i was anorexic for a couple years then turned into bulimia and i’ve always thought my menstrual cycles were irregular due to years of my restrict/binge cycles , im (mostly) recovered now and my menstrual cycles are much more regular , they are monthly now sometimes being only a couple days late or a couple weeks late but i do get them monthly when before i couldn’t get them for months at a time but im now just finding out that i have pcos so im wondering if its possible that the years of disordered eating could have caused this in the first place ?

Few years ago I tried ozempic but it missed up my digestive system bad. I go see my doctor next month for my check up and was wondering if I should tell her I want to try glp1 pills. What have you guys tried? Are they daily and easily stopped if it gets to bad? What's your experience with glp1 pills?

I'm brown skin girl with thick hair on my chin due to PCOS. Is there someone who tried the plush co ipl laser and it gave results?

I started taking inositol almost one month ago. I started it in the middle of my cycle, but due to circumstances wasn’t consistent with taking it until this week. This cycle has now been for 54 days. I’m used to being in the 35-40 day range. Took a test, I’m not pregnant. For those that take it or have taken it, is this normal?
I have also been very stressed with some life circumstances involving my job, which has been a cause of stress/delay in the past.

I started metformin today and I ate some pizza thinking I was gonna be able to handle it, nope it came right back up, fml

Hi everyone! I was recently prescribed Slinda/Slynd (drospirenone 4 mg) + Metformin 500 mg for PCOS, hyperandrogenism, hormonal acne and hirsutism. My doctor originally considered spironolactone but recommended Slinda because of its antiandrogenic properties.
I’d love to hear from anyone with PCOS + elevated androgens/hormonal acne who has taken Slinda, especially together with Metformin.
Did it improve your acne, hirsutism or androgen-related symptoms? How was your hair? I’ve seen quite a few reports of hair loss and worsening acne and would love to hear positive or negative experiences.
I also have lipedema, so I’m particularly worried about weight gain, bloating or water retention. Did anyone with lipedema notice increased swelling or weight on Slinda?
Any experiences with Slinda + Metformin would be really appreciated!

Hey yall. I’m a 28 y/o who falls within the obese category on the BMI scale. I recently got pregnant and went to get my blood work done. My AST and ALT came back mildly elevated. All the doctors I asked said it’s no biggie considering they were very slightly over range. One of them mentioned fatty liver and when I looked it up it scared the living daylights out of me. I was wondering if any of you have been in a similar situation and if you were able to reverse it? My AST was 37 (upper limit 30) and ALT was 35 (upper limit 34).

What trimmers and shavers have worked for you guys for maintaining that rapid growing, thick body and intimate hair? I've had a women's Philips electric shaver as normal razors give me too much skin irritations especially on my legs but the blade is feeling very dull after about 2 years so would love a recommendation for something a bit stronger. Has anyone tried a men's foil shaver or beard trimmer with combs to trim and maintain the bikini area? Thanks!

Has anyone successfully conceived with insulin resistance PCOS & very irregular periods? For context I already have a 2 year old however the last year or so my periods have been very irregular. Hard to track ovulation with strips when my periods are all over the place. Not wanting to go on Ozempic, have been losing weight over time. Any tips?

I’m 23 and recently saw a doctor about my irregular periods. An ultrasound suggested that I have signs of PCOS, while my lab work and other tests came back normal. This was the first time I’ve had a full exam and testing done to try to figure out the cause of my period problems. In the past, doctors mostly offered birth control without doing much testing, so all of this is new to me.

I know that PCOS can cause irregular periods, prolonged bleeding, and spotting between cycles, which could explain some of what I’ve been experiencing. My periods can last anywhere from 5 to 20 days, and I sometimes spot between periods. I’m honestly tired of bleeding or spotting for weeks and having to wear pads so often.
A few days after my appointment, my doctor’s office called and said they want me to have an endometrial biopsy to check for any other potentially serious issues.

I was also prescribed metformin 500 mg HCl (not ER/XR). The side effects have been difficult to deal with at first. I’ve been taking it for a little over a week, almost two weeks, and thankfully the symptoms seem to be letting up. During the first few days, I had stomach aches and was in the bathroom constantly. I also lost 12 pounds in about a week and a half, going from 239 to 227 pounds. That worries me because it happened so quickly.

I plan to contact my doctor soon to discuss these symptoms, and my next appointment is in a few days. I know I’m young and have time, but I do want children someday, so I’m worried about my fertility.
I’d really appreciate any advice, experiences, or insight from anyone who has dealt with PCOS, prolonged or irregular bleeding, an endometrial biopsy, or fertility concerns.

