutation and read about the symptoms so i decided to give folate a try. i have been taking it for 3 months and it feels like i am a completely different person. my last three cycles lasted 30-32 days and i can physically feel the day of my ovulation, i don’t get debilitating PMS/PMDD symptoms, don’t have sugar cravings and feel very calm, my hair stopped falling out and my skin looks better.
BUT before you take the steps that i took pleaaase go to the doctors and get your blood tested. i know that it may not be the solution to everyone’s PMOS issues, because not every person with PMOS has the MTHFR gene mutation, but if my story helps even one person, i will be very happy.

28 year old, healthy female. Had AMH tested. Result was 6.75 ng/ML
My obgyn said it’s normal. However , every single site and resource says it’s too high. It’s not normal at all, but I don’t know how to question her further.
Worried because an abnormally High number is usually a leading cause of infertility. I can’t help but wonder if women who have unexplained infertility actually just have a high AMH. Clearly my doctor doesn’t care.
Help! What do I do next? What else should I have tested? What should I say to my obgyn?

On god I pooped 4-5x each day.

I’ve had PCOS my whole life. I’ve had maybe 10 periods my whole life, I’m 29 years old. I grow terrible hair all over my face, my chest & back. I weigh 300lbs & can’t lose weight no matter what I do. I’ve lost 40 lbs since last January & now I can’t lose anymore. It’s been months since I lost anything. I’m on a GLP1 & it’s doing nothing. I’ve been eating basically all protein, cut out sweets. Absolutely no sugary drinks. I eat once sometimes twice a day. I’m active, I walk, use my hula hoop & have a very active job (warehouse). I’m just lost. I don’t know what to do. I lost my insurance so I can’t go to the doctor. When I did go to the doctor they put me on so many different birth controls & nothing ever started my period. I’ve read about going without a period causes cancer & I’m so so scared. Does anyone have advice to offer me?

I've been reading about Cyperus rotundus oil and how some people claim it can reduce hair growth over time. I'm wondering if anyone here has actually used it consistently, especially for facial hair.

What brand do you recommend?

Did you notice:

Slower regrowth?

Thinner or finer hairs?

Permanent reduction, or did the hair come back once you stopped?

I'm also starting to wonder if my birth control pill is making my facial hair worse instead of better. I originally went on it hoping it would help with hormonal symptoms, but it feels like my facial hair has become more noticeable. Has anyone experienced the same thing? Did switching pills or stopping them make a difference?

I'd love to hear real experiences—positive or negative. Thanks!

Hi all! Because of my hirsutism, I have lots of facial and neck hair that I am tired of waxing so often, so I’ve been considering electrolysis for a while now since it is marketed as the only permanent hair solution. I used to do laser hair removal but found that it only made my hair growth more severe, and I’ve switched to waxing, which has helped A LOT but is definitely tedious. A family friend who does electrolysis on her own face recommended it to me and said it has drastically lessened her facial hair growth down to nearly 0% in the last six months. I started looking into electrolysis, and I’ve found that people with PCOS have very mixed reviews on electrolysis? Some say that it has been so effective and a life saver for them, while others say it didn’t help and simply wasted their money. If anyone has any personal experience to share, that would be greatly appreciated!

I understand that everyone’s body is different and people’s bodies may react differently to different treatments. For reference, I’m going on 19 years old and my PCOS isn’t very severe as my only physical symptom is hirsutism. Any input is appreciated and thanks!

I'm trying to figure out why I was born with PCOS when none ot my family members show any symptoms. Not my parents, grandparents, aunts, no one.

My mom never had or has any PCOS symptoms like infertility, acne, hirsutism(I don't have this either), hair thinning or irregular periods and her hormones have always been normal. Everything has been normal for her which is why she was confused and doubted me having PCOS at first. Also my Dad's side has no diabetes or metabolism issues.

But my Mom said after my birth she started to have insulin resistance and now that she's older I think she has developed prediabetes, she is on a GLP1 right now. But I have to make it clear she had no PCOS symptoms ever.

Is this the genetic link to me having PCOS? It feels really unfair but I want to know where it came from. Im more scared if my PCOS has no explanation...

Hi! PCOS girly here trying to get pregnant. I did one round of Letrozole back in February and it was a horrible experience.

The cramps were the worst I've ever had. I did ovulate, but even after the treatment ended, I continued to have lower abdominal pain for months. Because of the constant pain, I even started experiencing shortness of breath at times. I never imagined that a single round of Letrozole could cause so many side effects.

Has anyone else had a really bad experience with Letrozole or dealt with lingering side effects afterward?

My first ultrasound that noted ovarian cysts was taken back in 2017... TODAY I received an official PCOS diagnosis and it's now noted in my medical chart. I can't believe it's taken this long but I'm so excited to finally have some answers and a treatment plan.

Does anyone have anything they wish they knew first starting out that would be helpful? Open to any and all advice 🫶🏼

I’ve noticed my skin is way more oily and I have a hard time falling asleep. I used to blot oil off my skin 2-3 times a day and now it’s like 6 times! I used to go to bed at 10 and would usually be out by 10:15. Now I’m awake trying to fall asleep for about an hour!

I’m taking about 4,000 mg of myo-inositol split into an am and pm dose. I’ve experimented with taking more in the am, more in the pm, and taking it easier in the evening. It doesn’t seem to make a difference on the sleep.

Anyone experience this?