PCOS Experience - Smile

PCOS Experience - time for a smile...

PCOS Experience - words of encouragement

PCOS Experience - Hirsutism (Excessive hair growth)

We all know that each individual with PCOS has to deal with a set bunch of problems that the doctors have agreed exist.  What they don't tell you is that often times each person is blessed with additional problems that not everybody has to experience.

For some it is weight gain... others have no issue with this...
For some it is extremely painful periods... other have no issue with this...
I could go on, but many of you already know this...

The point is... frustration, overwhelming moodiness, hunger pains... all are symptoms that you do not have the situation under control.

These additional symptoms are clues that the endocrinology is way out of whack.  Your levels of progesterone affect hair growth, moodiness and weight gain.

There are many things the doctors will prescribe for you... like Vaniqa (a prescription strength hair removal cream) but these are expensive and treat the symptoms not the cause.  I had trouble with male pattern baldness and areas of my body that should not have hair that grew it in leaps and bounds.  It wasn't until I started on Spironolactone that I started to see real reversal of these issues.  Spironolactone (by the way) is actually a drug that is used for heart patients.  However, one of the side effects is that it reduces Testosterone (aka progesterone).  By lowering the level in my system, my side effects became very much improved.  I urge each of you to look for ways to treat the underlying causes rather than just the symptoms.  For me it ended up being a combination of Metformin, birth control, Spironolactone, and a variety of vitamin supplements. I'd love to hear your stories.  Write to the site with your successes (and failures).

~ WHamilton

Here's a really good video that explains one woman's experience with Spironolactone:
Monica Leftwich

PCOS Experience - Hope

I want to tell you a little story about a young lady I know who has PCOS and has wanted a baby for years.  Her first husband wanted kids too but although they tried (never used protection), they never even came close.  The marriage lasted a little more than 10 years.  When they broke up it just about devastated her....she took a long look at herself and made some changes for her own health.  She lost weight and worked really hard at getting healthy.  The goal wasn't anything more than becoming a better her...

She met and fell in love with a guitar playing construction worker.  He swept her off her feet and made her feel special.  That combined with her good health resulted in quite the miracle.  His name is Tommy.  Baby Tommy was born about 4 months ago to beaming parents.  She couldn't be happier with her unexpected blessing.  I can remember the day I got the text with a picture of her over the counter pregnancy test stick...I just about dropped to my knees.  You see, this lovely lady is my sister.
My point here is that she didn't give up on herself.  She worked hard on what she wanted most which was to be healthy.  Baby Tommy came after she got healthy and reduced the stress in her life.  Two factors that all PCOS women fight to achieve.  It is possible...and you can do it...I have faith in you and so does baby Tommy!

PCOS Experience - Today I feel the need to be...

PCOS Experience - Symptoms

What are the symptoms of PCOS?

There are a core group of symptoms every Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome patient experiences and then there are the sub sets of symptoms that are not as common among everyone but are just as difficult to deal with,..

Everyone dealing with PCOS has the following symptoms in some degree:

• Irregular or absent periods
• Lack of ovulation
• Weight gain (particularly around the waist)
• Hirsutism (excessive body hair which gets worse over time
• Insulin Resistance
• Acne
• Alopecia -male-pattern balding

Symptoms that are found in PCOS patients that not everyone develops:

• Ovarian Cysts
• Acanthosis Nigrans (darkening of the skin under the arms and breasts and at the nape of the neck)
• Fatigue accompanied by mental issues such as being unable to concentrate
• Diabetes
• Extreme Menstration issues such as prolonged excessive bleeding, or debilitating pain.
• Mood Swings (excessive)
• Miscarriages
• High blood pressure, cholesterol or triglycerides (Although I might add that it is fairly normal to have a high level of triglycerides with PCOS and be normalized)
• Skin Tags
• Decreased sex drive
• Issues with the female organs - deformation (caused by extremely high levels of the female version of testosterone and are very very rare)

While this list is not all inclusive it is broad enough to encompass the wide range of issues that PCOS patients deal with and why it makes it so hard to diagnose. If you have at least 75 percent of the issues listed above I would recommend you get tested for PCOS.

Fist step is going to your OB/GYN to be tested.  If the OB/GYN is not familiar enough with PCOS they may send you to a reproductive specialist or possibly an Endocrinologist to verify the diagnosis.
Once you are diagnosed with the syndrome the work really begins... I hope this list was helpful.  I'll do my best to bring you more information on how to deal with the symptoms.

PCOS and Me

Hi.  My name is Windy Hamilton.  I'm the senior editor for the webpage PCOS Experience.  Lets start off with a bit of  background...