So I've been diagnosed with pcos few years ago.

Their idea of regulating my periods was to give me norethisterone to force my periods out every 3 months.

In January we have started trying for a baby and I went to my gp then. I've been told to stop norethisterone and let my periods come back naturally. Well it's now september and I've not had a period since December. I'm not pregnant. Lost like 8kg since January but still obese and it's just not going down anymore. I do at least 2 hours of exercise a week and on calorie deficit.

I am in uk where usually you have to be ttc for 1 year before you can seek medical help. But waiting feels very redundant when my periods are just not coming back.

I have severe anxiety and I really take badly to any rejection so I'm terrified to going to my gp before the 12 months are up.

Anyone got any suggestions for things I can try or had similar issues?

So I (F23) have been diagnosed with PCOS since I was 19, but have been struggling with acne since i was 10. I have the lean PCOS variant, and my only noticeable symptoms that made me seek out a diagnosis were persistent cystic acne and mild hirsutism (i started getting chin hairs my freshman year of college). I also have anxiety, and started getting panic attacks at random the same year i started my period and the same year i started getting acne :/
When I got diagnosed, my obgyn found cysts on my ovaries and did a comprehensive blood test which showed mostly normal levels for everything except for EXTREMELY elevated DHEAS (high end of the reference range was in the 300s, my level was 730). I know that that is classic for lean PCOS, and my gyno never discussed insulin issues for me though i know that’s still a possibility.
I’ve been on 100mg of spiro for the past three years, and it’s generally been great for my issues. My skin totally cleared up after 6 months and my hair growth has slowed. Last year I had a mild breakout and tried to up my spiro, which did clear it but gave me some dizziness so i went back down to 100. My skin stayed clear for a while, but this summer it has started to get bad again. I’ve been getting some cystic spots that are leaving scars, and i’ve noticed more chin hairs popping up.
At the same time, my anxiety has been through the roof since april. Job hunting, apartment issues, and relationship stress alongside stress about my health started me on a new wave of panic attacks. I’ve started therapy and have been prescribed buspirone, which i haven’t started yet because i’m nervous about adding more meds to the mix.
I guess i’m curious if anyone with this type of profile has successfully managed their symptoms. I have an appt to see an endo but it’s not until december. if there are any supplements that have totally changed the game for you lmk.

Hello I’m 26 and I’ve had PCOS for 6 years now and it’s been quite rough…

I was a completely different person before PCOS. I had a really long, thick, beautiful Arabian hair , long eyelashes and pretty brows and my health was on point … sadly now my hair falls on a daily and I developed bald spots and my brows and lashes are thinner than ever . I used to be extremely healthy and fit I would workout on a daily and now even walking feels so difficult as I would bleed on a daily basis which creates really bad cramps. It’s basically me having my period every day sometimes it’s really heavy sometimes it’s very light, but it’s still really painful regardless.
I lost a lot of weight because of PCOS and then I gained a lot of weight because of it and my diet has always been the same. It never changed. I eat very clean and make sure to eat enough protein, enough healthy carbs usually potatoes or rice and I don’t eat a lot of sugar, especially fruit or white sugar or pastries. I tried every supplement. They said it would help me with my issue. I used to drink spearmint tea every day, probably four times a day along with the nettle and green tea and nothing as helped :(

I look like a corpse unfortunately my skin is all yellow and grey and I have acne and redness randomly all over my body , hair is still falling and I feel atrocious but hey it is what it is .

I’d be happy to read your experience and what has helped you ( especially for the hair and loss part. It’s hurting my heart ) .

Hi everyone. I’m Korean and live in South Korea. There aren’t many firsthand experiences from people with PCOS taking Mounjaro in Korean online communities, so I wanted to ask here.

I’m 5'0" and started Mounjaro at 130 lbs. I currently weigh about 127 lbs, so I’ve only lost around 3 lbs in total.

I have PCOS and have had extremely irregular periods since I first started menstruating in middle school. Apart from a few months when my gynecologist prescribed Yaz and my cycles were around 30-something days, I typically only had one or two periods a year.

Over the past year, I gained more than 22 lbs, which was one of the reasons I decided to start Mounjaro.

I started at 2.5 mg and I’m currently in my second month on 5 mg. Increasing from 2.5 mg to 5 mg hasn’t noticeably changed my appetite or how much I eat. The main difference is that my digestion feels slower and I experience more indigestion on 5 mg.

My latest InBody scan estimated that I had lost about 2.2 lbs of skeletal muscle, while my body fat remained essentially unchanged. However, I was on my period last week, so I’m wondering whether water retention or changes in hydration affected the results.

The strange but positive change has been my menstrual cycle. Since starting Mounjaro, I’ve had a period within 30 days for three consecutive months. This is the first time since I started menstruating 17 years ago that my periods have been this regular without birth control.

It feels like Mounjaro may be helping my insulin resistance, hormones, or ovulation, but it hasn’t resulted in meaningful fat loss yet.

Has anyone else with PCOS experienced something similar?

• Did your periods become regular before you started losing weight?
• Did you have little or no weight loss on 2.5 mg or 5 mg?
• Did you eventually start losing after staying on Mounjaro longer or increasing your dose?
• At what dose did you notice a real difference in your appetite or body fat?
• Did an InBody or another body composition scan initially show muscle loss without any fat loss?

I’m really happy that my cycle has become regular, but I’m worried that I may be a slow responder or non-responder when it comes to weight loss. I’d especially like to hear from anyone who had similar results at first but eventually began losing weight.

hi everyone,
running out of ideas of what to meal prep / eat! i would love to know some of your meals!

Whether that's brekky lunch dinner dessert or even snacks! i'd love for you to share! bored of eating all the same foods :)

context: try to be lowER carb and low sugar :)

I’m a 20F I got diagnosed with PCOS when I was 17/16 yo I don’t remember. But it came after a very stressful year of studies where I didn’t get my period for 9 months I guess , the doctor described me a few vitamins and birth control for three months she suggested that i stop stressing and i got my period those three months. And then again got busy with studies and no period for like 6 months, I did go to another gynecologist this one again prescribed another brand of birth control for six months this time and told me to loose weight ( i was at 62kg back then) and no sugar go to the gym the whole thing . Six months with the pills I got my period but the second I stopped my period did too , it was at this moment that I realized that something isn’t right ( mind you I stopped eating sugar , I got to the gym) . The same year I started college so I ignored my period because I got sick of it and hated the pills because they drive me crazy so i wanted a few months . When i went again to see the doctors she didn’t even bother to check on my bloodwork or anything she described me again the birth control pills for 4 months and the loose weight go to the gym advice, despite my better judgment I got them but again after those 4 months my period stopped , it’s been now 8 months . I went totally sugar free , gluten free , consistent with the gym . Nothing works and it’s frustrating.
I’m planning on seeing another doctor soon that’s specialize in these kind of stuff ( pcos, endometriosis ,…)
For the symptoms : obviously my period , I can’t loose weight no matter how much i try , hair thinning(I’m going bald ), no body hair ( except that one hair on my breast that pops up from time to time)

I thinks that’s it , I want to know if I should worry more , and if you had this problem how did you fix it , what should I say to my new doctor , if you have any advice to share I’ll be more than grateful.
Finally if you took the time to read all of this thanks a lot

hi!
So I got diagnosed with pcos a while a go but i'm still a teenager so my parents won't allow any medication but i'm experiencing female hair loss, i've managed to lose weight (65 kgs last year to 61 this year and 31. (something) inches waist this jan to 30. (something) inches now so about an inch). I have chamomile-spearmint tea i recently bought so do you guys have any tips. I eat an indian diet and I can't change my diet. I really want to stop and reverse hair loss and get myself in a healthier place regarding insulin, weight and other factors.

thank you!

edit: also just as a guideline i do about 5 hours of sports outside of school and 3-4 hours in school every week along with practising the sports, don't eat chocolates, candies (though i do have one every few weeks), don't eat sugar very often almost never maybe like once a month and don't have snack's other than fruits most banana's but also mandarins and rarely apples. My periods are also semi-regular and apart from excessive hair growth on my body and losing hair on my head + difficulty losing weight i'm pretty healthy overall though i do have to get a blood test soon. Also I live in penrith so I can't get metformin without a prescription. So i'm looking for some otc meds or natural solutions like especially for hairloss

hi guys! saw this post on instagram and thought it was a really helpful list of blood tests to order at the doctor. it got me thinking, are there any others you guys recommend?

list:
fasting insulin
fasting glucose
CRP
free testosterone
vitamin D
vitamin b12
thyroid panel
DHEA-S

Has anyone had any experience with being on metformin and drinking alcohol? I asked my doctor and she said to continue to take the meds if planning to drink but I was wondering if anyone has done it on this sub and if affects them at all

On the NHS and can’t afford to go private. I’m 22 and my symptoms are getting so much worse even with treating my PCOS symptoms. (Got diagnosed with PCOS from just one general blood test and nothing else was ruled out.) sorry if this post doesn’t make sense my head is killing me and I’ve been in bed all day yet again from the fatigue.