PCOS is an acronym for Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome. It means that the female with PCOS has a genetic condition that stems from Insulin resistance (which is prevalent their entire life) and testosterone issues (which are there but do not show up until menses begins).  I'll try to describe it as best I can...its kinda complex.

With PCOS the ovaries produce eggs each month and in normal females the eggs produce a female version of testosterone (called progesterone) in an attempt to 'outdo' the other eggs...literally best egg wins. That's the one that drops (it's also the time when females get 'cranky').  In a PCOS patient the egg may or may not drop because none survive due to the buildup of testosterone in the body. Mainly none of them ever gets to drop but they sit there and take a very long time to be reabsorbed...still excreting the testosterone. The body grabs the excess testosterone and stores it in the adipose tissues (fat cells) where it is reconfigured into estrogen. The excess estrogen renders the fat cell resistant to release energy.

Females with PCOS experience metabolism much different than the average person. Weight is an issue most of their lives because they can't get rid of the fat cells. Over doing it with exercise is uncomfortable and sometimes painful because the lactic acid builds up but doesn't dissipate quickly. PCOS patients have a thin margin of 'normal' that they can achieve but it takes a lot of work and chemical assistance. They are also prone to reproductive issues such as endometriosis, trouble with pregnancy and cancers.

The PCOS patient makes plenty of insulin but because of the insulin resistance it can sometimes go ignored by the body which can result in some bad side effects. Mood swings, shakes, nausea, muscle cramping, trouble breathing, fatigue and hyper energy.

I personally take an insulin regulator named Metformin and Spironolactone which is actually a heart medicine but is prescribed for PCOS patients for the side effect of testosterone reduction. To regulate the menses I also take a low testosterone/medium estrogen birth control pill. This keeps those eggs in the ovaries from sticking around longer then they need to and helps with the side effects that excessive testosterone brings. I literally had a receding hair line until I went on Spironolactone. You also get excessive hair growth in places not normal for females such as a beard and stomach region. Stress can be detrimental to the PCOS patient because it encourages the fat cells and you know that the fat cells once created aren't going anywhere.

The area where I live is well known in the medical area as a high PCOS count. It can come from the heritage of the Cherokee bloodline. My endocrinologist actually moved to where I live in the South because of that high PCOS count. It is important to treat PCOS as soon as possible because of the health risks it encourages: diabetes, heart issues, hormone imbalances, and cancers of the female reproduction areas. If you have a female child who exhibits excessive hair growth, has started menses but it is very irregular, can’t handle exercise well (this isn’t just muscles but breathing as well), and is a little chubby … I recommend that they be tested immediately by an endocrinologist for PCOS. A lifetime of eating properly and careful chemical balancing can result in an extended lifespan and prevention of the health risks involved with this disorder. It can also increase the chance of the person being able to have children in the future.

Here is some of the regimen I have to do in order to ‘balance’ my body:
1. Per my endocrinologist I have two choices: no exercise- period or daily moderate/easy exercise. It is one or the other, you have to choose. Both options are for life. You can’t just exercise a couple of days a week you have to do it every day in order to reach that small area of balance. You don't have to do the same exercise but you do have to keep moving.  Lately I’ve started easy walking 30 mins a day.  Exercise is the better choice.

2. Intake of food must be regular and extremely balanced to the same amount every day. My endocrinologist said that the only method he has found that is effective is a modified weight watchers diet. You have to eat the same amount of points each day- with no exceptions. No going over, no under, no free fruits, etc. DO NOT CHEAT. And stay away from fatty foods.  I'll be honest.  Once I learned how to do it on my own I dropped out of Weight Watchers (to expensive for this old pocket!).  I am capable of self regulation.  Some people are not.  If you feel you aren't one of those, then get in a program where you are monitored... It will help you to keep accountable to someone.  Stay away from carbs and processed sugars.

3. Get the same amount of sleep every night at the same time every night. Eat at the same times each day. Structure is training for the body.

4. Each morning and night I take metformin/spironolactone. Each day I take a birth control pill…remember it is for hormone balancing not birth prevention for me.  I also take several vitamin supplements.  A 'B'complex, Vitamin D and a multi vitamin pill.

5. I keep my stress level as low as possible. On a scale of 1 to 10 I’m at about a 3 to 4. I’ve left jobs with anything higher than a 5.

6. Each day I read (not study) or listen to music for at least an hour. It’s part of the stress relief.

7. I’ve learned not to get angry at anyone. Really, truthfully if they’re having issues it’s up to them to change and there isn’t anything you could do about it but worry and worry is bad for the fat level.

8. I’ve developed arthritis so I’ve taken to doing stretching each day to stay limber... gotta keep that exercise up and limber is key!

I'm not a doctor or anyone in the medical industry.  I'm just like you.  Someone who discovered she had PCOS and has learned to kick back! You can too!

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