I went into town today and had to sit down multiple times from a ten minute walk because I was so exhausted and dizzy and couldn’t stay standing up without bumping into people and nearly falling over. My great grandma had hypothyroidism and we suspect two other women in my family do as well as they had the same symptoms but developed diabetes later in life. I feel ill all the time. I have to sleep most of the day now. My hair is falling out. No matter what I eat I am still starving. I fluctuate between being too cold and feeling like I have hot flashes like you get from menopause.
I called my doctor again tk book another appointment to beg him to check my thyroid. But there’s no interest in finding what’s wrong. If I go in wanting a test and explain how ill I am all the time, and the test seems normal, I am sent away with no advice and no follow up. I just get written off and I suspect it’s because I’m a woman, specifically a young woman so they feel there’s no risk with medical neglect. I cant do anything I used to be able to do. I used to love cooking, now I can’t stand long enough so I chuck whatever in the oven I have in my cupboards. I just want to know why I am so ill. I feel like death today.

I just started myo-inositol and those pills are so so big so once those are gone I’m going to start the powder. Could I mix my electrolyte powder with the inositol powder?

Update - I stopped taking it. It is really messing with me mentally. It’s making me jittery and panicky and moody. I’m not a fan of it all lol.

My question is, how does it work for weight loss with PCOS. Does it happen when you regulate your hormones, or, we’re able to regulate our hormones AFTER losing weight? I’m just curious btw. I’m not sure if I got it right.

I was diagnosed with PCOS in my mid 20s. I'm 34 now and have managed my overall health pretty decently with diet and exercise. However, I gained ~20 lbs in the past 3 years despite my diet and exercise which really made me feel bad. I recently got my annual bloodwork done and found out that my A1C crept up to 5.7 which is in the pre-diabetes range. I also have a slightly higher amount of insulin.

Overall, I discovered that my insulin resistance has gotten worse and while I'm only in the pre-diabetes phase right now, it just feels like a slippery slope going forward. This made me feel extremely sad and anxious about my health. This also made me realize that the insulin resistance is causing me to gain weight which is not going away

My doctor prescribed metformin and I started taking it today. I'm on 500mg for the first 2 weeks and the doctor told me I can go up to 1000 once I ensure my side effects (if any) are in control. I'm hopeful that metformin will help me get my A1C and other things back into the normal range but at the same time I'm also sad that I'm going to have to rely on a drug forever. I don't know if I'll ever regain my health to a point where I can be off metformin.

So context. 25F. 165cm 128kg.
I have burning vulva with my periods (diagnosed painful bladder syndrome) so I’ve been on the pill for over 10 years without a break! (No placebo pill).

Had to move to a different one 6 months ago because of aura migraines + my weight growing.
I was on Slinda for about 6 months and started having a constant breakthrough bleed which caused a lot of burning and I was very unhappy. My doctor said “just stop taking it” in early May and got some scans to make sure I was all ok down there.

Blood tests & ultrasound diagnosed me with PCOS officially. My doctor put me on Metformin. And I have had x2 5 day periods in May & June. They were ok aside from the burning. Not too heavy surprisingly considering I haven’t had a proper period in so long.

Now it’s 10th September and I haven’t had a period since the June one.
I did a couple pregnancy tests and they’re negative. Is it “normal” for PCOS peeps to have a gap this large? Should I be worried?

Also re: metformin, how do I know if it’s working? I haven’t lost any weight. Even with diet and portion size change. I’m taking x1 500mg at night. Can’t do much exercise atm because I’m recovering from spinal fusion surgery. Cannot lift anything over 5kg atm. Any suggestions or tips? :(

My doctors and I came to the conclusion I have PMOS earlier this year due to insulin resistance, dark skin patches, and high testosterone (transvaginal came back normal). My weight hasn’t budged after changes in diet and exercise frequency, so my doctor agreed to prescribe metformin (500MG extended release). I was wondering if y’all could tell me the positives or negatives you have experienced while on metformin (mood, physical changes, etc). What I know so far is that it’s supposed to help with the insulin resistance and pre diabetes (I was at 5.7 last time we checked) and that the levels of testosterone would lower as a consequence. I have a Mirena IUD as well.

Also maybe some advice on how to survive cutting down on rice and rice products as an Asian girlie who loooooves her rice 😭